Cycles Gladiator Merlot Central Coast
Adam LaZarre confesses this is perhaps his favorite varietal wine in the range. Despite Merlots bad reputation lately, I do share with Adam much respect for this grape variety that shows much depth, and unmatchable silky/velvety texture when its well made.
Score: 90/100 pts. Dark and deep fruity nose, filled with very dark cherry aromas complemented by dark chocolate and blackberry liqueur. Soft and round tannins, with the main feature being a round smooth oily texture. It feels dry, drier than the Cabernet, having less opulent super-ripe berry flavors, but more expression of juicy red cherry. Velvety tannins, with a granulous texture leave a slight ashy feel to the finish, which is actually enjoyable and give the wine personality. The fact that it is dry and a little savory to the finish balances the abundance of fruit in the tasting very well and suggest it will be great with food as well. Bursts of spicy black pepper and caramel to the finish leave you with a yummy-tasting after-taste.
Cycles Gladiator 2018 Pinot Noir
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A spicy floral aroma and lively fruit and black-tea flavors make this medium-bodied wine an attractive choice. Baking spices from oak blend with black cherry for nice complexity, and the texture has a nip of tannin for grip. Jim Gordon
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All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide contextvintage, variety or appellationbut never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
Ratings reflect what our editors felt about a particular product. Beyond the rating, we encourage you to read the accompanying tasting note to learn about a products special characteristics.
Central Coast Pinot Noir
Lets start with the obvious Central Coast Pinot Noir is an incredibly broad category. This of course is because the Central Coast appellation is enormous, and it contains several stellar Pinot Noir regions within it, all of them kept cool by elevation or proximity to the ocean . So well break things down a bit with a brief look at each of these: Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills.These are not the only Central Coast sources of good Pinot Noir, but they are the major ones. So lets get started.
In the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, just west of Silicon Valley, producers craft excellent Pinot in spite of serious challenges. The land is mountainous, rugged and can be foggy, the topsoil is thin and poor and yields tend to be low. Yet Pinots from the likes of David Bruce, Martin Ray, Mount Eden and Thomas Fogarty exhibit undeniable quality, along with bright red fruit, minerality, earth and herbal hints.
Finally, we arrive at the Sta. Rita Hills, also in Santa Barbara County. Located in the western part of the Santa Ynez Valley, it too benefits from an east-west orientation that leads to the same conditions mentioned above. Once again the result is extended hang time for the grapes, which can be tasted in the vibrant, ripe red fruits evident in these Pinots, along with dense coloration and an impression of richness and intensity. Try wines from producers like Ken Brown, Ampelos, Fess Parker and Melville.
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Cycles Gladiator 2018 Chardonnay
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This spicy, oaky and attractive wine that was aged 14 months on the lees carries vivid aromas and flavors of ginger, nutmeg and toasted nuts backed by ripe pears. It is full, mouthfilling and has a good, lingering finish. Jim Gordon
- rating
- Alcohol
- Not rated yet
All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide contextvintage, variety or appellationbut never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
Ratings reflect what our editors felt about a particular product. Beyond the rating, we encourage you to read the accompanying tasting note to learn about a products special characteristics.
ClassicThe pinnacle of quality
Very GoodOften good value well recommended
GoodSuitable for everyday consumption often good value
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Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir Central Coast
Fruit from Monterey, Santa Barbara, and the west side of Paso Robles.
Score: 89/100 pts. The nose is vibrantly fruity with a wide spectrum of fruity flavors, from the floral violet characters, to the ripe and richer dark plum, through the typical Pinots signature aromas of sour cherry . Add some black pepper and clove spicing things up and you have a wine that is very pleasant and appealing to smell at, interesting too. The palate is soft and round, with silky tannins on a medium body A pinot that satisfies by its balance, its upfront fruitiness but also some depth provided by spices, dark cocoa, and caramel notes.
Cycles Gladiator Wines: The Story Behind Great Value Central Coast Wines
While touring the Central Coast of California, I had to stop by and check out and meet the man behind one of the most recognizable brands in the US wine scene.
Cycles Gladiators redheaded Maiden is simply one of the more avant-garde wine label in the US!
As I discovered, it is not only that, but rather, the story of brilliant and super-kind winemaker, and the tale of a brand revival making great value wines.
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- http://www.winelog.net/wines/Cycles+Gladiator
- Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Rated 2 Stars by rmcunningham Cycles Gladiator California Clement Pinot Noir 2007 Rated 3 Stars by drxeno Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Rated 3 Stars by drxeno Cycles Gladiator More Reserved Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Rated 3 Stars by dustinjacobsen
What Is The Famous Wine Region Featured In The Movie Sideways
Thats Santa Barbara.
The greatest attribute of Sideways is that it promoted Pinot Noir, which became very popular because of the movie.
The region of Santa Barbara offers a great variety of unique tasting options with over 120 different wineries to choose from. This region is off-the-beaten-track, but should not be underestimated. Sideways drew much-needed attention to this region and all that it has to offer.
