Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Meatloaf, Sweet Potatoes and Andrew Will Two Blondes Red Blend

Meatloaf, Sweet Potatoes and Andrew Will Two Blondes Yakima Valley Red Blend

On our first night back home from family vacation, Linda prepared a delectable diner of meatloaf with roasted carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I pulled from the cellar a perfect wine that proved to be a wonderful pairing that enhanced the enjoyment of the dinner as well as the wine. 

The blend of this label was exactly what I was seeking … nearly similar amounts of nicely balanced and integrated Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Cabernet Franc for a nicely balanced, complex wine. 

I have a mini vertical (multiple vintages of same label) of this label dating back two decades to 2003, that I have been holding for the chance to drink with fellow wine buddy and Pour Boy Bill C. This is based on fun with the label that bears the name of two of his sons, Andrew and Will, as well as of the producer. With Bill and Beth having moved away to Charleston, our wine escapades are vastly fewer. Having just returned from a wine weekend together - OTBN 2025 in Charleston, it was a fitting time to try this wine which proved to be a perfect pairing with the dinner. 

This is from Andrew Will Cellars winery located in Zillah Washington, just outside of Yakima which is named for the two sons of owner winemaker Chris Camarda. Following a successful career on Wall Street, Chris founded the winery, releasing his first vintage back in 1989. His focus was ‘the primacy of the vineyard over variety’. "I believe that an individual piece of property can form a signature—an identity—and it is that face that is the focus of my winemaking."

The first two vineyards used were Ciel du Cheval and Champoux, later to be supplemented with fruit from May’s Discovery and Two Blondes vineyards. 

After a decade of purchasing fruit from top vineyards in Washington State, Chris plant his own vineyard, Two Blondes, in 2000. This enabled him to not only control the varietals planted which are the Bordeaux varietals but also the clones. Clonal variety was particularly important to him as a winemaker. The 30 acre vineyard located in the Yakima Valley AVA was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The vineyard manager was and is Chris Hoon.

Andrew Will produce about 4500 cases of wine a year. In addition to blends they produce from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, they also produce some limited Sangiovese from fruit grown at Ciel du Cheval. 

In the early years they produced varietal bottlings but in 2003 they took a vow “to make as fine a wine as we could through blending the most important varieties we grow in Washington”. 

Our holdings of this producer all date back to and from that 2003 vintage, all acquired at auction. 

Chris was named as one of the 50 most influential winemakers in the world, he has been an innovative leading producer of Washington State wines and became known for single vineyard blends.

The Two Blondes Vineyards is named for Chris Camarda’s late wife, Annie, who was a 6’2” blonde, and their partner in the vineyard, Bill Fleckenstein’s wife, Melody, who is also blonde.

Camarda selected the 30 acre site because of the excellent grape soil and climate. Two Blondes is not threatened by freezes as well as being just cool enough to insure a modulated ripening process even in warm years. The site has none of the draw backs they see in some areas of the state that can alternate between devastating freezes and heat in excess of 100 degrees.. 

Andrew Will Cellars Two Blondes Vineyards Washington State Yakima Valley Red Wine 2004

This Bordeaux Blend is a single vineyard designated label sourced from their estate vineyard. This release was a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. Later releases of this label (2018) were aged 35% new French oak for 22 months with just under 7,000 bottles produced.

At twenty years of age, I was concerned this might be past its primacy but this was absolutely delicious, exceeding our expectations, clearly at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve any further with aging. This was a Goldilocks wine, appealing to Linda who prefers younger more expressive wines, and me who enjoys those with more complexity and maturity. 

The label, foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition. 

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced, silky smooth and polished, seductive integrated and balanced with ripe black and blue fruits with notes of sweet mocha, anise, spices, hints of lavender and tobacco leaf, with long lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 



Sunday, March 9, 2025

Extraordinary Dinner Hawaiian Fresh Fish and Finest Wines

Hawaiian Fresh Fish Specialities with Fine Wines for an Extraordinary Dinner

Our adventure in Kauaii, Hawaii continues with a dine-in evening of fine wines and fresh seafood. Son Ryan picked up at the local fresh market and prepared Ono and Monchong fish for dinner. 

Monchong is a deep-water fish found in the Pacific Ocean in Okinawa, Fiji, and Hawaiian waters. In the Indian Ocean it is can be found in the western part of the equatorial zone. 

We’re told Monchong is a rare delicacy, harvested in small quantities because its not targeted by fisherman, but caught when fishing for tuna at deep water depths greater than 900 feet or using other techniques, deeper than 1200 feet. 

Monchong range from about 4 pounds to over 25 pounds, but the prime market sizes are fish over 12 pounds.. It is sold primarily to restaurants as an exotic fish to add variety to their menu.  

Monchong, also known as Hawaii Sickle Pomfret, has a highly transparent, clear, white flesh with pinkish tones, white when cooked. It is firm in texture and moderate in flavor. 

It is rich in nutrition with a high oil content, it is an excellent source of healthy, extra lean protein, low in saturated fat and low in sodium. It is rich in niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium, it is a good source of iodine. 

We also had Ono, which not coincidentally is both an edible fish but also the Hawaiian word for delicious. Ono, aka “wahoo,” is versatile like mahi mahi but more mild in flavor — kind of sweet and buttery but firm and smooth in texture. 

Both fish were as fresh as one could possibly experience, and absolutely delicious, the Monchong was especially succulent and delectable. 

Ryan and Michelle also prepared with the dinner a fresh salad, cooked carrots and haricot verts, served with fresh sourdough bread with mango marmelaide.  

