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What We Say 2007 Fremere Bordeaux Style Blend
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Mission Codename: Triple Double
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Maloy O’Neill Vineyards in Paso Robles, uncover their best red blend, secure an amply supply for our blend-thirsty Operatives around the U.S.A.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Maloy O’Neill Vineyards
Wine Subject: 2007 Fremère
Winemakers: Shannon O’Neill
Backgrounder: Paso Robles has long been established as a wine producing region that give other California regions a run for their money. With a climate and soils that make for perfect growing conditions for grapes, it is no wonder. Winemakers in Paso are a somewhat unique breed, often declaring themselves to be the renegades of Cali wine. A meeting with Shannon O’Neill, winemaker and owner of Maloy O’Neill affirms this sentiment. A warm, excited and deeply passionate man, Shannon makes wines that reflect his personality. Join Agent Red as he visits Shannon and tastes his incredible 2007 Fremère, a delectable blend of 45% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc – and returns with a cache of the wine for our eager Operatives.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Gorgeous dark ruby hues, with perfectly even coloration from core to edge. After spinning the wine, tall legs form high up on the glass wall, before streaking swiftly downward.
Smell – Lush and deeply aromatic, with a rush of blackberry, Bing cherry and raspberry that leaps from the glass. Underneath, violets, leather, cedar, soft spice and berry bramble round out the nose.
Feel – Medium-bodied, plush and gently grippy on entry. Then, as the wine passes across the mid-palate it coats the mouth with a crushed velvet quality. A soft dryness spreads from mid-palate, outward, eventually drying the lips and cheeks.
Taste – Bursting with flavor, this juicy wine leads with blackberry, dark cherry, blueberry and raspberry. These are balanced against secondary flavors of cedar, dark chocolate, black licorice, black pepper and dried black flower petals.
Finish – Ultra-long and very flavorful with dark berry fruit that seems to go on forever. As the fruit flavors taper off, a distinct and delicious anise flavor appears. As that fades, black pepper punctuates the ending.
Conclusion – Shannon O’Neill does it again! What a fantastic and delicious wine this is. We went bonkers for the 2004 Fremère, but this 2007 is so much better. Bursting with dark berry flavors, this wine shows great complexity and great balance. The aromatics had us inhaling the wine, long before our first flavor-filled sips. When our glasses were empty, we were sad. It was a good thing that we had a second bottle on hand! If you love big, extracted, concentrated wines – ones that also show balanced good behavior – then this wine will surely win you over.
Mission Report:
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Maloy O’Neil vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Maloy O'Neill Vineyards
About This Wine:
Our Fremere is a Bordeaux style blend, produced in honor of Maureen’s grandmother’s maiden name. This year’s blend is slightly different, focusing more heavily on Petit Verdot, another one of my favorite varietals. Dark and extracted with supple tannins, makes this a great food wine that will age nicely, yet ready to drink right now. The color of the 2007 Fremere is dark ruby almost purple/black when the glass is half full (which your glass will always be with this most amazing wine). When swirling the Fremere a beautiful combination of violets, tobacco, black fruit (black currant, cherry), cedar, cigar box and a kiss of vanilla fill the room. This wine has such beautifully integrated fruit—black currant, both red and black cherries, boysenberries, and minerals (feldspars) are surrounded very firm tannins. 45 seconds later this wine’s finish is still present with red fruit and spice. Unbelievably balanced, the acid is in perfect harmony with the rest of the fruit.
About The Winery:
Maloy O’Neill Vineyards is dedicated to making the highest quality wines in limited quantities while maintaining superior one-to-one client relationships. Through this dedication, the family belives in and aspires to providing a legacy for future generations of the Maloy O’Neill Clan. Maloy O’Neill is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery located in California’s beautiful Central Coast region.
We are dedicated to producing estate-bottled varietals and site-specific wines from our vineyards and other selected vineyards in the Paso Robles area. These vineyards have consistently produced high quality, intensely fruity vintages. Premium wine handcrafted in small lots is our main focus in delivering a unique product to our consumers. Cabernet Sauvignon is our flagship variety, but other premium varietals include Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, and Malvasia Bianca.
The Winemaker:
Making Premium wines has long been the passion of winemaker, Shannon O’Neill. Years of education and experimentation have culminated in the MOV wine collection now available. Shannon is able to focus on small lot artistry utilizing modern wine technology to maximize the potential of the vineyards.The winemaker’s hard work and craftsmanship has been noticed. MOV has been quickly recognized for red wines. We have won multiple Gold and Silver medals for each of vintages from prestigious North American wine competitions.
Vineyards:
O’Neill Vineyards has been producing high quality grapes in the Paso Robles area since 1982. We have been a local supplier of grapes for many wineries in the area, as well as wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County. What started out as a 20 acre experiment in 1982, has now grown into 150 acres planted with nine varieties. O’Neill Vineyards has always been family owned and operated, dedicated to producing only the highest quality fruit for our wines and those who buy our fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon is why O’Neill Vineyards has become so well known, but we also currently grow Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, and Malvasia Bianca.
The vineyard site consists of over 180 acres, with vines spread across several different soil types and microclimates. Although it has taken years of fine-tuning, many improvements have been made in the vineyard to maximize these different conditions. In 1997 we switched to a vertical shoot position trellis system, and employed canopy management techniques such as leaf, shoot, and cluster thinning to reduce yields and open up the canopy. Soil and water management has also become a top priority. Paso Robles area soils commonly need annual amendments and pH adjustments in order to maintain proper nutrient uptake and overall vine health. The result has been a dramatic increase in quality reflected in the wines from these grapes. There is also a five-acre experimental vineyard on the property, dedicated to varietal, rootstalk, and clonal experimentation. The grapes from these vines are used for small-scale winemaking experiments as well.
Technical Analysis:
Varietals: 45% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 200 Cases
