Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering 

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, Fl vacation rental, we hosted our neighbors in what has become a rather regular gathering. 

Linda prepared and set out an extensive selection of small plate offerings that included flank steak, potatoes, brussel sprouts, sourdough toast points, bacon-wrapped-figs, cheese and veggie plates, caprese pizza’s and homemade brownies and cheesecake.

Artisan cheese included aged gouda, havarti, honey infused goat cheese, and cinnamon cranberry infused goat cheese. 

We set out a selection of beverages, artisan and craft beers, popular mixed drinks, and a medley of wines, white, red and dessert …

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5037569

For those that followed the ‘wine flight’, served in order, white to red to dessert, lightest to boldest and biggest we served in the following order …

Whites - 

Schweiger Napa Valley Sauvignon Blank 2017

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

For the red flight, we started with a traditional French Burgundy (Bourgogne). This was gifted from neighbors Chuck and Debbie during an earlier gathering, and we never got around to opening it and saved it for tonight. 

Domaine Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2021

This is from prolific well known producer, Domaine Faiveley who produce a broad portfolio of Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, from this basic label to the premium Grand Cru and ultra-premium Premiere Grand Cru.  

The largest family domaine in Burgundy dates back seven generations to 1825. The sixth generation  François Faiveley manages an estate of vineyards, fractured by French inheritance laws, that today covers 120 hectares across more appellations including Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise,in their entirety (monopoles) than any other domaine in Burgundy. 

Today, François has been joined by seventh generation offspring siblings, brother and sister, Ewan and Eve Faiveley. Born and bred in the Burgundian sub-appellation of Nuits-Saint-Georges, they both left the region to gain worldly experiences, then returned to work together managing the family business domaine.

Erwan Faiveley took over running the family wine domaine fifteen years ago after spending time in Dijon, then Paris, and traveling a great deal during his studies.

He is joined by his sister Eva who spent time in Barcelona, then the US, before returning to Paris where she worked in the luxury cosmetics industry, before returning to the Domaine in 2014, joining her brother Erwan.

Clive Coates M.W. (Master of Wine) writes, "Faiveley’s wines are... supremely clean and elegant: definitive examples of Pinot Noir... above all they have richness and breed, the thumbprint of a master winemaker."

This wine is vinified from grapes grown in the Domaine’s vineyards as well as selected grapes and musts from its partner grower/producers. The wines was aged 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels and stainless steel vats before bottling. 

Producer’s tasting notes - “Beautiful ruby color. This wine has pleasant, fresh, red-fruit aromas on the nose, which we also savor on the palate. It has rich and very ripe substance, with fine round tannins. It’s a very well structured and pleasant wine.”

The notable New York wine merchant Zachy’s writes: “A classic expression of Burgundy's Pinot Noir, Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 is a wine of exceptional quality. This wine boasts a harmonious blend of red fruit, spice, and earth, with a subtle minerality and a lingering finish.

Winemaker Notes - “Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a beautiful ruby color. This wine has pleasant, fresh, red-fruit aromas on the nose, which we also savor on the palate. It has a rich and very ripe substance, with fine round tannins. It’s a very well structured and pleasant wine.”

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4519432

https://domaine-faiveley.com/en/#

Château La Clarière Côtes de Castillon Bordeaux 2022 

Château La Clarière 2022 is a highly awarded, rich, and full-bodied Merlot-based red blend from the Côtes de Castillon appellation in Bordeaux, created by British wine merchant and producer Tony Laithwaite. 

Since Tony Laithwaite first worked in Castillon in 1967, he has been a champion of the region. As Wine International wrote: “If it weren’t for the line dividing Castillon from Saint-Emilion, its wines would be twice the price. The hills are the same, the soil is the same, the exposure is the same.” 

“In 1980 Tony bought Château La Clarière and has been proving this point ever since, winning Golds and Trophies, and twice the coveted Paris’ Lauréat Prix d’Excellence. The team has led the field in innovation too and no expense is spared: low yields for intensity, rigorous sorting for quality, and ageing in the finest new French oak. This is the fine claret from Tony's family estate from a lovely ripe vintage.” 

It offers ripe plum, blackberry, and spice notes with 16 months of French oak aging.

With four Trophies and 80+ Golds, Château La Clarière is clear proof that Castillon wines can surpass those of next-door Grand Cru St-Émilion. From the 5-Star 2022 vintage, this is a silky claret, with bright fruit intensity and velvety depth..

This is a classic Right Bank Bordeaux Blend - 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.

Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 90 points. 

This is from the lesser appellation Côtes de Castillon, neighbor to the more prestigious highly acclaimed St Emilion, and as written above, carried its weight, exceeding expectations, meeting high standards of its more prestigious neighbor. 

Garnet colored, medium full bodied, nicely structured and balanced black fruits are accented by lively clove spice, black tea and tobacco with soft polished acidity on the smooth finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5037569

The next wine served, was a Bordeaux, discovered, tasted and acquired during the Bordeaux wine dinner at the local Wine World back in January, 2024. 

Château Godard Bellevue L'Etoile du Château Godard Bellevue 2019

This Bordeaux red wine is from the small lesser appellation Côtes de Bordeaux, the youngest AOC appellation in Bordeaux, created in 2009, created from the merging of four, previously recognized communes, Cotes de Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux, Cotes de Castillon, and Cotes de Francs. The appellation consists of 12,653 hectares cultivated with vines.

