Cliff Lede Vineyards Duo for Surf & Turf Family Dinner
For a gala (pre-) Mother's Day Sunday Brunch family dinner with four generations of family, great-grandparents, and grandkids, Linda prepared a delicious surf-n-turf with grilled marinated sirloin beef and lobster tails, with boiled buttered potatoes, grilled asparagus, and sweet corn on the cob.
Our wine accompaniment, a duo of Cliff Lede Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc were perfect matches for each of the highlight entree courses.
Also complimenting dinner was a caprese salad with beefsteak tomatoes and a dessert of Erin's homemade cheesecake with fresh whipped strawberry puree'.
Our visits to the sixty acre Cliff Lede Vineyards and winery estate in the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley with its art gardens and gallery were a highlight of several of our Napa trips including Ryan and Michelle's recent getaway Napa weekend just last month.
Cliff Lede Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015
This is our latest release of one my favorite Sauvignon Blancs which I consider among the best representations of Sauvignon Blanc, which typically is the truest expression of the varietal fruit. This vintage release is actually a blend composed of 82% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Sémillon, 3% Sauvignon Vert, and 1% Muscat Canelli varietals. The result is a complex wine with layers of fruit flavors that blend together in a harmonious pleasant drinking wine.
The fruit for the Lede label is sourced from vineyards in the eastern Rutherford appellation (old vine Musqué clone and Sémillon), a vineyard in the southeastern hills of Napa Valley, grapes from a cooler climate vineyard on the east side of Napa, and some old vines of Sauvignon Vert from the Chiles Valley in eastern Napa County.
Light straw colored, medium-light bodied, harmonious nicely balanced layers of subdued citrus, peach, pear and lychee fruit with a refreshing crisp clean, smooth acidity finish.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2324460
Cliff Lede Vineyards Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
We stocked up on this vintage release of this Estate label back in '06 to hold to commemorate the wedding year of daughter Erin and son-in-law Johnny. The vintage was ideally suited with conditions perfect for the fruit set and ideal ripening that resulted in very concentrated wines that will mark 2006 as one of the great Napa vintages.
Consistent with tasting notes three years ago when I wrote, "Six years after release, the 2006 Lede Estate Cabernet seems to be reaching its stride at the apex of its tasting curve. Medium full bodied, deep ruby color with full forward blackberry and black and red currant fruits with tones of mocha, clove spice and hints of tar and sweet oak on a smooth polished flavorful lingering finish."
The notes of mocha were replaced with tones of leather, tobacco leaf and hints of cedar as this passes its tenth year.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=571785
http://cliffledevineyards.com/
For a gala (pre-) Mother's Day Sunday Brunch family dinner with four generations of family, great-grandparents, and grandkids, Linda prepared a delicious surf-n-turf with grilled marinated sirloin beef and lobster tails, with boiled buttered potatoes, grilled asparagus, and sweet corn on the cob.Our wine accompaniment, a duo of Cliff Lede Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc were perfect matches for each of the highlight entree courses.
Also complimenting dinner was a caprese salad with beefsteak tomatoes and a dessert of Erin's homemade cheesecake with fresh whipped strawberry puree'.
Our visits to the sixty acre Cliff Lede Vineyards and winery estate in the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley with its art gardens and gallery were a highlight of several of our Napa trips including Ryan and Michelle's recent getaway Napa weekend just last month.
Cliff Lede Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015
This is our latest release of one my favorite Sauvignon Blancs which I consider among the best representations of Sauvignon Blanc, which typically is the truest expression of the varietal fruit. This vintage release is actually a blend composed of 82% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Sémillon, 3% Sauvignon Vert, and 1% Muscat Canelli varietals. The result is a complex wine with layers of fruit flavors that blend together in a harmonious pleasant drinking wine.
The fruit for the Lede label is sourced from vineyards in the eastern Rutherford appellation (old vine Musqué clone and Sémillon), a vineyard in the southeastern hills of Napa Valley, grapes from a cooler climate vineyard on the east side of Napa, and some old vines of Sauvignon Vert from the Chiles Valley in eastern Napa County.
Light straw colored, medium-light bodied, harmonious nicely balanced layers of subdued citrus, peach, pear and lychee fruit with a refreshing crisp clean, smooth acidity finish.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2324460
Cliff Lede Vineyards Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
We stocked up on this vintage release of this Estate label back in '06 to hold to commemorate the wedding year of daughter Erin and son-in-law Johnny. The vintage was ideally suited with conditions perfect for the fruit set and ideal ripening that resulted in very concentrated wines that will mark 2006 as one of the great Napa vintages.
Fruit for this vintage release was sourced from the finest blocks of the Lede estate Twin Peaks Ranch vineyard on Napa Yountville Cross Road, as well as from the hillside terraces of their legendary Poetry vineyard on the eastern foothills of the property overlooking Silverado Trail and the eastern valley. The blend in this release is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 2% Malbec.
Consistent with tasting notes three years ago when I wrote, "Six years after release, the 2006 Lede Estate Cabernet seems to be reaching its stride at the apex of its tasting curve. Medium full bodied, deep ruby color with full forward blackberry and black and red currant fruits with tones of mocha, clove spice and hints of tar and sweet oak on a smooth polished flavorful lingering finish."
The notes of mocha were replaced with tones of leather, tobacco leaf and hints of cedar as this passes its tenth year.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=571785
http://cliffledevineyards.com/