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Cycles Gladiator Wine Hooligans
- https://winehooligans.com/brands/cycles-gladiator/
- Founding winemaker Adam LaZarre harnesses the sentiment of our now immortalized flying lady as he focuses on pure varietal expression, balance, and elegance, inviting you to celebrate any and every occasion. With 19 Best Buy Awards under its belt, Cycles Gladiator wines
Cycles Gladiator Petite Sirah Central Coast
Score: 91/100 Pts. Opulent ripe fruity and dark nose, dark plum, coffee, and dark chocolate dominate the nose together with dark berry notes. Round oily texture, with solid body but not over the top, plenty of tannins make for a great structure, but theyre soft and smooth, just kicking in with a little astringency to the finish. A concentrated Petite Sirah wine with liberal fruity expression of dark cherry and dark plum, touch of spices and more importantly these dark toasted flavors of chocolate and licorice that give it seriousness, and juiciness as well as an intriguing feel.
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Wines For Most Palates By Cycles Gladiator
Not only do the Cycles Gladiator wines deliver in absolute quality, but LaZarre also manages to combine important features into the bottles he signs:
Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 750 Ml
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Cycles Gladiator: The Story
Central Coast winemaker Adam LaZarre started the Cycles Gladiator brand some 12 years ago, back in 2005, wanting to express the land of this part of California through his wines.
For a label and brand name, he picked a symbol of the liberation of women in France during the Belle Époque, a poster by a French bicycle company named Gladiator that launched the sale of its new bicycle Le Bicycle Velocipede in 1895. At that time, bikes were a symbol of the new freedom women were experiencing, allowing them to move around more than ever before.
The avant-garde label and the Cycles Gladiator wines proved so successful that the brand was acquired by a large wine firm, who corporatized the brand, expanding production volumes and extinguishing what the wines originally stood for, top quality and value. LaZarre took on new projects in the Central Coast. But the story of the brand didnt end there.
In 2013, wine entrepreneur and executive Dennis Carroll acquired Cycles for his Wine Hooligans artisan wine brand reinvention company, and he wanted nothing else but to reunite Gladiators brand with its original winemaker.
Today LaZarre is not only the winemaker of Cycles Gladiator producing authentic and tasty Central Coast wines , he is also the head winemaker for Wine Hooligans focusing on a number of central and northern California brands for the company.
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Cycles Gladiator Chardonnay Central Coast
Fruit from Livermore, Monterey, and Paso Robles, providing winemaker Adam LaZarre with plenty of blending options. About 15% new oak, 50% malolactic fermentation in barrel, 50% in stainless steel tank without going through malo.
Score: 88/100 pts. An elegant nose, aromatic but balanced with a wide array of aromas in balance. Lemon, melon, and pineapple combine delicately with leesy notes of brioche, and touches of oaky vanilla. Dry with a soft oily texture, pleasing and smooth with no aggressively whatsoever, just a satisfying suavity and typical fresh Chardonnay flavors. Very well made.
Which Wine Regions Are In California
From North to South, the main regions are Mendocino, Lake, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Livermore Valley, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.
California is a vast region that consists of several smaller wine-producing areas. Although Napa Valley and Sonoma are what California is most known for, the states other regions produce equally outstanding wines.
Napa Valley and Paso Robles are renowned for the bold reds of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, as well as the scenic wine route which offers unique experiences to wine lovers. On the contrary, Santa Barbara and The Russian River Valley, with conditions more suited to delicate grapes, produce outstanding expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Each of these regions offers a unique take on the wines of California allowing for a greater expression and experience of what the Golden State can truly offer.
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Where In California Is The Wine Country
The Californian wine country is in the North San Francisco Bay area, with over 800 wineries located all along this scenic route. The Bay area encompasses some of the world’s most famous wine regions, including Napa Valley and Sonoma.
The success of these famous regions within the Bay area is largely to do with the sound soil composition and ideal climatic conditions. Each region is fortunate to have a wide range of temperatures and soil types, allowing the brilliant variety of grapes to thrive here.
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Cycles Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon Central
Most of the fruit comes from Livermore, hillside vineyard, very steep so it has to be picked by hand it takes almost a month to pick it up so the fruit comes at various levels of maturity. Small proportions of Merlot and Syrah to round up and complete the blend.
Score: 90/100 pts. Very clean and pure fruity expression of Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose, you can recognize the variety very clearly from having such bright blackcurrant and red berries character, with hints of bell pepper. The overall impression is ripe and generous yet controlled and not too exuberant or alcoholic. Round body, soft and smooth tannins make for a suave experience that allows to enjoy the vibrant red berries, fresh plum fruity flavors. Some floral notes, and light apple ones amplify the light and soft flavor profile. Some salivating and delicate bitterness, almost saltiness to the finish make the wine end on a very juicy feel promising this wine will pair very well with food.
How Ourjourney Began
Cycles Gladiator was founded in 2005 with the mission to create high quality, great tasting wines that are accessible to everyone.
Inspired by the womens suffrage movement, we drew our name from the 19th century French bicycle manufacturer, the Gladiator Company, and honor their iconic art on our wine label. The red-haired maiden soaring through the sky on her bicycle symbolized the new liberation of women from their homes after centuries of repression. Bicycles, as Susan B. Anthony praised, literally emancipated women from domesticity, allowing them to travel outside their households to work and vote.
Over a century later, this powerful artwork still resonates with wine lovers across the country. Adam LaZarre, acclaimed and multiple award-winning winemaker, is at the helm, and has been since our beginning. Having lived in Paso Robles for more than twenty years, Adam is extraordinarily connected to his community and the winegrowers in the area. Cycles Gladiator wines continue to benefit from these longstanding viticultural relationships, providing us with access to standout fruit every year.
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