Parmesan Crusted Grouper and Jordan Chardonnay at Fat Clemenza’s Miramar Beach

After a rainy day car outing touring the Florida 30A coastal region, upon return to the Cove, our vacation home in Destin, FL, we stopped for dinner at Clemenza’s Restaurant in Miramar Beach, featured in a recent blogpost, excerpted here. 

As I wrote in that post - Italian Dining at Clemenza’s Restaurant in Miramar Beach was founded by an old dear friend of one of our friends and neighbors and how they play polo together in the early days of our equestrian community at home, and Dominic Damiano introduced our friend to his wife decades ago.

The local Emerald Coast Magazine wrote that when “Dominic Damiano moved to the Emerald Coast in 2008, life was almost perfect except he couldn’t find good Italian food. His group of friends and family who had moved from different parts of Italy to Destin, also missed the flavors of home, so they decided to open their own restaurant, Fat Clemenza’s, and do what they do best — serve up recipes passed down for generations”. 

Fat Clemens’s Restaurant is named for the legendary chef/cook in the Godfather movie series, the restaurant was in many ways modeled after Tufano’s which he owned in an Italian neighborhood in Chicago.

“It’s important to me to stay true to tradition and heritage, which is why we import a lot of ingredients,” said Damiano. “I want customers to experience these dishes as my family would, to feel like part of the family when here.”

“The eggplant parmigiana.is made from Damiano’s grandmother’s recipe, the Fresh Fish special is caught locally. The olive oils, pasta, tomatoes, flour and seasonings are imported from Italy. Twice a week, a shipment of sausage arrives from Chicago. All other ingredients, especially seafood, is sourced locally.” 

We returned to dine at the restaurant, almost walking distance, from our vacation home, that we discovered on our last trip. The restaurant is warm, inviting, comfortable and cozy, with the small dining room nestled up against the small bar adjacent the wood fired oven. 

The extensive menu features Italian fare, wood fired pizzas, calzones, a broad selection of two dozen pasta dishes, and a variety of traditional Italian meat dishes. 

I ordered the Daily Chef’s Specialties from the chalkboard menu posted on the wall - Parmesan Crusted Grouper with capers and artichoke, served over angel hair pasta. 

Linda ordered the daily special Clam Chowder and the House Salad.  As with our earlier dining experience, both our selections were delicious, prepared artfully, served promptly, piping hot in ample portions.

We ordered from the adjacent chalkboard, one of the featured select wines suggestions to accompany the daily specials, a California Chardonnay.

Jordan Alexander Valley Chardonnay 2021 

This is an iconic well known brand known for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted in a European style that allows them to pair well with a broad range of foods. Jordan’s winemaking focuses on the ‘wine's fruit and acidity rather than alcohol and tannin, and achieving elegance and balance in the bottle

Founders Tom and Sally Jordan acquired the 1200 acre property in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, and established Jordan Vineyard & Winery in 1972, inspired by the great wine estates of France.

They enlisted the legendary André Tchelistcheff, as consulting enologist, and he was instrumental in establishing Jordan’s Francophile style of winemaking becoming one of the best wineries and brands in Sonoma County, with the help of winemaker Rob Davis. Davis guided Jordan winemaking from the inaugural 1976 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and inaugural 1979 Jordan Chardonnay achieving the remarkable quality and consistency of Jordan wines for more than four decades until his retirement in 2019. 

On the 1,200 property they planted Jordan Estate with roughly 120 acres of a dozen small vineyard blocks of grapevines, 16 acres with four parcels of olive trees, a two-acre chef’s garden as well as, their home and a second lake. Unique amongst Healdsburg wineries, they left more than three-quarters of the scenic estate, roughly 900, preserved as natural habitat with open spaces,  craggy oak trees and lakes providing habitat for geese, rabbits, turkeys and coyotes.  

Winemaker Maggie Kruse took over for Rich Davis and produced this classic California Chardonnay in 2021,  sourced from cooler vineyard sites in the western Russian River Valley. The wine spent half of its life in stainless steel, and was aged 5.5 months in 100% new French oak.

Winemaker Notes - “One of the most balanced Jordan Chardonnays to date. Flavors of juicy citrus, Asian pear and lemon peel balance seamlessly with the subtle French oak notes. The cooler-climate vineyard sourcing this year brings even more lively acidity and purity of fruit on the palate—making this vintage especially food-friendly and cellar-worthy.”

J'nai Gaither of Decanter gave this release 93 points. 

Pale golden straw colored medium bodied, rich but nicely balanced full round ripe fruit notes of pear, Meyer lemon and apple with flinty spice notes and hints of vanilla accentuating the vibrant acidity masking the French oak on the lively finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.jordanwinery.com/

https://twitter.com/jordanwinery

https://www.jordanwinery.com/

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap, and Everyday Pinot Noir   

First night in town for our winter retreat to The Cove, our vacation rental home getaway in Destin (FL)*, we dined at this neighborhood restaurant that is easy walking distance from (our second) ‘home’. Even though it’s a short walk, we hadn’t yet dined there yet, during  our exploration of the broad selection of restaurants in the area.

Jackacuda’s has a cozy relaxed neighborhood feel, not too big, with somewhat limited seating at and adjacent the bar, and the adjoining dining room, and affable banter between patrons, known and unknown - nice for a casual friendly meal. 

