Sunday, April 27, 2025

Caiarossa Pergolaia with pizza and pasta

Caiarossa  Pergolaia with pizza and pasta … 

With leftovers from the previous nights’ dinner (s), we enjoyed these nice sipping wines. 

Follow Pour Boy Lyle, visiting from Chicago, brought from his home cellar this hearty red Italian ideal for tonight as written by Wine Advocate, “ It's a versatile red to match with all kinds of pastas and meats.’. 

Caiarossa "Pergolaia" Toscana 2016 

The Caiarossa estate is located near the village of Riparbella, a village of less than 2000 inhabitants in the Province of Pisa in the Italian wine region of Tuscany. It is located about 45 miles southwest of Florence and about 25 miles southeast of Pisa, a few miles from the sea. 

The estate has 250 acres, 90 of which are planted with vines in 60 parcels, with seven red and four white varieties, cultivated according to soil type, altitude and exposure. 

Since 2004, the estate has been owned by the Albada Jelgersma family, who have been active in the wine business since the 1970’s. They also own Château Giscours in Margaux.

The Caiarossa Winemaker is Marco Lipparini who says of this wine, “The 2016 Pergolaia is all about matching grapes to soils, a tribute to Tuscany from a French-owned estate better known for its international approach.” 

This is mostly Sangiovese with the other 30% composed of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 

This was rated 94 by Wine Spectator and 92 points by James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, a bit tight and structured, blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of floral, mineral, spice, herbs and black tea with full firm tannins and bright acidity on the finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3654510


www.caiarossa.com

 

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks

Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks 

With fellow ‘Pour Boy’, Lyle, and Terry, of our wine group at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we grilled out tomahawk ribeye beefsteaks.


For wine pairing with the dinner, Lyle brought this Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino from his home cellar to share, and I opened, from our home cellar a Bordeaux varietal.

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2016

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.  

The Uccelliera estate has 30 acres of vineyards almost entirely planted to Sangiovese, made up of vines between 5 and 45 years old. The site consists of sandy loam with presence of crumbled fossils in the zone of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. The vineyards sits at an average altitude of 150, 250 and 350 meters above seal level adjacent a natural barrier provided by the proximity to the height of Mount Amiata in the south-east side and of Poggio d’Arna in the south-west. 
Also, the nearby Orcia river provides a marine breeze rising up from its valley contributes to create a unique microclimate that is particularly well-suited to viticulture. This label consistently shows a sense of place of this specific Montalcino location.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, smooth and balanced, plush, round, complex black raspberry and blackberry fruits with tones of dark chocolate, tobacco, licorice and spice with hints of mushroom and smoke, reserved with polished tannins.. 

RM 93 points. 



To complement the dinner, I opened from our home cellar this Bordeaux varietal blend. 

Long Shadows "Pirouette" Columbia Valley Bordeaux Blend 2017

I wrote about this label in detail in a recent blogpost, Long Shadows Pirouette 2016 with beef roast.

I wrote, after enjoying the Long Shadows Pirouette 2014 at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Linda prepared a beef roast and I pulled out the next vintage release of this label to enjoy, and compare with the earlier vintage in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. 

As I wrote in that recent blogpost - Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville, This is one of our favorite labels for a Bordeaux varietal red blend, a sleeper, not well known or sufficiently regarded, given the pedigree of the winemaker and the quality of the product. 

This is the Bordeaux varietal red blend from the Long Shadows Vintners's Collection that features world class winemakers and Washington State Columbia Valley fruit

This label is produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, in collaboration with Agustin Huneeus, Sr.. another legendary wine producer. I;ve written about about Philip Melka numerous times in these pages including that recent Sullivan’s Steakhouse post and previously - Château Boswell Napa Valley Estate Reserve Red Wine 2016. I featured Huneeus in a recent blogpost here - Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner.

We’ve featured Long Shadows and their vintners collection, and our visit to their hospitality center and tasting room in Woodinville (WA) in these pages. 

We’re members of the Long Shadows wine club and hold nearly a decade of vintages of their various label releases. 

Checking our cellar inventory, we hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label so we pulled the oldest in our holdings, and one year adjacent to following the earlier release tasting. We supplemented our wine club allocation with several bottles of this label acquired at auction, some of which I took to Florida to our vacation rental home which we opened tonight. 

