Anniversary dinner at Truffles Bloomington

Anniversary dinner at Truffles, Bloomington, IN 

For our anniversary, we traveled to Bloomington, IN, home of our alma mater, for a getaway weekend. Saturday night we dined at Uptown Cafe where, two years ago we hosted a gala anniversary family & friends dinner. 

Sunday evening we dined at Truffles restaurant and 56 Degree Wine Bar.

Truffles Restaurant and  56° Wine Bar Bloomingon, Indiana Wine Dinner

We discovered Truffles Restaurant and  56° Wine Bar during an earlier visit to Bloomington, Indiana for an Indiana University sorority college reunion gathering. We were introduced to Truffles by long time college friends who live in town and know the dining landscape. We wrote about that visit in this earlier post - Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar B-Town Wine Dinner - excerpted here. 

Truffles Restaurant bills itself as a "chef-driven eaterie serving a range of foods from classic Steakhouse to International fare". They offer an extensive diversified wine list that is unique on the Bloomington dining scene.

The 56 Degrees Bar Wine Cellar is an ambitious venture for the Truffles family owner Mark Kiang who shares his extensive wine collection, with many selections B-T-G (by the glass), by the bottle, or via an online ordering system, with an option for delivery. 

He caters to local wine aficionados with a program to sign up for a monthly wine bundle subscription, and receive bottles of wines selected by the owner himself (or bottles to personal choice). Truffles will then provide recipes and pairing suggestions in the wine package and via e-newsletter.

Truffles provided a perfect setting for our special dinner - chic, cozy, comfortable and intimate.

Linda ordered the daily special grilled Red Snapper with 

I ordered the Filet of Beef with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli. They understood the requested preparation and delivered a perfect “Pittsburgh” style beefsteak - charred, with a hot pink center.

From the WBTG - Wine-By-The-Glass selections, we were each able to order an ideal accompanying wine for our dinner. Linda this crowd pleaser Napa Carneros Chardonnay, and me a favorite Napa Red Blend. 

Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2023 

We met the Rombauer National Sales Manager  and tasted their portfolio at a producer’s wine dinner Vin Chicago Rombauer Wine Dinner at Adelle's Restaurant in Wheaton, IL a couple years ago.  

Rombauer Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2018

 

Label from 2014

For her dinner wine accompaniment, Linda ordered, B-T-G, this Rombauer Napa Chardonnay. We know this label well, hold several vintages in our cellar, but had not yet tasted this current latest release vintage. 

This release was awarded 90 points by both Wilfred Wong and James Suckling. 

The fruit for this wine comes from vineyards in the Carnerosregion owned by the Rombauer family, as well as that from select growers including the Sangiacomo family, long-term grower partners who have farmed this land for three generations.  The Carneros region has a cool climate with fog and breezes off San Pablo Bay, at the southern end of Napa and Sonoma Valleys where they converge near there. The San Pablo Bay provides ideal conditions for Chardonnay, consistently resulting in beautiful, fresh acidity and the key sense of balance for this ever popular Chardonnay. Rombauer has been producing Carneros-specific Chardonnay since 1990. This 2018 is another example of this classic style balancing bold fruit and lively acidity. 

This was a perfect pairing with the Red Snapper entree. 

 

This was pale light yellow with a green hue with notes of peach, hints of pear, honeydew, lychee fruit intertwined nicely with vanilla and spice, turning to soft buttery and subtly spicy acidity on the finish. 

 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3346773

 

https://www.rombauer.com/

 

https://www.trufflesbtown.com/

Hourglass HG III Red Blend 2019

Hourglass "HGIII" Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2019 

We discovered this label dining at the trendy stylish RH Restoration Hardware rooftop restaurant in Oak Brook a while back when I posted this tasting review. This big bold complex round fruit forward red blend was a perfect pairing with our filet beefsteaks. As I write often in these pages, an ideal pairing of food and wine amplifies the enjoyment of both for an optimal dining experience.

This proprietary red blend is from Napa Valley Hourglass, who have been producing ultra premium super high-scoring Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot since their inaugural release in 1997. The estate sits at the northern center of Napa Valley and consists of two vineyards focused on Bordeaux varietals. 

Hourglass wines are crafted by veteran Napa Valley winemaker Tony Biagi who gained notoriety working at some of the Valley's elite wineries including Duckhorn, Paraduxx, Plumpjack, and Cade, where he was founding Winemaker before joining Hourglass. 

