Showing posts with label Claret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Claret. Show all posts

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Family 'Reveal' Dinner calls for Birthyear Vintage Wine

 Gala Family 'Reveal' Dinner calls for Birthyear Vintage Wine (s) 

We hosted a family dinner for son Sean and daughter-in-law Michelle for a momentous family gathering for them to announce/reveal the gender of their expected baby. In recognition of the special event I opened a couple of special bottling labels and birth-year vintage wines for the occasion, in addition to a medley of other wines. 

For the dinner, Linda prepared hamburgers, grilled chicken, grilled pork loins, and grilled sausages. Family members brought fruits, salads, chips and desserts, wines and a broad selection of craft beers. 

In tribute to Michelle, we opened a magnum of Chateau St Michelle 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon. And, in tribute to son Sean, I opened two vintage birthyear bottles from our cellar collection.

Son Ryan brought two wines he had open from earlier, a Cakebread Pinot Noir and a Cliff Lede Napa Claret. 

We also opened some chilled white wines and a broad selection of craft beers.

The highlight of the evening, of course, came at dusk when Sean conducted a fireworks display culminating in a rocket launched starburst of pink and whites and reds signaling/revealing the gender of their expected baby daughter! 

 Chateau St Michelle 50th Anniversary Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We picked up all the available large format magnum bottles of this special tribute bottling upon release as we knew we would serve them on special occasions such as this. We also served this as part of our big bottle selections at their wedding rehearsal dinner

This was the 50th Anniversary Special commemorative bottling of this wine. 

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Syrah, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot 

Winemaker Notes: "We craft our Columbia Valley Cabernet to highlight concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style. This is an inviting Cab with plenty of complexity and structure with silky tannins. It’s also very versatile with food."

Decanter gave this release a 93 rating. The Tasting Panel gave it 90 points.
Decanter - "A 50th anniversary special bottling, this has a touch of Napa Valley about it in the rich palate, balanced with Left Bank structure, tannins and restrained oak influence."
 
Tasting Panel - "Creamy and plummy with generous, tangy style; an exceptional bargain packaged with a retro label."
 
RM 90 points.
 
 
I opened two vintage release labels from Sean's birthyear.
 
Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Bosche Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1985 

At 36 years, this was holding up well, still within its drinking window, a testament to the ageworthiness of this single vineyard designated label. As shown in the photo (right), the fill level was as to be expected, an acceptable bottom of the neck, the label and foil were perfect, and the cork, while starting to dry at the top half, was moist and starting to become a bit soft on the bottom half. The cork extracted okay using a regular corkscrew although I was prepared to use the Ahso two pronged cork puller. 
 
We've been collecting this single vineyard designated label going back three decades and this 1985 release was the oldest in our collection. I first discovered this wine when I met producer Jeff Jaeger, one of the Freemark Abbey partners at a producer wine tasting at the predecessor to Binny's in Naperville in the mid-nineties. At that tasting I was introduced to, tasted and subsequently acquired a case of Freemark Abbey Bosché Vineyard Napa Cabernet 1992. 
 
Wine buddy, Bill and Beth, and Linda and I have visited the Freemark Abbey Napa Valley winery together on numerous visits, and acquired bottles from the library collection there for special occasions. In 2009 we toured the library and acquired 1974 and 1978 vintage labels for a special anniversary celebration dinner that night across the road at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), Greystoke Mansion.  

 
This legendary label is named for its source, the Bosché Vineyard, a small 22-acre vineyard located west of Hwy. 29, on the famed Rutherford Bench. Freemark Abbey has been sourcing fruit from this property for this label since 1970 based on a handshake deal with vineyard owner John Bosché, a San Francisco attorney. 
 
The Freemark Abbey Bosché Cabernet is 100% from the vineyard and was one of Napa's first vineyard-designated wines. Located in the heart of the Rutherford Bench, it continues year after year to produce one of the most distinctive wines in Rutherford, and remains one of Freemark's most sought-after releases. 
 
The Bosché Vineyard has very deep gravelly soils. A seasonal creek crosses the vineyard which indicates the water table to be high in the spring, providing water and nutrients for new shoot growth. As veraison approaches the water table drops, stressing the wines and intensifying the dark velvety fruit flavors. This is a natural area to grow Bordeaux varietals with dry farming or minimal drip irrigation.
 