Jackacuda’s history is intertwined with the lore of Destin which is branded the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

Part of the allure of fish and fishing in the area is due to the Tenaco 80 that was dropped back in the mid-1980’s to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly became the spot to catch monster amberjacks.

As the story goes, one day local legendary Destin Charter Boat Captain Dale Beebe set out to catch the celebrated monster amberjacks, only to catch that summer day barracuda. Barracuda have a way of putting on a spectacle and the fish jumped in and out of the water delivering a show for all that were on the boat. On his way back from the trip, surrounding local Captains jumped on the radio to see how Captain Beebe fared and his response was “All I caught today were Jackacudas!” From that day forward the Teneco 80 spot was reborn as the Jackacudas Spot! And the Jackacudas moniker was born along with the founding of the popular local restaurant Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi.

The original restaurant was located on the legendary HarborWalk Village downtown Destin, but relocated when it was merged into another existing restaurant after an extensive renovation in 2017, also owned by Jackacuda's owners Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis, down the road on Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98), just outside the gate of our community.

They also are partnered with these other restaurants in the area: 

• Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer
• Eastpass Seafood & Oyster House
• Coastal Kitchen Catering & Events

The Jackudas menu highlights ‘All You Can Eat Sushi - Traditional Rolls, Signature Rolls and Deep Fried Rolls,’ and their ‘All You Can Eat Snow Crab’ as their “Specials”. Their Happy Hour Specials features a selection of FlatBreads, Seared Tuna, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw, Ginger Dressing, Savory Glaze and Sesame Seeds, and Meatballs with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and crostini. 

The entrees menu features several Sushi courses, with Shrimp, Tuna, and or Salmon, New and Traditional Rolls and Poke Bowls. They offer a selection of specialities including Angus Beef Burger, Local Catch Fish of the Day Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Blackened Snapper, Shrimp & Grits, Teryaki Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, their Specialty Steamed Snow Crab, and their award winning** Mac-n-Cheese. They also offer traditional appetizers, salads and desserts. 

** Jackudas participate in the Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held at the Destin Commons retail center just across the highway which raised $60,000 in support of local club kids. “The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the south’s favorite comfort food while local restaurants competed for the best mac and cheese in town.” Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi entry won the People's Choice Award of the entries submitted.

We’re not sushi aficionados, so we have a difficult time judging the menu at Jackudas. It feels like they have a bit of an identity crisis, determining and then executing on their branding and mission - Seafood and Sushi. The seafood selection is limited, lacking the usual offerings including the highlight daily fresh catch, common along the coast. And, the sushi isn’t apparent, hidden away in the kitchen, unlike Sushi Bars where it is prominently displayed and visibly produced.

 

In any event we had a delightful meal - Linda ordered a burger and I had the Teryaki Bistro Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Asparagu and Teriyaki Glaze. I love Mashed Potatoes and found them delectable, a highlight of the meal, loaded with shallots, cheese and bacon bits.

They serve a selection of beers, including my typical request/choice, an Amber, and on tap! This deserves high marks in of itself. 

Forgive me as I digress here, and pontificate, perhaps on a tirade, about beer, despite this being a ‘wine’ blog. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to order an ‘amber’ beer in restaurants and bars - Dos XXX Amber, Fat Tire, Samual Adams, and what has emerged as one of my favorites, Shiner Bock, my staple at home - from Shiner, Texas. (Gone is the old Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and others.) 

My actual quest is for a traditional English Bitter which is not to be found this side of the ‘pond’. A hundred plus trips to the UK, I grew to love their traditional brew, and searched for it long and far on our shores, to no avail. (Several stories here, for another time.)

In my search for a ‘bitter’ I came to ask for an amber, still with an amazing and frustrating amount of difficulty. Then, on a trip to Texas, I found Shiner Bock, called “American-style amber lager” by brewer Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, a small town (population 2127, roughly equidistant between San Antonio (90 miles east), Austin (87 miles south), and Houston (125 miles west)).

Shiner Bock is brewed with rich roasted barley malt and German specialty hops. But, notably, it is not overly hopped. I find too many American brews are hyper hopped - akin to mustard on a hot dog … it’s a condiment, not the main course! (My kids all tire of this tirade, until they too traveled to the UK and discovered English Bitter. At least now, they understand, but still think I’m tyrannically obsessive on this subject (as witnessed here)).

Founded by German and Czech immigrants in 1909, they found a local brewmaster, Kosmo Spoetzl, classically trained in Bavarian, who brought his old world recipe that had been in the family for generations, which he first brewed for them in 1913. Shiner Bock was originally a seasonal favorite, but patrons demanded it year-round, hence, which it has been offered since 1973.

Brewers tasting notes of Shiner Bock - “Bock has a tan, dense head with a crystal-clear amber color and a sweet aroma with a subtle roasted maltiness on the notes. The taste is slightly sweet with notes of roasted nuts and caramel. Lightly hopped, this amber lager goes down smooth.” 

For pairing with my Teriyaki Steak, I tried the amber beer which they had on tap. While close to what I sought/seek, perhaps crave, it was a bit over hopped. After all that, in the end, I opted for some red wine, to accentuate the teriyaki glaze and the steak!

From their limited wine list, I ordered this California red blend. 

