Fabulous Top Rated Wines for Filet Steak Dinner
Just returned from Spring Break skiing in the Rockies, son Ryan and d-in-law Michelle invited us over for Saturday night dinner to watch her Alma Mater University of Illinois in the NCAA Final Four basketball tourney.
Ryan prepared prime filets of beef steaks with balsamic rice and salad. Dessert consisted of cherry pie and ice cream.
For wine accompaniment with the beefsteaks he pulled from his extensive cellar this ultra-premium single vineyard designated Cabernet from a producer we know well, Venge Vineyards’, Bone Ash Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon;
To pair and compare, I took from our cellar another ultra-premium single vineyard designated Big Red Napa Cab, Cakebread Dancing Bear Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon blend,
Venge Bone Ash Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
We have long enjoyed Venge Vineyards wines dating back to the elder Nils Venge, winemaker Kirk’s dad, and their Family estate vineyard in St Helena.
We visited Nils at Saddleback and at other wineries, several times during the nineties. One of our more memorable days, featured in this blogpost, Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge, we toured Saddleback, then lunched together at Tre Vigne in St Helena, then we drove up to Calistoga to meet Kirk at the new Rossini Ranch location where they were developing the property and digging wine caves.
Kirk has since gone on to earn great notoriety with his own highly acclaimed wines such as this which was rated 96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 91 points by James Suckling.
This Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard is from that 23-year-old Calistoga estate vineyard.
Calistoga’s earliest settlers arrived in the 1840’s and planted various field varieties of vineyards, some of which still stand today with vines that are 80 to 110 years old.
The old Rossini Winery in Bell Canyon, had a historic stone building that dated back to 1891. The Venge’s purchased this property in the mid 1990s and completely restored this old ‘ghost’ winery which had sat vacant from prohibition until their purchase.
They produced their wines there until they sold the winery in 2008 to the Foley Wine Group, (although they kept the rights to the Venge brand and name). Nils sold that property to vintner William Foley and it is now home to Merus Vineyards. We had Robert Foley Napa Cabernet yesterday, wine the day before this tasting at a wine lunch featured in these pages - Lunch at The Cellar Door Bistro & Wine Shop DG.
After selling the Rossini property, Kirk acquired their Calistoga property including the Bone Ash Vineyards, as well as taking over the Venge Vineyards brand from Nils. They built a new winery that was completed two years later. In the fall of 2020, the winery survived a very close encounter with flames from the Glass Fire burning right onto the property and almost up to the winery itself.
Calistoga is today its own AVA, bearing distinction for its climate, its aspect, and its soils. As the season wears on and the soil dries out, light plumes of volcanic ash will dust up, looking like the ashes of the bones of those early settlers. Hence, the name “Bone Ash Vineyard” on the Calistoga Estate, one of three estate vineyards Venge own and farm in Napa Valley.
Winemaker’s Notes - “This wine begins with concentrated purple color and blue fruit aromatics. Black and blue berries, jelly jar jam notes fill the senses. As this wine opens, the background notes of French Oak vanillin and fresh earth come forth. A wonderful, pure Cabernet expression. Great fruit, mid-palate, body and streaming length, this wine has it all! The palate is polished and sophisticated. Cranberry, black currant, blackberry and black cherry are all intertwined. The acid and tannin balance promises a wine that will hold for well over a decade in proper cellaring conditions.”
Dark ruby inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated, round, oppulent but velvety smooth, pure and polished, black berry and black currant fruits accented by spice and hints of bitter dark mocha on the long lingering finish.
This would be my WOTN - Wine of the Night in many tastings of several selections. It was a fabulous pairing with the steak and a fabulous tasting with the Cakebread.
RM 95 points.
Cakebread Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
We tasted and acquired this bottle at the winery during an estate vineyard visit and tasted back in 2018 - Cakebread Cellars Reserve Tasting during our 2018 Napa Valley Wine Experience..
Unlike the 100% Cabernet Venge label, this 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch was a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot.
This release was aged 22 months in about 50% new French oak.
Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
In 1998, Cakebread purchased 200 acres on Howell Mountain and commenced development of these hillside vineyards into what becomes Dancing Bear Ranch. The property got its name from Black Bears the roamed the site and 'danced' amonge the vines tearing them up during the night. The first vintage of Dancing Bear Ranch is released in 2002.
Dancing Bear Ranch is located on the upper slopes of Howell Mountain in the Northeastern Napa Valley at upper elevations ranging from 1450’ to over 1600’ above sea level and a near 360 degree exposure. The mountainous site spans 194 acres of which only 29 are planted. The varietals planted there are all Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The vines there are stressed, being rooted in shallow, rocky soils, ideal growing conditions for wine grapes. With its isolated mountainous locations, the site is home to a wide range of wildlife, including: turkeys, mountain lions, bobcats and of course, bear.
This vintage release is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot.
As noted, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave this wine 96 points.
Dense ruby/inky black purple color, full bodied, rich thick concentrated but nicely polished and integrated flavors of blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of cassis, hints of tar, dark mocha and a touch of cinnamon spice on the lingering tongue coating finish.
RM 95 points.
Dancing Bear Ranch is located on the upper slopes of Howell Mountain in the Northeastern Napa Valley at upper elevations ranging from 1450’ to over 1600’ above sea level and a near 360 degree exposure. The mountainous site spans 194 acres of which only 29 are planted. The varietals planted there are all Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The vines there are stressed, being rooted in shallow, rocky soils, ideal growing conditions for wine grapes. With its isolated mountainous locations, the site is home to a wide range of wildlife, including: turkeys, mountain lions, bobcats and of course, bear.
This vintage release is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot.
As noted, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave this wine 96 points.
Dense ruby/inky black purple color, full bodied, rich thick concentrated but nicely polished and integrated flavors of blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of cassis, hints of tar, dark mocha and a touch of cinnamon spice on the lingering tongue coating finish.
RM 95 points.
