Big Red Wine Flight for Big Red BBall Clincher

Big Red Wine Flight for Big Red BBall Clincher

Much of the family gathered on Saturday to watch Big Ten basketball, Indiana at UCLA. Indiana won a double overtime thiller. Never-the-less, it’s been a tumultuous rebuild year for IU basketball, unlike the miraculous turnaround of the IU CFB Champions football team, which we followed and featured in this earlier blogpost, Big Reds Celebrate Big Red Win. 

Tonight’s game was an exciting remembrance of their undefeated championship season, fifty years ago, when that win streak began with a win over then defending national champions UCLA in the season opener, that we attended in the Checkerdome in St Louis. 

Tonight, we ordered in pizza, pasta, mussels and Italian Sausage and Peppers from Angeli’s Italian, our neighborhood trattoria. 

With the hearty meal, we opened a wine flight of Big Red wines, and a crowd pleaser Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2022

The Walt brand is from Hall Wines, named for Kathryn Walt Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt. Hall Wines produce an extensive portfolio of ultra-premium wines under the Hall brand, primarily sourced and produced in their two Napa Valley estate vineyards and wineries in St Helena and Rutherford. We’ve visited both, and most notably their magnificent Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate on numerous occasions, as featured in this earlier blogpost. 
 

The Walts were dedicated winegrowers who produced six different varietals that were sold to several great wineries. Kathryn, an accomplished attorney who also was US Ambassador to Vienna, actually managed the vineyard operations from 1982 until 1992. Walt has a dedicated winemaking team and its own state-of-the-art winemaking facility in Sonoma.

Walt wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, crafted to showcase the terroir, those specific qualities of the vineyards where they are grown. 

Initially, they produced wine only from their own grapes, so they could have total control over the vineyards. They eventually expanded to source grapes and make wine from the premier vineyards up and down the west coast from Santa Barbara to Oregon. In total they have 130 vineyards accounts for about 50 percent each of production from growers and owned estate vineyards. 

Walt vineyards are located in premier locations in Sonoma County, Anderson Valley and Central Coast, Napa County, and Willamette Valley in Oregon. 

They seek out vineyards in cool climates with low-vigor hillside sites that produce elegant, opulent, supple and silky wines. 

Walt employ hand sorting every berry; pressing Chardonnay as whole clusters; allowing native yeast fermentation; encouraging a long malolactic fermentation with weekly batonnage and topping off; barrel aging on lees to create more texture, richness, and complexity; and never fining or filtering. 

The Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is from the Sonoma Coast Appellation with its terroir of climate of heavy fog and strong winds tempered by bright afternoon sunshine, and sandy, well-draining soils that stress the vines into producing grapes of full varietal intensity. The fruit is sourced from Bob’s Ranch Estate Vineyard, with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean; Coastal breezes along with low rolling hills and morning fog define this cool climate site, and the legendary Sangiacomo Vineyard a low-yielding site, just outside the city of Sonoma, that is famous for many top Chardonnay labels.

Winemaker notes - “The 2022 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with enticing aromas of crisp apple, lemon zest, and a hint of citrus blossom. The palate is ripe and vibrant, offering layers of citrus and stone fruit flavors, complemented by a touch of flint. The finish is bright and refreshing, with a lingering note of minerality.”

This label was rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and 90 points by Wine Spectator.

Pale golden colored fulled bodied, firmly structured, concentrated forward citrus and melon flavors with hints of mango and pineapple with a resounding bold expressive finish. This is not for the feint of heart, you either love or shun this bold expressive style and profile. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4917478

Turning to the reds we opened two Big Reds from favorite producers.

Mollydooker Blue Eye’d Boy 2021

We’ve featured this producer and this label often in these pages as chronicled here - BBQ Ribs and Syrah, and recently here - Blue Eye’d Boy with Flank Steak.

As I’ve written in these blogposts, this is one of our favorite big bold Aussie Shiraz’s and whimsically shares the Blue Eye’d Boy moniker designation between the producer and us with our son Alec, hence this being one of our family signature wines we keep and have fun commemorating our son and enjoying on family gatherings.

I chronicled the Mollydooker brand and their portfolio of wines in this earlier blogpost. 

I wrote about Mollydooker and the Blue Eye’d Boy label in more detail last year in the blogpost - Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020. 

We hold more than a half dozen vintages of this label and this is the newest, latest release which we're trying here for the first time, since we customarily will open the oldest vintage in our cellar as part of cellar inventory management. 

Winemaker Notes - Black crimson in color, this wine leaps from the glass with powerful aromatics of blueberries, fresh plum, licorice and nuances of chocolate biscuit. The seamless texture is laced with fresh berry fruit, coffee, vanilla cream and warm spice, giving us a full-bodied Shiraz with an endless depth of flavor and great length.

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

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote an interesting observation about this label; "Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020 ..."

The key here is comparisons of this same label from vintage to vintage, and contrasting the resulting impact from a warm vintage vs a cool vintage. Such distinctions are best revealed through comparison tastings of one vintage alongside another or others - what is referred to as a 'vertical' tasting (as opposed to 'horizontal tasting' which would be various wines from the same vintage). 