Meiomi ‘California’ (not Sonoma or Santa Barbara or Monterey County) Pinot Noir 2022

I first featured Meiomi in these pages back in 2015 in this blogpost about their Chardonnay - Meiomi California Chardonnay 2013, excerpted here.

Meiomi gets its name from the native American Indian word for “coast” from the Wappo and Yuki tribes who lived along the central/northern California coasts in the early days. The Meiomi wine label began in 2002 with their release of Pinot Noir, in a quest to deliver reasonably priced good QPR (quality price ratio) easy drinking wines that are approachable and ready to drink while young. I've written often and regularly in this blog about the challenges of finding such a Pinot Noir. I've tasted the label several times but have never been moved to write of the experience, until now (circa 2015).

Meiomi is the handiwork of fifth generation offspring from the legendary Napa Valley winemaking family. Founder and winemaker Joseph Wagner is the son of Chuck Wagner, winemaker of Caymus Vineyards, who is the son and co-founder with principles Charlie Wagner and Lorna Wagner who started Caymus Vineyards in the early seventies.

Joe's first wine enterprise was Belle Glos, named for Chuck Wagner's great-grandmother who first acquired the Napa Valley estate, followed by this label, Meiomi.

From the Meiomi website - “All of Meiomi's vineyards can be found in California’s sought-after, cool-climate coastal appellations of Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties, which have proven ideal for producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé. By blending fruit from these three regions together, they create richly layered wines of bold character and exceptional balance, every vintage. These wines are always rich and ripe, yet elegantly expressive, with depth and complexity”

“California provides the perfect combination of earth and elements, contributing to each Meiomi wine, representing the best the Golden State has to offer. By combining California's exemplary qualities into a single wine, Meiomi achieves unforgettable balance, complexity, and richness of flavor.”

Meiomi wines are the handicraft of Winemaker Jason Becker, who has an extensive and impressive background at some of California's top wineries. Jason approaches his role as a regular exercise in balancing the best fruit that California has to offer. He strives in his blends of cool-climate grapes to produce wines with bold character and harmony – ripe and rich, with expressive depth and taste.

Meiomi California Chardonnay, and this Pinot Noir, are blends from “reputable vineyard sites in three different California regions - Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties”. Such a blend, lacking a sense of terrior or place, without predominance from one site or another, therefor warrants the 'California' designation for its origin, which they now use in their branding. This versus a more granular specificity such as Sonoma County, or even an appellation specific Russian River Valley, or Santa Rita Hills. Or, an even greater specific designation of a particular vineyard selection, which one often finds highlighted in these pages. The source designation on the label indicates the origin of at least 75% of the fruit represented in the bottle. 

I’ve written before in these pages, that while providing affordable every day drinking, these wines lack ‘terroir’, or the essence of any particular site, since the blend is from a myriad of sites, from diverse regions, topographies and climates, and that will change from vintage to vintage. The practice that provides a supply of quality bulk wine at a reasonable price, loses the selectivity of the finest fruit and consistency of place from one vintage to the next. That difference separates a $20 bottle from a $40 bottle - an appropriate wine for the price point and the occasion.  

This mass market affordable QPR concept was popularized by Jess Jackson which is brilliantly chronicled in the book, featured in this post - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

I wrote back at that time that was our first tasting of this label which was the second vintage release of Meiomi Chardonnay. That was surprisingly flavorful showing the essence of the Chardonnay descriptors of creamy and buttery in a nicely balanced pleasant drinking wine at a good QPR affordable pricepoint; this also applies to this Pinot Noir - casual easy sipping, at a affordable every day price. This was a nice complement to tangy Teryaki and beefsteak, and great QPR.

Winemaker Notes - “The wine owes much of its complexity to its varied upbringing, unifying grapes from California's most notable winegrowing regions. Meiomi Pinot Noir brings you structure and depth seldom seen in a Pinot Noir wine, thanks to its unique and meticulous aging process. Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this California red wine's juicy strawberry flavor and notes of dark berries and toasted mocha add complexity and depth on the palate.” 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, straight forward, while the winemaker stresses complexity, due to its blending from several sites, I call it a cacophony of flavors, competing for primacy, lacking balance and a bit too sweet. Ripe raspberry, currant and strawberry fruits with earthy spice, clove and vanilla notes with moderate tannins on the finish. 

The overt sweetness was moderated and tamed by the tangy teriyaki glass resulting in a nice enjoyable pairing. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4317908

https://meiomi.com/

https://x.com/MeiomiWines

https://www.jackacudas.com/

*PS - Anyone that might think our primary residence is a potential target while we are traveling should note it has significant physical security monitoring, but more importantly, is occupied by house-sitter when we are gone. 

Beef Roast Dinner Features Viader Red Blend

Sunday afternoon beef roast dinner features premium Napa Valley Red Blend 

Son Alec and Vivianna came over after church for Sunday afternoon dinner. Linda prepared a hearty beef roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. I pulled from the cellar this ultra-premium Napa Valley Red Blend wine for the occasion. 

Viader Napa Valley Red Wine 2000 

This proved to be an ideal pairing with the beef roast which amplified the enjoyment of both the meal and the wine. Tonight, paired with the beef roast, this was fabulous and was perhaps the best, certainly the most enjoyable Viader Red I’ve ever experienced. 

Our having fun with wine includes enjoying several “V” labels, such as this, when tasting/dining with our daughter-in-law Vivianna.

