Grilled beefsteak Sauv Blanc and Cabernet Franc for Birthday Dinner

Grilled beefsteak Sauv Blanc and Cabernet Franc for Birthday Dinner

Son Alec and D-in-law Vivianna hosted us for Sunday dinner and (my) birthday recognition. Alec grilled flank steak marinated in a ginger and sesame chirizo sauce, served with roasted peppers and a medley of grilled squash, mushrooms, onions and cauliflower.

I brought from our home cellar a big round zesty Sauvignon Blanc which paired well with the ceasar salad, veggie and fruit plates, and the dinner course. This is another label from the producer of a California Cabernet Cuvee' Bordeaux Blend from Alec’s birthyear vintage, which we served at Alec and Vivianna’s wedding reception. It was a special limited release commemorative bottle, signed by Quivira Vineyards and Winery founders and then owners, Henry and Holly Wendt, packaged in its own OWC, Original Wood Case. I wrote about Quivira Vineyards and that bottle in a blogpost at the time - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza.

Quivira Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022    

Quivira Vineyards was founded in 1981 by Holly and Henry Wendt in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County to pursue their passion for winemaking and the natural beauty of the area. They also were dedicated to restoring Wine Creek, source to the namesake of their home ranch, Wine Creek Ranch. It is a vital waterway for Coho salmon and Steelhead trout that flows through their 110 acre estate and merges with Dry Creek. 

In addition to vineyards, the Quivera estate is a sanctuary for biodiversity with lush gardens, teeming with life. Over 100 raised beds grow heirloom produce that supply local Sonoma County restaurants and the local food bank. Farm-to-table dinners showcase their garden-grown produce, estate olive oil, jams, and spices.

There is also a landmark 150-year-old fig tree, a living testament to the vibrant ecosystem.

The estate vineyards terroir consists of gravelly and sandy loam soil deposited over thousands of years on the valley floor – deep, well drained and fertile dirt that produces good crops of flavorful grapes. Fifty-nine acres of the estate is planted to vines of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhône varieties.

A representative of the Adcon weather station has stated that the Quivera Wine Creek Ranch is the coldest site in Dry Creek Valley, which is optimal for preserving acidity in the Sauvignon Blanc and Rhônes planted on the valley floor.

Wine Creek Ranch’s estate Zinfandel is grown on hillside sites which are principally Dibble Clay Loam and Clough Gravelly Loam which produce spicy red fruit that is distinctive and unique to Dry Creek.

The property’s Mediterranean climate and well-draining soils is also ideal for Rhône varieties producing a distinctive flavor profile in the mainly Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Quivira is at the forefront of blending Rhône varieties in Dry Creek and stands out from other New World producers.

Quivira sits five miles west of the town of Lytton and Hwy 101, five miles northwest of Healdsburg, and 35 miles north of Santa Rosa. 

Quivira Vineyards’ produces Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhône under the stewardship and handicraft of vineyard manager Ned Horton and winemaker Hugh Chappelle. 

This release is 99% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Semillion. It was aged in mostly older 500L barrels, Acacia pun- cheons, which add texture with no aroma or flavor impact and helped buffer the typically high acidity. A very small inclusion of Semillon (1%) was used as a final finishing touch for overall wine balance.

Forty percent of the fruit came from Quivira Wine Creek Ranch, with the balance sourced from like-minded partner/growers.

This release was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator and 90 and ‘Best Buy’ by Wine Enthusiast. 

Cases produced: 4,010.

This release  was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator and  91 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Winemakers rating notes - Pale yellow in color and star bright with a slight green tinge. The nose is filled with floral notes of jasmine, hibiscus and white rose, with lingering aromas of classic lemongrass, nectarine and clementine. On the palate, the Quivira mark of high acidity is balanced out with minerality reminiscent of limestone, topped off by layered flavors of Meyer lemon, Key lime, orange flower water and spring herbs 

Pale straw-colored, light medium bodied, pleasantly acidic and crisp gooseberry, green apple, hints of grapefruit and peach, notes of lemon verbena and a touch of tangerine and lime with vibrant acidity and mineral on the pleasant dry finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3092990

https://quivirawine.com/previous-vintages/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/wedding-wines-birthyear-and-big-bottle.html

As we moved from the fresh veggies and fruits to the salad to the main course steak entree, Alec pulled and served from his cellar this Napa Valley Cabernet Franc. 

This is from Alec’s wineclub allocation collection from Hill Family Vineyards whom he and Vivianna discovered and visited during their Napa Valley honeymoon. 

Hill Family Estate Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2022 

We featured Hill Family Estate Vineyards in these pages in detail previously in this blogpost - Hill Family Estate Napa Cabernet 2018, excerpted here

We wrote about how As newlyweds, son Alec and Vivianna visited Hill Family Estate during their forest fire shortened honeymoon in Napa a year ago September. They visited the new Hill Family Estate winery, located just minutes south of Yountville just off Ste Helena Highway 29, the western main artery of Napa Valley. They tasted this wine there and since then have acquired wines as part of their wine club allocations. 

