Vin'tij Sandestin Steak and Wine Dinner

Vin'tij Sandestin Steak and Wine Dinner

Visiting The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we dined with friends/neighbors Richard and Victoria for dual birthdays at Vin'tij Wine Bar in tony Grand Boulevard in Sandestin. Vin'tij have a carefully curated selection of fine wines available for purchase for take-home, or, for consuming with selections from the menu in the restaurant. 

I wrote about Vin'tij in these earlier blogposts … 

Delightful wine lunch at Vintij Grand Boulevard

Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin

Vin’Tij SanDestin Food and Wine Dinner

Planning on selecting prime filet beefsteaks for our entree’s, I got there early and spent time reviewing their wines for a dinner accompaniment/pairing. I was seeking a complex red blend, expressive and full flavored, but nicely integrated and polished for pleasurable drinking and pairing with dinner, While they have many producers and labels that we own or know well, I was also ideally seeking a new discovery producer or label. 

Finally, I ended up selecting a label that stepped up and met all the above criteria, and expectations for pairing with dinner, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both (food and wine).  Richard brought from his home cellar, BYOB a St Julien Bordeaux Blend. Both wines were ideal complements paired with the grilled beefsteaks, ameliorating the enjoyment of both the wines and the food. 

As planned, three of us ordered the grilled filet of beef, each with an individual selection of sides and sauces. 

I ordered my steak prepared ‘Pittsburgh style’, hot pink center with some charring. For sides I selected mashed potatoes and asparagus spears, with lemon caper butter sauce on the side. . 

Richard brought a bottle from his home cellar, a Bordeaux Blend from our favorite appellation, St Julien, another ideal pairing with the dinner. Anticipating, (correctly), that this would be more subdued than the more aggressive Napa Valley label, we opened the Bordeau first and had it decanted. 

Domaine Martin Château Gloria St Julien Bordeaux 2019

The Château Gloria St Julien Bordeaux estate sits on 2-4 rue Marie Amélie, right off the main highway in the village of Beychevelle/St Julien, across the road from the legendary Second Growth Château Ducru Beaucaillou, which is adjacent Château Beychevelle and across the road from Château Branaire Ducru, all properties we visited and toured during our St Julien Bordeaux Experience back in 2019.

Our spectacular week in St Julien included visits to several of our favorite St Julien producers, Second Growths Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou,  Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases,  Gruaud Larose and Léoville-Poyferré, as well as Fourth Growths Château Beychevelle and Château Branaire-Ducru. 

The Domaine Martin estate was established by Henri Martin, who was actually born at nearby Château Gruaud-Larose in 1903 into a family that has been in the wine business for 300 years.

At the end of the 1930s, he made his first acquisition of one hectare of land, the first in a life-long series of vineyard acquisitions from nine classified growths in Saint-Julien and Pauillac. Henri targeted small parcels of exceptional vineyards belonging to estates whose main vineyard holdings were distantly remote thereby making them costly to manage.

Château Gloria was established and developed during the second half of the twentieth century, the name inspired by a neighboring property, The Gloria. By the 1980’s he had collected and assembled 108 acres of vineyards surrounded by plots of famous neighbors with century old historic Grand Crus Classés en 1855.  

The 108 acres of vineyards enjoy the classic St Julien terroir, amongst the best of the appellation. The property is planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. With 80-year-old vines and 30-year-old vines, the average age is around 45 years old. 

Over recent years, the property has been upgraded with the latest high tech equipment and a new natural cellar in 2000. The wines are now produced by a team under the direction of Director Jean Triaud, Technical Director Remy Di Constanzio, formerly technical director of Ch. Cos D’Estournel, and Cellar Master Philippe Blanchard. 

While Saint-Julien is the smallest of the major appellations of the Médoc, with 2250 acres of vines, it has the greatest concentration of 1855 classified growths with eleven. 

Château Gloria has become an over-achiever developing wines that provide great QPR (quality price ratios). 

The 2019 release was a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested from September 30th until October 4th, 34% Merlot, harvested from September 23rd until the 25th, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 

This 2019 release was awarded 96 points by Vinous, 95 by Jane Anson and Jeb Dunnuck,  93-95 by Chris Kissack, 94 by Decanter, James Suckling and Wine Spectator, and 93 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and the Wine Independent. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, polished and elegant, savory blackberry and black currant fruits accented by black olive, crushed rocks, tobacco, graphite, earth and hints of soy and cassis ending in a  long and spicy finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3661571

https://www.domaines-henri-martin.com/en/brand/chateau-gloria/

We then moved to the Napa red blend … 

Torcia Napa Valley Red Blend 2019

This is from the family owned and managed Rutherford Wine Company who produce a broad portfolio of wines that showcases the diversity of California’s premier growing regions. They produce wines sourced from appellations that include Napa Valley, Arroyo Seco, Lodi and the Central Coast, all wines are finished and bottled at the family’s Napa Valley winery, the old Round Hill Winery on south Silverado Trail in Rutherford, Napa Valley, south of Zinfandel Lane, just north of Rt 128. .