 
We met Delia Viader, Proprietor/Winemaker at a special tasting in Chicago at Binny’s, the Chicagoland beverage super store back in 2005 as featured in this blogpost — An evening with Delia Viader. We then visited the Viader estate vineyards and winery during our Napa Howell Mountain Wine Experience back in 2008 - Viader.

Shown here is our meeting Delia Viader during a producer tasting evening 

sponsored by Binny's here in Chicago back in 2005. 

Our collection of Viader spans going on three decades of releases dating back to the mid-nineties vintages. It was with interest to see how this vintage has held up over the years to calibrate the lifespan of the other vintages. In the style of many Viader releases, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Cabernet Franc is crafted in the profile of a top Graves from Bordeaux. 

We expanded our collection of Viader wines following our visit to the Viader winery estate on the lower reaches of Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008.

The picturesque Viader 23-acre estate sits on the lower mountain at 1200 foot elevation overlooking Napa Valley. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Viader is known for its Bordeaux-style blends. 

The 1200 foot elevation of the estate is significant and notable as that is the height that the fog reaches above the valley floor and hence is the point at which below is designated Napa Valley, and above it designated Howell Mountain. This climatic difference creates a distinctive terroir due to the effects of the fog on the ripening vines. 

It’s a great tribute to our daughter-in-law to associate her with proprietor and winemaker Delia Viader, a remarkable and impressive lady. She was born in Argentina and educated in Europe before earning graduate degrees in the U.S., a notable role model for any career minded female. Delia spent much of her formative years in Europe and in France where she earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne University in Paris, then pursued advanced business studies in the US at MIT, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Recognizing the potential Napa Valley wine industry in the 1980's, Viader set out to create a world class wine estate Delia Viader. She began her career in Napa Valley as a partnership with her father after they purchased a plot of underdeveloped mountain-side land. Delia quickly earned the reputation as a pioneer for planting vines running directly down the mountain, similar to many European vine-training techniques, and today is regarded as a fitting model for growing high-quality fruit. With Delia and her team’s persistence, the Viader property grew to immense popularity and its wines have been greatly coveted since inception. All the while, she continued studying Enology and Viticulture at University of California, Davis. During this time she also raised her four children in the wine environment and culture.

Delia Viader was a visionary pioneer in Napa Valley investing in developing a mountain estate at a time when most of the vineyard plantings were on the valley floor.Born in Argentina, Delia Viader came to the United States after spending many years in Europe. In 1986 the love of wine Delia acquired during her time in Europe lead her to purchase a 25 acre property 1200 feet above the Napa Valley floor northeast of St. Helena on the steep, rocky slopes of Howell Mountain. During this time when 99% of Napa’s vineyards were planted on the valley floor, Delia was considered a bit crazy-headed to plant vineyards in such foreboding terroir. But it was exactly terroir that she was after.

Delia’s first release of this proprietary red blend called simply Viader, was the 1989 vintage , a blend of almost equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine went on to gain an international reputation as one of the iconic wines of Napa Valley and has become the signature wine for the winery.

In the last few years, Delia’s children have come back to help manage and operate the business making this a true family concern. Alan Viader is Director of Operations and Winemaking, Janet Viader is Director of Marketing and Sales. Mariela Viader (married to Alan) is in charge of the Culinary Program.

“Viader is an elegant wine showing the staying power delivered from a blend of mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon highly influenced by Cabernet Franc. It’s a wine that involves all your senses and presents itself as pure natural harmony, and serves as the perfect background music to an evening’s conversation between two good friends.” – Delia Viader, Proprietor

We opened this 2000 vintage year release to compare with the 2000 vintage release of another premium Napa Valley Cabernet we tasted the other evening following a beef tenderloin dinner. Both showed exceedingly well, a testament to the vintage, Napa Cabernet’s aging potential, and the provenance of our wine cellar for long term cellaring. 

This release is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Cabernet Franc. 

Vinograhy writes, “Delia Viader is one of the few producers on Howell Mountain who grow a substantial amount of Cabernet Franc and their wines incorporate a substantial amount of this fruit. The blending that she and consulting winemaker Charles Hendricks do with her fruit results in an extremely drinkable wine, one that is delicate and aromatic.” 

“We’re talking about a wine that emphasizes finesse over power,” says Delia. 

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2000

At twenty-four years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were ideal. 

Like the Darioush from the other evening, this was still at the apex of its drinking window, showing no diminution from aging whatsoever, and showing prospect to age gracefully for several more years to come. 

This release was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator

4,647 cases made.

Several years ago when I tasted this I wrote this resembled a top tier Bordeaux with its complexity, balance, integrated flavors and tasting profile, but it was tight and a bit closed, begging for much more time to settle and open to reveal its true character. 

Tonight this was magnificent, benefiting from more aging, and likely at the apex of its tasting window. As we learned with many of our topflight Bordeaux, that we drank them too early, and were rewarded when we gave them several more years aging in the bottle.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, silky smooth mouthfeel, polished and elegant, the bold yet balanced spicy Cabernet Franc aromatics were bright and vibrant, highlighting the dark berry, cherry and raspberry fruits, with notes of caramel, mocha, anise, tea, tobacco and graphite with incredibly smooth supple tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points - improved over earlier rating of 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6703

www.viader.com

https://x.com/viader_napa

https://x.com/unwindwine

Father son Constant and Darioush tasting

Following the afternoon into evening family gathering celebrating Christmas, the grandkids were taken home to be put to bed, sons Ryan and Alec stayed over for an end of evening wine tasting. 

