Hice Cellars Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2006

Hice Cellars Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2006

For a simple wine fruit and cheese setting at home, we opened this obscure small boutique producer offering from Paso Robles. While simple easy drinking juice, it actually exceeded my modest expectations.  We picked this up at auction in a caveat emptor purchase which turned out to be a high QPR acquisition.

Ruby colored, medium bodied, rather simple, single dimensional but pleasant easy drinking black cherry and loganberry fruits with a moderate earthy tone of tobacco leaf and tree bark on a moderate tannin finish.


RM 87 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1080582

Constant Cab Franc and Eileen Hardy Shiraz

Constant Cabernet Franc and Eileen Hardy Shiraz

Friday night dinner at Angelis, our favorite neighborhood trattoria featured two BYOB selections from our cellars. Bill and Beth brought a Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc and I brought a Eileen Hardy Shiraz. A contrast in styles and states of two upscale labels at two stages of their aging window.

The four of us with J&B and Freddie Constant

While different in style, both wines complemented perfectly my pasta with hearty bolognese sauce and italian sausage. 

We visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

Sadly, Freddie Constant passed away earlier this year so we toasted a tribute to the colorful memorable producer.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Constant estate sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Constant is the highest and perhaps oldest winery in the region and is the only vineyard that spans both Napa and Sonoma faces.

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley. The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit and are home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

Constant Diamond Mountain Winery Diamond Mountain District Estate Cabernet Franc 2007

Bright dark ruby/purple colored, medium to full bodied, this was bright vibrant full forward black berry and currant fruit with a bold punch of sweet almost cinnamon spice accented by tones of mocha chocolate, soft sweet oak with dusty lush pleasing tongue coating lingering tannins.

RM 93 points. 

Bill's notes from Cellartacker - "Deep purple color. Light nose of fig and light floral aromas belie a wonderfully flavored Cab Franc. Opens with a bit of sweetness on the front palate, cocoa on the mid palate, silky tannins and a long lingering finish highlighted by cassis and a touch of oak. A wonderful accompaniment to smoky, bacon infused chowder and prosciutto wrapped, stuffed chicken breast in a sweet and spicy pepper sauce.

WCC 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=694548

http://www.constantwine.com/


Hardys "Eileen Hardy" McLaren Vale-Padthaway-Clare South Australia Shiraz 1999


This is literally the signature wine of the legendary historic Hardy brand, bearing the mark of Eileen Hardy, the matriarch of the house of Hardy. The best shiraz from each vintage is released under the Eileen Hardy label.

Hardy have been producing wine in the region since Thomas Hardy purchased the Tintara vineyards and winery in McLaren Vale back in the 1870's. Thomas Hardy wines were the first Australian wines to be awarded prestigious Gold medals at the International Wine Shows in Bordeaux in 1882 and in Paris in 1889.

Tom Mayfield Hardy, Thomas Hardy’s grandson, continued the family business in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. When he was tragically killed in a plane crash, his wife, Eileen Hardy, and his cousin, Kenneth Hardy, took over the business. Thomas Walter Hardy, Tom and Eileen Hardy’s eldest son, becomes the fourth generation of the Hardy family to enter the family business. 

To celebrate the 80th birthday of the iconic matriarch, Eileen Hardy, her children created this Eileen Hardy Shiraz label as its flagship shiraz containing the best from each vintage.

I don't know if it was the contrast in style, indication of the vintage, or just a closed period in the aging of this wine, but the Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz was overshadowed by the bold bright vibrant Constant Cab Franc. The metaphor I often use to describe such a contrast is one is a foot wide and four inches deep (Hardy), while the other (Constant) is four inches wide and a foot deep!

The Hardy came across more like a Cabernet than a Shiraz, with its firm complexity, while the Constant was true to the profile of Cabernet Franc, spicy, and bold, showing why it is used as a blending wine to brighten and accent the Bordeaux Blend. At this stage, tonight, this vintage didn't live up to the hype of the label.