The Rutherford Ranch Winery sits on the site of the original Round Hill Winery that was founded in 1978 by Ernie Van Asperen, Virginia Van Asperen and Charlie Abela. When the Van Asperens retired in 2000, Marko and Theo Zaninovich, long-time shareholders with the Van Asperen family, acquired the winery.I recall having Van Asperan and Abela Cabernets back in the 1990’s. 

The estate vineyards were replanted with superior vines and the winery and tasting room were renovated, sitting amidst the estate’s 100-year-old olive grove.

The broad Rutherford Wine Company portfolio consists of brands Rutherford Ranch, Scott Family Estate, Predator, TORCIA, Rhiannon, the original Round Hill, Four Virtues, Silver Buckle and Lander-Jenkins.

Torcia means ‘Torch,’ lighting the pathway of our senses and the search for excellence. This Napa Red Blend is crafted by Rutherford Wine Company, operated across multiple generations by the Zaninovich Family.  

The Torcia brand consists of a single vineyard Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines crafted from six appellations throughout the Napa Valley – Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, Spring Mountain, Coombsville, Rutherford and Carneros.

Winemaker’s notes - “This Torcia Red Blend Napa Valley is a bold and expressive red wine from California. It features flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, and a hint of spice, with firm tannins and a long, smooth finish. This red blend pairs well with grilled meats, hearty stews, and aged cheeses. Serve at room temperature to enjoy its rich and complex profile.’

“This red wine has an intense and vibrant purple hue with notes of anise, Luxardo cherries, fresh lavender and other floral notes. Savory flavors mingle with hints of graphite, dried fig and candied plums. Youthful tannins dance on the palate giving lively, electric texture perfect for drinking now or for aging.”

The composition of this blend is 55% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Petite Sirah and some Malbec and Petit Verdot. It was aged in French and American oak.

This release was awarded 96 Points by The Tasting Panel Magazine, 92 Points by Jeb Dunnuck, and 90 Points by Wine and Spirits Magazine.

Bright purple ruby colored, full bodied, firmly structured, full, round, forward, vibrant on the verge of being slightly obtuse, black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of spicy cinnamon, bsking spices, black tea, slate, cedar and hints of cardaman and white pepper with chewy firm tannins on the long bright finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4346021

https://rutherfordwine.com/torcia/

https://rutherfordranch.com/

https://vintij.com/

Miner Emily’s Cabernet Kate Arnold Cab Franc

Miner Emily’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Kate Arnold Cab Franc with grilled marinated hangar steak.

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental, we had dinner with friends/neighbors Fletcher and Debra. I had just received a wine shipment and was eager to try a recent acquisition, Napa Cabernet. 

Linda prepared a grilled marinated hangar steak, served with sweet corn, baked beans, a medley of grilled squash, poblano peppers and onions, along with a caesar salad. 

Since the Miner Family Winery flagship “Oracle” Cabernet was such a hit last month at a neighborhood gathering, I was eager to open this other Miner label, which we just acquired and received. 

Miner Family Winery “Emily’s” Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 

I wrote about Miner Winery Estate in that earlier blogpost. Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering.

This is another Miner label, the winery's specific offering named for and in remembrance of Emily Miner, co-founder of Miner Family Winery. After Miner passed away too young, Emily also passed a few years later of cancer. This namesake label offers great QPR - quality price ratio in this moderately priced label. 

Winemaker Notes - This blend is as expressive and elegant as their muse. The crafting a decadent and rich wine layered with aromas of black fruit and hints of mocha, espresso and toasted oak.

This release was awarded 92 Points by The Wine Independent. And 90 points by James Suckling.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown of The Wine Advocate described it this way - “ the palate is filled with crunchy black fruits and a racy backbone, textured with soft, approachable tannins, finishing with an invigorating herbal lift.”

This exceeded my expectations and was delicious standalone, and even better paired with the grilled beefsteak. 

Deep garnet-purple colored, full-bodied, full round vibrant nicely balanced ripe black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of black olive, crème de cassis and spiced herbs giving way to hints of tar and cedar, with smooth polished tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4148289

We also opened this Bordeaux varietal Cab Franc that we discovered and acquired at last month’s SoWal wine festival. 

Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc 2022

This is from Kate Arnold Wines, a family-owned wine company founded by Kate and Jean Arnold. Wine industry professionals and enthusiasts, they developed an ecco-system from growers to distributors to develop and market a portfolio of wines carefully sourced from exceptional vineyards in California, Oregon, and Washington, selecting the best growing areas for each varietal.

Kate Arnold was raised in an agricultural family in Ohio. She met and married Jean Arnold who developed a passion for wine working in the beverage industry, initially for E&J Gallo Wines, selling and managing sales and marketing from the Carolinas and Virginias to Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Germany. 

After E&J Gallo wines, Jean worked for Sebastiani & Sons managing their national distribution network where he created life-long relationships with distributors across the country. 

Jean retired from the corporate wine world to consult for artisanal wineries and smaller wine-focused distributors while working with Kate on the creation of Kate Arnold Wines. 

Kate and Jean strive to produce wines “they are proud to make and proud to drink”. Kate works in marketing while Jean travels the country to promote their wines. 

