Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff

Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff 

Linda prepared beef stroganoff with beef Bourgogne sauce and a tenderloin of beef. As is custom, I sought a Bordeaux varietal blend as a wine accompaniments with the beef. I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Bordeaux. 

This is the same vintage as another Bordeaux blend we drank just the other evening, then with grilled beefsteak. As with that other 2005 bottle, I wrote in a blogpost at that time, “ At twenty years of age, this is in its ‘Goldilock’s zone’, old enough to be fully integrated to reveal its complexity, to my preference, but still young enough to show the full expression of its fruits, which Linda likes. The label, foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were in perfect condition. This is likely at the apex of its drinking profile and may age for another five or ten years before starting to diminish. 

This is what might be called the ‘second label’ of ‘Super Second’ Chateau Léoville Las Cases, considered one of the top producers in Bordeaux, arguably on par with the prestigious ‘First Growths’. 

Indeed, Las Cases, and our other favorite label, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, the other ‘super second’, abstain from participating in the UGCB, as they consider themselves worthy of the higher, highest classification. 

Producer Domaine de Léoville is one of the oldest estates in the Medoc dating back to the 17th Century. Historically owned by some of the wealthiest and most influential noble French families. The estate was split up between 1826 and 1840 as a result of the French Revolution as part of expropriation of emigrants’ property and subsequent egalitarian redistribution. 

Due to legacy birthright, the current Château Léoville Las Cases was created from 3/5 of the original estate including the heart of the domain. Pierre Jean, Adolphe and Gabriel de Las Cases were successive heirs to the property until 1900, when Théophile Skawinski purchased a share in the estate and became its manager, continuing control by the same family since the late 19th century to Today, represented by sole owner Jean-Hubert Delon. He also owns and is proprietor of Château Potensac in the Medoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.

We were honored, and thrilled, to be hosted for private personal tours of the Château Léoville Las Cases estate (as well as Château Ducru Beaucaillou), during our trip to St Julien appellation in 2019, absolute highlight (s) of our trip to the region. 

Clos du Marquis St Julien Bordeaux 2005

This second labels provides more affordable wine from the legendary and illustrious estate for ‘once a week’ drinking, as compared to the ‘once a month’, less often special occasion, one a year drinking for the prestigious grand vin. 

The name is named for the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases. The wine was created at the beginning of the 20th century when the vineyard was planted. Since then, Clos du Marquis has become a historical brand of Domaines Delon, sourced from the separate vineyard adjacent to the grand vin Leoville Las Cases since being first released in 1902.

Leoville Las Cases vineyard adjacent Chateaux
Latour and Pichon Lalande, Baron, Poyferre.

The Clos du Marquis is produced from top terroirs of the Saint-Julien Appellation that were not exclusively part of the old Domaine de Léoville cadastre. These terroirs are located slightly to the west and are surrounded by prestigious Classified Growths, particularly Seconds Crus Classés of Saint-Julien and Pauillac: Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Pichon Longueville Baron. 

Notably, the Leoville Las Cases estate straddles the small creek that is the border between St Julien and Paulliac, and the legendary first growth Chateau Latour (shown above right). 

Clos du Marquis offers a representation of the finest Saint-Julien character for a fraction of the price of the higher classified growth labels showing structure, complexity, harmony, distinction and ageing potential.

Typical of the appellation, this release is a blend of  Cabernet Sauvignon, 50%, Merlot, 37%, Cabernet Franc, 12%, and Petit Verdot, 1%.

This release was rated 94/100 by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 by Wine Spectator, 92 by Decanter, and 91 by Wine Advocate and Vinous. 

In 2024, Jeb Dunnuck wrote “It’s a beautiful, classic expression of the estate that will evolve for another two decades.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, rich, round, concentrated, structured but polished and balanced, blackberry and black currant and some red fruits with notes of tobacco, dark mocha, graphite. licorice with polished, integrated tannins on a long smooth finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224133

https://www.domaines-delon.com/en/clos_du_marquis-chateau_clos_du_marquis_vins.html 

Meatloaf, Sweet Potatoes and Andrew Will Two Blondes Red Blend

Meatloaf, Sweet Potatoes and Andrew Will Two Blondes Yakima Valley Red Blend

On our first night back home from family vacation, Linda prepared a delectable diner of meatloaf with roasted carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I pulled from the cellar a perfect wine that proved to be a wonderful pairing that enhanced the enjoyment of the dinner as well as the wine. 

The blend of this label was exactly what I was seeking … nearly similar amounts of nicely balanced and integrated Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Cabernet Franc for a nicely balanced, complex wine. 

I have a mini vertical (multiple vintages of same label) of this label dating back two decades to 2003, that I have been holding for the chance to drink with fellow wine buddy and Pour Boy Bill C. This is based on fun with the label that bears the name of two of his sons, Andrew and Will, as well as of the producer. With Bill and Beth having moved away to Charleston, our wine escapades are vastly fewer. Having just returned from a wine weekend together - OTBN 2025 in Charleston, it was a fitting time to try this wine which proved to be a perfect pairing with the dinner. 