Freemark cites this wine to have a life span in a proper cellar of 20-30 years and tonight's experience was certainly a testament to that.
 
This vintage release was awarded 90 points by Wine Spectator. 
 
The recent remarkable 2015 vintage of this label was awarded 97 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

This is typically a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.

Reviewed recently in 2018, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote of the 2015, "the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and is scented of earthy nuances of truffles, dusty soil and underbrush with a core of crème de cassis, black cherry compote and blueberry pie plus hints of camphor and scorched earth. Full, concentrated, rich and densely packed with loads of earth and black fruit layers, it has a firm, ripe, grainy frame and oodles of freshness, finishing long."

Winemaker Notes for the 2105 release: "Dark ruby in color, the 2015 Cabernet Bosché has aromas of dark cherry, brambly blackberry, and cassis, with immense depth and complexity. The sweet oak spice is prominent with spice nuances of cinnamon, clove, aromatic cedar, cigar box, and dark cocoa powder. The flavor is big, voluptuous, and elegant, with rich great depth of dark cherry and Santa Rosa plum. With balanced acidity, good body and texture, the tannins are substantial but integrated, providing a very long, fruitful finish."
 
WS on the 1985 - Lean, tight and concentrated with firm black cherry, plum, currant, earth and cedar flavors that are intense and lively with a narrow, focused finish. Plenty of flavor on the aftertaste.
 
While initially musty and funky, this quickly opened to reveal its true native character and tasting profile. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely integrated black berry and black cherry fruits were highlighted with notes of spicy cinnamon and clove with tones of cedar, cigar box, and dark mocha turning to long supple tannin laced tongue coating finish. 
 
RM 90 
 
Two years ago when I last opened this label, I wrote, "Incredible, amazing life left in this 33 year old, showing little sign of diminution, even at this age! Dark purplish garnet colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated complex black berry and black cherry fruits with a subdued layer of soft cedar/camphor with cigar box and moderate acidity on the moderate tannin lingering finish."

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



Cakebread Cellars Sonoma County Annahala Ranch Pinot Noir 2017
 
Ryan brought the remains of this bottle from the previous evening dinner to share. We visited Cakebread Cellars Napa estate and winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2018
 
While known for Napa wines, this Cakebread Pinot is from their Annahala Ranch in coastal Mendocino County, a 60 acre site near the small town of Boonville in southern Anderson Valley. Annahala is the sister ranch to their nearby Apple Barn Vineyard — both are former apple orchards along the banks of Anderson Creek. The Annahala site, with its closer proximity to the Pacific Ocean, spends more time in fog. The coastal climate and loamy soils are suited and recognized for producing world-class pinot noir wines with bright aromatics, vivid varietal flavors, and silky tannins. 
 
Dijon clone vines are selected to
impart perfume and intense black cherry characters, while another clone contributes elegant texture and a hint of dried rose petals. 


Winemaker notes: "The finished wine offers aromas and flavors of lush black cherry, raspberry and blackberry, fine-grained tannins, notes of spice, and a flinty vein of minerality."
 
"Our tree-lined Annahala Ranch sits on the banks of Anderson Creek in Anderson Valley, not far from the ocean. Grapes here are protected from hot sun for a delicately articulated, lighter-style Anderson Valley pinot noir," says Vineyard Director Lise Asimont 

I am not normally a Pinot drinker, favoring the bigger more fruit forward Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, but I liked this a lot. It was impressive and even better the next day with some toasted brioche, red pepper and cream cheese. 

Ruby colored, light medium bodied, black rapsberry, black cherry and pomegranate fruits with classic pinot dusty rose and tangy spice with soft fine grained lingering tannins. 

RM 91

 
@CakebreadWines
 
Spring Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1985
 
This is from the historic estate that gained fame for being the location where the TV series Falcon Crest was filmed, high up Spring Mountain above the Napa town of St Helena. 
 
While typically known for long-lived wines with its mountain fruit and low yields, this particular bottle and vintage release of this label had not faired as well as the Bosché, above. The fill level was normal, at lower neck, and the label, foil and cork were in good condition. After extracting the Bosché cork with a traditional normal corkscrew puller, Ryan tempted fate with the bottle and it's stiff and drying cork, which ultimately separated in half.
 
