Festive '14 Holiday Dinner Features Extensive Wine Flight

Festive Holiday Dinner Features Beef Tenderloin Wellington with Extensive Wine Flight

Our 'pour boys' wine team gathered for a festive holiday dinner that featured an extensive wine flight to pair and compare. We were joined by Bob L, Mark and Shirley. Linda prepared a spectacular Beef Wellington Tenderloin dinner.

To kick off the evening Bill brought a Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir based sparkling wine. I pulled a Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs to compare. These were paired with fresh Driscolls raspberries and strawberries, shrimp cocktail and a selection of artisan cheeses, and deviled eggs, meatballs, and shrimp brought by Lyle and Terry.

The white wine flight continued with Mollydooker 'The Violinist' Verdelho 2008. The cheeses included Stilton with Cranberries, Floralie Goat Cheese with Cranberries and Cinnamon, Smoked Gouda, and Expresso laced Bellavitano.

We kicked off the red wine flight with Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve 2004, followed by Caymus Estate 40th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 for the pre-dinner pairing flight.

For dinner, following caprese salad, Linda prepared extraordinary individual beef wellington tenderloins accompanied by roasted carrots, asparagus and twice baked potatoes.

With dinner we opened the elegantly packaged etched glass bottle of Fantesca Estate Spring Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 which set the stage perfectly for Chateau Lascombs Margaux 2000 with their similar central core of bright black raspberry fruit.

Following the Bordeaux blend, Lyle had brought a Chateau St Michelle Cinq Cepages 2010, but we pulled from the cellar an aged 1997 release to compare with the aged Lascombs instead.

Following dinner, with coffee, Linda served Turtle Cheesecake and a carrot cake roll, with Chocolate Caramel Truffles with sea salt brought by Bill and Beth. With the dessert course, we opened a dessert wine flight of three aged disparate varietals and styles from three different regions - Austrian Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch 1996/97, Italian Cavalchina Passito Veneto IGT 2004, and Hungarian Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Birsalmás 2000.

The wines:

Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir 2011
NV Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru
Mollydooker 'The Violinist' Verdelho 2008
Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve 2004
Caymus Estate 40th Anniversary 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
Fantesca Estate Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Chateau Lascombs Margaux 2000
Chateau St Michelle Cinq Cepages 2010
Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch 1996/97
Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Birsalmás 2000
Cavalchina Passito Veneto IGT 2004

Sparkling wine flight - 

Part of holiday tradition is to serve sparkly bubbly wines as part of the festive holiday celebration. Bill's vintage Sea Smoke Sea Spray set the bar for this Sparkling White Wine flight. Of course authentic refers to the fact that only wine produced in the méthode champenoise sourced from grapes from the French Champagne region in northwest France is legally and appropriately labeled Champagne. Champagne is typically sourced from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Bill's Blanc de Noir is named such since it is sourced from Pinot Noir while this Blanc de Blanc is name for its Chardonnay sourced varietal. This provided a great comparison tasting to two varietals from two sides of the world.

Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir 2011

The name Sea Smoke refers to the fog that drifts inland from the nearby ocean that graces the vines and cools them at night providing some relief of the midday sun and heat. The producer Sea Smoke and the Santa Rita Hills appellation on the south central California Coast are both known for Champagne and Burgundy varietals, premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker - "A delicious complement to quiche, ham and biscuits for Christmas morning brunch. A beautiful blush color, this Pinot Noir based sparkler from Sea Smoke is rapidly becoming one of our favorites. Crisp and clean with a medium body, there is a hint of grapefruit on the palate which is nicely balanced by notes of yeast. A bit pricey but delicious."

WCC 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1572346

NV Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru

Like last year, this 1st Cru Champagne is part of a case we acquired several years ago. Sourced from anywhere else, bubbly is simply 'sparkling wine'. This Champagne is NV, non-vintage, or a blend of fruit sourced from multiple years or vintagers. Champagne producers do this to maintain a more consistent branding in their wines, moderating the effects of variations from vintage to vintage. Only the most premium selections are 'declared' a vintage designated specific bottling.  We visited Champagne during our Champagne Wine Experience 2006.


RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=39540

Mollydooker 'The Violinist' Verdelho 2008

Verdelho is a white grape varietal that has been grown in Portugal for centuries and is
one of the most popular grapes planted on the small island of Madeira where vines were first planted in the 15th century. The variety produces highly acidity wine if they are aged, but when drunk young they provide some of the most fruit filled flavorful wines of the Madeiras. It is now a popular grape being widely planted in the new world wine regions from Argentina to South Australia.

No wimpy white wine here. Medium bodied, a cross between the body of a chardonnay and the crispness of a sauvignon blanc - full essence of pear predominates with subtle citrus, melon and tropical fruits on a mildly acidic full mineral finish.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=566718


Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2004

Linda and I discovered this wine at a memorable outing during one of our get-away weekends to Chicago,  at Smith & Wollensky sitting outside overlooking the river for a summer afternoon wine, salad and cheese interlude. 
 

One of our perennial favorites although if you read this blog you'll know we don't do a lot of Pinot Noir compared to other varietals.
Domaine Serene produce at least three ultra premium priced Pinots above this one, none of which have I tasted. I look forward to doing so at some point as I love this wine. I am not a fan, however of their lower priced entry level offerings including Yamhill Cuvee. But then I've often written how elusive is a low priced high QPR Pinot Noir.

The fruit was more subdued than I remember. At ten years old, I wonder if this is past it prime drinking window or just a more subtle vintage release. Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, the black cherry and black raspberry fruits are a bit subdued and compete with tones of leather, earth, anise, spicy cinnamon with a touch of smoke and oak on the moderate tannin finish. 

RM 89 points.

http://www.domaineserene.com/  


Caymus Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - Special 40th Anniversary Bottling

If you read this blog often, you've probably already seen me praising this amazing wine. As I've written here several times, the 2012 vintage of Caymus Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is spectacular and was a perfect compliment to our cheeses, tenderloin beef steak dinner and dark chocolate truffles dessert. Not only did they release a blockbuster for the vintage, they packaged it in a celebratory bottle and commemorative label, and then they lowered the price! A wine that typically sells at the street price of $65, this was widely available at ten dollars off the regular price or $55 at release. The street price has now crept up to $59. For drinking now or saving for a couple years, this is a great buy for the price point, and for special occasions or anniversary celebration dinners. And for better value, they also offer a one liter bottle. This is a showcase wine that shows Napa Valley Cabernet at its best with consistency, early gratification and moderate aging potential.

As featured in my recent earlier blog journal tasting reports on this wine, this is the 40th release of this legendary label and it features a special 40th Anniversary release label for the occasion. The 2012 vintage release also  shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.

Typical legendary Caymus Cabernet style - dark blackish ruby/garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel and kirsch, giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish. Against the more elegant and complex Fantesca and the sophisticated blends, this appeared much more one dimensional that when consumed standalone.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1805868

http://www.caymus.com


Fantesca Estate and Winery, Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

To compare against the Caymus Napa Cabernet and to set the stage for the Chateau Lascombs we opened this 2004 Fantesca Spring Mountain Napa Cab. We visited Duane and Susan Hoff at their spectacular mountainside estate of Fantesca Spring Mountain Estate and Winery during our Napa Wine Experiences in 2007 and in 2009.  With their elegant etched glass bottles, we enjoy serving this wine at special occasions, and we love their sophisticated and elegant wines too. This was the first vintage release under their ownership. 

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

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

RM 93 points.

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

http://www.fantesca.com




Château Lascombes Margaux 2000

Bill shared this classic aged Bordeaux Margaux from a classic vintage from his cellar. At fourteen years, this exhibited more subdued fruits and floral than earlier tasting two years ago. I wonder if its just entering an 'closed' period in its aging or perhaps we didn't allow it enough time to open.

Often, such sophisticated and complex wines need a whole day to open to truly reveal their native character and profile. Decanted but aged for about and hour to ninety minutes, this showed medium-body, deep ruby/purple-color, opening  to a classic Margaux bouquet of earthy floral with flavors of earthy, leathery firm blackberry, black currant, and black cherry fruits with a layer of tar, vanilla and moderate tannins on a long, berry, soft oak finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6403



Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 

We debated about what to open next following the Lascombes to pair with the tenderloin and compare with the Bordeaux Blend. This mating dance of flight selection that we go through at such dinners is a great part of the fun. Having a deep cellar with lots of choices allows us the option to design the flight based on what the guests happen to bring.

