Bull Family WinesFounded by Valeri (Val) Bure and his wife, Candace Cameron Bure. Valery is a professional hockey player for several Canadian and American hockey teams. Born in Moscow, he eventually moved to North America in 1991 to play hockey and spent a 10-year career in the NHL, including an NHL All-Star Game in 2000. He also played for two Russian Olympic hockey teams, winning medals bronze and bronze, respectively. . a silver medal. He wasn't the first athlete in the family; his father, Vladimir, won four Olympic medals for Russia in three Olympics.
Candice is an actress best known for her performances on hit TV shows,Full house.
During his professional career, Valéry traveled the world while developing an interest in food and wine. His longtime Montreal Canadiens teammates introduced him to wine, and soon his cellar grew from a small collection to a collection of wines he collected on his travels around the world. Since he retired from the NHL in 2005, his wine collection has become more enthusiastic.
On a trip to Napa Valley, he visited the beautiful Boswell Estate Winery and met Josh Peeples (who we met a few years ago for an Early Boer wine tasting). Valeri was harvested at Chateau Boswell in the early 2000's. Josh introduced Bure to winemaker Luc Morlet, who has produced many vintages of Bure. Bure's current winemaker is Benoit Touquette (see Realm Cellars). Benoit made the first full vintage of Bure in 2018.
Valeri searched for land for around 7 years before finding the right property. He wanted a site on the west side of the valley, but facing east (with less afternoon and evening sun). The former owner of what is now Bull Estate Vineyards was having lunch with Bull's realtor when he casually mentioned that he might be interested in selling his property. The next day, the real estate agent called Valéry to tell him about the situation. A year has passed and the previous owners are finally ready to sell.
In 2012, the Bures purchased a 2-acre property on the hillside north of the town of St. Helena as their second home (their primary residence is in Malibu, LA). The property is located in coveted St. Mesas Helena, part of the secondary designation, rising from the valley floor on the edge of the Mayacamas Mountains. This is a premium winery community: neighbors include Colgin's Tychson Hill Vineyard, Grace Family Vineyards, Revana Winery and Vineyard 29.
While most of the grapes for their wines come from premium estates in Napa and neighboring Sonoma counties, approximately 0.6 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon (1,873 vines) are planted on this small plot. Originally planted in 2001 using buds from the Bosché clone of Grace Family Vineyards founder Dick Grace.
Bure bottles a variety of Cabernet Sauvignon; As of 2017, they have produced two white wines in Sonoma County: Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay and a white blend called Nuit Blanch.
Bure's philosophy is to carefully craft wines from unique vineyards. Remarkably, Bure's very limited bottlings are balanced in youth and remain balanced throughout life.
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Bure 2017 Nuite Blanche translates to "White Night" in French; its name is also a tribute to the family's Russian heritage and the annual White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg. The wine is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. It has a very pretty nose with hints of honeycomb, baking spices, honeysuckle and citrus flowers. The palate is clean and crisp, with excellent balance and exceptional acidity. It has a round and slightly creamy texture with hints of orange and citrus fruits.
Boolean white wines age very well. The 2013 Nuite Blanche proved that (we tasted it 9 years after it was made). Medium golden color, attractive aromas of pineapple, honeycomb, caramel, lemon zest and hazelnut notes. Mouthfeel is determined by the depth, richness and texture of flavors. Offers a creamy mouthfeel tempered by a bright acidity that lingers briefly on the finish.
Ridge Vineyards is considered one of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in Sonoma County. Bure 2016 Malena Ritchie Creek Chardonnay (Sonoma County) has a medium golden color, the aroma is very attractive, like crème brûlée, walnut shell, orange marmalade and caramel. When opened it smells of apricot and peach. The wine has a creamy texture that complements the lively acidity. The palate is varied and includes flavors of mango, papaya, citrus and roasted hazelnut. The finish is long and rich. This impressive bottling (we tasted the wine after six years) is a wine you can't put down once you start drinking it.
The 2014 Bure Malena Ritchie Creek Chardonnay has a distinctive golden amber color in the glass. The bouquet exudes a variety of aromas, including hazelnuts, almonds, honeysuckle, butter and baking spices. Of immediate interest is the texture of the wine. It is almost savory, oily and salty, with intense viscosity and smoothness on the palate. But its texture is complemented by bright fruit and acidity. The lemon lingers and the finish shine lingers for a long time. The bottling was still in good condition 6 years after the harvest (at the time of our tasting). Chardonnay's name, “Malena”, comes from combining the first two letters of the names of each of Bull's children: Maksim, Lev and Natasha. It is important to highlight that in our most recent tasting, the 2017 vintage of this wine tasted very good in its six-year vintage.