We raided the cellar and the boys pulled two aged premium Napa Cabernets - Darioush and Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards. 

Darioush “Signature” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Darioush was founded by Iranian-born entrepreneur Darioush Khaledi and his wife Shahpar who emigrated to the U.S. in 1976. Darioush Khaledi was born and raised in Iran, where his father made wine as a hobby.

He immigrated to the United States in the 1970s, and founded a successful grocery store chain called KV Mart. On their 20th wedding anniversary, they visited Napa Valley where they tried California wines for the first time, and decided to buy land and start a winery.

Their search for property ended in Napa’s southern valley in Altamura Winery’s old property in 1997 where Darioush and Steve Devitt chose to produce Bordeaux-styled wines in the cooler microclimates of Mount Veeder and Oak Knoll. 

Darioush makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir and a dessert wine.

We visited the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2003 winery visit and cellar tasting with winemaker Steve McDevitt. Their fabulous winery and tasting facility on Silverado Trail in southern Napa Valley was not yet open but was well under construction at that time. Tonight's wine selection was from the case we purchased during that visit. We then visited the newly opened winery during our Pour Boys’ Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017, as featured in this blogpost - Darioush Napa Valley Estate Winery Visit & Tasting. It has become a "destination winery" in Napa for its dramatic Persian monumental architecture. The 22,000 square foot estate winery is both ostentatious and majestic.

During that recent 'Pour Boys' Sonoma/NapaValley Wine Experience when we visited several longstanding favorite producers including Darioush. This was fitting since we first discovered and tasted Darioush at Cress Creek Country Club (Naperville, IL)  with Bill and Beth C on our first wine event together more than a decade ago. 

And, Dr Dan was our guest at a special Darioush wine dinner at Everest in Chicago, shortly after our winery visit. The gala Darioush - Domaine de Chevalier Gala Winemaker dinner at Everest Restaurant in Chicago in the summer of 2004 was a fabulous private dinner hosted by Darius & Shaptar Kaledi of Darioush Winery and Bernard Laborie of Domaine de Chevalier celebrating their collaboration with Olivier Bernard and Domaine de Chevalier in Pesaac Leognan Bordeaux. Chef Joho prepared a special dinner featuring and complementing their wines poured by winemaker Steve McDevitt.


I mention this since we saw Bernard at the UGCB grand tasting of the 2010 Bordeaux release in Chicago this week and we reminisced about that evening. See my UGCB blogpost of that evening. There’s a parallel here as Bernard has turned over some of the management of Domaine de Chevalier to his son, a contemporary of son Ryan. The boys met at that UGCB grand tasting.

Darioush "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 

This remains a blockbuster wine, living up to the tone set by the large oversize, almost magnum size bottle packaging.

At twenty-four years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were ideal. This was still at the apex of its drinking window, showing no diminution from aging whatsoever, and showing prospect to age gracefully for several more years to come. 

This is blended from grapes grown on Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak and the Napa Valley. It is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 100% French oak barrels,

This release was rated 94 points by Wine Enthusiast in 2003. 

Winemaker Notes - “This intense Cabernet is from the Mt. Veeder appellation high above the Napa Valley floor. This mountain site, together with the 2000 vintage, which was characterized by a mild summer with cool evening temperatures, resulted in a wine of elegance and restraint. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, aged in 100% French oak barrels, and bottled without filtration and with minimal handling, this is a pure example of terroir. Impressive with layered blackberry and cassis fruit and a long, explosive.”

Dark inky color, full bodied, complex and concentrated yet elegant, smooth and polished, layers of black currant, blackberry, plum, black cherry fruits with a layer of spicy cinnamon oak with tones of black tea, anise, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate and a hint of tar, with velvety smooth tannins with a long lush finish, 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=551751   

http://www.darioush.com/

Constant "Diamond Mountain Vineyard" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I featured our visit to the Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards and Winery in a more detailed blogpost back in 2011 and this wine in a 2020 blogpost - Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery, excerpted here.

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery

Our visit to Diamond Mountain reached the 'summit' with a visit to Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard and winery at the top of the mountain, sitting at over 2100 feet elevation. It also is among the oldest wineries in the valley with history dating back to the late 1800's.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was founded by Freddy and Mary Constant who established Diamond Mountain Vineyard in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse high on Diamond Mountain. 

At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region where the cool Pacific breezes reach all the way through the Petaluma Gap. The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but set upon their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. However with the 1995 vintage they started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon under their own label. When Wine Spectator wrote in 1999 that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet…this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” they set about to Constant produces very small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Claret and Syrah from estate vineyards. 

I wrote about in these pages about our visit to the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard and this Napa Cabernet 2004 in detail back in 2020, excerpted here. 

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely. 

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine. 

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region. 

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips. 

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner.  

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

Freddy Constant died in 2014. In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

Back in 2020 I wrote, I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window. This remains the case four years later, here on the eve of 2025.

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. 

It was awarded 92 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in 2014. Wine Enthusiast gave it 88 points. 

