Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN

Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN

For the fiftieth anniversary of our college graduation and marriage, we gathered the entire family back at our Alma Mater, Indiana University in Bloomington (IN) for a gala celebration. 

We rented a motor coach and took the kids and grandkids on the Rick & Linda Memories Campus Tour of our beloved school and what is arguably one of the prettiest college campuses anywhere. 

Readers of these pages know we’re into family, friends, food and wine, and this post exemplifies that and as such is amplified by the integration of it all in all respects! 

We arranged for a photographer to capture some special moments of us, the entire family, and each of the kids and their families. 

Here we are all gathered together on the IU campus Jordan River walk.

Saturday evening, we hosted a special dinner at Uptown Cafe that included some special memorable wines commemorating our graduation and marriage vintage year, and the birthyear vintages of our oldest kids, and the next generation first grandchild. 

The next generation … 

And the next generation … 

We were also joined by Sister Dr Pat and Rodger, and fellow Pour Boy wine buddy Dr Dan and Linda. 

We dined at the trendy upscale Uptown Cafe, just off the courthouse square in Bloomington, IN. 

Opened In 1976, by Chef Michael Cassady at the age of 26, as a 30-seat café that could only be described as "dineresque," it evolved to the current landmark Uptown Cafe which since 1999, has been a family business, with wife, Crystal and their six sons who each have contributed at one time or another.

Inspired by Chef Paul Prudhomme, Uptown offers a variety of food featuring hearty, regional cooking styles with Louisiana New Orleans Cajun flair. 

Uptown delivered a wonderful wine and dining experience with impeccable service from Dina and wine director Sommelier Vivi.

The private back room was perfect for our gathering for the adults and the eleven grandkids. We loved the atmosphere with its stylish warm cosmopolitan vibe of the bar and dining rooms decorated with warm woods and the brightly colored stylish soulful artwork of Wayne Mann paintings, a local Bloomington artist musician with a New Orlean’s flair. 

More Uptown Cafe gallery Wayne Mann photo’s at bottom of this post. 

We planned the dinner well in advance, ahead of time, selecting the menu, starters and beverage options. We made arrangements to have some special wines available to commemorate the special occasion. 

The dinner was prepared under the direction of Chef Adam Noffsinger, who coincidentally is the son of one of Linda’s sorority pledge sisters. They had discussed our preparations for the dinner when they made the connection. 

Adam returned to Bloomington, IN after an impressive extensive career in culinary studies and work experience. After earning a degree in Hospitality Management at Purdue University, he studied Culinary Arts and Chef Training at the CIA - Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY. From there he spent time at legendary Three Michelin Star Restaurant Daniel in New York, as Sous Chef at Park Hyatt Chicago, Chef de Cuisnie at Grand Hyatt in Tokyo and Alexander Steakhouse in San Francisco.

Alec, Adam and the author

Highlights of the entree selections were

- Grilled New York Strip served with Mashed Potatoes, 

- Gorgonzola-encrusted Filet Mignon with Port-Shallot Demi Glace served with Mashed Potatoes,

- Blackened Tuna with a Sweet Habanero Sauce, served with Basmati Rice

- Uptown Pot Roast, served with Mashed Potatoes

- Polenta Marinara

On the tour bus, and then at dinner, we had from magnum of vintage Champagne from first grandchild, Lucy’s birth year. 

Canard Duchene ‘V’ Champagne 2010

Charles Heidseick Brut Reserve NV

Canard Duchene ‘V’ Champagne 2010

We often have fun with the ‘V’ label from Venge Vineyards with our dauther-in-law, Vivianna. This ‘V’ label is named for Victor Canard, who founded the Maison Canard-Duchêne in 1868. This vintage release marks Canard-Duchêne’s 150th anniversary. In commemoration of the special year, from a special vintage harvest, Laurent Fédou, cellar master of the House writes of this release, “Selected from the premier quality and character of several plots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from an exceptional terroir ‘V’ (is) an embodiment of the House’s history and Laurent Fédou’s savoir-faire, was born.”

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: 

Nose: slightly toasted, and upon aeration, pastry, baked lemon, and white floral notes.
Eye: straw gold, glossy with a ribbon of delicate and homogeneous bubbles.
Palate: an initial fresh and zesty mouthfeel. The finish is long, persistent and aromatic.

A word from our Cellar Master, Laurent Fédou: “The harvest began on September 13 for the earliest crus, the weather was dry and sunny. The terroirs of Ambonnay, Aÿ and Rilly reveal their delicacy and intensity, complemented by subtle Pinot from the Côte des Bar. The elegance and freshness of the Chouilly Chardonnay invigorate the Pinot.”

https://www.canard-duchene.fr/en/

At dinner, we supplemented this with a NV Reserve Brut from Charles Heidseick, Reims, Champagne France.