The Cotes de Bordeaux appellation produces close to 14% of all Bordeaux wine with more than 1,500 growers actively making wine. 

Over 95% of production is red wine, primarily comprised of Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Malbec. A small amount of white wines are also produced.

The vineyards are located on the hillsides ("côtes") on the Right Bank of the Dordogne/Garonne rivers and along the Gironde Estuary. They are characterized by clay-limestone and gravelly soils.

The region produces user-friendly, value-driven, and often "ready to drink" compared to more prestigious, heavily tannic Bordeaux wines. They generally are high QPR - Quality Price Ratio wines, due to their lesser prestige compared to the higher profile neighbors St. Emilion or Pomerol appellations, which command higher prices. The best terroirs of Cotes de Bordeaux are similar to St. Emilion or Pomerol, especially at the top estates.

The Sub-Appellations are:
Blaye – Côtes de Bordeaux: The largest, located on the right bank of the Gironde Estuary.
Cadillac – Côtes de Bordeaux: Located on the right bank of the Garonne river.
Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux: Situated east of Saint-Émilion.
Francs – Côtes de Bordeaux: The smallest and most easterly appellation.
Sainte-Foy – Côtes de Bordeaux: The newest addition to the group.
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This limited production wine is 100% Merlot with annual production of a mere 3000 bottles. It was aged 17 months in 100% new oak barrels. 

Despite its small production and moderate price, this wine is packaged in a heavier oversize bottle.

Dark garnet colored, blackberry and black currant fruits with earthy notes, moderate tannins and medium acidity on a complex finish.

RM 88 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4918118

Miner Oracle Napa Valley Red Blend 2019 

Miner Family "The Oracle" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2019 

Miner Family Winery was founded by Dave Miner with their first vintage in 1996. Dave was born in Chicago and then lived in Southern California for a number of years, graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a BA in English and American Literature. It was during this time that he first became interested in wine. 

Dave was working for then upstart Oracle in software sales when his uncle Bob Miner, who happened to be one of the co-founders of Oracle, was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and passed away prematurely in 1994 at age 52. In his final days, Bob asked Dave to help him manage the operations at the family vineyards and winery Oakville Ranch, (predecessor to Oracle Family Winery). Dave quit his sales job and joined Oakville Ranch which at the time owned the property that is now Miner Family Winery. At the time they made a limited amount of wine and operated a custom crush facility. Miner Family Wines was one of their clients.

In 1999 Dave and his wife Emily (who worked at Oakville Ranch) purchased the winery and accompanying 18 acres. They were not able to plant vineyards on their steep hillsides due to the county ordinance prohibiting new vineyards on slopes greater then 20%, they opted to install solar cells instead – some 1,750 panels. Miner Family only owns 1/2 acre of vineyards; a tiny vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in front of the winery. They source premium grapes for their wines from partner growers mainly in Napa Valley. 

The Minor winery is located just above the valley floor – high enough in elevation that one has panoramic views looking over the vines to the west and the Mayacamas mountain range. 

Emily died in 2011 at age 41 from lung cancer despite having never smoked. The winery now produces Emily’s Cuvée with a portion of the sales of this wine benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Miner produce a range of Burgundian wines, several Chardonnays and some Pinot Noirs. They also produce some Rhone style wines based on Rhone varietals, and some other varietal wines, not typically produced in Napa Valley.  These wines include Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, as well as the traditional Napa Valley Bordeaux varietals.

This is the flagship Oracle label, a Bordeaux blend produced from select premium Bordeaux varietals sourced from Napa Valley. The 2019 release is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, sourced from the legendary Stagecoach Vineyard and Volker Eisele Vineyard. 

This released was rated 96 points by The Wine Independent. 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, 92 points by James Suckling.

This ultra-premium label was the WOTN - Wine of the Night for several of the folks, with the overachieving Château La Clarière being second. 

Winemaker Notes - Miner Family's flagship wine, a full-bodied, red blend, grants a nod toward elegance. This Bordeaux-style blend is silky, reserved and supremely balanced. Lush aromatics of raspberry and dark cherry with a hint of eucalyptus, The Oracle is decadent, but with finesse. Earthiness and layers of dried flowers and cocoa integrate harmoniously into a finely balanced marriage between tannin and acid, providing the structure that ensures, like all impeccable beauties, this wine is sure to age gracefully.

Deep garnet-purple colored, full bodied, complex and concentrated, tightly structure yet elegant, nicely balanced and polished, black raspberry, blackberry and blueberry fruits accented by notes of cassis, dark chocolate, black tea and hints of leather and lavender, with firm, fine-grained tannins, on the long fragrant finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4255911

We finished wide a couple dessert wines, a fun comparison of contrasting varietals and styles, from Austria and a French Sauterne. 

Kracher Auslese Cuvee 2009

Alois Kracher Cuvee Auslese is a sweet dessert wine from the Burgenland, Austria region, from their 50-acre estate in the town of Illmitz, Austria, in the eastern lake region along the border of Hungary. 

Alois Kracher studied chemistry and took over the property developed decades earlier by his father, in 1981. Alois became a known as Austria’s premier winemaker and the European wine industry’s unofficial ambassador of sweet white wines. He died at age 49 in 2007 from cancer.  

Today the estate is run by Alois’ son Gerhard. 