 

Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of cassis, spice, oak and graphite with rich silky refined tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

Family Christmas Celebration and Wine Dinner

Family Christmas Celebration and Wine Dinner

The entire family, our four kids and their eleven kids/grandkids gathered at our house for a gala Christmas celebration, gift exchange and dinner. It’s wonderful that we are near to each other and enjoy so much getting together - especially the kids with their cousins. 

Linda prepared a fabulous dinner highlighted by ramekins of lobster tails and buttered croutons, beef tenderloin as main courses. Sides included twice baked potatoes, mashed potatoes haricot verts and chopped salad. 

Also set out was a selection of artisan cheeses with crackers, an extensive selection of Christmas cookies and festive punch.

From the cellar we had a broad wine flight of champagne, whites and reds.    

The wine flight - 

Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 1998

Croix Estate Narrow Gauge Sonoma County Chardonnay 2019

Radio-Couteau RRV Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay 2017

Chateau Palmer Margaux 1981 (Magnum)

Cliff Lede High Fidelity 2018

Fantesca Spring Mtn District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Table one of two … 

Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 1998

It’s easy to see why this is a timeless classic Champagne, Dom Pérignon, the benchmark of premium French Champagne. A perfect bottle to close out the year of our 50th anniversary, with family for our holiday celebration. 

Our visit to the Moët & Chandon Chateaux and Cellars in Epernay (above) was a highlight of our Champagne Wine Experience back in 2006. 

At 25 years, I wondered what condition this vintage bottle would be in and it was perfect, still at the apex of its drinking profile and showing no signs of diminution whatsoever. This was perhaps the best Champagne I think I’ve ever had - delicious.  

Deep dark golden color, medium bodied, fine mousse, and complex bouquet and flavors of brioche, yellow apple, pear and hint of peach with touch of mineral, lightly toasted almonds, refined acidity, a creamy mid palate, and a long and focused finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?129100

We then moved to two Sonoma County Chardonnays

Croix Estate Narrow Gauge Sonoma County Chardonnay 2019

This Croix Estate Narrow Gauge brand and the Croix Estate winery in Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, is the ‘sister’ winery to Venge Vineyards in Calistoga Napa Valley, of winemaker/producer Kirk Venge. The rather odd, unique name is a testament to the pioneer entrepreneurs and their historic narrow gauge railroad that connected the producers in Sonoma County with the marketplace in San Francisco. 

As described on the producer website, “It was the Carter brothers, in an act of political and economic defiance, that introduced the narrow gauge railroad movement to Northern California in the late 1870’s. In what has become known as the bay areas first example of radical, technological innovation, the introduction of an alternative goods distribution system was a direct challenge to the hegemony of the Central Pacific Railroad’s grip on the transportation of goods. Prior to the injection of this new go-to-market path, Sonoma County’s local and regional marketplace was constrained by a handful of distribution centers that were costly in time and material to the average, family-owned producer. Only when the more affordable and nimble narrow gauge tracks and trains were put into place in Northern California did the region see the rapid expansion of agricultural and industrial development take place. Our Narrow Gauge Chardonnay celebrates the historical significance of such a movement.” 

Kirk grew up in the wine business working in the vineyards and winery aside his legendary dad, Nils Venge. Born and raised in Rutherford, Napa Valley, Kirk Venge earned his degree in Viticulture and Enology at the prestigious University of California, Davis.  After graduating, he set upon buying the Venge brand and winery from his family. From that foundation in Napa Valley, he ventured across the Mayacamas divide and set roots in Sonoma County, where his mother was born. 

In addition to Croix Estate and his namesake vineyard and winery, Venge Vineyards, he is consulting winemaker for several, prominent micro-producers in Napa Valley.

We’ve been fans of Nils’ and Kirk’s wines since the earliest days and first met Kirk while visiting Nils at the old Penny Lane Family Vineyards at the Saddleback Winery in Rutherford and he took us up to the Rossini Ranch estate in Calistoga back in 2002 (shown above) which was under initial construction at the time. 

Croix Estate Narrow Gauge Chardonnay is sourced from estate vineyard in the heart of Russian River Valley to the Pacific Coast, and from superior vineyards throughout Sonoma County. They have relationships with our growers across nearly two dozen vineyard sites within the region. 

This Croix Estate Narrow Gauge Chardonnay is a blend of select vineyards grown throughout Russian River Valley. With access to many of the best sites in the appellation, we felt compelled to create a wine that expresses the regional position in its entirety. These notable vineyards include Morelli Lane Vineyard - Dutton Ranch, Floodgate Vineyard, Calesa Vineyard, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Ritchie Vineyard, and Richard Dinner Vineyard.

Winemaker notes - “A fuller, yet bright and refreshing style of Chardonnay, this wine has a golden straw presence in the glass with a bouquet of raw honey, marmalade, fresh citrus zest, toasted pine nuts, rocky flints, all spice, toasted oak and lusciousness on the nose that is ever so inviting. Island ripe pineapple, apple, stone fruit, and crisp pear leave the mouthwatering in a cascade of pleasure.

Wine Enthusiast gave this release 94 points.

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, there was consensus that the crisp tropical and stone fruit tones were rather muted giving way to the mineral, rock flint and pine nuts, taking away, detracting from the potential of the terroir.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3956750

https://www.croixestate.com/

Radio-Couteau RRV Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay 2017

We wrote about Radio-Coteau and their portfolio of single vineyard designated wines in an earlier post last spring -  Radio Coteau Sonoma Coast Los Colinas Syrah, excerpted below.

