Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons flight and Carneros Chardonnay

Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons flight and Carneros Chardonnay

For a gala dinner to celebrate Beth's birthday, we opened a flight of Napa Valley Howell Mountain big Cabernet Sauvignons to go with NY Strip steaks from the farm. Starting with caprese salad, lobster medallions were featured with a Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay and Champagne. Artisan cheeses included Fair Oaks Farms aged cheddar cheeses - 2, 3 and 5 years old.We finished with Linda's fabulous flowerless dark chocolate cake and Eiswein.

Main course big cabs flight ... 

Clark Claudon Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

This was the consensus favorite of the tasting.

Deep dark purple - full bodied - 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 93 points.

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

We first met Tom Clark and Laurie Claudon-Clark during our Napa Wine Experience 1999 when we hosted them at our wine dinner at Pinot Blanc in St Helena (see picture left). We tasted Clark Claudon 1995-96 against ten year 1989 Bordeaux. Our vertical collection of  Clark Claudon continues to this day.

http://http://www.clarkclaudon.com



O'Shaughnessy Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Dark inky color, full bodied, the black berry, black currant and black raspberry fruit predominate but are a bit flabby lacking the more typical depth and concentration of greater vintages, a layer of lead pencil and a slight herbaceous tone, hints of tobacco and charcoal linger on the firm tight tannins indicative of Howell Mountain terroir. 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=15897


http://oshaughnessywinery.com/

La Jota Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Dark inky purple, full bodied, notes of blackberry, black raspberry and black currant, turning to cedar,  leather, then oak and silky smooth tannins on the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14319

Legendary winery on Howell Mountain since the turn of the last century released wines as early as the late 1890's.

http://www.lajotavineyardco.com/

Blue Hall Vineyards Camiana Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007


Blue Hall Vineyard sits 1700 feet above the valley floor atop Howell Mountain. Its three acres are planted in Cabernet Sauvignon and is the used to produce one Estate bottled single vineyard wine, Camiana, named for Juliane and Camille, the two daughters of Vintner and owner, Dr. Andrew Zolopa, is a world-renowned researcher and the director of Stanford University's HIV/AIDS program. Zolopa spends most of his time researching HIV, but his second passion is wine; and his spare time is dedicated to fine-tuning Blue Hall Vineyard.Cabernet Sauvignon. They built a get-away weekend retreat high up on Howell Mountain and eventually planted three acres of Cabernet vines. The first limited vintage was in 2004, increasing production with the subsequent releases. 


The wine is full bodied and dark inky purple color, the nose is perfumed with violets, cedar box and dusty earth, The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon flavors are complex, tight and dry, with big firm tannins masking the intense concentrated black berry and black cherry fruit accented with tobacco, hints of cassis and sweet oak. This wine is great now but should be laid down for five to 10 years.



RM 91 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1268057



http://www.bluehallvineyard.net/

 Before dinner, with the artisan cheeses ...    


FogDog Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006 

Medium bodied, ruby colored, bing cherries, raspberries, cedar, spice box, and hints of anise and mocha.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1141912

A Joseph Phelps project, Freestone Vineyards are a 100-acre, cool climate site on the Sonoma Coast now coming into production, with a selection of  Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs under the Freestone and this FogDog labels.

http://www.freestonevineyards.com/

Ramey Napa Valley Carneros Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay 2005

This was highly praised by everyone. Medium bodied with  golden yellow color; full forward creamy flavors of pear, lychee and baked apple with hints of nut, caramel, and touch of citrus - nice structure and depth with a well balanced clean and crisp lingering aftertaste. 

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=384077

 

 Situated in the rolling hills of Carneros in the southern Napa Valley on the road to Sonoma sits Hudson Ranch whose Hudson Vineyards source grapes to over 32 wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma counties.Carneros is one of the nations finest grape growing regions where the cool breezes off north San Francisco Bay allow the grapes a longer hang time in which to develop flavor and intensity, without sacrificing acidity and balance. The Hudson site was originally known as Talcoa Vineyards, an Indian name meaning ‘laughing land.’ It was on these lands in the 1880’s that the first American successful scientific experiments were carried out to overcome phylloxera, which was devastating the vineyards of Europe.

