Premium birthyear Napa Reds for family celebration

 Premium birthyear Napa Reds for family celebration 

The extended family gathered at son Ryan’s and D-in-law Michelle’s for a celebration of kids/grandkids’ Marleigh and Reid’s First Communion and Ryan’s upcoming birthday.

Ryan and Michelle served beef tenderloin, pasta a pizza followed by celebration cake. We took chips and a cheese dip as a starter which was served with a selection of artisan cheeses.

Ryan served Bollinger Champagne and a medley of reds from his cellar; Bollinger Champagne NV, and L’Aventura Paso Robles Cabernet.  

With the entree course, ideally paired with the beef tenderloin were two ultra-premium Napa Cabernets from the birthyear vintages of the two kids/grandkids honored today, from two producers we know well and from whom we hold extensive collections in our respective cellars. 

Venge Vineyards Bone Ash Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Another wine from the Venge portfolio that we’ve featured several times recently in these pages including another family dinner last weekend. 

I wrote in that blogpost more about Venge and our visits with Nils at the Penny Lane Family Reserve Vineyard in Oakville, and driving up to meet Kirk at the Rossini Ranch site in the eastern foothills of Palisade Mountain near Calistoga back in 2002.

This ultra-premium, flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is a single vineyard designated label sourced from the Venge Calistoga Estate “Bone Ash Vineyard”, which is second of the three estate vineyards they own and farm in Napa Valley. 

Like their Oakville Estate and our Calistoga Estate Signal Fire Vineyard, the vines are dry-farmed with vines averaging 25+ years in age with vines’ roots established very deep which allows for minimal irrigation. The resulting struggle makes for wines with excellent flavor, body and overall complexity.

This release was aged 19 months in 85% new French oak. 

Jeb Dunnuck gave this release 97 points while Virginia Boone at Wine Enthusiast gave it 95 points. 

While we hold many Venge wines dating back decades, this was my first tasting of this label to my recollection. 

This was spectacular with blackish inky purple color, full bodied, round rich concentrated yet smooth and polished blue and blackberry fruits accented by harmonious notes of mocha, cassis and hints of clove spice, tea and espresso with ripe silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2568964

https://www.vengevineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/vengevineyards

Hall Winery & Vineyards Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

We huge fans of Hall Wines and have a collection of fifteen different labels, not counting different vintages, of their wines, yet amazingly, we no longer hold this label. 

We’ve visited the magnificent Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate Winery and Caves back in 2013, then again in 2017.

We’re also huge fans of Napa Valley Howell Mountain Appellation wines, so we were excited to try this release of this appellation label from this producer. 

Napa Valley's Howell Mountain is located atop the steep slopes rising to the east of St. Helena on the northern portion of the Vaca Mountain range and holds the distinction of being the first mountain appellation approved in Napa in 1983. The elevation of the appellation, ranging from 1200 to 2600 feet, significantly influences the grapes grown here. Notably, 1200 feet is the highest elevation and demarcation point that the valley fog rises up the mountain. Also, the steep slopes afford drainage and more sun exposure contributing to ripe rich concentrated grapes. 

The Howell Mountains altitude vineyards are above the fog line, allowing for more sunlight hours, resulting in deep, dark color and concentration. Additionally, temperatures tend to be warmer than in the southern mountain appellations of Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder where they get some impact from the San Pablo Bay’s marine effects wafting up from the south. 

Howell Mountain’s high elevation soils consist of volcanic soil, and the second soil type is the ‘Aiken series’ which is a red clay high in iron, both being rocky and nutrient poor that produces exceptionally intense wines from small clusters and berries.

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be deep, concentrated and intense fruit with highlights of dark chocolate and clove and cinnamon spices, with potent, well-integrated tannins. 

This release was awarded a stellar 99 points by Wine Advocate and 94 points by Vinous International Wine Cellar. 

Wine Advocate called the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain ‘exquisite’. 

Dark blackish inky purple colored, full bodied with intense, concentrated, vibrant black berry fruits accented by a sharp edge with sprites of smoke, crème de cassis, dark bittersweet chocolate, hints of pepper, menthol and licorice. This needs a bit more time and it will probably continue to integrate and soften over another decade of aging. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2289050

https://www.hallwines.com/

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 1982

Continuing the tradition of collecting and enjoying celebratory birth year vintage wines, for his birthday and the festive gathering, I took Ryan, from our cellar, a bottle of his birthyear vintage port. 

This Quinta do Noval is one of the oldest historic port houses, distinctive in that most of the ports are crafted from estate-grown fruit from the single Quinta do Noval vineyard. 

The historic Noval estate is mentioned in land registries going back to 1715, and has been sold just twice in that time, once in the late 19th century, and then to its present owners in 1993. 

Noval has a reputation for innovation such as being the first to introduce stenciled bottles in the 1920s. They pioneered the concept of Old Tawnies with an indication of age, and in 1958, Noval was the first to introduce a late-bottled vintage (LBV).

They are famously known for their Nacional label made in declared vintages from a 6 acre parcel of ungrafted vines. When declared, the highly allocated 200-300 cases of Nacional are some of the most sought after port in the world. 

The terraced vineyards of Noval are perched above the Douro and Pinhao rivers, ranging in elevation from just above river level to 1,200 feet with infertile schist, not soil as much as sheer rock.

We’ll look forward to enjoying this together some time in the future. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=95619

https://www.quintadonoval.com/