After dinner we fresh fruit and macademia nut chocolates. 

With the spectacular dinner we had two extraordinary ultra-premium wines. Ryan brought from home an aged vintage Napa Valley Dominus.

For pairing with the seafood entrees, I went into town and found at Princeville Wine Market an ultra-premium Sonoma County Chardonnay which was fabulous, perfectly paired to enhance the enjoyment of both the food and the wine.   

The spectacular dinner was fitting for the idealic setting of a magnificent Hawaiian sunset.


Kistler Vineyards “Les Noisettes” Sonoma County Chardonnay 2022

This is from Kistler Vineyards, a small, family established and privately owned and operated winery that are considered one of the top legendary and most revered producers of world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir using old world Burgundian techniques. 

Kistler Vineyards craft Burgundian-style wines that reflect the unique terroir of its vineyards, employing a single-clone approach, meticulously sourcing grapes from estate and leased vineyard sites spanning the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros.

Kistler Vineyards was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. The first vintage in 1979 produced 3,500 cases of wine and since then the winery has slowly grown to the planned production level of about 35,000 cases per year.

Steve Kistler retired in 2017, passing on the baton of winemaker to Jason Kesner who had performed a long apprenticeship as assistant winemaker. Mark Bixler passed away in the fall of 2017.

Kistler specialize in and focus on producing wine crafted from but one heritage clone of Californian Chardonnay (old Wente) that is planted across no less than fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. The majority of the sites are owned and farmed by Kistler. From those sites they produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays.

This label, ‘Les Noisetiers’ is Kistler’s multi-vineyard Chardonnay bottling crafted from a combination of specific lots of designated quality from 30 year old vines from Kistler’s vineyards - Vine Hill, Trenton Roadhouse and Dutton Ranch, that are all situated in far western Sonoma County, near the coast.

They began creating Les Noisetiers upon noting that there was an inherent mineral tone which they loved in the lots from their vineyards planted in these coastal sandy Gold Ridge soils.

"Noisetiers" (pronounced Lay Nwaz-tee-yay and is French for "hazelnut") refers to the toasted hazelnut characters found in the wine year in and year out from the three vineyards represented within this bottle. This cuvee is an appellation-focused Chardonnay with hearty mineral and bright acidity. 

It is barrel fermented and aged on the lees in 25% neutral French oak barrels for 11 months & stainless steel for an additional three months.

Winemaker notes - “Kistler is a true standard bearer of quality in California. Blossom and white flowers on the nose and loads of dense but well balanced fruit – peach, apricots, pineapple and pear – on the palate. A fine and complex smorgasbord of fruit. The 11 months of oak aging is present but it is not the focus with white flowers and stone fruit aromatics leading to a full bodied, juicy core, loaded with flavors of peach, apricots, pineapple and pear.”

Native yeast fermentation in French oak barrels. Aged on its lees in the same French oak barrels for 11-18 months in their subterranean, gravel floor barrel rooms. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 422 barrels produced.

This was fabulous = a perfect complimentary pairing with the wholesome fresh fish. 

Deep, dark golden colored, full-bodied, full round, complex and concentrated, dense yet polished and well balanced, notes of peach, apricots, pear and apple with hints of pineapple and citrus fruits and mineral with a long, full lingering finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4879399

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/

https://x.com/KistlerWine


Dominus Estate Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2009

Dominus Estate is the Napa Valley property of Bordeaux producer Christian Moueix. It is as close as it gets to fine wine supremacy or ‘royalty’. Son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer from Libourne, France, the family produce some of the world’s finest, legendary (and most expensive) wines including Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion.

Christian Moueix attended the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix in the 1960’s where he discovered and fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. 

In 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 134-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard and, in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name 'Dominus' or 'lord of the estate' in latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.

The historic Napanook Vineyard sits just west of Napa County Hwy 29, St Helena Highway, mainstreet of Napa Valley, located at the foothills of the Mayacamas mountain range that forms the west wall of the famous valley. The original vineyard was planted in 1838 and has been redeveloped and continues to managed under the stewardship of Christian Moueix. The estate’s Bordeaux varietals benefit from the Yountville microclimate where temperatures are moderated by cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The resulting wines are carefully crafted to showcase the distinctive expression of this special ‘terroir’ - all the elements of climate, soil, sun exposure, drainage and so on, the manifest the grapes grown on the site.

Napanook is a historic vineyard that dates back to 1836 and is the oldest in Napa Valley. The Napanook vineyard encompasses 134 acres, 102 of which are presently planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its gravelly clay loam soils gently slope 3-10%, ensuring natural drainage.

This classic wine was rated a near perfect 99 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate,  98 points by Jeb Dunnuck and JamesSuckling.com, and 97 by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media.

James Molesworth of Wine Spectator gave it 94 points and said it should be best from 2025 through 2035 meaning it should be left alone for 16 years before it reveals its true potential. 

I recall purchasing a case of 1986 Dominus back in the late 1980’s upon release. I tried a bottle every couple of years and found it a bit closed and in-inspiring. Then at nearing twenty years it seemed to awaken and show its completeness, elegance, refined polish. Notably by then, two thirds of the case had been consumed with but a few bottles to enjoy the wine in its prime. This is a long lived wine built for cellaring and aging before revealing its primacy. 

Tonight, at sixteen years, this wine is approaching the apex of its drinking window, but will no doubt age gracefully for prime drinking for another decade or more. Jed Dunnuck in 2017 said ‘it will last another two decades or three’.