Dark garnet colored and medium bodied, the 1999 Hardy showed complex black cherry and black berry fruits accented by spice, earthy leather with hints of tar, cedar, anise and oak with fine grained subtle tannins on the finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12189

http://hardyswines.com/us/

Pollak Vineyards Monticello Meritage 2010

Pollak Vineyards Virginia Monticello Meritage 2010

We tasted this bottle with friends and Eric and Cathy who sourced it at the winery during a family getaway to the Monticello Wine Trail in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Ironically, I just blogged about Meritage this weekend - a blend of Bordeaux varietals sourced from a new world location, and find it interesting to see one from Virginia. Going all the way back to Thomas Jefferson, who was a huge fan of Bordeaux, he tried to develop Bordeaux varietals in Virginia, even to the extend of bringing vine cuttings from France to his Monticello estate.

We visited the Virginia wine country a couple years ago when I kept a second residence in Washington DC during the week to support my work there. We visited the western reaches beyond Fairfax, but didn't get down to the Central Virginia region. Even then, we found Cabernet Franc to be the highest achieving Bordeaux varietal in our tastings, which is the core of this selection.

Pollak Vineyards is a family-owned winery in central Virginia west of Charlottesville and Crozet in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Their 98-acre farm has 27 acres planted in French vinifera from which they strive to produce estate grown wines that represent the authentic characteristics of the traditional French varietals.

The property was acquired in 2003 by current owners Margo and David Pollak. Previously, David was involved in vineyards in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California, followed by the establishment of one of the first wineries in the now famous Carneros region down at the southern tip of  Napa Valley where it meets Sonoma Valley. In Virginia, the Pollaks hope to produce great wines using best practices and lessons learned to realize the potential of what they believe is an ideal site.

The 2010 Meritage is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 41% Merlot, and 18% Petit Verdot in the Bordeaux style. It dark purple colored, medium bodied with moderate acidity, it shows cherry and currant fruits accented by tones of leather, subtle spice, earth and tobacco, with modest tannins. The fruits are slightly austere perhaps revealing the character of the Virginia soil and terroir. Time will tell how this wine settles and perhaps achieves more balance and approachability with a little bit of aging.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1617331

http://www.pollakvineyards.com

Napa Cab '04 Horizontal overshadows Tignanello and '97 Cab Franc over Italian Dinner

Napa Cab '04 Horizontal overshadows Tignanello and '97 Cab Franc over Italian Dinner

For a gathering with wine buddies Tom R and Don K, me doing a little cellar thinning to source a couple of cases of wine for Don's cellar, we held a wine tasting dinner featuring a Napa Cab 2004 horizontal along side a couple diverse wines. Adding to the special occasion was son Alec being in town from NYC to join us. Don presented me with a special select bottle of Dunn Howell Mountain 2010. Tom brought an Antinori Tignanello 1999 for our Italian dinner. I pulled a Del Dotto Cabernet Franc 1997 and a Fantesca Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 for the occasion.

Before dinner we tasted a Clark Claudon Napa Valley Howell Mountain 2004 and a Robert Craig Affinity 2004 from 375ml half bottles with artisan cheeses - aged Maytag blue, fresh Parmesan and my favored Bellavitano.

We dined at Angeli's Italian our favorite local neighborhood trattoria. Don chose the Veal Piccatta, Tom the Veal Saltimboca, Alec the Ravioli and I chose their spaghetti with Bolognese sauce with a veal meatball and italian sausage.

Prior to dinner we feasted on a selection of their superb appetizer courses to accompany our wines, Angeli's spectacular steamed mussels in white wine sauce, fried artichoke hearts, grilled calimari and their sinfully decadent butternut squash gnocchi, potato dumplings stuffed with butternut squash served in a sweet brown sugar cream sauce.

Don and I shared the always outstanding 'Angelis' Special' salad; Baby Sprig Lettuce with Caramelized Walnuts, Blue Cheese, Apples and Pear Slices with a Sweet Raspberry Dressing.

The flight:


Clark Claudon Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

We've been collecting this Howell Mtn classic since our Napa Valley Wine Experience 1999. We have a vertical collection back to their inaugural 1993 vintage and have tasted this in Napa Cab wine flights with the same outcome as earlier Big Cab tastings - the concensus favorite of the group ...

Deep dark purple - full bodied - explosive aromas of ripe dark berry fruits, big mouth-full of forward complex but polished spicy black and edge of red berry fruits, violets, layers of mocha and oak with a long lingering tannin finish.

