OUR #4 Wine of 2016

Red Blend | Napa Valley | Wine Spectrum 94

Picayune Padlock Red Blend 2014 (Label).jpg

Deep velvety crushed cranberry color, the nose is immidatley complex, hints of spice, chocolate, red berry fruit and a touch of fine oak, on the palate the wine is rich and equally complex, deep and long with fine tannin and acidity, no wonder they pour this at The French Laundry, it really shines on the dinner table. A blend of 73% Merlot, 21% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The French Laundry may be the best restaurant in America and their wine list is certainly outstanding, offering rare wines that are decades old and in pristine condition. When news ripples through Napa that a new wine is being poured at The French Laundry people take notice, especially when the wine is inexpensive. The 2014 Picayune “Padlock” Napa Valley Red Wine is now on the list and being poured by the glass not only there but at Press in Napa as well. This is good news for you, our clients as we at Wine Spectrum have access to this amazing wine for only $37 per bottle or $444 per case. You can drink this wine anytime and know that someone is paying thousands of dollars eating at The French Laundry drinking the same wine. Inexpensive Luxury!

Buy Picayune ‘Padlock’ NOW

PICAYUNE

Jennifer Roberts and Claire Weinkauf arrived around the same time in the Sonoma Valley. Both in contact with exceptional wines and incredible winemakers, they came across small lots of beautiful wines that couldn’t always find spots in prestigious winery programs. Excited by the perspective they started making their own blend rescuing lots and assembling them until they got the results they were looking for.

Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf

The French native grew up in Auvergne; the land of Volcanoes and fabulous cheeses. Her family would typically start a meal with a glass of Sancerre and go on with some Morgon produced by family friends. She graduated from Toulouse Business School and started accumulating international experiences. Inspired by the power of a Mouton Rothschild 1955, she earned a wine degree in Chile and then embarked for France to work harvest in St Emilion and the Côte du Rhône. While working in South America, she met Paul Hobbs, who hired her to work at Viña Cobos (His award winning venture in Argentina). Then he brought her to California in 2006. After four years working with Paul Hobbs and numerous opportunities to taste amazing wines and meet wine industry leaders, Claire started a consulting company in 2010. Claire de Lune Consulting focuses on helping fantastic producers including Matthiasson Wines, Anomaly Vineyards, Morlet Family Estate, Cowhorn Winery and more to grow their businesses. Claire lives in Calistoga with husband Aron Weinkauf-Winemaker at Spottswoode Winery and their son Hugo.

Jennifer Roberts

Jennifer co-owned a fine wine brokerage company selling and purchasing rare wines from private cellars and prestigious wineries alike all across the United States. From Château Yquem to Domaine La Romanee Contie or Screaming Eagle, she has been tasting not only the finest wines from the US but from all around the world for years. Jennifer lives in Healdsburg, nest of the Avant-Guard of California winemaking where her husband Nathan Roberts from Arnot Roberts Winery is leading the pack. With her love and knowledge of fine wines and her deep connections in the wine world it was only time before she would find herself on the path of brand ownership. Jennifer and Nathan live in Healdsburg with their son Landon.

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Jennifer and Claire share a joint passion for amazing wines and delicious food. Realizing that it often means breaking the bank in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, they pursue the idea that with a négociant business model they can work hard to craft wines of outstanding quality that can be delivered at an exciting price point. This has been the promise of Picayune Wines since 2011. If you wonder what Picayune (pronounce {pee-ka-ˈyün} ) means, it used to be a Spanish coin worth half the value of the Real. It also means a little bit in French. The key on the label represents the idea of “Unlocking Secret Wines from California” Jennifer and Claire sign confidential agreements with all the producers from whom they have purchased wines from that is why vineyard sources and exact provenance can not be disclosed.Buy Picayune ‘Padlock’ NOW