The 2017 Pirouette is a left-bank Bordeaux blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot, crafted from small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards.  It was aged 22 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new.
 
Winemaker notes - “The Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily sourced from a collection of Red Mountain’s best vineyards, gives Pirouette the structure and textured richness that has come to characterize this acclaimed growing region. A small percentage of old vine Cabernet from Sagemoor Vineyard, planted in 1972, adds complexity. Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine. Malbec from Sonnet Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills adds spice. Finally, Dionysus Vineyard’s Petit Verdot enhances the wine’s color and contributes to the wine’s layers of intense aromas and flavors.’

“The 2017 Pirouette has an expressive nose with a firm core of dark fruit and mocha flavors, displaying a layered concentration of black cherry and well-integrated oak spices. Vibrant and full-bodied across the mid-palate, this is a texturally pleasing wine with a broad and lengthy finish.” 

This was a blockbuster release, rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and International Wine Report, 94 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and 93 by Steve Tanzer.

Dunnuck wrote - “It can be drunk today but will develop additional complexity with 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.”

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, vibrant expressive expressive vibrant blackberry, plum and black currant fruits with savory accents of cinnamon and clove spice, bitter dark chocolate and crème de cassis with smooth polished tannins on a sumptuous finish.

RM 94 points. 


@LongShadowsWine

@unwindwine

Friday, April 25, 2025

Beach Walk Cafe and BYOB Dusky Goose Chardonnay

Beach Walk Cafe and BYOB Dusky Goose Chardonnay

Vacationing with fellow Pour Boy, Lyle, and Terry, at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we took them to one of our favorite notable dining spots in the Destin area. 

For special Friday night outing, we dined at scenic Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, Destin, with its picturesque views of the Gulf Coast beach and off-shore horizon, and the towers of Destin across Henderson State Beach Park in the distance, arguably one of the best views along the Emerald Coast.

I wrote about Henderson Beachwalk Cafe Dinner with a view in this blogpost during our visit there last fall, excerpted below. 

While we love the atmosphere, ambiance and menu selections, their wine list is limited, especially for pairing with coastal seafood. this is made up for with a reasonable corkage policy/fee which we prefer anyway, so we can bring our choice of wine for appropriate pairing.

We dined on the deck overlooking the Gulf shore amidst the surf overlooking the beaches, Henderson State Park and the Destin skyline in the distance.

Tonight we brought from our home cellar BYOB this ultra-premium Willamette Valley Chardonnay. 

We had with the starter course this delicious Mixed Greens Salad with Mixed Greens, Strawberries, Pecans, Goat Cheese, and Maple Bacon Vinaigrette.

Lyle ordered the Lobster Corn bisque which was also delicious. 

The last two times we dined here, we had the Seared Blue Crab Cakes with Mixed Greens and Jalapeño Horseradish Aioli, which was delicious. Tonight, Terry ordered this for her entree with a side of the garlic mashed potatoes (shown). 

For dinner I ordered from the menu fresh seafood local catches their signature dish, my favorite selection, Grouper Vince with Pecan Crusted, Crispy Potato Cake, Haricot Verts, Honey Worcestershire Sauce.


Linda and Lyle both ordered the Snapper with Corn Truffle Risotto, Madeira Mushrooms, Matchstick Truffle Fries, Citrus Beurre Blanc


After dinner, we enjoyed the Crème Brûlée and Carrot Cake with Ice Cream for dessert. 

With the salad and dinner courses, we enjoyed from our home cellar, BYOB, this Burgundian full flavored Chardonnay which proved to be an ideal pairing with the starters and seafood selections.

Dusky Goose Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2022


This is from producer Dusky Goose, founded in 2002 in the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s premier wine growing region, by native Oregonians John and Linda Carter. 

Dusky Goose seeks to craft premium wines that they hope will rival the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Old World. In addition to their estate Rambouillet vineyard, Dusky Goose sources fruit from some of the Willamette Valley’s most iconic sites including Dundee’s Lillie’s Vineyard and Yamhill-Carlton’s Fennwood Vineyard.