The 2004 Napa growing season was condensed with early bud break, warm days, cool nights and one challenging heat spike. The result was a small harvest of intense, flavor packed fruit from an unusual, but exceptional year that is showing and drinking well and should last another decade.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=229261


Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Robert Craig produces this blend of Napa Valley Cabernets from his various vineyard sources on Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Napa Valley. He also sources fruit from Mt George and Spring Mtn distict for his wines. He calls Affinity 'three mountains and a valley cabernet'. Its produced for early enjoyment but we continue to find it ages well too. Like the Del Dotto and Clark Claudon wines, we continue to hold a vertical of this wine dating back to the inaugural 1993 vintage.

This is the second tasting of this label this week. This ten year old 2004 remains consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, the ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel are starting to give way to a layer of anise, tobacco, leather and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish. Tasted from a 375 ml split. In this smaller format, this bottle was starting to show its age.

RM 89 points.

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

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/


Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

I acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties but tonight's bottle had been purchased at auction. I mention this as the cork broke in half while opening, and then the wine had a slight discoloration and a slight barnyard funkiness upon opening. These may be indicators of less than appropriate or imperfect provenance, or signs of aging. I lasted tasted this from the cellar a year ago and prior to that it was almost three years to the day back in 2011. I'll pay special attention next time I open an original vintage bottle from my collection. That 2011 tasting note stated, "The Del Dotto Cabernet Franc 1997 was opaque garnet colored, medium bodied and opened with a earthy leather revealing its age, turning to black cherry, spice and a hint of tobacco (RM 90, WS 91 points)." Perhaps tonight's experience was a continuation of that aging as this approaches the end of its (prime) drinking window. If that is the case then its time to drink up. 

My tasting notes from a year ago though cites the same dark ruby color, medium to full body,  but emphasizes the spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this sixteen year old, accented by tones of cedar and tobacco with hints of anise and leather on the smooth tannin finish. Same tasting profile other than the apparent effects of aging, or poor handling. In any event,  tonight's diminution of fruit and slight funkiness rendered a reduced score of 86 points. 

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

www.deldottovineyard.com


Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT, Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT 1999

Tom brought this classic Super-Tuscan from his cellar sourced from my cellar, from the same lot in my cellar that I took to our Italian tasting last winter. We have fun with this citing a memorable dining experience years ago when dining at Tomaso's in Tempe they were offing this label at below retail and I tried to buy (or drink) their entire stock.

This is a Sangiovese based blend consisting of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. This wine kicked off the 'Super-Tuscan' style back in the seventies which rose to prominence in the eighties. It is produced exclusively from it's namesake Tignanello Vineyard, 116 southwest-facing acres sitting at about 1200 feet elevation at Antinori's Tignanello Estate.

According to Antinori, "It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels, the first red wine in modern times to use a non-traditional grape variety, Cabernet, in the blend, and among the first red wines made in Chianti with no white grapes." In all three instances, it set the example for a new breed of exceptional top-of-the-line Italian wine. It first was released under the Tignanello label with the 1971 when the wine became a Vino da Tavola della Toscana.

Deep Ruby colored, huge floral bouquet, medium-full bodied, forward bright vibrant mouthful of black cherry predominates with notes of currant, spice, and hints of tobacco and leather on a lingering silky tannin finish. That evening against a flight of Italian wines this showed well and received RM 92 points. Tonight against the Napa Cabs, it presented more modest fruit and appeared to be a bit flabby rendering a reduced score of RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96168

http://www.antinori.it/cin


Perhaps its not a fair fight to stand this Sangiovese based blend up against a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. My notes from a earlier similar tasting back in 2003 reflected the same state of being overshadowed by a bolder bigger and more fruit forward Napa Cab. "Antinori Tignanello Toscana 1999 was totally overshadowed and blown away by the breadth and depth of the Elan (Napa Valley Cabernet) - so much so I'll hold off notes until the next tasting."





Fantesca Estate and Winery, Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

To compare against the two '04 Napa Cabernets tasting earlier we took to dinner this 2004 Fantesca Napa Cab. We visited Duane and Susan Hoff and their spectacular mountainside estate of Fantesca Spring Mountain Estate and Winery during our Napa Wine Experiences in 2007 and in 2009.  With their elegant etched glass bottles, we enjoy serving this wine at special occasions, and we love their sophisticated and elegant wines too. This was the first vintage release under their ownership. 

