Pour Boys Wine Weekend Kick-off Dinner

Pour Boys Wine Weekend Kick-off Dinner at Entourage DG

In town for our Pour Boys Wine Group Fall Winers & Diners Gala dinner, Bill and Beth C came in from Charleston and stayed with us. 

We kicked off the weekend taking them to our latest favorite restaurant, Entourage DG for Friday afternoon dinner. 

On a beautiful exceptionally warm autumn afternoon, we dined 'al fresco‘, outside on the bustling sidewalk, across the street from and overlooking the train station amidst the high energy continuous commuters off the express trains arriving from downtown (Chicago). 

We had from our usual favorite “Social Hour” special selections, the Focaccia Bread and Deviled Eggs, along with the Spring Rolls. 

For our entrees, we all ordered their delicious Waygu Beef sliders, Filet Medallions with Horseradish Cream, Pickled Onion, Oven Roasted Roma Tomato and Arugula on a Mini Brioche bun.
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For a wine accompaniment, we ordered with the starters, from the wine list, the Kokomo Sonoma County Chardonnay. Then, with the beef entrees, I brought BYOB from our home cellar this Napa Cabernet Big Red Blend.

We’ve featured this wine in numerous previous blogposts as excerpted here.

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

This is from family owned and operated Kokomo Winery that was started by Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller in 2004, a fellow Hoosier, who named it after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, which is near Linda’s hometown and family farm in North Central Carroll County, Indiana.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

RM 89 points.

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

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

https://www.kokomowines.com/

As noted above, we followed with the beef entrees, this Napa Cabernet Big Red Blend that I brought BYOB from our home cellar.

Rubissow Napa Valley Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

We visited the Rubissow estate vineyards and winery, high atop Mount Veeder, with Bill and Beth as well as Eric and Cathy and Dan and Linda, from our Pour Boys wine group during our Napa Valley Mount Veeder Wine Experience back in 2011. 

I featured that estate visit and tasting in these pages in this blogpost, excerpted here:

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Rubissow Mt Veeder Vineyards

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Rubissow Mt Veeder Vineyards 

As was our custom, learned over the years after many trips to wine country, we learned to focus and concentrate on but one appellation per trip. Too often, folks try to take in too much, visiting properties geographically disbersed resulting in racing from one site to the next, traveling distances against the clock to meet the next appointment. 

This trip, we concentrated on just the Mount Veeder appellation, vastly simplifying travel from site to site, literally starting at the top of the mountain and working our way down to the valley.  

Named for the mountain at the southern end of the Mayacamas Mountain range that forms the western wall of Napa Valley, Mount Veeder is Napa’s largest sub-AVA. 

While the entire appellation is spread over 16,000 acres, vineyards cover only about 1,000, primarily in the the upper elevations of the Mayacamas Mountain, the highest point being at 2,400 feet.

Back at that time, only about 25 wineries produced wine from Mount Veeder fruit.

Mount Veeder was one of the earliest wine producing areas in Napa County with winemaking in the appellation dating back to 1864, when Captain Stelham Wing presented the first Mount Veeder wine to the Napa County Fair. That came from what remains today as Wing Canyon Vineyard. 

After the Prohibition interruption of the wine trade, viticulture and wine production was revitalized with the founding of Mayacamas Vineyards in 1951 and Bernstein Vineyards in 1964.

One of the highlights of our Napa Valley Mt Veeder appellation wine experience was our visit to Rubissow Vineyards. 

We also visited Yates Family Vineyards and Winery high atop Mt Veeder. 

Rubisow was founded by George Rubissow and Tony Sargent back in the 1960's when George also struck up a friendship with, and gained invaluable advice from the legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. They developed the Mt.Veeder estate and planted Bordeaux varietals. 

When we visited back in 2011, after twenty-five years, George was in the process of handing over operations of the vineyards and production to the next generation, Ariel and Peter Rubissow who were in their third year carrying on the family tradition of quality crafted mountain vineyard wines.