Kracher produces a range of wines, all dessert style, based on Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Scheurebe, Traminer and Muskat-Ottonel grapes, all made in the sweet “trockenbeerenauslee” (TBA) style. 

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The wines are a product of the unique microclimate near Lake Neusiedl, which encourages ‘noble rot’ (botrytis cinerea) which allows the creation of the ultrasweet grapes used in producing dessert wines. Leaving the grapes to age on the vines, they become infected with Botrytis cinerea, causing them to shrivel on the vine, into raisin like berries resulting in concentrated sugars and acids.

This 2009 release is a ‘Cuvee’ or blend, composed primarily of Chardonnay, 60%, with the Austrian varietal Welschriesling, 40%. The union between Chardonnay and Welschriesling grapes, which are picked as late as possible, later than the other varietals allowing the grapes to ripen completely and take on the noble rot which results in the maximum sweetness in the grapes. 

Tea colored, full bodied, lush, complex concentrated unctuous balanced notes of sweet pear, apricot, hints of honey, and citrus.

RM 89 points

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/1106031

Château Cantegril Barsac Bordeaux 2019

This is a highly-regarded, unclassified sweet dessert wine produced by the Dubourdieu family, owners of the winery since 1924. The Dubourdieu family also owns Chateau Doisy Daene a producer of Classified Sauternes.

Chateau Cantegril has a 22 hectare plot on the chalky plateau of the Haut Barsac. It is located where once a fortified castle of the same name stood back in the Middle Ages.

Barsac dessert wines tend to provide high QPR - quality price ratios, as more modest variations of the neighboring Sauternes, which tend to be slightly sweeter and richer, and far more expensive, due to the very small yield of the late harvested grapes ‘Botrytisized’ grapes. 

It is a blend of primarily Sémillon, 65%, and Sauvignon Blanc, 35%, grapes grown in limestone-rich soils.

Fermentation takes place in barrels having separated each sorted pick of each individual plot. It is aged 12 months in french oak barrels.

Annual Production is 30 000 bottles

Golden colored, full bodied, thick unctuous, rich, sweet nutty caramel fruits, with notes of pear, white flowers, ginger and passionfruit, citrus, honey, and spice with balanced acidity.

RM 89 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wineFamily/1407573

Marina Cafe Wine Dinner

Fabulous Seafood and Wine dinner at Marina Cafe , Destin (FL)

Visiting, The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we dined with neighbors Richard and Victoria at the  Marina Cafe, downtown Destin on Harbor Boulevard on the waterfront overlooking the Destin marina and harbor. 

We arrived shortly before 5PM opening to find a long line of people waiting to get in, an indication of the immense popularity of this local institution, promoted as “the most awarded restaurant in Destin”.. 

Marina Cafe is an upscale steakhouse with an extensive menu offering the local fresh catch seafood, pasta, sushi, wood-fired pizzas, and dishes with Creole, Mediterranean, and Pan-Asian influences, and an extensive wine list.

They offer a variety of dining options, the entire dinning room offers marina/harbor views through the wall of allow to ceiling windows, outdoor seating on the waterside patio, and a wildly popular trendy lounge with full bar. 

During the right season, there are also breathtaking sunset views as well.

Tonight, Thursday, was their “Little Black Dress” night featuring life music in the lounge with classical jazz saxophonist Ike Barkley and vocalist. The line of folks waiting outside streamed in as the doors opened to secure seats. 

From the menu we ordered several seafood selections - The Redfish special, Seared Grouper and the Seabass. 

I ordered the Seared Grouper with oven roasted purple Peruvian potatoes, pineapple rum cream sauce, mango papaya salsa. I have to say it was among the best dinners ever in Destin! 

The others ordered the Pan Seared Red Snapper - blackened red snapper, dirty rice, corn maque choux, creole crawfish cream sauce (above), and the Seared Sea Bass with garlic risotto, garlic braised spinach, lemon burre blanc (below). All the entrees were delicious.  

We took advantage of the BYOB policy and brought our own wine - a red and a white. 

Richard brought this vintage aged St Emilion Grand Cru. 

Château Clos des Prince Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux 2014 

Clos des Prince produce this classic Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from their small 7 1/2 acre vineyard located 25 km east of Saint-Émilion, from vines with an average age of 48 years planted to roughly 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Annual production averages about 12,000 bottles.

Winemaking: The winery uses organic and biodynamic practices. The wine is aged in a mix of new (70%) and one-year-old (30%) barrels. 

This represents the classic style and profile of Saint-Émilion wines with notes of sweet berries and currants transitioning into floral hints. Some profiles highlight more complex undertones of stones, dark fruits, and tangier citrus notes like tangerine.

 

The 2014 Clos des Prince Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a classic Right Bank red Bordeaux blend, typically 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

The 2014 vintage received a score of 88/100 from James Suckling.

Producer/Distributor’s Tasting Notes: “Notes of sweet berries and currants transitioning into floral hints. Some profiles highlight more complex undertones of stones, dark fruits, and tangier citrus notes like tangerine.’

“Palate: Described as having a solid core of fruit supported by superpolished, medium tannins. It generally presents a medium to full body with a focused, delineated structure.”

The 2014 vintage in Saint-Émilion was generally considered a solid, classic year, particularly good for Merlot on the Right Bank. 

