Hope Cuvée at Beachwalk Cafe, Destin

Signorello Hope Cuvée BYOB at Beachwalk Cafe, Destin 

We celebrated our anniversary with dinner at Henderson Beachwalk Cafe, one of our favorite eateries near  The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL). 

We’ve featured Scenic Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, Destin, often in these pages, as excerpted here. 

With its idealic views of the Gulf Coast beach and off-shore horizon, and the towers of Destin across Henderson State Beach Park in the distance, it is noted to be one of the best views along the Emerald Coast.

It has been named one of the most romantic restaurants in North America for its pairing imaginative cuisine rooted in the freshest, local ingredients with spectacular sunsets and starry skies amidst the surf.

The cuisine is crafted by executive chef, Destin native Daniel Peters. Daniel first worked a professional kitchen at the age of 26, gaining his first taste of fine food and wine knowledge at Chan’s Wine World here in Destin.

In 2011, he moved to Napa Valley to further his culinary skills and experience. There he studied under a number of world-renowned award-winning chefs, including Douglas Keane, Sang Yoon, Jake Rand and Stephan Barber. He returned home to apply what he learned to elevation Destin’s food culture, with his Gulf-to-table concept at Beach Walk.

We’ve written about Beach Walk Café in these pages often as we typically dine there each time we visit the area.

For the starter course I chose their delicious mixed green salad with Mixed Greens, Strawberries, Pecans, Goat Cheese, and their to-die-for Maple Bacon Vinaigrette.

For dinner I ordered from the menu fresh seafood local catch, a regular feature - Snapper with Corn Truffle Risotto, Madeira Mushrooms, Matchstick Truffle Fries, Citrus Beurre Blanc.

Linda chose the daily special, also fresh Snapper, but crusted with coconut and served with a Beurre Blanc sauce with asparagus spears and garlic mashed potatoes. This was understated as the coconut crust treats t was absolutely delicious showing a flavor profile much more expansive than mere coconut. 

With the dinner course, we enjoyed from our home cellar, BYOB, one of our favorite full flavored Chardonnays, and ideal pairing with the seafood selections. 

Signorello Hope's Cuvee Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay 2010

We discovered and acquired this wine at a winery dinner/visit at the magnificent setting overlooking lower Napa Valley vineyards during our Napa Wine Experience 2013.

I selected this hearty full, forward Chardonnay that I knew would accompany the fish entree as well as the first and second starter and salad courses and I was right.

Our CellarTracker wine inventory records showed we had four different vintages of this label dating back to 2010. Only when we removed the colorful tissue paper packaging from the winery did we know which vintage release we pulled for this special dinner. It turned out to be the oldest vintage, 2010, ideal for proper inventory management, consuming the oldest vintage. .

Previous blogposts of this label note - “Read through my blog postings and you'll know I am predominantly a red wine drinker. While I enjoy an occasional glass of white, most often with appropriate food, I don't normally get excited about a white wine. This Chardonnay was the exception, memorable and special. This was the first bottle from our winery purchase that we have opened at home and it met all my high expectations.”

At fifteen years, this Chardonnay was actually starting to show its age, with a slight fog in the color, a cause for initial concern, but in the end, it was absolutely delicious, but time to drink up. Using a conventional corkscrew, the cork separated on removal, but was otherwise intact. (I’m confident an Ahso two-pronged cork puller would’ve extracted it intact with ease.)

Aside the clarity issue mentioned above, consistent with earlier notes - This Hopes Cuvée Chardonnay was deep golden colored, full bodied, bursting with expressive forward flavorful fruit with layers of peach and poached pear with a sharp flavor sprite almost akin to tangy butterscotch accent giving way to hints of honey, almond, nutmeg, vanilla and creamy soft spicy oak. There is very pleasant full mouth-feel with rich texture on the palate with a long lingering finish of sweet mellow oak. It was a great accompaniment to the carefully prepared, delicious fresh seafood dinner.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1401845

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/01/signorello-del-dotto-napa-wines-paired.html

http://signorelloestate.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2024/10/henderson-beachwalk-cafe-dinner-with.html

https://www.hendersonparkinn.com/dine/beachwalk-cafe/

Clarendon Hills Astralis Shiraz 2005

Clarendon Hills "Astralis" McLaren Vale South Australia Syrah 2005 

Visiting The Cove, our vacation rental home in Destin, (FL), we opened this big red Shiraz with artisan cheeses and chocolates.