Doug Hill founded Hill Family estate vineyards back in 1977 when he acquired his first vineyards. Since then, eleven different vineyard locations have been added to the Hill Family Estate portfolio, mostly in Napa Valley and its environs now covering more than 100 acres in numerous significant sub-appellations within Napa Valley.

For nearly four decades, the fruit was sold to the likes of Far Niente Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, Duckhorn Vineyards, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Caymus Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars and a host of other winery luminaries. Hill Family grapes were considered among the finest grown in the prestigious Napa Valley. 

Around the turn of the century, Ryan and Carly Hill approached their father with the vision to establish the family winery with the family name on it. Hill Family Estate was born in 2001 with the first fruit that would become Hill Family Estate wines. A total of around 980 cases were produced and released in 2004. The new brand was immediately acclaimed and gained national prominence with numerous Awards and industry plaudits. 

Hill Family Estate winemaker Alison Doran joined the team and crafted the inaugural 2001 vintage. Alison was introduced to  Doug while he was growing grapes and she was making wine for Lewis Cellars, another one of our benchmark favorite producers, and the other estate visit tasting the kids attended during their shortened honeymoon. Alison  developed her skill while being mentored by renowned wine expert Andre Tchelistcheff, completing a degree in winemaking at UC Davis and spending time in the legendary  wine region of Alsace, France. Today, Doug and  Alison work closely together selecting the highest quality  grapes and producing ultra premium wines

Today, the Hill Family owns 120 acres of vineyards  with properties on Atlas Peak, in Carneros, Oak Knoll and American Canyon. They are 100% family-farmed, family-owned and  family-operated.Production ranges between 9,000 to 12,000 cases  annually sourced from 12 different estate vineyards allowing them to select the  highest quality fruit for their wines.  

The Hill Family portfolio has grown to over twenty five different labels across the broad range of varietals, blends, and single vineyard designated offerings.  

Producer Doug Hill enjoys producing Cabernet Franc, so he maintains a few rows in the Beau Terroir Vineyard. While Cabernet Franc is a delicate variety and tends to be a difficult grape to grow well, but it is somewhat virus resistant and is well suited to the site. 

Hill Family Vineyards’s 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc is a polished, expressive take on a grape that often plays a supporting role in Napa blends but rarely gets this much attention on its own. 

Production was a mere 280 cases of this Bordeaux varietal blend that was 91% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot. 

After a year, it was blended with a small amount of Malbec, then put it back to barrel for a total of 20 months in 50% new French oak (Trust, Treuil Terroir, Nadalier Alliers).

Winemaker Alison Doran’s tasting notes: The 2022 Cabernet Franc is dignified with aromas of mulberry and cool climate graphite. The wine is medium in body and has a soft balanced entry that expands out to a lively mid-palate filled with pomegranate, new saddle leather, ripe fruit and a smooth finish.

Fruit was sourced from the Hill Family Beau Terroir Vineyard in the Carneros-Napa Appellation

Producer’s tasting notes - “What stands out most is the balance. Many Napa Cabernet Francs lean heavily into extraction and oak, but this bottling preserves the grape’s hallmark freshness and aromatic lift. It feels confident without becoming heavy, making it versatile at the table.’

“While already approachable with a decant, this wine should evolve gracefully over the next 6–10 years, developing more earthy and cigar-box complexity with time. It delivers a thoughtful and distinctive expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Franc that will especially appeal to drinkers looking for something more nuanced than the region’s typical Cabernet Sauvignon powerhouse style.”

This was a perfect accompaniment to the grilled flank steak, thereby enhancing enjoyment of both the wine and the food. 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, this was bold, bright and expressive, concentrated blackberry, plum and black currant fruits accented by sprites of spice, cocoa, tobacco leaf, graphite and cedar with supple tannins with a long, polished, and savory finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5210616

https://hillfamilyestate.com/knowledge-base/2022-cabernet-franc/

https://hillfamilyestate.com/

Ramey Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Ramey Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2017

We opened this for a pleasurable hearty sipper with salads and artisan cheeses. This premium Chardonnay is from Ramey Wine Cellars, producer of a broad portfolio of Chardonnays, Pinots Noirs and some Syrahs. 

David Ramey and wife Carla Ramey founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996 focusing on a winemaking style that paired old-world techniques with the premier fruit of Sonoma and Napa. They produce an extensive portfolio of single vineyard wines as well as blends that showcase the characteristics of their sites. 

David Ramey is hailed as “Professor Chardonnay” by Wine Spectator Magazine. He has been making wine since the 1970s, known for crafting age-worthy wines, having learned the craft working in Bordeaux..

David Ramey began his career at Simi under the mentorship of Zelma Long, an American wine pioneer who worked at Robert Mondavi. David and Zelma collaborated on developing leading winemaking practices crafting a Chardonnay style now emulated by many. 

David spent time at the Moueix in Bordeaux, including Château Pétrus, where he learned from legendary winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet who had learned from Émile Peynaud, who revolutionized quality in modern winemaking. David and Carla Ramey were married in Bordeaux in 1989, while working harvest at Château Pétrus. 

Since co-founding Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996, Carla has served as CFO and has managed business operations, sales, and marketing.