The color was starting to take on a slight brownish hue, the concentrated forward black berry and currant fruits were hanging on but starting to give way to a musty funkiness, which did burn off after an hour, but starting to take over were non-fruit flavors of tea, smoke, wood, wet earth and leather with a tart tangy acidic finish. This bottle was past its prime drinking window and was succumbing to diminution from aging, still drinkable never-the-less, but for those with an affinity or a taste or tolerance for aged Cabernet.
 
RM 87
 
 
Cliff Lede Napa Valley Claret 2018
 
Ryan had opened this for dinner the night before and held back a partial serving to share and compare this evening. While we are big fans of Cliff Lede cabernets, and have visited the estate in Napa Valley Stag's Leap District several times, this more modest entry level release is uninteresting and uninspiring, certainly when compared to the rest of the higher end portfolio. Of course its also priced at the low end as an entry point to the portfolio at a price point of around $50. Ryan acquired this as part of his Lede wine club allocation and hence obtains the lesser wine as part of his getting access to and obtaining some of the highly allocated much sought after premium labels.

As the name Claret indicates, this is a blend of the Bordeaux varietals - 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. 

Producer's notes on the sourcing for this wine: "The Bordeaux varietal grapes in our Claret blend are sourced from our estate Twin Peaks Vineyard in the Stags Leap District and a few of our valued grower partners within Napa Valley. The wine is composed of small batches from a variety of blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected rootstocks and clones. Yields are maintained at sparse levels, with a focus on canopy management and vine balance. The resulting blend boasts remarkable depth and complexity."

Winemaker's notes: "The 2018 Claret showcases all the deep, lush accessibility of the vintage. Its attractive perfume scents the glass with violets, blueberries and warm marionberries. The entry is full of appetizing and concentrated black cherries, warm red licorice, and wild raspberries. The lovely balance inherent in this claret is framed by lavender, cinnamon, cumin, and talc notes. Coating and long, this beauty of a wine finishes with a succulent display of red apple tart, puff pastry, and lingonberry jam". – Christopher Tynan, Winemaker. "This dark ruby colored wine is laden with chocolate covered cherries, powered cocoa, and cassis aromas. Summer raspberry and blackberry flavors coat the palate and luxurious blueberry jam flesh out on the long, expansive finish. This lovely Claret is lithe and playful, but manages to maintain a weighty seriousness. The black licorice, allspice, and plum notes persist on the finish tempting the taster for another glass."
 
Garnet colored, this was a bit closed and tight and was probably consumed too early at too young an age and hopefully will benefit from three to five years or more of bottle aging before revealing its true character profile and potential. 
 
RM 89 points.  








Saturday, February 20, 2021

White Rock Napa Claret 2002

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

With Linda's meatloaf dinner I pulled from the cellar a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend Claret from White Rock Vineyards for a perfect pairing. Claret is the term adopted from the British that refers to a blend of red Bordeaux varietals.

White Rock Vineyards was established in 1870 in the southern foothills of the Stag’s Leap range. Today it is operated by proprietors, the Vandendriessche family who carry on the tradition of the historic estate. The original winery still stands as the home of the Vandendriessche family, carved from white rock quarried from the property in the 1870’s.

The property sits in the Vaca mountain range in the Stag's Leap district on Loma Vista Road off Soda Canyon Road up in the hills above the Darioush and Signorella estates that sit along the Silverado Trail in southeast Napa Valley. 

A family affair, Henri Vandendriessche oversees the operations and business with sons Christopher and Michael serving as winemaker and vineyard managers today.  

Henri Vandendriessche was born and raised in Northern France. He came to America to study Economics at UC Berkeley in 1960. In 1967 he met Claire who was raised in Napa Valley. In 1977 they purchased the 64 acre 1870’s winery estate north of Napa and set out to revive the historic property.  

Henri and Claire settled their family and raised their three children in the converted old winery and made the farm their home. They replanted much of the vineyard and dug a cave into the solid rock. Henri oversaw the vineyard and winery operations while Claire marketed and sold the wines.

Son, Christopher Vandendriessche grew up living the family wine business. He studied physics at UCSC but after graduating in 1992, he moved to France and enrolled in the University of Bordeaux, graduating with an Enology degree. He went on to work at Chateau Pape Clement in Bordeaux and worked harvests in Burgundy, Spain (Remelluri in Rioja), and Argentina (Catena in Mendoza). 