Biagi is a sixth generation Californian whose first memories of wine go back to his father making small amounts of wine in his garage. He earned a degree in Fermentation Sciences at U.C. Davis in 1995 before working for the listed well-known estates, then joining Hourglass in 2012.

HG III is Hourglass' proprietary red blend second label produced exclusively from the Napa Valley. Biagi has made a name for himself with the critically acclaimed Hourglass wines, known for elegant tannin structure, rich mouthfeel, layers of silky textural depth and harmonious balance of richness and acidity. Biagi says: “I want my wines to be rich, but if that’s all they are they become one dimensional and monotonous,” he outlines. Writes a leading pundit, "HG III delivers a big, rich, powerful red blend, but always impeccably balanced. A real showstopper, even better with a good decant".

The 2019 HG III harmoniously combines 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petite Syrah sourced from the Hourglass Blueline Estate vineyard and a select few top-of-the-line vineyards.

This is a somewhat unconventional blend, the core trio of varieties all offer distinctive characteristics yet harmony to the final blend: Merlot leads with finesse and approachability, Cabernet Sauvignon elevates with  structure and polish, and Petite Syrah grounds the blend with what one pundit calls 'gravitas and bass'. 

The 2019 vintage was aged 16 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak, contributing to its multilayered complexity and smooth tannins.

Winemaker Notes: “The 2019 vintage for HGIII is a knockout – an unequivocal example of how this expansive, rich and deeply textured wine over delivers. Tony’s ingenious blend, the core trio of varieties all offer distinction and harmony to the final blend: Merlot leads with finesse and approachability, Cabernet Sauvignon elevates with structure and polish, and Petite Syrah grounds the blend with gravitas and bass. With red and black currant forming the aromatic core, dried herb and fennel are their verdant, savory counterparts. A ripe juicy frame of dark sour and red cherry mingles with inky black cassis laced with fine streaks of dark Belgian chocolate. Undeniably approachable now, and yet with the structure, density, and complexity for great ageability.”

This was rated 94 Points by Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt, and 92 points by Jeb Dunnuck.

We enjoyed this so much during that RH experience, I went home and went on-line and snatched up all the remaining bottles in stock at Binny's, our Chicagoland wine superstore.  

Bright garnet colored with hues of purple, medium full bodied, elegant, polished, full round forward,  nicely integrated briary blackberry and ripe plum fruits with notes of mocha dark chocolate, clove spice, hints of vanilla, and delicate floral, with a balanced long finish combining slightly chalky tannins. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4011906

https://www.hourglasswines.com/product/2019-Hourglass-HGIII

https://www.hourglasswines.com/

Aged twenty five year old St Jean Cinq Cepage

Aged twenty five year old St Jean Cinq Cepage Red Bordeaux Blend with meatloaf 

Linda prepared meatloaf with cooked carrots and mashed potatoes - one of my favorite ‘comfort food’ meals. 

I pulled from the cellar a vintage aged Bordeaux Blend from a legendary Sonoma Valley producer. 

I remember Cinq Cepages (Five Flavors or varieties) was one of our go-to California Bordeaux Blends that we felt had huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio, at about $25 or less. Then, the 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages was Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 1999. James Laube wrote in Wine Spectator “A Happy Reunion With a Wine of the Year - Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 1996, in 2010, “With a 95-point rating, 11,000 cases made and a $28 price tag, it was one of the easier picks we’ve made over the years.” With 11,000 cases made, it was readily available and easy to obtain, yet, over-night the price escalated substantially, and didn’t recover for several years until the market ‘normalized’ and settled into the new price-point. I guess that is the case each year with the anointed #1. In any event, this remains a nice reasonably priced Bordeaux Blend based on Sonoma fruits. 

Later the 1999 vintage release went on to be named the Wine Spectator number two. The Chateau St Jean winemaker Margo Van Staaveren was also lauded as winemaker of the year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2008. 

We hold a couple cases of this label spanning three decades. While this isn’t the oldest vintage held (that would be the 1994), I selected it hoping it to be a ‘Goldilocks’ bottle, not too old, (so as to be undrinkable, or past its drinking window, but not too young, so as to be sufficiently aged to have settled and allowed the blend to integrate). But, I was trying to consume some of the older vintages as part of cellar inventory management. In the end, it was past its prime drinking window, showing some diminution of the fruits from age, but still approachable, but time to drink up in the near term. 