The second generation, Claire and Alan Ramey, began working at the winery in 2013 becoming co-presidents of Ramey Wine Cellars in 2021. 

Claire Ramey leads viticultural operations, responsible for Ramey’s estate vineyard, Westside Farms, as well as managing the viticultural directives for Ramey’s winegrowing partners. 

Alan Ramey worked at Veramonte in Chile and Domaine Méo-Camuzet in Burgundy and competed on the blind tasting team for the University of Cambridge. He currently serves on the Board of the California Wine Institute.

Ramey’s Estate vineyard is 75-acre Westside Farms on the banks of the Russian River has been farmed since the middle 1800s. Wine Spectator has described Westside Farms’ location as “hallowed ground” for lovers of well-structured Chardonnays. 

Ramey has an extensive network of grower partnerships with the many of the most highly acclaimed and well known vineyards across Napa and Sonoma County: 

HYDE VINEYARD - a 100 point wine source, 

WOOLSEY ROAD VINEYARD

ROCHIOLI VINEYARD - 100 point wine source

RITCHIE VINEYARD

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

FORT ROSS-SEAVIEW | SONOMA COAST

CARNEROS

HUDSON VINEYARD

PLATT VINEYARD

Awards and acclaim for Ramey partner grower vineyards:  
100 points - Hyde Vineyard
100 points -Rochioli Vineyard
World’s Top Chardonnay - Hyde Vineyard, Wine Spectator, 2019
World’s Top Chardonnay - Rochioli Vineyard, Wine Enthusiast, 2021
World’s Top Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Wine Spectator, 2024

Photo map from Ramey Wine Cellars

This 2017 Chardonnay is the second vintage from the Martinelli family’s Charles Ranch Vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview appellation on the Sonoma Coast. Sitting a few miles, two ridges in from the cold Pacific Ocean and its regular dense fog, the vineyards of the Fort Ross-Seaview appellation still manage to achieve impressive ripeness due to their high elevations that often keep them just above the fog line. 

The property has been in the Martinelli family since the 1800's. They homesteaded 640 acres and from 1970-1981used a horse to move stakes to the field in small bundles. The vineyard was planted in 1982 by George Hastings Charles, Lee Martinelli’s grandfather.  Lee Jr. has managed the ranch since 1989. 

The vineyard is nestled amidst redwoods, bay laurels, and oaks on sprawling, southern-exposed blocks at an elevation of 1,115 feet. Charles Ranch soil is Goldridge sandstone and Josephine shale and old clay. The soils are thin and well drained. Charles Ranch receives two times as much rain as vineyards in the Russian River Valley. 

The growing season typically experiences a period of drought, with variable spring weather that often extends the bloom period. This necessitates careful green drops at veraison. The temperatures usually stabilize in June, remaining moderate through harvest, resulting in a cool, even growing season. Yields can vary, often being especially low for Chardonnay sites. 

The vineyard was carefully planted with Clone 4 and Old Wente. 

After aging for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels, the Chardonnay is traditionally fined for clarity and texture during the following harvest and bottled without filtration. The result is a 100% Chardonnay varietal composition that reflects the unique characteristics of the vineyard and the meticulous winemaking process.

“Coming from a special vineyard site, our Sonoma Coast Chardonnays show great depth of flavor, length of finish, aromatic complexity, and a fine balance between richness and delicacy. This vineyard has typically cool climates, low vigor soil, and a vine selection that generate small berries, small clusters and inherently low yields.” – David Ramey

Winemaker Notes - This is the second vintage to come exclusively from the Martinelli Charles Ranch, two miles in from the Pacific. Coming entirely from this vineyard site, our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay shows great depth of flavor, length of finish, aromatic complexity, and a fine balance between richness and delicacy. This vineyard has a typically cool climate, low vigor soil, and a vine selection that generates small berries, small clusters and inherently low yields

It was rated 94 Points by Wine Enthusiast, Virginie Boone, 93 points by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com and 92 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Spectator.

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, ripe, rich apple and pear fruits, lemon zest, earthy, herbal white floral notes with background oak, bright acidity, and a nicely balanced mineral laced finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3425802 

https://www.rameywine.com/library/

https://www.rameywine.com/

Special tribute wines for Special Mom’s Mother’s Day Dinner

Special tribute wines for Special Mom’s Mother’s Day Dinner

For Mother’s Day dinner, we were joined by sons Sean and Alec, their wives, Michelle and Vivianna, and their daughters.

Linda prepared grilled Tomahawk Rib-eye beefsteaks, served with mashed potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole and grilled mushrooms, with veggie and fruit plates and ceasar salad.

For a wine accompaniment with dinner, I pulled from the cellar a wine flight that included a special label that is itself a tribute to mothers, and one that is a birthyear vintage tribute to daughter-in-law Vivianna.

With the appetizer, veggie and fruit plates and the salad course we opened this high QPR easy drinking Santa Barbara Chardonnay. 

Diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2023

We featured this wine in recent blogposts - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Chester Kidder Red Blend 2017

Wine legend Allen Shoup created the Long Shadows Collection of wines and named one wine in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He selected Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture, Gilles Nicault, to craft this New World blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other classic Bordeaux varieties.