Lyle brought the most recent 2010 release of Cinq Cepages California Bordeaux blend. We considered pulling from the cellar another younger vintage of the Lascombes, but following the 2000 Lascombes blend, we opted to open an older 1997 Cinq Cepages release instead. We pulled this from our vertical collection that spans ten vintages of this classic wine that was wine of the year with its 1996 release.  Cinq Cepages means 'five flavors' ala a Bordeaux style Meritage blend.

There was still much life left in this seventeen year old - medium bodied, vibrant bright black raspberry, red currants and kirsch flavors highlighted by a layer of tea and hint of caramel and touch of spice on a moderate short light polished tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2205

Dessert wine flight - 

We finished with three dessert wines from different regions with contrasting styles and profiles. These were no doubt straw colored upon release, over time they darkened to butter color, then weak tea colored, eventually darkening to the dark orange rust color they possesses now. Allowed to continue to age, they will likely eventually darken to dark strong tea color, and then maple syrup color, although I suspect none will necessarily improve the flavor and suitability of the wine.

Some classic dessert wines are built to last decades, I suspect none of these will improve further and the Ruster Ausbruch and Cavalchina Veneto Passito are likely at or even past their peak drinking window. All were moderately priced high QPR values enabling a triple treat comparison tasting such as tonight.




Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Birsalmás 2000

Burnt orange colored, medium full bodied, sweet apricot with tones of peach turning to pink grapefruit citrus on a tongue coating smoky almond finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=381819

Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch 1996/97

We still have a case of this wine, so stay tuned as we monitor this over the coming months and years.
This is a Chardonnay blend. The thick almost syrupy extracted sweet fruit was offset by a smoky roasted almond nut flavor. Rather than the highly desirable apricot or peach flavors, this tended to be more citrus focused this tended to be more citrus focused with a tone of tangerine predominating.

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455246

Cavalchina Passito Veneto IGT 2004 

Medium-full bodied and thick - apple fruits, subtle tangerine, hint of apricot and peach flavors are overtaken by wet wood, smoke and nut on a full flavorful lingering finish.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=436980

The Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

Preparing the Beef Wellington -

Grand Tour 2013 Chicago

Grand Tour 2013 Chicago

Admittedly, we were a bit disappointed when we saw the final roster and floorplan for Wine Spectator's Grand Tour Chicago. Absent were any first growth, super second or other premiere Bordeaux producers which tend to be the feature highlights of our interest. As customary, we select our target tasting preferences ahead of time and then lay out our plan of attack according to the floor layout. Our consensus target list featured twenty five wines with another dozen possible entries. Naturally this is about our limit anyway, both in terms of timing and in the tolerance of our pallets before they succumb to 'fatigue' or overload. Never-the-less, as always, Grand Tour was a resounding success based on a cadre of returning favorites, new discoveries of emerging labels from known producers as well as discovery of some here-to-for unknown producers.

Father, son tasting team -
Rick & Ryan

Our wine crew consisted of the usual suspects, members of our OTBN group, sans Ernie and Eric, both of whom were in California for separate conflicts - Eric and Cathy's first grand-daughter, JJ, and Ernie's business conflict. So, helping me hold down the fort were Bill C, Dr. Dan, #1 son Ryan, Lyle and John B.

We met beforehand at Flemings Steakhouse in Chicago's River North neighborhood to review our tasting route and solicit any last minute targets. Indeed, a couple such entries turned out to be some of the surprise discoveries of the evening.

With small plates dinner at Flemings, we drank a bottle of Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009.



We discovered this wine during our visit to the winery during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience - Ladera back in 2008. 

Label from 2007 vintage.

Fruit for Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Ladera estate vineyard blocks on their historic Howell Mountain property, a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petite Verdot that was aged in 40% new French oak for 20 months.

As Bill C noted, this is a benchmark favorite Napa Cabernet that can be found many restaurant winelists at a very reasonable QPR. The 2009 Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is easy drinking, nicely balanced, medium to full bodied with full flavors of black berry, black cherry and ripe plum fruits with notes of cedar, anise, sweet oak spice and ripe tannins that linger on a long velvety finish.
RM 90 points. 

