Perry's Steakhouse Katy/Houston Wine Dinner

Perry's Steakhouse Houston Wine Dinner

For an important business dinner, we dined at Perry's Steakhouse in Katy Texas in suburban Houston. To accompany my Perry's Signature Bone-in Ribeye steak (shown below right) and for the other's steak dinners' accompaniment, we ordered from the wine list two favorite Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. From the Oakville appellation, Groth Oakville Cab, and from the nearby Stags Leap District, Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cab, both from the 2014 vintage.

Perry's are recipients of the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence Award for the deep, broad and extensive wine list.

For our special business dinner, we dined in the private alcove room 'Table 79'.

For the dessert course we ordered a wonderful classic Inniskillin Vidal Gold Icewine 2013.

We have visited both Cliff Lede Winery and Groth during several of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences. We also visited the Inniskillin Estate Winery during our Niagara wine region visit back in 2012.

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

We drank this one first and while it closely resembled the second Cab, the Cliff Lede below, the Groth was slightly more subdued, less vibrant, hence was best served first for best comparison.

Bright dark garnet color with purple hues, medium full bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with hints of vanilla black currant, licorice and touch of mint and oak on a smooth tannin laced finish.

RM 91 points.

This was ideal with my bone-in ribeye entree (shown below). This was actually a fairly good value being priced about the median price for a Cal Cab on the Best of Award Spectator wine list.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2664215



 
Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

This is the standard Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit sourced from the hillside terraces of the Poetry Vineyard down the road and across the Silverado Trail from the winery, from the Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighboring vineyards in the Stags Leap District.

This is a consistent crowd pleaser from vintage to vintage.  We hold about a half dozen vintages of this label and they seem to hit their stride and be in their peak after a decade of cellaring. The 2006 was a hit during one of our recent wine dinners.

Dark garnet and dense purple in color, full bodied, bright vibrant black berry and black currant fruits with tones of anise, hints of cinnamon spice and oak with firm but smooth tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 91 points. This got 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 points from Vinous 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2394746

 
 For the dessert course we ordered this marvelous Icewine that was perfect complement to the creme brulee' and other desserts.


Inniskillin Niagara VQA Gold Vidal Icewine 2013

This is classic - what Icewine is supposed to be like in its thick layers of unctuous fruit and sweetness.

Gold colored, full bodied, thick, syrupy with tones of tropical fruit flavors with hints of peaches and apricot and notes of creamy vanilla with notes of brown sugar and crisp acidity.

This is sourced from Vidal fruit taken from Inniskillin’s famous Brae Burn Vineyard – one of Ontario’s most storied vineyards near the Estate.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1950250


http://www.perryssteakhouse.com/menu-locations/houston/katy/

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Freemark Abbey has been one of our favorite Napa Cabs for over three decades. Since the seventies, Freemark Abbey have consistently produced quality wines with a positive QPR (quality price ratio). Wine buddy Bill C and I used to regularly compare different labels and vintages of this producer in our tastings.

We've visited the winery numerous times and have purchased special bottles from their library for special occasion dinners. One memorable escapade was when we convinced Barry Dodd, Cellarmaster, to release two library selections, from 1974 and 1978, which we enjoyed that night at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) to toast our wedding anniversary years.

So, when our local merchant Vin Chicago featured the current release Freemark Cabernet as their top wine for their regular Saturday tasting, I not only wanted to support such behavior, but I picked up several bottles as well to add to our vertical collection of this label.

When Bill and I became wine buddies back around the millenium, we quickly learned of our shared interest in and fondness for Freemark Abbey Cabernet. We would share and compare this Napa label as well as their single vineyard designated offerings from the Sycamore and Bosche vineyards - Bill having a vertical collection emphasizing Sycamore, and me holding Bosche. I still recall and have written about acquiring a case of the 1991 Bosche' after tasting it with Jeff Jaegar, one of the Freemark owners, at a Binny's tasting back at the time. We enjoyed this case over the next two decades having only recently recently consumed the last bottle, still drinking very nicely at 25 years of age.

Freemark Abbey gained notoriety at the famous Judgement of Paris Wine Tasting back in 1976. This was the legendary comparison wine tasting competition between top-ranked French vs. California labels - one for Chardonnays and another of red wines (Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California). Of course, the wine world presumed this would be no contest stacking upstart California producers' labels against the classic historic French labels. Lo and behold, the shock and awe when not only did the Californians show respectably, but actually received the top ranking best in each category. Freemark Abbey was represented in both categories with it's 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1972 Chardonnay.

The story is retold in the book Judgement of Paris, by George Taber, the only reporter in attendance to cover and record the event. It was also the basis of the wildly entertaining 2006 movie Bottle Shock. I highly recommend both for general audiences, and a must read/watch for wine geeks and oenophiles.


The 2013 is a Bordeaux style blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.


Its a testament to Ted Edwards and the team at Freemark Abbey, as well as the overall quality of the 2013 Napa Valley vintage, that they can produce over 24,000 cases of a 92+ Wine Advocate rated wine. And, kudo's too for keeping the price point reasonable to provide a high QPR (quality price ratio).

This was dark opaque purple in color, full bodied, with complex, concentrated, rich but nicely integrated blackberry and blackcurrant fruit accented by a layer of mocha chocolate with tones of allspice and tobacco leaf with firm but approachable tannins on the big finish. This is drinkable now but will last a couple decades or more of cellaring. It has a bit of an edge that will likely smooth and become more polished with a few more years of aging.