We then had a Red Wine Flight with some select special vintage wines - 

Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1982

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary Edition 

Chappellet Pritchard Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974

This was served from a Magnum, similar to one that we acquired from the Library Collection at the Winery during out visit there back in 2009. 

There was amazing life and vibrancy still left in this fifty old Napa Cab! Who would imagine, or expect a fifty year old Napa Cabernet to still be consumable? While the label was fully intact, showing character with the aged glue marks, the foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition, albeit the cork was understandably a bit soft. 

In 2017 this was rated 95 points by pundit Art Gilman, and a year later Wine Advocate rated it 94 points! 

John Gilman - wrote  “The 1974 Chappellet Cabernet included 10% Merlot in the blend, which was rather a new approach at this point in time in Napa Valley. The wine was released in August of 1977 for $8.00 a bottle! This most recent bottle was one of the finest of our two tastings of the 1974s, with depth, breed and complexity to burn. The nose offers up a superb blend of cassis, dark berries, sale leather, cigar ash, dark soil tones a nice touch of meatiness and beautiful spice tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full and beautifully-balanced, with a rock solid core superb length and grip and still a bit of tannin on the very long, complex and vibrant finish. This outclassed wines such as Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace and Volcanic Hill in the flight it was positioned in and really is one of the absolute superstars of the 1974 vintage. (9/2017) 

Wine Advocate captured the essence of this wine well in their review - “The 1974 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is pale brick in color and hits the dance floor with a gregarious baked cherries, dark chocolate and Ceylon tea nose with touches of allspice, Sichuan pepper and dusty earth. The palate is medium to full-bodied and packed with rich, decadent fruit, supported by ripe, plush tannins and finishing very long with the spice layers coming through. (LPB) (5/2018)”

Pale brick in color, medium to full bodied, dark berry fruits with notes of leather, dusty earth, smoky ash, and tones of spice and tea tones with subtle tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 90 points,

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?734537

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981 and 1982

This is one of our favorite labels, which we served at the kid’s weddings from large format bottles. We still hold nearly a score of vintages dating back to and including each of their birth year vintages, ‘81, ‘82, ‘85 and ‘90. 

Our collection of, and serving those big bottles for special occasions was the impetus of our cellar collection being featured in Wine Spectator Magazine in the Collector section back in June of 2001. 

Our affinity and enthusiasm for this producer was a reason they were gracious to host us for Our visit to the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate  for a  private tour and tasting at the Chateau in St Julien during our Bordeaux trip in 2019. 

Once again, there was amazing life and vibrancy left in these two aged vintage releases, especially surprising for the 1981 release! Both capsules, corks and fill levels were ideal for their age. 

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981

While the 1981 vintage was supposed to be an ‘off-vintage’, its lackluster reviews and ratings were amplified in large part, overshadowed due to the stellar 1982 vintage. Like so many similarly situated back to back releases, this showed as well as the 1982, another wonderful, pleasant surprise of the evening from these aged vintage wines. 

The 1981 vintage experienced ideal hot dry weather through the year until September when occasional light rains fells up until harvest in October, which no doubt detracted from what some say might have been a vintage to rival the standard bearer vintage of the century in 1961.

Typical of the estate, this is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 

This vintage release was rated 94 points by John Gilman in 2016 when he wrote, “As I have written in the past, the 1981 vintage at Ducru-Beaucaillou is the great, sleeper vintage here in the decade of the 1980s and this is one of the top wines produced on the Gironde in ’81. The nose wafts from the glass in a youthful blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, a hint of the chipotles to come with further bottle age, a beautiful base of gravel, gentle fresh herb nuances and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and beautifully balanced, with a great core of fruit, moderate, seamless tannins and outstanding length and grip on the focused and complex finish. There is absolutely nothing 'off vintage' about the superb 1981 Ducru.” (8/2016) 

Jancis Robinson wrote about it in 2014 and wrote, “Pale, light but fresh and vital. Super clean and lively though maybe a bit too light to serve with anything substantial. Warm, complex nose but bone dry on the end. Racy. Delicate. Classic.” (6/2014) 

Robert Parker of Wine Advocate wrote about it back in 2002, “Consistently one of the most successful wines of this vintage, this mid-weight Ducru-Beaucaillou is showing some pink and amber at the edge. The wine has an attractive nose of wet stones, sweet currant and mulberry fruit intermixed with a hint of spice and earth. The wine has medium body, light tannin, and an easygoing finish.” (RP)  (12/2002) 

And James Suckling of Wine Spectator wrote about it back in 1994, “A wonderful balance of rich fruit and silky tannins, with plum, vanilla and light tar character. Full-bodied and tannic yet so well integrated; excellent harmony.” (JS) (10/1994)

The foil, label and most importantly the fill level and the cork were all ideal, in nearly perfect condition for their age. This cork was moist and dark from slight saturation but completely intact. 