George Rubissow and the original 
Rubissow Sargent Label. 

Rubissow Wine Flight

This label was among the flight of wines we tasted that day and was arguably, the WOTN - Wine of the Night(Day). :

Rubissow Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

While this is labeled a Cabernet Sauvignon, appropriate since it is more than 75% of that varietal, this is actually a Bordeaux Blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot , 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Out tasting notes from that original tasting: 

Complex, concentrated, full bodied - winemaker notes - deep brambly richness, black currant, graphite, clove, kirsch, raspberry jam, smoke, dark caramel.

RM 92 points.

Winemaker Notes -  On the nose, this wine offers aromas of red cherry, blueberry, plum, mocha, vanilla bean and caramel -- with hints of lavender, rosemary and raspberry leaf. A youthful mountain wine with amazing complexity. The palate shows plum, cherry and raspberry flavors, with good tannins and bright acidity.

This was rated 92 points and a Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

Tonight, at 20 years, the label, foil, and most importantly the fill level and the cork, were still in good condition, although the cork was starting to soften. 

Amazingly consistent with that original tasting back in 2011, this was still drinking at its prime and has several more years of prime drinking yet. 

Much as noted earlier, Dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex, dense, concentrated, deep brambly black currant fruits with earthy tobacco and leather, graphite, clove spice, kirsch, smoke and hints of dark bitter chocolate on the long slightly astringent tannin laced finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1042516

The Rubissow hilltop vineyard looks south to the Carneros District with views in the distance of Mt Diablo to the west of San Francisco Bay and Mt Tamalpais in Marin, to the north of the Golden Gate. 

Rubissow Hilltop Vineyard looking out to San Pablo Bay

George telling the Rubissow Story to porch tasters

Rick and Linda with George Rubissow

Rick and Bill with George Rubissow

Rubissow Hilltop Vineyard

Rubissow Road Vineyard

Tasting on the porch at Rubissow

Rubissow's Barbara Jura leading estate grounds walk

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

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This 

I brought BYOB from our home cellar this Napa Cabernet blend    

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove with Lasagna

Linda babysat for kids/grandkid so D-in-law Vivianna prepared home-made lasagna with Italian Sausage. I opened from our cellar this Italian Red Bordeaux Blend for a food wine pairing. 

This wine, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove, is produced by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, the renowned winery located in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Italy, producers of the exceptional flagship blend known as Ornellaia.

Bolgheri, where the estate is located, is a small village on the picturesque Tuscan coast, in the Maremma region near the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its distinctive terroir, characterized by a blend of sand, marl, marine fossils, clay, limestone, and pebbles, coupled with a mild maritime climate and cooling sea breezes, creates ideal conditions for growing high-quality grapes, particularly the Bordeaux varieties used in Ornellaia's wines.

Ornellaia is somewhat of a legend, one of the first “Super-Tuscans”, the result of Marchese Lodovico Antinori’s vision and ambition to produce a great Bordeaux-style wine in Tuscany. The first vineyards were planted in 1981 and today have expanded to almost 250 acres.

Today, the winery is owned by the Frescobaldi family, one of seven estates they own and manage across the Northern Italian Tuscany Bolgheri region, some of which have been in the family dating back to the 1300's.

I first discovered this wine dining at Italian Village in the city (Chicago) for a team business dinner, selected from the vast Italian Village extraordinary wine cellar list crafted and curated by friend Jared Gelband, Wine Director.

I wrote about this label in an earlier blogpost in these pages, excerpted here.

The Ornellaia vineyard totals 280 acres that are divided into more than 70 vineyard plots according to soil type, exposition and varietal. There are three major soil types: marine (sedimentary deposit from the sea), alluvial (marly, sandy clays with mineral veins), and volcanic (schist, gravel and porous soils). All the vineyards are about 3 miles from the Mediterranean shore. The mild maritime climate features sea breezes that keep the sky clear, low rainfall, and long summers that favor the development of aromatic compounds. Vineyards are planted at high density, from 5,000-8,700 hl/ha, and feature several training systems – spur-pruned cordon, single Guyot, and head-pruned vines.