Kate and Jean purposely seek out family-owned, small grape growers forming long term familial collaborative relationships, working together to achieve consistent quality that showcases the unique character of the terroir of the source site. 

They strive for each wine to reflect the distinct characteristics of its region, from the expressive Sauvignon Blanc of Lake County to the pure fruit of Oregon's Willamette Valley to the robust Bordeaux varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and this Cabernet Franc of Washington's Columbia Valley. 

This Bordeaux varietal Cabernet Franc is sourced from Stoneridge Vineyard, owned by the Davis family, a long-time Royal Slope farming family. 

Located five miles south of the Corfu Crossing on Highway 26, Stoneridge is a very warm site on the Royal Slope with unique soil consisting of cobbly and gravelly sandy loam. 

Seven hundred and ten cases were produced.

Producer’s notes - “Aromas of  Nutmeg, red plum and cacao nib, flavors of Black currant, schezwan peppercorn and mocha. Structured,  silky mid-palate with a tannin-structured finish.”

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firmly structured with expressive black currant and plum fruits with spice highlights, notes of mocha hints of black pepper on the moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5747925

https://www.katewines.com/columbia-valley-cabernet-franc

Afterwards we had Chocolate Velvet Cake and a selection of artisan cheeses, a mild havarti and a danish blue.  With the course we opened this dessert wine, that was also a popular big hit during our neighborhood gathering last month. This pairing was ideal, enhancing the enjoyment of the food and the wine. 

Château Cantegril Barsac Bordeaux 2019

As posted last month, this is a highly-regarded, unclassified sweet dessert wine produced by the Dubourdieu family, owners of the winery since 1924. The Dubourdieu family also owns Chateau Doisy Daene a producer of Classified Sauternes.

Chateau Cantegril has a 22 hectare plot on the chalky plateau of the Haut Barsac. It is located where once a fortified castle of the same name stood back in the Middle Ages.

Barsac dessert wines tend to provide high QPR - quality price ratios, as more modest variations of the neighboring Sauternes, which tend to be slightly sweeter and richer, and far more expensive, due to the very small yield of the late harvested grapes ‘Botrytisized’ grapes. 

It is a blend of primarily Sémillon, 65%, and Sauvignon Blanc, 35%, grapes grown in limestone-rich soils.

Fermentation takes place in barrels having separated each sorted pick of each individual plot. It is aged 12 months in french oak barrels.

Annual Production is 30 000 bottles

Golden colored, full bodied, thick unctuous, rich, sweet nutty caramel fruits, with notes of pear, white flowers, ginger and passionfruit, citrus, honey, and spice with balanced acidity.

RM 89 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wineFamily/1407573

Old and recent reds with ribeye steaks

Old and recent Big Reds with Grilled Ribeye Beefsteaks

We hosted son Alec & daughter-in-law Vivanna and their girls for grilled rib-eye beefsteaks dinner, served with roasted potatoes, grilled mushrooms and onions, which Alec grilled while Linda prepared most of the rest of the meal, 

They came over to bring cupcakes and to have cake for/with cousin/grandaughter Lilac’s birthday for whom we were babysitting. 

I was going to pull one of the wines from the producers we visited together during our Rhône Valley Wine Experience back in 2018, but I pulled from the cellar a special, vintage aged wine from Alec’s birth year, from that southern Rhône appellation that we visited. We had just tasted this producer’s wines at the SoWal Wine Festival in (San) Destin, FL, featured in these pages in blogpost - SoWal Wine Festival Sandestin.

We also pulled a more recent vintage big red for those not so inclined to enjoy an aged vintage release, and a white to pair with the artisan cheese that Alec and Viv brought. 

On their way over, Alec & Viv picked up an artisan English Stilton Blue Cheese at Murray’s cheese-shop inside the local Mariano’s grovery. We have fun with these cheeses ever since we used to visit the original Murray’s Cheese retail shop and adjacent wine bar restaurant on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, Manhatten when we visited them when they were living in nearby Chelsea. 

I love this cheese selection which provided a perfect pairing with the remains of the Barsac Sauterne we had left over from our neighborhood wine tasting last week in Destin - featured in this blogpost  Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering. 

Château Cantegril Barsac Bordeaux 2019

This is a highly-regarded, unclassified sweet dessert wine produced by the Dubourdieu family, owners of the winery since 1924. The Dubourdieu family also owns Chateau Doisy Daene a producer of Classified Sauternes.

Chateau Cantegril has a 22 hectare plot on the chalky plateau of the Haut Barsac. It is located where once a fortified castle of the same name stood back in the Middle Ages.

Barsac dessert wines tend to provide high QPR - quality price ratios, as more modest variations of the neighboring Sauternes, which tend to be slightly sweeter and richer, and far more expensive, due to the very small yield of the late harvested grapes ‘Botrytisized’ grapes. 

It is a blend of primarily Sémillon, 65%, and Sauvignon Blanc, 35%, grapes grown in limestone-rich soils.

Fermentation takes place in barrels having separated each sorted pick of each individual plot. It is aged 12 months in french oak barrels.

