Although no longer the newest winery in Livermore, Embodied Wines still has new things to discover. We recently went back to catch up with everything that 2019 had brought.
It seems like only yesterday that we were welcoming Embodied Wines to Livermore. Now that Arroyo Cellars has assume the mantle of “new kid on the block” we wanted to taste what was new at Embodied. We had been away for nearly a year, so expectations were high as we walked past the Falcon image on the entry wall and entered the tasting room.
We found a tasting room that showed the polish and maturity that a year in the business can bring. The warm, dark woods and intriguing art around the room remained, which made us feel relaxed and welcomed. We appreciated the added touches, like tasting menus at every tasting location and a welcoming tasting bar configured for serving multiple groups of tasters.
Co-owner Steve welcomed us back and set us up at the bar for our tasting. As usual, a party was going on in the back room, which is ideally configured for showers and birthday parties. We were thrilled to discover that nearly the entire tasting menu was new! We started with their 2018 Chardonnay. An obviously unfiltered wine (it was cloudy in the glass), we appreciated the grapefruit notes playing over a slate base. Their 2017 Rosé of Cabernet Franc was next; with flavors of ripe strawberries and gentle acids. A great wine for watching football and munching on snacks.
The next taste was a favorite for both of us: their 2016 Red Blend. Steve told us that co-owner/winemaker (and falconer) Kimmie made this wine from Mendocino fruit. We loved the dark plum and leather notes, and immediately put this on our Take Home list. We completed our flight with a 2013 Knights Valley Merlot. Smooth and very drinkable, we enjoyed the smoke and leather notes, ready for pairing with a lovely steak.
There was just time for one more tasting, so we thanked Steve, purchased our wine, and set off a bit down the road for our next experience!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