Dusky Goose winemaking was established by founding winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash, an icon in Oregon wine. Today, Hans Van Dale, a native of Santa Cruz, CA serves as winemaker in her legacy, seeking to craft wines that embody elegance, depth, and a sense of place.

Hans brings a wealth of experience having worked with Pinot Noir in Carneros, Anderson Valley, Central Otago, and all of the Willamette Valley’s nested AVAs. Before joining Dusky Goose, he served as assistant winemaker at Andrew Rich Wines. 

Hans oversees the production of both Dusky Goose and Rambeaux Wines at their winemaking facility in Carlton, OR. 

This label is 100% Chardonnay, 82% sourced from the Fennwood Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA,  and the remaining 18% from the Coulee Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. It was harvested in two picks to strike a perfect balance—preserving acidity while developing rich, layered flavors. Whole-cluster pressed, it was aged for 11 months in French oak, 42% new, before bottling.

Winemaker notes -  “The nose opens with flinty, waxy aromas, layered with honey and a blend of spices—nutmeg, cardamom, and clove—alongside fragrant orange blossom and honeysuckle. The palate delivers a warm, round entry, lifted by fresh acidity and a crisp, savory-salty finish. Flavors of French toast, caramel, and pear meld with flinty minerality, wet stone, and marzipan.”

Case production was 400. 

This was rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Golden straw colored, medium-bodied, full and round with crisp soft acidity, aromas of sweet floral, citrus fruits with flinty wet stone, roasted nuts, cardamom and a clean crisp elegant finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4584471

https://shop.duskygoose.com/product/2022-Chardonnay

https://www.hendersonparkinn.com/dine/beachwalk-cafe/



Thursday, April 24, 2025

Wine Flight for casual dinner

Sangiovese Wine Flight for casual dinner 

Vacationing at The Cove, our Vacation Rental in Destin (FL), we entertained neighbors/friends Richard & Vickie for a casual dinner. Linda prepared fresh John’s Famous Crab Cakes from John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin, and waygu beef burgers. 

We wrote about John’s Crab Cakes in an earlier blogpost - Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner last year. 

I opened from our home cellar a flight of wines for the occasion, taking into account our friends’ Italian heritage and preference for Italian and Italian varietal wines. 

With the starter course of a selection of artisan cheeses and fresh fruits, and the crab cakes, we opened a Russian River Valley Chardonnay. 

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

I wrote about this label and our visit to the Gary Farrell estate winery in the Russian River Valley in this earlier blogpost, Pour Boys Coq-Au-Vin and wine dinner, excerpted here. 

We joined the Farrell club during our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

Gary Farrell Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard. 

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County. 

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.

The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. 

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.

Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork. 

Gary Farrell produces over a dozen ultra-premium Chardonnays sourced from top vineyard sites throughout the region. 

This Russian River Selection bottling is 100% Russian River Valley Chardonnay blended from some of the region’s top vineyard sources - Westside Farms, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Goddard Ranch, Olivet Lane Vineyard, Rochioli Vineyard, Allen Vineyard, Lazy W Vineyard, Martinelli Vineyard, Parnell Ranch, and Pratt Cornerstone Vineyard. It expresses the varietal and the RRV appellation’s unique terroir.

This layered and complex Chardonnay brings together fruit from several of Farrell’s favorite Russian River Valley vineyard sites reflecting the character of Westside Farms, intriguing floral and stone fruit notes from Bacigalupi Vineyard, the wine’s great concentration and structure derive from the nearby Rochioli and Allen vineyards and Olivet Lane Vineyard.

The famous Rochioli Vineyard was originally purchased in 1938 by Joe Rochioli, Sr. The quest of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the fertile, gravelly soils was continued by Joe Jr. after his father’s passing in 1966. The collaboration between Gary Farrell Winery and the Rochioli Vineyard has been in effect for more than 30 years and is a foundation of the Farrel portfolio of Russian River Valley wines.
 
This was aged 10 months in 30% new French oak. 4578 cases were produced. 

This label was rated 92-93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 92 by Wine Spectator. 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, rich, round, concentrated but crisp clean green apple, pear and hints of peach and pineapple fruits with notes of nut, minerals, flintiness and barrel spice with a textured lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

With the waygu beef burgers we turned to a medley of Sangiovese Italian varietal red wines. 