The Chester-Kidder Red Blend is from Long Shadows Vintner’s Collection which I have featured often in earlier blogpost pages … Long Shadows Cellars feature a portfolio of limited release premium wines crafted by world class winemakers who specialize in particular varietal wines, all sourced from Washington State Columbia Valley fruit. 

We visited Long Shadows and featured their unique wine offerings in this earlier blogpost. 

Long Shadows was the creation of Allan Shoup, leader of Chateau St Michelle from 1983 to 2000. There he introduced Washington State grapes to winemakers from around the world in collaboration to produce quality wines. Under his leadership, Chateau St Michelle became the largest producer of Riesling varietal wines in the world. 

After retirement from Chateau St Michelle he founded Long Shadows to produce world class ultra-premium wines in Washington with fruit sourced from there. He built a state of the art winery in Walla Walla and recruited a team of legendary producers to craft signature wines from the best vineyards' fruit from the Washington Columbia Valley. Three years into the new venture Long Shadows was awarded the Winery of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine. 

Shoup recruited a top winemaker with expertise and a track record producing best in class wine in each category or type of wine based on a style and varietal grape. Marketed under the Vintners Collection, each of the Long Shadows labels is a testament to the legend of the winemaker for each label based on each 

varietal.

Since the beginning, Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Gilles Nicault, has overseen the operations of the winery and worked closely with the vintners to bring each winemaker’s vision to completion. Internationally renowned winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather Cabernet Sauvignon); John Duval (Sequel Syrah); Philippe Melka (Pirouette Red Wine); and the late legendary Michel Rolland (Pedestal Merlot) as participating partner winemakers in their respective wines. 

Gilles also crafts Poet’s Leap Riesling and Saggi, a Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, in styles that remain true to their original winemakers, Armin Diel and Giovanni Folonari respectively. And finally, Gilles crafts this Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend, independently.

Gilles Nicault has served as director of winemaking and viticulture since Long Shadows inception in 2003. As resident winemaker overseeing daily operations at Long Shadows' state-of-the-art winery in Walla Walla, Gilles works with a group of celebrated vintners from around the globe. It is his job to ensure that each winemaker's vision is realized in the vineyard and the cellar.

Gilles grew up in southern France and graduated from the University of Avignon with a four-year degree in viticulture and enology. He honed his craft in the fabled hillside wineries of Côte du Rhône, Provence and Champagne. In 1994, already a vintner of rising fame in his homeland, Gilles traveled to Washington State to expand his winemaking skills. Here he worked for several top Washington wineries, including Woodward Canyon, before joining Long Shadows. Seattle magazine named him Washington State’s Winemaker of the Year in 2016.

Gilles works closely with the state’s top growers to execute a diverse winemaking protocol at Long Shadows’ state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla to produce wines of exceptional quality, true to the Columbia Valley’s terroir. 

We wrote about this label in several blogposts, most recently ‘Long Shadows Chester Kidder with Filet of Beef.’

It is a unique blend of Bordeaux varietals plus Shiraz/Syrah for a big bold expressive red wine, ideally suited for pairing with the grilled beefsteaks. 

We hold a half dozen vintages of this label acquired as part of our Long Shadows Vault Club allocations. For this dinner, we pulled the 2017 vintage, the same vintage and from the same appellation that we served for Linda’s birthday dinner, of another favorite Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend, Force Majeure Epinette, featured in this blogpost of that special dinner - Birthday celebration dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse Naperville.

The 2017 Chester-Kidder is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot. it was aged 30 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new. 

The grapes were sourced from vineyards in Columbia Valley, Washington. The Cabernet Sauvignon was from Candy Mountain AVA and gives this wine structure and textured mouthfeel; Stone Tree Vineyard (Wahluke Slope) adds juicy, ripe cherry flavors; Dionysus Vineyard Petit Verdot, a standout site for this variety, is blended to contribute balanced acidity and dark fruit character that lifts the finished wine.

This release was rated 95 points by pundit Owen Bargreen, 94 points and Highly Recommended by International Wine Review, 93 points and Editors' Choice by Wine Enthusiast, and 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer.

Winemaker’s Note - Dark in color with generous aromas of wild blackberries wrapped around a pleasantly earthy core that’s accented by hints of oak spice. On the mid-palate, graphite and black licorice are complemented by a burst of vibrant fruit that lingers across a lengthy finish. A beautifully integrated wine with a broad, polished mouthfeel.

Deep dark ruby colored, full-bodied, rich, vibrant, bold concentrated savory black plum, black currant, wild blackberry and blue berry fruits accented by cassis, herbs, graphite, black tea, bacon fat, tobacco and hints of cinnamon spice and eucalyptus and oak with velvety tannins on a lengthy tongue-coating finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3566693

https://longshadows.com/library/2017-chester-kidder/471

https://longshadows.com/

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991 

In a tribute to daughter-in-law Vivianna, the latest/newest mother in our growing family. we also opened a birth-year vintage Napa Cabernet Sauvignon we were holding in our cellar, from an iconic producer that we served at her and Alec’s wedding reception, and several other special events, as featured in these blogposts…. 

Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House, 

And, we recalled and shared our special unique visit to the Silver Oak cooperage, that is a foundation of the Silver Oak profile and brand … Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon is aged four years exclusively in this Missouri Oak before release … Cooper's Oak Winery and SILVER OAK Cooperage

We opened this producer’s Napa Valley label Cabernet from Viv’s birthyear vintage. We also still  hold the Alexander Valley and Bonny’s Vineyard labels of that vintage. 

At 34 years, while the label was a bit soiled, the foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork were still ideal. 

While past its prime, reaching the end of it optimal drinking window, showing a slight bit of haze or cloudiness, and taking on a bit of tartness in the aged fruit, this was still drinking nicely. 

Winemaker Notes - The 1991 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a vibrant ruby-red color. It has a nose of bing cherry and red pepper. This wine is light to medium bodied with a medium length finish. Enjoy now. May need decanting due to light sediment.

This was rated a whopping 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate back in 1995, 93 rating from Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Wine Spectator. 

Blogger, wine writer Tom Lee publishes the Zinfandel Chronicles and featured this wine in 2018 giving it 91 points, and advising to ‘drink soon’.

https://zinfandelchronicles.com/2018/01/1991-silver-oak-cabernet-sauvignon-napa-valley-bottle-notes/

Garnet colored with a slight bit of rust color and cloudiness setting in, medium bodied, dark ripe black cherry and black berry fruits starting to give way to a slight tartness, with notes of tobacco leaf, herbs, dusty rose and spice notes finishing with hints of that signature sweet oak and soft tannins and glycerin. 

RM 88 points at this stage. Time to drink up. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/21346

https://silveroak.com/

Old and recent reds with ribeye steaks

Old and recent Big Reds with Grilled Ribeye Beefsteaks

We hosted son Alec & daughter-in-law Vivanna and their girls for grilled rib-eye beefsteaks dinner, served with roasted potatoes, grilled mushrooms and onions, which Alec grilled while Linda prepared most of the rest of the meal, 

They came over to bring cupcakes and to have cake for/with cousin/grandaughter Lilac’s birthday for whom we were babysitting. 

I was going to pull one of the wines from the producers we visited together during our Rhône Valley Wine Experience back in 2018, but I pulled from the cellar a special, vintage aged wine from Alec’s birth year, from that southern Rhône appellation that we visited. We had just tasted this producer’s wines at the SoWal Wine Festival in (San) Destin, FL, featured in these pages in blogpost - SoWal Wine Festival Sandestin.

We also pulled a more recent vintage big red for those not so inclined to enjoy an aged vintage release, and a white to pair with the artisan cheese that Alec and Viv brought. 

On their way over, Alec & Viv picked up an artisan English Stilton Blue Cheese at Murray’s cheese-shop inside the local Mariano’s grovery. We have fun with these cheeses ever since we used to visit the original Murray’s Cheese retail shop and adjacent wine bar restaurant on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, Manhatten when we visited them when they were living in nearby Chelsea. 

I love this cheese selection which provided a perfect pairing with the remains of the Barsac Sauterne we had left over from our neighborhood wine tasting last week in Destin - featured in this blogpost  Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering. 

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

Château Boisrenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990 

We opened a wine from Domaine de Beaurenard whose wine we tasted at the recent SoWal Wine Festival. It is from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Rhone Valley that we visited together during our Rhone Valley Wine Experience (We visited to Château La Nerthe and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe as the other highlight of our visit to the appellations Châteauneuf-du-Pape.)

The Domane de Beaurenard has been a family run estate for seven generations and is today run by brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon. The estate includes 80 acres in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and 62 acres in the Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau appellation. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Domaine de Beaurenard “one of the old, classic estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Their two offerings include the dark-colored regular cuvee and the barrique-aged Cuvee Boisrenard…Both are top flight Chateauneuf-du-Papes…”

The winery has a tasting room located on Av. Saint-Pierre de Luxembourg, the main route as you enter the village Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the south. 

Domaine de Beaurenard is another Chateauneuf du Pape estate that can be called a true, family affair. That’s because the vineyards have been in the same family for 7 generations. Domaine de Beaurenard dates way back to 1695. At the time, it went under the name of “Bois Renard,” which as you might guess, is where the special Cuvee, used for both their red and white wines got its name.

Today, Domaine de Beaurenard is managed by Frederic Coulon and Daniel Coulon. Domaine de Beaurenard has been producing, bottling, and marketing their own wine for close to 100 years. They began making their own wine at Domaine de Beaurenard in 1929.

Domaine de Beaurenard sits in the village Chateauneuf du Pape. The estate consists of just under 80 acres of vines in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, 70 planted to red wine grapes and 10 are reserved for making white Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The vines are located in 25 separate parcels, with much of their Grenache planted in the Cabrieres lieu-dit east of the village.

The estate is classic, typical appellation terroir with clay, limestone, and large stones in the soil. They have old vines, with some of the Grenache dating back over 100 years. Domaine de Beaurenard also owns abiout 35 acres of vineyards in the Cotes du Rhone Villages and 150 acres of vines in the Rasteau AOC. 

