Selene's wines are the personal winemaking expression of Mia Klein, a consulting winemaker noted for her work at wineries like Dalla Valle, Fisher, and Bressler. Selene's output is exclusively focused on the Bordeaux varietals that thrive in great Napa Valley vineyards. Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc have been produced since 1991. A tiny quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cabernet Franc will be released in the near future. With each release, Selene's goal has been to capture forward fruit flavors and vibrancy from the vineyard, and use minimalist winemaking techniques to frame the wines with extremely supple textures. The resulting wines are food-friendly. They are open and accessible upon release, and yet they have the necessary balance and complexity to enhance either home cooking or haute cuisine.

www.selenewines.com/index.html

Merlot
Vineyards: Madrona Ranch, St. Helena 75% Frediani Family Vineyard, Calistoga 25%
The 2000 vintage was a good one for Merlot from the warmer areas of Napa, like St. Helena and Calistoga. The weather in these earlier-ripening vineyards was sunny and dry, and the grapes matured with good flavors, concentration, and balance. The Frediani Family Vineyard was picked on the 6th of September and the Madrona Ranch Merlot on the 13th of September. Fruit is destemmed and lightly crushed into small tanks. Slow-fermenting yeast strains are added and gentle punch downs are the order for the first two days. At this point, a strong cap has formed and frequent pumpovers take over from punch downs during the 14 to 18 day fermentation. Total maceration time was 23 to 30 days, with tasting for texture evolution deciding the actual press day. Malolactic fermentation happens in barrel. The wine, 100% Merlot, spent 16 months in oak, all French, 70% new. 1000 cases produced.

The exuberant 2002 Merlot possesses a chocolate, coffee, sweet black cherry, and earth-scented bouquet as well as a spicy, firm, rich style. It should drink well for 7-8 years. 90 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
  "A solid wine with excellent structure, firm tannins and a ripe, supple core of blackberry and black cherry fruit, with a touch of fresh earth and mocha on the finish, where the flavors gain complexity and depth. Drink now through 2010. 500 cases made." 90 The Wine Spectator 9/30/04
"Beefy, rich, full-bodied as well as firmly tannic is the 2001 Merlot. Exhibiting aromas of roasted coffee, plums, cherries, and cola in a medium to full-bodied, firm style, it should drink well young, and age nicely for 6-7 years." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #150
"Good bright ruby-red. Smoky aromas of currant, truffle, game and caramel, with a distinctly herbal cabernet aspect. Fat and truffley in the mouth, in a rich but dry style. Finishes with fairly substantial, slightly dry tannins. Offers more texture than flavor authority today, and probably best suited for drinking over the next three to five years." Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 5-6/04

?A delicious Merlot, dark, rich and chocolaty, with layers of mouthcoating mocha, currant, blackberry and coffee grounds. Sharply focused, long and intense, with well-integrated tannins. Best from 2003 through 2010. 1,000 cases made.? 92 The Wine Spectator 12/31/02
"There is so much fruit, sheer richness and lavish oak at work here that its riper bias is more than easy to forgive. Fat and fleshy in feel with lots of body and tannins enough to notice, this immensely flavorful wine entertains with suggestions of cocoa, cream, raspberries, cherries, mint and a note of loamy earth on the palate. Never shy and not especially refined, it is a wine to save for appropriately savory dishes, and it should drink famously with a classic, garlic-larded, rosemary studded, roast leg of lamb." 92 Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine 3/03

Selene Merlot Blackbird
1999 was the second in a short string of cooler than normal vintages in Napa, at least up until the latter part of September. It was then that high pressure in the Big Basin began to heat the ripening weather up. This is better known in Napa as Indian Summer and it helped to make the ?99 vintage ripe and rich. Blackbird Vineyard was picked on the 14th of October. The wine, 100% Merlot, spent 18 months in oak, all French, 100% new. 500 cases produced.

"Excellent structure, depth and concentration, with ripe, rich, black cherry, currant, anise and wild plum flavors. Holds its tight focus on the long, complex aftertaste. Best from 2003 through 2010. 700 cases made." 91 The Wine Spectator 9/30/02
"Bright ruby. Cassis, violet pastille and bitter chocolate on the nose. Thick, sweet and silky in the mouth, with enticing, concentrated dark berry, chocolate and spice flavors nicely framed by ripe acids. A whiff of eucalyptus emerged with aeration. As bright as this is, it also pliant and generous. 90 Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 5/6/02
"The outstanding, beautifully made 1999 Merlot Blackbird Vineyard Oak Knoll combines power and elegance with sweet fruit, great purity, and a long, concentrated, intense finish with no hard edges." 90 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #142

Sauvignon Blanc Hyde
Hyde Vineyards has one of the few plantings in California of a unique selection of Sauvignon Blanc, known as Sauvignon Musque. It produces a distinctive wine with plenty of ripe, mature fruit flavors and less green, vegetative flavors. Hyde Vineyards, located in the northeastern corner of the Carneros, has a long, moderate growing season and is well-suited to the temperament of Sauvignon Musque. Grapes are whole cluster pressed with the juice transferred into both new French oak and stainless steel barrels for fermentation. Stainless steel barrels are integral to the evolution of this wine in several ways. First, fermentation temperatures can closely be controlled for fuller and richer flavors. Additionally, at 74 gallons, a stainless steel barrel has 14 more gallons of yeast and lees contact resulting in more intensely textured, lush wines. There is no malolactic fermentation or fining of this wine. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. 1000 cases produced.

"Regularly rising to the head of the class when it comes to very good Sauvignon Blanc, Selene scores again with this deep and abundantly fruity wine. Rife with ripe melons and lifted by oak, it has plenty of mass and essential fruit extracts to offset its slight turn to heat at the finish. A serious wine with fine prospects for age, it needs to be tagged for drinking with seafoods that fall on the richer end of the range." 91 Connoisseurs' Guide, August 2004
"Crisp, lean and coiled, with excellent focus to flavors of yellow and green apples, grass, green pepper and minerals." 90 The Wine Spectator 9/15/04

?The house brand of well-known winemaking consultant Mia Klein, Selene's delicious 2001 Sauvignon Blanc Hyde Vineyard is crammed with melon-like fruit, fig and honeyed citrus notes. Most of this cuvee was barrel fermented with lees stirring. However, there was no malolactic, thus the wine's vivacious freshness remains intact. It requires consumption during its first 1-2 years of life. ? Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #142

Mia Klein, Winemaker-Proprietor