Annual Production is 30 000 bottles

Golden colored, full bodied, thick unctuous, rich, sweet nutty caramel fruits, with notes of pear, white flowers, ginger and passionfruit, citrus, honey, and spice with balanced acidity.

RM 89 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wineFamily/1407573

Château Boisrenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990 

We opened a wine from Domaine de Beaurenard whose wine we tasted at the recent SoWal Wine Festival. It is from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Rhone Valley that we visited together during our Rhone Valley Wine Experience (We visited to Château La Nerthe and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe as the other highlight of our visit to the appellations Châteauneuf-du-Pape.)

The Domane de Beaurenard has been a family run estate for seven generations and is today run by brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon. The estate includes 80 acres in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and 62 acres in the Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau appellation. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Domaine de Beaurenard “one of the old, classic estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Their two offerings include the dark-colored regular cuvee and the barrique-aged Cuvee Boisrenard…Both are top flight Chateauneuf-du-Papes…”

The winery has a tasting room located on Av. Saint-Pierre de Luxembourg, the main route as you enter the village Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the south. 

Domaine de Beaurenard is another Chateauneuf du Pape estate that can be called a true, family affair. That’s because the vineyards have been in the same family for 7 generations. Domaine de Beaurenard dates way back to 1695. At the time, it went under the name of “Bois Renard,” which as you might guess, is where the special Cuvee, used for both their red and white wines got its name.

Today, Domaine de Beaurenard is managed by Frederic Coulon and Daniel Coulon. Domaine de Beaurenard has been producing, bottling, and marketing their own wine for close to 100 years. They began making their own wine at Domaine de Beaurenard in 1929.

Domaine de Beaurenard sits in the village Chateauneuf du Pape. The estate consists of just under 80 acres of vines in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, 70 planted to red wine grapes and 10 are reserved for making white Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The vines are located in 25 separate parcels, with much of their Grenache planted in the Cabrieres lieu-dit east of the village.

The estate is classic, typical appellation terroir with clay, limestone, and large stones in the soil. They have old vines, with some of the Grenache dating back over 100 years. Domaine de Beaurenard also owns abiout 35 acres of vineyards in the Cotes du Rhone Villages and 150 acres of vines in the Rasteau AOC. 

While Domaine de Beaurenard grows all 13 Rhone allowed grape varieties for use in their red wine, the primary grapes used in the blend are the three required varietals; Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, plus  some Cinsault, and tiny amounts of Counoise, Muscardin, Terret and Vaccarese.

The winemaking facilities were modernized in 2004. 

This is their premiere label, sourced from the same estate vineyards and produced at the same winery as their other production labels. We’ve held this bottle in our cellar for three decades since acquiring it upon release. 

At thirty five years, the foil and label, and more importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition - evidence of the cellaring conditions for long term aging in our cellar. 

This was still in its drinking window although nearing the end as it is showing its age slightly with a slight amount of rust coloration and small bit of funkiness upon opening, which blew off for more approachability on day two. Still enjoyable drinking, it is time to drink up soon, in the next couple of years. 

This release was rated 95 points by Wine Advocate back in the summer of 2000.

The wine is aged in three different sized vats, 30 hectoliter foudres, 80 hectoliter truncated oak vats, and 228-liter oak barrels for between 9 to 18 months depending on the wine and the character of the vintage.

Winemaker Notes - “Made from parcels of old vines (60-90 years in age) planted in terroirs of great personality and complexity. Grapes picked when fully ripe and meticulously hand-sorted for extra concentration. Very low yield: 15-20 hl/hectare. These old vines were planted in a mix of varieties: the symphony of 13 varieties is thus in evidence, but with a majority of Grenache. This wine spends a long time in vats, and is matured in the most traditional ways: no filtration, 18 months' ageing in oak casks, fined with fresh egg whites, bottled and left to rest in the cellars.”

Dense ruby/purple-colored, full bodied, black fruits with hints of black tea, cassis and spice box touch of oak.

RM 90 points 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/30341

I also pulled a more recent Big Red Syrah for the ladies, less inclined to enjoy the mature, aged CDP. 

Lewis Cellars Ethans Syrah 2016

We love this big full throttle style of Syrah with thick, concentrated, rich round fruits. True to the wine profile, it was packaged in an extra heavy glass bottle. 

I've often written in these pages about the fun we have with this Lewis branding, with its signature 'L' on the label, ala the sit-com Laverne and Shirley, where Laverne always wore a large “L” on her sweaters,  which we also attribute to wife Linda, or her mother Lucy, or our daughter Erin Leigh, or her daughter, our first grandchild/daughter Lucy, and other grand-daughters Lavender and Lilac, when opening it for special family occasions such as tonight 

We’ve featured this producer and this label in several previous blogposts in these pages - Father's Day Special Dinner features favorite BBQ Ribs, Syrah and Zin, and Lewis Ethan's Syrah - Piazza Del Dotto Sangiovese, excerpted below.

We visited Lewis Cellars with our wine group during our Pour Boys' 2017 Napa Wine Experience, and, Alec and Viv also visited Lewis during their Napa Valley honeymoon getaway. 

