Family celebrates Independence Day and birthday

Family celebrates Independence Day and birthday together  

The family gathered at son Ryan’s house for a gala Independence Day and birthday celebration potluck dinner with grilled beefsteaks and fine wines, and fireworks.

Ryan grilled ribeye beefsteaks, Linda brought scalloped potatoes, Viv brought salad, Erin brought bacon wrapped scallops and home-made cheesecak, plus there was an ice cream birthday cake for g-daughter Marliegh’s birthday. 

I took from our home cellar two bottles from Ryan’s 1982 birthyear vintage year. Ryan served a medley of sparkling, white and big red wines. 

Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 1982 

Chateau Cantemerle is the amongst the well-known Bordeaux estates you pass as you drive along the D2, the main route of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, heading north from the city centre of Bordeaux towards the Medoc, 22 km or a thirty minute drive north of the city. 

Chateau Cantemerle is also one of the oldest properties in the Bordeaux wine region dating back to the 12th century.The estate took its name from the Lords of Cantemerle in 1340 when Ponset de Cantemerle named the estate.

In 1892, the descendants of the last of the Villeneuve family, Jeanne Armande, Baroness Charles d’Abbadie, sold Chateau Cantemerle to the Dubos family after owning the estate for over three hundred years. At the time, the Dubos family also owned a vineyard in Margaux, Chateau La Tour de Mons. The last family owner, Bertrand Clauzel sold Chateau Cantemerle in 1981 to the SMABTP group.

The new owners set upon a much needed restoration of the estate, replanting as much as 50%, and making improvements to the cellars and the winemaking facilities. The SMABTP Group has continued increasing their holdings in Bordeaux with additional vineyard purchases on the Left and Right Bank including recently added Chateau Haut Corbin, Chateau Grand Corbin, and Chateau Le Jurat, located in the St. Emilion appellation.

The huge Chateau Cantemerle Vineyards cover 265 acre with225 planted to the designated Bordeaux varietals, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. 

It is the goal of the estate to continue increasing the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in their vineyards over time. On average, the vines are close to 30 years of age. They have old Cabernet vines, which are close to 70 years of age.

While this is a fifth growth producer, the 1982 vintage was a classic legendary harvest, and as ‘all boats rise with the tide’, even the lesser renowned labels produced high quality collectable wines. Robert Parker wrote in 1995 of this release: “How can you bet against the bargain hunter's favorite Cantemerle in a vintage like the legendary '82? … 'This wine has turned out better than I would have thought. It is loosely structured, soft, and easy-going… The sweet, herb, peppery, and berry-scented nose is followed by a friendly wine with round, generous, medium-bodied flavors with no hard edges.

At forty five years, this is pushing this wine past its ideal drinking window, still in consideration only by the spectacular vintage, and being aged in a large format magnum. As shown the fill level was mid-neck, the label while intact was separated from the bottle, and most importantly, the cork was partially saturated by mostly intact. The bottom fifth of the cork separated upon extraction using a two pronged cork puller. 

This was double decanted three hours before serving. The color was dark garnet colored with only slight opaque discoloration setting in. The medium bodied fruit was starting to give way to damp earth and leather notes, with offputting tones of what I would call ‘sausage’ or bacon fat, setting in after several hours. 

At 45 years, the remains still approachable but diminished to 85 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/37378

Another forty five year old wine, again beyond its prime drinking window, but still holding on as approachable. 

Beringer Special Select Late Harvest Johannesburg Riesling 1982 

At forty four years, the label, foil and most importantly the cork and fill level were still fine. When young, these wines are pale straw colored, darkening over time to golden, then brownish weak tea, and finally, coffee colored as this was tonight. Holding some residual sweetness with notes of black tea or coffee, but for the most part at the end of its drinkability. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?252638

Veuve Cliquot Brut Champagne NV

Greywacke New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2025

CheckerBoard Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Coyote Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Checkerboard estate vineyard on he upper reaches of Diamond Mountain on the northern Mayacamas Range above Calistoga, CA in northern Napa Valley. 

This is a single vineyard designated bottling sourced from the Checkerboard Winery Coyote Ridge Vineyard, located on a long ridge line that runs Eastward downhill from the Aurora Vineyard knoll on the upper reaches of Diamond Mountain. The vineyard blocks are on the hillside above Nash Creek Canyon to the South. The terroir consists of red iron oxide clay soil, a South and slightly Eastern exposure with the lower reaches at a 900 foot elevation, which allows the top of the summer fog line to reach the Vineyard. This creates an ideal microclimate and growing cycle for its vines.

Winemaker Martha Mcclellan’s notes - “So typically Coyote Ridge, the 2017 vintage of this single-vineyard offering is approachable and immensely enjoyable. Dusty barrel aromas laced with cinnamon and milk chocolate follow through on the palate and are joined by notes of dark cherry, dried cranberry, fig jam, and red spices. For the texture aficionados among us, the tannins are reminiscent of the finest silk and deliciously sweet. In its youth, the 2017 vintage of Checkerboard Coyote Ridge benefits from decanting prior to serving."

Dark inky purple, full bodied, brooding thick concentrated but smooth and polished black cherry fruits with bright brilliant expressive notes of cinnamon and milk chocolate with fine tannins on a silky finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3871559

Lewis Alec’s Blend 2017

A family favorite, commemorating the Randy and Debbie Lewis’ grandson Alec, and designated a ‘signature’ wine of our son Alec. 

We love Lewis Cellar’s and their wines, one of the highlights of the wine producer visit tastings at our Pour Boys 2017 Napa Wine Experience.

I've often written in these pages about the fun we have with this branding, with its signature 'L' on the label, ala Laverne and Shirley, or wife Linda, or her mother Lucy, or our daughter Erin Leigh, or her daughter, our first grandchild/daughter Lucy! That coupled with the Hoosier heritage of Randy Lewis, Indy 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason, we adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it at family celebrations.

Lewis Cellars Napa Chateau Tasting

Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend is a rich, full-bodied red wine from Napa Valley, primarily a Syrah-based blend with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. It is known for its plush, fruit-forward profile with notes of dark berries, vanilla, and spice, and fine, polished tannins. The wine is made from grapes grown in top Napa appellations like Calistoga, St. Helena, and Rutherford.

Dark fruits (blackberry, blueberry, black cherry), vanilla, toffee, chocolate, espresso, and savory notes like pepper or bacon fat.

Afterwards, the family gathered for traditional neighborhood Fourth of July fireworks …