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/

Juslyn Napa Valley Perry’s Blend Cabernet

Juslyn Napa Valley Perry’s Blend Cabernet 2002

With delicious grilled tenderloin beefsteaks and avocado sandwiches I pulled from the cellar this two decade old aged Napa red blend. 

This is from Juslyn Vineyards, founded and developed by Perry and Carolyn Butler back in 1997 when their dream became a reality and they sold their Silicon Valley tech business and purchased and moved to the Spring Mountain estate. 

The British ex-pats had moved from the UK to California to start the IT company in the mid-1980's. During weekend trips to Napa Valley they developed a passion for wine and the wine country lifestyle that Napa Valley offered.

They bought a picturesque 42-acre property located slightly above historic Spring Mountain Vineyard winery. The land was once a small parcel of the 540 acres that California wine pioneer Charles Krug originally acquired as the dowry of Caroline Bale, who he married in 1860. 

The site sits near another one of our favorite producers, Fantesca Vineyards and Winery, near the bottom of Spring Mountain, just above the town of St Helena. 

The Butlers set about having a villa and gardens built, along with a winery facility, which Butler named Juslyn, for daughter Justine and wife Carolyn. 

Butlers were IT (information technology) people with no expertise in the wine business other than Butler trained as a chef in England. They turned to Renteria Vineyard Management, led by Salvador and Oscar Renteria, who produced outstanding grapes for many prestigious Napa Valley vineyards to select the most appropriate varieties for the vineyards and develop them to produce the highest quality fruit.

They set about to develop vineyards in the rocky soils of the Spring Mountain estate replanting old abandoned vineyards with Bordeaux varietals - 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Upon moving to Napa Valley, the Butler’s met Art Finklestein (the founder of Judd’s Hill Winery). He made several home vintages for them. Still several years away from the maturation of their estate vineyard, in 1998 and for several years following, they purchased grapes for their early vintages until their first commercial release in 1998. 

Long time Napa winemaker, Craig MacLean was their founding winemaker. They eventually hired Brian Kosi as winemaker. A graduate of the University of California-Davis, Kosi’s career includes positions at Acacia Vineyard, Opus One, Plumpjack Winery, Beaulieu Vineyard and Freemark Abbey. 

The first wine produced under their ownership from their property was in 2000. Their first Estate Cabernet release in 2000 was a mere 80 cases, increased in 2001 to 170 cases, a wine that displayed elegance in the style of premier cru Bordeaux. Each Estate vintage increased production and improved, growing over the following two decades to about 3 tons/acre from the 8-acre hillside vineyard. 

Located in the Spring Mountain District AVA, one of the very best growing regions in the Napa Valley, grapes produced in this AVA are sold at a premium price. Average grape price in Napa Valley is around $7,000/ton; in 2017 the Juslyn owners were offered $20,000 per ton for their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Stephanie DeMasi joined their small team in 2003 and worked with the Butlers as General Manager  until 2019. She answered an ad that Perry and Carolyn had placed for a General Manager. Her prior local wine experience involved working with Cathy Corison (well-regarded Corison Winery) and helping launch the Bounty Hunter Wine Shop in the city of Napa. She progressed to also become a partner in the brand.

The Juslyn Vineyards Perry’s Blend was sourced from both their Spring Mountain estate vineyards and some of the most highly regarded vineyards in Napa Valley. The Butler’s met Andy Beckstoffer owner of several legendary vineyards in the early years during their visits to Napa, and arranged to source fruit for this wine from some of Beckstoffer’s heritage vineyards including To Kalon, Dr. Crane and Georges III. 

Initially they simply called the wine, “Napa Blend”. During a visit to the property, wine pundit Robert Parker advised that he thought this name was too generic. Despite the fact that they had already submitted the wine to the TTB for approval, Parker wrote about it in his Wine Advocate newsletter and referred to it as “Perry’s Blend”. Calls immediately came into the winery asking for that wine and the name stuck … notably a tribute to both Mr. Parker and Perry. In later years, the wine was sourced entirely from their Spring Mountain estate fruit.

The Justyn estate was in recent years listed for sale. It was represented as “40 + acres - 6 acres planted to very high quality vines which, due to their close spacing, produce very high quailty yields that are more like 16 acres; plus an additional 4 acres that can be planted”.

The Juslyn Vineyards Wine business at the time held approximately $7.0M in inventory (2 vintages of casked wine and current vintage wine in bottle) plus about $1m plus hanging on the vines for the then current 2021 vintage.