Fantesca Napa Valley,
Spring Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon
Etched glass, painted bottle.
(2006 shown)

Returning to the '04 Cabernet, the Fantesca was medium-full bodied, dark garnet colored, complex but smooth and polished with bright forward fruits of black currant, dark berry and black cherry, accented by sweet dark chocolate, a hint of cassis, and a tone of spice on the lingering refined tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=355836

http://www.fantesca.com

WCC Family Dinner Features Cellar Select Birthyear Wines

WCC Family Dinner Features Cellar Select Birthyear Wines

For an impromptu family dinner celebrating two of three of Bill and Beth C's son's being home for a weekend/evening, we were honored to join in the special festive occasion. Beth was preparing lasagna so Bill and I chose some hearty wines that also happened to represent the boy's birthyears. Bill pulled out a magnum of 1989 Silver Oak Alexander Valley. I had contributed earlier a 1984 vintage Barolo picked up on a trip to Europe, waiting for a suitable occasion to feature that vintage. Ironically, I also brought another 1989 vintage wine, this from Benziger Family winery in Sonoma, ironic since Bill had already opened a bottle of Benziger for predinner tasting. 

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1989

Served from a magnum, this was medium bodied with dark blackish purple color. Bill's notes from Cellartracker, "Plenty of fruit left in this but not much backbone. Was pleasantly surprised that this was still in OK shape. Medium purple color showed no signs of age. Took about an hour after decanting for the nose to reveal perfume and floral notes. Reminiscent of cherry and raspberry on the palate with a touch of oak but the tannins are gone, making this a bit thin."

WCC 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=41259

http://www.silveroak.com/

Benziger Family Winery Imagery Series Cabernet Franc 1989
There are several wines producers that offer artist label series, wines with a different label each vintage featuring original artwork from an artist, or more typically, each vintage featuring a different artist's work of art adorning the label. The most famous of these of course is Chateau Mouton Rothshild, one of the world's most noted wines. Their labels feature original artwork by world class artists produced specifically to adorn their signature vintage of Mouton Rothschild first growth Bordeaux. They are so distinctive that even empty or past drinking window bottles become collector's items in their own right. I've had fun over the years collecting or seeking out each vintage of Mouton's and have an image library of their famous line of labels in my wine Mouton wine label library on unwindwine.com.

This is not an attempt to compare Benziger wine to Mouton Rothschild in any sense other than the concept of an artist series of wine labels.

In the case of Benziger, their Imagery Series is an artist series of wines that feature artwork by a named artist adorning the label. Benziger then feature a special bottling of wine from a named grower and featured winemaker (s) with each bottle of the limited bottling is individually numbered. This bottling features 1989 Alexander Valley Cabernet Franc from Blue Rock Vineyards, and was crafted by Benziger winemakers and friends Bob Goyette and Bruce Rector.

The Imagery Series was created to offset Benziger's wines produced from their Glen Ellen estate with lot of specially crafted wines from boutique or varied producers who might otherwise sell their wines to be private labeled or blended into other larger production wines.

At twenty-five years of age, it was time to open this wine, on this occasion, it was serendipitously a birthyear tribute to Matt and Molly who were with home for the weekend and joining us for dinner for a gala family dinner.

Medium bodied with garnet rust color, this opened initially a bit lean and astringent but over the course of the evening revealed more and more black cherry fruit accented by spice, cigar box and hint of  earthy leather on the finish.

RM 87 points.

How ironic that I pulled this Benziger Family bottle from the cellar for Beth's lasagna dinner to find Bill had opened and was serving a Benziger Family selection for before dinner.

We visited the Benziger Family estate in Sonoma Valley Bill and Beth C during our Sonoma Valley Wine Experience back in 2008.  I had this 1989 vintage bottle in the cellar having purchased it at auction over the years. So it was fitting to bring a Benziger 89 for a family dinner with 89 birthyear son Matt visiting from out of state.

Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Valley Appellation Series Syrah 2009

Bill had already opened this and was serving it when we arrived so it was serendipitous that I brought another Benziger, notable in that we visited the estate together during our Benziger Family Winery - Sonoma Valley Visit in the Autumn '09. 