This is from Andrew Will Cellars winery located in Zillah Washington, just outside of Yakima which is named for the two sons of owner winemaker Chris Camarda. Following a successful career on Wall Street, Chris founded the winery, releasing his first vintage back in 1989. His focus was ‘the primacy of the vineyard over variety’. "I believe that an individual piece of property can form a signature—an identity—and it is that face that is the focus of my winemaking."

The first two vineyards used were Ciel du Cheval and Champoux, later to be supplemented with fruit from May’s Discovery and Two Blondes vineyards. 

After a decade of purchasing fruit from top vineyards in Washington State, Chris plant his own vineyard, Two Blondes, in 2000. This enabled him to not only control the varietals planted which are the Bordeaux varietals but also the clones. Clonal variety was particularly important to him as a winemaker. The 30 acre vineyard located in the Yakima Valley AVA was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The vineyard manager was and is Chris Hoon.

Andrew Will produce about 4500 cases of wine a year. In addition to blends they produce from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, they also produce some limited Sangiovese from fruit grown at Ciel du Cheval. 

In the early years they produced varietal bottlings but in 2003 they took a vow “to make as fine a wine as we could through blending the most important varieties we grow in Washington”. 

Our holdings of this producer all date back to and from that 2003 vintage, all acquired at auction. 

Chris was named as one of the 50 most influential winemakers in the world, he has been an innovative leading producer of Washington State wines and became known for single vineyard blends.

The Two Blondes Vineyards is named for Chris Camarda’s late wife, Annie, who was a 6’2” blonde, and their partner in the vineyard, Bill Fleckenstein’s wife, Melody, who is also blonde.

Camarda selected the 30 acre site because of the excellent grape soil and climate. Two Blondes is not threatened by freezes as well as being just cool enough to insure a modulated ripening process even in warm years. The site has none of the draw backs they see in some areas of the state that can alternate between devastating freezes and heat in excess of 100 degrees.. 

Andrew Will Cellars Two Blondes Vineyards Washington State Yakima Valley Red Wine 2004

This Bordeaux Blend is a single vineyard designated label sourced from their estate vineyard. This release was a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. Later releases of this label (2018) were aged 35% new French oak for 22 months with just under 7,000 bottles produced.

At twenty years of age, I was concerned this might be past its primacy but this was absolutely delicious, exceeding our expectations, clearly at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve any further with aging. This was a Goldilocks wine, appealing to Linda who prefers younger more expressive wines, and me who enjoys those with more complexity and maturity. 

The label, foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition. 

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced, silky smooth and polished, seductive integrated and balanced with ripe black and blue fruits with notes of sweet mocha, anise, spices, hints of lavender and tobacco leaf, with long lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?290399

https://www.andrewwill.com/

https://twitter.com/andrewwill

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007 

With grilled beef tenderloin I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend. 

We hold more than two decades of this label dating back to the inaugural release in 1993. This is part of a case we acquired of this label at the release party at the winery high atop Howell Mountain, so it is one we know well. 

I have written about Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in these pages many times including this detailed blogpost back in 2019, and again in 2021 in this post - Tomahawk Rib-eye Dinner features Robert Craig Affinity Duo, both partially excerpted below.

Robert Craig is one of our favorite Napa Valley producers and represents one of our largest holdings in our cellar. We've held many wine dinners with Robert and Lynn Craig and attended many events at the estate and winery. We have many fond memories of those dinners, lunches and other tasting events, and hearing Robert talk about this label.

We visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times with sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill, and wine buddy Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the  valley below shown below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet, Affinity and Robert Craig Zinfandel which they served at daughter Krista's wedding.

With Robert Craig at the estate high atop Howell Mtn 
back in 2008.

As mentioned above, we hold as many as two decades of Robert Craig’s portfolio of labels’ vintages dating back to the inaugural vintage release in 1993. This label, Affinity, represents the Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon based blend of Cabernet Sauvignons and other Bordeaux varietals sourced from the various Napa Valley appellations.

Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

This is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio that Robert always took immense pride in this label, as the entry level introduction to his 'three mountains and a valley' appellation select Napa Cabernets, referring to his appellation designated premium labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Spring Mountain. There were also bottlings from Atlas Peak and Mt George and in later years he would say ‘five mountains and a valley’. He also took pride in this providing early gratification quality drinking at an early age, yet as shown tonight, it has some longevity for aging for a decade or more.  

He used to speak fondly of this label and the QPR - quality price ratio it provided, as he strived to hold the price point of this wine to provide excellent value and be a draw to the Robert Craig brand. The appellation designated labels sold for twenty to thirty percent more. I wrote recently about the discontinuation of the Mt Veeder label after two decades of being one of the flagship labels, and was Robert's favorite. 

I wrote back in 2019 about Robert's passing in a Tribute to Robert Craig, when the business turned over to new leadership.

Robert never promoted or played up the fact this label was a carefully crafted  Bordeaux Blend comprising all the Bordeaux varietals rather focus on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
We first tasted this wine from a barrel sample and acquired this release during the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 back in 2009. 

Robert Parker wrote in 2009, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars."