I both hate it and love it that while trolling down in our wine cellar for a nice red blend to enjoy with grilled tenderloin beefsteaks, I come across this vintage aged wine. 

Juslyn Perry's Blend Napa Valley Red Wine 2002

This release was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

The 2002 Perry’s Blend was 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

At 22 years of age, the label and foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork were in pristine condition. 

Dark ruby colored with a slight grayish brownish hue settling in showing a slight diminution from aging, past its prime but sill enjoyable and should remain in drinking window for a couple more years; medium to full bodied, the black raspberry and black currant fruits were offset with notes of wood, leather, black tea and hints of cedar with moderate tannins on the lingering tangy acidic finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://juslynvineyards.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=274387

https://juslyn.com/

Vintage Branaire Ducru St Julien Bordeaux with grilled beefsteak

Vintage Branaire Ducru St Julien Bordeaux with grilled beefsteak

A delightful end of summer turning to autumn Sunday night, dinner on the deck, we grilled beef tenderloin beefsteaks with baked potatoes and grilled vegetable medley of tomato’s, onions, red pepper and zucchini. 

For an ideal wine accompaniment, I pulled from the cellar a Bordeaux Blend from St Julien. 

Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien Bordeaux 2004 

Our Visit and tour of the historic Château Branaire-Ducru estate was one of the highlights of our trip to the St Julien Appellation (AOC) in Bordeaux back in 2019, as featured in these pages. 

Patrick Maroteaux bought Branaire Ducru in 1988 from the Tapie family who owned Chateau Branaire Ducru since 1919. Prior to his arrival at Branaire Ducru, he had no prior experience in the wine business coming from a background in banking and as the president of the massive sugar company, Eurosucre. Patrick Maroteaux served as the President of the UGCB, Union of Grand Crus Bordeaux, and as the President of the Saint Julien appellation. 

We met Patrick’s son, François Xavier Maroteaux (below) several times at the UGCB Annual Release Tour Tastings in Chicago. He followed in his father’s footsteps and took over the full-time responsibilities of managing the property after his passing in 2017.

Scenes from visit and tour of the historic Château Branaire-Ducru estate. 

At twenty years of age, this was at its Goldilocks ideal age, not too young, not too old, perfect for pairing with our grilled beefsteaks. The label and capsule, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were in perfect condition from aging in our cellar’ ideal conditions. This is probably at the apex of its drinking profile and will not improve further with aging.

Perfect for pleasant sipping and ideally paired with the grilled beefsteak, this is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

This release was awarded 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, 90+ points by NM, 90 by Wine Advocate and VM, and 88 points by Wine Spectator. This was considered a high achiever success from what was generally a modest vintage in the Medoc. 

Sitting literally across the road from Chateau Beychevelle, adjacent to super second growth Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, and near Gruaud Larose, Branaire is generally available for half the price of the premier labels, and a third less than the others, thereby offering good QPR - Quality Price Ratio’s for the Appellation. 

Winemaker Notes - “A very pure, fruity nose, still extremely young, with a lot of finesse. Woody hints perfectly well integrated into the fruit. Classic, dense, complex and pleasant on the palate. Delicate and gorgeous tannins with a long finish. Good balance.”

Dark ruby garnet colored, medium to full bodied, round, nicely balanced and modestly polished, ripe blackberry fruits with notes of black tea, tobacco and leather with hints of licorice, smoke and cedar on a smooth soft tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1542304

 

Di Ghizzano Super Tuscan BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

Di Ghizzano Super Tuscan BYOB at Angeli’s Italian 

With sister Jan visiting from SoCal, we dined at Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. We took BYOB from our cellar this Super Tuscan red Bordeaux Blend, a perfect complement to the hearty Ricotta Cheese Ravioli Pasta with Bolognese Sauce and Angeli’s Meatballs. 

This wine is from Tenuta di Ghizzano in Tuscany located in the village of Ghizzano, a small mediaeval hilltop village, close to the Tuscan coast, about 40 km from Livorno and 40 km south of Pisa. 

The area is called ‘Colline Pisane’ - hills of Pisa. The vineyards are located in Peccioli (Pisa), at about 200 meters above sea level with a south-westerly location, in an area referred to as “Terre Di Pisa” - The Pisan Countryside. The landscape is gentle, and the climate is mild, thanks to the sea breeze, without extreme temperatures or great risk of springtime frosts.

Wines from the area are classified I.G.T. Costa Toscana (Tuscan coast) to recognize the terroir of the Tuscan Coast, that part of Tuscany influenced by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to differentiate from wines from the IGT Toscana classification. 