At a dozen years, this was likely at the apex of its drinking window, having had an ideal few years to soften and integrate after release, 

Pleasant drinking, dark garnet colored medium full bodied, structured but smooth soft polished sweet dark berry currant fruits with notes of stone minerality, leather, black tea and floral notes with polished structured tannins.

RM 91 points

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2162596

Venge Vineyards Brown Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019

We brought from our home cellar one of our favorite Chardonnay’s currently at the apex of its drinking profile, from one of our favorite producers. We’ve written often in these pages how we have fun with this “V” label, that we serve with our daughter-in-law Vivianna. Tonight, we brought this to serve with our friend Victoria! 

We’ve featured this label in numerous blogposts, excerpted here. 

Venge Brown Ranch Chardonnay and Venge Vineyards Napa Valley Brown Ranch Carneros Chardonnay 2019

The name Venge has been synonymous with Napa Valley wines for as long as I have been of drinking age since the '70's, but the Venge family wine affiliation actually goes back much earlier, to when Knud Venge emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the early 1900’s. Knud's son, Per Venge, entered in the wine and spirits business and started Vencom Imports, focusing on importing Western European wines and spirits. Per's son, Nils Venge, started in, then left the family business in the 1960's to study viticulture at UC Davis and set the family name in the California winegrowing community.

The Venge family planted viticultural roots in 1976 with the purchase of a 17-acre estate in the Oakville District that was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, establishing them among the winemaking pioneers of Napa Valley.

Buddy, AJ with Nils and Kirk Venge

We met Nils and Dianna Venge on numerous occasions at Napa events and visiting the Venge Vineyards in Oakville during the nineties. We first met their son, Kirk Venge, who engaged in winemaking from an early age while they were developing the Rossini Ranch Vineyards, Winery and caves up in Calistoga. We visited Nils at the Penny Lane Family Reserve Vineyard in Oakville, then drove up to meet Kirk at the Rossini Ranch site in the eastern foothills of Palisade Mountain near Calistoga back in 2002. 

Kirk took over Venge Vineyards in 2008 and has established himself as a talented winemaker making wines in his own style. Kirk has continued the Napa Valley heritage crafting wines from select vineyard sites across Napa and Sonoma Counties worthy of bearing the Venge family name.

We've been collecting Venge wines since their earliest days. We now have fun collecting them with their notable "V" branding to enjoy with our daughter-in-law, Vivianna, as her 'signature' wines, and tonight with friend Victoria. .  

This is a single vineyard designated label sourced from the 30 acre Brown Ranch Vineyard in Carneros, named for the previous cattle rancher owner Nadine Brown. The vineyard is bordered by HdV’s Hyde Vineyard and Beaulieu’s Vineyard No.9 on Old Sonoma Road in the Carneros district, straddling the rolling hills in the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the nearby San Pablo Bay, combined with the abundant midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing elegant wines that combine power and finesse, with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.

The property, formerly associated with Saintsbury Winery, was purchased in 2012 by the Renterias. 

The Brown Ranch’s hillside alluvial soils, with Dijon Clone 76 set into the pre-existing rootstock, produces this rich full round Chardonnay, worthy of the iconic Venge name.

Winemaker's notes: The Dijon Clones are modern strains of Chardonnay carefully isolated from grapevine nursery blocks in France. These strains are selected for their incredible ability to produce the best of what the varietal has to offer and therefore have become quite popular with cool climate growers today. The cool and often foggy climate of the Brown Ranch Vineyard, located in central Carneros, Napa, allows for a slow growing season and optimal ripening. This climate aids in the balancing of acidity and lifting tropical aromas in the fruit and thus, in the finished wine. The vines were carefully hand harvested and delivered cool to the winery.

 

Winemaker's Notes: "This wine is stylish and freshly balanced, featuring a light, pale straw presence in the glass with a bouquet of fresh orange citrus, toasted pine nuts, mild allspice, rocky flints, and toasted oak. Crisp, savory pineapple, sweet delicious apple, savory stone fruit, and ripe pear lead into mouthwatering deliciousness. 

The grapes are blended into used French Oak barrels according to a Burgundian style of winemaking, light handed on the usage of new French Oak keeping it to an average of 45%.

This is one of our favorite chardonnays in our cellar right now, produced by Kirk Venge, son of Napa historic and legendary winemaker, Nils Venge. We met Kirk during a visit to Venge Vineyards back in 2005. He has since taken over the family business and developed his own portfolio and brands sourced from several properties across Napa and Sonoma Counties. 

I wrote in more detail about Kirk in a post "Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge" back in 2021.

This single vineyard designated label is from the 30 acre Brown Ranch (formerly associated with Saintsbury Winery and formerly a cattle grazing ranch taking its name from the former owner, Nadine Brown). The vineyard is bordered by two well known storied vineyards, HdV’s Hyde Vineyard and Beaulieu’s Vineyard No.9 on Old Sonoma Road. 

Sitting down in the Los Carneros region at the bottom of Napa Valley where it converges with the bottom of Sonoma Valley, near the confluence of San Pablo Bay. The cool and often foggy climate effects of the Bay allows for a slow growing season and optimal ripening. This climate aids in the balancing of acidity and lifting tropical aromas in the fruit and the resulting finished wine. 