This was dark garnet colored, medium bodied, very expressive floral notes throughout that linger long beyond tasting; initial slight dark cherry astringency gave way to black berry fruits, hints of cinnamon spice, leather, tea and violets lingering on a soft smooth polished tannin finish. 

Consistent with my earlier tastings back in 2012 and 2010 when I gave it 89 points  … 

Medium bodied, classic left bank Bordeaux bouquet of floral and perfume with that elegant and well integrated classic earthy leather that gives way to berry, black cherry, a hint of anise, vanilla, plum and a lengthy finish. Breaking out a 1981 Bordeaux, Erin's birth-year wine as we celebrate news and all being together. Still life left in this mature St Julien, Bordeaux, but need to be mindful of last two bottles and large format dbl magnum remaining.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22740

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1982

I remember after acquiring this Super Second producer label for Erin’s birth year vintage in 1981, it was followed by the magnificent highly rated 1982 vintage and prices escalated such that instead of buying a large format 5l Jeroboan or 6l Imperial, I procured a 3ltr double magnum instead, for even more money. I recall paying $192 for standard 750 bottles later in the decade, which was an extraordinary, exorbinant price at the time, the most I had paid for wines in that day. Notably, I was not able to obtain (afford) or justify the prices for  the 100 point Las Cases or Mouton Rothschild in that vintage. (I later acquired the 1982 Mouton for a bargain price of $144 - a two decades later, sold it at auction for more the $1000).

The 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou, was awarded 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, John Gilman, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate as late as 2020, and 95 points by Decanter and 93 points by James Suckling. 

Jeb Dunnuck wrote, “The finest bottle I’ve had of this wine (which came from the estate), the 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou continues to drink brilliantly and is a magical Saint-Julien. Still healthy ruby hued with a mature yet insanely complex bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, cedary herbs, graphite, tobacco, and forest floor, it’s powerful yet seamless on the palate, with resolved tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. This is mature Bordeaux in all its glory.  (2/2020) 

And, John Gilman was similarly magnanimous in applauding this release, “The 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou remains one of the very finest wines of the vintage on the Left Bank and it is just now starting to blossom properly and hit on all cylinders. The bouquet is pure and displays First Growth depth and complexity, soaring from the glass in a fine constellation of sweet cassis and dark berries, a very complex base of gravelly soil tones, Cuban cigar wrapper, gentle smokiness and a deftly turned base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with stellar focus and balance, still a touch of ripe tannin perking up the backend and a very, very long, refined and complex finish. This is a great, great vintage of Ducru that may one day rival the near perfection of the 1961.  (1/2020) 

The recent 97 points Wine Advocate review from 2020: 'The harvest lasted 16 days from the 16th September,' proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned about the 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Medium brick colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notes of Black Forest cake, preserved plums and mincemeat pie with hints of cigar box, star anise, eucalyptus and espresso plus wafts of roasted nuts and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, generous and opulent, the palate has beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of youthful fruit, finishing with epically long-lasting layers of preserved black fruits and exotic spices.” (LPB)  (8/2020) 

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it 96 points and wrote: "Medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with sweet tannins, this wine has aged more slowly than I initially expected. It is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou produced after the 1961 and before the 2003." (6/2009) 

William Kelley of Wine Advocate also gave it 96 points in 2022: "From my cellar, the 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou is one of the most youthful of the Médoc crus classés today. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with a rich bouquet of blackcurrants, licorice, cigar wrapper and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, with a broad attack that segues into a deep core of fruit framed by ripe, powdery tannins and succulent acids. It's an unusually big-boned rendition of this elegant-styled wine, but it's no less compelling for that." (12/2022)

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary Edition 2022

We couldn’t resist serving up the Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet latest release, their 50th Anniversary label bottling. They starting the Anniversary year branding on the Foil and the year prominently displayed on the label ten years ago for their 40th Anniversary edition, according to our cellar holdings and records, leading up this 50th. 

Of course, as their anniversary year (according to the release date on the vintage bottles), aligned with our college graduation and wedding anniversary year, we couldn’t resist acquiring these bottles and keeping them in our cellar collection.

Our estate visit and tasting at Caymus was one of the highlights of our Napa Wine Experience in 2019.

Indeed, Caymus is a crowd please, a well known iconic benchmark California wine for those who like their reds big, bold, silky and smooth, with decadence and full-bodied flavor. 

Equally notable, Caymus typically provides early gratification, ready to drink upon or soon after release. Yet, it also ages well, certainly for a decade or more. I still recall memorable bottles from 1994 and 1996 that we held and enjoyed from our cellar a dozen plus years later. It’s typically said to be best served at between 5-10 years. 

What is perhaps most notable about Caymus, is that they consistently deliver all this in large quantities with large production, sourced from estate vineyards as well as a large collection of contract grower sources from across the region. As such, Caymus is not estate bottled, or even appellation specific, rather, it is Napa Valley designated, but nothing more (granular). . 

