Viader Napa Proprietary Red Corley Reserve

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend, Corley Reserve, Scount's Honor with grilled beef tenderloin for gala family celebration dinner

The entire Berganzi family came to town and gathered with clan McNees (below) to celebrate the dedication of grand-daughter Marylin, son Alec and Vivianna's baby.

Following the ceremony at Compass Church, Alec and Vivianna hosted all for a gala family dinner of grilled tenderloin beefsteak, salmon, roasted potatoes, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and carrots. 

Alec grilled two whole beef tenderloins on the grill. Before dinner we had a selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie followed by ceasar salad with a Champagne toast. 

We opened the wine-flight with Hill Family Estate Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay. 

There was so much to celebrate across the family - Marylin's dedication, Alec and Viv's second anniversary, Henry and Grace's engagement, Sean and Michelle's new home, and Johnny's birthday!

To celebrate the occasion and accompany the festive dinner, I pulled from the cellar a magnum of this Viader Napa Valley Red Blend. As I have written in these pages, this is one of the numerous "V" labels we have fun with as a tribute to our daughter-in-law, Viv. We wrote about fun with this branding in an earlier blogpost, Viader Napa Bordeaux Blend 1997.

We met proprietor winemaker Delia Viader at a tasting hosted by Binny's Chicago Lakeview back in 2005, and visited the property on lower Howell Mountain in 2008. 

Our collection of Viader spans a decade 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 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.  

A travelogue of photos of our visit to the Viader are shown here or a selection are featured in the follow-on blog.  

The 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.  

Napa Valley view from the Viader estate

This follows our tasting last evening of another of the 'V' series of labels we enjoy with and in tribute to to Viviana, the Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor.

The 'V' is the prominent branding of the producer and winemaker Delia Viader, a remarkable and impressive lady who 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, Delia acquired the Howell Mountain property and set out to create a world class wine estate, and 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.

Shown here is our meeting Delia Viader during a producer tasting evening sponsored by Binny's here in Chicago back in 2005. 

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 has gained an international reputation as one of the iconic wines of the 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 Napa Valley Proprietary Bordeaux Red Blend 2004

Winemaker Notes: "Since its first release in 1989, Delia Viader has made her Proprietary Blend using only the best fruit from her Howell Mountain Estate vineyards. The Viader blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc captures an ideal balance between the two varieties. The Cabernet Franc contributes to the early approachability, elegant structure and violet-like aromatics while the Cabernet Sauvignon adds complexity and character as well as providing the backbone structure for long aging potential."

"The 2004 Viader is intense, upfront, floral bouquet laced with chocolate, coffee, anise, earth and leather. Lingering, complex tannins firm up in the finish which is rounded by the powerful aromas of blackberry, blueberry and mint. Approachable now, bottle aging will further develop bouquet and complexity. Awonderfully elegant mountain beauty!"

This release was awarded 92 points by Vinous,  17.5/20 points by Jancis Robinson.

We love this blend of Napa Valley 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon accented by the structure, grip and spice of 40 percent Cabernet Franc. At eighteen years this was wonderful, probably at the apex of its drinking window, but likely with a decade of life still left. The fill level, label and cork were all pristine. As a result, I pushed the Cellartracker drinking window for my remaining bottles of this vintage release out to 2024. I raised my earlier rating from 92 to 93 points.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied and firmly structured ripe black raspberry fruits with notes of coffee, mocha, leather, graphite, sweet oak and spice with firm gripping by elegantly smooth polished tannins on the long finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224306

https://viader.com/ 

@viader_napa

Alec followed with a big Napa Valley Cab, closing out with another Napa Valley Big Red blend from another one of our whimsical fun 'V' labels, Venge Scout's Honor Red. 

Corley Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

We were introduced to this wine when Alec served it at a father-brothers-sons dinner last year.  I wrote about this wine in an earlier blogpost at that time - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/05/father-son-wine-dinner.html.

This is produced by the Corley family who are long time grape growers in Napa Valley that produce a small limited amount of wine of their own label, only in extraordinary vintages. The Corley family owns and manages some of the finest vineyard properties in Napa Valley at their 80 acre Monticello Vineyards estate with vineyards and winery, tasting room, as well as culinary and hospitality center.

Founded by Jay Corley in 1970 when he began searching for sites to grow wine, in pursuit of his personal passion for Burgundian-style wines led him to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in what is now known as the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.