The property was purchased in 2012 by the Renterias when many of the twenty nine acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines were afflicted with a fungi disease, Eutypa (otherwise known as the Dead-arm Dieback) causing trunks or arms of the vines to essentially rot and die. Rather than pulling all of these vines out, their vineyard management team decided to keep the rootstock, cut off the trunk just above the soil and allow a bud from the varietal to grow, training it into a new trunk and then trellising it when it became of size. The Brown Ranch’s hillside alluvial soils, with Dijon Clone 76 set atop pre-existing rootstock, make a Chardonnay that is worthy of producing under the Venge name.

Similarly, this Brown's Ranch chardonnay produced from uniquely afflicted vines is rich, full, round and forward yet stylish and balanced.

Winemakers notes: "A light, pale straw presence in the glass with a bouquet of fresh orange citrus, toasted pine nuts, mild allspice, rocky flints, and toasted oak. Crisp, savory pineapple, sweet delicious apple, savory stone fruit, and ripe pear lead into mouthwatering deliciousness."
 
The Dijon Clones are modern strains of Chardonnay carefully isolated from grapevine nursery blocks in France. These strains are selected for their incredible ability to produce the best of what the varietal has to offer and therefore have become quite popular with cool climate growers today.  

The wine is produced according to a Burgundian practice of winemaking wherein the grapes are traditionally whole cluster pressed and allowed to cold settle prior to filling once used French Oak barrels. Venge says their 'light handed usage of new French Oak, keeping it to an average of 45% of their Chardonnay, with gentle stirring of the lees in the early stages of ageing, further develops refined richness and length of body, while keeping the wine clean and fresh'. The wine is aged for 15 months. 65% native malolactic fermentation to build complexity and body, without compromising the structural integrity of the wine.

Bottled unfiltered, 395 cases were produced.

Consistent with our tasting note published back in 2022; This is one of our favorite chardonnays in our cellar that is drinking very well right now. Golden straw colored, medium full bodied, rich, round flavorful apple and pear fruits with layers of notes of caramel crème brûlée, mineral and citrus mineral and citrus with spicy oak grapefruit, ginger and a touch of peach and almond nut cream, with bright acidity, depth and balance on a full long finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3884491

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/07/venge-vineyards-napa-valley-brown-ranch.html

https://www.vengevineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/VengeVineyards

@VengeVineyards 

https://marinacafe.com/

Fun lunch at Suzette’s Crêperie Wheaton

Fun lunch at Suzette’s Crêperie Wheaton 

We found ourselves in Wheaton (IL) for an investment property inspection and running errands, so we dropped in Suzette’s Crêperie for a fun lunch. 

This is one of our favorite eateries in the western suburbs with its cozy, warm setting and French bistro cuisine. 

Torn between several favorite dishes, we both succumbed to ordering the daily special, their Sole which is also one of our favorites. Suzette's Sole Meunière is served in the classic French style, Filets of Sole,  dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter herb sauce, parsley and lemon, alongside spring vegetables and mashed potatoes. It was wonderful, delicious, as usual.

We were served by Kelly, who was delightful and fun, sporting her chic French Beret! 

We have featured Suzette’s and this entree here in two earlier blogposts - Signorello Hope's Cuvee BYOB at Suzette's Creperie Wheaton, and Suzette's Creperie Wheaton.

We often take advantage of their BYOB policy but did not plan ahead so we ordered from their winelist this interesting, pleasant sipping, southern French Chardonnay. 

Domaine De Montrose Languedoc- Roussillon Côtes de Thongue Chardonnay 2024 

Domaine Montrose is a historic family run producer that dates back to 1701 when Joseph Alazard received his ‘Three Lizards’ coat of arms which continues to this day as part of the family crest in homage to him, it adorns all of bottles’ and labels to this day.

The estate has belonged to and been managed by the Coste family nine generations. Current proprietor, Bernard Coste is the 8th generation in charge of Domaine Montrose and his son Olivier joined him in 2009, continuing the heritage of 300 years producing wine.

Bernard and Olivier Coste both live on the estate which consists of just under 200 acres of vines, situated around the estate.  The vineyards around the winery are planted on a range of rather unusual terroirs with clay-limestone balanced soils. The estate is named after its location, on a volcano (mont) and after the pink-blossomed (rose) almond trees bordering the property. 

Domaine Montrose is located in the South of France, a few kilometers from the village of Pézenas and the Mediterranean Sea in the Côtes de Thongue  (IGP) wine appellation, in the Languedoc- Roussillon wine region, and the sub region of Herault.

The small Côtes de Thongue appellation is made up of about fifty producers. Interestingly, the producers of this wine appellation have declined the official AOC certification in order to ensure their freedom to produce wines of their liking. 

The appellation has a Mediterranean climate: cold and dry winter, hot and dry summer, humid spring and fall. Montrose vines are grown on soils that are typical for this appellation: Villafranchian terraces (small round pebbles), clay-limestone, and basalt.

Committed to protecting the biodiversity of its vineyards, they have planted 21 different species of Mediterranean trees and now have 1,053 trees on the property. These trees and their ecosystem help the healthy management of the vineyards.

Domaine Montrose and its surroundings have been inhabited for millennia, dating back to Roman occupation when it was likely a Roman villa. The historic “Valros Tower” next to the vineyard was a Carolingian necropolis and then a stronghold in the Middle Ages.

Wine has been made at Montrose since the 16th century. Aged underground tanks still exist beneath the wine cellar.. 