Bill's notes - "Popped and poured. Found this to be a bit flat and one dimensional with a focus on light fruit flavors...blueberry, blackberry. Expected more spi

This really opened with time and in many ways was the surprise of the evening by virtue of its improvement and value. Some white pepper became evident on the palate. The nose became highly floral and the fruit blossomed. Nice bottle of wine.
ce but it was lacking. Will see if this opens with another hour or so.

WCC 85 points.

I found it dark purple colored, medium bodied, a bit lean with a moderate black berry fruit accented by tones of white pepper with hints of spice.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1482609

http://www.benziger.com/

Abbazia Barolo 1984

I purchased this bottle in a little neighborhood wine shop in London near Oxford Street and Ware Road back in the late 1980's. It had been lying down in our cellar for over two decades. With my penchant for having wines for special occasions and having kids born in three different years in the first half of the 80's decade, I presumed we'd have one of their friends from this vintage year to toast at some point.

With our wine collecting and tasting with dear friends the Connolly's becoming increasingly commonplace over the ensuing years, it was only fitting to bequeath this bottle to them as its the birthyear of their middle son, Drew. It was only a matter of time we'd likley end up drinking it for some occasion. With the bottle aging it was due and Bill pulled it when tonight's family dinner came together with Drew and Matt being in town from Tennessee. 

While this was lean and a bit austere, it had more life in it than I expected. Garnet colored, medium bodied, the nose was muted but after an hour or so the black cherry and cherry flavors emerged and predominated over a layer of leather, dry earth and hints of minty anise on a rather tight finish.

RM 85 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1791877

Verney Syrah and Marc Bredif Chinon at Hemingways Bistro in Oak Park

Verney Syrah & Marc Brédif Chinon at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park 

After conducting a tour for friends Kathy M and Jackie P at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio where I am a docent/interpreter, we lunched at nearby Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park, for our second visit in as many weeks. 

Unlike our earlier visit and our small plates dinner the other night, I felt compelled to try French wines from their by-the-glass selections on the wine list. We chose two rather simple, approachable, pleasant easy drinking good value reds that were a nice complement to Linda's Bistro Burger and my Roast Pork loin special. 


Domaine Georges Vernay Syrah de Mirbaudie Vin De Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes  2011

From the little known appellation of Condrieu in the Northern Rhone river valley in south central France this wine is composed of 100% Syrah varietal. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, bouquet of red raspberry, pepper and spice, much like a Pinot Noir. Flavors of blackberry and slightly tart black cherry fruits give way to layer of spice and black pepper with tones of smoke and soft velvety tannins on the moderate finish. 

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1550986

http://www.domaine-georges-vernay.fr/en/




Marc Brédif Chinon 2011

From the little known appellation of Chinon in the Loire Valley that produces vibrant spicy, racy Cabernet Franc varietal based wines. They are less structured and tannic than the Cabernet Francs from the hotter region down south in Bordeaux where they are used as part of the Bordeaux blend to provide structure, color and a bit of spice. Since it is a lesser known region and produces simpler single varietal wines of Cabernet Franc, they are more approachable and are less expensive for a much greater value than if they were from Bordeaux or California. 

 Dark deep ruby colored rim on dark purple medium body, aromas of cassis and licorice, with a touch of vanilla; flavors of blackberry, hints of strawberry turning to cassis, some earthiness & touch of  minerality with moderate dry tannins on the short finish. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1608112

http://www.deladoucette.fr/bredif/bredif_accueil.html

http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/

Mt Veeder Appellation Tasting Replays Napa Tour

Mt Veeder Appellation Tasting Replays Napa Tour

When Beth and Bill (joining later just off the late flight from LHR) joined us for dinner with sister Jan visiting from California, we pulled from the cellar a selection of Napa Mt Veeder wines to replay our wine tour there together. This was one of our numerous Napa trips where we focused on but one appellation and its wines to gain appreciation for the nuances of all the elements that represent that appellation and its distinctive terroir. Moreover, sticking to one appellation simplifies logistics and scheduling. This is especially useful or beneficial on Mt Veeder which is the largest and most geographically spread of all Napa appellations. 

Our Napa Valley Mt Veeder appellation trip with Bill and Beth and Jan and Bill featured visits to producers Godspeed, Yates and Rubissow, among others, so for our reunion gathering we selected those producers' wines to reminisce the trip. We tasted Yates Fleur de Veeder Merlot and Cheval 2007, Rubissow Merlot 2006, and Godspeed Trinity 2006. These were accompaniment to our dinner of grilled sirloin, sweet corn, fresh bruschetta and a medley of chocolates. 