They produced this wine at Monticello Winery on Big Ranch Road in the Oak Knoll District of south Napa Valley. We visited this winery estate back in the late nineties when it was operating as a custom crush facility and we did a tasting of boutique producer Elan Wines with producers Patrick and Linda Elliott-Smith. 

This was a special bottle as the boys know and are friends with one of the members of the Corley family and were able to source this special limited release bottling.Today, Corley is managed by their third generation.

Since it’s first bottling in 1982, our Corley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the Corley Family flagship wine. It is sourced from each of their five estate cabernet sauvignon vineyards and the diversity of four distinct sub-Appellations - Rutherford, Yountville, St. Helena and Oak Knoll District.

This is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot.

Ken's Wine Guide Tasting Panel summed this up perfectly when they wrote about this label, "This very dark garnet colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Corley opens with a mild black currant and black licorice bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and savory. The flavor profile is a fruit forward fruit bomb featuring stewed plum and black currant with notes of graphite and toasted oak. We also detected a hint of blackberry. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins show very nice length. The Panel suggested pairing this Cab with a New York strip steak. Enjoy - KWGTP"

I echo their tasting experience and give this 92 points. Dark garnet color, medium-full body, nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of anise, hints of graphite and toasted oak with smooth polished moderate tannins on a lingering finish.

Winemaker notes: "Typically luscious, powerful and richly textured our Reserve is full-bodied and while ready to drink is also a wine to lay down for the years to come. This wine once again shows nice consistency and balance throughout the entire experience – from the aromatics through to the finish. The mouth-feel is rich in texture and with a finish framed by firm but rounded velvety tannins, one of the hallmarks of this wine."

Dark garnet color, medium-full body, nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of anise, hints of graphite and toasted oak with smooth polished moderate tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3237704

https://www.corleyfamilynapavalley.com/ 

https://twitter.com/monticellonapa 

Alec opened another Big Napa Red, another of the 'V' series of labels we enjoy with and in tribute to to Viviana, the Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor.

Venge Vineyard "Scout's Honor" Napa Red 2019

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

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

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

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

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

We have been collecting this label since the earliest releases in the mid-nineties and hold a half dozen vintages. We typically keep a half dozen vintages of this label on hand for easy, enjoyable smooth sipping with everyday fare, great with BBQ, burgers, pizza to hearty cheese, beef, fruits and chocolates. I was surprised when I went to write up this tasting note that this was my first recorded tasting of this vintage.

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

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

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

Winemaker's Notes: "Full-bodied, concentrated and gorgeous, this vintage features an assemblage of violets, dried cinnamon, white flowers, fresh cut blue herbs, and a touch of barrel toast. The palate has loads black fruits and sweet currants, pepper spice, and an enveloping masculinity of char and tannins from the Syrah, Charbono and Petite Sirah. A seamless balance and mouth coating deliciousness lead to a wine that is quite pleasing to the senses. Cellared correctly it will age for 7 to 10 years."

The 2019 blends 63% Zinfandel with smaller amounts, 16% Charbono, 12% Petite Sirah and 9% Syrah aged 50% new American Oak and the balance in once-used tight grained French Oak.

The Zinfandel was picked from two, old-vine, 60 to 100+ years old, dry-farmed vineyard sources: Venge’s Estate “Signal Fire Vineyard” and the Frediani Vineyard, both located in the heart of Calistoga. The Charbono was sourced from old, dry-farmed vines 60 to 100+ years old, also planted in the Frediani Vineyard. Robbie Mondavi’s Oso Vineyard located on Howell Mountain supplies the Petite Sirah, and, Napa’s finest Syrah from Stagecoach Vineyard, high in the mountains of the Atlas Peak AVA.

This was rated 93 points by The Wine Enthusiast.

After the more subdued and focused Viader red blend, this was a monstrous super sweet fruit bomb, begging for hearty cheese, spicy pizza pasta or dark bitter chocolates. Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied, rich, thick concentrated sweet super ripe black currant fruit with notes of that Howell Mountain cinnamon spice, violet floral notes, pepper and pain grille.

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3525137

https://www.vengevineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/vengevineyards

 

Diverse Super Tuscans at Italian Village Chicago

Diverse Super Tuscans at Italian Village Chicago Team Dinner

We held a tech leadership team dinner meeting on the eve of a team workshop and dined at our usual venue for such dinners, Italian Village, Chicago, in the Central loop, not far from our office, this continues our regimen of numerous dinners which I've featured in many earlier blogposts about our wine and dinners at Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continuously family operated Italian restaurant.