Vinous wrote in 2012, “The 2009 Dominus has closed down quite a bit since I last tasted it. Today, all of the glorious fruit of the vintage is hiding behind a serious wall of tannin. The 2009 still possesses gorgeous inner perfume and plenty of sweetness, but little of the sexiness that will emerge over time. From time to time, the utter genius of the 2009 shows a glimpse of its potential. There is little doubt the 2009 will be a jewel once it awakens from what might very well be a long slumber. This is another wine that begs for patience.” 

Unlike fruit bombs or bright vibrant, expressive wines we love so much, near perfect wines like this are subtle and restrained. Their perfection is in their harmony, complexity and integration, their lack of any flaws or detractions. Suckling called it ‘subtle and intriguing’. 

This is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

Producer’s Notes - “The Dominus 2009 exemplifies the finest qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon from an ideal vintage. The nose, at once powerful yet restrained, is dense and filled with pure dark berry fruit and hints of sandalwood. On the palate is a harmonious blend of fresh plum and focused minerality with tannins that are firm, round and elegant. Spherical in quality, this wine is complete from start to finish. A sublime vintage.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, refined, elegant, polished, wonderfully balanced and finely integrated blackcurrant, black raspberry and plum fruits with symphony of notes of subtle licorice, mocha-chocolate, violets and hints of graphite, earth and camphor with layers of silky, finely grained tannins on a long finish. 

RM 96 points. 


Friday, March 7, 2025

Pizza and Fleury Napa Cab Hawaiian Sunset

Pizza and Fleury Napa Cab Hawaiian Sunset

Another night in paradise, the family gathered on the lawn to watch the Hawaiian sunset with pizza and a bottle of fine wine. Somewhat of a son Ryan’s family tradition, on their last night at the south island resort, they watched the sunset together on the lawn with pizza dinner. 

Ryan brought from his home cellar this bottle of ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet. 

Fleury Estate Winery Howell Mtn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Ryan obtained this rare highly allocated label as a member of the Fleury wine club and has amassed a vertical and horizontal collection of their various labels. We first met Brian and Claudia Fleury at a Del Dotto event in their earliest days when they were just starting Fleury Estate back in 2000.

The Fleury Estate lies just south of St. Helena in Rutherford with a tasting room, winemaking facilities and a 11 acre estate vineyard. Fleury Estate Winery also owns 50 acres of premium vineyard land in the key locations of Napa Valley with vineyards in different appellations and elevations which enables them to craft consistent, high quality Napa Valley wines year after year. 

I featured Brian and Claudia Fleury and their Fleury Napa Valley estate wines in thess pages back in 2018 in the blogpost Fleury Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Duo. I wrote about when we first met Brian and Claudia Fleury at a Del Dotto Estate Winery event (see below) back in 2002. From that meeting we acquired some Fleury Estate Lauren Bryce Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from what I believe was their inaugural vintage release. How surprising then and what fun to hear son Ryan speaking of this wine and about he and some of his buddy's acquiring some of the highly allocated select wine for their cellars. Fleury Estate Napa Cab is a favorite of him and several of his colleagues who have extensive collections of numerous releases of this label.


Fleury Estate Winery owns 50 acres of premium vineyard land in different appellations and elevations that they note allow them to "craft consistent, high quality Napa Valley wines year after year". Their primary Fleury Estate Vineyard located in the heart of Napa Valley just south of St. Helena in Rutherford, is also home to the Fleury tasting room, winemaking facilities and 11 acre estate vineyard.

They also own and manage 30 acres in the St Helena Vineyard, and six acre Howell Mountain Vineyard high up in Deerpark.

Their vineyards are planted to all the Bordeaux Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated yet elegant and refined, tongue coating blackberry and hints of blueberry fruits, notes of cassis, black tea, cedar and graphite with tangy acidity and velvety smooth tannins on a long lasting finish. 

RM 93 points. 

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Den Hoed Cabernet at Beach House Restaurant Kauai

Den Hoed Cabernet at Beach House Restaurant Kauai

Vacationing with son Ryan, d-in-law Michelle and their family on the island of Kauai, we dined at the highly acclaimed scenic Beach House Restaurant located on the south shore Lawai Road in Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii


Beach House is known for its scenic waterfront location with spectacular sunset views. 


Each evening folks congregate to the seaside lawn to watch the sunset.
  

The Beach House Restaurant is a consistent winner of numerous culinary awards including Honolulu Magazine's Hale Aina Gold Award for Best Kauai Restaurant, and many others. The restaurant features what they call, ‘innovative Pacific Rim Cuisine’ - locally raised steaks and venison, farm to table fresh vegetables, and locally caught fresh seafood. 

Beach House’s Chef Marshall Blanchard, born and raised in Wilton, Connecticut, graduated from the legendary Culinary Institute of America program at Hyde Park, (NY). Marshall made a name for himself spending 11 years as the Executive Chef at Restaurant D’Oro and The Golden Eagle in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado. He taught at Colorado Mountain College and hosted a monthly cooking show on Vail’s TV8 and has also worked with Bon Apetit and Food & Wine Magazine.

Prior to the entrees we had a selection of starters and salads including Ahi Tuna Sashimi - dayboat caught ahi, pohole fern salad and wasabi ginger, and 
Szechuan Smashed Cucumber Salad - pu'uwai gardens cucumbers, papaya, waipoli farms mixed greens, ok king farms cilantro, sesame vinaigrette, chili crisp.

For entrees, Linda and Michelle ordered the daily special fresh catch, Macadamia Nut Crusted Fresh Hawaiian Fish - Mahi Mahi with organic macadamia nuts, ginger bok choy, lemon, celery-caper relish, garlic-scallion rice, brown butter …

I ordered the filet of beef steak and Ryan had the surf and turf, combining the filet of beef with diver sea scallops …..