Yates Family Vineyards Mt Veeder Fleur de Veeder Merlot 2007

We opened the dinner wine flight with this Merlot from Yates Family Vineyards which was also the first stop on our 2011 Napa Valley Mt Veeder weekend. What a nice surprise. This was dark inky purple colored and full bodied with full, forward, flavorful rich fruit of black raspberry, a layer of spice and dark mocha with a hint of cassis on a big long lingering finish. In a blind tasting this might have passed as a big Aussie shiraz!. What an opening! In retrospect we should've opened this last or next to last as it overpowered and overshadowed the wines to follow.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1092213

http://www.yatesfamilyvineyard.com/


Godspeed Vineyards Napa Valley Trinity 2006

We tasted this wine during our visit to Godspeed on our Mt Veeder Appellation trip.  This is listed in CellarTracker as a Bordeaux Blend but Trinity is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (42%), Shiraz (33%) and Malbec (25%). I am not aware of this combination blend from any wine producing region around the world. The 'old world' wine producers have been doing this for hundreds of years while the 'new world' producers in the emerging wine countries have been doing this for decades. Over five centuries, Bordeaux (producers) have become masterful at blending a primary varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and then complementing it with lesser amounts of other varietals to add breadth (Merlot), depth (Cabernet Franc), color and structure (Petiti Verdot) to the final blend. The result is a symphony of flavors that round out the wine. I don't see this becoming a popular blend of these three otherwise primary varietals listed above that typically are stand-alone or anchor varietals. Rather than being complementary and harmonious to each other, I sense they're competing to be the 'lead' or predominant varietal in this blend. 

This was medium to full bodied, moderately complex from black berry and black cherry fruit flavors that give way to a layer of cassis, tobacco leaf and charcoal on a moderate tannin finish.

Linda likes big bold full throttle wines and she liked this. I couldn't get my arms around it.
RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1540228

Rubissow Mt Veeder Merlot 2006

We tasted and procured this wine at Rubissow high atop Mt Veeder during our Mt Veeder Appellation tour. My recollection of this wine was the profile of the Yates Fleur de Veeder that we tasted next to this as reviewed above - full bodied with rich extracted fruit. Tonight this was leaner and lighter than I remembered and hence expected. I am looking ahead to trying this again as we still have a half case in the cellar.

Tonight this showed dark garnet purple color, medium body with black berry fruits, slightly tart black cherry with a hints of spice, tobacco, touch of mocha and coffee bean.

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=872497






Yates Family Vineyards Cheval Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc 2007 

Another Yates selection that we tasted and obtained during our visit to the Yates Winery and Vineyards high atop Mt Veeder. This is 100% Cabernet Franc which in Bordeaux is used in the blend to add breadth and depth with its spicy tones. Standalone as a single varietal bottling this is very pleasant drinking.

Full bodied - forward black berry, black raspberry and spicy clove with a hint of cassis and bitter dark chocolate with a lingering tannin flavorful finish. 


RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1092208

http://www.yatesfamilyvineyard.com/

Mother's Day Dinner Wine - Ducru Beaucaillou - Del Dotto - Liparita

Mother's Day Dinner Wine (s)

A gala family dinner celebrating son Ryan's & Michelle's baby shower, our season opening family golf outing and of course, Mother's Day, featured beef tenderloin and a flight of paired wines.

Ryan handled wine steward duties and pulled the following wines from the cellar -  Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1989, Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997, and Liparita Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997. This provided an interesting comparison of Bordeaux blend varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a classic Bordeaux blend, as well as a look into the stage of two top rated vintages - 1989 Bordeaux and this mini-horizontal of 1997 Napa Valley Cabernets.


Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1989

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou is a wine of interest for several reasons. This was one of Ryan's 'signature' wines that we purchased in large format in his birthyear vintage, which we served at his wedding, and of which we still hold for special occasions. (This collection of large format birth-year wines was the basis for our cellar being featured in the Collecting section of Wine Spectator back in June, 2001. We still hold a double magnum of 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou that somehow survived several such occasions including weddings of Ryan and Michelle and Will and Kate C). While not Ryan's birth year, we still hold almost a case of this top rated 1989 vintage of this wine, since it is one year removed from son Alec's birthyear, and the year of dear friends and wine our OTBN group members Bill and Beth C, who are regularly featured in this blog.

