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Sunday, September 9, 2018

Pilcrow Napa Pym-Rae Cabernet at Harry and Izzys

Pilcrow Napa Valley Mt Veeder Pym-Rae Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014




Visiting Indy and dear friends Eric & Cathy, we dined at Harry & Izzy's steakhouse. Imagine my surprise and delight to see this label on the winelist. Ironically, I brought a Marco Di Guilio Mt Veeder Napa Cab from our cellar to drink before dinner. We all visited Mt Veeder together  during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience 2011.

Recently, I wrote in these pages about Marco Di Guilio Pym Rae Vineyard Cabernet and about the end of an era of Robert Craig sourcing grapes from this vineyard over more than two decades. That was do to the passing of vineyard and estate owner Robin Williams and the sale of the property to a third party.

Meanwhile, in the interim, Sara Beers founded the Pilcrow label sourcing fruit from the property and released this label for two years, the 2014 and 2015 vintages.

Harry and Izzy's is the sister restaurant to legendary St Elmo Steak House, an institution in Indianapolis since 1902. It is named after the owners Harry Roth and Izzy Rosen, longtime friends since High School and partners in St Elmo since 1956. After decades of building St. Elmo Steak House into a hugely successful business, they recently opened Harry and Izzy as a more casual and trendy chic environment.

Earlier in the evening we drank the Marco di Guilio Mt Veeder Progeny Vineyard Cabernet 2001. The ideal drinking window for this wine is probably in between the eighteen year old and the four year old, one probably slightly past its prime but still very much in its acceptable  drinking window, and the other a few years away from reaching its apex.Then at dinner, we found the Pilcrow and naturally jumped at the opportunity to try it.

Pilcrow Napa Valley Mt Veeder Pym-Rae Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2630771


https://www.pilcrow-wine.com/  
See the notes the Mt Veeder Cab below to imagine how this will age over time.

Marco di Guilio Mt Veeder Progeny Vineyard Cabernet 2001

This is one of several vineyard designated select labels from winemaker Marco Di Guilio. At seventeen years, this is probably past its prime but not yet showing any serious diminution from age, but not likely to improve any further.

Consistent with early tasting notes in 2009 and 2011, "Dark inky color. Full bodied, big floral nose. Mouthful of black berry, sweet black raspberry (more predominant a few days later), cedar, spicy oak and a slight hint of anise; full finely integrated polished tannins on a long flavorful finish". The fruit flavors are just beginning to give way to non fruit tones of leather and tobacco leaf. Hence, my review is reduced from 92 to 91 points.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=42933

http://www.harryandizzys.com/

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Before dinner we also opened this Pride Napa Cab, 2002 from high atop Spring Mountain in the central Mayacamas range on the east facing slopes above St Helena. We visited the winery back in our Napa Wine Experience back in 1999.

This was bright garnet colored, full bodied, bright vibrant forward black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and hints of cedar and expresso with smooth silky tannins on a smooth polished lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21855

https://www.pridewines.com/