Wine Enthusiast wrote of this release, 'Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s'.
This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 

Back in 2022 I wrote, “this exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. At fifteen years, this seems to reaching the apex of its drinking profile. Tonight, this 2007 release was as good as any Affinity I recall ever having - a perfect accompaniment to the grilled tenderloin beefsteaks. At eighteen years this was at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but available for pleasant drinking for several years yet to come. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=802059

Other related postings … 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1798118

https://robertcraigwine.com/

Visits to Robert Craig Estate - 

Harvest Party 2009 -  
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa-09/napa-09-craig/napa_harvest_09_craig.htm

Howell Mountain Estate Visit - 2008 
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/napa_08_craig.htm

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

With extended family in town for Celebration of Life Ceremonies for in-law Kevin D, we hosted a dinner at our house on the eve of the weekend. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and haricot verts and Caesar salad. I pulled from the cellar a couple middle aged Bordeaux varietal blends, a ten year old and a twenty year old, for a wine accompaniment to the dinner. 

Chappellet "Mountain Cuvée" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This is their standard bearer cuvée (blend) at a more affordable prime point than their signature and ultra-premium labels. We visited the Chappellet Estate Winery and Vineyards up on Altas Peak during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2009. It was then that we acquired a large format magnum of their Signature label from our anniversary vintage year 1974from their library, that we served at our 50th anniversary celebration dinner last autumn as featured in these pages - Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN.

I wrote about Chappellett in an earlier blogpost - Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas Smith, Sommellier and wine staffer at K&L wine store in Redwood City writes of this label - “I get a lot of customers who come into the store looking for a bottle of Napa Cab for a dinner they are on their way to. At $30 Napa Cab can be really hit and miss, but this Bordeaux blend is an absolute home run. This wine has tons of intensive fruit, is totally upfront an accessible, and an exceptionally balanced bottle that will wow the table from the moment it is opened. I can't stress enough the quality here, but anyone who loves full-bodied reds from Napa should really consider this a house wine whenever having guests for dinner. If you're looking to wow someone with a bottle, this is a total bullseye.”

“Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals. Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides. Nearly a half century later, their 2015 Mountain Cuvée still includes fruit from the winery’s coveted Estate Vineyard, and was expertly composed by renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who’s been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years.” 

Chappellet is famous for Bordeaux varietals, with It's high elevation terroir on the Eastern side high above and overlooking Napa, on Pritchard Hill. There the grapes achieve maximum ripeness, basking in the long exposure to sunlight on the Vaca mountain range. 

This 2015 Mountain Cuvee’ is a blend of  all five of the Bordeaux varietals - 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux producers have been experimenting with the blend composition for more than five centuries. We American;’s in our half century of producing such wines can learn from their experience. 

Merlot predominates on the Right Bank (of the Gironde River) while Cabernet Sauvignon rules on the ‘Laft Bank’. In each case, they add Malbec into the mix for enhanced body, Petit Verdot adds depth, structure, body and deep color, while Cabernet Franc adds breadth and spiciness. 

I love both for their complexity, breadth and depth with beef and hearty dishes - favoring Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon based on desire for more or less intensity as Merlot tends to be softer and more velvety to moderate or balance the firmer and more structured Cabernet.   

Winemaker notes - “The Wine Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when youre looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.”

Tasting Notes - This inviting wine offers a complex array of elegant aromas that include spicy red fruit, black cherry, sage, anise, clove and cocoa powder. The palate is silky and balanced, with a plush, mouth coating texture that makes the wine immediately approachable and delicious. Flavors of red currant and cassis are underscored by hints of smoke and vanilla, while seamlessly integrated tannins add length and structure to this complex blend of Bordeaux varietals.

This was much better than I remember it upon release and at ten years, it has clearly benefited from some cellar aging and is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further, but available for enjoyable drinking for several more years. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex and concentrated, full and round but nicely integrated and polished, black and blue berry and plum fruits with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, black cherries, and hints of smoky tobacco leaf with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2630305

https://chappellet.com/
https://twitter.com/Chappellet_wine 
@Chappellet_wine

Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

In consideration of Kevin’s Irish heritage and fondness for all things ‘green’, I pulled from the cellar a Red Winemaker from a producer with similar roots. 

Dunham Cellars is a family owned winery located in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington. Eric Dunham discovered wine sampling from his parent’s cellar collection. Then during several years serving in the Navy, stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area, Eric continued to pursue his passion trekking up to the Napa Valley as often as time permitted. 

After the Navy, seeking to pursue wine in earnest, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington. He then hired on as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. 

By 1999, he set up to devote his full attention to his wines and together with his parents, Mike and Joanne, they opened the winery at Walla Walla Regional Airport. They were joined a couple years later by David and Cheryll Blair.

Dunham Cellars sought out and selected the finest fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. Working in collaboration between its growers and winemaker, they strive to capture and showcase the select fruit from these vineyards with their combination of climate, soil and geography.

We drove by the winery situated in a remodeled World War II era airplane hangar on the north edge of Walla Walla (Washington) during our Walla Walla AVA Wine Experience visit to the region back in 2018,  as we exited town on our way out of town to see the Spring Valley vineyards northeast of town.

In addition to winemaking duties, Eric Dunham is also an accomplished chef and artist painter. While unpretentious and modest on the outside, Dunham boasts a good-sized hospitality center in the large room known as the Hangar Lounge. The eclectic space, decorated with some of Eric Dunham’s personal original artwork on the walls. Some of Eric’s artwork also appears on certain Dunham Cellars wine labels.