We selected from the extensive Best of Wine Spectator Award winning wine list two vintage Super Tuscan Red Blends. This provided a mini-horizontal tasting of two diverse nine year old vintage wines - an interesting pairing with our Italian cuisine selections of Lasagna, Fettucini Alfredo and their chef's signature Gnocchi sautéed in a vodka, spicy arrabiata cream sauce with crumbled Italian sausage, topped with parmesan cheese. 

Caiarossa Aria di Caiarossa Toscana IGT Super Tuscan Blend 2013

Caiarossa was founded in 1998, taking as its guide the principles of organic agriculture for the cultivation of the vineyards and that of geo-dynamics and the oriental discipline of Feng Shui for the construction of the cellars.

The name of Caiarossa was coined as a homage to the soil, which is characterized by the presence of jasper, rock and pebbles intensely red in colour, the creative name inspired by Gaia, mother of all the gods of Mount Olympus, goddess of fertility and of Nature, of the very Earth itself.

In 2004, the estate was acquired by Eric Albada Jelgersma, whose family owned two Grands Crus Classés in Margaux, Bordeaux, Château Giscours and Château du Tertre, which were both sold in 2021.

The company logo and label features an ancient clay head of Etruscan origin representing the Greek god Dionysus and dating from the fourth century B.C. The figure was discovered near the city of Volterra and now the property of Eric Albada Jelgersma. 

Cairossa owns 175 acres of land, half of which is covered with oak, cork oak, and holm oak woods. The soil composition is quite varied: calcareous at lower altitudes, rich in sandstone and sand, iron-rich at higher altitudes. The first 40 acres of vineyards were planted between 1998 and 2000.  An additional 37 acres were planted between 2008 and 2013 on the southern slopes of the Nocolino hill, a site a few kilometers away from the center of Riparbella with clayey soils.

After research to select the appropriate grape varietals that would best express the site, seven red grape varieties were planted: Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Alicante, and Syrah along with three white grape varieties: Viognier, Chardonnay, and Petit Manseng

This release is a blend of Cabenert Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The predominant Syrah is from the three acre Podere Nocolino, Podere le Lame vineyard. It was aged in barriques and tonneaux for about 14 months, using 15% of new oak. Then 6 months in concrete tanks before bottling.

Bright purple garnet colored, full bodied, aromatic, expressive vibrant cherry, plum and raspberry fruits more reflecting the Syrah than the Bordeaux blend components, accents of  bitter dark chocolate, tobacco, vanilla and earthy mushroom on a bold acidic finish. 

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2885540

https://www.caiarossa.com/
 

Tenuta di ArcenoValadorna Toscana IGT 2013

The is from the Tenuta di Arceno estate, situated at the southernmost-edge of Chianti Classico in the butterfly-shaped commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, home to several world-renowned producers. It is the closest in proximity to Siena and often referred to as ‘the most Senese Chianti Classico.

The ancient Tuscan estate produces a broad diverse portfolio of the highest quality wines across two classification levels – three wines based on the region's native Sangiovese grape in the Chianti Classico DOCG collection; and three wines that comprised of estate grown international varieties under the Toscana IGT designation. 

Sitting adjacent the ancient walled town of San Gusmè, 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. The vineyards are separated into 63 distinct blocks, planted to 50% Sangiovese and 50% international varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This Merlot-led blend is sourced primarily from the Valadorna and Capraia blocks, which produce the estate’s most complex and mineral-based expressions of this variety. The blocks are located within the cooler part of the estate with sandy brown soils that produce lower yields than typical. It is naturally irrigated by a stream that winds through the property. These blocks are often the last Merlot blocks to ripen on the estate.

Winemaker Notes: "The 2013 was a classic vintage, yet on the cool side, which favors the perfect ripening of Merlot. The Valadorna Merlot was picked on October 1st, allowing ample time on the vine for perfect maturation and tannin development. The nose jumps from the glass with exotic spices of jasmine, cumin and vanilla bean. The fruit expression is of raspberry and black cherry. The mouthfeel is dominated by long flexible tannins framed by slight tingling acids. The immediate sensation of blueberry pie gives way to an uplifting bright sour cherry finish. As the fruit subsides, what remains on the palate are hints of sweet cedar and cigar box notes. The 2013 is an elegant vintage and will age gracefully."

