Acinum Amarone and Charles Heidseick

Vintage Acinum Amarone and Charles Heidseick birthyear wines for family dinner

As we approach the arrival of scores of friends and family for a weekend full of wedding celebration festivities, we were hosted by our in-laws for a family dinner at their home in Westport, CT.  From our cellar collection selections that I brought to CT for the events, I took two bottles of Alec's birthyear vintage wines for the occasion, a Champagne and an Amarone. 

Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésimé Champagne 1990

We tasted a bottle of this a few months ago for Father's Day with Alec and Vivianna. 

This vintage release was awarded 97 points from Wine Spectator and 94 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

I blogged about that tasting at that time when I wrote, "This was a delightful surprise showing and drinking well, meeting all my expectations for this bottle. I was a bit concerned when upon opening and releasing the cork under pressure, the seeming pressure and resulting 'pop' were less than expected. Never-the-less, as hoped, the foil, cork, label, fill level and resulting wine were all ideal, showing no signs of diminution from aging. 

Amazing, impressive life left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

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

RM 92 points.

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

Acinum Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 1990

Traditional Amarone della Valpolicella is from the Veneto region, located in north east Italy, in the foothills of the Lessini Moutains north of Verona. Valpolicella and Amarone della Valpolicella are some of the country’s most famous fine wines. They are produced primarily from the Corvina grape. Directly after harvest, the grapes are air dried through a process called “appassimento”, which allows them to shrivel into raisins. This concentrates the sugar and flavors in the grapes, producing a distinctive and full-bodied wine well-suited to aging.  

   

Uncharacteristically, my cellar notes do not show when or where this bottle was acquired. Similarly, Cellartracker has little data of others purchasing or tasting this wine - rare given its 10 million bottle inventory and 100,000 tasting notes.

At thirty one years, this was past its prime but still within its acceptable drinking window, showing its age in the color and starting to lose the fruit flavors to somewhat musty non-fruit notes of tea and leather. The fill level and label were in good condition as was the cork. 

A typical Amarone, deep ruby colored, but starting to turn a bit brownish from age, medium to full bodied with full forward ripe raisiny fig and black fruits.

The body is a bit lighter and the fruits are less pronounced than most Amarones I have had in the past.

RM 87 points.
. 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=379640

 

Father's Day Grilled Steak Wine Dinner

 Early Father's Day Grilled Steak Wine Dinner 

Son Alec and Vivianna will be out of town this weekend so we were invited over for an early Father's Day dinner. 

Alec prepared grilled rib-eye steaks and sweet corn and Viv prepared fabulous sour mashed potatoes. Alec pulled from his cellar a Napa Bordeaux Blend for the occasion. 

To celebrate family events including Alec and Viv returning to Illinois from New York, and Father's Day, I brought an Alec birthyear vintage bottle of Champagne.


Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésimé Champagne 1990

It is a bit frustrating that I have no inventory record of this bottle in my cellar data, especially for a designated birthyear vintage collector's bottle (s). I have no less than six bottles of this label in the cellar and no record of acquiring them, or drinking any either. The bottles are not marked as having come from an auction. This does not happen often but indicates perhaps that my acquisition of these bottles predates my electronic record keeping. Indeed, they are 31 years old! 

Sharing and enjoying this bottle tonight with son Alec, was especially memorable as he was with us when we visited the Champagne wine region in northeast France back in 2006, shown adjacent, and below at Champagne house Moet Chandon.

This vintage release was awarded 97 points from Wine Spectator and 94 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

The last time I opened an aged vintage bottle of Champagne, it was a magnum of 1976 Moët & Chandon Dom Perignon Champagne. Regretably, the cork of that bottle had failed earlier and the bottle was corked, due to an aged and failing cork. 

Tonight, this was a delightful surprise showing and drinking well, meeting all my expectations for this bottle. I was a bit concerned when upon opening and releasing the cork under pressure, the seeming pressure and resulting 'pop' were less than expected. Never-the-less, as hoped, the foil, cork, label, fill level and resulting wine were all ideal, showing no signs of diminution from aging. 

Amazing, impressive life left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

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

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2894

https://charlesheidsieck.com/en

@CHChampagne 

With the grilled steak dinner, Alec served this Napa Valley Red Blend. 

Hill Family Red Door Estate Napa Valley Red Wine 2017

This is a special limited release premium label available to Hill Family Diamond Club members that Alec acquired as part of his club allocation. Alec and Vivianna tasted and subsequently acquired this wine during their visit to the Hill Family estate winery and tasting room in downtown Yountville during their fire shortened honeymoon trip to Napa Valley. I wrote about their Hill Family visit and in an earlier blogpost.

This is the Hill Family premium label red blend comprised of Bordeaux, Rhone and Napa varietals from across the Napa Valley. 

It is a blend of  78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Petite Sirah and 2% Merlot. 

It is sourced from Hill Family Estate vineyards across the Napa Valley AVA:  Windy Flats, Baker, Apallas, Beau Terroir & Knubis Vineyards.

This label release was awarded 94 Points by Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.

The winemaker's notes for this label from an earlier vintage release: Winemaker’s Notes, "Red Door is a wine blended to take advantage of our best small lots that work together in the most rich and flavorful way, regardless of variety or appellation.'