While this is the flagship of the extensive Clarendon Hills line which includes eight different Shiraz labels, in the past, I have preferred the style of their Piggott Range more. This has more of the tasting profile of the incredible Tanunda 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz we’ve written about, not surprising, since this too is sourced from old vines, from their first vineyard planted in 1920. Like the Tanunda, Astralis has limited production of only 150 cases.

At a release and market price of $180, this is in the super ultra-premium stratosphere, even more than the Tanunda at a release price of $125. This is a classic example where taste is in the eyes of the beholder and all that matters is one's personal pallet preference.

I prefer any one of several of my favorite Shiraz labels that are all in the $70 to $90 range and a select few at even less. Of course, as I often write in this blog, the thrill of the hunt and ultimate quest is to find that high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) wine that offers the same satisfaction at a fraction of the (premium) price.

We tasted and wrote about this label back in 2014, then, the first bottle we have tasted from a case Ryan purchased and split with me at the time. - 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/05/clarendon-hills-astralis-shiraz-2005.html

As part of its premium price-point, Astralis (like the Tanunda) comes with premium packaging in its own branded OWC, Original Wood Case (pictured left).

McLaren Vale is in south central Australia on the north-west of the Fleurieu Peninsula about 25 miles south of Adelaide. It is one of the oldest and highly regarded wine producing areas in the country. It was granted its appellation status, in Australia known as GI or Geographical Indication in 1997.

The climatic and geographical diversity of McLaren Vale is suitable for a wide array of grape varieties which are grown there including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvedre, which, together with Shiraz, make up some of the most acclaimed 'GSM' blends. Other varietals grown in the region in lesser amounts are Merlot, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Viognier.

McLaren Vale is also the source of white wine varietals, most notably Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Shiraz leads the region's list of award-winning wines with the best wines coming from very old vines, some planted more than 100 years ago.

This 2005 Astralis Vineyard Syrah is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the few Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized. Wine Enthusiast writes that
Astralis has become one of Australia's top collectible labels. The Winemaker for this label is Roman Bratasiuk.

This wine got huge reviews and scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (99 points), 96 points by Wine Spectator, 95 by Steve Tanzers IWC and Wine Enthusiast, and 92 by Wine and Spirits.  

Like the bottle we had a decade ago, at twenty years, this wine remains a bit subdued. As with many super highly rated wines, their profile reflects more a lack of negatives, than profound obtuse big sprites. 

Despite lacking those big forward fruit bombs, this is still a big unctuous, tongue-coating complex wine, deep dark inky purple colored wine with layers of concentrated ripe black and blue berry fruits with a layer of graphite and mineral, which in my opinion detracts from the fruit and other complementary tones of expresso, tobacco and spice box, leading to a smooth silky polished tannin lingering finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=421401

http://www.clarendonhills.com.au/home.aspx

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes with Homemade Pizza 

Sunday night dinner, Linda prepared a home cooked from scratch pizza with peppers, sausage, multiple cheeses and garden fresh basil spice.

I pulled from the cellar this ‘pizza wine’, low cost, simple easy drinking pleasant big red.

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes 2020

This is from Domaine Lafage in the Côtes du Roussillon appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the furthest southeast corner of France. The appellation of Côtes du Roussillon was created in 1977 and covers the eastern half of the Pyrénées-Orientales (the eastern side of the Pyrenees Mountains) and lower lands of Roussillon along the Mediterranean coast.

Domaine Lafage is owned by the Lafage family who have been winegrowers for seven generations over two centuries.

Current producer Jean-Marc Lafage had been working in the vineyards since a young boy and got his first involvement as a winemaker in the 80’s when his father Guy Lafage gave him the sole responsibility of a batch of some of his finest Maury grapes.

A few years later, Jean-Marc met his wife Eliane during their wine studies, and they went on to share experiences with the harvest and wine-making seasons in South America, the United States (California), South Africa and Australia. They returned to settle back in France and took over the family estate in 2001. The domain consisted of nearly ninety acres of family land around Perpignan, Canet and Maury. The added the acquisition of Mas Miraflors in 2006.

Their children have joined in the operations of the property with daughter Léa has become an agricultural engineer, and son Nicolas works summers in the cellar and at the shop.

Today, the Lafages farm nearly 400 acres of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan, the southernmost city of Metropolitan France, in the center of the Roussillon plain.