This release is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, 74% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot.

This was rated 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 94 points by James Suckling.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex but well integrated, intense, firm and tight black fruits with notes of tobacco, tar and dark chocolate with bright acidity and firm tannins on the lingering finish. 

 

RM 93 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3296253

 

https://www.tenutadiarceno.com/en/estate 

 

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/
 

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

With my Linda out of town for the weekend, Dr Dan invited me over for Friday night dinner. I pulled from the cellar a vintage Bordeaux Blend for the occasion. 

Dan prepared delicious pork loins with seasoned with hot pepper peach bourbon sauce, roasted potatoes and a medley of grilled vegetables.

Prior to dinner, Dan and Linda served a broad assortment of artisan cheeses, shrimp, olives, charcuterie, nuts and chocolates. 

Pour Boys visiting Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma

I selected a producer that the Pour Boys visited, including Dan and Linda, on our most recent Sonoma County Wine Experience, the last of numerous visits to the estate and Chateau over the years - Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Valley. 

In addition to the legendary flagship label Cinq Cépages - which means five flavors or varieties, I also brought another Chateau St Jean label, Belle Terre, their Late Harvest Riesling dessert wine. 

Chateau St Jean is one of the premier producers in Sonoma County and their winery chateau estate is a showcase highlight of the Sonoma Valley - certainly the most elegant and fashionable tasting experience setting that we've experienced there. We enjoyed visiting there numerous times over the years for a comprehensive tasting experience that offers some of their Reserve and Library selections not available in the marketplace.ch as our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience in 2009.

Our private tastings at the 1920's chateau with views of the Grand Lawn and Estate Vineyards and in the Reserve Room have been the highlights of our trips to the region.

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 1997

We've enjoyed the Cinq Cépages label since its release in the late eighties. Chateau St. Jean "Cinq Cépages" was one of the first classic Bordeaux Blend labels from the region and has always represented good value, high QPR relative, to the top Bordeaux labels. 

This was one of the last releases before the 1996 release was annointed Wine Spectator #1 wine in the annual Top 100 list in 1999.  Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator Magazine. At that time the release price was $28, a remarkable value at the time. From then on, the label exploited its #1 legacy and notoriety and boosted the price point, but it still represents reasonable comparable value at near $100.    

We have a vertical of this up to the recent vintages - this was the oldest release in our cellar so we pulled as part of cellar management, but also to compare to two other 1997 vintage Napa Cabs we opened last weekend.

This release was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

The fill level, foil, label and most importantly, the cork were all in prime condition.  At twenty five years this was at the apex, in its prime drinking window, showing no signs of diminution from aging whatsoever. This exceeded my loftiest expectations and showed even better than the two 1997's we opened last weekend. This was definitely the WOTN - Wine of The Night.

The 1997 Cinq Cepages is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit-Verdot, aged in 50% new and 50% one-year old French barrels. Robert Parker writes, "this is California's answer to a big, rich St-Emilion".

Stephen Tanzer writes: "At once sweet and structured. Finishes with big, dusty tannins and very good length. The most promising vintage to date for this bottling. (ST)"

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, smooth polished, complex but balanced and nicely integrated black berry plum, currant and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha, toffee, spice, cedar, aise and herbs with a smooth finish. 

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2205

Linda served strawberry shortcakes with fresh fruits and I opened the Late Harvest dessert wine. 

Chateau St. Jean Alexander Valley Belle Terre Vineyard Special Select Late Harvest Riesling 2006  

Château St. Jean has been producing several white wine labels from the Belle Terre Vineyard since the 1975 Chardonnay Belle Terre and 1976 dessert Riesling. The Belle Terre Vineyard is owned by the Dick Family, which over the past three decades, has built a reputation as one of the premier grape-growing families in the region

The vineyard is in the Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural) Area just north of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. The Russian River flows through the valley. The region was named for Cyrus Alexander, a 19th century landowner and grape grower. The AVA includes 15,000 vineyard acres, much of it rich, alluvial soil layered on a bed of gravel, similar to many vineyards in Bordeaux. 

Today Alexander Valley is home to some of California’s most admired wineries, including Simi, Stonestreet, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, and of course Chateau St Jean based in Sonoma. 