We have visited the picturesque historic chateau, built in the 1920s by Ernest and Maude Goff, surrounded by vineyards in Kenwood, Sonoma Valley, several times over the years. It’s always a highlight of the Sonoma Valley producer sites. The original building was refurbished and listed in the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

We tasted and obtained the then current release of this label as part of a Reserve wine flight pairing at the Chateau St Jean estate during our Sonoma Napa Wine Experience back in 2017.  I featured that tasting in a blogpost in these pages at the time - July 30, 2017 - Chateau St Jean Sonoma Reserve Private Tasting. 

Our Pour Boys 2017 Sonoma Napa Wine Experience started on the Sonoma Coast and worked east along the Russian River Valley ending up in Sonoma Valley at one of its crown jewel estates, Chateau St Jean. 

The Chateau St Jean estate is one of the most picturesque and authentic in the Sonoma Valley and is more civil and hospitable than some of the garish ostentatious properties in the more highly commercialized Napa Valley. This was a perfect buffer and transition from the more relaxed Sonoma County to the Valley as we transitioned to spend the coming week in Napa (Valley).

Private tastings are held in the cottage across the courtyard from the hospitality center. 

We've visited the estate and done tastings there numerous other times over the years. Sonoma Harvest '09 - Chateau St Jean and again Sonoma Valley Wine Experience 2009 - Chateau St Jean, and that Chateau St Jean Sonoma Reserve Private Tasting back in 2017.  

Chateau St. Jean "Cinq Cépages" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

This release was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 17.5/20 points by Jancis Robinson (on her twenty point scale, which frankly I like better).  All these tastings and ratings were from 2004 to 2007, hence nearing two decades old. 

Winemaker Notes - “Cinq Cépages ("Five Varieties") is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Each component is aged separately for two years in small French oak barrels before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release.”

At twenty five years, the label and foil were pristine, the important fill level and cork were still ideal. The cork was still intact, firm and moist, and surrendered uniformly using a ‘Ahso’ two pronged cork puller (as shown in photo above). 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, complex concentrated dark berry, cherry and plum fruits, starting to give way to non fruit leather and smoke and dried fruit notes, still clinging to notes of oak, sweet herbs, cocoa and spice with approachable soft tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 87 points, indicating diminished fruit at twenty five years. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/33235

https://www.chateaustjean.com/

Bruna’s Ristorante Little Italy Chicago

Bruna’s Restaurant Wine and Dinner in Little Italy Chicago 

In town for a weekend including seeing the Cubs vs. Yankees at Wrigley Field, Sis/bro-in-laws Pat & Rodger joined us for dinner at Bruna’s Ristorante in the historic Little Italy restaurant row, Chicago. 

We had alternate plans but leaving the ballpark, we called ahead and secured a table for early dinner. 

It turned out to be the only table available as the restaurant filled up completely over the course of the next hour after our anrrival.

We featured Bruna’s, their history, menu and extensive winelist in more detail in these pages in this earlier blogpost last autumn - Wine & Dinner at Bruna’s in Chicago’s Little Italy.

Before dinner we had Bruna’s daily specials, Arancini and Zuchini Blossoms, and dinner salad. 

For our dinner entrees, we ordered Eggplant Parmigiana, Veal Parmigiana and their signature Veal Saltimbuca.

 

For a wine accompaniment, I ordered from the extensive primarily Italian winelist, Capparella Sole Olena, which it turned out was out of stock, so, I ordered the Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montaclino. 

Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2019

One of the original estates of Montalcino, Tenuta Col d'Orcia is situated in the village of Sant'Angelo on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino in Tuscany’s Siena province. The estate dates back to the 1700’s and in 1973, was purchased by the Cinzano family and continues to be owned and managed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano. Since acquiring the estate, he has upgraded the facilities and substantially increased the vineyard holdings to now be the third largest owner of Brunello vineyards in Montalcino. 

The estate’s name Col d’Orcia, translates to “the hill overlooking the Orcia River,” due to its position in the undulating hills between the Orcia River and Sant’Angelo in Colle. 

The estate includes vineyards, gardens, olive groves, tobacco and wheat fields and is one of the most prolific wineries in Montalcino producing Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino as well as olive oil, grappa and even a Moscadello di Montalcino.  