In 2011 the DOC Terre Di Pisa was established, to further sub-classify and differentiate and represent the highest quality Pisan wines from the municipalities of Fauglia, Crespina, Lari, Chianni, Capannoni, Palaia, Peccioli, Terricciola, Casciana Terme, Ponsacco, Pontedera, Montopoli V.A., San Miniato, Orciano Pisano, Lorenzana and Santa Luce.

The history of the original proprietors Venerosi Pesciolini Family date back to the Carolingian period with the first recorded signs of the Venerosi in 803 A.D. It is believed that the family settled in Ghizzano towards the end of the 14th century. 

The family’s estate country house is a beautiful, typical classic late renaissance style Italian garden residential Villa surrounded by the estate vineyards.

The vineyards that surround the estate winery of Tenuta di Ghizzano are some of the oldest in the area. The estate is made up of 690 acres of rolling hills and some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. There are 45 acres of vineyards, 37 of olives, 250 acres of arable land and the remaining 370 of woodland and poplar groves where truffle hunters search for their perfumed golden treasures secretively.

The soil is a composite of sand and clay, a good example of calcareous clay sands formed from marine sediments from the "Astiana" geological era.

The wine estate has age-old history is considered one of the most innovative, famous for its terroir-driven wines, a high standard of quality highly acclaimed by wine critics. 

Tentative Di Ghizzano Nambrot Costa Tocana IGT 2016

This wine is named after the founder of the Venerosi family, Nambrot, who lived in 830. It is called a Supertuscan as it is made of Bordeaux varietal grapes.

The Nambrot label was first made in 1996 using Merlot grapes and has evolved over the years into a blend together with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in a style demonstrating the potency, warmth and character of the terroir. Nambrot is called the “Pomerol of Tuscany” as it is made from exactly the same grapes as a Bordeaux Right Bank Pomerol. 

The grapes were picked by hand and then, before the stalks, a further bunch selection was done on the sorting table. 

The grapes were traditionally pressed with the feet after which fermentation took place exclusively with natural yeasts in open wooden and/or concrete barrels.

The wine was aged 18 months in 225 liter oak barrels, 10% new, followed by 8 months aging in the bottle. 

Only 8,000 bottles of this wine were produced.

The 2016 Tenuta di Ghizzano Nambrot IGT Costa Toscana received 94/100 points from wine writer James Suckling, and the Highest rating, Gambero Rosso - 3 red glasses

Bright dark ruby red colored with purple violet sprites, medium to full bodied with full round expressive black berry and plum fruits with notes of anise, tar and dark mocha, hints of oak, black pepper and smoke with firm but approachable tannins on the long moderate finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3291483

https://www.tenutadighizzano.com/en/

https://angeliscatering.com/

Red and White for Surf and Turf

Red and white wines for surf and turf dinner - Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc and Pirouette Red Blend

Mid-week dinner, we grilled on the deck, T-bone steaks with medallions of lobster. I pulled from the wine cooler a half bottle Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc to pair with the lobster, and from our cellar, this premium Bordeaux Blend to complement the steaks.

Both the lobster tails and the beef steaks were sourced from local grocer Mariano’s and were unfortunately disappointing. (We are spoiled from having had a family owned farm raising beef cattle from which, for decades, we would regularly get a quarter from a carefully selected cow to be butchered to our specifications.) 

Before dinner we had caprese salad with home grown basil and garden tomatoes. 

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

I opened this Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc from a small format 375ml half bottle.  This is from Matanzas Creek Winery who for four decades have “focused on creating site-expressive wines”, the technical notes show this is sourced from no less than four vineyard sites spread across the wide Sonoma County appellation. 

This is from the vast portfolio of Jackson Wines, dating back to when Jess Jackson & Barbara Banke acquired the historic property and brand back in 2000. 

Matanzas Creek Winery has a storied history dating back to its founding in 1977 by socialite Sandra MacIver, the daughter of a scion of the historic Sears Roebuck and Company, and husband Bill, with Merry Edwards as the founding winemaker.

The first Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc was produced in 1980. 

In 1984, in a prescient move, they planted what became known as the the Jackson Park Vineyard, with 90 acres of the iconic Pétrus Merlot clone. 

In 1989, the notable David Ramey was appointed winemaker who went on to establish ‘pedigree of outstanding 90+ point wines’. 

In 1996, Wine Spectator named founder Sandra MacIver one of the 20 most influential people in the modern wine industry. 