This Special Select Late Harvest Riesling is produced only in top rated vintages from botrytis-affected fruit that is carefully hand-selected from the Belle Terre Vineyard.

Upon release, this wine is straw colored, and with its high residual sweetness, can be a long lived wine, capable of aging for decades. As it ages, it becomes darker, turning from straw colored to golden, taking on more brown hues resembling weak tea, then stronger darker tea, and eventually dark blackish cola or coffee colored. At fifteen years, this was already blackish colored, like cola, akin more to one that is several decades old. 

Normally this would be predominant ripe ripe apricot, peach and lemon fruits with sweet notes of fruits and honey. This release the sweet fruits were more subdued interlaced with notes of tea, expresso and bitter dark chocolate with bright acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=796124

http://www.chateaustjean.com/

https://twitter.com/chateaustjean1

@chateaustjean1

Over the course of the evening, Dan opened a selection of red wines from his cellar. 

• Long Shadows Saggi Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
• Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
• Il Valentiano Brunello Di Montalcino Reserva 2015 
• Entrepreneur Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Long Shadows Saggi Columbia Valley Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

We're members of the Long Shadows wine club and hence get regular Vault Key Club release allocation shipments of their top labels of which we share our case lot with Dr Dan. We've written in these pages about the Vintners Collection wherein Long Shadows collaborates with world class winemakers to craft varietal compositions from Washington State fruit. 

This label is inspired by the great wines of Tuscany and father-son winemaking team Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, winemaker Gilles Nicault crafts Saggi in the style of its original winemakers.

The 2018 Saggi is a Columbia Valley Blend: 58% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Syrah. The Sangiovese is sourced from two distinct Washington State Sangiovese vineyards, both planted in 1998. Both sites with have terrior of well-draining soils, important to managing Sangiovese’s vine vigor and controlling berry size. Candy Mountain Vineyard Sangiovese is a warm vineyard that delivers grapes with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. Boushey Vineyard Sangiovese, grown in the Yakima Valley, is a cooler site that brings brightness and balanced acidity to the blend. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Stone Tree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, included to add a silky texture to the wine. The Syrah adds a darker hue and another layer of complexity.

Winemakers' tasting notes: "Easily one of our favorite Saggi bottlings to date, this wine showcases the quality of our vineyard sites and the warmth of the growing season. A brilliant garnet-red, the 2018 Saggi is elaborately fragrant, brimming with red cherries, ripe strawberries and notes of nutmeg. Vibrant and
well-integrated with balanced natural acidity, this is a textured wine with great richness and flavors that linger across a generous finish. Drinking beautifully now, the wine’s concentration and structure also make it an excellent candidate for the cellar."

This is becoming a go-to wine for us for Sangiovese complemented Italian cuisine, but bigger and bolder than your typical Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino. Son Alec, who also shares in our club allocation cites this as one of his favorite wines.

Tonight, this stood out from the others with its big bold style, bright garnet-red colored, full bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated vibrant forward fruits of raspberry, red cherries and ripe strawberries with fragrant floral and notes of nutmeg and clove spices. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3720918

 

https://longshadows.com/wines/2018-saggi/133

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0536/2016-Saggi 

https://twitter.com/LongShadowsWine

 

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Red

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2009

I wrote extensively about Flora Springs and the Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend label (2008) and chronicled their branding history in these pages two years ago.

I wrote at that time, 'This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.'

As with that post, again tonight, for midweek dinner at home with grilled steaks, whipped potatoes and haricot verts, I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. 

We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

As mentioned in earlier blog postings: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The label adorns three grape leaves on the label.

This Bordeaux-style wine is sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards that sit just west of St Helena Highway down Zinfandel Lane, in the northwestern corner of the Rutherford Appellation. 

The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91. Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this fifteen year old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  Wine Enthusiast gave this release 92 points.

Winemaker’s Notes: "The 2009 Trilogy possesses all the attributes that make Trilogy so great—ripe berries, allspice, white chocolate, espresso and black currant. Three varietals merge together to form a beautiful balanced lush wine that makes you just want to have one more sip.'

"The Merlot brings out the red fruits, while the Cabernet and Malbec are responsible for the black fruits. We are proud to say that after 33 years of winemaking and 25 years of crafting Trilogy, Flora Springs is still breaking new ground. We credit the consistent organic and sustainable farming practices of our vineyard team as well as the focus and direction of our winemaker, Paul Steinauer." 