Hudson Vineyards produces 10 different grape varietals in the Los Carneros AVA of Napa, California on 160 acres.Only a select few producers that source their grapes from Hudson produce wines that bear the ‘Hudson Vineyards’ designation. These producers are those whom Hudson Vineyards has established long term contracts to for specific blocks of the vineyards. Those wines are of great importance and interest as those are sites of intense, interesting, varietal distinctiveness.to the grower and the winemakers.

The vineyards north of the Carneros Highway, but further west, have terrain that is more rolling with lighter more  friable soil. This year’s bottling is the second to come entirely from B-block, planted in 2001 to a Wente selection from the Hyde Vineyard, so the vines were eight years old this vintage and further developing their maturity resulting in Hudson Vineyard wines being more muscular and masculine broad-shouldered character.

http://www.rameywine.com/

Finis w/ flowerless dark chocolate cake and fresh berries ... 

Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Eisrebe 2010

100% estate-grown Scheurebe from a Spring Valley Vineyards outside of St. Helena. The Scheurebe grapes are picked late in the season and then frozen, thereby concentrating their already high sugar levels resulting in a wine viscous and smooth, with good acidity levels to balance the sweetness, and luscious flavors of citrus and apricot.The grapes are left to shrivel on the vines. They must reach the same level of sugar concentration
as Beerenauslese.

Pale gold, full  bodied. Predominant full concentrated Peach flavor with hints of apricot, orange oil and clove on the luscious long lingering finish and aftertaste.

Gala Birthday Dinner Wine Tasting featuring Pauillac Bordeaux Duo Vintage Contrast - Classic vs Upstart - Grand Puy Lacoste 1982 and Grand Puy Ducasse 2008

Gala Birthday Dinner Wine Tasting featuring Pauillac Bordeaux Duo Vintage Contrast - Classic vs Upstart - Grand Puy Lacoste 1982 and Grand Puy Ducasse 2008

Fun and interesting comparison tasting of two neighboring wines - one young from a somewhat challenged but promising 2008 vintage against a mature aged bottle from the classic 1982 vintage. Drank at gala family birthday celebration dinner for #1 son Ryan. When Ryan told me he recently picked up a Grand Puy Ducasse 2008 I thought we'd do a comparison tasting, only to discover when I pulled mine from the cellar that I was holding a Grand Puy Lacoste 1982 - commemorating his birthyear! Never-the-less, the two Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé  wines of like terrior and style from vineyards separated by but a few kilometers provided a comparison tasting of two similar wines from different contrasting vintages.

Wine from any region varies from year to year due to different vintage characteristics shaped by the weather and the winemaker. The unique characteristics discovered in different vintages is partly what makes wines collecting interesting and fun. Comparing wines from the same producer or similar producers in different years allows you understand the chateau and vintage differences. Comparing wines from a selection of producers from the same region from the same year, reveals stylistic differences of the producers.

The 1982 Bordeaux vintage conditions were close to perfect from start to finish. Vine budded and flowered under warm, sunny and dry conditions. Ideal dry and hot weather growing conditions persisted through July giving way to a moderate cool down in August followed by marvelously ideal hot weather that lasted for 21 days leading to spectacular results. Interestingly, the 1982 Bordeaux harvest officially began on September 13, the exact same date as the famously spectacular 1945 Bordeaux harvest. Both historic Bordeaux vintages produced classic wines filled with layers of dense, rich, ripe, fresh fruit, opulent, sensuous textures and purity the likes of which only occur every few decades, wines that would also mature and age for decades..

The 2008 Bordeaux vintage faced a cool and wet Spring which included some late frost. Cool temperatures and pervasive rains, which brought mold and mildew problems, continued throughout May leading to uneven and delayed flowering. The weather began to improve somewhat June although the vine growth was about two weeks behind schedule. While July was dry and sunny, it was followed by a dull, grey August that continued halfway through September projecting a difficult vintage.