The cork was perfect in this twenty-four year old, continued reminder and evidence that our cellar' conditions are ideal for aging. Decanted for about ninety minutes, this wine opened with a funky barnyard tone and Ryan was concerned it was tainted or beyond its drinking window. I preached patience and over the course of the evening it did burn off and turn into a emphatic floral tone that punctuated the finish and goes on and on and on.

Never-the-less, this wine may be showing its age as the berry and black cherry fruit has turned slightly astringent and a layer of tea, leather and tobacco seems to have emerged more predominantly. The tannins are moderate. The color remains intact with an opaque ruby color perhaps starting to take on an ever-so-slight brownish tone, while the body remains medium to light.

The slight astringency aside, as I look back, this tasting profile is consistent with my last tasting' note for this wine from October, 2011. 

PS. Alas, the next morning, even the astringency had gone away and this wine was consistent with and reminiscent of earlier tastings albeit the slight leathery tobacco tone may be becoming more predominant over the fruit. Take note, this needs several hours of decanting.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1625


Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

This was a limited production upon release. This was one of our discoveries during our Napa Valley Wine Experience trips back in 1998 and 1999.and again in 2001 and 2003. I still remember we took this wine to a Christmas party back in 2000 and it was the stand-out highlight wine of the evening.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, the spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this sixteen year old, accented by tones of cedar and tobacco with hints of creme de cassis and leather on the smooth tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

http://cellartracker.com/w?35491

Liparita Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We have been drinking the 1996, 2000 and 2001 vintages of this wine from the cellar when we Ryan found a couple bottles of this '97 release. What a nice surprise as this is one more appealing and better drinking releases along with the 2001.

We discovered this wine during our Napa Valley Wine Experiences back in the late nineties highlighted by a barrel tasting at the custom crush facility down in Oakville with the then wine maker Gove Celia.  

Dark black garnet color - medium-full bodied with black berry and black cherry fruits accented by anise with tones of leather, wood, cedar and hints of black olive tapenade with floral lingering on the smooth moderate tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=38567

David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery

David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery

The vista view overlooking
Napa Valley

A highlight and targeted visit of our Napa Wine Experience 2013 was our visit to David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery. As mentioned in a recent blogpost, we've been collecting and enjoying David Arthur wines since the late nineties since the 1997 vintage but have been pacing our consumption as we watch this wine age and achieve its true potential. The property is situated up at the end of Long Ranch Road up atop Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Mountain range. The drive up offers some spectacular vineyard views and vistas of the Napa Valley below. The adjoining vineyards represent some of the premier producers of Napa Valley wines - Brand, Bryant, Colgin, Continuum, Montagna, the new Del Dotto property Villa Del Lago, and Ovid. Not (yet) designated an appellation, never-the-less, it is fast becoming one of the premiere wine growing areas of Napa Valley. 

We visited the other side of Pritchard Hill during our Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley Experience - Autumn '09 with our visit to long time resident/producer Chappellet Vineyards.

David Arthur wines represent the unique terroir of the mountain with its rough rocky terrain. They have 21 acres on their Pritchard Hill estate (left) planted in the Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, as well as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo which go into their unique Meritaggio.

We first discovered this wine when we purchased a case back of the 1997 vintage release and still hold about half of those bottles, but we quickly turned and became fans of their Cabernet Sauvignon and their flagship wine Elevation 1147, creatively names for the vineyard site situated 1200 feet above the valley floor. All are crafted 100% from estate grown grapes. This visit offered us the opportunity to experience (and acquire) their latest vintage releases as well as their new Three Acre and Old Vines labels Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignons and a new release bottling of David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Franc.

Long girls and husbands R *& R (l),
Clan Connelly (rt)

David Arthur, named for the grandfather of the owner/producer, is a family affair consisting of three generations of the Long family, who over the years acquired the mountain land to raise cattle. Today it is operated by brothers David and Bob along with Joye Long are co-owners, with David acting as General Manager and his daughter Laura runs the office and daily operations.  