Richard and we both love Sangiovese and most of our Italian cellar selections are that varietal, which we love paired with Italian cuisine. 

The Brunello di Montalcino label is tightly regulated and can only be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. 

Appellation regulations also limit the quantity of wine produced each year and mandate a Long Aging Process which stipulate Brunello must be aged for a minimum of four years, with at least two years spent in oak barrels. This lengthy aging process that ties up resources and increases production costs contributes to the higher price point of the label.

The rigorous production regulations set by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium ensure that only the highest quality wines bear the Brunello label. This commitment to quality often requires additional investment in vineyard management, winemaking techniques, and quality control.

Brunello has gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest wines, prized for its complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully. Its prestigious status and limited availability contribute to high demand and, consequently, higher prices.

We started with this premium ‘Sasoallora’ from Jacobi Biondi Santi.

Jacopo Biondi-Santi 'Sassoalloro' Toscana IGT 2019 

Biondi Santi's Toscana Rosso Sassoalloro crafted by family winery Jacopo Biondi Santi in Tuscany, producers of a portfolio of Sangiovese, labels. 

This Sassoalloro label first produced in 1991 is the iconic wine is sourced from the vineyards of the Castello di Montepò, “Aia di Clemente”, 15 acres in a small garden in Montepò in a portion of Galestro. The vineyard is exposed to the East, South-East with a slope of 17% with rows 280 meters long. There is no irrigation in the vineyards to force deep and well-resistant vine development.

It is crafted by Jacopo and Tancredi Biondi Santi in collaboration with the winemaker Donato Lanati. 

It is produced with 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, harvested at the end of September. After vinification, the wine was aged in barriques of non-toasted woods of the Tronçais forests for 14 months.

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 90 by Wine Enthusiast. 

Winemakers notes -  “It is a wine with a brilliant ruby ​​red color, with shades tending to violet. The nose opens with fresh and fruity scents, enriched with pleasant notes of violet. In the mouth it is soft and velvety, with an extremely long finish. Overall it is a very elegant wine, with an excellent longevity potential: from 15 to 20 years.”

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, slightly opaque, smooth and elegant sweet berry and cherry fruits with notes of walnuts, herbs and spices with bright acidity and fine tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4185025


Cerbaia Brunello Di Montalcino 2019

I then opened this highly rated Sangiovese from Cerbaia. I featured this wine and producer in an earlier blogpost, excerpted here - Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino 
BYOB at Angeli’s Italian. 

We acquired this Limited Production Brunello di Montalcino at Binny's, our Chicagoland beverage superstore, based on their recommendation and its stellar 98 point rating. While I didn't give it such stellar ratings, we enjoyed it a lot and I went back to pick up a few more bottles. 

This is from Cerbaia, a boutique winery that produces wines from some of the finest vineyards in Montalcino that are a true expression of a unique and distinctive place.

The Cerbaia property has belonged to the Pellegrini family since the 1950s, with the family beginning to make wine in the 1970’s. The estate covers of a total of 35 acres of land, 11 of which are under the Brunello appellation controls, located on the highly regarded Montosoli Hill, known as the Grand Cru of Montosoli — some of the most coveted land in Tuscany.

In 2014, Elena Pellegrini gave up a promising career in corporate finance to devote herself to her family estate, striving to craft elegant, balanced wines in the traditional Montalcino style as her father Fabio did, applying minimal intervention and sustainable practices. She is advised by notable consulting enologist G.Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine.

This 2019 release was awarded 98-points by James Suckling who declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his review. Kerin O`Keefe of www.kerinokeefe.com gave it 94 Points.

The 2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Wine Advocate called the vintage “uniformly easy” for vintners.

The release was aged three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.

Winemaker Notes - Intense ruby red in color, garnet with aging. Rich and intense bouquet of violets, undergrowth, red fruits, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Very long persistence, fresh, and elegant but complex.

Bright ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty rose, tobacco, dried herbs and leather with hints of truffle with bright acidity on a smooth polished tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4577891

For a fun comparison, and introduction to Richard an American Sangiovese, I opened this rare limited production Napa Valley label from a producer we know well. 

Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar with more than a dozen labels dating back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993. 