The interesting moniker Radio-Coteau (rā’ dē ō – kō tō’) is a French colloquial expression suggesting “word of mouth” , which literally translated means “broadcasting from the hillside”. Ironically, the origin of use of the term is from the French Northern Rhone wine region. The odd name is reminiscent of one of our favorite producer, Vieux Telegraph, ironically from the Rhône River Valley, but deriving its name for a different historical reason, 

This is the handicraft of Eric Sussman, winegrower and proprietor of the the property going back to the early 2000s. While scouting vineyard sites for the first Radio-Coteau vintage, he met and began a relationship with Robert Von Weidlich, the owner of the property at that time. The 2002 Radio-Coteau Von Weidlich Zinfandel was the first product of that collaboration.

Eric established Radio-Coteau in 2002, focusing on the north coast vineyards of western Sonoma County and the Anderson Valley up to the north in Mendocino County. 

The current owners acquired the Radio-Coteau historic 42-acre Estate vineyard and ranch located on a ridgetop above the town of Occidental in 2012.  The estate winery was originally named Joseph Morelli & Sons before Prohibition, the Lemorel winery (as it was later known) dates back to 1892, when the first vines were planted. 

The estate lies ten miles from the ocean on a ridgetop above Occidental, halfway between Santa Rosa and the Pacific coast, situated 800 feet above sea level, the property is a diverse agroecosystem, or terroir, with beneficial Goldridge soil.  The benchland location is comprised of the fine sandy loam Goldridge soil, remnants of an ancient seabed, which provides excellent drainage and moderate fertility.

Eric, a New York State native, developed his passion for winegrowing while studying agriculture at Cornell University. After spending several years in Washington’s Yakima Valley, he worked in France as an apprentice working the 1995 vintage in Bordeaux at Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Pauillac, and 1996 in Burgundy at Domaine Comte Armand of Pommard and Domaine Jacques Prieur of Meursault. There he gained respect and appreciation for the intrinsic connection between land, people and the wine they produce.

Returning to the US, he spent a year at Bonny Doon Winery in Santa Cruz, before settling in Western Sonoma County where he spent four years as the associate winemaker for Dehlinger.

Most of his portfolio of wines are sourced from the Sonoma Coast AVA, which borders the Green Valley and Russian River Valley AVAs but he also produces some wines sourced from remote sites such as this one. 

Radio-Coteau has established blocks of Syrah and old-vine Zinfandel, and recently replanted existing acreage to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling. The estate has three vineyards.

This 2017 Radio-Coteau is a single vineyard designated wine from the Savoy Vineyards up near the town of Philo in Mendocino County, north of Sonoma. 

The producer says of this site - “ Burgundy has proven that quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can be grown in the same soil, Corton hill being the classic example. Wines from this special place inspired our decision to make Chardonnay from the organically farmed Savoy Vineyard, whose soil and climate are also ideal for both Burgundian varietals.” 

This 2017 release was rated 91-93 points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous. 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, full round, nicely balanced mineral, slightly obtuse sharp forward pear and lemon citrus fruits with melon, floral and stone fruits notes on a tangy acidic finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://radiocoteau.com/

https://twitter.com/RadioCoteauWine

@RadioCoteauWine

Moving to the red wine flight with the beef tenderloin …

Chateau Palmer Margaux 1981 (Magnum)

This magnum birth year vintage Bordeaux is the oldest of a vertical collection of large format bottles for each of the kid’s birth years, and probably the most challenged questionable vintage for long term aging. 

We toured the grounds of the magnificent Chateau and estate, just a couple of blocks from our B&B rooming house, during our visit to Margaux in 2019, but traded phone calls and emails several times with the producer during our visit and failed to set up our private tour and tasting. 

At twenty three years the foil was intact, the label was perfect, and the most important cork was soft, spongy and disintegrated upon removal, and the fill level was bottom of neck, top of shoulder, (as shown) showing signs revealing its age. 

I decanted this several hours before serving. 

This release was awarded 92 points by John Gilman in 2016, 90-92 points by Wine Advocate back in 2002, and 91 points by Vinous most recently in 2023. Wine Spectator gave it 89 points. 

Despite being from magnum which should age more gracefully and longer than a standard bottle, ours was showing its age and was past its prime drinking window.

The color was dark garnet colored, showing some murkiness and slight bricking on the brim. Medium to full bodied, the nice dark berry bouquet persisted while the somewhat subdued slightly austere fruit flavor notes were off set by a slight vegetative musky funkiness, with earthy, black tea, leather and tobacco notes on a moderate, fine tannin laced finish. 

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22774

Fantesca Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

Fantesca Estate and Winery, one of our favorite Napa Valley producers is owned by Duane and Susan Hoff, who moved on from their careers as executives at Best Buy for this Spring Mountain District winery above St Helena in the Mayacamas Range between Mt Veeder and Diamond Mountain. 

We still held several cases and a vertical collection spanning a decade from our visits to the Fantesca Estate & Winery during our Napa Valley Spring Mountain Experience in the autumn of 2009, and earlier during our Napa Wine Experience 2007. 