This was dark inky colored, full bodied, powerful concentrated, full throttle big round black and blue fruits accented by spice, black tea, notes of licorice and hints of bitter dark mocha chocolate with a long full finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4404716

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Family Brunier/Kermit Lynch Les Pallieres ‘Les Racines’ Gigondas Red Blend 2016

As noted above, this is one of our favorite producers that we know well from visits to the estates and our extensive collection of their wines dating back several decades. This is a special label for opening with the kids, since we all visited the Domaine toegether. We discovered and were first introduced to this label during that visit to the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Papewinery estate during our Rhone Wine Experience back in 2018. 

Tasting this wine with producer Daniel Brunier
at the estate

 
Brunier Lynch Domaine les Pallieres "Les Racines" Gigondas 2016

As noted above, we discovered and were first introduced to this label while visiting the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery estate during our Rhone Wine Experience back in 2018. 

This  Domaine Les Pallières, label is a collaborative partnership between the Brunier Family of Château Vieux Telegraphe with the noted merchant exporter (importer to America) Kermit Lynch, in the nearby commune and appellation of Gigondas. 

This was rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 94-96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 94 points by Vinous.

This is 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah – Cinsault (co-planted) and 5% Clairette made from the oldest 75-year-old vines of the estate located around the domaine in Gigonda, the appellation to the north and east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

We visited the Gigondas appellation during our Rhone Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.

The area sits about 200-400 feet in elevation, higher than the lower appellation sites lying closer to the Rhone River in the valley,  with soils that are a mix of broken limestone and clay. The resulting wines are invariably darker black with more dense and concentrated fruits, more akin to the typically more prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.  

Dark blackish purple garnet colored, full bodied, complex layered spice-accented black currant, black raspberry and notes of blueberry, baking spices, olive tapanade, herbs, black tea with gripping but smooth polished tannins on the long finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2841670

http://www.vieux-telegraphe.fr/en

WBTG dining at Entourage DG

WBTG dining at Entourage DG

We dined alfresco with Linda’s college sorority sisters, Pat and Debbie, with her husband Denny, visiting from Florida. We arranged to meet at Entourage DG (Downers Grove, IL), that has become one of our favorite go to eateries in the CHI western suburbs - Entourage has been featured prominently in these pages in recent blogposts. 

Taking advantage of the Social Hour, ‘early bird and Late Night’ specials, we ordered several of our regular favorites including 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! 

We also started with the Entourage Deviled Eggs - Traditional Deviled Eggs with Kona Coffee + Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon, Maple Syrup and Chives. Once again, these are delicious - the Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon - amazing ! 

Additionally, prior to our main course, we enjoyed another regular favorite, 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.

The ladies all ordered from the Social Hour menu the Entourage Waygu Filet Mignon Sliders - Two 2oz. Filet Medallions with Horseradish Cream, Pickled Onion, Oven Roasted Roma Tomato and Arugula on a Mini Brioche bun.

I ordered what is one of my favorite dishes on the menu, their signature Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

Denny ordered from the Social Hour menu the Sweet Chili Calamari - Flash Fried with Cherry Peppers, Banana Peppers, Shishito and Sweet Chili Firecracker Sauce

While I brought from home two bottles, a red and a white  to open BYOB, we all took advantage of the Social Hour special pricing on WBTG - Wines By The Glass. While the wine list is limited, each of these offered good value pleasant drinking, appropriately matched to our starter and entree selections. 

Having fun with our collective Indiana heritage and roots, and at my suggestion, the ladies each ordered the WBTG Sonoma County Chardonnay. 

Kokomo “Peter’s Vineyard” Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast California Chardonnay.

As featured in earlier blogposts … 

Family owned and operated Kokomo Winery was started by Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller in 2004, a fellow Hoosier who named it after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, which is near Linda’s hometown and family farm in North Central Carroll County, Indiana. (Funny, they showcase their “Boilermaker” collection of wines, honoring the Purdue Boilermakers’, mascot of the Big Ten University not far from Linda’s family homestead, arch rival to our beloved Indiana University “Hoosiers”, but the one she grew up supporting.) 

The Winery sits on the East side of Dry Creek Valley, twenty miles north of Santa Rosa, off the main route 101, midway between the towns of Healdsburg and Geyserville. The winery and tasting room is located at Timber Crest Farms, sitting amid 120 acres of vineyards, overlooking the valley.

Kokomo produces over a dozen different varietal wines and several single vineyard designated labels which are farmed by his partner in the winery, grower Randy Peters. Kokomo Wines strive to showcase the terroir of the their vineyard sources in the three distinctive appellations of Sonoma County - Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. They also offer some wines sourced from the Sonoma Valley Moon Mountain District. 

This Peter’s Vineyard Designated label is 100% Chardonnay sourced from a site in the Russian River Valley, west Sebastopol, next to Luther Burbank's Farm where the soil is rich with Goldridge sandy loam. There the vines are exposed to consistent coastal fog, which calls for extended hang time and more development for the fruit. 

I was a bit hesitant to order this bottle, especially to be paired with such a magnificent dinner, since our awareness of Kokomo is more modest entry level wines, less discriminating than the premium and ultra-premium labels we tend to enjoy. 