Because the vines flowered late, and July had been warm, the grapes began this period of Autumn sun in much better condition than in 2007, attaining full ripeness and acquiring better concentration of sugars, tannins and acid.

Finally, Indian summer began on 14th of September bringing sunny warm days and cool nights that lasted up to October 20th through much of the harvest. This, coupled with a drying north-east wind, saved the vintage. While the growing season was below average, the 2008 Bordeaux vintage was saved by the long growing season and ideal harvest conditions. The grapes were allowed a much longer hang time than usual allowing the fruit a better chance to ripen. Typically, the average amount of hang time in Bordeaux is about 100 days, the 2008 Bordeaux vintage saw hang times range from 135 days to as long as an amazing 160 days allowing late harvest ripening to save the vintage!

Although yields were in many places painfully low, overall quality was good to excellent. Most wines achieved good balance with ripe, fine grained tannins, refreshing acidity and a real sense of 'terroir'.

Viticulture in Bordeaux changed markedly over the last forty years for much improved results. Modern Bordeaux wine making and vineyard techniques, coupled with the willingness to perform the necessary amount of selection needed to produce the best wine possible, delivered improved outcomes in modest challenging years such as 2007 and 2008. While a wet, cool year like 2007 would have been a disaster 20 years ago, today, while diluted, some nice wines are still produced. Knowledge and technology have made it possible to produce better Bordeaux wine than ever before, especially in challenging years, but no amount of human intervention can alter the unique personality awarded by nature to each Bordeaux vintage.
A big difference between 1982 and one of the modern day great years is the number of truly great wines produced in current top rated vintages. While 20 or 30 stunning wines were produced in 1982 with perhaps five considered true legends, today, with modern vineyard techniques and cellar management, the number of classic or great wines would have probably doubled as we will see in the recent great vintages such as 2010.

Château Grand Puy Lacoste Red Bordeaux Pauillac 1982

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a 5ème Cru Classé ('Fifth Growth') wine producer. The Bordeaux Pauillac estate has for many years been consistently outperforming its classification. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is located a couple of kilometres west of the town of Pauillac and is owned and run by François-Xavier Borie.

The name Grand Puy comes from its treasured location. The vineyards are situated on the hill of Pauillac, "puy" being a topographical term designating the elevations rising from mostly flat landscapes that are found in Bordeaux wine vineyards. These small hills are vital for natural drainage. The highest point, or puy, at Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste is close to 65 feet.

The second part of the estates name, Lacoste, is the name of the family who owned the property from the start of the eighteenth century until the conclusion of the nineteenth. They were forced to sell due to the devastation Bordeaux suffered when it was struck by phylloxera. Interestingly, the wine became one of the first popular, non First Growth Bordeaux brands to sell in Asia due in part of the name of the chateau, Lacoste, also called the 'alligator wine', due to the name being the same as the famous sportsware designer with the crocodile logo.

Grand-Puy-Lacoste's 90 hectares of vine plantings are 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard is in one block surrounding the substantial 19th century château, lies on deep gravel beds of pebbles and stone over limestone. 


Grand-Puy-Lacoste reveals its classic terrior, it combines marvellous cigar box and floral perfume with cedar, tobacco and truffle scents and a juicy mouth full of flavorful blackcurrant fruit and cassis with velvety power - the epitome of top class Pauillac at its very best. This traditionally styled Bordeaux wine is aged in 70% new oak barrels resulting in a classic Pauillac style, full bodied, tannic, concentrated Bordeaux wine that ages well. 

www.grand-puy-lacoste.fr/

Château Grand Puy Ducasse Red Bordeaux Pauillac 2008

Château Grand Puy Ducasse is a frequently overlooked Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé property that after years in the doldrums, now produces great value fine quality claret at very reasonable prices. The change was brought about by its acquisition by the négociant firm, Mestrezat who extensively replanted the vineyards, and built a new cuvier and chai. Grand Puy Ducasse has 45 hectares of well-sited vineyards, one parcel on a gravel plateau near Batailley, and another adjacent to the famous Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild. The wine is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Merlot - matured in oak casks (30% new) for 18 months before being bottled.