Current winemaker Marcia Torres-Forno was appointed in 2011. 

Today, Matanzas Creek Winery produces a dozen labels from modest entry level to premium offerings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir as well as a Rose and sparkling wine, part of the broad Jackson portfolio of estates and brands. Their wines are “derived from nine different vineyards whose fruit has been individually harvested, fermented, and evaluated to create a shining example of what Sonoma County has to offer.”

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Crafted by winemaker Marcia Torres Forno, this Sauvignon Blanc is an interesting blend of 86.2% Sauvignon Blanc 9.5 % Sauvignon Musque and 4.3% Semillon. It is sourced from several vineyard sites across the Sonoma County appellation region: 56% Knights Valley, 25% Alexander Valley, 12% Dry Creek and 7% from Bennett Valley. 

Winemaker notes: Pale Straw colored, aromas of: fresh pineapple, white peach skin, white lily, jasmine, Oroblanco grapefruit, passion fruit. Flavors: guava, honeydew melon, shinko pear, jasmine, citrus blossom. Palate of light but flavor dense, this wine dances across the palate prompting salivation and a desire to take another sip.

This has a nice QPR - Quality Price Ratio in this casual pleasant sipper which should be readily available with 22,100 cases produced.

This release was rated 91 points by Wine Advocate.

I found this was surprisingly bright and vibrant with texture and buttery notes more like a Chardonnay.

Pale straw colored,  light to medium-bodied, Wine Advocate calls it “gregarious and energetic” - lacking polish and balance, round and bright, flavorful notes of buttery stone fruits, white and yellow peaches, quince, wet stone and hints of pineapple and citrus and subtle layer of spice with tangy acidity on a lingering mineral finish. 

RM 88 points. 

This was nicely paired with the caprese salad and stood up well to the rich flavorful buttery lobster. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3370763

https://www.matanzascreek.com/wines

With the steak course, I opened this premium Bordeaux Blend. I love a more complex blend such as this to complement a hearty steak which we served with baked potato and sweet potato. .  

Long Shadows, Vintners' Series, “Pirouette” Columbia Valley Red Wine 2015 

Label from 2016

We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Long Shadows tasting room in Woodinville during our Washington State Woodinville Wine Experience in 2018. 

In accordance with the Long Shadows Vintner Collection program, this was produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus, Sr., “who teamed to combine the traditions of old world winemaking, the advancements of new world technology, and small lots from Washington State’s finest vineyards to craft this enticing red blend”, as noted on the rear label.

Comparable to much more expensive, sophisticated Bordeaux Blends, this is a fraction of the cost, Pirouette, is a tribute to the Long Shadows project, and provides a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio value afforded to Columbia Valley wines.

This vintage release is a Bordeaux Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. It was fermented in barrel and aged 22 months in 75% new oak.

This received 95 points from reviewer Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said of this wine - “Of all the Long Shadow’s wines -- Michel Rolland's included -- this would be the most at home in contemporary Napa Valley.”

“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.”

Dark purple garnet color, medium-full body, round and flavorful black currant and black raspberry fruits accented with blue fruit notes, bitter dark mocha chocolate and cassis with hints of clove spices, tobacco and graphite with firm but approachable tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2777748

This showed consistently as a tasting earlier this year of this label.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/long-shadows-duo-showcase-katy-business.html  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3107408

https://longshadows.com/ 

David Arthur DAV Proprietary Red Blend 2016

David Arthur “DAV” Proprietary Red Blend 2016

Monday night dining at son Alec and D-in-law Vivianna’s, we ordered pizza’s from Pizza Monday Nights at Gia Mia in Naperville. 

Alec opened up his cellar for a red wine and I selected this Proprietary Red Blend, an introduction to a relatively new label from one of our long timer favored producers. 

Our CellarTracker records show we hold more than three cases of 20 different labels from David Arthur. We visited the estate up on Pritchard Hill Atlas Peak during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2013 as featured in these pages in this blogpost - David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery.

I got to share with Alec how it is that we have fun with this label since David Arthur is actually named for the grandfather of the owner/producer Long Family - a family affair consisting of three generations of the Long family, who over the years acquired the mountain land to raise cattle. 

Today it is co-owned and operated by brothers David and Bob along with Joye Long, with David acting as General Manager and his daughter Laura runs the office and daily operations.

Not coincidentally, we were joined that trip by Sister and Bro-in-law Pat and Rodger, so wife Linda (nee) Long and Pat (nee) Long, daughters of Indiana cattle farmer Ned Long would be with us on this trip.