We see their entry level labels widely distributed but have never had any of their more premium labels. Note they show two dozen different offerings on their website. Never-the-less I gave it a shot and found it to be an over-achiever to my perception of the brand, meeting our hopeful expectations for suitably pairing with our dinner. 

Kokomo “Peter’s Vineyard” Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast California Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker notes for this release - “Planted in West Sebastopol, this is a premier location for Chardonnay. The vineyard is next to Luther Burbank’s Farm and the soil composition is rich Goldridge Sandy Loam. With the consistent coastal fog extending hang time well into October, this fruit is fully developed and loaded with complexity. The Chardonnay is comprised of Clones 4 and 76.’

Continuing, Winemaker notes for this release remain the same as with the previous vintage: “Reminiscent of a classic white Burgundy but with a California twist, this Chardonnay displays vibrant minerality accompanied by the mouth-watering natural acidity typically found in Peters Vineyard. Stirring the lees (Sur Lie) was performed to this lot consistently once per week through malolactic fermentation. We feel like this gives the wine body, texture and depth while maintaining its graceful acidity and restraint. This Chardonnay is elegant enough to pair with delicate foods and delicious enough to drink by itself after a long day.”

This is 100% Chardonnay, Sourced from Russian River Valley Appellation, and was aged 11 months in 100% French Oak, 30% New..

While I gave it the same rating, this release had a slightly different profile.

Straw colored, light to medium bodied, tangy crisp acidity highlights a predominant layer of vanilla that overshadowed the subtle pear, spice and peach tones of the earlier release, accented by light sprites of oak on a pleasurable moderate finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5165863

https://www.kokomowines.com/store/?view=product&slug=23ch

https://www.kokomowines.com/

With my entree I ordered from the WBTG selections this Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This was a new producer and label discovery for me and proved to be a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio selection. 

Lingua Franca "Avni" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022 

This is from producer Lingua Franca, pronounced lin·gua fran·ca which means “a universal language used to connect people of diverse backgrounds”, a metaphor for extraordinary wines.

Lingua Franca began in 2012 when Larry Stone, the ninth Master Sommelier in the US, and the first American to win the prestigious Best International Sommelier in French Wines competition in Paris, acquired the 150 acre Janzen Farm in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of Willamette Valley, Oregon. 

Previously, Stone spent 30 years as a restaurateur and sommelier at the Four Seasons, Charlie Trotter’s here in Chicago, and Rubicon Restaurant among others. Rubicon, opened in SFO in 1994 with financial backing from Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, and Francis Ford Coppola, was named after Coppola’s signature wine. Under Stone’s leadership, Rubicon became famous for its exceptional wine program, winning a Michelin star, Ivy Award, and multiple James Beard honors for outstanding wine service. He was recruited to Rubicon from Charlie Trotter’s.  

In 2015 Stone partnered with David Honig, and Dominique Lafon to develop Lingua Franca to produce exceptional wines representing the terroir of the Oregon vineyards. 

Dominique Lafon is best known as the namesake, director, and winemaker of one of the great estates of Meursault, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, having taken over the family domaine in 1984. Dominique was a descendant of Jules Lafon, who founded the estate and created the revered French wine festival, La Paulée. 

Dominique Lafon also founded Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon in the Mâconnais in 1999, focusing on upper hillside high-altitude, old-vine Chardonnay, further extending his impact beyond the Côte d’Or to the wider Burgundy region. He is active internationally, consulting with wineries such as Lingua Franca, and is a respected mentor to many younger winemakers in both France and abroad

They hired as Winemaker Thomas Savre, who had worked with and gained experience at some of the best domaines in Burgundy, and as Assistant Winemaker, Enologist and Assistant Vineyard Manager at Evening Land, directly adjacent to Lingua Franca, where he worked closely with Lafon to create superb Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Seven Springs Vineyards.

The Lingua Franca 66 acre vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, is surrounded by notable neighbors like Seven Springs and Lone Star Vineyards. The area benefits from ideal easterly exposure and rocky volcanic soils and cooling winds funneling in from the Pacific Ocean. This unique terroir produces intensely mineral driven wines with vibrant acidity.

Larry planted exclusively Dijon and heritage clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, sourced from esteemed vineyards like Le Montrachet. The Chardonnay grows in stony soils for distinctive minerality, while the Pinot thrives in silty loam "Jory" and marine fossil Nekia soils.

Grapes are carefully sorted in the winery, and whole clusters are used to enhance complexity. Traditional pigéage (foot punching) is employed for better results. The range includes estate wines and fruit from single sites, embodying classic Oregon elegance with pure fruit, spice, and earthy notes.

Nearly 32% of this 2022 Avni Pinot Noir comes from selected blocks of the Lingua Franca Estate. The remaining 68% comes from select best neighboring vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, including Hope Well and from the South Salem Hills and Yamhill-Carlton to the north. 

Winemaker notes - “The 2022 AVNI Pinot Noir will count among the most regionally representative we have ever made, focused and flavorful, yet harmonious and balanced, with an overlying elegance and velvety mouthfeel. Red fruits dominate the flavor profile with some Black Cherry, spice, black tea, fresh herbs, and a hint of Black Cherry, tar and rose petal, finishing with a round texture.”