Beach House Filet Mignon - prime center-cut filet, sautéed mushrooms, hirabara farms rainbow chard & ok king farm kale, ulu mashed potatoes, herb butter.


Beach House Surf and Turf Duo - USDA prime center-cut filet, sea scallops, sautéed mushrooms, hirabara farms rainbow.

To accompany our dinner, I brought from our home cellar BYOB a special red wine that has special significance to Ryan, Linda and me. This special limited release label was from a lot that I acquired at auction, since this wine has a rather disparate lengthy family connection. 



This is from the Den Hoed brothers who grow grapes for several producers and also produce some select limited release select labels of premium wines. Den Hoed Wine Estates is a collaborative effort between the Den Hoed brothers, Bill and Andy, and former Stimson Lane and Chateau St Michelle CEO and Washington wine pioneer, Alan Shoup, to produce great red wines from their jointly owned Wallula Den Hoed Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills. 

We met the sister of the producer Den Hoed brothers, vintner farmers in Yakima Valley Washington, at the wedding of Linda’s niece, Ryan's cousin, who married the producers’ nephew. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/canlis-restaurant-seattle-extraordinary.html

Den Hoed “Marie’s View” Wallula Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

As I wrote at the time. this is named for the wife of patriarch founder, Andreas Den Hoed who married Marie Den Hoed in 1956 and they planted their first vineyard on their property that year. After two years in the Army Andreas returned to the farm.

In the early years, they paid the bills growing mint. He continued to plant more vineyards as resources allowed, expanding acreage almost every year. In 1988, their two sons Bill and Andy joined the business as partners in a new project, with acreage planted to vineyards.

The father and sons team continued to expand in the Yakima Valley for the next 5-6 years. After several years of searching, in 1997, they purchased a 550 acre parcel of land bordering the Columbia River in the Wallula Gap. Since then the vineyard has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the region. It is sited in a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of of the town of Kennewick. The wines produced from this vineyard have proven to stand the test of time and can stand up and hold their own against the best wines of the new world.

Two of their key labels are named for Andreas and for Marie. Each is a limited production estate wine which celebrates their family history and showcases the Wallula Vineyard. They are robust Cabernet Sauvignons crafted by Gilles Nicault of the notable Long Shadows Vintners Collection of wines that we collect as prime members of their club. We also discovered Long Shadows during that Seattle, Woodinville Wine Weekend. 

Canlis Lake Union night view

Our first tasting experience of Den Hoed wines was ordering it from the wine list at Canlis Restaurant in suburban Seattle. The Andreas met our most lofty hopes and expectations and was a highlight of our extraordinary meal.

So, how fitting it was that that Canlis dinner was a mini family affair as wife Linda and son Ryan joined me at this legendary family restaurant. Moreover, a subplot to the story, our niece Anna Long, married into the Van Hoed family, farmers, wine growers, viticulturists and winemakers from the famed Walula Vineyards in the central Washington wine region.

Tonight we opened another Den Hoed label, Marie's View from a vineyard so named on the Walula Slope in the Horse Heaven Hills Washington State Appellation. This was from the same vintage as that first Den Hoed wine encounter, 2012.

The 2012 Washington red wines vintage follows challenging vintages in 2010 and 2011. Some producers considered 2012 the best in state history - a notable great vintage that stands tall amongst the best in the past 20 years. While 2002 and 2005 may have produced wines a bit richer than 2012 made great wines across the regions, from cooler climate Yakima Valley to the stony Walla Walla Valley.

Wines made in 2012 might have slightly more acidity,but they are generally balanced red wines that show a good core of fruits, while perhaps not as hedonistic as the big red wines made in 2013, 2014 or 2016.

At thirteen years, this wine was probably at it’s apex, not likely to improve with further aging, but certain to age gracefully for perhaps another decade.

The winemaker is the local well known Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars.

Previous vintages of Marie’s View were blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese with the proportions varying from year to year. This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine.

This was a perfect complement, pairing with the grilled beefsteaks and mushrooms.

This is from a vineyard block named for Marie Van Hoed, wife of founder Andreas, mother of the current generation producers.

This was awarded 93 points by Owen Bargreen, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. Earlier releases consistently earned 92 and 93 points.

This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Den Hoed wines are packaged in an extra heavy bottles with the most incredible deepest punts (that indentation in the bottle around which sediment collects). 

Even better than earlier tasting, perhaps benefiting from further bottle aging, densely colored inky garnet purple, medium full bodied, concentrated, firmly structured, full round black berry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of creosote, cassis, cedar and hints of pepper with a vibrant acid backbone and firm tannins on a lasting finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2799196

https://www.denhoedwines.com/

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007 

With grilled beef tenderloin I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend. 

We hold more than two decades of this label dating back to the inaugural release in 1993. This is part of a case we acquired of this label at the release party at the winery high atop Howell Mountain, so it is one we know well. 

I have written about Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in these pages many times including this detailed blogpost back in 2019, and again in 2021 in this post - Tomahawk Rib-eye Dinner features Robert Craig Affinity Duo, both partially excerpted below.

Robert Craig is one of our favorite Napa Valley producers and represents one of our largest holdings in our cellar. We've held many wine dinners with Robert and Lynn Craig and attended many events at the estate and winery. We have many fond memories of those dinners, lunches and other tasting events, and hearing Robert talk about this label.

We visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times with sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill, and wine buddy Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the  valley below shown below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet, Affinity and Robert Craig Zinfandel which they served at daughter Krista's wedding.