The estate covers around over 1300 acres of which 350 acres are planted to vineyards spread over several varying terrains, with 275 acres planted with the primary Brunello varietal, Sangiovese. The Poggio Al Vento vineyard is one of the premier sites and sources the Riserva wines bearing the same name. The vineyards of the Tenuta Col d'Almost all Orcia are located on the south-eastern slope of the Monte Amiata where powerful and long-lasting plants produce fruits notable for their vibrant acidity.

The sites enjoy a southern orientation that provides the vines with abundant sunshine and vineyard soils of limestone and marl. The located at about 1500 feet above sea level, in the foothills against Mount Amiata (5,700 feet), it protects them from floods and hail. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with limited rainfall coming in from the Tyrrhenian coast, 21 miles away.

The estate is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and has an ageing hall for storing Slavonian oak and Allier oak barrels. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled steel tanks.

Tenuta Col d'Orcia produces about 800,000 bottles annually, exporting about 80 percent of its production to 70 countries generating annual turnover of is around 5.5 million euros, and according to their statements, are the largest winery in Tuscany.

Col d'Orcia was recognised internationally at the Wine Enthusiast's Annual Wine Star Awards in 2026, receiving the "Environmental Advocate of the Year" award. 

Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2019

This release was awarded 95 points by Wine Enthusiast, 94 points by Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, and 93 points by James Suckling and Vinous.

Winemaker Notes “The ample and complex bouquet leads with small, ripe red fruits such as cherry and blackberry. It is well integrated with the oak and vanilla aromas from the long refinement in wood. Full-bodied and balanced, the excellent structure and the enveloping tannic texture reveal a fruity and lasting finish. The finish, enhanced by a good sapidity, recalls the same aroma notes.”

Bright ruby colored, full bodied, fruit forward and round with vibrant, expressive ripe blackberry, dark cherry and plum fruits with notes of herb, sweet tobacco, earthy dusty rose, and hints of cedar and leather, turning to elegant smooth full, polished tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/n?12698389

https://coldorcia.it/ https://coldorcia.it/en/home

We were served by their journeymen professional staff, some who have been with the restaurant for decades. Following dinner we enjoyed sitting with owner Luciano Silvestri discussing the winelist and menu selections. 

https://www.brunasristorante.com/

Forman Chardonnay and Den Hoed Red Blend

Forman Chardonnay and Den Hoed Limited Release Columbia Valley Cabernet for surf and turf dinner 

Sister and Bro-in-law Pat & Rodger came to town to join us for a rare Cubs-Yankees stand-off at our beloved Wrigley Field. 

Linda prepared a surf & turf dinner with King Salmon and tomahawk ribeye beefsteak with haricot verts and baked potatoes. 

With the salmon I opened from the cellar this robust Chardonnay. 

Forman Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

This is from Forman Winery and Vineyards in Napa Valley, founded by winemaker Ric Forman in 1979. 

Ric got BS and MS degrees in Food Science at the notable U.C. Davis and went on to be founding winemaker and viticulturist at Sterling Vineyards, north of St Helena where he spent ten years before purchasing the Forman winery and vineyard property. 

The Forman property is located on Big Rock Road, off Old Howell Mountain Road, just off Silverado Trail above the landmark Meadowood Resort. 

The estate consists of 11 acres of vineyards that are divided into three parcels, each one planted to the four Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 

The largest vineyards sits in a three-million-year-old riverbed which is comprised of gravel/sand deposits. Directly above the winery the steeply sloped plot is composed of more dense and larger volcanic rock, so much so that extensive dynamite explosions to break up the rock in order to enable planting on the site. 

Forman released the first Forman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in 1983 and the first Chardonnay in 1985. In 1988, they excavated the third wine cave in Napa Valley, which today has become commonplace in highly developed properties. 

We hold a half dozen vintages of this label, this being the oldest, opened as part of cellar inventory management. This 2017 release was rated 92 points by Antonio Galloni - Vinous who describes their style as “understated style by Napa Valley standards”. 

This release was sourced from the Rutherford Bench Rutherford Star vineyard located behind the Rutherford Grill. It was whole-cluster pressed and aged on its lees for 7 months in Burgundy barrels with no malolactic fermentation to preserve structural crispness and elegance.

Winemaker Notes - “A passion for a more austere Chablis style wine from this noble grape has been Forman's goal for more than 36 years. Since 1980 the Rutherford Star vineyard in the heart of the Rutherford Bench appellation has been the source of the Forman Vineyard Chardonnay. It has continued to produce consistent quality over the last 20 years. The wine emphasizes and develops a minerality which, with age, develops into a very racy and elegant food worthy wine.”