Bolgheri, where the winery is located, is a small village nestled along the picturesque Tuscan coast, specifically in the Maremma region near the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its unique terroir, characterized by a blend of sand, marl, marine fossils, clay, limestone, and pebbles, coupled with a mild maritime climate and cooling sea breezes, creates ideal conditions for growing high-quality grapes, particularly the Bordeaux varieties used in Ornellaia's wines. 

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. Antinori, a member of a prominent Tuscan winemaking family, was inspired to create wines of exceptional quality in the Bolgheri region. He planted Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, which led to the first vintage of Ornellaia in 1985. The estate's commitment to quality and expression of the terroir quickly gained recognition for the wines, leading to international acclaim.

Over the years, Ornellaia's ownership changed hands, though its dedication to quality remains a constant. Robert Mondavi acquired a minority stake in 1999 and full ownership in 2002. The Mondavi Corporation later entered into a partnership with the Frescobaldi family, another distinguished name in Tuscan winemaking. In 2005, the Frescobaldi family became the sole proprietor of Ornellaia, and continues to manage the estate today. 

Throughout its history, Ornellaia has benefited from the expertise of talented winemakers, including André Tchelistcheff in its early years, and Michel Rolland as a long-time consultant. Most recently, Axel Heinz served as the winemaker and Estate Director for over 17 years, and his legacy includes a project called Vendemmia d'Artista which involves collaboration with artists for special vintage releases. The current production manager for both Ornellaia and the super ultra-premium brand is Masseto is Marco Balsimelli.

First released in 1997, Le Serre Nuove is the 'Second' wine of ultra-premium Ornellaia, produced to broaden the selection of wines crafted during the crafting of the base wines of Ornellaia. It is produced mainly from younger vines, but crafted to match the profile of freshness, accessibility and flexibility with structure, balance and intensity that showcase the great terroirs of the producer’s properties.

This was an ideal pairing with the zesty lasagna. 

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove 2019

The 2019 Le Serre Nuove Dell'Ornellaia is 54% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. 

This release was rated 95 by James Suckling, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Decanter and Wine & Spirits, 93 points by Vinous and Wine Spectator, and 92 by Jeb Dunnuck.

Winemaker's notes - “With its hallmark deep colour, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2019 has a lively balsamic vein. Soft and silky, elegant tannins and an enduring savoury finish fill the mouth.” - Olga Fusari – Winemaker - May 2021.

Winemaker Notes - “With its usual intense color, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2019 has a nose full of fresh notes of ripe red fruits, accompanied by a lively balsamic vein with aromatic hints of cypress and eucalyptus berries. The wine is soft and silky in the mouth, filling it with an elegant tannic texture and a sapid and persistent finish.”

The winemaker’s description of “lively balsamic” best describes the predominate flavor sprite of this wine. Dark garnet colored, full bodied, the black currant and blackberry fruits are accented by that layer with savory notes of smoke, rosemary spice, black pepper, leather and hints of creosote and cedar with a lively moderate tannin laced finish.  

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4080770

https://www.ornellaia.com/en/

https://twitter.com/Ornellaia

Angus Barn Raleigh, NC

Beefsteak and wine dinner at legendary Angus Barn Raleigh, NC  

We traveled through Raleigh (NC) enroute to Fayetteville, NC to visit extended family. Laying over overnight, we dined at the historic Angus Barn Restaurant. 

The Angus Barn in Raleigh, North Carolina, is an institution with its award winning Wine Cellar that has over 25,000 bottles of wine from around the world. We dined at Angus Barn and toured the wine cellar during a previous visit back in 2009.

The Angus Barn was founded in 1960 by Thad Eure, Jr. and Charles Winston with the objective to provide “incomparable hospitality; excellent value; a meal of impeccable quality; and the rich, rustic Americana ambiance”.  

