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/ 

McGah Family Vineyards Scarlet

McGah Family Vineyards Scarlet - Highlight of Vin Chicago Naperville Weekly Wine Tasting

Vin Chicago, the City wine merchant with multiple suburban locations hosts a weekly wine tasting at their local store (s). They're not a mega or super store, rather they are surgically focused on offering a more limited selection of carefully selected wines, moreso though than a boutique shop, offered at a discount to even the super store, across the wine spectrum. Their tastings are not distributors setting up a table in store, rather, they feature a full range flight, featuring a broad range from white to red, conducted by regular store staff who showcase new releases and newly arrived wines. And, they regularly feature premium and ultra-premium wines such as those highlighted below. Indeed, the store only had one case of this premium McGah Family Vineyards Scarlett, yet, they still opened it for tasting.

McGah Family Vineyards "Scarlett" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This was my first encounter with McGah Family wines. Based on this experience, I will definitely seek it out in the future and look forward to trying the rest of their portfolio. They own and operate 64 acres of vineyards in the storied Rutherford appellation on the east side of the central valley near Silverado Trail. They sell fruit to other producers and also offer Scarlett Wines under their own, recently rebranded label. 

McGah Family operations are most notably known for co-founding the Bay area Oakland Raiders.  Sherratt Reicher is grandson of E.J. McGah, former Boston Red Sox player and second generation Oakland Raiders owner. Following a sports career as defensive assistant and scout for the Raiders, he formed the Hudson Companies in 2002 that includes Scarlett Wines and McGah Family Vineyards in its portfolio which he continues to manage to this day. The McGah family maintained its ownership in the Raiders until 2005. 

This is a monsterous big red with gripping mouth coating tannins, highlighted by bright vibrant sweet sprites. This was awarded 95 points by Wine Advocate. It is named after the producer/founder's daughter.

By the time we arrived, there was only one bottle available for purchase, which when I tried to obtain it, I learned son Ryan already grabbed it, acquired as part of building a 2013 horizontal collection to commemorate son/grandson Reid's birthyear. This leads to that addage that the only thing better than having a (boat, plane) wine cellar, is having a friend with a (boat, plane) wine cellar!

Dark inky, blackish ruby purple colored, immense, full bodied, rich, chewy, firm, structured, complex core of sweet blackberry was accented by a layer of black raspberry, cassis, hints of mocha, touch of vanilla and sweet spicy oak. Despite its huge gripping tannins it was sensual, smooth and polished on the long long finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2071763

http://www.scarlettwines.com/

http://vinchicago.com/ 

Two other highlights of this day's tasting were ...

La Rioja Alta "Viña Ardanza" Rioja Reserva 2007

Medium-full bodied, dark garnet colored, bright vibrant raspberry and bing cherry fruits accented by an uniquely interesting high note of vanilla and toasted coconut with hints of smoke, tobacco leaf and mocha on a firm smooth silky lingering tannins. 

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2121959



Terrazas de los Andes "Las Compuertas" Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Malbec 2011


More to come .. .

Jonata Todo Santa Ynez Red Wine 2010

Jonata Todo Santa Ynez Red Wine 2010

Celebrating birth of son Ryan's son Reid, on the day he came home from the hospital, we stopped in to see the new grandson and Ryan opened this Jonata special sipper for the occasion.

This is my first tasting of this producer. I see their labels at the wine shop for $90 plus so they must be making some good juice to justify such price points. Jonata were established as a 'cousin' winery to Napa’s ultra-premium cult classic Screaming Eagle. They released their first vintage in 2004. Robert Parker called them “one of California’s most exciting new wineries” in a review and the lid was blown off.

According to their website, they call this their 'Everything Blend', and when you see the composition you see why. The winemaker's notes say the 2011 blend is 75% Syrah, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Grenache, 4% Sangiovese, 2% Viognier, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot. Wine reviewer Antonio Galloni says this 2010 release is "78% Syrah, 8% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a dollop of another half-dozen or so grapes."