Grand Puy Ducasse is a mid-weight Pauillac that displays good depth of fruit and is usually drinkable 5 years after the vintage - the best examples can last for 10-15 years.

The 2008 release showed vibrant bright dark garnet color, medium to full body; aromas and full forward flavors of bing cherries and slightly tart black raspberry and black currant fruits, a layer of cassis and hint of cedar on a forward lingering tannin finish. Needs time to settle.

RM 89 points.


Robert Parker wrote - "This suave, lush, opulently-styled 2008 exhibits a dark ruby/purple hue, medium body, and attractively forward, sweet notes of creme de cassis, licorice, and earth. Like many of its peers, the purity of fruit and ripeness of the tannins are admirable. Consume it over the next 10-15 years." - 90 points. Robert Parker. - Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse

Rating results for Château Grand Puy Ducasse Red Bordeaux Pauillac 2008: The Wine-Searcher score of 87/100 is calculated from the following wine critic scores:

Critic	Score	When to drink
CellarTracker	90/100 (11 notes from 11 users)
Wine Spectator	88/100
Jancis Robinson	16.5/20
La Revue du Vin de France	15.5/20
Vinum Wine Magazine	15/20	2016 to 2022
Decanter	3/5	2014 to 2022

 Rick M                               88


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=694381

Château Grand Puy Lacoste Red Bordeaux Pauillac 1982

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar said about this wine; "Still amazingly youthful,this intense classically cedar-scented wine is a joy to drink.It is rich,powerful and marvelously harmonious. Delicious now and will keep for another 20 years." 91 pts.

My views are in line with another fellow reviewer who wrote - "Starting to show its age with a medium ruby color with some garnet hues. The wonderful nose is very complex and evolved: cigar box, pencil shavings and a lot of minerally steel along with red fruits. The palate is somewhat of a let down. Slightly hollow mid palate, lacking more fruit than I would like and with a higher acidity than I find pleasant. The tannin is resolved, but the finish is slightly clipped. this is not nearly as good as last I tried it. I suspect there may have been some heat damage and/or oxidation as the cork was completely saturated in wine. 92 for the nose and 87 for the palate. (89 pts.)"
 
My notes - The Lacoste cork was soft and moist but still intact. The wine was starting to show its age with the color starting to show a brackish brownish rust hew.. Medium to full bodied;
Predominant aromas of floral and violets and tobacco overshadowed the fruit; flavors of floral, black berry, tobacco, cassis and a layer of leather and creosote on the moderate tannin lingering finish. Amazing life left for a 29 year old but certainly has reached maturity and will not improve further - ready to drink. RM 90 pts.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?AllV=True&iWine=2023

Rated: 91(+?) by Stephen Tanzer, Jul/Aug '02

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Full, deep red. Reticent aromas of plum, currant, mint and cedar. Dry, penetrating and stylish, with very primary flavors and noteworthy vinosity. Classic claret intensity and grip without any excess weight. The flavors build impressively on the firmly tannic, youthfully tough finish. This bottle was still a few years away from full maturity and should last for another 20 years.

Other Expert Ratings

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 96 points

Wine Spectator: 82 points

Before dinner, Ryan served Robert Stemmler Napa Valley Carneros Estate Pinot Noir 2008. This was great with olives, artisan cheeses, shrimp, and oil with herbs and sourdough bread.

I'll go with the winemakers's notes - "This Pinot Noir offers many layers of beautiful ripe strawberry, raspberry and intense black cherry and plum aromas mingled with hints of cola, forest floor and earth. The wine is fleshy, sleek and spicy, with copious wild berry, black cherry and strawberry flavors, good grip and a sustained, well-balanced finish." 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1139909

The Bordeaux wines were enjoyed over dinner - a great accompaniment to the beef tenderloin, fingerling potatoes and green beans with chanterelle and shitake mushrooms. 