 Winemaker Notes - “Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (50th Anniversary) greets the palate with an opulent bouquet of dark fruits, prominently featuring blackcurrant, blackberry, and ripe cherry, intertwined with subtle notes of cocoa and espresso. This Napa Valley gem exudes elegance with a full-bodied texture, offering velvety tannins that are both supple and structured. Hints of vanilla, cedar, and sweet tobacco emerge as the wine breathes, complemented by a whisper of baking spices. The finish is long and luxurious, leaving a lingering impression of dark chocolate and a touch of mineral freshness. Perfectly balanced, this celebratory vintage showcases the quintessential richness and depth characteristic of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, making it a standout in their esteemed lineup.”

This year’s Caymus was especially ripe, big, bold, forward and expressive, almost overtly so, even moreso than my preference or liking, a crowd pleaser, none-the-less. 

This was ideally paired with the Gorgonzola laced Filets of Beef but would’ve been too obtuse for casual sipping. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4984353

After dinner with a medley of desserts, we had a pair of Ports - a Madeira and a Tawney. 

Taylor Fladgage 20 Year Tawney Port

Port is one of the great classic wines of the world. Produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal, a UNESCO cultural site for its historical significance, port, along with Champagne, is the ultimate celebration wine. 

Taylor Fladgate is one of the most highly respected producers of aged tawny Port wines. Their 20 Year Old tawney is purported to be the most popular 20 Year Old Aged Tawny Port in the United States.

Taylor Fladgate blends its magnificent 20 year old tawny Ports from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool historic cellars (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

The 20 Year Old Tawny Port is fully matured in seasoned oak casks each holding about 630 litres of wine. Over the many years of ageing, the Port wine gradually takes on its characteristic amber ‘tawny’ colour, slowly developing complex mellow flavours and the smooth luscious palate which are the hallmarks of this style of port. In the 20 Year Old tawny, the fruit has mellowed further than in the 10 Year Old, and the spicy, nutty aromas of ageing are more powerful and intense.

This label was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine & Spirits, and 93 points by Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.

James Suckling wrote, “The aromas to this beautiful tawny port are saturated with burnt orange peel, caramel, candied fruit and hints of honey-coated nuts. Full-bodied, very fruity and dense with intense nut and mahogany flavors. Hints of sultanas, chocolate and coffee. Extremely creamy, long and flavorful. Delicious all the way. Better served slightly chilled. (6/2019)”

Wine & Spirits - “A complex and satisfying Tawny, this sits on the cusp of maturity with freshness continuing to infuse its deepening flavors. That freshness arrives in bold scents of orange zest and juicy citrus flavors, while the maturity mellows those flavors into layers of Marcona almond, date and sweet oak-smoke notes. It finishes with a hint of schist in the tannins. For fruit and cheese at the end of the meal. (12/2016) “

Wine Advocate- Robert Parker wrote, back in 1995: "It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. Although I find the Thirty-Year-Old Tawny admirable, I prefer the richer, more vibrant Twenty-Year-Old Tawny."

Wine Advocate notes: “On first taste, this was simply Taylor: big, concentrated and serious. Simply filling the mouth on first taste, this shows fine complexity for its age and it does everything else rather brilliantly. Succulent and inviting, it finishes with waves of concentrated flavors. The fruit remains lifted and and it has a bright, transparent feel. It is hard to resist, often seeming like a bit of an overachiever. (MS) (12/2015) “

Producer’s Tasting Notes: “Intense amber tawny colour. Opulent and voluptuous nose of complex spicy, jammy and nutty aromas, hints of orange flower and a fine oakiness coming from the long period of aging in cask. The palate is full of very rich and concentrated flavour and has a long mellow finish.”

Complex and elegant, full, rich, deep, intense long spicy flavors of wild berries, fig, dried apricot and mango with deep nutty notes, spice, caramel, chocolate, and melange of dried fruits. 

https://www.taylor.pt/us/port-wine/20-year-old-tawny

Henriques & Henriques Sercial 10 Years Old Madeira

Henriqes & Henriques 10-Year Old Sercial is made from 100% Sercial varietal from Madiera, aged for at least ten years in the traditional canteiro method, the process of aging the wines in naturally heated storage in the cellars.

Since the 1500’s the archipelago of Madeira profited from its position in shipping lanes, 550 miles off the coast of Morocco, when ships would pick up food and wine before the trade winds blew their ships west to the New World. Port wine was a key provision as it would age in its casks in the holds of the ships and survive the long journey at sea. 

Madeira wines traveled to the new world and were a favorite of our Founding Fathers, especially Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Madeira was in fact America’s most popular wine for more than 200 years, from 1640-1850.

Madeira is a small island, only 36 by 24 miles with a mere 1176 acres, making it one of the smaller vineyards for appellation wine in the world. Island viticulture remains primitive with some 1500-1700 growers on the island, the average vineyard is less than 1⁄2 an acre situated on a homeowner’s property.