Only Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone Valley sanctions such a diverse and extensive set of varietals in the mix with thirteen different varietals authorized. But this complex and diverse blend of varietals transcends both Bordeaux regional varietals in addition to those from the Rhone appellation. I often say that since the French have been doing this for over five hundred years, so they've pretty well figured out and refined, if not perfected the right combinations of grapes that are optimal for their terroir of their regions.

It seems Jonata need to figure out what this wine is supposed to be. We're big Syrah drinkers, probably the third most popular varietal in our cellar, but I had a hard time characterizing this blend. Perhaps it needs time to settle. It seems this wine may be a bit over-the-top with all these nuances in the blend. Drinking mostly Aussie Shiraz' or Syrah's we're accustomed to less complexity, more single dimensional with forward fruit sweetness.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated forward black raspberry and blackberry fruits accented with layers of berry fruits with tones of dark chocolate and what the winemaker aptly calls 'charred steak, and a hint of jasmine from the Viognier'. I get the charred steak, I don't know what to make of the jasmine ... I might cal ll it a floral tone before turning to the creosote like cracked peppar on the tannin finish. It definitely calls for some bold cheese or better, bar-b-que to offset the boldness and the acidity. Perhaps it will settle with more time and find itself to reveal its true character ... find it what it wants to be when it grows up!  Can't wait to try this again in five and ten years.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1456272

Taken Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine 2012

Taken Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine 2012 Replay

I discovered and wrote about this Taken Napa Valley Red Wine after a recent trip to New York, when I found this high QPR Big Napa Red in several wine merchants. Taken is a joint venture between  Josh Phelps and Carlo Trinchero, two well known family names in the world of wine, next generation producers from at least one wine making family known for Swanson Vineyards and Trinchero Family Estates, which is one of the largest wine producers in the US. (Its not certain that Josh is related to that Phelps).

I went back to Buy Rite Wines and Liquors in Jersey City where they had a few bottles left of the 2012 vintage, which I picked up for a BYOB dinner with son Alec and friends Liz and Ryan, a short walk from his flat in Hoboken at Cafe Michelina Italian Restaurant.

As I wrote last month, this 2012 Red Blend reflects the much heralded vintage in Napa Valley, which benefited from an ideal growing season - rainfall in the spring, optimal temperatures in the early summer with warm days followed by cool nights, through to an early October harvest. Yields were high and the fruit was high quality.

It was a great year to be in the wine business, and to be a consumer, since high quality wines should be in abundance that should result in some great value high QPR - Quality to Price Ratio wines. Taken Red Blend emerges as such a find! It is a blend of 60% Cabernet and 40% Merlot of Napa Valley fruit, aged in French Oak Barrels.

From a packaging / branding perspective, readers of this blog know I buy, collect and drink a lot of wine, and this Taken release is packaged in a heavy oversize bottle that has the biggest 'punt' I have ever seen - seemingly larger than the size of a shot glass.

The "punt" is the concave indentation in the bottom base of the bottle. In old days, glass bottles were made by hand and this was a result of the glass making process. Today, glass bottles are mass produced using molds, so the punt is no longer a function of the historic primitive process, but rather part of the bottle design.

Most white wine bottles are produced with flat or mostly flat bottoms, while most red wine bottles are still made with punts. It is generally believed that the punt helps separate and collect the sediment down in the bottle ring, so that it doesn't pour out with the wine into the serving glass or decanter. 

This Taken release was a great accompaniment to Cafe Michelina's hearty pasta dishes - the crab and lobster stuffed pasta in vodka cream sauce, and the rigatoni with meat sauce and ricotta cheese.

Dark inky purple colored, medium to full bodied, intense concentrated forward ripe blackberry and blueberry fruits accented by layers of dark chocolate, anise and expresso with tones of graphite, earthy notes, and hints of vanilla and sweet spicy French oak. Only a bit of heat from the 14.5% alcohol and the graphite tone detract from the balance and polish of this wine.

