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August West
August West is a partnership formed in 2003 between winegrower Gary Franscioni, business man Howard Graham, and winemaker Ed Kurtzman. The name is from a Grateful Dead song, Wharfrat, in which August West is down and out and drinks a lot of “Burgundy.” The winemaking is essentially the same as for the Freeman wines, but the grapes come from different sources and only two coopers are used. There are two Pinot Noirs: Rosella's Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands and Graham Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The wines are sold through a mailing list and retail distribution. Production is 1,000 cases annually. 415-225-2891.
Articles About August WestReviewed Wines2009 August West Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 14.7% alc., $28. August West is a partnership between Gary Franscioni, Howard Graham and winemaker Ed Kurtzman. · Aromas of cherry tart, baking spices and a hint of oak. Moderately intense and concentrated with flavors of cherry pie filling, berry compote, cola and oak. Very smooth on the palate with soft tannins. Solid but not exciting. Good. Reviewed April 11, 2011 ARTICLE »
![]() 2007 August West Graham Family Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 14.8% alc., $50. · Medium garnet color in the glass. Charming scent of red cherries accented by gentle oak toast. Fruity and tasty with a pleasing fullness on the palate. Harmonious with gossamer tannins and a good grip of acidity. A solid, but not emoting wine now but should improve over time. Good (+). Reviewed August 24, 2010 ARTICLE »
![]() 2006 August West Graham Family Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 14.8% alc., 695 cases, $48. · Moderately light crimson in color. Also shy nose showing demure red fruits, a little funk, herbs and a whiff of alcohol. Plush red fruits with spice and brown sugar on the palate. Easy to drink. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 August West Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 14.7% alc., 477 cases, $48. · Very shy aromatics but pleasant strawberry and cherry scents after intensive swirling. Decent red and black fruits with an earthy bent. Zippered up and unyielding on this day. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2005 August West Graham Family Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 118 cases · This is a flamboyant sucker with opulent fruit that jumps out of the glass and floods the mouth. It is fat on the palate and enhanced with deft wood and brown spice. Despite its prodigious fruit, there is ample acidity to balance everything out. Reviewed November 26, 2006 ARTICLE »
![]() 2005 August West Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 406 cases · This Pinot is still closed from recent bottling. We took it to lunch and over time it began to blossom and strut out some unctuous Pinot flavors. It is similar to the Freeman wines, but with a little more dark fruits and structure typical of this vineyard. The 2004 vintage of this wine was a knock-out and this one should follow in step when ready to drink. Reviewed November 26, 2006 ARTICLE »
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