Christopher returned to Napa and learned winemaking as Assistant Winemaker working under John Kongsgaard at Luna where they made wine for a legendary winemakers including David Ramey, Dan Baron, Bill Knuttel, and Marco Capelli. 

In 1999, Christopher returned to White Rock as Winemaker. Today, Christopher and his brother Michael have taken over the business to produce wines that showcase the unique terroir of White Rock Vineyards with its higher elevation cooler climate and rocky white volcanic ash soils. The 35-acre naturally farmed vineyard, boasting its unique terroir is nestled in a small valley at the base of the Stag’s Leap Range.

Michael Vandendriessche grew up on the property he now manages. After high school, he studied viticulture at Napa Valley College before heading off to study for two years in France. He learned viticulture and terroir working the harvest in Burgundy. He returned to Napa in 1996 to take on the role of Vineyard Manager. 

Michael’s wife, Kendall, is a vineyard manager for several distinguished Napa Valley properties including Grace Family Vineyards; and Christopher’s wife, Sarah, is the winemaker at Elizabeth Spencer Winery. 

We also hold from this producer a winemaker signed bottle of the White Rock Vineyards "Laureate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. This was obtained and gifted to us by our nephew Chris who acquired it for us during a Napa trip a several years back. We'll look forward to sharing this with him when we are together at some point.

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

White Rock produce this estate Claret as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and a Chardonnay Reserve.

At twenty-one years, the fill level, foil and cork were in ideal condition, while the labels were somewhat soiled from aging in our cellar.

This is a classic Bordeaux Blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, 1,160 cases were produced of this vintage release.    

In 2010, I wrote of this label, "Dark ink color, medium bodied, smoky leather and floral aromas - forward black berry, violets, hints of cedar, smoke, cedar and touch of tar on moderate tannin finish."

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and blueberry fruits with notes of smoke, spicebox and tobacco and hint of cedar with firm ripe but approachable tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=341624

https://whiterockvineyards.com/ 

http://twitter.com/whiterockcaves


Friday, November 6, 2020

Birthyear Vintage Wine for Family Birthday Dinner

 Birthyear Vintage Wine for Family Birthday Dinner

We joined son Ryan and his family in celebrating his birthday with a gala dinner featuring grilled tenderloin steaks, twice baked potatoes and haricots verts, and ceasar salad. Ryan opened from his cellar a Robert Foley Napa Valley Claret and I took from our cellar a classic historic label Napa Cab. 


Shafer Hillside Select is a classic Napa Valley premium label dating back to 1983. The prior year, 1982, was Ryan's birthyear, and for that vintage, Shafer produced this hillside vineyards Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which thereafter would be known as Shafer Hillside Select. 

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of rugged, arid vineyard blocks that surround the winery in the Stags Leap District in Southeast Napa Valley. 

Founder John Shafer was a native of Chicago, hailed from northern suburb Glencoe, and lived for a time in nearby Hinsdale, Illinois. He moved to Napa Valley in 1972 when the Shafer family purchased a 209-acre property including 30 acres of Scansi’s vineyards. In 1973-74 Shafer planted Cabernet Sauvignon, creating small hillside vineyard blocks such as Sunspot and John’s Upper Seven.

 In 1978, John produced his first Shafer Vineyards wine, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from fruit sourced from John’s Upper Seven vineyard, a precursor to Hillside Select.

Doug Shafer joined his father John as winemaker in 1983. When he tasted the 1982 lot from the Sunspot vineyard block he was so impressed he talked John into keeping it separate from the others. With the Sunspot lot, Doug created this label, Shafer’s one and only Reserve Cabernet. Starting with the 1983 vintage, in 1984, the Reserve was rebranded as the first release of Hillside Select.

That inaugural release of Hillside Select, and those since, are sourced from the collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. With scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, producing lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

Shafer Reserve hillside vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1982

Looking back on my records and published tasting notes, we last served/tasted this label at Ryan's birthday family dinner fifteen years ago on Nov 6, 2005 when I wrote, "Shafer Reserve Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 1982 - RM 92 $49 - Final vintage before this wine was re-labeled the legendary Shafer Hillside Select - Full forward fruit of black cherry, plum, leather and cedar thru to the end. Amazing fruit and life in this 23 year old Napa from a modest vintage - birth-year of Ryan - tasted on his family birthday dinner."
 