In addition to wife Linda and I being joined on this Napa trip by sister/sister-in-law Pat (Long), so it was only fitting we saved our David Arthur visit until this Long reunion trip together. The family reunion continued with a visit from Pat and Linda's niece Becky (nee) Long who lived near Napa and brought her family down to join us for a day in the region.

Farmer (in-law) Ned Long's daughters, Pat and
Linda at David Arthur Long Ranch

In addition to wife Linda and I being joined on this Napa trip by sister/sister-in-law Pat (Long), so it was only fitting we saved our David Arthur visit until this Long reunion trip together. The family reunion continued with a visit from Pat and Linda's niece Becky (nee) Long who lived near Napa and brought her family down to join us for a day in the region.

During that estate visit and tasting, we tasted the portfolio of David Arthur Bordeaux varietal labels. This label, a Bordeaux Blend, was not released until three years later in 2016, however. 

Since Alec acquired a case of this label, he shared with me two bottles for our David Arthur collection, which I’ll exchange for like kind labels of equal value from our cellar. 

David Arthur DAV Proprietary Red Blend 2016

David Arthur’s website writes about this label. “ After nearly forty years of farming grapes on our Pritchard Hill Estate, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Next Generation of David Arthur Vineyards wine ~ DAV. We have created a new, modern wine that represents the bold personality found in each and every bottle of our Estate wines. This Bordeaux-style blend allows us to weave together the rich, concentrated elegance and power of our mountain-grown Bordeaux varietals as well as the best of surrounding vineyards within the Napa Valley. The wine is aged an average of 20 months in French oak barrels, blended with meticulous care and bottled at our vineyard estate. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver plush, mouth-filling structure with soft, elegant tannins.” 

David Arthur’s brilliant winemaker Nile Zacherle crafts this new Proprietary Red which is available for a fraction of their iconic ultra-premium labels such as the 2007 Elevation 1147 Cabernet (Parker’s top 1147 vintage), which sells for $275 and up, yet rivals them in ratings!

Wine Spectator called Pritchard Hill “the Rodeo Drive of Napa Valley” and Wine Enthusiast says the area is “producing among the most profound wines in Napa Valley”. David Arthur sits in proximity to legendary neighbors Chappellet, Dalla Valle, Ovid, Bryant Family, and Colgin – labels often selling for a $1,000 or more. What a great value wine at less than $100!

Winemakers notes for this release - “A dark cerise color offering an array of fruit and spice aromas; bright cherry, red raspberry, baked cassis, and plum followed by notes of anise, baking spices, garrigue and cherry cola. The palate is soft and plush with fine-grained tannins offering beautiful acidity and structure. The finish is long and silky with flavors of candied plum, tamarind, brown sugar and molasses. Best 2018 to 2027.”

This release is from powerful 2016 vintage, rated a record high 98-point harvest according to Wine Advocate. It is an interesting and intriguing blend of Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and Italian grapes Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. David Arthur creatively crafted their Meritaggio Brand/label combining Sangiovese with the Bordeaux grapes. We’ve collected and still hold several vintages of that label dating back to 1997.

This was a great compliment to the pasta and pizza and begs for a grilled beefsteak. 

This label release was rated 94 Points by James Suckling, 90 points by Vinous and International Wine Cellar, and 89-92 points by Jeb Dunnuck

Dark ruby garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex, nicely balanced and integrated, full, round, bright vibrant lively ripe sweet black and red fruit flavors accented by notes of cassis, spice and tobacco with a long and flavorful finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5048796

https://www.davidarthur.com/

https://x.com/unwindwine

Robert Craig Affinity Bordeaux Blend with grilled tenderloin beefsteak

Vintage aged Robert Craig Affinity Bordeaux Blend for Great QPR - ideal pairing with grilled tenderloin beefsteak and chocolate caramel sundae 

Monday night dinner - grilled filets of beef from a section carved full beef tenderloin, with baked potato and grilled asparagus. I pulled from the cellar this aged, twenty year old Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend. 

It’s been four years and a couple weeks since we last tasted this vintage release of this label. We know this producer and label well and look to this Bordeaux Blend as ideal for pairing with grilled beefsteaks. 

Excerpts from that last tasting blogpost … 

Robert Craig Napa Valley Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend 2004.

As I have written numerous times in these pages, we've been collecting this wine since its' inaugural vintage in 1993 and we still hold several cases spread across almost two dozen vintages. 