RM 91 points.

I picked up this wine to enjoy now and also to hold as part of our horizontal collection of 2013 wines to commemorate the birth year of two of our grand-kids, Richie and Marleigh. 


https://cellartracker.com/w?2274933

http://www.freemarkabbey.com/

Orin Swift Abstract Napa Valley Red Blend - Hesketh Cruel Intentions Shiraz

Hesketh Cruel Intentions Shiraz 2010 - Orin Swift Abstract Napa Valley 2012 WBTG with food pairings at DOC Yorktown Wine Bar

For a casual late night snack, Linda and I tasted two red wines from the WBTG (wine-by-the-glass) offering with a platter of artisan cheeses, pate and bruschetta on the patio at DOC Yorktown in Lombard.

The food pairings from the Butcher's Plate menu included Old Amsterdam Dutch, Four Year Old Aged Cheddar cheeses, the New York Pate Forestier and the bruschetta with asparagus, prosciutto and reggiano. 

The wines selected were Hesketh 'Cruel Intentions' South Australia Shiraz and Orin Swift Abstract Napa Valley Red Wine Blend.



Hesketh 'Cruel Intentions' South Australia Shiraz 2010

Hesketh Wine Company is a small, family owned, South Australian based producer run by owner and winemaker Jonathon Hesketh who refined his craft with Wirra Wirra, Moet Chandon and Cloudy Bay. He sources fruit from several growing regions across South Australia for a modestly priced White Label line. He also produces Black Label wines from select vineyards recognized for excellence from the Currency Creek and McLaren Vale regions on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Each wine is either single vineyard or sourced from a small selection of specific vineyards and produced at facilities close by the vineyards for quality and practicality.

Fruit for this wine comes from the Currency Creek and McLaren Vale growing regions on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.

Cruel Intentions is another whimsical artist label that reflects fun and a sense of humour on behalf of the producer/winemaker.

Dark crimson red color, medium bodied, a slight metallic and mineral layer competes with the ripe plum fruit, tones of anise, vanilla and toast on a moderate tannin finish. A bit disjointed and flabby.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1518830

Orin Swift 'Abstract' Napa Valley 2012

The wines of Dave Phinney and Orin-Swift Cellars are distinctive in their branding and packaging with some of the more intriguing and unique labels and wine names. Perhaps best known for the somewhat macabre “Prisoner”  (no longer owned by Dave, although he remains a consultant) and “Papillon” with its stark black and white photograph of rough-hewn fingers (left), Phinney composes his rather mysterious label designs from a collection to a collage of a variety of photographs.

His wines are as distinctive as his labels. They tend to be full-flavored, forward, intense, firm structured wines. He mixes a melange of varietals from a variety of  appellations and vineyards to form the distinct profile and personality of each label. They are not for the feint of heart.

After graduating college he spent a short time at Robert Mondavi Winery before founding Orin Swift Cellars. From his original release based on purchased Zinfandel grapes, he has added Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and eventually extended the range to Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Syrah.

Orin Swift recently purchased forty-eight acres in the hills above Oakville to plant and develop. They also recently purchased some vineyards and a winery in the steep hillsides of the Roussillon, near Maury in the French Pyrénées planted in 60-100 year old Grenache, with a small percentage of Syrah and Carignane. Commuting between California and France, Dave lives with his wife and children in St. Helena, CA.

I vividly remember taking Orin Swift Napa Valley 2005 Red Wine Blends Papillon and The Prisoner to a gala team dinner over the holidays back in 2009. The Prisoner was thick with ripe spicy black berry fruits predominating. Papillon showed the most complexity, structure and breadth and depth of flavors - dark, brooding, black berry, currant, spice, oak, and finely integrated tannins. With this as a backdrop I was interested to try 'Abstract', a blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Syrah from primarily hillside vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties.

Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied, thick and complex, Abstract bursts with aromas and obtuse forward fruit flavors of ripe blackberry, mulberry and hints of blueberry fruits with tones of floral, kirsch, black tea, and bitter chocolate on a chewy tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1705920

 is comprised of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah and drinks like an inky, concentratedPetite Sirah blend. Blackberry, dark dark chocolate with a silky texture - See more at: http://www.deandeluca.com/wine/red/syrah/orin-swift-abstract-red-2012/?gclid=CjwKEAjw0a2eBRDVrabv9vWJ90USJACsKRDH6B5OhAB6XDVSlzbsYV3x60x_cVKzi5H9JdRZDvi9ARoCq5zw_wcB#sthash.0ItBWrI1.dpuf

my favorite Red blend that Dave Phinney is making right now. The Prisoner is a fun-drinking Red but this is a completely different wine. It is comprised of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah and drinks like an inky, concentratedPetite Sirah blend. Blackberry, dark dark chocolate with a silky texture is what this wine offers in the glass. - Kerrin Laz, Wine Director - See more at: http://www.deandeluca.com/wine/red/syrah/orin-swift-abstract-red-2012/?gclid=CjwKEAjw0a2eBRDVrabv9vWJ90USJACsKRDH6B5OhAB6XDVSlzbsYV3x60x_cVKzi5H9JdRZDvi9ARoCq5zw_wcB#sthash.0ItBWrI1.dpuf

http://www.orinswift.com/2012Abstract


http://www.docwinebarchicago.com/lombard/

Plate from earlier visit