“Hand-harvested, sorted and destemmed, the grapes were fed bin by bin (not pumped) into medium and large sized stainless steel and cement fermenting tanks and then spontaneously fermented with wild yeast. 10% of the fruit for Avni Pinot Noir 2022 was not destemmed and went whole cluster into airtight tanks.” 

The wines aged in 27% new and 73% old French oak barriques for 12 months, and 4 in tank as the final assemblage prior to bottling.

This release was awarded 94 points by Decanter, Wine Spectator and James Suckling, and 92+ points, by Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck.

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, expressive complex redcurrant, cherry and raspberry fruits with notes of lavender, clove spice, dusty chalky stone minerality, smoke and herbs, with finely integrated tannins and acidity, on a pleasant lingering finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4904396

https://www.linguafranca.wine/

Linda ordered from the WBTG list this big red full bodied Zinfandel from a well known classic Zinfandel producer. 

Seghesio Angela’s Table Zinfandel 2022

This is from Seghesio Family Vineyards that date back 125 years when family ancestors first planted vineyards in Sonoma County in 1895. Over the next five generations, they persevered through prohibition, earthquakes, fires and droughts.

Seghesio Family Vineyards today encompass more than 300 acres of certified sustainable vineyards across Sonoma County’s most preeminent growing regions including the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys. They also source grapes from San Joaquin, and Contra Costa counties.

Seghesio Family Vineyards has become synonymous with high quality Zinfandel wines, they still farm a number of the original founding blocks of Zinfandel planted at the Home Ranch Vineyard dating back to 1895. They also maintain the oldest blocks of Sangiovese in North America in their Chianti Station Vineyard. These Sangiovese vines represent an heirloom clone that has otherwise gone extinct and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I look forward to finding and tasting their Sangiovese wines.

While “Old Vine” may be an unregulated term, they have devised our own strict guidelines for using the phrase. For Seghesio, “Old Vine” indicates a minimum age of 50 years, but they exceed those guidelines with their “Old Vine Zinfandel” which is produced from vineyards with an average age closer to 75 years.

It’s easy to get lost in the broad range of Seghesio labels that may be available at the local wine merchant.

Seghesio are known for their stewardship and preservation of old vines, so much so that, in 2011, they purchased the historic Montafi Vineyard in Russian River Valley, in large part to ensure that the 94-year-old Zinfandel vines planted there would stay in the ground. A small amount of wine is produced from that site exclusively for their tasting room and wine club.

2018 Sonoma
from Cellar

Seghesio’s winemaker is Andy Robinson who joined Seghesio as enologist in 2003. In 2004, he took a working vacation to Marlborough, New Zealand, in order to learn how best to develop a California warm climate Sauvignon Blanc. 

To try new wines and learn about different regions he has since traveled to Baden in Germany; Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Lanquedoc in France; Toro and Rioja in Spain; Veneto, Campania and Tuscany in Italy; Wachau, Austria and Oporto and Alentejo in Portugal. 

Andy grew up in North Tonawanda, NY, in between Buffalo and Niagara Falls on the Niagara River — between New York’s Finger Lakes region and Ontario’s Ice Wine regions. His interest in wine began while studying for his Chemistry degree at SUNY Geneseo, where three of his chemistry professors were involved in winemaking or wine-related research topics. 

He then earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University in NYC. There, he met fellow chemical engineering student, Rosie Conception who was Seghesio’s Enologist from 2000 to 2003. She would later introduce Andy to Seghesio wines and convince him to move to Sonoma to pursue his interest in wine.

In 2001 he worked at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena as harvest intern/ vineyard sampler and lab technician before joining Seghesio as enologist in 2003.

It’s often said that Zinfandel is the only truly American grape, Zinfandel produces wines that are bold, complex and age-worthy. Seghesio produce a broad portfolio of more than a dozen Zinfandels including Single Vineyard Designated and Old Vine labels. 

This label, Angela’s Table, is essentially the same wine as the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, with Angela’s Table being produced specifically for wholesale including restaurants and certain retail/outlets, while the regular Sonoma Zinfandel is sold direct-to-consumer (DTC) and major retail. The label “Angela’s Table” often appears on the back, sometimes without a barcode, and is commonly distributed to restaurants and independent wine shops rather than supermarkets.This release is sourced from Sonoma, San Joaquin, and Contra Costa counties.

The 2022 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel is a blend of 88% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah, 1% Alicante Bouschet, and 6% Mixed Reds

Winemaker Notes - “The 2022 Sonoma Zinfandel captivates with a complex fusion of blackberry, black currant, plum, cherry, and baking spice aromas. Its lively palate showcases succulent fruit interwoven with supple tannins, persisting from mid-palate to a gratifying finish.”

It was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator

Dark garnet colored medium full bodied, bold expressive, concentrated briary blackberry fruits iwth notes of anise, smoke, creosote with a zesty lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4802396

https://www.seghesio.com/

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

Venge Scout’s Honor Red Blend 2015 with BBQ Ribs

Venge Scout’s Honor Red Blend 2015 with BBQ Ribs

Linda prepared BBQ ribs with roasted potatoes so I pulled from the cellar a Big Red suitable for the occasion.