A point of interest and fun part of this trip was the fact that Linda (nee) Long and Pat (nee) Long, daughters of Indiana farmer Ned Long would be

Farmer Ned Long's daughters at
David Arthur Long Ranch

with us. My wife Linda and I were joined on this Napa trip by sister/sister-in-law Pat (Long), so it's only fitting we saved our David Arthur visit and this Long reunion for this trip together. More aspects of a family reunion this trip as our usual wine tasting and travel companions, Bill and Beth C, were joined by son Will and wife Kate. Furthermore, the family reunion continued with a visit from Pat and Linda's niece Becky (nee) Long who lives near Napa and brought her family down to join us for a day of our trip.

Adding to the Long legend and heritage on Pritchard Hill, adjacent to the David Arthur vineyards are Long Family Vineyards owned by Napa Valley legends Bob and Zelma Long, who gained notoriety in the 70s as chief enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery. Divorced from Bob, today, Zelma and husband Phillip produce wines in Germany and South Africa under their Zelphi label..

The wines: 

David Arthur Three Acre Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

A new label from David Arthur to expand the brand offering with further differentiation of the available fruits. This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from three distinctive estate vineyard blocks, composed primarily of Cabernet Clone 337 noted for outstanding fruit character and bold tannins. A blend of 93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7 percent Petite Verdot, this was aged in 85 percent new French oak barrels for 23 months. Only 338 cases were produced.

Deep garnet colored, medium-full bodied, it presents blackberry, black raspberry, a layer of black cherry, and cassis with hints of flora, olive tapenade, spicy toasted oak, tones of toffee, maple, tea, tobacco and cedar turning to fine grained tannins on the finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1359622
 
David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This standard bearer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from three of the distinctive vineyard blocks on Pritchard Hill. Full bodied and dark inky purple, this is complex, firm and focused with layers of dense black berry and black currant fruits accented with dense cassis, spices, floral notes with a tobacco earthy tone on the intense long silky smooth tannin finish. 

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petite Verdot, was aged in 80 percent new French oak barrels for 23 months. 718 cases were produced.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=658746

David Arthur Old Vine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

A new label for the David Arthur brand, Old Vine represents select bottling of fruit from the finest selections from the mature vines on the estate. Old Vine is packaged in a heavy oversize bottle equivalent to the flagship 1147 bottling. 

Full bodied, firm, focused concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, intense cassis, vanilla and lavender tones, complex mouth feel loads the palate with a layer of creme de cassis, hints of caramel and sweet oak on a long finish of smooth silky polished tannins.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1327749

David Arthur Elevation 1147 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

The flagship David Arthur wine commemorating the twenty-fifth vintage anniversary release. There is a whimsical story that explains the red stripe label but I'll save that for others or another forum.  

Seeking some selective 2010 vintage wines to celebrate or commemorate our first grandchild's birthyear, this is the one of the first to present itself as a worthy candidate.
  
Medium-full bodied, big forward fruits, a symphony of deep complex concentrated flavors - black berry and black raspberry fruits, subtle floral tones, hints of cassis, lead pencil, espresso and cedar tones with a spicy silky smooth satin like long lingering finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1357694 

David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2010 

Wow, how can a Cab (Sauvignon) drinker not love Cab Franc?!? Historically and typically used as a blending wine to add breadth to the Bordeaux blend, by itself its tangy spicy tongue coating mouth puckering. Black inky purple, medium-full bodied, black fruits, lead pencil graphite with clove spice and hints of cedar on a silky tannin finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1468395



David Arthur Napa Valley Meritaggio 2010 

We first discovered and still hold several bottles of this wine from the 1997 vintage. It continues to show resilience and no sign of diminution with full fruit and length. 

The 2010 showed medium bodied, black raspberry and black cherry fruits, hints of black olive, leather and soft oak on a focused moderate tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1357708



David Arthur Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2011

This may be the last vintage of this offering as they focus on big red wines that make the most of Pritchett Hill terroir.

David Arthur Napa Valley Nebbiollo - pre-release

We did some barrel tasting and had a preview of upcoming releases of David Arthur Nebbiolo from the 2011 and 2012 vintages. Watch for these in the years to come.

David Arthur barrel house

 

Big sky Pritchett Hill - P&R, R&L

Clan Connelly on Pritchett Hill

P&R - Long Ranch - David Arthur

Two gen Docs

Tasting toasted