My records also show we tasted this wine back on Jan 15 2003 when I published essentially the same tasting note. That bottle was consumed at Capital Grill in Tysons corner, VA. I actually remember that trip and dinner, but not necessarily that bottle tasting. 
 
The Shafer Hillside Select tasting notes date back to the 1983 vintage. They write, "Fully mature color and aromas. Nice acidity complements mature flavors and resolved tannins." Their 1984 release notes speak of 'herbal aromas'. These notes could also describe this release.
 
Tonight, this bottle showed amazing life for a 38 year old vintage bottle, exceeding our expectations. The color was ever so slightly tinged with a minor brownish hue and the slightest bit of cloudiness, still nicely structured and bodied with black cherry fruits offset by a slight layer of funky mustiness of dusty earthy leather with sprites of aromatic perfume and notes of herbs and cedar. A fun and intriguing tasting of a historic label, ready to drink as it is in decline approaching the end of its drinking window. It was remarkable for its age, never-the-less. 

RM 87 

 
 

For son Ryan's birthday, I also presented him with this limited release premium label Fantesca King Richards Pinot Noir 2008
 
This is fitting in that Ryan is actually my namesake, Richard, and this bottle was crafted and produced in limited quantities for the patriarch father of wine producer/ower Susan Hoff and husband Duane. 
 
We'll look forward to sharing this bottle at some point in the future. 

Ryan opened from his cellar this Robert Foley Napa Valley Claret.
 
Robert Foley Napa Valley Claret 2004
 
Robert Foley Vineyards is on Howell Mountain, in northeast Napa Valley. It was founded in 1998 when Napa Valley winemaker Robert Foley started making his own wine.

Robert (Bob) Foley began his wine making career in the Napa Valley in 1977, having just graduated from UC Davis with degrees in both Viticulture and Enology. He spent his first year working for Heitz Cellars, followed by 15 years as the founding winemaker for Markham Vineyards.

In 1992, Foley began another 15 years as the founding winemaker for Pride Mountain Vineyards. During this period, he also crafted wines for Switchback Ridge, Hourglass, Paloma, and School House wines. 

Primarily focused on Robert Foley Vineyards wines, he also works with Shelter, Padis Vineyards, Engel Family, Herson Family Vineyards, and Jenna Marise in the Napa Valley.

Foley’s first wine was this signature Claret, the term the British used to describe a French wines based on Bordeaux Blended varietals. He progressed to expand the portfolio with Petite Sirah, Merlot, Charbono and most recently a blend called 'The Griffin'. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Foley “one of California’s most talented winemakers…(His) are consistently top-notch efforts with impressive personalities.” 
 
This is the Foley flagship, a Napa Valley appellation left-bank Bordeaux blend comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.
 
This label release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar and 91 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, nicely balanced with well integrated bright vibrant ripe black cherry and black berry fruits with sprites of cherry cola, notes of vanilla, sweet oak, creme de cassis and spice with slight astringent bright acidity, moderate tangy tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 92 points.

 
 

Friday, July 17, 2020

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Claret 2017

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Claret 2017

For daughter Marleigh's family birthday gathering, son Ryan pulled from his cellar several Red wines for dinner including this Cliff Lede Napa Claret. He is a member of the Lede wine club and gets regular allocations of Lede labels and has a broad selection including this label which is normally only available exclusively to club members. The term 'Claret' is the British moniker for a Red Bordeaux Blend.

We hold more than a dozen Lede labels ourselves and we've visited the Lede Estate in the Stags Leap district along Silverado Trail in lower Napa Valley during several of our Napa Valley tours.

Cliff Lede estate viewed from the Lede Poetry Inn across
Silverado Trail
Cliff Lede is a Canadian businessman who collected Bordeaux before he decided to start his own 60-acre estate in Stag’s Leap District in 2002. He charged notable Napa winemaker and viticulturist David Abreu to replant the vineyards. Rising star Christopher Tynan has been winemaker since 2012.

Lede produces a broad portfolio of Cabernet Sauvignons including several single vineyard block designated 'Rock Block' labels named for Rock & Roll albums. The flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, called Poetry earned 100 pts from Wine Advocate for the 2013 vintage release.

The Bordeaux varietal grapes in this Claret blend are sourced from the Lede Estate Twin Peaks Vineyard in the Stags Leap District and a few grower partners within Napa Valley. The blend is not specified. 