While Domaine de Beaurenard grows all 13 Rhone allowed grape varieties for use in their red wine, the primary grapes used in the blend are the three required varietals; Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, plus  some Cinsault, and tiny amounts of Counoise, Muscardin, Terret and Vaccarese.

The winemaking facilities were modernized in 2004. 

This is their premiere label, sourced from the same estate vineyards and produced at the same winery as their other production labels. We’ve held this bottle in our cellar for three decades since acquiring it upon release. 

At thirty five years, the foil and label, and more importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition - evidence of the cellaring conditions for long term aging in our cellar. 

This was still in its drinking window although nearing the end as it is showing its age slightly with a slight amount of rust coloration and small bit of funkiness upon opening, which blew off for more approachability on day two. Still enjoyable drinking, it is time to drink up soon, in the next couple of years. 

This release was rated 95 points by Wine Advocate back in the summer of 2000.

The wine is aged in three different sized vats, 30 hectoliter foudres, 80 hectoliter truncated oak vats, and 228-liter oak barrels for between 9 to 18 months depending on the wine and the character of the vintage.

Winemaker Notes - “Made from parcels of old vines (60-90 years in age) planted in terroirs of great personality and complexity. Grapes picked when fully ripe and meticulously hand-sorted for extra concentration. Very low yield: 15-20 hl/hectare. These old vines were planted in a mix of varieties: the symphony of 13 varieties is thus in evidence, but with a majority of Grenache. This wine spends a long time in vats, and is matured in the most traditional ways: no filtration, 18 months' ageing in oak casks, fined with fresh egg whites, bottled and left to rest in the cellars.”

Dense ruby/purple-colored, full bodied, black fruits with hints of black tea, cassis and spice box touch of oak.

RM 90 points 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/30341

I also pulled a more recent Big Red Syrah for the ladies, less inclined to enjoy the mature, aged CDP. 

Lewis Cellars Ethans Syrah 2016

We love this big full throttle style of Syrah with thick, concentrated, rich round fruits. True to the wine profile, it was packaged in an extra heavy glass bottle. 

I've often written in these pages about the fun we have with this Lewis branding, with its signature 'L' on the label, ala the sit-com Laverne and Shirley, where Laverne always wore a large “L” on her sweaters,  which we also attribute to wife Linda, or her mother Lucy, or our daughter Erin Leigh, or her daughter, our first grandchild/daughter Lucy, and other grand-daughters Lavender and Lilac, when opening it for special family occasions such as tonight 

We’ve featured this producer and this label in several previous blogposts in these pages - Father's Day Special Dinner features favorite BBQ Ribs, Syrah and Zin, and Lewis Ethan's Syrah - Piazza Del Dotto Sangiovese, excerpted below.

We visited Lewis Cellars with our wine group during our Pour Boys' 2017 Napa Wine Experience, and, Alec and Viv also visited Lewis during their Napa Valley honeymoon getaway. 

We also have fun paying tribute to the ‘Hoosier’ heritage of proprietor Randy Lewis who was also a Indianapolis 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason. We adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it at family celebrations, we more often than not open Lewis wines for family occasions, such as tonight. 

This label, Ethan's Syrah, is made from cooler-climate vines, from mountain fruit crafted from small lots selected from Mt. Veeder and Pritchard Hill at the south end of the Vaca range on the eastern range, and Mayacamas range, respectively, on the western range forming and overlooking Napa Valley in between. 

Lewis Cellars Syrah is a nod to the great Rhône wines it's modeled after. It is aged in American oak. 

We love Lewis' style of big, spicy, concentrated wines that are balanced, yet full of black fruit and mature, mouth-coating tannins.

This was aged in American and French oak for 19 months.

This was stunningly good. Dark inky blackish purple, full bodied, concentrated, dense rich, the 100% Syrah fruit explodes in the mouth with flavors of ripe blackberries and blueberries, notes of clove spice, smoke and toast. and spice, tongue coating, chewy tannins on the long finish. Spectacular! 

RM 94 points.  

Winemaker's notes on this wine, "Savory  and  sweet  with  ripe  boysenberry  and  blue  fruit, lavender,  pancetta  and  white  truffle,  it  exudes  an  earthy,  engaging  character.  Vivid,  clean  and focused   on   the   palate,   the   wine  finishes   with  a  flourish  of  mineral   and  white  pepper."

Wine Spectator also gave this 94 points; "Plush yet well-structured, with luxurious blackberry, mocha and smoky spice flavors that build richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. — T.F."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3060607

https://www.lewiscellars.com/

Mondavi Napa Oakville w/ grilled beef burgers & avocado

We grilled out beef burgers served with avocado, cheese and lettuce, on toasted sourdough bread for midweek dinner.

I pulled this Napa Cab from the cellar for pairing thinking it was time to drink, and being from a good vintage and an upscale appellation specific designated label, it would still be in its drinking window. This met all highest expectations being very much still within its drinking window, and being more polished and sophisticated than I expected. I should have known better. 