At the Grand Tour, our approach allows us a basis for comparison on known benchmark wines against new discoveries, as well providing a background for our vintage tasting reviews. We allow room for experimentation and exploration, but our view is that without adherence to a plan, the vast selection and diversity of the overall event, can be overwhelming and lead to getting lost and leave the potential for missing some key target selections.

This year, the slimmer list of targets allowed for more wandering and exploration, but our adherence to our plan ensured that we did indeed get through and address our priority list. The result was a typical Grand Tour with spectacular wines, a vast selection and numerous new discoveries, expanding our horizons and wine knowledge and pallet 'vocabulary'.

Initial stream of consciousness from memory before I refer back to my notes. 

Based on the composition of our cellar collections and purchase profiles, we focused on Napa Valley Cabernets, Bordeaux, then Australian Shiraz. We also ventured into and explored emerging new world entries entries mostly from Argentina and Chile and tapped into the Italian aisle which culminated in Ryan discovering Amarone - one of the highlights of the evening. We closed the evening checking in to the 'stickies', desert wines from Sauterne and Tokaji. Lyle, who is our conscious and sentry for ports waved us off the Port aisle citing uninspiring results from his advanced foray there.

Caymus Napa Valley Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

A regular at recent Grand Tours, this year's 2010 release was a blockbuster highlight of the evening - awesome, big, full bodied, firm gripping backbone yet superbly balanced symphony of complex fruit flavors. Picture from the 2011 Grand Tour Chicago report. Naturally on our wine budgets, these are not every day or even once a month drinking wines, but we do collect Special Selection in our cellar for special occasion wines - most notably from the 1990 vintage from son Alec's birth year - which was also Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year, hence this is a must have in our collection. Results of tonight's tasting suggest the 2010 is a must purchase as we're looking for this vintage collectables to commemorate Lucy, our first grand-daughter's birth year. Indeed our large format collection of birth year wines was the subject when our cellar was featured in the Collector column of Wine Spectator back in June 2001. 

RM 95 points.


Cliff Lede Poetry Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

We discovered Cliff Lede and Poetry at the Grand Tour Chicago 2009 when it was one of the standouts of that event. We followed with a visit to the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience, Cliff Lede Stag's Leap District Vineyard & Winery Visit - Autumn '09 and Cliff Lede has been a staple of our cellars ever since. 

This Poetry was big. firm forward fruit with backbone of firm tannins - brambly black fruits with charcoal turning to mocha on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

Provenance Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard TK2 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Surprise discovery from this well known and popular producer - only 175 were cases produced of this special vineyard designated bottling. Of the eighteen tons of grapes harvested from the prestigious Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, the most select two tons were used in this premiere blend.

Smooth, polished, superbly balanced with moderate tannin backbone, black fruits turn to layer of mocha, mineral and floral on the smooth finish. Bill and Dan loved this and till take what they can obtain!
RM 93 points



Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Benchmark perfection from this perennial premium offering - superbly balanced, polished, complex, approachable already but firm tannin backbone ensures long life and cellaring improvement.
RM 94 points.

Chateau St. Michelle Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Another undiscovered label from a well known producer this Reserve is sourced from low yields from old vines planted back in 1972 and 5% Merlot, both from their Cold Creek Vineyard, with 6% Cabernet from their Canoe Ridge Vineyard, also well known due its single vineyard designated labels.Full bodied, firm well extracted complex fruit flavors with nicely integrated polished tannins.
RM 92 points. 






Hall Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Consistent with recent tasting at the winery just two weeks ago during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2013. A bit lighter and less complex than recent vintages leaving a bit to be desired in this flagship from this high profile producers.
RM 90 points.

Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma Valley Red 2008
Not as big as the blockbusters above, a bit less complex but nicely polished and balanced stable cab.
RM 90 points.

Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Less weight and complexity than the big dawgs above, nicely balanced and polished but lacking the grip and muscle of the big hitters.
RM 91 points.

Round Pond Estate Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

A surprise discovery of the evening - we had this on our target tasting list. We learned of the work going on at Round Pond during our visit to neighboring Honig Vineyards during our recent Napa Valley Experience 2013. It lived up to expectations or more, none were disappointed. Full bodied, nicely structured with firm backbone, black berry fruits with layer of mocha, anise and hints of olive and faint eucalyptus on the finish. Great QPR in this high-achieving previously overlooked label. RM 91 points.