For desert we feasted on Linda's fabulous flowerless chocolate cake with red raspberries (picture left). 

 To accompany the desert, we served Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Oporto 1995 a perfect match!

RM 92 points.  


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3721

MORE to come... 

Silom12 Bucktown Chicago Thai Restaurant - BYOB

Silom12 Bucktown Chicago Thai Restaurant - BYOB

Silom12 1848 North Milwauikee, Bucktown, Chicago

Wine and Dine experience at Silom12, named for the bustling nightlife district in Bangkok. The new Bucktown Chicago Thai Restaurant, located at 1846-48 Milwaukee, walking distance from the Western Avenue Blue Line station, Silom12 offers standard traditional and contemporary Thai fare, great food, reasonable service, and liberal BYOB for a great value dining experience.

For Starters, we tried the Crispy Coconut Shrimp which was incredible, featuring shrimp mixed with tasty Water Chestnuts. The Crab Rangoon starter was less impressive with lots of cream cheese and little perceptible sign of crab. Both were served with a tasty sweet chili sauce.




Other tempting Starters that tempt a return visit were sesami crusted Tuna Tataka, Steamed Mussels in spicy coconut sauce and Rock Shrimp in tempura sauce.

Entrees include a selection of Noodle dishes, Stir Fry, Curry and Fried Rice dishes. Featured entree's also are the Chef's Specialties including Shrimp, Soft Shell Crab, Tilapia and Chilean Sea Bass offerings.

Other featured selections that we ordered were Crispy Fried Duck Delight with shrimp, asparagus, mushrooms and jasmine rice, Osso Buco braised veal shank with mushroom, young chili pepper, green curry and jasmine rice, and Tiger Cry features a 7 ounce filet of beef with green beans, sticky rice and spicy tamarind reduction.

We also had the Orange Chicken (above) and Garlic Chicken stir fry's, and the Massaman Potato noodle with beef, sweet potato, rice, peanut sauce and coconut milk (left).  All were nice portions, tastefully prepared and aside from the Osso Buco, all warrant a return visit.





To accompany dinner we brought and tasted the following wines:


Leitz "Eins, Zwei, Dry" Trocken Riesling 2009


Toad Hall, Napa Valley Carneros Pinot Noir 2007


Carmenet Moon Mountain Reserve Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1996,


Shrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003,


Shrader Double Diamond Beckstoffer Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002



Leitz "Eins, Zwei, Dry" Trocken Riesling 2009 - this was  a perfect compliment to the Thai cuisine, fresh, acid and medium bodied. Brought by Ryan and Michelle.
RM 86 points.

Toad Hall, Napa Valley Carneros Pinot Noir 2007 - medium bodied, nicely balanced black cherry and black berry fruits intermingled with dusty rose petals and a hint of leather on the light tannin finish; went well with the lighter rice and water chestnut features - a great value at under $20. Brought by Bill & Beth.
RM 85 points.
http://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=859016

Carmenet Moon Mountain Reserve Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - I have four tasting notes over ten years for this wine and this resembles the earliest tasting back in the year 2000 - Fairly complex and medium fullness - black berries and currant turn to a layer of mocha/coffee, with a hint of anise and sage, with  moderate finish  Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This lighter more moderate cab went with the heartier Thai dishes especially the Massaman Potato noodle and the duck. Brought by Bill & Beth. RM 89 points.
http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=10002

Shrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - Dark inky color, full bodied, full but subdued black berry and plum fruits, hint of sweet cherry and mocha on the smooth tannin finish. Brought by Rick & Linda. This 'big cab' went well with the Filet of Beef but was a bit too much for the rest of the more refined Thai dishes. RM 90 points. 
http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=97356


Dining and tastiing w/ L, Ryan & Michelle, Erin & Lucy (top), and Bill & Beth C, Matt & Molly (bottom) at Silom12 in Bucktown.

http://www.silom12chicago.com/