I’ve written about this producer and this label in detail in many earlier blogposts over the years. Tonight’s tasting was consistent with an earlier one of this, hence I excerpt it here.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/03/venge-vineyard-scouts-honor-napa-red.html

From Monday, March 29, 2021

Venge Vineyard "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015

This is a wine we have fun with, one of our "V" wines, those featuring the letter 'V' on their labels or in their branding, as a tribute to our daughter-in-law Viviana, that we have fun with in our collecting and serving.

As I have written often in these pages, we've been enjoying Nils and Kirk Venge' wines since the early 1990's when Nils was featured by Wine Spectator Magazine in a 1994 article on up and coming wine producers.

One of the labels of the Venge portfolio is Scout's Honor, named for the family Labrador Retriever. I remember Scout walking the rows in the vineyards with Nils during a visit to the Rutherford Penny Lane estate back in the nineties (shown right from our 2002 visit).

This wine was initially meant to be a fun sipper for the Venge tasting room, yet it became — and remains — one of the most popular wines of the Venge portfolio which has now grown to nineteen labels.

Scout's Honor is based on a tradition of producing a full bodied, delicious and enjoyable red wine that can be opened and enjoyed immediately upon release however when cellared correctly it will age for 5 to 8 years.

Scout's Honor starts as a unique proprietary red blend anchored by a base of old-vine Zinfandel and builds upon that with dry-farmed Petite Sirah, old-vine Charbono, and finish with mountain vineyard Syrah.

The blend for 2015 70% Zinfandel, 14% Charbono, 9% Petite Sirah and 7% Syrah.

We have been collecting this label since the earliest releases in the mid-nineties and hold more than a half dozen vintages. We typically keep a half dozen vintages of this label on hand for easy, enjoyable smooth sipping with everyday fare, great with BBQ, burgers, pizza to hearty cheese, beef, fruits and chocolates.

Nil's has stepped down into retirement and winemaker and production duties are now with son Kirk who has raised the bar taking this label to new heights in recent years, earning 93 or 94 points from Wine Advocate for vintages 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Wine buddy Andy and I visited Kirk and Nils up at the Calistoga estate and the Signal Fire Vineyard back in 2002 (shown right).

From a branding perspective, this may be the last year you see this packaging with a paper label as the 2018 release went to a more upscale painted on glass bottle label marking, moving to a more premium positioning for this label. It remains to be seen what happens to the price point. It is already priced at the high end of the Zinfandel range, but well worth it with its sophistication and complexity and quality of the blend. 

Venge "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This release got 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Winery notes: "The base starts with old-vine Zinfandel from Venge's Signal Fire Vineyard in Calistoga (where some of those vines have been producing for over 100 years!) and build upon that with dry-farmed Petite Sirah, old-vine Charbono, and finish with mountain-vineyard Syrah from the Stagecoach Vineyard. The result is an unpretentious red wine that will satisfy time and time again.’ 

“This vintage has a gorgeous, concentrated assemblage of aromas of stone fruits, crushed blue herbs, violets, cherry, anise, and a touch of honeysuckle. On the palate is pure richness from the old-vine Zinfandel with loads of super-ripe blackberry, pepper spice, and an enveloping masculinity of char and tannins from the Syrah, Charbono and Petite Sirah. A seamless balance and mouth coating deliciousness are found throughout the palate, with an extra-long finish."

Deep garnet-purple colored, full bodied, rich, bold expressive dense, forward, especially ripe black berry and black currant fruits, this is another fruit bomb that is almost a bit over the top with its super ripe fruits' opulence, almost bordering on raisin notes with a bit of burnt coffee and tobacco notes turning to anise and dark bitter mocha with hints of cedar and pepper on the long moderate tannin laced finish.

 RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2390574

http://www.vengevineyards.com/

@VengeVineyards

Jonata Winery "Todos Everyone" Syrah

Jonata Winery "Todos" -  "Everyone" Syrah Vineyard Blend Red Wine 2017

For midweek pizza at home, I pulled from the cellar a Big Red from Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley which we visited earlier this year in late Spring. It was our first encounter with this producer and their unique style.

This Big Red Syrah based blend is from Jonata Winery, sourced from their estate vineyards in the Ballard Canyon AVA, which is part of the greater Santa Ynez Valley appellation, in the foothills and mountains to the east of the town of Los Olivos, site to over forty local winery tasting rooms.

Jonata is named for the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata which dates back to the originating1845 Spanish land grant. for land that covered a large part of the Santa Ynez Valley, site of the Jonata estate. The name Jonata was coined by the early pioneers, taken from the local Chumash Indian and means “tall oak”.

Owner Stan Kroenke acquired 586 acres of which 84 are planted to vineyards. Contrary to conventional wisdom at the time, the estate was planted with a host of varieties that are rarely cultivated side-by-side, Syrah, Sangiovese and Bordeaux, a highly controversial and questionable decision in the winegrowing community at that time.

The first harvest was in 2004, overseen by Matt Dees, Jonata’s winemaker. The result proved to be prescient when the vineyards produced extraordinary results.