With Robert Craig at the estate high atop Howell Mtn 
back in 2008.

As mentioned above, we hold as many as two decades of Robert Craig’s portfolio of labels’ vintages dating back to the inaugural vintage release in 1993. This label, Affinity, represents the Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon based blend of Cabernet Sauvignons and other Bordeaux varietals sourced from the various Napa Valley appellations.

Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons
This is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio that Robert always took immense pride in this label, as the entry level introduction to his 'three mountains and a valley' appellation select Napa Cabernets, referring to his appellation designated premium labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Spring Mountain. There were also bottlings from Atlas Peak and Mt George and in later years he would say ‘five mountains and a valley’. He also took pride in this providing early gratification quality drinking at an early age, yet as shown tonight, it has some longevity for aging for a decade or more.  

He used to speak fondly of this label and the QPR - quality price ratio it provided, as he strived to hold the price point of this wine to provide excellent value and be a draw to the Robert Craig brand. The appellation designated labels sold for twenty to thirty percent more. I wrote recently about the discontinuation of the Mt Veeder label after two decades of being one of the flagship labels, and was Robert's favorite. 

I wrote back in 2019 about Robert's passing in a Tribute to Robert Craig, when the business turned over to new leadership.

Robert never promoted or played up the fact this label was a carefully crafted  Bordeaux Blend comprising all the Bordeaux varietals rather focus on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
We first tasted this wine from a barrel sample and acquired this release during the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 back in 2009. 

Robert Parker wrote in 2009, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars."

Wine Enthusiast wrote of this release, 'Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s'.
This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 

Back in 2022 I wrote, “this exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. At fifteen years, this seems to reaching the apex of its drinking profile. 
Tonight, this 2007 release was as good as any Affinity I recall ever having - a perfect accompaniment to the grilled tenderloin beefsteaks. At eighteen years this was at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but available for pleasant drinking for several years yet to come. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=802059

Other related postings … 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1798118

https://robertcraigwine.com/

Visits to Robert Craig Estate - 

Harvest Party 2009 -  
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa-09/napa-09-craig/napa_harvest_09_craig.htm

Howell Mountain Estate Visit - 2008 
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/napa_08_craig.htm

Friday, February 28, 2025

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

With extended family in town for Celebration of Life Ceremonies for in-law Kevin D, we hosted a dinner at our house on the eve of the weekend. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and haricot verts and Caesar salad. I pulled from the cellar a couple middle aged Bordeaux varietal blends, a ten year old and a twenty year old, for a wine accompaniment to the dinner. 

Chappellet "Mountain Cuvée" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This is their standard bearer cuvée (blend) at a more affordable prime point than their signature and ultra-premium labels. We visited the Chappellet Estate Winery and Vineyards up on Altas Peak during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2009. It was then that we acquired a large format magnum of their Signature label from our anniversary vintage year 1974from their library, that we served at our 50th anniversary celebration dinner last autumn as featured in these pages - Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN.

I wrote about Chappellett in an earlier blogpost - Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas Smith, Sommellier and wine staffer at K&L wine store in Redwood City writes of this label - “I get a lot of customers who come into the store looking for a bottle of Napa Cab for a dinner they are on their way to. At $30 Napa Cab can be really hit and miss, but this Bordeaux blend is an absolute home run. This wine has tons of intensive fruit, is totally upfront an accessible, and an exceptionally balanced bottle that will wow the table from the moment it is opened. I can't stress enough the quality here, but anyone who loves full-bodied reds from Napa should really consider this a house wine whenever having guests for dinner. If you're looking to wow someone with a bottle, this is a total bullseye.”

“Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals. Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides. Nearly a half century later, their 2015 Mountain Cuvée still includes fruit from the winery’s coveted Estate Vineyard, and was expertly composed by renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who’s been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years.” 

Chappellet is famous for Bordeaux varietals, with It's high elevation terroir on the Eastern side high above and overlooking Napa, on Pritchard Hill. There the grapes achieve maximum ripeness, basking in the long exposure to sunlight on the Vaca mountain range. 

This 2015 Mountain Cuvee’ is a blend of  all five of the Bordeaux varietals - 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux producers have been experimenting with the blend composition for more than five centuries. We American;’s in our half century of producing such wines can learn from their experience. 

Merlot predominates on the Right Bank (of the Gironde River) while Cabernet Sauvignon rules on the ‘Laft Bank’. In each case, they add Malbec into the mix for enhanced body, Petit Verdot adds depth, structure, body and deep color, while Cabernet Franc adds breadth and spiciness. 

I love both for their complexity, breadth and depth with beef and hearty dishes - favoring Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon based on desire for more or less intensity as Merlot tends to be softer and more velvety to moderate or balance the firmer and more structured Cabernet.   

Winemaker notes - “The Wine Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when youre looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.”

Tasting Notes - This inviting wine offers a complex array of elegant aromas that include spicy red fruit, black cherry, sage, anise, clove and cocoa powder. The palate is silky and balanced, with a plush, mouth coating texture that makes the wine immediately approachable and delicious. Flavors of red currant and cassis are underscored by hints of smoke and vanilla, while seamlessly integrated tannins add length and structure to this complex blend of Bordeaux varietals.

This was much better than I remember it upon release and at ten years, it has clearly benefited from some cellar aging and is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further, but available for enjoyable drinking for several more years. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex and concentrated, full and round but nicely integrated and polished, black and blue berry and plum fruits with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, black cherries, and hints of smoky tobacco leaf with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

In consideration of Kevin’s Irish heritage and fondness for all things ‘green’, I pulled from the cellar a Red Winemaker from a producer with similar roots. 