The historic house of Henriques & Henriques is synonymous with the history of Madeira itself. Legend has it that Infante Dom Henriques planted the island’s first vines in 1425. These vines gave fruit to one of the “first families of Madeira”. Henriques’ descendant and successor João Joaquim Gonçalves Henriques founded the firm in 1850 as a partidista, a trader or stockholder of wine who buys stocks and/or makes wines in order to mature and sell to shippers or other traders., supplying wine to other merchants from extensive Henriques vineyard holdings while continuing to amass significant stocks of old wines in the family cellars.

In 1925, Henriques & Henriques pioneered the practice of bottling and exporting Madeira produced entirely from their own vineyards. Today, Henriques & Henriques is led by CEO and winemaker Humberto Jardim, one of Madeira’s great visionaries and ambassadors. The firm continues to source some of its needs from its own vineyards, most notably from a terraced, 10-hectare vineyard at Quinta Grande—the single largest on island, replanted in 1995.

Madeira wines are governed by the Madeira DOC which designates the fortified and heated-to-oxidation wines of the island, regulating the grapes, minimum age, and residual sugars of each category. While the Madeira laws give producers plenty of leeway in terms of blending and age statements, Henriques & Henriques’ blending approach is to produce true minimum age statements and only monovarietal wines.

Sercial is the palest and driest of the classical Madeira varieties, known as ‘Esgano Cão’, ‘dog strangler’ on the Portuguese mainland, due to its tongue-puckering acidity in its youth. Sercial is racy and high-toned, its sweetness balanced by a tang of acidity. Pungent with dried orange, almonds and saline spices in youth, Sercial mellows in maturity.

Reseller’s Tasting Notes - “Energetic and appealing, the H&H Sercial 10-Year is the firm, polished style of the house: full, deep and suave, with the balance and concentration for which H&H is known. Well-calibrated acidity, mineral, saline and wood elements from the bold savor of dried apricot, lemon zest and spiced almond in route to a long, tapered finish.”

Producer's Notes:  “Of amber medium color, this is a wine with a lightly smoked aroma with nuts, apricots and vanilla. Dry on the palate with slight acidity and nutty and woody flavor. A complex wine with fresh acidity and an extraordinarily long finish.”

More of and the story behind Uptown Cafe Wayne Mann’s art collection … from YouTube … 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CaqYoIsc8t4

https://www.the-uptown.com/

  

Family Easter and Birthday Celebration Dinner features ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines

Family Easter and Birthday Celebration Dinner features ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines

We hosted the family for Easter featuring an Easter Egg hunt for the (grand) kids followed by a gala dinner that also recognized son Alec's birthday. Alec and Linda prepared grilled Salmon and NY Strip Steaks. 

I pulled from the cellar two ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines for the occasion, from son Alec's birth-year who also had a birthday this week. 

At thirty-two years, this was a study in longevity and age-worthiness of two top labels, one from Bordeaux and one from Napa Valley. Amazingly, they were very similar and equivalent in all respects, with similar character and tasting profiles, fill levels, foils, labels, and importantly the corks were all in ideal condition, for their age. The Ducru cork was a bit soft and spongy and starting to erode, but was still intact. The Diamond Creek cork was remarkably tight and well preserved.

This is another testament to the conditions in our wine cellar for aging fine wines. Both had been in our cellar for decades.

Both had good color and body and, while showing their age and perhaps past their prime, were still very much within their approachable drinking window.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St. Julien, Bordeaux 1990

Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Robert Parker's Wine Advocated tasted this at the Chateau in August 2020 and gave it a drinking window of 2020 - 2028. 

We hold a vertical collection of this label dating back four decades, including birth-year vintages for each of our kids, and many of our grand-kids, several of which we served at their weddings in large format bottles. 

We had the privilege and honor to visit the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate during our trip to the St Julien appellation of Bordeaux in 2019.

Château Ducru Beaucaillou is named for the "beautiful pebbles", stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir of the Gironde River estuary. The estate sits on an promontory site with views of the river in the center of a hundred-year-old park. 

The Ducru Beaucaillou Chateau is a majestic, Victorian-style castle, which is one of the great symbols of the Médoc, and residence to the owners to this day. 

The original winery and cellars are in the lower level underneath the residence. A new extensive expanded facility was built in recent years.

For 300 years, six families of owners have owned and managed the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate. which today is managed by the company Jean Eugène Borie SA, which is owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno Eugène, CEO since 2003, the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate.

This wine is a traditional left bank Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged for around 12 months in two-thirds new oak.

Dark garnet brick colored, medium-full bodied, complex and rich blackberry and plum fruits with notes of earth, tree bark, tobacco, tapenade, black tea and leather on a lingering moderate tannin acidic finish. 

RM 91 points. 