In 1959, they bought 50 acres along NC Highway 70, halfway between Raleigh and Durham near what would become Research Triangle Park and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). At the time, RDU was little more than a landing strip with fewer than 20 flights daily. Twelve years later Crabtree Valley Mall was built down the road near Raleigh.

When banks declined Eure and Winston search for funding, politely referring to their venture as “impossible” and “a poor risk.”, Eure turned to his father, the late North Carolina Secretary of State Thad Eure, Sr., for the capital to pursue their dream. 

In 1960, Eure and Winston opened their restaurant with a steak-and-potato-based menu serving highest quality aged western beef. 

Today, that legend continues under the ownership of Van Eure, daughter of the late Thad Eure, Jr. The Barn serves an average of 22,000 steaks per month, but the menu also features poultry, seafood and pasta.

The Angus Barn is consistently one of the nation’s 50 highest-grossing independent restaurants, consistently ranked as one of the 100 best restaurants in the US. 

In February, 1964, the Angus Barn was destroyed by fire. They rebuilt a new Barn doubling the seating capacity. Eure and Winston, vowed to provide jobs to each Angus Barn employee during reconstruction, finding jobs for employees at other area restaurants or in construction jobs. To open within one year of the fire, shifts were created to rebuild around-the-clock. They beat the one-year deadline reopening in January, 1965.

Its a great story that in November of 1983, after eighteen years in partnership, Eure and Winston decided to part ways. The quandary: Who would sell his share of the Barn to the other was resolved in a Southern gentlemen way. They agreed to a coin toss. The person who won the toss would decide whether to buy or to sell. Winston won. And Winston decided to sell. Winston went on to become one of the most respected hoteliers and restaurateurs in the southeast.

In 1979 the “liquor by the drink law” changed in North Carolina, allowing restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages by the drink. The owners sacrificed their offices and converted them into the Wild Turkey Lounge, named for Thad’s extensive wild turkey decanter collection.

The collection of more than 400 turkeys grew by another 200 to today’s collection of more than 600 decanters, displayed throughout the Wild Turkey Lounge, and is the largest private collection in existence.

Thad Eure, Jr., who earned a reputation nationally and statewide as “Mr. Hospitality,” succumbed to cancer in November of 1988 at the young age of 56. Numerous honors and tributes followed. Having served as president of both the North Carolina Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association, annual awards were established in his honor. 

In 1989, Wine Spectator magazine awarded its coveted Grand Award upon Angus Barn, an honor to be repeated each year for the next twenty-plus years. Built on Thad, Jr.’s vision to build a wine list to rival the best California restaurants, in 1991, Alice and Van transformed the stacked boxes and cases of wine in a place called “the cages” into a spectacular, 28,000 bottle wine cellar complete with in-cellar dining rooms. The legendary cellar rivals celebrated restaurant wine cellars throughout the US and the world, featuring 25,000 bottle of 1,200 different labels.

We toured the Angus Barn wine cellar during a previous visit with daughter Erin back in 2009.

After Alice Eure passed in October, 1997, many speculated that Van would simply sell the Barn. The Angus Barn continues under the stewardship of their daughter Van Eure, who continues expanding and building upon her parents’ dream.

In 2008 Van and husband Steve Thanhauser opened The Pavilion on the Angus Barn property, a 400 seat lakeside venue to accommodate special events. 

For dinner we each ordered steaks which were excellent, prepared perfectly and served hot with delectable accompaniments - mashed potatoes and fresh veggies.  

From the extraordinary extensive wine list I ordered a Napa proprietary red wine. Dining with Sis/in-law Pat, I ordered a wine from a producer we visited together, the David Arthur estate up on Pritchard Hill in the southern Vaca Mountain Range sitting at about 1000 feet overlooking the Silverado Trail of Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013. 

David Arthur Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2019

After nearly forty years of farming grapes up on Pritchard Hill, David Arthur released this new label, “the Next Generation of David Arthur Vineyards wine ~ DAV, a wine crafted for accessibility and near-term enjoyment in its youth, yet offering greater nuance and complexity afforded with cellaring.” 