Del Dotto Vineyards was established in 1990 when David and Yolanda Del Dotto planted vineyards on 17 acres in Rutherford at the homestead Estate on the corner of Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane in Napa Valley. It truly is a family affair with David's father John being involved in the early days, and daughter Desiree and son Giovanni being involved in the business and having their own labels as well. I had the pleasure of meeting John back in the late nineties and working with Desiree as she took on marketing duties during that era.

The Del Dotto first release vintage was 1993. Since then the estate has grown significantly to 437 acres of vineyards producing 8,000-12,000 cases annually. Around 2010, the Del Dotto brand expanded further with the release of Villa Del Lago, an ultra-premium label from Pritchard Hill.

Del Dotto Vineyards are located in several appellations through Napa Valley and Sonoma County, including Rutherford Bench, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Sonoma Coast, Spring Mountain, Oakville and Napa Valley. The large wine portfolio includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah and various blends. 

Rick and Linda with David Del Dotto circa 2003
Indeed, Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar dating back to the inaugural vintage release back in 1993. Our association with Del Dotto dates back to our Napa Wine Experiences and wine producer and winemaker dinners back in the mid-nineties.

Del Dotto and then winemaker the legendary Nils Venge were pioneers of Sangiovese in Napa Valley, planting a couple acres around the house along the highway at the Rutherford Estate. We acquired many of those vintages, and several variations of their Sangiovese labels over the years, as seen in several of these blogposts - 


Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 1998 - 2016

As mentioned, I’ve written often in these pages about Del Dotto pioneering Sangiovese in Napa Valley back in the late nineties under the collaboration with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. Del Dotto continues their lineage of Sangiovese wines with this offering under the Piazza label, the recent addition to the growing list of Del Dotto brands.

We discovered the Piazza brand during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. We then targeted the just opened Piazza Winery Delicacies Wine and Food Tasting Experience during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018. It was the highlight of our entire Napa trip. We tasted and acquired this 2015 release during that Cave Tour tasting, and then follow on releases at the Piazza Winery. 

Del Dotto offered Napa Valley Sangiovese under the historic flagship 'David' label (shown right) from 1998 through 2003 and also appeared as Rutherford Estate Sangiovese 2013. (The 1998 label is shown here. The 1999 label calls it St Helena Sangiovese. 

((While we’re at it …. For the record and for reference for anyone tracking such details, the Cellartracker dossier, our inventory management system and normally reliable reference guide, is confused and misguided on this wine. It contains two references to this wine, both partially right and wrong. It lists the wine twice, Del Dotto Piazza Sangiovese and Del Dotto Sangiovese Piazza. For the first, it lists vintages 1999, 2003 (wrong) and 2013, '15 and 2016 (correct). For the latter it correctly lists 2013, '14, '15 and 2016, and errantly lists 1998 and 2003.))

Then followed a Del Dotto Caves Sangiovese line. We tasted and acquired these wine during our Del Dotto Napa Estate visit and Del Dotto Wine Producer Dinner back in 1999, and again at our Napa Wine Experience in 2003

Del Dotto then offered Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend Sangiovese under the Cave Blend brand from 2004 through 2016. I believe Cellartracker references to this label from 2001 are in error and should refer to the 'David' branding. There is no photo evidence of this (Cave Blend 2001) label in the Cellartracker library or in internet searches.

When the Piazza Del Dotto estate and winery opened, the Piazza brand appeared with the 2013 release and continues to this day.


Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting back in 2018. We featured this wine soon thereafter and in several posts to follow including this one when we took it took it BYOB to our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, Angelis Italian

This was delicious and everyone loved it making me glad we were able to acquire more. I wrote back then that “I wish I had more than the single case we acquired last year. I'll be looking for more.” And we did. 

After we consumed all the bottles we acquired during that visit, we reordered more and finished that too. We tried to order more and it was no longer offered on the Del Dotto shopping site (s). 

Then, we received an email from Del Dotto clearing out numerous vintage labels and we acquired a mixed case of favorites including several vintages of this label (below). 

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Sangiovese 2018 

When it arrived, I was surprised to see the historic original ‘legacy’ labels and the Rutherford Estate designation leading me to believe that this is sourced from those original two acres of vines planted back in the nineties. Indeed, according to the rear label, only two barrels were produced of this release.  