Louis Martini Lot No. 1 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauivignon

From property owned by legendary E&J Gallo, crafted by winemaker Louis Martini, another surprise discovery of the evening with an interesting blend from Pritchard Hill,  Atlas Peak Stagecoach vineyard and Napa Valley fruit.

A big complex dark wine, lacking the polish and balance of some of the others, but a high achievement from this well known but here-to-for underachieving or overlooked producer.
RM 91 points.

Hess Collection Mt Veeder Caberrnet Sauvignon 2008

We did a drive-by during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011 as we focused on meeting new boutique producers on the mountain. That was was the decision since this 2008.release Cabernet would've likely been on the tasting menu. This actually exceeded my expectations with nicely integrated tannins on the smooth drinking balanced black fruits. This probably provides reasonable QPR for the area.
RM 88 points. 

Kathryn Kennedy Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
A bit less polished and balanced relative to some earlier highlights, this was a bit awkward and obtuse with some forward black fruits and some gripping tannins, but lacking balance or polish of some of the high achieving efforts.
RM 88 points.

Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus Okanagan Valley Red Wine 2009

Hard to believe this is from Canada. The producer says their latitude results in long summer sun days providing ideal conditions for Bordeaux varietal grapes. From the Canadian region known for desert wines, Oculus is Mission Hill Family Estate's Bordeaux inspired flagship wine from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

Blended from select clusters of designated blocks in the estate Osoyoos and Oliver vineyards; 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

Medium to full bodied, dark inky color, black berry and black currant and plum fruits, anise and coffee bean with tight tannins on the finish.
RM 89 points.





The Bordeaux selection: 
 

Pontet-Canet Pauillac Bordeaux 2010
Cos d'Estournel St Estephe Bordeaux 2008
Brane Cantenac Margaux Bordeaux 2006
Chateau Lynch Bages Paulliac Bordeaux 2009
Chateau Giscours Margaux 2009


 




Aussie shiraz:

D'Arenberg 'The Dead Arm' Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008

We discovered Dead Arm back in the nineties and have collected and sourced this regularly for our cellar and for friends. We hold a vertical wine that goes back to the 1994 vintage so we're big fans of this label. It seems that they've lost their way at times as this vintage release seemed uninspiring and lacked the rich concentrated fruit that we've come to expect in Aussie Shiraz' at this pricepoint. Perhaps its pallet fatigue as we reached here at the end of a long evening.

When I read the winemaker's notes on this release, it opens with "notes of fennel",  and continues '".... purple flowers and blossom mingling with ripe, varietal purple fruits and black pepper, dried herbs, game and spice. The palate opens with anise, black pepper, graphite and restrained dark cherries before it gives way to seductive mulberry, plum, licorice and spice. It has great power, depth and length with very vibrant, gritty fruit tannins providing immense structure." I read into that fennel, opens with pepper, graphite and anise, and then it refers to 'restrained' dark cherries, "before it gives way" to seductive plum.

These wine reviews are cryptic and confusing enough but over time one learns to decode and translate them to recognize the vocabulary that matches one's personal tastes and preferences. When I read this one, its logical and consistent with my personal perception - more subdued fruit accompanied by several tones that I personally don't favor that end up competing with and therefore detracting from the fruit. Perhaps this warrants another tasting, standalone, and without the inevitable pallet fatigue of the end of Grand Tour event.
RM 88 points.

Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010
Our discussion with the supplier cleared up some of our label confusion with these wines. The flagship top of the line label remains Amon Ra which has received blockbuster high marks for the 2010 vintage. We hold several vintages of the Glaetzer Godolphin label but we have not seen it in recent releases. We learned tonight this label was discontinued due to trademark issues and has been replaced by this 'Bishop' label, named for Colin Glaetzer's wife Judith's family. Their Anneparena rounds out the Shiraz family. The Wallace label is their Grenache varietal offering. These continue to represent full-throttle flavorful Shiraz offerings.


The 2010 Bishop was full bodied, inky purple colored, forward tongue-coating blackberry and mulberry fruits turning to a layer of anise and floral on the full lingering tanning finish.
RM 92 points.

Mollydooker Enchanted Path Shiraz 2011

My favorite and vote for best in show of the four Shiraz, also the most expensive price-point so not necessarily the best value selection. This remains one of  the mainstays of our cellar for special occasion wines. (Label picture taken from 2010 release.)