This Bordeaux-style label is a blend of mountain-grown Bordeaux varietals from the David Arthur estate along with “the best of surrounding vineyards within the Napa Valley”. 

This wine is aged an average of 20 months in French oak barrels.

Producer’s Tasting Notes - “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.”

This label was awarded 94 point by James Suckling, 92 points by Vinous, and 91 by Wine Spectator. 

This is a traditional Bordeaux varietals blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot - 2,568 cases were produced. 

Bright garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely balanced, bright vibrant, smooth and lush, ripe black berry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of spice, sweet tobacco, cassis, with hints of mocha and herbs de Provence turning to fine grained tannin on a polished finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5062564

https://www.davidarthur.com/wines/proprietary-red/

https://mcnees.org/dinesite/Dinesites/DineSite_Raleigh_Angus_Barn.htm

https://www.angusbarn.com/

https://twitter.com/angusbarn

Conn Creek Anthology 2010

Conn Creek Anthology 2010 with meatloaf for an ideal pairing 

With left over meatloaf from Entourage dinner the night (Pirouette BYOB with Familiar Favorites at Entourage DG), I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend as an accompaniment.

Conn Creek Anthology 2010 

Conn Creek, located in the historic Rutherford district along the Silverado Trail, has been producing Napa Valley Bordeaux-styled red wines since 1973 when it was founded by Bill and Kathy Collins. 

In 1979, they built what is now Conn Creek Winery in the Rutherford appellation, on the namesake Conn Creek, at the intersection of Silverado Trail and Conn Creek Road, across from the trailhead of Sage Canyon Road. 

The facility was perhaps one of the first “green” winery building in Napa Valley with 12”-thick walls made of Styrofoam, steel mesh, gunite and a total of 20,000 corks. 

Conn Creek were pioneers, among a small group leading Napa Valley’s emergence as a fine wine growing region on the world stage. That effort continues today, nearly 40 years later, as Conn Creek produces a portfolio of ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietal wines.

Conn Creek’s winemaker is Jean Hoefliger, born and raised in Switzerland, his winemaking background includes some of the leading vineyards from some of the world’s most esteemed wineries from Bordeaux to South Africa including Château Lynch-Bages, Château Carbonnieux, and Meerlust. 

After earning a degree in viticulture and enology from the prestigious Swiss Federal School of Changins, Jean set out for California, where he spent five years crafting quality wines as Winemaker at Newton Vineyard. 

Recognized for his visionary approach, Jean was tapped by Alpha Omega as both Winemaker and General Manager. His stature in the industry grew, and by 2005, he expanded his expertise as a Consulting Winemaker for renowned producers in Napa Valley, Switzerland, and Italy. His clients included Howell Mountain’s Clark Claudon, the ultra-premium Decades 5, Armanino Family Cellars, Yount Ridge, and Speratus, as well as Conn Creek.

Notably, both Newton and Clark Claudon feature prominently in our cellar collection. 

This label Anthology is the Conn Creek flagship label, named for a Greek word that refers to a collection of literary or artistic works akin to its Bordeaux blend crafted from a collection of Napa Valley’s notable vineyards and diverse AVAs. 

Anthology is sourced from nearly all of Napa Valley’s appellations. 

The 2010 Anthology is a blend of all the designated Bordeaux varietals: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 3% Malbec.

It is comprised of vineyard lots selected from the following appellations: Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, Stags Leap District, Howell Mountain - Hughes Vineyards, St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, Oakville - Stanton Vineyard, Calistoga - Surber & Frediani Vineyards, Yountville - Herrick Vineyard, Carneros - Truchard Vineyard, and Mount Veeder: Cabernet Franc from St. Helena - Carpenter Vineyard, Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, and Spring Mountain; Merlot from St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, and Atlas Peak - Stagecoach; Petit Verdot from Yountville - Tall Trees; and Malbec from Yountville - Herrick.