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Oakville 2004

Only up researching this vintage label for this blogpost did I see that this is a Bordeaux Blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Seeing that, after the fact, I wished I had opened this with a more complex grilled beefsteak for a more upscale wine and food pairing experience. In any event, it was delightful! 

More attention needs to be paid to the Napa Valley Oakville Appellation (AVA) designated label from this prolific producer of nearly a dozen different Cabernet labels, as this is sourced from vineyards on the Oakville bench, 64 percent from Mondavi's estate vines at the legendary To Kalon vineyard, the rest from Vine Hill Ranch and other Oakville vineyards 

This and the Stags Leap bottling were aged in 50% to 75% new oak, while the Napa release gets just 25%.

Tonight’s tasting was consistent with an earlier tasting that I featured this wine in a blogpost back in 2017 - Robert Mondavi Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.

  https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/02/robert-mondavi-oakville-napa-valley.html

Wine Spectator rated this release 93 points.  Vinous and Wine and Spirits gave it 92 points, while Connoissure’s Guide gave it 91.  

Vinous compared it to be “sweeter, longer, more concentrated version of the Napa Valley release.”

Robert Parker wrote in 2006, “It should drink well for 10-15 years.” 

Winemaker Notes - “The 2004 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is a luxurious wine that captivates the eye with hues of deep blue and purple. Vivid aromas unfold with layers of blueberry, blackberry and black currant, complemented by hints of cocoa, vanilla, spice, cedar and exotic black tea. The big, juicy structure frames rich, generous flavors. Powerful and mouthfilling yet tightly knit, this youthful beauty will blossom with age.”

This was dark garnet colored, full bodied, concentrated, tightly firmly structured, complex but nicely integrated and somewhat polished, round, black currant and blackberry fruits accented by forest floor, dusty herb, black tea notes, with hints of graphite, cassis, cedar and oak, with moderate tannins on the finish.  

RM 91

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/224276

https://robertmondaviwinery.com/

BV Tapestry Reserve with Steaks

Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve with Steaks 

Twice in the last week we’ve grilled out steaks and opened this Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend which proved to be a perfect accompaniment. 

Last Thursday night we had an impromptu dinner with kids and grandkids, Linda grilled a flank steak served with baked potatoes, asparagus and tossed salad. I pulled from the cellar this aged Napa Bordeaux Red Blend as an accompaniment. 

This was a perfect food-wine pairing and as I write often in these pages, an optimal pairing enhanced the enjoyment of both. 

We hold a dozen and half vintages of this wine dating back three decades. I find it a good QPR (quality-price-ratio) red blend to have on hand for such occasions. 

On last Thursday evening, we opened the Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve 2003.

We enjoyed this same label as featured in these earlier blogposts - 2012 BV Tapestry Reserve Vertical and Constant Red Blend Tasting, and, 2020 BV Tapestry 2001 With Artisan Cheese, excerpted here … 

This iconic label Tapestry Reserve is from the iconic historic Napa Valley producer Beaulieu Vineyards, that dates back to 1900. French founder Georges de Latour initially bought a small, four-acre property in the town of Rutherford as a surprise for his wife. The land eventually became the foundation for Beaulieu Vineyards. The producer survived Prohibition by having one of a handful of contracts to supply churches with sacramental wine. After Prohibition the winery grew and continued to thrive, experimenting with varietals, blends and aging. Under the direction of the legendary André Tchelistcheff, the winery became one of California's preeminent producers.

Tchelistcheff, trained as a wine master in France, shaped the character of BV’s wines during the 1950s and 1960s. Today the winery is famous the breadth and depth of its portfolio, anchored by its flagship, BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve, but also includes, besides Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.

The landmark Beaulieu Vineyards estate winery sits prominently on Napa Valley Highway 29 in Rutherford. It has grown to one of the pre-eminent Napa Valley producers, through acquisition of vineyards in other parts of Napa Valley, the winery owns 1,029 acres and produces a total of 750,000 bottles a year.

I’ve written about Beaulieu Vineyards and the Tapestry Reserve label often in these pages, notably in this more detailed feature back in 2023 - BV Tapestry with Beef bourguignon.

We hold nearly two dozen vintages of this popular label going back to a few remaining bottles of a full case acquired from the highly acclaimed 1997 vintage. Interesting that that vintage was uniquely packaged in a premium heavier, slightly larger bottle than all the others. It consistently offers sophisticated drinking for a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, often rivaling the much more expensive flagship label. We strive to keep this label in stock, replenishing consumed bottles with current vintage releases for reliable, quality, sophisticated wine to pair with grilled beefsteak, or enjoyable sipping such as this. 

This label dates back to its inaugural release in 1990, Tapestry Reserve is a tribute to the producer’s French heritage and the classic world renowned Bordeaux blends and Clarets. It is sourced from a selection of specific vineyard blocks of top-quality grapes that give Tapestry “the combined attributes of terroir expression and a round, approachable tannin structure”.

About half of the Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the western benchland of the Rutherford American Viticultural Area (AVA), and the balance from the Calistoga, Howell Mountain and St Helena AVAs.