We also have fun paying tribute to the ‘Hoosier’ heritage of proprietor Randy Lewis who was also a Indianapolis 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason. We adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it at family celebrations, we more often than not open Lewis wines for family occasions, such as tonight. 

This label, Ethan's Syrah, is made from cooler-climate vines, from mountain fruit crafted from small lots selected from Mt. Veeder and Pritchard Hill at the south end of the Vaca range on the eastern range, and Mayacamas range, respectively, on the western range forming and overlooking Napa Valley in between. 

Lewis Cellars Syrah is a nod to the great Rhône wines it's modeled after. It is aged in American oak. 

We love Lewis' style of big, spicy, concentrated wines that are balanced, yet full of black fruit and mature, mouth-coating tannins.

This was aged in American and French oak for 19 months.

This was stunningly good. Dark inky blackish purple, full bodied, concentrated, dense rich, the 100% Syrah fruit explodes in the mouth with flavors of ripe blackberries and blueberries, notes of clove spice, smoke and toast. and spice, tongue coating, chewy tannins on the long finish. Spectacular! 

RM 94 points.  

Winemaker's notes on this wine, "Savory  and  sweet  with  ripe  boysenberry  and  blue  fruit, lavender,  pancetta  and  white  truffle,  it  exudes  an  earthy,  engaging  character.  Vivid,  clean  and focused   on   the   palate,   the   wine  finishes   with  a  flourish  of  mineral   and  white  pepper."

Wine Spectator also gave this 94 points; "Plush yet well-structured, with luxurious blackberry, mocha and smoky spice flavors that build richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. — T.F."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3060607

https://www.lewiscellars.com/

New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner

New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner

Son Sean and Michelle and the daughters/grand-daughters treated us to New Year’s Eve dinner. We dined at one of our favorite eateries, Hemingway’s Bistro in Oak Park (IL). We’ve enjoyed and hosted many dinners at Hemingway’s including our Pour Boys wine group, family and anniversary celebrations. 

Hemingway’s was booked for the entire evening and decorated festively for the holiday (s). 

We dined early to beat the crowds and allow for the children’s schedule. 

Hemingway’s offered a price fixe holiday dinner but we each ordered from the traditional menu, opting for our regular favorites from a menu we know well. 

From the limited but focused wine list, we started with Champagne to enjoy with our starter course (s).

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosém NV

This Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé French sparkling wine is from Alsace in the northeast corner of France on the German border. It is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes using the traditional method.

Lucien Albrecht (pronounced Lu-Shen All-Bresht), one of the most distinguished producers of white wines in Alsace was founded in 1698 by Balthazar Albrecht in Orschwihr, a small village surrounded by by rolling hills and very complex and deep chalky soils with a high percentage of clay and sandstone screes, benefiting from South or Southeast exposure. ideally situated for grape-growing. 

The Crémant d’Alsace Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) was created in 1976 to distinguish the wines obtained by the sparkling champagne method. The term “crémant” comes originally from Champagne but is seldom used, in recognition of the efforts made by several Alsatian winemakers, including the Maison Lucien Albrecht.

Lucien Albrecht was a pioneer in the Crémant d’Alsace, which it began producing in 1971. Today the winery produces still and sparkling wines, all produced with fruit sourced exclusively from estate vineyards, including the Grand Cru Pfingstberg and Grand Cru Spiegel. 

The winemaking team is led by Jérôme Keller. Winemaker Notes - The flavors display nice strawberry and wild cherry fruit, with a touch of richness on the mid palate. It is balanced with dry, crisp acidity and complimented with a creamy texture and long finish. 

This NV label was rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast and 88 points by James Suckling.

This modest priced wine provides high QPR. - quality price ratio. Dust orange colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced strawberry with apple and pear notes with hints of orange, lemon and pain grille with fine bubbles on the dry finish

https://www.lucien-albrecht.com/our-wines/cremants-alsace-lucien-albrecht/ 

We ordered several selections for our starter courses:

Blue Point Oysters - six piece, cocktail sauce

Chicken Liver Pate - Dijon Mustard | Cornichons | Toasted Crostini

Foie Gras du Jour - Caramelized Fruit, Pear Slices, Candy Onions, Parsnip Puree, Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the entree course: 

Linda the Roasted Stripe Bass A'la Piperade - pepper relish, golden raisins and cassoulet beans.

Michelle ordered the Grilled Steak Frites - Pommes Frites | Herb Stuffed Baked Tomato | Beurre Maitre d'Hotel.

Sean ordered the Duo of Magret Duck - parsnip puree, shitake caps, blood orange demi.

I ordered the New York Steak au Poivre - Cream Spinach | Pommes Au Gratin | Green Peppercorn Sauce

I took BYOB from our cellar for the occasion a vintage St Julien Bordeaux from one of our favorite producers for a perfect food wine pairing with the French cuisine.