As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, this 2009 Trilogy is a red Bordeaux Blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Malbec. It was aged for 21 months in 100% new French Oak. 

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.

At thirteen years, this is drinking very nicely now, probably at the apex of its drinking profile, and not likely to improve any further with aging. 

With dark inky color, this exhibited medium-full bodied, nicely complex but nicely balanced and well integrated bright vibrant forward blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of cassis, cedar, mocha and hints of sweet oak with  smooth soft tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1316779

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/flora-springs-trilogy-napa-valley-red.html

https://www.florasprings.com/ 

  

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2004

Friday night dinner, Linda prepared a Tomahawk Ribeye beefsteak with cheese potatoes and creamed spinach. She frequents the local butcher who invariably has a couple of these in fresh in the meat case and she'll pick them up for sharing. One steak grilled then sliced is easily enough for the two of us and often leaves some left for beefsteak sandwiches in the following days. Its also a dinner that cries for a expressive complex red wine, which results in a food wine pairing exposition. 

I pulled from the cellar an aged Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, aptly named "Right Bank" by the producer in light of its Merlot predominance in the Blend accented by another Bordeaux varietal Cabernet Franc - 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. 

Oenophiles and Bordeaux enthusiasts know that a Bordeaux Blend will comprise the classic specified Bordeaux varietal grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and perhaps Malbec. 

Those wines produced on the Right Bank of the Gironde River, to the north and east of the slightly diagonally running river, will be predominantly Merlot based, complemented by the remaining varietal (s) in the mix. 

Meanwhile, those wines from the Left Bank, to the - south and west of the river, will be predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with lesser amounts of some combination of the remaining Bordeaux varietals in the Blend.

Hence, at 60% Merlot, this is considered a 'Right Bank' Bordeaux (Blend). Indeed, the rear label cites they produce this wine from the two Bordeaux varietals to be complimentary of those from the most famous Right Bank appellation St Emilion.

This is from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards a family owned and operated producer founded in 1983 who released their first vintage in 1987. This is not to be confused with Conn Creek Napa Valley labels and brand from St Helena that go back to the 1980. 

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produce estate Bordeaux varietal wines from their 40-acre estate located south of Howell Mountain in Conn Valley just over the first lower slope of the Vaca Range that makes up the eastern wall of Napa Valley. They promote that they are just 3 miles or 10 minutes east of downtown St. Helena to invite visitors to their tours. 

Anderson's is run by Todd Anderson who graduated from University of Pacific in Stockton, CA with a degree in Geology before working for a small tech firm in seismic oil and gas exploration. Todd soon joined up with his parents in starting a “small vineyard” in the creation of Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards.

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2004 

Anderson produces a portfolio of Napa Valley sourced wines, Bordeaux varietals and blends as well as a Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc whites. 

Conn Valley’s Cabernets are made from 100% Estate grown grapes from the vineyards located at the winery site in Conn Valley - from their estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a Reserve, a Cabernet Franc, this Right Bank blend and their flagship super premium Eloge blend label. Their website library notes go back to the 2007 or 08 vintages, post dating this 2004 vintage release. 

Prior to blending and bottling, their wines are aged in the hillside caves located on the Conn Valley Estate.

According to the rear label, winemaker for this release was Mac Sawyer, winemaker since 2000, he sadly passed away in 2012.  Owner, founding winemaker Todd Anderson brought Mac on when they created the ultra-exclusive Ghost Horse Label,

Mac interned at Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of the most famous top rated estates' labels in the world. No doubt that experience formed the inspiration from the wines of Saint-Émilion and at Cheval Blanc, that Todd Anderson and Mac sought to recreate with this Right Bank Cuvee, crafted in the style of Cheval Blanc from Napa Valley fruit. 

The first vintage release of Right Bank Cuvee was in 2001 and was intended to be produced only for the the annual Napa Valley charity fundraising auction Napa Premier.  

The story goes that legendary wine reviewer Robert Parker was on his annual visit to Anderson’s Conn Valley when Todd Anderson agreed to let Parker taste the Right Bank 2001 on the condition that he agreed not to publish any tasting notes. Impressed with the wine, somehow, Parker unintentionally published glowing tasting notes in the Wine Advocate. The ensuing demand for the Right Bank label was so great that Todd agreed to make it part of Anderson’s Conn Valley’s annual portfolio. 