The Fantesca Spring Mountain District Estate and Winery (shown right), in the early years’ vintages, from 2002-2007, were managed by winemakers Nils and Kirk Venge; then in 2008 they teamed up with legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett. 

From their ten acre vineyard, they produce ultra-premium 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there is an acre planted in Petit Verdot. 

They also source grapes from the Sonoma County Russian River Valley to produce a bright crisp full flavored Burgundian Chardonnay, the first ever by Heidi Barrett. 

Fantesca products make for festive serving features or as elegant gifts as are lavishly packaged in stylish heavy etched glass bottles with painted 'labels', or in original wood cases. 

The elegant upscale Fantesca packaging and branding features etched and painted weighty bottles each explaining the namesake Fantesca.'

The name of the winery comes from a character in the Italian comedy troupe that inspired Cirque Du Soleil. La Fantesca was the single female character in the early theatrical performances of Commedia dell’Arte. Both the lover and the equal of the protagonist, Harlequin, Fantesca could always be counted on to charm the audience. 

Owners, Duane and Susan Hoff write that "when we heard Fantesca described as ”Sexy, Smart, and Unpretentious,” we knew we had found a name worth living up to."'

Being extraordinary marketeers, Duane and Susan brought on DLynn Proctor as wine ambassador Director. I first met DLynn when he was Ambassador and Education Director at legendary Australian producer Penfolds when he hosted  a Penfolds Grange Wine Tasting Flight here in Chicago. What fun to meet DLynn in person having enjoyed watching his pursuit of his Master Sommelier Certification in the entertaining critically acclaimed documentary movie SOMM which is a feature on Netflix.

DLynn is more than a sommelier; he's a celebrity in his own right, having also appeared as Kevin Hart's sommelier in the Peacock Original TV Series "Hart to Heart" in addition to his prominent role in the documentary series 'SOMM,'he  and add "Associate Producer" to his titles with his cameo and behind-the-scenes work in the Netflix Original film 'Uncorked.'

We first met owner/producer Dwayne Hoff when we hosted him in our home during his promotion tour to Chicago shortly after acquiring the Spring Mountain Estate. 

Duane Hoff pouring 2002 vintage while visiting
Rick & Linda in Chicago during 2004 vintage
release marketing outreach tour.

.

Fantesca Estate and Winery, Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.

This bottle included a fun, unique, creative Fantesca ‘Fortune Corkie’, a contest for all consumers to participate to submit entries in exchange for wine!

Fantesca Napa Valley, Spring Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon is packaged in an elegant etched glass, painted bottle. 

(2006 shown)

Medium-full bodied, dark garnet color; complex but smooth and polished with bright forward fruits of black currant, dark berry and cherry, accented by sweet dark chocolate, a hint of cassis, and a tone of spice on the lingering refined tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=355836

http://www.fantesca.com

Cliff Lede “High Fidelity” Napa Valley Red 2018

Ryan brought from his cellar this ultra-premium Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend which he acquired as part of his wine club member allocation. This was my WOTN - Wine of the Night (of the reds, aside the Champagne). 

This is from Cliff Lede estate vineyards, established in 2002, they encompass sixty acres in the famed Stags Leap District. Owner Cliff Lede has assembled a world class team with Vineyard Architect David Abreu  and Winemaker Christopher Tynan. 

We've visited the Cliff Lede estate on several of our Napa Valley wine trips and several of our wine buddies including son Ryan source allocated wines as members of their club. 

Winemaker notes - “The 2018 vintage was a glorious growing year for Napa Valley. A frost-free and uniform bud break was followed by steady spring weather during flowering, allowing for an even and generous fruit set. Summer conditions were moderate, with warm days and cool nights, ideal for slow and steady grape maturation.”

“Optimal ripeness was achieved thanks to an early autumn of consistently warm, but not hot, days. The pristine ripening conditions allowed for very intense fruit flavor concentrations. The wines show exceptional balance with concentrated, ripe fruit complemented by bright acidity and supple, yet intense, structure.”

The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend are from our Twin Peaks estate vineyard, while the Cabernet Franc hails from acclaimed viticulturist David Abreu’s Madrona Ranch. The vineyards are farmed with meticulous attention to detail, maintaining yields at sparse levels—ranging from two to three tons per acre. The wine is composed of just a few of our best lots from these most cherished sites.

This was a blend of Bordeaux varietals - 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot. 

The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 66% of which was new, for twenty-two months. Production was 1,142 cases.

Winemaker Notes - “Dark ruby colored, the 2018 High Fidelity displays a succulent assortment of complex and intriguing aromas and flavors. It starts with a fragrance of sage, steeped Oolong black tea, rhubarb, and melted black licorice notes. There’s a rush of red currants, fruitcake, cinnamon candies, and black truffle flavors across the palate.”

“The texture is fine and complete and essence of tobacco leaf, minerals, and salted caramel glide across the lush fresh finish.” – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking

This was rated 94 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck. 

The texture is fine and complete and essence of tobacco leaf, minerals, and salted caramel glide across the lush fresh finish. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking

Dark garnet-purple color, medium to full-bodied, complex but elegant and polished, blackberry, black currant and raspberry fruits, nuances of milk chocolate, cinnamon spice, hints of cedar and graphite pencil lead silky finely grained tannins on the smooth lingering finish., 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3882064