Château Gruaud-Larose St Julien-Beychevelle Bordeaux 2010

We enjoyed A Visit to Château Gruaud-Larose which was one of the key highlights on our 2019 trip to the St Julien Appellation (AOC) in Bordeaux. Château Gruaud-Larose, a 2ème Cru Classé or 'second growth', one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) as classified in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

This label is one of the key holdings in our cellar collection consisting of more than a dozen vintages spanning three decades dating back to 1980 including the birth year vintages of each of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1990. We hold many vintages in large format bottles including 3 liter double magnums which we served at daughter Erin's and son-in-law Johnny's wedding.

Tonight, I selected a vintage release that I presumed to be in the ‘Goldilock’s zone’, not too old, and not too young, but just right, at the apex of its prime drinking window. I was not disappointed, this actually exceeded my highest hopes and expectations and was absolutely delicious, a perfect pairing with the dinner - especially the Foie Gras. As I have written often in these pages, an optimal food-wine pairing amplifies and ameliorates the enjoyment of both! Such was the case tonight. 

This release was rated 97 points by Decanter, 96 points by James Suckling, 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and Jane Anson, 94 points by Vinous, and 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Wine Enthusiast wrote, “For anybody looking for classic Bordeaux, this is the bottle to seek.” They advise to “ Keep for many years,” but this will be difficult as it is temptingly so good! Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate writes, “ … blockbuster wine, which has been built for the long haul. This is one 2010 where patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.” Thankfully I have nearly a case so will enjoy watching this age gracefully. 

The producers notes about the vintage season - “Ideal ripening of all the varieties overall thanks to exceptionally dry August and September without excessive heat. Ideal harvest from first to last day allowing picking of each variety at optimum oenological maturity.”

This released was aged in 50% new oak.

Dark garnet/plum/purple colored, full bodied, full tannins and dense but balanced, smooth, polished and elegant, ripe dark raspberry, red and black currant and blueberry fruits with “loads of spice, earth, underbrush, licorice, and a hint of Provencal garrigue”, with silky tannins and a beautifully integrated tannin structure on a long and ‘very’ refined tannic structure.

RM 95 points.  

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/1123336

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/

https://hemmingwaysbistro.com/

https://hemmingwaysbistro.com/our-menu/

Happy New Year and Cheers in the year ahead! 

Château Saint-André Corbin St Georges St Emilion 1989

Château Saint-André Corbin St Georges St Emilion 1989

With left over pizza I opened from the cellar a ‘pizza’ wine, medium bodied, complex and modest priced for every day sipping. I pulled an aged vintage right bank Bordeaux. 

Château Saint André Corbin is one of the "finds" of the Aquitaine Wine Company's Jean-Christophe Calvet, who searches out the petite chateaus of Bordeaux that carry the same qualities found at the larger, more famous estates, but at more modest prices providing high QPR - quality price ratios, especially in better vintage years, when ‘all boats rise with the tide’.

Château Grand Corbin, Grand Cru Classé is in the Saint-George-Saint-Emilion appellation, a lesser ‘satellite’ appellation of the famed Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux, sitting just to its north, close to the Pomerol appellation. 

Château Grand Corbin has 32 acres of vineyards planted on clay-siliceous soils, 68% Merlot and the rest with the two Cabernets, Sauvignon and Franc. Typical of most Right Bank vineyards, Merlot dominates here, but also used is Cabernet Franc, and lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.  

At thirty-five years this was amazingly resilient, still in its acceptable drinking window and only showing modest signs of diminution from age. The cork was partially saturated but still intact. The fill level was still pristine for its age, still in the mid-neck, reflecting ideal storage conditions in our cellar for tong-term aging. Also, the 1989 vintage in Bordeaux produced high quality long lived wines. 

Garnet colored with a slight brownish hue setting in showing its age, medium bodied, complex currant and blackberry fruits are holding on but starting to show a bit of tart acidity, smoke, tobacco and hints of black pepper are starting to give way to notes of herbs, thyme and graphite pencil with pronounced acidity and moderate tannins. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?333041

Gala Family Celebration Dinner Welcomes new grand-daughter Ryleigh

Gala Family Celebration Dinner Welcomes new grand-daughter Ryleigh

We gathered the family together to welcome Alec and Vivianna’s new baby, our newest grand-daughter, Ryleigh, to the family. We ordered carry out Italian cuisine from Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. 

Dinner consisted of Angeli’s signature dishes, Mussels in White Wine sauce, Butternut Gnocchi, Peppers and Sausage, and Lasagna, with garlic bread and salad. 

Prior to dinner we had a medley of artisan cheeses with crackers and fresh fruits and olives. 

For the occasion, I opened a flight of wines, white, red, sparkling, and dessert, several aged vintage wines from our cellar collection of birthyear vintage wines, in this case for Alec’s birthyear. 

We celebrated and I wrote about the extraordinary, exceptional 1990 vintage, Alec’s birthyear often in these pages including - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

Opening multiple bottles of the same vintage is called a ‘horizontal’, (as opposed to a ‘vertical’, which is multiple vintages of the same bottle/label). A horizontal tasting is often revealing in comparing how one region, varietal, appellation and producer ages relative to others. 

Charles Heidseick Brut Vintage Champagne 1990

This is one of several Heidseick Champagne houses, named for founder Charles Heidsieck, nephew of the famous uncle of the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne House. Charles Heidsieck was born in 1822 and married into the Piper family. 