 It was great fun sharing this label with my Italian friend, and Italian Wine Lover, who had never experienced an American Sangiovese. It showed exceedingly well, more robust, forward and powerful than the more subdued, subtle Italians. 

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, vibrant forward round sweet ripe black berry and black currant and raspberry fruits with notes of spice, rustic earthy black tea, hints of mushrooms, dark mocha and vanilla with smooth silky tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points.   





Sunday, April 20, 2025

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé for Easter Dinner

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005 For Easter Celebration Dinner 

We’ve opened several 2005 vintage Bordeaux the last several weeks for a mini ‘horizontal’ tasting - comparing various wine labels from the same vintage. 

I wrote about three other 2005 vintage labels in these recent blogposts - Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoffSociando Mallet with grilled beefsteak, and Gruaud Larose BYOB at Entourage DG.

So, tonight, we served two purposes, to provide another ‘younger’, more approachable wine, versus the vintage aged 1981 magnum, featured in a separate blogpost, (Easter Celebration Family Dinner Vintage Bordeaux & Beef Tenderloin), and, provide a comparison of another 2005 vintage release. 

Also, a minor point, but having fun with wine, in light of our Easter celebration, the Chateau Larmande packaging includes a Lavender colored foil, in the spirit of the festive occasion. 

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005 

My CellarTracker (wine cellar management app) records show we hold or have consumed more than twenty different bottles from this producer over the years, since we’ve been keeping records of such. 

I featured an earlier tasting of this label and producer in a blogpost back in 2019. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/chateau-larmande-2005.html

That post was written following a short time after returning from our trip to Bordeaux. Tonight’s tasting was consistent with that earlier experience, excerpted here

I am still in the groove enjoying fine Bordeaux wines. Tonight, I pulled from the cellar this Right Bank Grand Cru Classé to enjoy with grilled beef steak and mashed potatoes.

Like several of the Left Bank producers that we visited last month, the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1855. However, unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Left Bank Médoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the list was updated in 1969, 1986, 1996 and most recently in 2006. 

According to my Cellartracker cellar records for this label, we hold six bottle remaining from two cases purchased on release a dozen years ago. Having purchased two cases at the time, it is clear that I enjoyed this wine and thought it was a great value.

My tasting note records indicated I last tasted this label three years ago in June, 2016.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/06/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

Right Bank Bordeaux means the estate from where the grapes are sourced, sits on the east and north side of the diagonal flowing Gironde River that bisects the Bordeaux wine region, surrounding and named for the city of Bordeaux in southeast France. 

Wines from the Right Bank are predominantly Merlot in the Blend of Bordeaux sanctioned varietal gapes. 

Alternatively, wines produced in the Médocon the the Left Bank, that lies on the western and southern side of the river, are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend

Both Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines are based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively, with the percentages flipped, accented by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and perhaps Petit Verdot.

Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 60 acres of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).

Château Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991. 

Tonight, this was consistent with earlier tasting notes - 

In 2020, I wrote’ 

“Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather, hints of cedar and spice, (earlier reports of mocha were not apparent), on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish - fruits slightly diminished from earlier tastings with seemingly increased acidity.”

*PS. A postscript on this tasting, after a couple days open in the bottle, chilled, this wine returned to its earlier elegance, structured balance and fruit, regaining my earlier rating of 89 points. (I demoted it to 88 for this initial tasting). Once again, I shouldn't P-n-P, pop and pour these complex aged wines, rather, give them respect, open them and allow them to breathe at least a couple hours before diving in!”


And previously .. 


http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/06/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html

Tonight, as noted, consistent with those reviews, this 2005 release was a nice, pleasant, easy drinking, yet sophisticated, polished and nicely integrated and balanced wine, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather and notes of cedar, spice on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish.

At twenty years of age, this is showing no signs of diminution from aging and probably can be held for several more years for prime drinking. 

My recent blogpost, from the week before last, speaks to, "the adventure, joy, and perils of holding vintage wine for a couple decades or more ...". This continues to be a pleasant, easy drinking yet sophisticated wine and I fear as I consume the last bottles of my collection, I'll regret having drunk many of them too early! 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693 

http://www.chateau-soutard.com/chateau-larmande-.aspx 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/351693