My records show we've had a half dozen vintages of this label that included a mini-vertical dating back to the 2003 release, including at least one vintage in large format magnum.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this 94 points and described it, "Their Napa Valley Cheval Blanc look-alike is called Right Bank, usually a blend of two-thirds Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, although it can change somewhat depending on the vintage. This is a thrilling wine that comes as close as just about any wine in Napa to mimicking a great Right Bank Bordeaux."

At eighteen years, the fill level, label, foil and most importantly the cork were all in ideal condition. Never-the-less, this seemed to be waning on the back side of its peak drinking window signaling it may be time to drink as it will likely start or continue to decline from here going forward. In 2007, Parker wrote, 'drink it over the next fifteen years (or more)'.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex, black berry, black currant and plum fruits were accented by acidity, floral, smoke, leather, tobacco, hints of menthol with moderate tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=274955

https://www.connvalleyvineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/ConnValley 

Dunham Cellars Trutina Columbia Valley Red 2009

Dunham Cellars Trutina Columbia Valley Red Blend 2009

Friend and Linda's sorority sister Pat R came over with friend Richard and we opened this nice pleasant but serious sipping wine with a medley of cheeses and desserts.

We discovered Dunham Cellars Cabernets on-line with Winebid.com. Having been awakened to the brand, when we saw this label at local merchant Vin Chicago, we grabbed it, tried it, liked it, and went back and bought some more. That was back with the 2009 vintage, and we then purchased the 2010 vintage when it arrived the following year.

At a price point of $25, this provides reasonable QPR - Quality-Price-Ratio when compared with equivalent quality Bordeaux Blends and Cabernets from California and Washington State.  

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says, "This is the least expensive, yet the richest of the lineup" from Dunham Cellars.

We enjoyed this label during the Covid19 shut-in as we remained at home enjoying intimate dinners and wines from our cellar. I have joked that if such a situation occurred, we'd be stocked for up to year with wines from our cellar, and here we are, albeit hopefully for a couple weeks duration.

We hold close to a dozen vintages in a vertical collection of Dunham Cellars flagship Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Blend going back to the nineties. We discovered these Bordeaux varietal wines from Columbia River Valley in Washington, not well known for being a Bordeaux varietal region several years back. We stopped by the Dunham Cellars winery and tasting room during our trip to Woodinville, Washington, site of over a hundred tasting rooms of Washington State wines during our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour year before last.

We discovered this second label from Dunham at Vin Chicago when they still had their brick and mortar store in Naperville. We bought some, tried it, and went back and bought more. We still hold about a half case and are being rewarded for doing so.

This Trutina Walla Walla Red Blend from our cellar was a perfect compliment to the beef pot roast with grilled asparagus, fresh berries, roasted walnuts and artisan cheese and accompaniments dinner.

Trutina is a second label from Dunham at a lower pricepoint offers great QPR (Quality to Price ratio) in this complex and expressive red wine blend. We continue to find many of the Columbia Valley Reds have great quality and aging ability and offer great value over their French and California counterparts.

Dunham Cellars 'Trutina' Columbia Valley Red Wine 2009

Tonight, this was consistent with our earlier tasting experience which is recorded in these pages from 9/18/2018, while not as complex or polished as the flagship label, Trutina was very impressive going on a decade of age.

This showed bright garnet and inky purple color, medium full bodied with huge aromatics of floral and lavender with full forward bright vibrant flavors of black currant and black cherry fruits with a layer of vanilla and sweet caramel mocha on a full cloying lingering tannin finish.

The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Syrah, and 4% Malbec.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1456899 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/dunham-cellars-trutina-columbia-valley.html

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/

Hill Family Estate Origin Napa Valley Red 2018

Hill Family Estate Origin Napa Valley Red 2018

Label image from 2016

Alec and Vivianna joined us for a quiet Christmas eve dinner. As newlyweds they visited Hill Family Estate during their forest fire shortened honeymoon in Napa in September year before last. They visited the new estate winery, located just minutes south of Yountville just off the highway. They tasted this label there and continue to acquire it as part of their wine club allocation.

I wrote extensively about The Hill Family, lead by patriarch and proprietor and fourth-generation farmer Doug Hill in a blogpost last year, ironically a year ago at a Christmas dinner when we had the 2016 vintage of this label. 

 

Hill Family Estate produced their first wines in 2001, a Merlot and this red blend called Origin.
 