Some of his family’s vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean in the commune of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet, while others can be found further inland in the foothills of the Pyrenees near the village of his birth, Maury.

The range and diversity of sites allows them to make both refreshing whites, rich, concentrated reds, and fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate grows primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old.

The soil along the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist.

Harvesting is done by hand and winemaking is basically straightforward and uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites and mainly concrete tanks for the reds with a judicious amount of large French oak barrels for aging.

Although it is a region predominantly recognized for fortified, vins doux naturels (a type of sweet wine), Roussillon is also ideal for the production of dry red, white and rose wines.

Côtes du Roussillon includes complex soils of schist, limestone, gneiss and granite and climatic conditions that support many grape varieties.

Côtes du Roussillon red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and smaller amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut. Rosé wines come from the same varieties, as well as may include Grenache Gris and Macabeo. White wines from Côtes du Roussillon are Grenache Blanc and Macabeo with small amounts of Marsanne, Roussanne and Rolle (aka Vermentino).

Domaine Lafage produce a portfolio of a dozen red wines, a half dozen whites, as well as several each rose’s, sparkling and dessert wines. Their wines have earned 30 CGA gold medals over the last 5 years, and no less than 70 wines have been rated 90 Points and more by the Robert Parker guide.

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes 2020

Bastide Miraflors is a custom cuvée produced for European Cellars through a joint project between Jean-Marc Lafage and leading wine importer distributor Eric Solomon. 

Since 1990, Eric Solomon has championed unheralded wine growing regions and promoted young, innovative winemakers, initially focused on the Rhône, Languedoc, and Roussillon regions of France through his US import distribution company, European Cellars.

Eric’s European Cellars portfolio has grown to over 90 producers/properties and he has been recognized as one of the finest wine importers in the US having been named Wine Personality of the Year, Best Importer of the Year, and James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Spirits. Influential critic Robert Parker has lauded European Cellar’s wines, particularly from France and Spain.

This label is is a cuvée created primarily of Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%), crafted from old vine Grenache grown in the commune of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet with terroir of schist and granite soils in terroir that always ripens late in the year, and Syrah from gravelly soils near the Mediterranean. 

This release was rated 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. An earlier vintage was rated 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck.

Deep ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, notes of blackberry, plum and mullberry fruits with notes of tobacco, black tea, dark mocha and hints of mint, turning to supple, soft tannins on the moderate finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4262043

https://domaine-lafage.com/en/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/domaine-lafage/

https://www.europeancellars.com/

Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel with BBQ Ribs

Ridge Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017 with BBQ Ribs

Friday night finds us babysitting for kids/grandkids for the evening. Linda prepared BBQ ribs with baked potatoes and sweet potatoes to take for dinner. I pulled from the cellar a Big Red Blend for an ideal accompaniment. 

This is from Ridge Vineyards known for single-vineyard designated labels sourced from exceptional vineyards across Northern California with distinctive terroir - climate, soil, and ideally matched varietals. 

I wrote about Ridge Vineyards and other single vineyard designated releases including Zinfandels often in these pages such as these blogposts - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014, and, Ridge Lytton Springs at Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville, and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Red Blend 2012.

Ridge Vineyards produce a broad portfolio of single vineyard designated Zinfandel labels. They are also known for their ultra-premium flagship Monte Bello red blend produced from their estate vineyard of the same name, first released in 1962. Two years later they released their first Zinfandel label. 

Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017

This Zinfandel based blend is made from the Pagani vineyard on the western side of Sonoma Valley. The majority of the vineyard was planted ninety to one hundred and twenty years ago; portions of it were replanted between 2013—2018. Ridge first released this label in 1991.

The vineyard has been continuously tended by a quality-conscious family for four generations having been planted by Felice Pagani who began planting vines in Sonoma Valley in the late 1890s. 

The site was maintained and therefore survived the thirteen years of Prohibition, and the Great Depression indicating proof of its merit.

Today, the site is tended by fourth-generation family members planted to Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and Mataro, in addition to the main varietal, Zinfandel.

This release is a unique blend of 84% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Alicante Bouschet, and 2% Mataro.

In my last blogpost I wrote about the Aglianico Italian grape varietal and I wondered if there was any connection with this Alicante Bouschet varietal. There is not, but it opens the door for the exploration here of another historic and previously unknown grape. 