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, Chablis like, crisp, rather austere mineral driven with subdued tropical fruits, lemon citrus and apple notes with crisp acidity.

RM 90 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3145230

https://formanvineyard.com/

The grilled tomahawk ribeye beefsteak was thin sliced and served. 

For pairing with the steak, I pulled from the cellar a rare limited production Washington State Columbia Valley Cabernet for an ideal food wine pairing. We follow this winery and obtained this special release bottling at auction since this wine has a rather disparate lengthy family connection. 

We met the sister of the producers, the Den Hoed brothers, vintner farmers in Yakima Valley, Washington, at the wedding of our niece, who married their nephew. Den Hoeds grow grapes for several producers and also produce some limited release select labels of premium wines. 

For this release they partnered with Alan Shoup, founder of the Long Shadow’s Vintners Collection that we acquire as Club Members and feature often in these pages. The Den Hoed brothers and their partnership with Shoup, and this release were featured Wine Business News back then upon release. 

https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/67838

From the Wine Business.com New Release - Sep 29, 2009: 

Washington Growers Bill and Andy Den Hoed Debut Den Hoed Wine Estates in Partnership with Allen Shoup and Rob Newsom

Long-time Columbia Valley grape growers, brothers Bill and Andy Den Hoed of Grandview, Wash.; Long Shadows founder, Allen Shoup; and Boudreaux Cellars owner/winemaker Rob Newsom will release their 2005 Den Hoed Marie's View red blend.

The partners have quietly worked on this project since establishing a joint venture in 2005. The wines are named for the Den Hoeds' parents, Dutch immigrants who first planted grapes in the Columbia Valley in 1956.

Shoup led Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates for twenty years and founded Long Shadows Vintners in 2002, a partnership of internationally acclaimed vintners. Newsom made his first ColumbiaValley wine in 1998. The Den Hoed family had considered winemaking for decades, but it wasn't until they began working closely with Shoup and his Long Shadows winemaking partners John Duval and Randy Dunn - who were buying grapes from the Den Hoeds - that the idea for Den Hoed Wine Estates took hold. 

Wallula Vineyard photo from Wine Business News

In 2008, Shoup and a group of investors formed a partnership that purchased 80% of the 750-acre Wallula Vineyard from the Den Hoeds (who kept 20% and a management contract). 

The Den Hoeds began carving this unique vineyard out of the "benches" of a steep, south-facing bluff in Washington State's Horse Heaven Hills in 1997. The property's elevation drops more than 1,000 feet from the top of the hillside down to the edge of the Columbia River, resulting in a vast assortment of micro-climates.

Shortly after purchasing the site, Shoup renamed the property "The Benches" and saved the name "Wallula Vineyard" for the earliest planted vines and a large biodynamic vineyard planted for Randall Grahm.

We first tasted and wrote about Den Hoed wines at chic upscale Canlis Restaurant in Lake Union, suburban Seattle, when we were together for our Seattle Culinary Wine Weekend.  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/canlis-restaurant-seattle-extraordinary.html

Canlis Restaurant Seattle Extraordinary Wine Dine Experience

We then acquired some at auction and featured it in several posts in these pages:

Den Hoed Cabernet at Beach House Restaurant Kauai

Den Hoed Marie's View Walula Slope Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/03/den-hoed-maries-view-walula-slope-horse.html

Den Hoed at Son Ryan's for Bulls Play-in Game

Den Hoed Andreas Wallula Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

As I wrote in previous posts. this is named for the patriarch founder, Andreas Den Hoed, who married Marie Den Hoed in 1956 and they planted their first vineyard on their property that year. After two years in the Army Andreas returned to the farm. 

In the early years, they paid the bills growing mint. He continued to plant more vineyards as resources allowed, expanding acreage almost every year. In 1988, their two sons Bill and Andy joined the business as partners in a new project, with acreage planted to vineyards. 

The father and sons team continued to expand in the Yakima Valley for the next 5-6 years. After several years of searching, in 1997, they purchased a 550 acre parcel of land bordering the Columbia River in the Wallula Gap. Since then the vineyard has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the region. It is sited in a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of of the town of Kennewick. The wines produced from this vineyard have proven to stand the test of time and can stand up and hold their own against the best wines of the new world. 