Since Dunham’s inaugural release of the 1995 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “I”, Eric has served as winemaker for Dunham Cellars from the beginning. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Dan Wampfler joined Dunham Cellars as winemaker and now Eric took on broader duties as Director of Wine.

Today, Dunham produce a half dozen reds, Bordeaux varietals and a Syrah, and a couple of whites. I particularly enjoy their Bordeaux Blend, Trutina, which I find provides very good QPR - Quality Price Ratio, in a moderately priced sophisticated blend that encompasses all five of the Bordeaux varietals, sourced from fruit across the Columbia Valley. Their 2021 Trutina was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Owen Bargreen 92 by Wine Enthusiast and International Wine Repor, and 90 by Jeb Dunnuck and Sean Sullivan.

This 2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” is the eleventh edition of Dunham's signature Columbia Valley Cabernet that they distinguish with a Roman Numeral designating the release edition, hence this bears a ‘XI’ prominently on the label. 

While over the years, we accumulated close to a decade of vintages of this wine, we didn’t keep up with it and consume bottles, checking their maturation, managing our collection in a timely manner. As a result, at twenty years, this wine has lapsed beyond the apex of its drinking window, starting to decline and show diminution of fruit, begging to be consumed soon before it’s too far gone to be enjoyable. 

Never-the-less, brother-in-law to Kevin, Dr. Ken, enjoyed this and preferred it over the younger more vibrant Napa blend. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight murky cloudiness beginning to set in, tight, blackberry and black cherry fruits are starting to give way to leather, tobacco and leafy black tea flavors with notes of smoke and tar with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?520923

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/

Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville

Long Shadow’s Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville 

To celebrate a major business transaction, we went out to dinner at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Naperville. We both ordered steaks and from the wine list, a Red Bordeaux varietal blend from a notable producer and winemaker. 

I ordered the signature 8 oz filet of beef with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. 

Linda ordered the simple price fixe menu, a six ounce filet which came with Bordelaise sauce and a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Had we known it came with the potatoes, it would’ve saved us ordering a redundant duplicate order of such! Equally disturbing was the fact her filet seemed to be a larger portion and nicer cut than mine. C’est la vie. 

I was seriously considering ordering a lobster tail as a side to my steak, but opted for the lobster tempura starter instead, which provided us each a small tail. The impetus for this was to compare with lobster spring roles that we had as a starter at Bijoux Restaurant in Destin last fall. The spring rolls were much better! I would suggest a pass on the Sullivan’s tempura. 

The highlight of the dinner was our wine selection from the Sullivan wine list. This was a perfect pairing with the grilled beefsteaks. 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pirouette Red Blend 2014

This is one of our favorite labels for a Bordeaux varietal red blend, a sleeper, not well known or sufficiently regarded, given the pedigree of the winemaker and the quality of the product. This is the Bordeaux varietal red blend from the Long Shadows Vintners's Collection that features world class winemakers and Washington State Columbia Valley fruit. We’ve featured Long Shadows and their vintners collection, and our visit to their hospitality center and tasting room in Woodinville (WA) in these pages. 

We’re members of the Long Shadows wine club and hold nearly a decade of vintages of their various label releases. Checking out cellar inventory, we hold every vintage of this label going back to the year following this vintage, hence this was an obvious choice to find this aged vintage release of this label. 

This label is the collaboration of two legendary winemakers, Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus, Sr. teamed to combine the heritage of old world winemaking with the advancements of new world technology, using small lots from Washington State’s finest vineyards to craft this exotic red blend.

Agustin Huneeus entered the wine business in Chile in 1960 to lead Concha y Toro, a company he grew to become Chile’s largest winery. In 1971, he moved to New York, then later to California, continuing in the wine industry before becoming a partner and president of Franciscan Estates in 1985.

In addition to building Franciscan, he also built well-known California wineries Estancia and Mount Veeder and Veramonte Winery in Chile. In 1999, he left Franciscan to establish Huneeus Vintners, a portfolio that includes Napa Valley’s Quintessa where he worked with talented winemaker Phillip Melka.

The 2016 Pirouette is partially crafted by Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, selected to produce this signature label for the Winemakers Collection.

We have long been fans of Philippe Melka and his signature labels Matisse and 'CJ', named for his children.

While we had owned the various labels over the years, we really discovered Long Shadows at the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room during our Woodinville Wine Experience. We joined their club and have been taking regular shipments of the collection ever since. They provide remarkable wines at great value relative QPR. 

Philippe Melka, widely recognized as one of the leading craftsmen of his trade, graduated from the University of Bordeaux, France, where he received a degree in geology in 1989. After earning a master's degree in agronomy and enology, he worked at some of the most famous wineries in the world: Château Cheval Blanc, Pétrus and Château Haut-Brion, among others. There he developed a passion for and expertise in cabernet-based blends. 

He then went on to working at prestigious wineries in Australia, Italy, California.