Dunham Cellars is a family owned winery located in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington. Eric Dunham discovered wine sampling from his parent’s cellar collection. Then during several years serving in the Navy, stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area, Eric continued to pursue his passion trekking up to the Napa Valley as often as time permitted. 

After the Navy, seeking to pursue wine in earnest, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington. He then hired on as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. 

By 1999, he set up to devote his full attention to his wines and together with his parents, Mike and Joanne, they opened the winery at Walla Walla Regional Airport. They were joined a couple years later by David and Cheryll Blair.

Dunham Cellars sought out and selected the finest fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. Working in collaboration between its growers and winemaker, they strive to capture and showcase the select fruit from these vineyards with their combination of climate, soil and geography.

We drove by the winery situated in a remodeled World War II era airplane hangar on the north edge of Walla Walla (Washington) during our Walla Walla AVA Wine Experience visit to the region back in 2018,  as we exited town on our way out of town to see the Spring Valley vineyards northeast of town.

In addition to winemaking duties, Eric Dunham is also an accomplished chef and artist painter. While unpretentious and modest on the outside, Dunham boasts a good-sized hospitality center in the large room known as the Hangar Lounge. The eclectic space, decorated with some of Eric Dunham’s personal original artwork on the walls. Some of Eric’s artwork also appears on certain Dunham Cellars wine labels.

Since Dunham’s inaugural release of the 1995 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “I”, Eric has served as winemaker for Dunham Cellars from the beginning. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Dan Wampfler joined Dunham Cellars as winemaker and now Eric took on broader duties as Director of Wine.

Today, Dunham produce a half dozen reds, Bordeaux varietals and a Syrah, and a couple of whites. I particularly enjoy their Bordeaux Blend, Trutina, which I find provides very good QPR - Quality Price Ratio, in a moderately priced sophisticated blend that encompasses all five of the Bordeaux varietals, sourced from fruit across the Columbia Valley. Their 2021 Trutina was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Owen Bargreen 92 by Wine Enthusiast and International Wine Repor, and 90 by Jeb Dunnuck and Sean Sullivan.

This 2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” is the eleventh edition of Dunham's signature Columbia Valley Cabernet that they distinguish with a Roman Numeral designating the release edition, hence this bears a ‘XI’ prominently on the label. 

While over the years, we accumulated close to a decade of vintages of this wine, we didn’t keep up with it and consume bottles, checking their maturation, managing our collection in a timely manner. As a result, at twenty years, this wine has lapsed beyond the apex of its drinking window, starting to decline and show diminution of fruit, begging to be consumed soon before it’s too far gone to be enjoyable. 

Never-the-less, brother-in-law to Kevin, Dr. Ken, enjoyed this and preferred it over the younger more vibrant Napa blend. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight murky cloudiness beginning to set in, tight, blackberry and black cherry fruits are starting to give way to leather, tobacco and leafy black tea flavors with notes of smoke and tar with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 87 points. 

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Walter Hansel Chardonnay at Dunlin Auberge Resort John’s Island SC

Walter Hansel Chardonnay at Dunlin Auberge Resort John’s Island SC

Enjoying a relaxing getaway weekend in South Carolina, we checked out the new Dunlin Resort on John’s Island overlooking the Kiahwah River and Kiawah Island. We lounged on the porch enjoying the view and afternoon sun and sipped on a pleasant drinking Chardonnay with pimento cheese and crackers plate. 



Walter Hansel "North Slope Vineyard" Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2022 

This is from Hansel Family Vineyards and Winery, located in the Southern Russian River Valley appellation in west central Sonoma County, west of the town of Santa Rosa. Starting with just 257 vines, they have grown to 80 acres of contiguous vineyards consisting of a total of 11 different clones - 7 Pinot Noir and 6 Chardonnay.

The area produces premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir taking advantage of the cool evenings and warm afternoons, moderated by the fog that rolls in from the nearby Pacific coast each evening and lingering until mid-morning the next day. The consistent weather pattern from June through August allows for slow ripeness; long fruit hang time resulting in wines with intense flavors and abundant natural acidity. 

We visited the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

Walter Hansel are known for high QPR - Quality Price Ratio priced wines. They produce 5 different vineyard designated or estate Chardonnays from different portions of the vineyards; each from one or more different clones that are planted based on the soil variations provides a variety of flavors.

The North Slope Vineyard site slopes 40 feet South to North with terrific sun exposure throughout the day and into the sunset. This is a field blend of French clone 95 and clone 76. These wines tend to reflect their Burgundy heritage. 

Vinous awarded this label 92 points. 

Golden butter colored, light bodied, nicely balanced tangy soft light buttery citrus and apricot notes with hints of spice and oak on a tangy finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.walterhanselwinery.com/product/2022-Chardonnay---North-Slope


The Dunlin Auberge Resort - Kiawah River, South Carolina

Saturday, February 22, 2025

OTBN 2025 in Charleston

OTBN 2025 in Charleston

We traveled to Charleston (SC) for a getaway weekend to visit fellow Pour Boy Bill and Beth. As is customary on the last Saturday night in February, we celebrated OTBN together, an abbreviated celebration in light of the travel and unavailability of several members of our traditional Pour Boys wine group. 

OTBN 2025 was our fourteenth straight year, since 2011, that we have celebrated together and fittingly, was an abbreviated replay of our OTBN - Open That Bottle Night - 2023, which was also held in Charleston, as featured in these pages in this blogpost, excerpted below.