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

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=10531

 

https://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/en

 

@DucruB 

Diamond Creek Vineyards "Gravelly Meadow" Vineyard, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

A trip to Napa Valley Diamond Mountain by the serious wine enthusiast or collector would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Diamond Creek Vineyards. 

Diamond Creek was founded in 1968 by the late Al Brounstein, and wife 'Boots' (pictured below), a visionary pioneer who defied conventions of the time by planting Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Range at the north remote end of Napa Valley.

Diamond Creek is a case study in terroir - the estate is segregated into four distinct vineyards, each with its own micro-climate, soil type and geography that are revealed in their single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines named for the four distinctly different origination vineyards. 

The vineyards of Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon are Gravelly Meadow (5 acres - center left), Red Rock Terrace (7 acres front), Volcanic Hill (8 acres opposite), and Lake (¾ acre). There is also one acre planted to Petit Verdot. 

This is another producer of whom we hold a vertical collection spanning more than two decades. Our collection includes all of the vineyards, many in horizontal collections of the three primary vineyards from a vintage.

The vineyards,  pictured here, are amazingly co-located close to each other yet have distinctive individual characteristics that are revealed in their wines, based on their proximity to the slope approaching the creek that cascades down the mountain, dividing the property. The chateau and tasting room offer a magnificent setting and view of the vineyards on the slope and meadow below and of the opposing hillside.

We visited the estate in 2017 for the Diamond Creek Open House and 2015 Vintage Release Tasting, shown here with Matriarch, proprietor and founder Boots Brownstein. 

We also visited the estate and did a private food and wine pairing tasting back in 2011 as part of our Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards visit and tasting.

In 2020, 52 years after its founding, Diamond Creek was acquired by the Rouzaud family of world-renowned Maison Louis Roederer, whose roots in wine date to the 1700s. The relationship between the Rouzaud and Brounstein families stretched back three decades, with an admiration and mutual respect for one another born of a common love for wine and its role in history, culture and life.  

Like the 1990 vintage Bordeaux above, this too was in ideal condition, with no obvious signs of diminution from age. The fill level, foil, label and cork were as good as to be expected at three decades. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, concentrated, rich, complex yet elegant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of deep, perfumed, herbaceousness with concentrated currant, cedar and flavors of tea, leather and tobacco on a long, smooth finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=38034

https://diamondcreekvineyards.com/

Far Niente Napa Valley Chardonnay 2011

For the grilled salmon, we also served this hearty robust Napa Valley Chardonnay from a legendary producer. 

The Far Niente estate sits along St Helena Highway in the heart of Oakville. Far Niente's history dates back to 1885 when the estate was first established by pioneer John Benson a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired notable architect Hamden McIntyre to design the historic winery in western Oakville which today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored to its original prestige by the Nickel family in 1979.

Far Niente prospered up until the onset of Prohibition in 1919 when it was closed and sat neglected for 60 years until 1980, when Gil Nickel bought and restored the winery and neighboring vineyard over three years. He preserved the Far Niente name which in Italian translates to ‘without a care.’ 

 

Far Niente constructed wine caves, the first to be constructed in North America since the turn of the century, spawning a whole new standard in California wine country. Over the next 20 years, the winery conducted four more expansions of the caves, bringing the total area to 40,000 square feet.

Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Far Niente Estate Bottled Napa Valley Chardonnay is crafted in a blend sourced from superb vineyards, many of which are located in Coombsville, the cool growing region in the rolling hills east of Napa that they've been growing for over 40 years. The climate there is similar to the other source site in the popular Chardonnay appellation of Carneros in south west Napa Valley, but with less wind and deeper, well-drained gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils. The winery states, "the combination of these spectacular vineyards results in the subtle, tropical flavors, complex aromas and uncommon richness that we have long associated with Far Niente Chardonnay."

Winemaker Notes: The 2011 Far Niente Chardonnay opens with delicate aromas of citrus blossom, honeydew melon, pear, flint and toasted almonds. The entry is silky with pear and citrus flavors. Refreshing acidity leads to a juicy finish, layered with toasted oak.

Butter colored, medium bodied, bold full but nicely balanced flavors of citrus, pear and melon with notes of floral and almond on a pleasantly dry moderately acid finish. 

 

RM 92 points.  

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1347669

https://farniente.com/

 

@farnientewinery

 

Croix de Beaucaillou at Suzette's Creperie

Croix de Beaucaillou, Ducru #2 BYOB at Suzette's Creperie

Thursday night out, we dined at Suzette's Creperie, our favorite suburban French Bistros, in Wheaton (IL). Unfortunately, it was an off-night for Suzette's. Perhaps they were overwhelmed, or distracted by their hosting a wine tasting dinner in the main dining room. 

In any event, they were not able to serve either of our first entree choices, our usual favorite, the Sole Meunière, or the filet of beef. As a result, we both had to resort to an alternative choice on what is already a somewhat restricted, limited menu. 