In 1994, Philippe settled in Napa Valley where he developed his reputation making wines for such celebrated wineries as Hundred Acre, Quintessa, Bryant Family, Seavey, Constant, Lail, Dana Estates and Vineyard 29 before joining the dream project partnering with Agustin Hunneus from Quintessa and Allen Shoup at Long Shadows. 

Today, Philippe Melka and his wife, Cherie, reside at Melka Cellars in Napa Valley. Cherie is an accomplished wine professional and laboratory manager at Silver Oak.

The Pirouette Vintners' Collection label collaboration was launched with the inaugural 2003 vintage.

Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, used small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards to craft this enticing red blend. Seeking to create a wine with complexity and layers, the winemakers chose a diverse selection of Columbia Valley vineyard sites, each contributing unique characteristics to the blend. 

The 2014 Pirouette checks in as a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc and a splash of Malbec.  

This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine, sourced primarily from Red Mountain, displays structure, richness and a focused mouthfeel that has come to characterize Red Mountain Cabernet. Dionysus Vineyard’s Petit Verdot adds layers of complex aromas and flavors. Weinbau Vineyard (Wahluke Slope) Merlot adds bright, red and black fruit intensity.

Aged 22 months in French oak barrels (75% new) before bottling, unfiltered and unfined.

Winemaker Notes - “Deep in color and complexity, this wine combines expressive red fruit aromas with dark chocolate and blueberry flavors accented by hints of oak spice that evolve across the palate. A juicy yet beautifully balanced wine with a rich mouthfeel and persistent finish.’

“The growing season started early in 2014 and the dry, warm conditions that characterized spring set the stage for another hot summer season. Temperatures were consistently warm throughout June and July, hastening an early start to harvest, but the Columbia Valley’s balmy fall days and cool autumn nights allowed the grapes to reach full physiological maturity while preserving the fruits’ natural acidity and yielding high quality grapes across the board. In short, 2014 was a picture-perfect vintage that produced remarkably rich, flavorful wines.”

This 2014 release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and called it “a killer wine from this estate, and possibly the best to date”. Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points.

Inky dark garnet colored, full-bodied, complex, round, rich, forward, super ripe sweet blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, spice, dark mocha chocolate, smoke and herbs with ripe tannin on a lingering. The sweetness is almost off-putting. 

RM 93

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2503071

https://longshadows.com/library/2014-pirouette/471

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

https://www.sullivanssteakhouse.com/

@unwindwine

Bravante Vineyards Trio Howell Mtn Red

 Bravante Vineyards Trio Napa Valley Howell Mountain Red Blend 2018

During the gala family celebration gathering and dinner, featured in this blogspot - Family dinner features latest Bordeaux Releases, limited production No-Cal labels, Alec served this premium Napa Howell Red Blend that he acquired from one of his on-line sources. 

According to the producer’s website Bravante Vineyards is a family owned and operated small production winery dating back to its founding in 1996 by George & Nancy Bravante. They produce small-batch estate sourced wines comprised of Bordeaux varietals, striving to showcase the unique terroir of their estate, high up the front (west side face) of Howell Mountain that produces “full-bodied yet balanced Bordeaux- style” wines.

The estate and vineyards sit on Howell Mountain, one of Napa’s oldest and most prestigious growing regions. Located from 1,400 – 2300 ft above the town of St. Helena, the mountain has incredibly unique geographic characteristics that make its wineries so famous. Some of its key characteristics including sitting above the fog (which reaches up from the valley floor to about 1200 feet. That is the demarcation point between the Napa Valley appellation below, and the Howell Mountain appellation above. 

Beginning at 1,400 feet in elevation and rising to 2,300 feet above sea level, Howell Mountain vineyards sit above the fog line receiving abundant sunshine with warm days and cool nights in the summer allow for the slow maturation of fruit in the vineyard. The growing season allows the fruit to develop complex flavors and structured tannins for which Howell Mountain is famous.

The well-draining soils of volcanic ash and gravelly loam work in conjunction with the unique climate of Howell Mountain to produce structured wines with great aging potential.

On the 20 acres estate of undeveloped land on Howell Mountain, they planted the Bravante Estate Stone Ridge Vineyard in early 1998 with Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 

The Stone Ridge Vineyard is a 20-acre parcel, and is the site of the winery and caves, sitting roughly 1,680 feet above sea level on a volcanic bench cut by nature. There, seven acres are planted in four blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, two blocks of Cabernet Franc and one block of Merlot. The deep and rocky soils produce clusters of small berries and wines that are deeply intense with complex flavors.

They acquired another small vineyard down the road and slightly up the mountain in 2000. There they planted the Black Oak Vineyard on a rocky hillside to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Sauvignon Blanc. The unique character of this site adds intense minerality and complexity to the wines.

After making wine off-site for a few years, continually nurturing the vines and fine tuning and improving their wines, they set out to build their own estate winery in 2005. By the 2009 harvest, they completed construction and permitting and gained the coveted status of being 100% estate grown, produced and bottled.

They strive to produce “quality over quantity”, applying the best vineyard practices, growing wine grapes with minimal intervention, seeking to express the best qualities of the unique terroir of Howell Mountain. They also practice minimal intervention in their winemaking and in the cellar, where they age the wines two years in the barrel and additional time in bottle.