Dense, full bodied, deep concentrated complex black and blue berry and cherry flavors accented by spice, well integrated, soft silky nicely polished tannins on a long finish.

RM 93 points. 




Two Hands Lilly's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010

Two Hands is a bit of an enigma here in Chicago. While we have occasional varied labels from the Two Hands brand  in our cellar, their plethora of single vineyard designated labels can be intimidating if not overwhelming. If a passionate Shiraz zealot like me feels it, the average 'normal' consumer surely must do so as well. This condition is perhaps exacerbated by their premium pricepoint since we've found may high quality highly rated options that offer high value QPR. Perhaps the fact that they lack distribution here in Chicagoland, or are not apparent in the stores we shop, we've not become familiar or knowledgeable in their brand. Our exposure to Two Hands is at Total Wine on the east coast when we travel there. That said, they're most likely available in our market somewhere but we haven't seen it - and we do a lot of wine shopping. But then, that's what the Grand Tour is all about - to gain exposure to new brands and labels in the marketplace. So many wines, so little time (and money), Two Hands offers a ripe field for further discovery.
 

This 2010 Lily's Garden was full bodied, forward black berry fruits with tones of mocha, spice and hint of pepper on the lingering finish.
RM 92 points. 

Italians: 

Ornellaia  
Tignanello
Allegrini AmaroneDella Valpolicella 2008
Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella 2008








Stickies ('Aussie' for sweet desert wines):

Chateau Suiduraut Sauterne 2005 

Golden honey colored, full bodied, thick heavy sweet nectar of apricot, hint of peach and layer of creme caramel on the tongue coating finish.
RM 92 

Two expected parents, each due
about the same time.

DisznokoTokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2005

The Disznoko estate is situated at the south-west entrance of the Tokaj region, about 250km from Budapest. Although Disznoko produces a number of wines, the aszu harvest is considered the most important. The most time-consuming and labor-intensive part of the vintage is the hand-harvesting of the aszu grapes, which are the shriveled grapes affected by noble rot that have dried on the vine-stock.

Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos is a blend of Furmint, Harslevelu and Zeta aszu grapes. This golden colored with full body and forward fruit flavors of peach and lemon with tones of honey, tropical fruit and mineral on the long finish.
RM 92 points.

Hétszölö Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2004

Golden orange weak tea colored, medium full bodied, modest apricot fruit accented by a layer of smoke and nut with hints of honey on the lingering finish.   
RM 90 points.

 From  South America:

Cheval Des Andes Mendoza Argentina 2007

Medium bodied, moderate black berry and black cherry fruit with a layer of cedar, tobacco, leather and spice with a moderate oak finish.

This 2007 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in oak.

RM 88 points.




Riglos Mendoza Las Divas Vineyard Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Riglos is named after the Argentinean town from which producers' Dario Werthein’s and Fabian Suffern’s grandparents came. All the fruit is sourced from the estate in the Uco Valley, Mendoza. 

Dark purple colored, full bodied, intense and firmly structured with earthy blackberry, hints of licorice, pepper, cedar and graphite detract from the fruit leaving it a bit obtuse. 100% Cabernet that spent 20 months in new French oak. 15.4% alcohol.
RM 87 points 

Vintage 81-82 Birthyear Bordeaux Highlight Gala Family Dinner

Vintage 81-82 Birthyear Bordeaux Highlight Gala Family Dinner

For a gala family celebration dinner we dug into the cellar for some vintage Bordeaux for #1 son Ryan's and daughter Erin's birth years - Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981 and Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac Bordeaux 1982. Our collection of the kid's birthyear wines were the key feature of their weddings which we served from large format bottles and were highlighted in the Collecting section in Wine Spectator when our cellar was the feature back in June of 2001.

For a California comparison we pulled a vintage Bordeaux blend, Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages 1994. We also opened a more 'recent' Marco Deguilio Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (this is currently available at the Cosco in Oak Brook - a great find and great QPR value!). For dinner we had grilled beef tenderloins, twice baked potatoes and steamed veggies. Sans son Alec, whom we briefly included by speaker phone, while he is still recovering out on the Jersey shore from Super Storm Sandy, exacerbated by his car being totaled, the rest of the family was there; L and I were joined by Erin and Johnny with Lucy, Ryan and Michelle, Sean, and friend Ann.We celebrated two birthdays, a new job and a couple other recent family blessings and triumphs.