The last Saturday in February brings the annual OTBN wine event – Open That Bottle Night – the 24th such event since its creation in 2000 by Dorothy Gaither and John Brecher wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal. OTBN is set aside to share and compare special bottles of wine, that have been held in our cellars, waiting for the special occasion to open, that hasn’t yet come, so as to eventually succumb to the inevitable, its time, open that bottle (to)night!

So this was our fourteenth straight year, since 2011, members of our Pour Boys (TM) wine group assembled to share and compare special bottles of wine.

And so, as we’ve starting following the seasons, we congregate in the south during the winter, and the north during the other seasons. As such, we gathered again at Bill and Beth C’s in Charleston, SC for this years' gala.

OTBN 2025 as in 2023 was hosted by Bill and Beth C at their home on Seabrook Island, SC. While the 2023 Saturday night OTBN dinner was held at the Seabrook Island Clubhouse Ashley Room private dining room, tonight we dined in their home on the island. As in ‘23, several members of our group were not able to attend due to family and other commitments, this year we were joined by special friends.


After a spectacular dinner Friday night, at Oak Restaurant in Charleston, we dined in at Bill and Beth’s for Saturday night with special friends Amy and Beth visiting from Kentucky. 

Bill & Beth prepared grilled beefsteaks with twice baked potatoes and haricot verts.


For starters Beth prepared Caesar Salad and crab cakes. 


Bill pulled from his cellar a medley of Napa Valley Cabernets for the occasion. 


The wine highlight of the evening, and my absolute WOTN - Wine of the Night, was Odette Nap Valley Cabernet.

Odette Stags Leap District Napa Cabernet 2015

Bill opened this big red in a large format magnum for the ladies, but I loved it before and after dinner for enjoyable sipping, and it was just as good over the following afternoon. This big red was so opulent and fruit forward it was almost a meal in of itself with its exuberant full round plump profile! 

This is from the Odette 45-acre estate vineyards in the heart of the Stag’s Leap District appellation nestled against the foothills on the east side of Silverado Trail just north of Napa town. 

It’s too bad this label is part of the Plumpjack Group with their unfortunate affiliation with Gavin Newsom. Never-the-less, despite the distractions and mis-directions, they produce some fabulous wines. 

This release was crafted by Odette winemaker Andrew Haugen.

A native from Southern California, he studied biology at Cal Poly in the Central California wine region around San Luis Obispo. There, he also took the available wine classes. Pursing his interest in wine, he gained experience at Stonestreet in Sonoma County for his inaugural 2012 harvest, then at Church Road Winery in New Zealand, Howard Park in Australia, and Gran Moraine in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, before joining Odette Estate Winery in 2015.

From that time he progressed from cellar master to enologist to assistant winemaker and eventually head winemaker for the Odette and their Adaptation labels. He works closely with long-time Vineyard Manager Oscar Renteria at Oso Vineyard, and a 129-acre site located in Pope Valley.

This Odette 2015 is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

4,000 cases were produced of this release. 

Winemaker’s notes for this release - “Opaque, dark ruby color introduces this wine that expresses dark fruit aroma and flavors. With spicy sweet oak complexity, the wine exudes dark fruit such as blackberry, black currant, blueberry and dark cherry. There are nuances of dark chocolate, chocolate berry truffle dusted with cocoa powder, cola, aromatic cedar, cinnamon, clove, graham crackers and a hint of tobacco. The body is very full with a soft entry, coupled with dark cherry/berry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture and mouth feel, this cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent.”

This release was awarded 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Advocate, 95 and ‘Top 100 Wines of 2018, Highly Recommended’ by Wine Spectator, and 95 by Wine Enthusiast who also noted it a ‘Cellar Selection’, and 92 by Vinous.

Deep inky purple-black colored, full bodied, concentrated rich opulent and expressive, complex, but polished and elegant, round sweet ripe raspberry, plum and currant fruits with spice-box, mocha chocolate, crème de cassis notes and accents licorice of cedar and pencil graphite finishing with full but smooth fine-grained silky tannins.

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2636415

https://www.odetteestate.com/

Prior to and with the dinner course Bill opened a couple of Napa Cabernet’s, a well known producer and label from Napa Oakville, and one sourced from Howell Mountain. 

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This is a producer we know well from Bill’s extensive collection of labels having been in their wine club for more than two decades. We’ve had many memorable tastings of this producer’s artwork together including several visits to the estate and winery in Napa Valley. We last tasted this wine together back in 2017 as featured in these pages in this blogpost - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/10/freemark-abbey-napa-valley-cabernet.html.

In 2009 Bill and Beth and Linda and I visited the winery and toured the library and acquired vintage bottles from the library collection for special occasions including 1974 and 1978 vintage labels for an anniversary celebration dinner that night across the road at the CIA - Culinary Institute of America, Napa.
 
This is the standard Napa Valley signature label, one of their largest production labels with 24,332 cases produced of the 2013 vintage. 

Winemaker Notes for this release - “Opaque, dark ruby color introduces this wine that expresses dark fruit aroma and flavors. With spicy sweet oak complexity, the wine exudes dark fruit such as blackberry, black currant, blueberry and dark cherry. There are nuances of dark chocolate, chocolate berry truffle dusted with cocoa powder, cola, aromatic cedar, cinnamon, clove, graham crackers and a hint of tobacco. The body is very full with a soft entry, coupled with dark cherry/berry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture and mouth feel, this cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent. In one word …. delicious.”

This is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It was aged nearly 26 months in oak. 

This was rated 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling. 