Bravante’s winemaker is Taylor Shoptaw. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he studied viticulture and enology in New Zealand,  spending past nine years traveling between hemispheres working for notable winemakers. He then worked as an assistant winemaker in the Finger Lakes AVA, and production supervisor in the Alexander Valley. 

Taylor is advised by Phillip Corallo-Titus, Consulting Winemaker. As the winemaker for Pritchard Hill’s iconic Chappellet Vineyard for over 30 years, Phillip established renown as a master at crafting mountain wines and has become known as one of Napa’s best winemakers. Drawn to the Bravante Vineyard’s unique Howell Mountain terroir, he started consulting for Bravante in 2017.

This Bravante TRIO 2018 is a blend of 100% Estate grown Howell Mountain Bordeaux varietals, although the actual composition is not specified or published. It is bottled in a premium oversized overweighted painted glass bottle. 

They refer to their ‘Bordeaux-Style’ wines which is a bit in-precise or non-specific given there are no less than fifty-seven Bordeaux appellations, (as compared with seventeen in Napa) each with a distinctive style based on different designated blends.

Seven hundred and ten cases were produced. 

This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied with black currant and black berry fruits with Howell Mountain signature spice and dusty graphite and subdued tannins on the moderate finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3815285

https://www.bravantevineyards.com/

Beef Roast Dinner Features Viader Red Blend

Sunday afternoon beef roast dinner features premium Napa Valley Red Blend 

Son Alec and Vivianna came over after church for Sunday afternoon dinner. Linda prepared a hearty beef roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. I pulled from the cellar this ultra-premium Napa Valley Red Blend wine for the occasion. 

Viader Napa Valley Red Wine 2000 

This proved to be an ideal pairing with the beef roast which amplified the enjoyment of both the meal and the wine. Tonight, paired with the beef roast, this was fabulous and was perhaps the best, certainly the most enjoyable Viader Red I’ve ever experienced. 

Our having fun with wine includes enjoying several “V” labels, such as this, when tasting/dining with our daughter-in-law Vivianna.

 
We met Delia Viader, Proprietor/Winemaker at a special tasting in Chicago at Binny’s, the Chicagoland beverage super store back in 2005 as featured in this blogpost — An evening with Delia Viader. We then visited the Viader estate vineyards and winery during our Napa Howell Mountain Wine Experience back in 2008 - Viader.

Shown here is our meeting Delia Viader during a producer tasting evening 

sponsored by Binny's here in Chicago back in 2005. 

Our collection of Viader spans going on three decades of releases dating back to the mid-nineties vintages. It was with interest to see how this vintage has held up over the years to calibrate the lifespan of the other vintages. In the style of many Viader releases, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Cabernet Franc is crafted in the profile of a top Graves from Bordeaux. 

We expanded our collection of Viader wines following our visit to the Viader winery estate on the lower reaches of Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008.

The picturesque Viader 23-acre estate sits on the lower mountain at 1200 foot elevation overlooking Napa Valley. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Viader is known for its Bordeaux-style blends. 

The 1200 foot elevation of the estate is significant and notable as that is the height that the fog reaches above the valley floor and hence is the point at which below is designated Napa Valley, and above it designated Howell Mountain. This climatic difference creates a distinctive terroir due to the effects of the fog on the ripening vines. 

It’s a great tribute to our daughter-in-law to associate her with proprietor and winemaker Delia Viader, a remarkable and impressive lady. She was born in Argentina and educated in Europe before earning graduate degrees in the U.S., a notable role model for any career minded female. Delia spent much of her formative years in Europe and in France where she earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne University in Paris, then pursued advanced business studies in the US at MIT, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Recognizing the potential Napa Valley wine industry in the 1980's, Viader set out to create a world class wine estate Delia Viader. She began her career in Napa Valley as a partnership with her father after they purchased a plot of underdeveloped mountain-side land. Delia quickly earned the reputation as a pioneer for planting vines running directly down the mountain, similar to many European vine-training techniques, and today is regarded as a fitting model for growing high-quality fruit. With Delia and her team’s persistence, the Viader property grew to immense popularity and its wines have been greatly coveted since inception. All the while, she continued studying Enology and Viticulture at University of California, Davis. During this time she also raised her four children in the wine environment and culture.

Delia Viader was a visionary pioneer in Napa Valley investing in developing a mountain estate at a time when most of the vineyard plantings were on the valley floor.Born in Argentina, Delia Viader came to the United States after spending many years in Europe. In 1986 the love of wine Delia acquired during her time in Europe lead her to purchase a 25 acre property 1200 feet above the Napa Valley floor northeast of St. Helena on the steep, rocky slopes of Howell Mountain. During this time when 99% of Napa’s vineyards were planted on the valley floor, Delia was considered a bit crazy-headed to plant vineyards in such foreboding terroir. But it was exactly terroir that she was after.

Delia’s first release of this proprietary red blend called simply Viader, was the 1989 vintage , a blend of almost equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine went on to gain an international reputation as one of the iconic wines of Napa Valley and has become the signature wine for the winery.

In the last few years, Delia’s children have come back to help manage and operate the business making this a true family concern. Alan Viader is Director of Operations and Winemaking, Janet Viader is Director of Marketing and Sales. Mariela Viader (married to Alan) is in charge of the Culinary Program.