Charles grew up in the vineyards and gained experience at his uncle’s business, but left to pursue his ambitions based on his own winemaking philosophy and founded his own Champagne House, Charles Heidsieck in Reims in 1851. 

After success in the Europe marketplace, Charles set out for America to sell his wares in the US and was one of the first to introduce Champagne successfully to the country. He gained notoriety and popularity with his outgoing gregarious personality and he famously became known as ‘Champagne Charlie’. 

Charlie had an eventful few years in America, including being imprisoned in Louisiana on suspicion of being a spy during the Civil War. He was eventually freed by President Lincoln himself and then returned to settle in Champagne.

Unlike his peers, Charles viewed himself as a blender and not a grower and , instead of purchasing land, he spent most of his money investing in forty-seven underground chalk cellars dating back to the 11th century. He began buying grapes from trusted grower families with expertise in perfecting the care of their vines going back generations. 

Today, Charles Heidsieck Champagne sources grapes from 60 separate sites, encompassing a variety of different Crus, some of these plots are cultivated by the fourth or fifth generation of the same family.

Charles Heidsieck is a hand-crafted champagne. The intricacies of its complex make-up have been perfected over the years by one of the most celebrated winemaking teams in Champagne. Between three winemakers they have been awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge twelve times, an award no other house has won more than twice!

The flagship cuvée, Brut Réserve, is the house’s flagship masterpiece. Many years in the making, the wine is a blend of 60 of the best vineyards and harvests going back more than 15 years. It is aged in the House’s Roman chalk cellars under Reims, which provide an ideal environment to age the wine with its unique combination of constant temperature, high humidity levels and no sound, light or vibration to disturb the wines. 

Since 2011, the company has been owned by the Descours family continuing the legacy ensuring the company remains family-run with a long-term vision for the future. In early 2015, Cyril Brun took over as Cellar Master, having been assistant winemaker for many years at Veuve Clicquot.

I’ve written often in these pages about the incredible 1990 vintage that enjoyed success globally, from Bordeaux in France, to Napa Valley in American, to Australia. Indeed, Wine Spectators Wine of the Year featured 1990 vintage releases for three years to follow.

The 1990 vintage in Champagne was also extraordinary. Despite severe frosts in the spring, the vineyards enjoyed hot weather throughout the growing cycle. Not since 1950 had the sun been so strong; grapes had never experienced so much sunlight. There was, however, no drought like in 1976 or 1959. Just at the perfect moment, as the situation became dire, it would rain.As a result, the vine stocks, deeply rooted in the chalky soil’s water reserves, did not suffer. The heat hindered the development of disease and parasites, leading to perfectly healthy grapes at harvest.

This release was a traditional blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay.

Producer’s vintage notes - “TO THE EYE: A golden robe with glints of copper sparkling withdelicate phemeral bubbles. ON THE NOSE: The wine expresses maturity as it opens with notesof oxidation: spices, roasting coffee, jellied fruit sweets andcandied melon. There is also a touch of cocoa. This complex noseoffers toasted, roasted notes with citrus fruit, bergamot, lemonand orange zest. The structure develops, but contributes to thearomatic complexity without overpowering it. ON THE PALATE: The palate is characterised by nuts – walnuts andhazelnuts – but also cocoa, coffee and raisins. The wine demonstrates great elegance and freshness thanks to its citrus fruit notes accompanied by apricot and mirabelle plum. The finish is saltyand chalky.”

We acquired several bottles of this birthyear vintage designated Champagne years ago and served it at special occasions, most notably, Alec and Vivianna’s wedding celebration five years ago and at other family celebrations, since. 

We still hold several bottles of this label and need to consume them soon. At thirty five years, this had lost its effervescence, yet was still tasty and pleasant interesting drinking. 

Back in 2021 I wrote - Amazing, impressive life left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

The color was dark gold colored with intense, complex, dry, finely integrated layers of zesty citrus fruits accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and pineapple with a long bright vibrant finish.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/fathers-day-grilled-steak-wine-dinner.html

Tonight, this was tea colored, light medium bodied, dry, subtle layers of citrus fruit accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and tones of coffee on the moderate finish. With the zest gone, it’s time to drink up the remaining bottles. 

RM 88 points for now. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?39790

Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Monbazillac Cuvée Abbaye 1990

We opened this vintage dessert wine which went well with the salad, the cheeses, the sausage, as well as the desserts. This sweet dessert wine is from the appellation of Monbazillac, the third most esteemed region in Bordeaux for sweet wines, behind Sauternes and Loupiac. 

Early in the 20th century the wines of Monbazillac were considered equally with and fetched the same prices as the more famous, higher chateaux of Sauternes. With its exceptional terroir and microclimate suitable for the production of late harvest wines, this region is re-emerging the “new” sauternes. 

The wines of Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure are considered among the best in the region. The Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure is situated in Colombier, in the southwest of France, in the Périgord region, in the South of Bergerac, on the appellation Bergerac and Monbazillac.  