Alicante Bouschet is a red grape with red flesh and red pulp that is a cross of Petit Bouschet and Grenache grape varietals. It was developed by French Viticulturalist Henri Bouschet in 1866. The Petit Bouschet grape was created by his father Louis Bouschet who gave it his name. 

The resulting grape had high quality concentrated fruit with deep dense color, produced high yields, ripened early and was easy to grow and maintain. Its deep colour made it useful for blending to enhance light French table wines and to extend American wines.

Alicante Bouschet delivered rich, concentrated dark fruit flavors of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and blackcurrant with notes of pepper and fresh tobacco.

It was planted heavily during Prohibition in California as the intense red color was useful for stretching wine and was capable for export to the East Coast. The grape's thick skin allowed it to survive the long railway transportation from California to New York City which had an auction where the grapes were sold.

At the turn of the 21st century, Alicante Bouschet was the 12th most planted red wine grape in France with sizable plantings in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire Valley the Languedoc, Provence and Cognac regions and Alentejo, Portugal.

The Matero grape is also known as the popular French Mourvèdre and the popular Spanish Monastrell varietals.

This release of Ridge Pagini Ranch Zinfandel was awarded 96 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles, 94 Points by Jeff Cox of Decanter, 94 Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media, Jeb Dunnuck of JebDunnuck.com and Erin Brooks of The Wine Advocate, and 93 Points by James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com and Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.

Winemaker Notes - “Focused jammy blueberry fruit and pepper on the nose. On the palate, fresh cherry, mineral, firm acidity, balanced structure and long lingering finish.”

Dark inky garnet purple color, full bodied, complex, round, ripe plum and brambly blackberry and blueberry fruits, notes of peppercorn, garrigue, smokey cresosote, spice box and leather with hints of mocha turning to sweet grainy tannins on a layered lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

ttps://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3333655

https://www.ridgewine.com/

@RidgeVineyards

Montevetrano BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

We dined outside on the patio at Angel’is Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria, and I took BYOB from our home cellar this unique limited production vintage aged Italian big red wine. 

This was an ideal pairing with my veal piccata and Linda’s eggplant parmagiana . 

This is from Montevetrano in the hills of San Cipriano Picentino in Campania, southern Italy, 50 miles southeast of Naples, a dozen miles east of and in the hills above Salerno 

Montevetrano started in 1983 as a hobby by Silvia Imparato, who transformed her family property into a winery in the mid-1980’s, with the guidance of acclaimed oenologist Riccardo Cotarella. She is now joined by her daughter Gaia, who oversees the winemaking.

Just south of Mount Vesuvio along the Amalfi Coast in the Monti Picentini Regional Park, the vineyards cover about 12 acres of the 60 acre estate. The vineyards are protected by the Picentini Mountains, which form like a crown around the property. 

The region boasts a cool Mediterranean climate with extreme coastal, as well as high elevation mountain terroirs. With the cooler climate in Campania; the region usually sees some of the last harvest dates in Italy. The local terroir is a combination of the mild climate of the coast and nearby mountains, and unique volcanic and sandy soils. 

The vineyards are in a former Bourbons’ estate at 100 meters above sea level, on the crest of a hill among oak, chestnut and hazelnut trees, a citrus grove and olive trees, in the shadow of an ancient medieval castle. The boundaries are marked by blackberry bushes and old roses mark the rows of the “Horse vineyard”, near and ancient ‘700 country house.

This Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT, is the highly acclaimed flagship blend composed of Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the local indigenous grape, Aglianico. Aglianico might be considered one of Italy’s three best wine grapes, along with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. Aglianico “alli-yawn-nico” is found almost exclusively in Southern Italy in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. 

Aglianico produces full-bodied red wines, known for strikingly savory flavors of leather, white pepper, black fruits and cured meat that when aged, develop soft dusty aromas of dried figs and sun-tanned leather. 

Montevetrano’s first vintage was released in the early 1990s; the initial blend was 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Aglianico, while the current blend is typically around 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico, and 20% Merlot.

Montevetrano is often called the “Sassicaia of the South” due to its role in elevating southern Italian wine to international acclaim, and, its receipt of high scores from critics such as Robert Parker in the mid-1990’s.

Sassicaia is the ultra-premium wine produced in the style of a Left Bank Bordeaux Premier Cru created by Mario Incisa of Tenuta San Guido on the Tyrrhenian coast, after much experimentation with several French grape varieties.