“Viader is an elegant wine showing the staying power delivered from a blend of mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon highly influenced by Cabernet Franc. It’s a wine that involves all your senses and presents itself as pure natural harmony, and serves as the perfect background music to an evening’s conversation between two good friends.” – Delia Viader, Proprietor

We opened this 2000 vintage year release to compare with the 2000 vintage release of another premium Napa Valley Cabernet we tasted the other evening following a beef tenderloin dinner. Both showed exceedingly well, a testament to the vintage, Napa Cabernet’s aging potential, and the provenance of our wine cellar for long term cellaring. 

This release is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Cabernet Franc. 

Vinograhy writes, “Delia Viader is one of the few producers on Howell Mountain who grow a substantial amount of Cabernet Franc and their wines incorporate a substantial amount of this fruit. The blending that she and consulting winemaker Charles Hendricks do with her fruit results in an extremely drinkable wine, one that is delicate and aromatic.” 

“We’re talking about a wine that emphasizes finesse over power,” says Delia. 

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2000

At twenty-four years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were ideal. 

Like the Darioush from the other evening, this was still at the apex of its drinking window, showing no diminution from aging whatsoever, and showing prospect to age gracefully for several more years to come. 

This release was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator

4,647 cases made.

Several years ago when I tasted this I wrote this resembled a top tier Bordeaux with its complexity, balance, integrated flavors and tasting profile, but it was tight and a bit closed, begging for much more time to settle and open to reveal its true character. 

Tonight this was magnificent, benefiting from more aging, and likely at the apex of its tasting window. As we learned with many of our topflight Bordeaux, that we drank them too early, and were rewarded when we gave them several more years aging in the bottle.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, silky smooth mouthfeel, polished and elegant, the bold yet balanced spicy Cabernet Franc aromatics were bright and vibrant, highlighting the dark berry, cherry and raspberry fruits, with notes of caramel, mocha, anise, tea, tobacco and graphite with incredibly smooth supple tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points - improved over earlier rating of 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6703

www.viader.com

https://x.com/viader_napa

https://x.com/unwindwine

Fine Dining at Hinsdale Prime Steak

Fine Dining at Hinsdale Prime Steak

Daughter Erin and Son-in-Law Johnny took us to dinner for a Christmas gift, and a joint celebration of our 50th Anniversary year and their 19th Anniversary this coming week(end). 

They took us to Hinsdale Prime Steak, just opened in September 2024 in the heart of tony Hinsdale, (IL) downtown across from the train station in what used to be the Corner Bakery. 

Owners Antonio Monroy and Ignacio Martinez, are Family and lifelong friends. Longtime hospitality industry veterans, they cite themselves as “Founders of ‘A groundbreaking take on timeless steakhouse’ with a commitment to quality and innovation in hospitality, offering the finest cuts of meat to ensure a remarkable dining experience for every guest”. 

Hinsdale Prime Steak Chef Javier Gomez has 30 years of culinary experience in Hotels, Private Clubs, Steakhouses, and French & Italian cuisine. He shares the owners’ commitment to quality and innovation towards ensuring that each meal at Hinsdale Prime Steak is an extraordinary experience.

Front of the house General Manager Cisco Cortez has thirty five years hospitality experience opening notable restaurants in Italian, French, and Mexican food.

Oscar Valencia Beverage Director, a wine enthusiast with 25+ years of combined experience in the hospitality business studied wines in Boulder Colorado.

Looking forward to a fine wine and dining experience, I pulled from our cellar two aged vintage ultra-premium labels from which to select one to pair with our dinner selections, both from the kids’ anniversary vintage year, the other a very rare single vineyard designated label from a prime western US vineyard with which we have a family connection. 

We were disappointed when advised they could/would not serve our BYOB. I admonished them that pre-opening press about the restaurant implied they were getting a BYOB license. Furthermore, they did not publish any wine list or wine policy. Lastly, for a prime upscale steak house, their wine list was quite limited, with a small selection of Bordeaux varietal wines on offer. They directed me to their “Gem’s” wine list, a select or ‘reserve’ list of ten ultra-premium labels at ultra-premium+ prices. 

In light of their limited wine list selections, which may be the reason they don’t publish it, we feel it’s extremely short-sighted and limiting to not entertain BYOB. It’s not about economics since it’s reasonable and customary to charge a corkage fee, which we are willing to pay, for the ability to enjoy a very special bottle for a special occasion. 

We admit we place a higher emphasis on wine when dining out, never-the-less, this will limit the number of times we’ll return, since enjoying special selections from our cellar is a big part of our dining experience. Naturally, we gravitate to and frequent establishments that offer such a service. 

In any event, we had planned to order at least one bottle, most likely a white if we ordered seafood, and eventually ordered tow bottles, a white and a red from their wine list.

Linda and I shared the chopped salad which was ample for them to split for us making it ideal. 

For a starter the kid’s ordered the Grilled Spanish Octopus with chickpea puree’,  heirloom tomatoes  and petite herb salad.