I ordered my usual favorite starter, the Pate' plate, followed by their Three Cheese Souffle. The souffle was delicious. Three Cheese Soufflé - Goat, Blue and Gruyere Cheese flavor this glorious bubbly Soufflé.

Linda opted for the Pork Tenderloin, not her favorite, and she was disappointed in the lackluster dish that was more mundane than it looked, or sounded - Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples in a Brandy Crème Sauce, served with Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. As the daughter of a beef cattleman farmer, its anathema for her to indulge in pork. 

The highlight of the evening, besides my souffle, was our wine selection, from our home cellar, BYOB, the Ducru St Julien Bordeaux wine. 

Croix de Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 2009

Since 2005 the Croix de Beaucaillou has been made each year from a specific section of the estate’s vineyards up on the plateau. This truly is a second wine of the estate, rather than a second label for the younger vines from Ducru-Beaucaillou. 

At a decade, plus, the 10-12 year mark seems to be is just about perfect for such a great second wine in an exceptional vintage. The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine, and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate stated, 'The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted.'

We actually first discovered this label during our visit and tour to Château Ducru Beaucaillou in St Julien Bordeaux. 

Ducru Beaucaillou produces two wines. The flagship grand vin Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and this Croix de Beaucaillou, a second wine, first introduced in 1995. This allows the finest lots to be dedicated to the grand vin, with lesser-quality lots relegated to the second label. This practice of having two tiered labels in the brand is customary with all the notable producers in the Medoc including the super premium first growths, and the 'super seconds', such as Ducru.

All the Ducru wines are aged for 18 months in 50% to 80% new oak barrels, depending on the richness of the vintage. The batches are racked every three months to remove sediment and to top off the barrel filling in the void of evaporation. We watched them rack the barrels during our visit, which allowed us the opportunity to taste the 2018 vintage, from the barrel. 

These regular toppings-up are carried out during the first six months of ageing. The wines are racked from the bottom of the barrels every three months for a total of seven rackings during the ageing period. They are then fined with egg whites, lightly filtered, and then bottled. Bottling takes place in a sterile atmosphere under inert gas.

 This release of this label was awarded 94 points by Decanter, 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast, and 91 by Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Last time we tasted this back in 2021 I noted a bit of green pepper that I noted as off-setting. when I wrote, "Dense dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated textured black berry and black cherry fruits, notes of creme de cassis, exotic spices, tobacco leaf, black tea, black truffle and hints of green pepper, wood, smoke and earth that tend to be offsetting a bit on the finish, detracting from the overall experience."

Jancis Robinson noted a similar experience, "Maybe a very slight bitterness on the finish, hence the minus."

This diminution from the funky layer was less so the second day and perhaps could've been avoided with decanting and aeration some time before tasting. I purchased a six pack so we will have more opportunities to determine the optimal tasting approach and whether this was simply a bottle variation from that first bottle.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/08/croix-de-beaucaillou-2009-i-picked-up.html 

This night there were no indications of this funkiness. Hence I awarded this a higher rating, from 89 previously, to 91 points. 

Dark garnet colored with slight purple hues, medium-full bodied, s 'smaller', less complex and slightly more modest version of the grand vin (albeit at a fraction of the price, so as to be a great value - hi QPR), still elegant and smooth with polished blackberry and black cherry fruits, textured with notes of creme de cassis and black tea with hints of smoke, earth, spice, hint of truffle, with firm tannins and a bit of mineral on a chewy finish.

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3004572

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/  

 

https://twitter.com/DucruB 

 

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc

Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc 2018

Local wine merchant Vin Chicago put this label out as a special feature offer and I picked up a case and, oh my, am I glad I did! We're long time fans and collectors of the grand vin Ducru Beaucaillou and were intrigued to try this new label in its inaugural release. 

We visited the famous Château Ducru Beaucaillou during our Bordeaux St Julien wine experience in 2018 and tasted the 2018 release from the barrel. That vintage went on to receive 100 points from Wine Enthusiast and 99 points from just about everyone else. They released this new label for that vintage so we were compelled to pick some up. 

As I have oft written in these pages, in top vintages, 'all boats rise with the tide', meaning great Chateaux will produce great wines even in their second and third labels, such that those labels often provide tremendous QPR - Quality Price Ratios, superb wines at a fraction of the price of the grand vin.

Wine critic Jeb Dunnuck wrote about the 2018 Bordeaux: "In short, 2018 is a thrilling vintage with no shortage of legendary wines and I cannot imagine anyone who purchases these wines will be disappointed...It’s possible to find attractive, well-made, even outstanding, wines that punch well above their price points." 

This is the very first vintage of this new label coming from the cellars of Ducru Beaucaillou. The new wine comes from vineyards located in the Haut-Médoc; plots brought by Madame Eugène-Borie on her marriage and more recently by the acquisition of plots from Madame Fort-Pradère. This wine label was created to pay homage to the woman who chaired the Board from 1998 to today, but also to an attentive and loving mother. Under the Haut Medoc appellation, this wine offers Borie quality at an entry-level price.