Andreas is a limited production estate wine which celebrates their family history and showcases the Wallula Vineyard. It is a robust Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Gilles Nicault of the notable Long Shadows Vintners Collection of wines that we collect as prime members of their club. We also discovered Long Shadows during that Seattle, Woodinville Wine Weekend. 

Canlis Lake Union night view

That was our first tasting experience of Den Hoed wines, and being priced below the median on the extensive Canlis winelist, we were dubious yet had high expectations. The Andreas met our most lofty hopes and expectations and was a highlight of our extraordinary meal.

So, how fitting it was that that Canlis dinner was a mini family affair as wife Linda and son Ryan joined me at this legendary family restaurant. Moreover, a subplot to the story, our niece Anna Long, married into the Van Hoed family, farmers, wine growers, viticulturists and winemakers from the famed Walula Vineyards in the central Washington wine region.

Tonight we opened another Den Hoed label, Marie's View from a vineyard so named on the Walula Slope in the Horse Heaven Hills Washington State Appellation. 

We discovered Long Shadows Cellars during that trip and since joining their club, we've acquired a vertical collection of a half dozen vintages of their premier labels of renowned producers crafting world class wines from Washington State fruit.

The winemaker is the local well known Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars. 

This was a perfect complement, pairing with the grilled beefsteaks. 

This vineyard is named for Marie Van Hoed, wife of founder Andreas, mother of the current generation producers. 

This was awarded 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and 90 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 

Den Hoed wines are packaged in an extra heavy bottles with the most incredible deepest punts (that indentation in the bottle around which sediment collects).  

The Den Hoed Wine Estates partnership sourced grapes from small blocks in the Wallula Vineyard section of The Benches. 

The 2005 Marie’s View spent 24 months in French and American oak. A mere 136 cases were produced.

Newsom made the 2005 Marie's View, a blend of 36% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 12% Sangiovese. 

Densely colored inky garnet purple, medium full bodied, concentrated, firmly structured, full round black berry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of creosote, cassis, cedar and hints of pepper with a vibrant acid backbone and firm tannins on a pleasurable lasting finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2799196

https://www.denhoedwines.com/

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3505677

Cain Five Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend

Cain Five Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend

Son Alec and Vivianna came over to join us to watch the World Cup Semi-final. They brought pizza’s and a my half of a recent case purchase of wine he and I split - Cain Five. 

This is from Cain Five, named for the Cain Vineyard in the Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley and the five Bordeaux varietals that they grow there. The 500 acre Cain Ranch high atop Spring Mountain was founded in 1980 by Jerry and Joyce Cain. The “Five” refers to the five Bordeaux varietal grapes grown on the 90 acres of vineyards planted, and included in the Red Bordeaux Blend. 

Today the estate is owned by Jim and Cindy Meadlock and managed by Wine-Grower/GM Christopher Howell and Vineyard Manager Ashley Anderson-Bennett. The winemaking team for the most part have been working together for nearly twenty vintages and more. They produce 12000 cases annually of three labels, Cain Five and Cain Concept The Benchland, both Estate Grown & Bottled on the single Cain Vineyard and Cain Cuvée including fruit from other Napa Valley sources.

The Cain vineyard represents the terroir factors of the site - steep slopes, the thin clay soils, the high mountain elevation above the valley inversion, and the aromatic plants and forest that embrace the vineyard plots and fill most of our watershed. 

This 2014 release of Cain Five was the five Bordeaux varietals 100% Cain Vineyard, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, and 7% Petit Verdot. Production was 4,977 (9L) cases, release on September 1, 2018.

Producer’s Notes - “2014 Cain Five is, quite simply, the most beautiful wine ever to have come from the Cain Vineyard. We’ve simplified the label, too. No more clutter of varietal percentages. All you really need to know is that the Cain Five came from the Cain Vineyard: estate grown—estate bottled—harvested and vinified in 2014. If you know anything about this wine, you’ll know that it is a Cabernet Blend of five varieties (hence, Cain Five), but the most important thing is that it grew in just one place: the Cain Vineyard. Five Varieties—One Vineyard.’

Producer’s comments on the 2014 vintage … 

“2014 will be known as the third and last (for us) of the three drought years: 2012, 2013, and 2014. The most shocking of these three years was 2014, when up until the end of January, we had received virtually no rain at all. And then it rained. And rained. In February our reservoirs were filled. In March, it continued to rain. With our soils fully saturated like a sopping wet sponge, the soil warmed up slowly, the vines awoke from dormancy slowly, and thus it would not be an early year. When all the plants finally came back to life in 2014, it was a glorious spring, almost like a desert bloom after the rain, with wildflowers everywhere. The vines were flush with new growth. Clearly, the soil was alive. After that worrisome winter it seemed like everything just flowed.”