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Claret 2017

Winemaker Notes for this label: "The 2017 Claret is a fresh an elegantly delineated wine boasting a mix of inviting fruit and spice notes. This dark ruby colored wine is laden with chocolate covered cherries, powered cocoa, and cassis aromas. Summer raspberry and blackberry flavors coat the palate and luxurious blueberry jam flesh out on the long, expansive finish. This lovely Claret is lithe and playful, but manages to maintain a weighty seriousness. The black licorice, allspice, and plum notes persist on the finish tempting the taster for another glass."

We tasted this opposite the Darioush Shiraz and it was akin to bringing a knife to a gunfight - the Claret being muted and opaque in comparison to the massive, bold Shiraz. In a neutral setting, this would've been ideal with a grilled steak or moderate cheese course.

Dark purple garnet colored, slightly opaque, medium bodied, nicely balanced and integrated moderate blackberry and currant fruits with notes of tobacco and spice turning to moderate tannins.  Ryan knows this label well and said this vintage release was subpar, slightly austere to the normal vintage releases.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3467545

https://www.ledefamilywines.com/

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Linden Virginia Claret Red Wine 2004

Linden Vineyards Fauquier County, Blue Ridge Mountains,Virginia Claret Red Wine 2004

We tasted and purchased this Claret Bordeaux style blend bottle at the winery back in the summer of 2010 during our Virginia Wine Country Tour 2010. Winemaker and proprietor Jim Law (left) and his Linden portfolio were by far the best in class producer of Bordeaux varietals we found from Virginia, most notably 'Hardscrabble', their flagship single vineyard designated Bordeaux blend label. We also tasted, liked and purchased their Late Harvest Vidal dessert wine.

The term 'Claret' dates back to the 1700's in England, and the colloquial reference to red wines from the Bordeaux region of France. Britons were large consumers of Bordeaux wines, although during the times they were at war with France, they switched to and popularized Port, hardy fortified red wines from Portugal.

Today, Claret refers to red wines blended in the Bordeaux style from the classic Bordeaux varietals - primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Another trademarked term (subject to license from the Meritage Alliance) for these wines from the new world is Meritage, as written in this blog on subject.

The connection between Virginia and Bordeaux Claret dates back to colonial times when Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson discovered Bordeaux wine while living in France negotiating support for the American Revolution. Jefferson lived in Paris from August 1784 to September 1789 and traveled extensively through the wine regions of France and northern Italy. He brought back to his Virginia estate Monticello not only French wines but also vines to propagate French varietals in the new world. He spent the rest of his years trying to develop those vines and wines in Virginia.

Linden Vineyards, named for the town of Linden, sitting just 65 miles west of Washington, D.C., produced their first vintage in 1987 and their first release and opening of the winery was in 1988. Law has been honing his craft, working the vines and producing wine in the Virginia Shenandoah Valley since 1981. He purchased the abandoned hardscrabble farm in 1983.

Linden grow their Bordeaux varietals on their eighteen acre premier estate Hardscrabble Vineyard (shown left), and a couple nearby vineyards sitting high up the Blue Ridge Mountains at 1,300 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. The vines are from 5 to 25 years of age.

Another vineyard sits high on a bluff above the town of Front Royal in the Shenandoah Valley at an elevation of 600 feet, facing west on light, deep, well drained loam soils, planted in 2000.

This Claret is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (48%), Petit Verdot (35%), Merlot (13%), and Cabernet Franc (4%) in the classic Bordeaux style.

We still hold several Linden labels from that trip and based on this bottle, its time to try them, although I expect the Hardscrabble Bordeaux Blend and the Late Harvest Vidal to have longer lives than this label.

At eleven years of age, this is clearly past its prime and nearing the last chapter of its drinking window, but still holding enough to be casual easy drinking with some hearty cheese, dark chocolate and grilled beef. Our first and most recent tasting of this wine from our cellar was in 2008 at which time we gave it 88 points. See Linden Virginia Claret 2004 - April 4, 2008.

Dark blackish garnet colored with an ever so slight tinge of brown setting in, medium bodied, somewhat lean and austere, black berry and black cherry fruit aromatics predominate with tangy fruit flavors giving way to a layer of cedar, black liquor, black creosote/tar tones, and ripe raisin from the diminution of the fruits, with a tangy spicy cherry on the lingering tannin finish.

RM 85 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=446266

http://www.lindenvineyards.com/linden/