RM 92 points.

http://takenwine.com/

Elderton Command Single Vineyard Barossa Shiraz 2002

Elderton Command Single Vineyard Barossa Shiraz 2002

This is a single vineyard designated, old vine Shiraz from a site planted back around 1894, and was classified as a Barossa Centenarian Vine by the Barossa Old Vine Chapter. The site is on the banks of the North Para River that is surrounded by the growing township of Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley wine region in south central Australia.

The historic name 'Nuriootpa' is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘meeting place’, a tribute to the Aboriginals who once gathered there to trade. It is the commercial centre of the Barossa and ‘Nuri’ is the centre of the region's wine production, with more than 50 wineries in the area including some of the best-known producers including Elderton and the legendary Penfolds.

Elderton is a classic century old wine estate that was purchased by the Ashmead family in 1979 who produced their first release label in 1982. Ashmeads and their Elderton Vineyards wines have become one of the classic Australian premium wines and Command is the signature flagship of their Barossa family of Shiraz labels.

We have a mixed case of several vintages of Command dating back a dozen plus years of this wine. My last tasting of this vintage was back in 2006 when I wrote "this wine was more approachable than the first time we tried it - but it still needs some time to meld and reveal its complex fruit".

Well, nine years later, it is smoother and more polished and is certainly approachable with its delicious melange of black and blue fruits. Reiterating my initial tasting note when I wrote this was "huge, powerful, dense, richly complex, dark", tonight it was big, dense, rich and complex, but now is smoother and more approachable with full forward fruits of ripe plum, candied cherry, black raspberry, and blueberry fruits with tones of black pepper, hints of anise and dark chocolate punched by firm intense tannins on a smooth and long finish.

RM 94 points.

This was a perfect compliment to grilled sirloin steak with twice baked potatoes and peas.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=46692

http://www.eldertonwines.com.au/

Taken Napa Red Blend

Taken Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine Blend 2012

Visiting New York this week, I found this high QPR Big Napa Red in several wine merchants. Taken is a joint venture between  Josh Phelps and Carlo Trinchero, two well known family names in the world of wine, next generation producers from at least one winemaking family known for Swanson Vineyards and Trinchero Family Estates, which is one of the largest wine producers in the US. (Its not certain that Josh is related to that Phelps).

Josh and Carlo grew up together in the wine centered town of St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley.  With a tagline, "great wine made by great friends", the mission of Taken Wine is to produce wines they and their friends and other young people from the millenial generation would enjoy. This release of Taken certainly hits the mark, and appeals to wine geeks from the boomer generation too!

I picked up a bottle for dinner at Warehouse Wine & Liquor in Danbury, Ct. I then picked up another at Buy Rite in Jersey City who have both the 2011 and the 2012 vintages in stock at under $30. 

Taken Wine Company was launched in 2009 and their first release was Taken Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010.  They subsequently released two other branding labels, Complicated which has a Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay and a Red Blend, and Available.

As they write on their website, their branding reflects the steps they have "taken" on their journey, a whimsical, fun-spirited, wordplay venture that whether taken, complicated, or available, provide their handicraft of wines. Their wines are available as part of the portfolio of the large established Trinchero Family Estates.

The aim is that the Taken names, Taken, Complicated, and Available, all tie into social media and are relevant to their generation.

This 2012 Red Blend reflects the much heralded vintage in Napa Valley, which benefited from an ideal growing season - rainfall in the spring, optimal temperatures in the early summer with warm days followed by cool nights, through to an early October harvest. Yields were high and the fruit was high quality. It was a great year to be in the wine business, and to be a consumer, since high quality wines should be in abundance that should result in some great value high QPR - Quality to Price Ratio wines. Taken Red Blend emerges as such a find! It is a blend of 60% Cabernet and 40% Merlot of Napa Valley fruit, aged in French Oak Barrels.

Dark inky purple colored, medium to full bodied, intense concentrated forward ripe blackberry and blueberry fruits accented by layers of dark chocolate, anise and expresso with tones of graphite, earthy notes, and hints of vanilla and sweet spicy French oak. Only a bit of heat from the 14.5% alcohol and the graphite tone detract from the balance and polish of this wine.

RM 92 points.

http://takenwine.com/