 

"In 2013, Cabernet Sauvignon was once again rich and elegant, with the new Windy Flats vineyard pulling in the intense flavors, and Baker (vineyard) providing the mountain structure. But Apallas, Beau Terroir, and Knubis (vineyards) have wonderful individuality that would be lost in a big blend, so the Red Door can give them a place to show off. “Inky bluish/purple with notes of blueberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice and incense, this full-bodied opulent wine hits all the sweet spots on the palate, but is dry and full bodied with voluptuous texture, terrific palate presence and complexity.” - Winemaker Alison Doran

Robert Parker's Wine Advocated wrote, “The 2013 Proprietary Red Estate is another big-time winner, tipping the scales at 15.5% alcohol. This is the blockbuster of the entire portfolio and a sensational effort. Yes, it’s the most expensive, but is also the most promising for long-term development of, say 10-12 years. This is a beauty and another top-flight effort. The color is opaque purple and the wine is just explosive in the mouth with its richness.”

This was dark inky purple garnet colored, full bodied, bold, rich concentrated, bright, vibrant, ripe black berry and black raspberry fruits with sweet floral, notes of perfume and a layer of cassis on a lingering tongue puckering tangy acidity silky tannin laced finish. 

RM 93 points. 

A perfect complement to the grilled rib-eye beefsteak and grilled corn.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3611931

https://hillfamilyestate.com/

https://twitter.com/HFEWine

@HFEWine

Long Shadows Pirouette and Lewis Chardonnay

Long Shadows Pirouette and Lewis Chardonnay BYOB at Carnivore & The Queen Supper Club

For a Saturday night outing we dined with neighbors/friends Mark and Shirley at a new local eatery that bills itself as a Supper Club.

Whimsically named, Carnivore & The Queen Supper Club is designed after a bygone area of nostalgic dining, a contemporary revival of a classic prohibition-era supper club with a 'casual vibe & approachable classic food'.

Carnivore & The Queen is the work of husband-and-wife team Chris Matus and Kelli Lodico-Matus. It is located down the street from Lisle (Illinois) in adjacent Downers Grove at the intersection of Maple and Belmont Avenues.

It actually opened a year ago February in a strip mall that I drive past several times a week to/from the nearby train station from where I commute into the City, but only noticed it recently, and immediately earmarked it for a visit.

Their concept is a Supper Club, an independently owned fine and fun dining destination with ambiance and decor reflecting that of the owners style and offerings, thoughtful dishes intended for sharing, a showcase for the owners’ family recipes, treating diners to an evening-long experience.

Lodico-Matus came up with the name while on a walk one day. “The name Carnivore & the Queen to me sounded indulgent, grandiose, and a bit … theatrical?” she says. “I thought it described our personalities … and it stuck! Everything on the menu is foods we like to eat and indulge in, with no guilt."

They offer daily menus featuring their recipes and the seasons' local ingredients from localvor  farmers, fishmongers & ranchers. They strive to deliver an experience that both their mothers provided, like gathering the family around the dinner table every night. There is a price-fix three course and a five course offering. There is also a menu offering with wine pairings accompaniment.

By 630 pm the restaurant was full and by 700 there was a crowd at the bar waiting for tables. It was lively and vibrant and very socialable and comfortable, like a neighborhood favorite eatery should be! We were very comfortable at the tall tabletop adjacent the bar despite the crowd. We look forward to returning again.

We've already noted their Friday Beer Battered Walleye Special, and their Sundays Only Queen's Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken Dinner. The optional up-charge to the five course supper is the hot ticket and reasonable value.  

Prior to dinner we had the special plate of olives, beets, veggies and relishes with salads. The wedge salad was delightful.

With the salad and anti-pasta courses we ordered from the winelist Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

For our dinner entrees Mark ordered the sea scallops, Linda the chicken breast, and Shirley and I both had the NY Strip. Linda never orders chicken but was compelled to do so tonight and she liked it. I ordered my regular favorite, 'Pittsburgh' style preparation - charred with hot pink center, and it was done perfectly!

'Pittsburgh' style New York Strip with wedge potatos.

We took BYOB two special bottles from our cellar to celebrate Linda's recent birthday and the festive gathering occasion, Lewis Cellars Chardonnay and Long Shadows Pirouette.

 Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2004

My recent tasting notes just last month for this label: Perfect complement to lobster tails. Ideal drinking window for this is five to ten years. At sixteen, this is past its apex and showing its age turning from golden straw colored to honey brown, and the fruits are starting to take on notes of smoke. This was delicious none-the-less, but time to drink.

RM 88 points.

My earlier tasting notes from 2018 for this label: This is clearly crafted in the California versus the classic Burgundian style with layers of big rich oak, straw colored, medium bodied, note of of creamy vanilla, green apple, hints of nut and stone, nice acidic balance for crisp pleasurable drinking. Its density calls for drinking with food and was perfect with our buttery lobster.

RM 90 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1072448

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/06/lewis-sonoma-rrv-chardonnay-2004.html

Long Shadows "Pirouette" Columbia Valley Red 2011

Another label from the Long Shadows Collection, this is crafted by legendary world renouned winemakers Augustin Huneeus Sr. and Philippe Melka. I recently had the 2016 release of this label at a business dinner and it was outstanding. Hence I was eager to try to an aged vintage release of this label from my cellar.

This is a classic Bordeaux Blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec; aged for 22 months in 75% new French oak;

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this 93 points,  Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave it 92 points.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full-bodied, deep, rich, complex, nicely balanced, well integrated flavors of black berry and black currant with notes of cassis, licorice, coffee, dark bitter chocolate and hints of floral violets, with ample, finely polished tannin on the lengthy finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1735080

https://carnivoreandthequeen.com/