Winemaker’s tasting notes - “Anthology, is a testament to the layers of depth and complexity that can be achieved through the art of blending. Blackberries and plums nestle among cocoa, anise and wildflowers. On the palate a bright opening of black currants leads to a lingering finish of rich chocolaty tannins.

What a treat. This is what having a broad and deep wine cellar is all about! Finding a hidden gem bottle such as this for a wonderful pairing with some delicious food. As I’ve written numerous times in these pages - a great pairing of food and wine enhances and amplifies the enjoyment of both!

We had this release of this wine in a special event dinner back in 2014 - Conn Valley Anthology Highlights Capital Grill Board Room Dinner.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/conn-valley-anthology-highlights.html

At seventeen years, the important fill level and cork were in ideal condition, as were the foil and label, as shown. This was likely at the apex of its drinking window, not expected to improve further, but able to continue to age for superb drinking for several more years.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex but elegant and polished, nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and black currant fruits, accented by notes of mocha, anise and hints of floral and black tea, with silky tannins on a pleasant finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1392790

http://www.conncreek.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/conn-valley-anthology-highlights.html

https://conncreek.com/collections/library

Uriah Right Bank Blend with grilled beefsteaks

Uriah Right Bank Blend with grilled beefsteaks in celebration tribute

We attended grand-daughter Lucy’s graduation where she received several honors including giving a speech to the entire graduating class and guests. 

It’s hard to believe time passes so quickly and we’re so proud of her. 

We came home for a late dinner and pulled from the cellar one of our favorite wines from her birthyear vintage as our own mini tribute celebration. 

We ate some of the leftover ribeye steak from the other evening, along with baked sweet potatoes, ideally paired with this Right Bank Bordeaux blend. 

Uriah Spring Valley Vineyards Red Blend 2010

This was a fitting selection, not only as a birthyear vintage, but it is also a family oriented label and producer. All the Spring Valley Vineyars labels are named for a family member. This label “Uriah”, is named for the Spring Valley Vineyards founder Uriah Corkrum, grandfather of matriarch owner producer Shari Corkrum Derby. 

All of the Spring Valley wines are named for one of the ancestral or current family members and are showcased in an annual box set. Shown is our set commemorating the 2013 vintage releases, one of several in our collection. 

Uriah Corkrum was born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866. He began successfully farming on his own during the 1880s. Unusual summer rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and, in 1897, acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley that is the site of the vineyards today. 

Uriah is featured on the flagship label Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend. This is our favorite label from the Spring Valley portfolio. 

Spring Valley Vineyard wines are all produced from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington. Washington State and regional powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the winery and the brand from the Derby family recently, but they continue to own and operate the vineyards.

We visited Spring Valley during our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyardtasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, namesake for this label.

Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021.

The Uriah label from Spring Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington is a “Right Bank” Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is Merlot based like those from the northeastern or right bank of the Gironde River.

We hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label including birth year vintages of several of our grandkids. We’ve tasted and featured this label from many vintages numerous times in these pages as featured in this collection of posts - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/search?q=Uriah.

Spring Valley Vineyards “Uriah” Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2010

This release was rated 94 points by Wine Spectator back in 2013, and was recognized “Top 100 Wines of 2013, Highly Recommended”.

In the Right Bank Bordeaux style this is 46% Merlot, 40%, Cabernet Franc, 6%, Petite Verdot, 5%, Cabernet Sauvignon and 3%, Malbec.

At fifteen years, the foil, label, and most importantly, the cork and fill level were perfect and this was likely at the apex of its drinking window, still young and capable of aging for several more years. 

I wrote about this wine back in 2013 when I wrote: “ This may be the most expressive Uriah I have tasted. It is the most complex on the front and most vibrant on the finish that I remember. We hold each vintage going back to 2002.”