The wine made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon was a fundamental change to the Tuscan and Piedmont tradition of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, respectively. The innovative decision to plant this variety at Tenuta San Guido was partly due to the similarity Mario Incisa noted between Tuscan terrain and that of the Graves area in Bordeaux. 

His revolutionary winemaking style has became a legendary commercial phenomenon since its first release in 1968. I wrote about and featured Sassicaia in this blogpost - Sassicaia Owner Dinner and Vivere Vertical Tasting with producer co-owner Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta.

Production of Montevetrano Colli di Salerno remains limited, with around 20,000–30,000 bottles per year. The wine is celebrated for its complexity and elegance with rich aroma, dark fruit flavors, and aging potential.

Montevetrano also produce a more approachable white and red under the “Core” designation, which often provide tremendous value.

Besides the Montevetrano Bordeaux and Anglianico Red Blend, they also produce a portfolio of aromatic and fresh reds based on Piedirosso grapes, and whites, made from Coda di Volpe and Falanghina. Both reds and whites go by the name, Lacryma Christi, meaning the "tears of Christ." The white varieties of Falanghina and Biancolella make fresh, flirty, mineral-driven whites, and the red Piedirosso and Sciasinoso vines, which cling to steeply terraced coastlines, make snappy and ripe red wines.

Farther inland, as hills become mountains, the limestone soil of Irpinia supports the whites Fiano di Avellino, Falanghina and Greco di Tufo as well as the most-respected red of the south, Aglianico. Here the best and most age-worthy examples come from Taurasi.

Farther north and inland near the city of Benevento, the Taburno region also produces Aglianico of note—called Aglianico del Taburno—on alluvial soils. While not boasting the same heft as Taurasi, these are also reliable components of any cellar.

Montevetrano "Montevetrano" Colli di Salerno IGT 2009

This is vinified with 100% estate grapes and is bottled at the estate so as to maintain total control of the production cycle. It is aged 14 months in 225 liter new and second usage barriques made of French Nevers and Allier and Troncais oak. It is then matured in bottle for 6 months before release. 

Montevetrano has a recognizable signature style, characterized by complexity, like the territory in which it is born with its variety of perfumes and colours. It is a wine with a strong persistence, that benefits from the influence of the sea and a mild climate. Montevetrano guaranties great longevity and can continues to mature in bottles for fifteen or twenty years.

Montevetrano 2009 is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico, and 20% Merlot and spent 12-14 months in French oak, 50% new. 

This release was rated 94 points by The Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Wine Spectator, Vinous and Wine Enthusiast. 

Winemaker’s notes on this release: “This iconic red blend showcases a deep, dark hue with both brightness and depth. On the nose and palate, it offers soft red fruits layered with earthy complexity—volcanic soil, graphite, and a firm mineral backbone. Crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Aglianico grown on estate-owned land, it undergoes extended skin maceration, stainless steel fermentation, and 14 months of barrique aging. The result is a structured, expressive wine with refined tannins and a lingering finish.’

“Nice bright and dark color at the same time. It is a dark wine! Soft fruits, but also so much land, this time! Volcanic notes, graphite. It closes, as often, with very good tannins.”

At fifteen years, the 2009 Montevetrano showed little sign of aging, the important fill level and cork being pristine. 

Inky black garnet in color, full bodied, concentrated complex rich savory black cherry and black plum fruits with expressive notes of balsamic, rosemary, thyme and exotic spices, leather and pipe tobacco, and hints of smoky creosote and anise with a round tannin lingering finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1219633

https://www.montevetrano.it/en/

http://www.angeliscatering.com/

Château Haut-Bages Libéral with meatloaf

Château Haut-Bages Libéral with meatloaf and artisan cheeses 

Following our BYOB dinner out at Entourage DG Friday, where we opened from our home cellar a twenty year old vintage Grand Cru Classe’ Bordeaux with their signature Meatloaf entree, I pulled another such wine to accompany the take-home leftovers for Sunday evening dinner at home for a mini horizontal tasting of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage. 

We also paired this with some artisan cheeses, “F.R.O.G.” (Figs, Raspberries & Oranges Spiced with Ginger) Preserves, crackers and pitted greek olives. 

This time I opened a Left Bank Pauillac Bordeaux rather than the Right Bank St Emilion we drank Friday. 