We last tasted this wine 

Opaque purple colored, medium full-bodied, concentrated, structured rich blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with notes of leather and tobacco leaf with hints of spice and mocha chocolate with moderate tannins on a flavorful lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 



While the ladies enjoyed the more approachable fruit forward Odette, Bill and I dove into this aged vintage Bordeaux Blend for pairing with the grilled beefsteak.

Château Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux 1995

This was a special vintge wine, ideal for such as tasting, from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. 

Linda and I visited the Château Calon-Ségur estate and vineyards just outside the village of St-Estèphe during our Left Bank Bordeaux tour in 2019. We hold the remains of a case we acquired on release and were interested to see how this is aging. We enjoy gifting this wine for weddings, anniversaries and special occasions with the heart on the label. 

Son Ryan brought this label to one of our Pour Boy’s wine dinners back on its tenth anniversary in 2016 featured in these pages in this blogpost - Mouton, Dominus, Insignia Highlight Big Red Wine Dinner.

This release was rated 97 points by James Suckling, 95 by Wine Spectator who rated it ‘Ranked #6 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 1998’, 94 by Wine Advocate, 93 by John Gilman, and 91 by International Wine Cellar. 

James Suckling wrote,.” It's one of the best Calons ever.” Robert Parker lauded this Calon-Ségur as one of the stars of the vintage. 

At 30 years of age, it shows no signs of diminution of age or reaching the end of the plateau of its drinking window, while it will not likely improve with further aging it should remain fine several more years. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, complex but nicely balanced, black cherry and black berry fruits with notes of leather, black olive, cassis, cigar box with smooth soft fine tannins and nice acidity on the moderate finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1577

https://www.calon-segur.fr/en/


Sequoia Grove Henry Brothers Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Bill also opened this big red Napa Cabernet from a well known producer, but little known vineyard source. 

Historic Sequoia Grove Winery estate sits on 22 acres in the Rutherford sub-appellation located in a renovated old barn just off of Highway 29, one mile north of the landmark Oakville Grocery. The winery takes its name from the two large Sequoia trees outside the main entrance and a small stand of additional trees that were planted in 1908. 

Sequoia Grove Winery was founded in 1978 by James and Barbara Allen who purchased the property in 1980 the same year as their first vintage. James’ brother Steve managed the vineyard at the time. James was also a founding partner of Domaine Carneros and was instrumental in creating the Rutherford sub appellation.

Since 2002, the winery has been owned by the Kopf family who own Kopbrand, the New York based wine distributor founded in 1944. They also own St. Francis Winery in Sonoma County and 50% of Domaine Carneros in partnership with France based Taittinger. 

The property has a long history with numerous owners dating back to 1895 and owner Dennis Downey from Ireland, who moved to Napa Valley in 1858 and purchased his 119 acre ranch in 1863. He had 45 acres planted to corn and 60 acres to vineyards of which much of 40 acres were overtaken by phylloxera.

The estate vineyards are planted with Bordeaux varietal grapes. Sequoia Grove also sources grapes from select vineyards around Napa Valley. Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon,  a 100% varietal comes from the estate as well as several premium vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford including the well known highly acclaimed Morisoli and a Beckstoffer owned property. 

Besides the estate vineyards adjacent the property, Sequoia Grove produce wines from a number of vineyards ranging from the southern part of the valley (cooler) to the warmer northern reaches in Calistoga. Many of these are offered as ultra-premium single vineyard designated labels. 

In addition to this Howell Mountain Perry Brothers Vineyard, they also source fruit from the tiny 4-acre Christian vineyard in Coombsville, the Tonella Vineyard, the well known legendary Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak, the Cambium vineyard, Lamoreaux Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District. 

In 2023 Sequoia Grove purchased over 100 acres on Mt. Veeder that used to be owned by Donald Hess, the founder of Hess Collection. About 75% of the site is forested with the remaining acres are planted to red Bordeaux varieties. We visited the Hess property back in the early ‘90’s and have driven by it many times on our visits to the mountain. The first vintage produced from this property by Sequoia Grove was in 2023.

For several years Sequoia Grove was known as ‘the three ‘M’s’ for Morisoli Vineyard and their winemakers Mike Trujillo & Molly Hill. Molly Hill was a graduate of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program. She traveled the globe, working and studying in Chile and New Zealand, as well as her native California, before settling in at Sequoia Grove to work with well-respected winemaker Michael Trujillo. They worked with viticulturist Jake Terrell on the Rutherford estate vineyards as well as a selection of growers on the Rutherford Bench, Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain and the foothills of St. Helena, Yountville, and Oak Knoll.

Neither are with Sequoia Grove any longer and today’s Winemaker is Jesse Fox.

Winemaker notes - “The Sequoia Grove Howell Mountain Henry Brothers 2018 is a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon showcasing rich flavors of dark fruit, black cherry, and hints of oak, reflecting the unique terroir of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. This region is known for its elevated vineyards and volcanic soils, contributing to the wine's balanced acidity and robust tannins.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, while complex, this was not as concentrated or as expressive as many Howell Mountain Cabs, and was overshadowed by the huge Stag’s Leap Odette. Never-the-less, it showed smooth, polished blackberry and black plum fruits with notes of spice, dark chocolate and hints of pepper and pencil graphite with structured but approachable moderate tannins on the finished. 

RM 90 points. 


Previous Pour Boys OTBN Events


Pour Boys OTBN 2019 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2018 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2016 - Open That Bottle Night 

Pour Boys OTBN 2015 - Open That Bottle Night -  Bordeaux Anchors OTBN 2015

Pour Boys OTBN - Open That Bottle Night 2014

Pour Boys OTBN 2013 - Open That Bottle Night 2013 

Pour Boys OTBN 2012 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2011 - Open That Bottle Night.