 

For my entree, I was pleased to see a New’s Year’s Eve Special menu which offered one of my favorite dishes, Sautéed Dover Sole with White Wine and Capers, served  with Sautéed Spinach, (below), which I gladly ordered. It was delectable.  I wrote about different variations of Sole, and similar delicate white fish in an earlier blogpost this fall. 

Erin also ordered another seafood dish from the menu, Chilean Seabass, which was equally delicious.. 

To pair with our dinners we ordered form the limited selection (only two Chardonnays offered), Far Niente Napa Valley Chardonnay. 

Johnny and Linda both ordered steaks, so, casting aside any hopes of pairing with our BYOB selection, we ordered from the rather limited wine list a Super Tuscan Bordeaux varietal red.

Far Niente Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023

Far Niente is a well known, celebrated Napa Valley winery known for its exceptional premium Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, consistently recognized as a benchmark producer in the region. 

The 2023 Far Niente Chardonnay is crafted from a selection of premium Napa Valley vineyards located in the Coombsville AVA in the southeast corner of Napa Valley. 

These vineyards benefit from cool breezes that waft in from the San Pablo Bay, and well-drained soils, which contribute to the vibrant acidity and rich flavors of the wine. 

This was an ideal pairing with our seafood entrees. 

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes - “The 2023 vintage enchants with a beautiful bouquet of citrus, white florals, and subtle hints of honeydew melon and nectarine. On the palate, the wine opens with a silky texture that gives way to vibrant flavors of lemon-lime zest and lemon verbena. The bright, refreshing acidity lifts the fruit notes, leading to a long, juicy finish that leaves a lasting impression. Crisp minerality enhances the overall structure, supporting the generous fruit and ensuring a refined balance.”

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5074907

https://farniente.com/

Linda ordered the eight ounce Filet Mignon while Johnny ordered the “Petite Brande”, an eight ounce filet with pepper crust, mushrooms and Madeira truffle sauce. Both were prepared perfectly and were superb. 

For pairing with the steaks, we ordered from the wine list this Bordeaux Blend Super Tuscan, 

For sides we ordered the Creamy Polenta and Creamed Spinach. Both were fabulous. 

Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno Super Tuscan Red Blend 2021 

This is from Tenuta di Arceno, a historic Tuscan estate situated at the southernmost-edge of Chianti Classico in the butterfly-shaped commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, closest in proximity to Siena and rightfully referred to as ‘the most Sienese Chianti Classico. The ancient walled town of San Gusmè, provides a picturesque backdrop for the vineyards of Tenuta di Arceno.

The estate covers 2,500 acres, of which 220 acres are planted to vines – the remaining land is preserved for native vegetation including 125 acres of olive orchards. Separated into 63 distinct vineyard blocks, the vineyards are planted to 50% Sangiovese and 50% international varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The estate produces a broad diverse portfolio of the high quality wines across two classification levels – three wines centered on the native Sangiovese grape in the Chianti Classico DOCG collection; and three wines celebrating the estate’s international varieties under the Toscana IGT designation. 

il fauno di Arcanum is a Bordeaux-style blend that embodies the diversity of the estate and is sourced primarily from the Arceno di Sotto, La Curva, Colombaio and San Giovanni blocks. Located in the lower southwest section of the estate, in a warmer, exposed subsection that ripens early, the soils possess a significant amount of clay, with good water retention, and produce wines that tend to be produce fruits that are more voluptuous and lush.

The branding of Tenuta di Arceno features a faun statue on the estate that has become the symbol for the winery. It inspired the name for il fauno, and is featured on the label. The faun itself is a being that is half human-half animal. The winery states,  “It expresses a duality into a unity – two natures in one body – in the same way that Tenuta di Arceno has embraced the dual expressions of DOCG and IGT wines into one style. It represents the coming together of two separately existing beings in the birth of something different – a new reality, derived from existing traditions, that represents greater possibility”.

This IGT designated release is a Blend of Bordeaux varietals, known as a ‘Super Tuscan’. It is a blend of 35% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. It was aged in French oak, for 10-12 months. Production was 121,900 bottles.

It was rated 93 points by James Suckling.

Winemakers notes - “The nose showcases more earthy aromas than fruit, highlighting nutmeg, cypress and roses. On the palate, the entrance is supple with luscious mouth filling tannins and expresses flavors of black cherries, candied apples and licorice. This beautifully layered blend carries through to a long, spicy finish with hints of balsamic, cloves and white pepper.

Bright garnet colored, medium full bodied, expressive forward blackberry and black cherry fruits are accented with sprites of cigar box and cedar with notes of dark chocolate, tapenade, hints of pepper against a backdrop of soft oak with fine, dusty tannins extending to a long, solid finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4793129

https://www.tenutadiarceno.com/en/wine/toscana-igt/il-fauno-di-arcanum

We recommend Hinsdale Prime Steak Restaurant. The service was attentive and professional, and the food was fabulous. The wine list while quite limited is carefully selected, and the atmosphere is a bit noisy and boisterous with limited seating. The menu is creative and offers thirteen choices in steaks, chops and lamb, and ten choices in seafood, a chicken dish and two vegetarian options. There are ten side dish options of potatoes, polenta or vegetables. There is a selection of oysters, a half dozen salads and like number of starters. 

https://hinsdaleprimesteakhouse.com/menu/