Tonight was consistent with that earlier tasing. Dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex layers of tight spicy red currant and black raspberry fruits, accented by spicy clove, hints of smoky anise and tobacco, turning to a big mouthful of subtle cinnamon and hint of mocha on a tongue tingling acidic finish with smooth dusty tannins.

RM 92 points. 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/12/spring-valley-vineyard-uriah-walla_19.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1267234

http://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks

Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks 

With fellow ‘Pour Boy’, Lyle, and Terry, of our wine group at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we grilled out tomahawk ribeye beefsteaks.

For wine pairing with the dinner, Lyle brought this Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino from his home cellar to share, and I opened, from our home cellar a Bordeaux varietal.

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2016

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.  

The Uccelliera estate has 30 acres of vineyards almost entirely planted to Sangiovese, made up of vines between 5 and 45 years old. The site consists of sandy loam with presence of crumbled fossils in the zone of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. The vineyards sits at an average altitude of 150, 250 and 350 meters above seal level adjacent a natural barrier provided by the proximity to the height of Mount Amiata in the south-east side and of Poggio d’Arna in the south-west. 

Also, the nearby Orcia river provides a marine breeze rising up from its valley contributes to create a unique microclimate that is particularly well-suited to viticulture. This label consistently shows a sense of place of this specific Montalcino location.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, smooth and balanced, plush, round, complex black raspberry and blackberry fruits with tones of dark chocolate, tobacco, licorice and spice with hints of mushroom and smoke, reserved with polished tannins.. 

RM 93 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3830792

https://www.uccelliera-montalcino.it/

To complement the dinner, I opened from our home cellar this Bordeaux varietal blend. 

Long Shadows "Pirouette" Columbia Valley Bordeaux Blend 2017

I wrote about this label in detail in a recent blogpost, Long Shadows Pirouette 2016 with beef roast.

I wrote, after enjoying the Long Shadows Pirouette 2014 at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Linda prepared a beef roast and I pulled out the next vintage release of this label to enjoy, and compare with the earlier vintage in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. 

As I wrote in that recent blogpost - Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville, 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. 

This label is produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, in collaboration with Agustin Huneeus, Sr.. another legendary wine producer. I;ve written about about Philip Melka numerous times in these pages including that recent Sullivan’s Steakhouse post and previously - Château Boswell Napa Valley Estate Reserve Red Wine 2016. I featured Huneeus in a recent blogpost here - Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner.

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 our cellar inventory, we hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label so we pulled the oldest in our holdings, and one year adjacent to following the earlier release tasting. We supplemented our wine club allocation with several bottles of this label acquired at auction, some of which I took to Florida to our vacation rental home which we opened tonight. 

The 2017 Pirouette is a left-bank Bordeaux blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot, crafted from small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards.  It was aged 22 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new.

 

Winemaker notes - “The Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily sourced from a collection of Red Mountain’s best vineyards, gives Pirouette the structure and textured richness that has come to characterize this acclaimed growing region. A small percentage of old vine Cabernet from Sagemoor Vineyard, planted in 1972, adds complexity. Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine. Malbec from Sonnet Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills adds spice. Finally, Dionysus Vineyard’s Petit Verdot enhances the wine’s color and contributes to the wine’s layers of intense aromas and flavors.’

“The 2017 Pirouette has an expressive nose with a firm core of dark fruit and mocha flavors, displaying a layered concentration of black cherry and well-integrated oak spices. Vibrant and full-bodied across the mid-palate, this is a texturally pleasing wine with a broad and lengthy finish.” 

This was a blockbuster release, rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and International Wine Report, 94 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and 93 by Steve Tanzer.

Dunnuck wrote - “It can be drunk today but will develop additional complexity with 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.”

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, vibrant expressive expressive vibrant blackberry, plum and black currant fruits with savory accents of cinnamon and clove spice, bitter dark chocolate and crème de cassis with smooth polished tannins on a sumptuous finish.

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3581703

https://longshadows.com/library/pirouette/6951

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

@unwindwine

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/long-shadows-cellars-feature-world.html

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