The estate covers 125 acres, 80 of which are planted with white grape varieties and 17 with red grape varieties. The grape varieties selected and vinified for the dry and sweet wines are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, and Chenin and Ondenc which are ‘accessory’ grape varieties permitted in the appellation, with a limited percentage in the blend. The grape varieties selected for the red and rosé wines include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec.

Christian Roche has managed the winery since 1984. He rebuilt the wine cellar in 1989 in the his endeavors to improve the quality of the wines.

This is a blend of traditional Monbazillac varietal grapes: 80% botrysized Semillon and 20% Muscadelle. A is customary for dessert wines, the grapes are harvested in multiple passes through the vineyards with only those affected by noble rot making their way into the cuvee. This wine was aged 24 months in oak barrel.

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and more importantly the cork and fill level were in ideal condition for their age. The color was deep dark brownish golden tea colored. When released this wine was straw colored, then darkened with aging, turning golden, then increasingly deeper brown. 

Producers’ notes - “Here the Monbazillac is adorned with gold, as it should. While not explosive, the bouquet is a beautiful complexity candied fruit, but also notes of quince, acacia, lemon … On the palate, the sugar-acid balance is remarkable. It is both rich, powerful, bold and fresh. The wood (twenty-six months in the barrel) is perfectly allowed to express the fruit. In a word, harmonious.”

“Luscious deep gold, honeyed and fat with peachy botrytis tones, gingerbread, hazelnuts, fresh mint and eucalyptus on the palate. The Ancienne Cure is mini Mon-bee, marzipan, orange peel and spices.”

Showing its age, gone were bright sprites of apricot, oranges and quince, the fruits were subdued and turned to notes of smoky and espresso accenting the sweet honeyed citrus, yet this was very interesting and enjoyable drinking, especially nicely paired with various courses of the meal.  

RM 90 points at this stage. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=167954

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/167954

https://www.domaine-anciennecure.fr/gb/

This mini-horizontal tasting of two Bordeaux varietal wines from the same vintage was illuminating, comparing the Bordeaux to the Alexander Valley Cabernet. 

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

We then opened this well known popular label from Alec’s birthyear vintage. This is the same label we served at his and Vivianna’s wedding celebration five years ago. We also still hold several bottles of the Napa Valley variant of this label. Believing it will age longer than the Alexander Valley version, we opened this one, as part of cellar inventory management. 

We wrote about this label and this birthyear release in more detail in this earlier blogpost - Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House, and Birthyear vintage labels and large format bottles.

We hold over four cases of this label across a vertical collection of sixteen vintages dating back to the birthyears of each of our kids. 

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and more importantly the cork and fill level were in remarkably ideal condition for their age. 

Winemaker Notes for this release - “The 1990 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a stable and lively translucent, ruby red color. It offers aromas of bergamot, vanilla, and hints of black cherry. This wine has an impressive lively and bright, yet elegant, attack and mid-palate with hints of red pepper flavor. The 1990 still shows exuberance and structured tannins on the lengthy finish. Decanting suggested. “

This was rated 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

After decanting and breathing for two and a half hours, this was still approachable, albeit showing its age with a slight bit of funkiness, leather and wood setting in, offsetting the blackberry fruits. The color was still dark garnet colored with the slightest bit of cloudiness appearing. 

Medium bodied, the blackberry and black cherry fruits were hanging on with notes of leather, cigar box, cassis, spice and forest floor with a still balanced lingering finish. 

RM 89 points at this stage.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?10085

This was an interesting comparison to the same vintage Bordeaux below; see comments that follow. 

Chateau La Louviere Passaic Leognan Bordeaux 1990

We hold nearly three cases of a vertical collection of this label spread across a dozen vintages dating back to this birthyear release. 

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and the import fill level were in good condition for their age. (We still hold five more bottles of this release and we selected the one with the worst condition soiled label.) The cork was saturated and starting to soften and started to recede into the bottle when pressed with the two pronged cork puller. With care and a more than a bit of experienced skill, it was extracted intact, but proceed with caution opening more bottles. 

The cork was saturated and starting to soften and started to recede into the bottle when pressed with the two pronged cork puller. With care and a more than a bit of experienced skill, it was extracted intact, but proceed with caution opening more bottles. 

This was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Advocate, back in 2000 and 1997 respectively. .

Wine Advocate wrote, “One of the finest of the lesser known Graves chateaux, La Louviere has been making terrific wine since the late eighties.” 

Wine Spectator wrote’ “ One of the best wines ever from this estate.”

Compared to the Silver Oak, Alexander, this was showing more diminution from aging, with slight rust brownish color hues on the rim, slight clouding, and showing a bit less remaining structure and body.

Slight foggy dark garnet colored, medium bodied, dark berry and cherry fruits were a bit muted but still hanging on, accented still by that classic Graves tobacco, smoke, leather and cassis, with slight remaining grainy texture on the short finish. 

This was still holding on surprisingly well, and approachable, mostly so as part of this horizontal comparison, but it’s time to drink up in the near term. 

RM 87 points at this stage. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?10446

Our great fun with wine such as this gala family celebration continues.