The 2012 Bure 13 is named after the number 13 jersey worn by Valeri throughout his professional hockey career. The wine comes from several premium vineyards, one near Dominas Winery in Yountville and another from the country's most famous vineyard, Toca, in the heart of the Long Oakville appellation (To Kalon). The nose is structured, with hints of smoke, leather, hints of green pepper and the sweetness of blackcurrant and rhubarb. It offers black cherry and raspberry flavors with intense density and concentration. We tasted the bottling eight years after the harvest; the tannins were not bulky or heavy, although they had good grip. It is juicy and has excellent acidity.
The typical production of their small vineyards is 10 barrels, but after careful selection of the best lots, they normally only bottle 6-8 barrels (150 to 200 cases) per year. Immediately after the fermentation of the first harvest grapes, Valéry was struck by the aromas of the new wine. He wonders if there's anything they can do next year to replicate their aromatic nirvana. In the end, he didn't have to do anything: after smelling the wines from the following vintages, he realized that it was a combination of his unique Cabernet clones and the appellations that produced these beautiful aromas.
The 2019 Bure Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep ruby/purple in color and almost opaque in the glass; Floral and fruity aromas like violets, blackberries, blackberries and blackberries are enticing on the nose. As the bouquet develops in the glass, it develops an additional subtle mint/holly aroma and a hint of clove. The aroma is all about the purity of the fruit, while the oak has a subtle complementary rather than a distracting character. This bottling offers a deeper layer of fruit flavors like plum and cherry. A notable element of this wine is its texture. The tannins are dense, dusty and earthy, but surprisingly well resolved at a young age (we tasted this bottling just three years into the harvest). We tasted this wine again four years later and the taste has only improved. The wine has persistent dryness, the finish is juicy and delicious. According to a winemaker, the lack of tannins makes the wine less likely to age. He was wrong, he was wrong. The wines he owns always produce a similar amount of high tannins each year.
The 2016 Bure Estate Cabernet Sauvignon features a bouquet bursting with berries, including blackberry and blackberry; the aroma is ripe and reveals the purity of the fruit, while being elegant. Violet scent. On the palate, the wine is smooth and supple, with rich flavors but without the heaviness of tannins. The particles are fine and dense. Its balance is remarkable. Bottling also features a slightly salty flavor and a long shelf life.
The Bure's Majesty blend was named in honor of the Valeri family's connection to Russian royalty. The Bure family is originally from Switzerland; they were invited by the Russian tsar and the royal family to make high-quality watches for the royal family, including Valery's great-grandfather Pavel Bure. Bure's, which began making watches in St. Petersburg in 1815, was founded by Karlovich (Carl) Bure and served Russian czars for over 100 years, including Nicholas II, who wore a watch when he was executed in 1918. Bure's son Carl, Pavel (Paul) Bure, founded his eponymous watch company in St. Petersburg in 1875. Over the years, the watches have won many awards for their craftsmanship, including one at the Paris World's Fair in 1899. They were also awarded to the Russian army. during the First World War.
The family watch business was eventually sold to Zenith Watches: the company still owned the rights to Pavel Bure watches. Many vintage Bure watches can still be sold online, sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars worth of rare watches.
The Bure label was printed on all watches produced; architect, designer and artist Michael Roché slightly modified the Bure label used on wine bottles. An image of the bird holding a hockey stick on one leg and a clock on the other. It pays homage to Valéry's long career and his grandfather's famous watch.
Bure Majesty’s Blend 2018 is a remarkable and rare 100% Cabernet Franc grape variety bottled at Kalon Vineyards. It is a deep ruby color and almost opaque in the glass; let this wine rest in your mouth for a minute to fully appreciate it before drinking. It's layered and underpinned by dense, dusty tannins and flavors of dry cigar and dark spice. The finish is slightly dry.
Bure Family Majesty's Blend 2006 is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot. Most of the fruit in this wine comes from the cooler growing area of Coombsville, east of the city of Napa. The bouquet of this bottling offers notes of earth, dust and cigar smoke. This is a very smooth opener with lots of fruits like raspberry and black cherry and a hint of vanilla. In the end, the dust in the bouquet rose again. The tannins are well structured but balanced. The wine features bright fruit and lively acidity that will continue to age well with age.
Bure produced three vintages of late-harvest dessert wine bottled under the Candy name. Bure Family Candy Alexander Valley 2013 is a blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine has a dark amber color. It presents strong aromas of honey, apricot, peach in syrup, dried peach, toffee and toffee. If it is possible to appreciate the fragrance, this bouquet will be perfect for such an event. fruitful. Its texture is creamy, thick and dense. The flavor is intense, sweet, rich, ripe and persistent. The wine has sweetness, flavor and acidity and has a lot of life (we tasted it 10 years after the harvest).
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The best way to gain access to these very limited wines is to join the waiting list to be added to your membership list, as most wines are sold direct to consumers, although you can find them at the French Laundry in Yountville . of wines. For more information visit:www.burefamilywinery.com