The primary wine produced by the family is Rosé. They also produce this 100% Chardonnay, a unique blend sourced from their three terroirs, Villa Franchian terrasses with small round pebbles, sandy clay, and volcanic soils naturally poor in nutrients, which are typical of the appellation, planted on the slope of a volcano. The assortment of terroirs gives their wines a unique personality.

Each terroir is vinified separately. Grapes are destemmed before a short skin contact or a direct pressing. Wines resulting from the different terroirs are blended after fermentation and then aged in stainless steel vats rather than oak barrels to preserve freshness, fruit and minerality, and achieve a distinctive balance and elegance they seek in their unique style.

Winemaker’s notes - yellow color with green hints. Nose of fresh fruit. Notes of citrus and white peach. Elegant wine combining roundness and freshness. 

This was pale golden straw colored, light medium bodied, with crisp, clean, expressive notes of peach, pear and citrus with lively acidity. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5381585

https://domaine-montrose.com/en/over-the-century/

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

MR Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner

Michel Rolland Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner 

Readers of these pages might think I’m obsessive and make too much out of a bottle of wine or its label, and they might be right. But selecting and tasting a wine often brings back memories of friends, good times, travel, and evokes many stories. You be the judge.  

Tonight was such a case. Friday evening, end of a busy event filled week, I longed for an enjoyable casual sipping wine with dinner. Scouring the wine cellar I was looking at Merlot for its complex but velvety soft drinking, and pairing with food. 

Wife Linda grilled quality prime chopped beefsteak prepared in my favorite Pittsburgh-style (charred with hot pink center). We also enjoyed a plate of olives and fine olive oil produced by and gifted from our French friend Philipe from fruit from the tree in their backyard in the Luberon in Provençal France. Philippe brought a large container of their fine olive oil during his visit last fall. A visit to the Speziani family home was one of the drivers and highlights of our visit to Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon this past summer. Our relationship with them dates back to our hosting Philipe as a French exchange student in our home when son Alec was his sponsor back in High School.

I selected a bottle of Merlot from the Long Shadow’s Vintners Collection, crafted by the legendary master of Merlot, Michel Rolland, producer of and consulting winemaker to the world’s most iconic Merlot labels. We own several of his and his clients’ labels including his proprietary Michel Rolland Napa Cabernet, Chateau Clinet and Chateau Figeac, one of our signature birthyear labels we collect for our son’s birthyear.  

Long Shadows created their special Collection of wines, each crafted by a world renowned winemaker selected for their particular expertise in a specific varietal and style of wine. Michel Rolland was chosen to craft the Pedestal Merlot label. 

Michel Rolland was a French Bordeaux-based oenologist, with hundreds of clients across 13 countries as consulting winemaker to produce Merlot based wines. Wine Enthusiast memorialized Roland in a feature, ‘The Master Blender Who Turned Bordeaux into a Global Sensation Leaves the Wine World Forever Changed“, excerpted below.

The celebrated Bordeaux-based oenologist and winemaker who pioneered a style of wine that became fashionable in the 1990s and 2000s, died suddenly of a heart attack on March 20 at age 78.

“Rolland was a master blender who developed the style known for its ripe fruit, extended maceration, low yields, and new wood, crafting wines that were soft, lush, and generous, with unusually high alcohol for the time. Some loved it, especially in the American market; others found it too heady and alcoholic. But everyone can agree that he changed the wine world forever.’

“Born in 1948, into a Libourne wine family, owners of Château le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Rolland grew up surrounded by Merlot vineyards. His career began in 1973 after he graduated from Bordeaux University’s Wine Faculty. Rolland became known as the original “flying winemaker,” traveling the world and advising wineries as far-flung as California, where he created the cult Cabernet style in Napa, Chile, and Argentina.”

It just so happened that this week, I also lost a dear friend, for whom I just recently traveled to Florida to visit in what turned out to be his final days. LLL, or L3 as we called him, grew up on 105th in the Beverly section of Chicago, and we reminisced about him growing up in his neighborhood amongst historic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and legendary associate Walter Burleigh Griffin. He was unaware of Griffin, and I was able to share the importance of the legacy and history of Griffin for whom 104th Place is today called “Griffin Way”, for the large number of turn of the century prairie style homes he designed and built there. Griffin is a key character of my tours that I give at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in historic Oak Park. 

Below shows some of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burleigh Griffin homes in my friend’s old neighborhood. This is a screenshot from The Prairie School Traveler, an amazing source of prairie school architecture sites. 

Such is the backdrop of my selection of a special Michel Rolland label, as a dual tribute to two recently departed special individuals. 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

I wrote about Long Shadows Vintners Collection in this blogpost, Long Shadows Cellars feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit, and this Pedestal Merlot and other Collection wines in several blogposts back in 2022 - Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2015, and Long Shadows Duo Showcase Katy Business Dinner, and Catch 35 Naperville Surf & Turf and Wine Dinner, excerpted here. 

Long Shadows Vintners' Collection 

I have written in these pages about Long Shadows, the brand portfolio of several labels, all crafted by world famous winemakers from fruits sourced in the Washington State Columbia Valley. This was the vision of Allen Shoup, former CEO of Chateau St Michelle, champion and evangelist for Washington State wines. He formed the brand and recruited a world famous winemaker for each varietal based label. 

As noted above, Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world’s top wineries, was selected to produce this Right Bank Bordeaux Blend wine. He is the 'Master of Merlot', winemaker to some of the leading Bordeaux labels from the Right Bank where Merlot is the predominant varietal in the blend as well as the Napa based Merlot based Red Blend release cited herein. 