Winemaker’s notes for this release - “The color is relatively dark—not opaque—with no sign of evolution. The aromas are discrete: fruity—floral—herbal—spi — and pure. On the palate, the wine has a certain density, but now the tannins have melted and this wine just flows. This is a wine for the ages. Drink now or forever.” 

At twelve years, this is subtle and refined, aging gracefully and will potentially improve further for perhaps as much as a decade or farther. 

This release was rated 96 points by James Suckling and 92 by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, smooth elegant polished nicely integrated black berry and currant fruits with note of sweet tobacco, dried herbs, earthy forest floor and hints of dark mocha chocolate with smooth, silky tannins and bright acidity on the long finish. 

RM 93

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2711521

https://www.cainfive.com/

Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape With BBQ Ribs 

Following our BBQ rib dinner the other night, we had leftover ribs with baked potato and sweet corn. Then, we enjoyed the BBQ with a favorite wine pairing, a bold Aussie Shiraz which we featured in this blogpost - Branson Coach House Greenock Block Shiraz with BBQ Ribs.

Tonight, I pulled from the cellar a vintage aged CDP - Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in accordance with appellation rules, a Rhone varietal red blend. This release is what is known as a ‘GSM’, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, the three grapes required to comprise at least 70% to be designated a CDP. This is another one of our favorite food and wine pairings - that same Syrah/Shiraz as the Aussie varietal, but as part of a blend. 

We visited the appellation in 1999 and again in 2018 - chronicled in these posts - A visit to Château La Nerthe, and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 

Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape is produced by Alain Jaume & Fils a highly acclaimed family owned and operated estate, founded in 1826 by Mathieu Jaume, and then succeeded by Marius, Fernand and Roger Jaume.

In 1979, the current generation ancestors Odile and Alain Jaume and his two sons continued the family tradition with the creation of "Domaine Grand Veneur". 

At the outset, the vineyard covered 22 and a quarter acres, and was expanded over the years such that today, Domaine Grand Veneur is a 170-acre estate based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the Southern Rhone Valley. The estate is at the northern edge of the appellation on the southernmost outskirts of the city of Orange. 

In addition to the family’s vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, they also have parcels in Cotes du Rhône and Lirac, the appellation on the other side of the Rhône River. Grand Veneur produces red and white wines, and the family also has a negociant business called Alain Jaume & Fils. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Grand Veneur “one of the best run estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The cellars were built just outside of the town of Orange at the top of the appellation, on the road to Châteauneuf du Pape to the south. 

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape Appellation designated wine from the Southern Rhône Valley, CDP wines are a blend with up to thirteen specified grape varieties allowed, but typically ~50–55% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and 15–20% Syrah, with 70% required from these three grapes. 

The 2005 release is a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah that saw 16 months in 55% concrete tank and 45% in smaller barrels. 

While the Vieilles Vignes bottling wasn’t made until 2006, the 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape Les Origines goes all the way back to 1998. The Les Origins bottling is comprised of fruits from the oldest blocks in the estate vineyards, sourced from old vines over 65 years old, grown in the red clay and deep gravel soils typical of the Rhone Valley. 

We hold a half dozen releases of this label dating back to the turn of the century, this being the current oldest of our collection, selected accordingly as part of cellar inventory management.

This release was rated 95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 93 points by Wine Spectator, and 92 points by Vinous. 

In their 95 point review in 2015, Wine Advocate wrote “It freshens up in the glass, and while drinking nicely now, will have no problems evolving gracefully for another decade.” 

So here we are … at age 21 the label, foil and most importantly the fill level and cork were still in pristine condition. 

For those folks that think Châteauneuf du Pape does not age, this is a top wine from a top vintage and at age 21, it is doing just fine and still has a few years left. Every once in a while you open a bottle and it’s at peak. This was one of those times - the benefits of having a cellar and aging wines.

Deep ruby in color, medium to full bodied, full round expressive complex but nicely integrated black berry and black cherry fruits, notes of tobacco, spices and leather, with hints of licorice and garrique, lacking the typical black pepper sprites, with subtle smooth dusty tannins on the long, sweet, pleasant lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/325154

https://www.vignobles-alain-jaume.com/en/