In recognition of Ducru's long line of women owners, the chateau released this label noting, “equally inspiring and demanding… all of them had an essential role in the development and renown of Ducru Beaucaillou’s signature style – strength and grace.”

Ducru Beaucaillou is a Bordeaux Second Growth that dates back to 1720 and is named for its terroir – the beautiful stones - ducru beaucaillou ... that are a large part of the composition of the soil of the vineyards adjacent the Gironde River. These stones, and the vineyards planted on them, are part of what gives Ducru Beaucaillou its particular Saint Julien character. Adjacent is a commemorative 'beautiful pebble', engraved with the historic chateau, in a gift box given to guests at to the estate. 

With the 2018 vintage, Ducru Beaucaillou decided to honor it’s 300^th birthday and its Chairman [chairwoman] of the Board, Mrs. Eugene Borie, for the past decade by creating a new cuvee from her family’s home vineyards. The cuvee is this one, the Madame de Beaucaillou, released in 2020. 

This is vinified in the cellars by the Ducru-Beaucaillou team, receiving the same care and attention: the technical winemaking process, selective blending, and careful ageing for 12 months in barrel (including 20% new oak). 

In classic Bordeaux style, this is a blend of 39% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

Deep garnet-colored, medium bodied, bright expressive vibrant blackberries, blueberries and plum fruits, accented by graphite and a touch of clove, hints of coffee tobacco, cigar and cedar with a savoury round finish with firm structured backbone and sturdy, fine-grain cloying tongue coating tannins that are not for the feint of heart but will impress big Bordeaux enthusiasts.

This was delicious already and I can only imagine how this will be with three to five or more years of additional integration and aging. 

RM 91 points. This was also awarded 91 points by James Suckling

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3893569

Upon tasting this, I quickly got on line and ordered the current release of this label, available through En primeur (futures purchase). Stay tuned as I'll dutifully report on that wine as I soon as obtain some and have the opportunity to try it. 

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/  

 

 

 

 

Croix De Beaucaillou 2009

Croix De Beaucaillou 2009 

I picked up our allocation of the Château Ducru Beaucaillou 2018 and wanted to partake in something from the Borie brand for casual sipping with artisan cheeses. I wanted to introduce son Alec to the brand and recount and revisit our memorable visit to Château Ducru Beaucaillou and tour of the chateau and estate during our visit to St Julien Beychevelle Bordeaux two years ago this month. Alec and Vivianna were with us during the first half of that trip but we parted ways from Chateauneuf-du-Pape as we went on to Bordeaux while they headed to Paris, for the remainder of the trip.

I recently picked up a six pack of this label, which we discovered and tasted during our visit to the estate. Looking at some of our earlier tastings of this vintage, I noted I rated the 2009 Ducru 95 points, so I was eager to try and compare this second label against the grand cru. While the ultra-premium super second growth label is reserved for special occasions, this second label is more appropriate for times such as this, and I was eager to try the '09 release of this label given the lofty rating of the grand cru. 

When we toured the estate and were introduced to this wine, they exclaimed the Croix de Beaucaillou is produced from a specific section of the estate’s vineyards up on the plateau, and is truly a second wine at the estate, rather than a second label for the younger vines from Ducru-Beaucaillou. It was first introduced in 2005. We tasted the 2012 label (right) during out tasting at the Chateau, a different label and branding than this one which carries the colors of the grand vin.

As I have written often in these pages, typically when there is an extraordinary vintage, the second labels of a producer are also superb, 'as all boats rise the tide', as the saying goes. In such years, the second and subsequent labels can offer exceptional values, QPR - Quality Price Ratios. 

The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine, and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote that "the 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted." 

Decanter wrote of this release, "A brilliant yet softer reflection of the grand vin in this vintage."

Croix De Beaucaillou 2009

This label was awarded 94 points by  Decanter, 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast, and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. John Gilman gave it 89-91 points.

Decanter wrote, "The 10-year barrier is just about perfect for such a great second wine in an exceptional vintage, and I highly recommend that you start opening and enjoying it soon."

Dense dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated textured black berry and black cherry fruits, notes of creme de cassis, exotic spices, tobacco leaf, black tea, black truffle and hints of green pepper, wood, smoke and earth that tend to be offsetting a bit on the finish, detracting from the overall experience. 

Jancis Robinson noted a similar experience, "Maybe a very slight bitterness on the finish, hence the minus."

This diminution from the funky layer was less so the second day and perhaps could've been avoided with decanting and aeration some time before tasting. I purchased a six pack so we will have more opportunities to determine the optimal tasting approach and whether this was simply a bottle variation from that first bottle.

RM 89

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3004572

Visit to Château Ducru Beaucaillou -

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/ducru-beaucaillou.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/02/otbn-2018_25.html

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/