We've long known about the brand and joined their club while visiting their tasting room hospitality center in Woodinville WA during our Seattle Wine / Dine Experience in 2018. We remain Vault Club Members of the allocated portfolio and get a case each quarter of two of the varietal based selections including this Pedestal label.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

We know this wine well as I have several vintages of this label in our cellar collection, having been a wine-club member for close to a decade. As noted, we also know and hold several vintages of the winemaker Michel Rolland's flagship labels, legendary Pomerol Bordeaux and Napa Valley oenologist, vintner and consultant to some of the world’s best wineries. 

This was the best tasting vintage of this label I have had as this vintage selection and food pairing met my lofty expectations. As I write often in these pages, an optimal food/wine pairing amplifies the enjoyment of both. 

At nine years, the bottle was pristine and this is drinking at the apex of its drinking profile, but should continue to age for pleasurable drinking for perhaps another decade. 

This vintage release is a blend of 82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, that was aged 22 months in French oak barrels, with 86% being new.  

The 2017 Pedestal Merlot was predominately grown on the Wahluke Slope, a warm area of the Columbia Valley that produces Merlot with layers of fresh, dark fruit and beautiful aromatics. A small amount of Merlot from Dionysus Vineyard and The Benches was used to build layers and complexity. Red Mountain’s Tapteil Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon added backbone. Petit Verdot from Dionysus Vineyard contributed to the finished wine’s rich mid-palate.

This release was awarded 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points by Wine Advocate and International Wine Reviews, 93P points and a Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast, and 92+ points by Stephen Tanzer.

Winemakers tasting notes - “Vibrant and deep in color, with a beautiful array of red and dark berries woven around a hint of well-integrated oak spice and refined tannins. Soft and rich on the mid-palate extending through a lengthy finish that leaves an elegant impression.”

Dark inky ruby purple in color, full bodied, bright vibrant opulent black raspberry and blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, spice, dark mocha chocolate, cigar box, black tea and hints of vanilla with a smooth polished medium silky tannin laced finish.

RM 94 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3581700

http://www.longshadows.com 

@LongShadowsWine

  

Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape with robust meaty pizza

Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape with robust meaty pizza

For finishing the left over premium pizza with several meats from earlier in the week, featured in this blogpost - Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo with Pizza, I pulled from the cellar this premium Rhône Valley red blend. 

Roger Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee ‘Le Secret des Sabon’ 2012

While the current Roger Sabon family estate was founded in 1952 by Roger Sabon, the historic ancestral Domaine Roger Sabon history dates back to the 16th century, when the Sabon family first owned vineyards in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in France’s southern Rhône River Valley. By the 18th century the Sabons were not only making wine but helping promote and improve all Rhone Valley wines by helping establish appellation standards. 

Today the 109-acre Domaine Roger Sabon estate is run by Jean-Jacques, Denis and Gilbert Sabon, all descendants of the founder. 

The estate’s total acreage, is split up on both sides of the Rhône River, with 37 acres in Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, on the left bank of the River, and spread over 14 different plots with that classic terroir of sand and limestone soils. The winery sits just on the northern edge of the village Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

On the right bank, the vineyard includes 30 acres in the Lirac appellation, 15 acres in the Côtes-du-Rhône and 35 acres in the Vin de France.

We visited Chateauneuf-du-Pape in 1998 and again in 2019 - Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and A visit to Château La Nerthe.

The estate also makes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, as well as a Lirac and Cotes du Rhone, which are sourced from the domain’s vineyards in Roquemaure. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Domain Roger Sabon a traditionalist producer that “has been making exceptionally high-quality wines for years…”

La Cuvee Prestige is the domain’s flagship wine, though it also makes this very limited production Le Secret des Sabon in certain vintages, the top wine of the estate. Those wines are 60% – 80% Grenache from vines that are 80 to 100 years old. 

This 2012 release was rated 96 points by Robert Parkers’ Wine Advocate, 95 points by Wine Spectator, and 94 points by Vinous.

Winemaker Notes - Deep ruby color. Rich and generous mouth. This cuvée aims at giving the best expression of Grenache on elegance, with a peculiar attention on balance, freshness and tannic structure.

Bright Ruby red colored, full bodied, but smooth easy drinking with expressive lively sweet ripe rich raspberry, plum and blackberry fruits with notes of kirsch, garrigue and licorice, turning to hints of graphite, black tea, leather and tar notes with a hint of white pepper, glycerol, sweet soft tannins and moderate acidity on the lively lingering finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1779454

http://www.domainerogersabon.com/en/__trashed/

Château Suduiraut Sauterne for pleasurable sipping

Château Suduiraut Sauterne for pleasurable sipping

We’re having fun watching the exclusive Apple TV Series “Drops of God”, a must see for ardent oenophile wine geeks. See the First Season “Drops of God” Trailor here. 

Tonight, we watched the episode where they relished the ultimate Sauterne dessert wine, Château d’Y’quem, we pulled from the cellar a suitable second tier alternative. It was great fun and delicious sipping with fresh fruit, nuts and artisan chocolates. While not quite a First Growth equivalent, Château Suduiraut is never-the-less a 1er Cru Classe rating, for a fraction of the price of the ultra-premium super label. The Château d’Y’quem that we hold in our cellar, is indeed being held for special occasions, as noted that several are birth year vintages of our kids and grandkids. 