It also contains in the traditional Bordeaux Blend, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, all sourced exclusively from BV estate vineyards in Calistoga, Knights Valley, Rutherford and Yountville. Also, Cabernet Franc, added to lend complexity, depth and “intrigue”, comes from Howell Mountain.

At twenty-four years, this label, foil, and most importantly the cork and fill level were still pristine. I selected this older vintage as part of cellar inventory management, drinking an older vintage before it wanes from diminution of aging past its prime drinking window. It was a pleasant surprise that this turned out to be a Goldilocks bottle, not too young, not too old, still at the apex of its drinking window/profile.

We've been fans of BV Tapestry for a long time with our collection dating back a dozen vintages to the mid-nineties. Tapestry as it's name so aptly states, is a blend of classic Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and accent portions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The predominant Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the historic BV Ranches No.1 and No. 2 vineyards in Rutherford, selected from specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of rich character and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. To complement the Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is added from Beaulieu’s vineyard in the Los Carneros region and the remaining grapes in the Blend from various Napa Valley vineyards.

Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve wines are handcrafted from the finest grapes of the vintage, focusing on premier estates in Rutherford, Carneros and other Napa Valley appellations. For more than 100 years, Beaulieu Vineyard has set the benchmark for rich, classic Napa Valley wines. Their legacy honors the marriage between state-of-the-art technology and gentle, traditional winemaking methods, a combination that enhances the expression of their remarkable vineyard terroir.

Georges and Fernande de Latour bought their first four acres in Napa Valley’s Rutherford region in 1900. Steadily, they increased their property, purchasing 127 acres in 1903, what’s now called BV Ranch No. 1, with BV Ranch No. 2 following in 1907. From the start, they imported vines from Europe that were resistant to phylloxera, a pest that destroys the roots and leaves of grape vines. These performed beautifully in the area’s Mediterranean climate. Always aspiring to lift the quality of Napa Valley as a whole, Georges offered them to fellow growers as well.

Since its inception in 1990, our Tapestry Reserve has always been a tribute to our French heritage and a nod to the classic Bordeaux blends and Clarets that are world-renowned. We always source from a selection of specific vineyard blocks of top-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of terroir expression and a round, approachable tannin structure. Roughly half of the Cabernet Sauvignon was grown on the famous western benchland of the Rutherford American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the balance from the Calistoga, Howell Mountain and St Helena AVAs. The Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec are sourced exclusively from our estate vineyards in Calistoga, Knights Valley, Rutherford and Yountville. The Cabernet Franc lends complexity, depth and intrigue, coming from Howell Mountain.

Beaulieu Vineyard "Tapestry Reserve" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2003 

That release was rated 90 points by Wine Advocate and wrote this about this tasting, “This 2003 Beaulieu Vineyard "Tapestry Reserve" exhibits a more complex nose than its more famous and expensive sibling, the Georges de Latour. I enjoyed it slightly more because of its nuances and additional complexity.”

This release is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Winemaker Notes - “Nearly opaque black-ruby in color, the 2003 Tapestry Reserve strongly showcases the concentration that came from this late-ripening vintage. Exotic aromas of black olive, dark cherry, vanilla-rosemary oak spice and dark cocoa with anise lead to rich, medium-full-bodied flavors of cedar, tobacco, dark currant and olives. The tannins are rich but not harsh.” 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?187546

Then, a week later, last night, we opened the Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 2008. I opened this to go with rib-eye steak left over from the other night, served as steak sandwiches with avocado. This was another deliciously perfect pairing - enhancing the enjoyment of both the food and the wine. 

This release was awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Connoisseurs’ Guide. 

Winemaker Notes - “Weaving together five classic varietals, our 2008 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry begins with deep, briary blackberry and cassis character from Cabernet Sauvignon. Velvety black-cherry character comes from a generous blending of Merlot, while Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot add violet, licorice, forest loam and graphite nuances, as well as deep hues and texture. Tapestry elegantly demonstrates the art of blending varietals to create a wine that combines multilayered flavors with supple, graceful tannin structure.”

Like the other vintage releases this is a blend of designated Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

At eighteen years of age, this is at the apex of its drinking window and while it won’t improve with any further aging, it should drink well for another five years or more. 

The foil and label, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still pristine - evidence of the ideal conditions for aging in our cellar. 

In this blogpost back in 2020, Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 2008, I wrote, “ We still hold three bottles of this release. This is aging very nicely as tonight's tasting eight years later was consistent with the last tasting note back in 9/14/2012 when I wrote: "Wow. Immediately I stated that this is the most expressive Tapestry I can remember with its vibrant full floral perfume. Dark ruby color with a slight purple hue, medium-full bodied, polished, smooth and nicely balanced - big bright vibrant expressive floral tones that are pervasive throughout accented by sweet ripe black currant and black berry fruits, a layer of vanilla, hint of cassis and tangy cinnamon spice and pleasant sweet oak with fine smooth polished tannins with that clinging long floral essence that holds for minutes.This was remarkably approachable for such a recent vintage. Barrel aged in 50% new oak."

Very enjoyable, this was pleasant, approachable sophisticated yet easy sipping. 

RM 91 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/beaulieu-vineyard-tapestry-reserve-2008.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198005

https://www.bvwines.com/