Château Haut-Bages Libéral Grand Cru Classe’ 2005

This is from’ Fifth Growth’ producer (as classified in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855),  Château Haut-Bages Libéral that sits on the outskirts of the town of Pauillac (hence the name of the Pauillac Appellation (AOC)), just down the road and adjacent to top producers Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande and Chateau Latour. 

We stopped at the estate winery and vineyards during our Bordeaux Wine Experience trip in 2019. 

Château Haut-Bages Libéral was established by and is named for the Libéral family who were négociants and vineyard owners in the early 1700’s, and for its position on the Bages plateau, like the similarly named well known neighbor Lynch Bages. 

The estate fell to lower quality and a state of somewhat disrepair during the wars and financial crises of the early 1900s, until the Cruse family (owners of Château Pontet-Canet at the time) purchased the property in 1960. 

The Cruse family engaged in widespread replanting of the vineyards and improved the quality, actually producing Haut Bages Liberal at Château Pontet-Canet for several years.

In 1983, they sold Chateau Haut Bages Liberal to the Taillan group. The Taillan group owns several chateaux in Bordeaux including: Chateau Gruaud Larose in Saint Julien, Chateau Ferrier in Margaux, Chateau Chaste Spleen, Chateau Camensac, Chateau Gressier Grand Poujeaux and Chateau Citran in the Haut Medoc, and Chateau Broustet in Sauternes.

In 2000, the Taillan group renovated and modernized the wine-making facilities at the Pauillac estate.

They sold the estate to the current owners, the Villars-Merlaut family, who continued improvement under the direction and leadership of Claire Villars-Lurton who also serves as winemaker. Along with her husband Gonzague Lurton, Claire Villars-Lurton also owns and manages Chateau Ferriere and Chateau La Gurgue in Margaux and Chateau Domeye in St. Estephe. They also make wine from Bordeaux varietals in Sonoma, California at their Trinite Estates vineyard.

The Château Haut-Bages Libéral estate consists of 75 acres of vineyards planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The main vineyard that surrounds the Chateau and winery sits next door to first growth Château Latour and shares the distinctive terroir with parcels of limestone soils, which some say lend elegance and finesse in a commune often known for power. 

Another vineyard sits across the road adjacent highly acclaimed Chateau Pichon Baron, which shares the classic Pauillac terroir consisting of gravel on chalk, clay, and limestone soils, and a third smaller parcel site is further inland. The average age of the vines is close to 35 years of age. 

Haut-Bages Libéral produces roughly 10,000 cases of wine per vintage, including this Grand Vin and their second wine (labeled as either Le Pauillac de Haut-Bages Libéral, La Chapelle de Bages, or La Fleur de Haut-Bages Libéral).

Château Haut-Bages Libéral 2005

At twenty years old, this was holding better than the Château Larmande 2005 we opened Friday, which was beginning to shows signs of aging with a crumbling deteriorating cork and a slight fall-off of the fruit.

The important fill level and cork were both still near perfect, and the fruit aromatics filled the room as soon as it was opened (using an Ahso two pronged cork puller). Vinous wrote in 2021  “The 2005 Haut-Bages Libéral is a very young Pauillac that is just beginning to show the first signals of aromatic opening.” 

There’s still several years left of prime drinking in this vintage release. 

This wine, as I have often written, that in great vintages, “all boats rise with the tide”, such that lesser growth producers, and second and even third wines of top producers, delivers great QPR - quality price ratio, as it sells for a fraction of the price of its ultra-premium highly acclaimed neighbors. 

This release was awarded 92-94 points by Wine Enthusiast, 93 by Wine Spectator, 91 by Vinous, and 90 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, aromatic, opulent, moderately firmly structured rich round blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of licorice, spice, cigar box and forest floor, with smooth tannins on a big expressive finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224097

https://www.gc-lurton-estates.com/en/chateau-haut-bages-liberal.html

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe’

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe with Waygu Beef at Entourage DG 

Having been traveling for much of the month of July, Friday night dining out, we returned to Entourage Restaurant in nearby Downers Grove, which has become our favorite go-to eatery with a diverse menu of delectable selections. This was a return visit for us with friends/neighbors Richard and Adessa. 