Our cellar records indicate we have a dozen plus bottles of this wine, across a half dozen vintages. This bottle was the oldest vintage in our cellar, that I pulled somewhat at random, but was the appropriate selection for proper cellar management. At 25 years, it was delicious and had much life left. Thankfully we still have five bottles of this release for future enjoyment. The CellarTracker drinking window was shown as through 2026, which I edited to extend out to 2030. 

Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne

This is a special wine, suitable for special occasions, and ideal for an intimate casual sipping such as tonight. We enjoyed this same wine at our special get-away weekend anniversary dinner celebration at “Goosefoot Restaurant”  Chicago, back in 2019, as featured in this blogpost - Goosefoot Chicago Anniversary Celebration Dinner. We also featured this wine in two other special tastings’blogposts - Super Big Red Wine Flight for Grilled Beefsteak Dinner, and “A Night in Sicily” Italian Village Donnafugata Covid Lock-in Virtual Wine Dinner.

These premium quality Sauterne dessert wines can have drinking windows as long as fifty years, and more in top vintages. Tonight, at twenty four years, the foil, label, and most importantly the fill level and cork, were pristine, like a three year old. The giveway of the age was the color has darkened from the golden straw color, upon release, to dark golden, and now to a weak tea color. Aside the color, it didn’t appear to have changed whatsoever in the six years since that tasting, except that it may have taken on a subtle mid-palate tone of smokiness, in addition to its earlier, traditional tasting profile. 

Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne 2002

At that celebration dinner I wrote, “We enjoy sweet unctuous desert wines with salads, cheese or deserts. This was a nice finisher, a perfect complement to the final course.” 

This is a classic Sauterne, a blend of Semillon (94 %) and Sauvignon Blanc (6 %). Château Suduiraut is considered to be one of the finest Sauternes.

The history of Château Suduiraut, dates back to the 1600’s. It was classified as a Premier Cru during the official 1855 wine classification programme. The French conglomerate AXA Millésimes acquired Suduiraut in 1992. 

Golden honey, dark amber colored, full bodied yet delicate, nicely balanced fruit and floral aromas, complex roasted and candied notes of apple, vanilla and honey, medium sweetness and a long smooth silky finish.  Not as sweet and unctuous as some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate notes of smoke, marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of vanilla on the tongue cloying finish.

RM 91 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-93 points, Wine Spectator, 90 points.

https://www.suduiraut.com/en/vin/1/chateau-suduiraut

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?18468

Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo with Pizza

Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba Nebbiolo with Pizza

We ordered our favorite pizza from our neighborhood Rosatti’s (“Monster” Pizza, thin crust, well done, replace green olives with extra green pepper) for the NCAA Championship Final to root for our B1G TEN representative Michigan. I pulled from the cellar an Italian Nebbiolo to pair with the pizza, an ideal accompaniment, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both the food and the wine. 

 

Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba 2022

This is from the Sandrone family winery in the town of Vezza d'Alba, from their 66 acres of vineyards spread between Langa and Roero, one of the most iconic producers in the Barolo wine region.

Luciano Sandrone learned viticulture from the early age of 14 or 15. After years of work as a cellarman he depleted his life savings and purchased his first vineyard on the Cannubi hill in 1977, managing his land on the weekends while continuing to work his ‘day job’. He produced his first vintage in 1978, in the garage of his parents, continuing at home every vintage until 1999, when the winery he constructed in 1998 was ready for use.

Through 50 year of harvests, he focuses on the native Barolo region varietals: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, crafted in a portfolio of six red wines.

The estate is situated in an amphitheater in the Roero zone, in the town of Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro river on the concave Valmaggiore hill, facing the south, the steep slopes have full exposure to the sun, with soft and sandy soil. 

Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba 2022

This is 100% Nebbiolo, designated Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC. During the harvested six separate passes were make to bring in fruit at optimal ripeness. It was fermented from indigenous yeasts, with maceration and fermentation in open steel tanks, and aged in French Oak tonneaux of 500 liters for 9 months before release. This label was first produced in 1994, sourced from the Valmaggiore estate vineyard in Roero,  in the village of Vezza d'Alba. Production was 28,000 bottles.

It was rated 93 points by Decanter, Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck, and 92 points by James Sucklng, Wine Advocate and Kerrin O’Keefe. 

Winemaker Notes - “Valmaggiore is an exercise in restraint. It offers up pretty, uplifting aromas of red fruits, roses, white pepper and freshly-picked violets. On the palate, red fruits are front and center, framed by tobacco, spice and mineral notes. The tannins are both strong and soft yet give the wine its unmistakable mid-weight structure. The acidity is bracingly fresh, and the finish long and layered, with red fruits, graphite and earth notes lingering.”

Bright but somewhat opaque ruby colored, medium-bodied, vibrant, smooth, structured, fresh ripe red raspberry and cherry fruits with notes of nutmeg, clove spice, rosehip tea, orange peel, earth and dusty rose with hints of kirsch on a long moderate silky tannin and fresh acidic laced finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5011990

https://www.sandroneluciano.com/en/web/collezione/valmaggiore/annata/2022.php?lev1=5&coll=5a&year=2022&coll=0

https://www.sandroneluciano.com/

https://www.rosatispizza.com/menu/