Since then the estate has consistently produced a portfolio of wines that have garnered substantial critical acclaim from Robert M. Parker Jr., Jeb Dunnuck, Antonio Galloni and Stephen Tanzer. Today they produce ten different wines from the broad range of varietals and blended combinations - all seemingly complex, all with Spanish derived names - El Desafio, El Alma, La Sangre, Todos, Fenix, Tierra, Fuerza, Flor, and La Miel.

Winemaker Matt Dees earned a degree in Soil Science from the University of Vermont and then worked at Staglin in Napa, California and Craggy Range in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand where he developed an intricate feel for viticulture and wine production, from dirt to glass. His unconventional approach is reflected in the Jonata wines. Dees as winemaker translates his approach to structure, texture and tannin  in his wines. Matt is assisted in the winery by Drew Pickering.

It is written that 'Jonata's sandy site and its team’s winegrowing know-how produce wines that are widely recognized as some of the best achievable from the region.'

I guess I need to pay more attention to this producer and their wines. We went to Morton's upscale steakhouse last night and they had no less than three Jonata labels on their extensive, award winning winelist.

Jonata Winery Todos "Everyone" Red Wine Vineyard Blend 2017 

This label has been produced since 2006. This vintage release is a unique blend of 44% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Sirah, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc - a Bordeaux blend with a backbone core of Syrah. 2370 cases were produced in this release.  

 

The rear label explains this wine "Todos or "Everyone" is our estate in a bottle, It represents all 10 grape varietals we grow - each one with a distinctive voice, from an unconventional estate, all coming together in seamless harmony."

"As always Todos possesses the most exotic, complex and compelling aromatics of the lineup. Highlighted by black truffle, jasmine, five spice, black pepper and clove. Driven by dried blueberry, Mission fig and aged balsamic. Hints of dried tobacco, mint and baking chocolate combine with a tidal wave of velveteen black fruit on the palate. A wine of extreme power, but also delicate and proportional balance. Strikes me as the most approachable Todos since 2006 and also possibly the finest since that date." - Matt Dees, Winemaker.

This release was awarded 94+ points by Jeb Dunnuck jebdunnuck.com, and 93 points by Antonio Galloni Vinous.

As one might expect, this was a bit of a cacaphony of flavors, fighting for attention and prominence. This is not for feint of heart. Linda loved the bold forward full fruits. I did too, but would've preferred something a bit less obtuse, with more balance and polish. 

Give this five years to settle and integrate and it might achieve that and be more approachable.

Dark blackish inky colored with a barely slight garnet ring, full bodied, aromatic, complex, firm, tight, structured with a bit of an edge, backbone of concentrated black fruits with notes of balsamic, spices, black pepper, black tea and hints of clove and truffles with a long tongue coating tangy finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3438922

https://www.jonata.com/

Herman Story Bolt Cutter Red Blend 2018

Herman Story Bolt Cutter Red Blend 2018 for Pizza and Pasta

Alec and Vivianna came over for pizza and pasta and we opened this BIG RED for the occasion. 

With a name like "Bolt Cutter", what else might one expect than a big bold concentrated firm forward fruit bomb?

Bolt Cutter was first released in 2012, the inaugural vintage made with a majority share of Bordeaux varietals. The wine is a diversion from the usual Herman Story wines that historically focus on Rhône varietals such as Syrah and Grenache. The name is a playful nod toproducer/winemaker Russell P. From’s most iconic wine: Nuts & Bolts. This is Herman Story for the “I only drink Napa Cab” crowd. 

I wrote about Herman Story and an older vintage release of this label in an earlier blogpost and another one of his labels in a recent blogpost.  

This label from Russel From, Herman Story winemaker and proprietor, is a tribute label from one of those producer's with a sense of humor. As I have written in earlier blogposts, every Herman Story label tells the story on the rear label, "Herman Story was a Rancher, Logger, Swapper, Banker, Philanthropist, a teller of tales and my Grandfather. - Russel From, winemaker, proprietor."

Proprietor and winemaker Russell P. From began Herman Story Wines in 2001 with 7 barrels stashed in his employer’s cellar. What started as a modest homage to his rancher grandfather has become a beacon to those seeking opulent, structured Syrah and Grenache. To maintain balance while giving flavor full stage, Russell works with 30 top-tier growers' vineyards in over 7 distinct growing regions between Santa Barbara and Paso Robles along the California Central Coast. Its widely published that he produces "no nonsense, balls to the walls wines that are not for the faint of heart or the pinky raising set".

With a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Petit Verdot and 10% Syrah this embodies everything we love in a big bold full throttle red wine. Fruit for this release is sourced from the Chelle Mountain, Slide Hill, Star Lane, Jespersen, White Hawk, Bien Nacido, White Cliffs, and Rolph Vineyards across Paso Robles region. The blend was aged for 24 months in 80% new French oak.

As From writes on his website about his no-nonsense approach to winemaking, "Herman Story Wines are made, schlepped, peddled, and drunk with friends by me. The basic web design books tell me that you're probably here for the basics: to find release schedules, ordering information and tasting opportunities for the wines I make, which sounds pretty good to me. The less time I spend writing this stuff the more time I spend in the cellar. So here you go, all the facts with none of the filler. An aesthetic I stand by and believe my wines do too."