Crafted to provide a sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon at a reasonable price with early gratification, Affinity defies this approach with its age worthiness, as this tasting testifies. 

This label was also understated in another way, it is actually a Bordeaux Blend and contains the other Bordeaux varietals. The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Craig vineyards and contract sources throughout Napa Valley. Robert used to refer to it as "three mountains and a Valley", referring to their vineyards and sources on Howell Mountain, Mt Veeder, Atlas Peak, Mt George, and the valley floor. According to the rear label, this 2004 Affinity release was 'sourced from the Tulocay estate in southern Napa Valley, blended with Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from exceptional vineyards in Napa Valley'. As was often the case, the specifics of blend was not specified. 

R & L with Robert Craig 
at Harvest Party

We may hold more Robert Craig wine in our cellar than any other producer. We've been fans of Robert Craig since the early nineties. We've been to many events at the winery as well as several private functions with Robert, his wife Lynn, and former hospitality and wine club ambassador, Rachel, and various members of the Craig team.   

I remember Robert Craig exclaiming his love for this label and how proud he was to hold it to an affordable pricepoint to introduce consumers to Robert Craig wines. I've written recently that in recent years, as Robert and Lynn turned over the reigns to new management, and the recent passing of Robert, this label has crept up in price significantly and is now priced where their premium labels used to be. Never-the-less, it provides good value and quality (QPR) drinking both early and yet also stands up to aging. 

Sadly, Robert passed in 2019 - we posted a Robert Craig Tribute in these pages at that time.

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

Tonight showed this label at its absolute best, at twenty years, showing sophistication and elegance and complexity - great QPR - quality price ratio. 

Six years ago I wrote, "This ten year old 2004 remains consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, the ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel are starting to give way to a layer of anise, tobacco, leather and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish."  

Previously, last tasted at sixteen years of age, this release may be at the apex of its drinking window and is as good as ever.  In an earlier tasting when I wrote, "Tasted from a 375 ml split. In this smaller format, it may be starting to show its age," I attribute that to perhaps a combination of bottle variation and the smaller format which ages less gracefully.

Tonight, at twenty years of age, the important fill level and cork were pristine, testament to the provenance of our cellar for long term aging. 

This release was a blend of Bordeaux varietals - 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Wine Advocate says this is sourced from the Tulocay estate in southern Napa Valley.

This was delicious, showing exceedingly well, better than expected and than earlier tastings, ideally paired with the grilled beefsteak, still drinking at the apex of its drinking window and showing no signs whatsoever of diminution from aging. It should have a half dozen years yet in its prime drinking. 

Winemaker Notes - “Heady perfume of ripe black cherry and currant, with black tea, spice and violet notes. Bright and abundant dark fruit and black currant liqueur are intertwined with sweet spice box, licorice and violets. Opulent black cherry drives the lively, long-lived finish.’

“A rich, multi-layered Cabernet that balances power with finesse. The 2004 vintage Affinity is a Cabernet-driven Bordeaux blend that showcases the power and richness of Napa Valley hillside fruit backed by an underlying band of round, ripe tannins. Luscious fruit flavors of great depth and purity are hallmarks of Affinity along with integrated tannin structure for long-term aging.’

"When ready to blend, we assess the relative strengths and merits of every wine, tasting through barrel samples. The aroma, flavor and texture profile of each wine lot has been influenced by the distinctive soil and weather characteristics of the source vineyard, the dictates of the growing season, and our winemaking regimen. After lengthy discussion and evaluation, we prepare the trial blends. In orchestrating these blends, we not only focuses on the quality and character of each wine, but also its "affinity" with the other blending components. This process is more intuitive than scientific. The ideal balance of flavors, aromas, textures, and concentration gradually emerges to create the master blend for that vintage."

"Consistent excellence from year to year is our ultimate goal for Affinity. The wine is known for its juicy, fruit-forward aromas and flavors, elegance in balance and structure, a silky texture, and approachable tannins." -- Chad Alexander, Winemaker.

To top things off even further, Linda prepared a fabulous sundae dessert of sautéed nuts in butter, with melted chocolate and caramel over vanilla bean ice cream. It was remarkable and spectacular with the remains of the Affinity. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm, structured, yet ideally harmoniously balanced,  nicely integrated black fruits accented by notes of black tea, spice box, hints of creosote, licorice, graphite and oak with firm yet approachable tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 92 points - better than earlier tastings when I gave it 90 points, increased a point from past tastings.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?323482

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=323482

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/search?q=Robert+Craig+Affinity

https://x.com/unwindwine