We’ve featured Entourage numerous times in these pages, most notably our Pour Boys Wine Group dinner at Entourage last fall. This is the same restaurant group that has a sister restaurant in Naperville, also featured in these pages in  Plumpjack Reserve Napa Chardonnay at Entourage Restaurant Naperville.

After dinner, we enjoyed the live band performing on the fountain square at the train station, immediately across the street. This is a bonus for those dining outside at Entourage!

Prior to dinner we enjoyed two favorite features … taking advantage of the Social Hour, ‘early bird’ specials, we ordered the Rosemary Focaccia Bread - “Made Fresh Daily”, served with Mediterranean Olives and Sea Salt Butter. While it may be easy to discount this as a simple bread plate, it’s delicious! 

Additionally, prior to our main course, we enjoyed the Roasted Beets and Whipped Goat Cheese Salad - Arugula, Baby Gem with Spicy Pecans, Fennel, Hot Honey and Grapefruit Citrus Vinaigrette. As always, this was delicious - a wonderful pairing of flavors.

For dinner, I had one of my favorite dishes that I look forward to, but can only take occasionally, which is understandable when you see the sensational presentation! 

This signature entree continues to be amazing! It’s enough for two dinners, tonight, and then a follow on with the take-home leftovers. On occasion, we’ve actually ordered a second one for carry out to take home. 

Entourage Signature Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

This was delicious and with ample portions - enough for a follow on take home meal with two large slices of meatloaf, but not enough of the delectable pomme puree’! But where would you put it in that tower, or what they call a ‘Sundae’!

Linda ordered what has become one of her favorite entree’s, Entourage classic signature Shrimp and Grits -  Spicy Shrimp & Jalapeno Grits - Blackened Wild Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Charred Jalapeno, Charred Corn, Baby Peppers and Creole Cream. Richard also ordered this dish on her recommendation and loved it as well. 

Adessa ordered the Waygu Beef sliders and loved them. 

To pair with my Waygu beef meatloaf, I brought BYOB from our home cellar this aged vintage Right Bank Bordeaux for a perfect food-wine pairing. 

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

Grand Cru Classe’ producer Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 25 hectares of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991. 

Looking back at our CellarTracker tasting notes, and blogposts in these pages, this is the fourth bottle of this label we’ve enjoyed over the recent past, as we consume our remaining holdings of this label in its twentieth year, arguably at the prime, or reaching the end of its prime drinking window. We have one more remaining bottle from this vintage and I’ll miss this enjoyable label. (Records show we acquired no less than twenty bottles upon release - a great QPR - quality price ratio selection.) 

At twenty years the fill level was still fine but the cork was beginning to lose integrity as it pulled apart using a traditional corkscrew. I took my Ahso two pronged cork puller which would’ve most likely removed the cork in-tact, but I was too late and the cork disintegrated on the server who did his best to save it. 

Our server, Jason, is a Sommelier and relished the challenge and handled it well. In the end, feeble efforts to use a coffee filter, to remove the crumbled cork in the bottle,  I managed to pour the wine slowly, carefully into a decanter for serving. 

I wrote back in 2020, “It's hard to believe its been five years since I last tasted this label when I wrote,' at eleven years of age, I sense this is approaching the end of its prime drinking window as the fruits seem to have given way slightly to the emergence of the non-fruit flavors based on earlier tasting notes from three and five years ago'.

“We still hold three bottles of the case we acquired upon release. We'll need to consume these in the intermediate term, but it still has several years to go, yet.” 

My published tasting report notes for this label show nine postings with one a year ago when my notes were consistent with earlier tastings and project life still left in this release.

This vintage release was a blend of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).

Consistent with earlier notes … Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather, hints of cedar and spice, (earlier reports of mocha were not apparent), on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish - fruits slightly diminished from earlier tastings with seemingly increased acidity.

RM 89 points.*

*PS. A postscript to an earlier tasting, after a couple days open in the bottle, chilled, this wine returned to its earlier elegance, structured balance and fruit, regaining earlier rating of 89 points. Once again, I shouldn't P-n-P, pop and pour these complex aged wines, rather, give them respect, open them and allow them to breathe at least a couple hours before diving in! 

**PPS: And of course, pay attention to the cork condition and use appropriate instrument for extraction! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693

http://www.chateau-soutard.com/chateau-larmande-.aspx

https://entouragerestaurant.com/downers-grove/

Earlier, recent reviews of this label ….

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/chateau-larmande.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/chateau-larmande-2005.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/04/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html