Wine Enthusiast gave this a "Cellar Selection" and 94 points, while Jeb Dunnuck gave it a whopping 96 points and said, "It's the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted."

Producer's review of this wine speaks to its special, profound character and profile ....  "No one in Ellis County has ever seen a twister like this. Pushing F5 and tossing cows like nobody’s business. It’s about to separate the roof from this old Dodge Durango, but you’re still pushing. Inside, they pass around black licorice and cherry soda to easy listening classics – soothing keys and guitar riffs straight out of elevator speakers. e storm hits a supermarket, then a bakery. Cinnamon buns and rhubarb pies splatter on the road, the hood, the windshield, and the wheels come off the ground. Around you go, hundreds of feet in the air. But damn, listen to that bass groove."

Winemaker Tasting Notes:  "The 2018 Bolt Cutter Red is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Petit Verdot, 25% Syrah (sic, contrary to the rear label). There’s no denying it, with this much attitude, swagger and raw unbridled power nothing can stop this. This is basically an axe wielding shark wearing a tuxedo, driving a monster truck in an Evel Knievel jump across the Grand Canyon. Prickly pear jam, salted cherries, hoisin sauce, fire scorched poblanos, brand new BF Goodrich 33’’ Baja T/AS off road tires, char crusted bloody filet mignon, blasted limestone quarry, Ferrari seats, well spiced Mexican hot chocolate and rusted pocket knives."

You can't make this up! How else could you top that review? Nothing less than BOMBastic!

Not for the feint of heart indeed, this was dark inky blackish purple, almost like syrup pouring it from the bottle, thick, dense, powerful concentrated unctuous black fruits, dark bitter mocha, black licorice, hints of cherry cola, caramel and cinnamon clove spices with what Wine Enthusiast calls roasted meats on a lasting dry, tannin laced tongue coating finish. 

RM 95 point.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3710603

https://www.hermanstorywines.com/

https://twitter.com/HermanStoryWine

Venge Scouts Honor Trio

Venge Scouts Honor Trio - Big Red Blend Replay

Following our opening a Venge Scouts Honor for a Big Red easy sipping wine with cheeses and snacks the other night, we had another friend over for more of the same. The girls finished off the remains of the bottle from the other night to much fanfare, so I trolled the cellar and found this aged vintage release of the label. 

I was discussing the new label branding for this label, that I fear with the new upgraded packaging, coupled with the long run of high marks, will portend an increase in price ahead. Many times over the years we've seen a favorite label gain notoriety for a big year or a string of big years resulting for a big run-up in the price. This is understandable and acceptable when it rewards the producer for work well done. Too often it is exploited by the producer who raises the price precipitously above the price point for the label, taking it to another level, leaving the budget conscious fan base behind as the price enters a new strata. I won't name names but many readers will know one or more examples. 

Never-the-less, upscale premium packaging with painted labels is now the norm for Venge Vineyards labels, from the traditional legacy Napa bottlings to the newer Sonoma Russian River Valley releases under the Venge Vineyards brand, and the new Kirk Venge venture Croix Estate wines from the Russian River estate and winery.  

From our label library archive, here are more earlier branding labels of Scout's Honor, the 2001 vintage featuring the water color art library label. 

 

The premium upscale packaging of the new era Venge Vineyards and Croix Estate branding with painted bottles. 

Back to Scout's Honor, interestingly, in light of the above comments on pricing, Cellartracker records indicated the price for this vintage release was about 50% of the current selling price for this wine, albeit twenty years later.

Lo and behold, I found a vintage release with the old previous packaging label, from the 1998 vintage, certainly time to drink. 

Here shown are the three generations of labels for this wine, the original water color label that was part of a collection of colorful paintings for each label in the portfolio, the recent era label, and the latest release painted bottle for the 2019 release. 

Venge Vineyards "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 1998

According to my tasting notes, I last tasted this label release back in 2012 when I wrote, "This vintage selection was showing its age - from the brownish-orange rust hue rimming the glass to the earthy leather bramble taste that may have taken over for some of the fruit. Never-the-less the medium body was full of black raspberry and black cherry fruits accented by smoke and hints of creosote. Resembles the 1996 more than the 2001 release of this wine."

Amazingly, nine years later, tonight's tasting experience was the same as that earlier one, as if this wine was stuck in time at the point it was back in 2012. Still holding its own, at that point, but time to drink up. Notably, this is our last bottle of aged vintage release. 

The blend for this release was 85% Zinfandel and 15% Charbono. 

In that earlier earlier release tasting note back in 2012, I wrote about the Charbono varietal grape.

At twenty-two years, the fill level, label, cork and foil were in ideal condition.

 Upon opening this had a funky barnyard nose, which as expected did burn off after forty-five minutes to an hour. 

Never-the-less, the tasting profile was remarkably consistent with that earlier note, this vintage selection was showing its age - with a bit of that brownish-orange rust hue rimming the glass, and the same  earthy leather bramble taste that may have taken over for some of the fruit. It resembled the same medium body with black raspberry and black cherry fruits accented by smoke and hints of creosote and some earthy leather. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198470

http://www.vengevineyards.com/

@VengeVineyards  

The  Venge Vineyards Label Library Archive is on my winesite label library pages featuring a selection of the Venge libary of water color labels from the nineties.