Today, the Hill Family owns 120 acres of vineyards with a properties on Atlas Peak, in Carneros, Oak Knoll and American Canyon. They are 100% family-farmed, family-owned and family-operated. Production ranges between 9,000 to 12,000 cases annually sourced from 12 different estate vineyards allowing them to select the highest quality fruit for their wines. 

 

The Hill family began to select and plant their own vineyards in the 1980’s, using their intimate knowledge of the diversity of Napa Valley terroir - the range of microclimates, soil variations and the many subtle growing factors which influence the characteristics of the grape and the resulting quality of wine. They planted Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Albariño, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the Carneros appellation. They planted Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Oak Knoll district, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah at 1,500 feet elevation near Atlas Peak; both areas with a perfect environment to develop the rich berry flavor and intense fruit color that make these red wines some of the best in the world.

 

Origin is their Bordeaux blend crafted from the vineyards that Doug Hill farms in the cooler areas of southern Napa.comprising Bordeaux varietals with some Syrah, sourced from Hill Family estate vineyards - Merlot at Beau Terroir in Carneros, and Beau Terre in Oak Knoll for structure and plushy fruit, Malbec from the Baker Vineyard has become a big part of the palate structure for Origin with its big color and lower tannins while the Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon adds dignity and structure while Petit Verdot adds texture to balance the Malbec. The Syrah adds depth and color and bold fruit that complements the Merlot. 

Ironically, Alec brought and we had this same label from the 2016 vintage last year at Christmas dinner. Tonight, this was rounder, fuller and brighter with its addition of Syrah, and anchor of predominant Merlot vs. the Cabernet.

 

Winemaker notes: The 2018 Origin has lovely aromas of ripe plum, black cherry and vanilla. The broad entry has a big mouthful of berry jam, and the palate is full bodied and smooth, expressing the plums and cherry while adding a hint of mocha on the very drinkable finish.

According to the Red Club Winter Allocation Release Mailer accompanying the shipment, this is a blend of 37% Merlot, 29% Malbec, 16% Syrah, 13% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Napa Valley Appellation. 

Dark inky blackish purple colored, full bodied, bold full round complex concentrated structured but nicely integrated and balanced to be approachable, black berry, cherry and plum fruits with spicy cigar box, and hints of dark bitter mocha chocolate on a bright tangy big lingering finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3814124

https://www.hillfamilyestate.com/

@HFEWine

 

Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove Bolgheri 2017

Ornellaia "Le Serre Nuove" Bolgheri 2017

As has become our custom, gathered in the city for final stages of our planning meetings, we dined at Italian Village for dinner. Seeking basic American cuisine I ordered a filet of beef and baked potato. For a wine accompaniment I chose from the vast Italian Village, Chicago, extraordinary wine cellar list, this 2017 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell' Ornellaia. It turned out to be a perfect selection, amplifying the enjoyment of both the beefsteak dinner and the wine. 

 

First released in 1997, this is the twentieth anniversary release of this label. It is the 'Second' wine of Ornellaia, produced to broaden the selection of wines crafted during the assembly 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 typical of the great terroirs of the company properties.

Ornellaia is somewhat of a legend, one of the first “super-Tuscans”, the result of Marchese Lodovico Antinori’s 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.

This label was awarded 93 points by James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Vinous. 

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 15 months s in oak. The significant production was 250,000 bottles released in September 2019.

The year 2107 vintage was hot and dry which contributed to the richness and concentration of the fruit.

Winemaker's Notes: “Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2017 expresses itself with outstanding elegance, combining great ageing potential with immediate enjoyability. A deep ruby red colour with purple highlights, a beautifully complex nose characterised by scents of small red berries and balsamic notes reminiscent of Mediterranean scrub vegetation. The quality of the tannins on the palate is particularly striking, smooth and silky. The mouthfeel ends with a lingering finish and unexpected freshness.”, Olga Fusari – Winemaker – May 2019.

Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, seductive floral aromas sprouted from the glass, vibrant, expressive round balanced and nicely integrated full black berry and ripe plum fruits are accented by  leather, spice and pipe tobacco, notes of cedar and hints of  licorice and mint with silky full fine-grained tannins on the long full finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3377327

https://www.ornellaia.com/en

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/wine-cellar/  

https://twitter.com/italianvlg

https://twitter.com/Ornellaia