We started the festivities with Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle "La Cuvée" Brut Champagne which we visited during our Champagne tour a couple years ago.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4373

We aerated and decanted the wines about ninety minutes before serving and this made a noticeable difference as they settled and opened to reveal themselves during that time. They didn't change markedly further into the evening but did the next day. The Clerc Milon was less expressive, more elegant and polished than the slightly more obtuse Ducru upon opening, The Clerc Milon showed better upon opening and throughout the evening but fell off a bit compared to the Ducru which showed bigger and more full the next day. I would rate the Clerc Milon a point higher upon opening and the initial evening and the Ducru a point higher the day after.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981

While this wine reached maturity in the nineties and has passed beyond the end of its purported optimal drinking window, it showed only very slight signs of diminution of body, color and flavors. I've continually been pleased and surprised at the longevity of the 1981 Bordeaux, exceeding my expectations considering the lackluster harvest and modest outcomes from that vintage.We still have about two cases of 1981 Bordeaux and while its time to drink, I'm not feeling anxious about having to consume it readily. This cork was moist and dark from 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.While great with the steak tenderloin, the remains of this were even better the next day with pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and tomato bolanaise sauce.

RM 89 points.

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

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


Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac Bordeaux 1982

This is the second label of the iconic Chateau Mouton Rothschild. There were no signs of diminution whatsoever in this 30 year old aside the spongy saturated cork that needed care to be removed but came out intact using an Ahso. Dark inky garnet purple colored, medium bodied, smooth and polished, moderate black berry fruits accented by earthy leather, tea and hints of tobacco with silky tannins on the moderate finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36423

http://www.bpdr.com/






Chateau St Jean Sonoma County Cinq Cepages 1994

Chateau St Jean is one of the crown jewels of the Sonoma Valley - certainly the most elegant and fashionable tasting experience setting that we've experienced there. We enjoyed visiting there numerous times over the years for a comprehensive tasting experience that offers some of their Reserve and Library selections not available in the marketplace, most recently during our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience in 2009.

We've enjoyed the Cinq Cepages label since its release in the late eighties. This was one of the last releases before the 1996 release was annointed #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator. We have a vertical of this up to the recent vintages - this was the oldest release in our cellar so we pulled it to compare to the vintage Bordeaux above. Cinq Cepages means 'five flavors' - a blend of five varietals used in Bordeaux wines. While primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) , this also contains 14% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 4% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. 


The resulting blend is dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, smooth, polished, flavorful and complex - slightly earthy, leathery, anise, black fruit, black cherry, plum and berry with a oaky finish. This still has lots of life in it and compared very favorably with the older Bordeaux - full forward fruit with a firmer backbone and more structure than both yet still softer and more polished and approachable than the initial opening of the Ducru, but not as aromatic or as long on the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5434

http://www.chateaustjean.com/


Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This is a product of winemaker Marco DiGuilio. According to the (rear) label, this vintage selection was blended from two exceptional barrel lots from 3 blocks of the Hidden Ridge Vineyard. Nicknamed, the "Impassable Mountain" because it took ten years to develop due to the 55% slope of the ridgetops. The Hidden Ridge Vineyards consist of 21 blocks of cabernet sauvignon in some of the most isolated areas of the Mayacamas Mountain Range along the Napa-Sonoma County line - located at 38 29'50.95 N, 122 34'09.40 W.

I first discovered this wine at Morton's Steakhouse in Crystal City, Arlington, near Washington DC where it was available by bottle or by the glass. During the ensuing year we enjoyed the 05, 06 and now the '07 vintages there. We also picked up the '05 at BRIX in Napa and tasted at dinner during our Mt Veeder appellation trip in the Napa and Sonoma Mt Veeder area.


Medium to full bodied - dark inky color - flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, and plum with tones of mocha, anise, tea and a hint of tobacco box with spicy chocolate, clove and vanilla on a moderate firm tannin finish. The 2007 follows the 2005 and 06 for three blockbuster releases in a row. They're a bit tight and slightly tart upon opening, this needed an hour to settle and soften and will be even more approachable the second day.  

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1051982


http://www.hiddenridgevineyard.com/