Venge Vineyard "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 2017

Sis-in-law Pat in town for Linda's birthday and some winter games we opened this big red fruit filled sipper with snacks for casual sipping. 

We've been enjoying Nils and Kirk Venge' wines since the early 1990's when Nils was featured by Wine Spectator Magazine in a 1994 article on up and coming wine producers. 

One of the labels of the Venge portfolio is Scout's Honor named for the family Labrador Retriever. I remember Scout walking the rows in the vineyards with Nils during a visit to the Rutherford Penny Lane estate back in the nineties (shown right from our 2002 visit).

Scout's Honor is based on a tradition of producing a full bodied, delicious and enjoyable red wine that can be opened and enjoyed immediately upon release however when cellared correctly it will age for 5 to 8 years.

Scout's Honor starts as a unique proprietary red blend anchored by a base of old-vine Zinfandel and builds upon that with dry-farmed Petite Sirah, old-vine Charbono, and finish with mountain vineyard Syrah.  

The blend for 2017 is 63% Zinfandel, 16% Charbono, 12% Petite Sirah and 9% Syrah.

We have been collecting this label since the earliest releases in the mid-nineties and hold a half dozen vintages. We typically keep a half dozen vintages of this label on hand for easy, enjoyable smooth sipping with everyday fare, great with BBQ, burgers, pizza to hearty cheese, beef, fruits and chocolates. Normally we would drink from the oldest vintage as part of cellar management but I wanted to try this recent release.  

Nil's has stepped down into retirement and winemaker and production duties are now with son Kirk who has raised the bar taking this label to new heights in recent years, earning 93 or 94 points from Wine Advocate for vintages 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.  Kirk says, this 2017 is “perhaps our finest effort to date.” It’s 100% Napa fruit, a blend of 63% Zinfandel, 16% Charbono, 12% Petite Sirah, and 9% Syrah from mostly 60-100+ year-old vines. 

Winemaker Kirk's tasting notes for this release: “The result is an unpretentious red wine that is ready to enjoy upon re-lease. This vintage has a gorgeous, concentrated assemblage of sweet honeysuckle, crushed blue herbs, aromas of violets, anise, and a touch of vanillin. On the palate is pure richness from the old-vine Zinfandel with loads of super ripe black fruits and currants, pepper spice, and an enveloping masculinity of char and tannins from the Syrah, Charbono and Petite Sirah. A seamless balance and mouth coating deliciousness are found throughout the palate, with an extra-long finish that is quite pleasing to the senses. 2017 Scout’s Honor is certainly a generous mouthful of red wine that we recommend be opened and enjoyed immediately upon release. Cellared correctly it will age for 5 to 8 years.”  

"We start with a base of old-vine Zinfandel from our Signal Fire Vineyard in Calistoga (where some of those vines have been producing for over 100 years!) and build upon that with dry-farmed Petite Sirah, old-vine Charbono, and finish with mountain-vineyard Syrah from the Stagecoach Vineyard. The result is an unpretentious red wine that will satisfy time and time again. Not just a fan-favorite, this wine honors our late winery dog, Scout." 

Wine buddy Andy and I visited Kirk and Nils up at the Calistoga estate and the Signal Fire Vineyard back in 2002 (shown right). 

From a branding perspective, this may be the last year you see this packaging with a paper label as the 2018 release went to a more upscale painted on glass bottle label marking, moving to a more premium positioning for this label. It remains to be seen what happens to the price point. It is already priced at the high end of the Zinfandel range, but well worth it with its sophistication and complexity and quality of the blend.

Bordering on what one might call a 'fruit-bomb"! Garnet-purple colored, full bodied, dense sweet ripe black cherry and raspberry and currant fruits with notes of spice, hints of cassis and pepper and vanilla with a long extracted finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3209032

http://www.vengevineyards.com/

@VengeVineyards 

 

Angles & Cowboys Sonoma County Proprietary Red 2013

Angles & Cowboys Sonoma County Proprietary Red 2013

Visiting Eric and Cathy for the night, Eric served this unique proprietary big red blend label from Sonoma County. Fan's of the wildly popular Prisoner red blend should love this big bold fruit forward easy drinking wine that is offered at half the price for a great high QPR label if you can find it.

This is a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Malbec, produced by Cannonball Wine Company, a collaboration of Yoav Gilat, Dennis Hill, and graphic designer Michael Schwab. The fruit is said to be sourced from some of Sonoma County's most prestigious growers.

This multi-varietal red blend represents the bold style and characteristics of each of the varietals in the blend - rich concentrated sweet Zinfandel, structured Cabernet Sauvignon, tone and notes of structure, color and bold flavors of Petite Sirah and Malbec. It all comes together in a nicely crafted blend that is harmonious and balanced, not the awkward cacaphony of flavors that often exists in lower price multi-variety red blends. This big expressive easy drinking sipper begs for BBQ, rich pasta, pizza or hearty bold cheeses.

Dark inky garnet purple colored, full bodied, rich concentrated chewy brambly blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented by a layer of mocha dark chocolate with tones of pepper and spices and a hint of cedar on a long tongue coated full finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2457513

http://www.angelsandcowboyswines.com/