Holiday dinner features Hall Cabernet and a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines
Friday night gala dinner at friends Rod and Pam at their farm estate in nearby exburb Oswego (IL). Pam prepared a delicious chicken with brown wine sauce, carrots, onions and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and green salad. Chip and Sue brought a delightful appetizer of Zuchini with three cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts garlic and other spices.
In the spirit of the season, we 'decked the Halls' with Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pulled from our cellar.
Rod pulled from his cellar a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines for dinner.
Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
We have fun with the label during this time of year ... as we "Deck the Halls" with boughs of holly ... We discovered Hall wines during our Napa Wine Experience 2003 with their moderrn op-art scuplture garden.
As members of the Hall Wine Club we acquired many labels of their allocated premium labels. We've attended several Hall wine tasting events including their release tour tasting in Chicago hosted by none other than owner producer Kathryn Hall (right).
Our visit to the magnificent Hall Rutherford winery and estate visit are featured in our blogpost Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate Visit.
We returned again to Hall for a tasting of their new releases during our Sonoma Napa Wine Experience 2017.
Those initial early tasting notes rated this release 93 points, reducing
that to 92 points after nine years or for various bottles, perhaps due
to bottle variations or to the overall effect of wine and food pairings
that might contribute to my tasting experience. RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=761928
http://www.hallwines.com/visit/winery-experiences/rutherford-tours
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/hall-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-2006.html
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Bodegas Frutos Villar Muruve Crianza Tinta de Toro Tempranillo 2009
This
is from Spain's remote, high elevation wine producing region between
the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero, known for its intense,
full-bodied reds made from the Tempranillo grape, locally called Tinta
de Toro.
Tempranillo, the “Noble Grape of Spain,” is Spain’s most widely planted grape, food-friendly, able to be enjoyed early or can be long-lasting, capable of aging for a decade or more.
The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone.
Wines from the officially demarcated wine regions of Spain, are labeled “Denominaciones de Origen” or “DOs”.
Produced from a small patch of land in central Spain, the Toro DO region produces a this designated label wine called Tinto Del Toro. Toro reds must contain a minimum of 75% Tempranillo, and use other blending grapes such as Garnacha. The wine is often aged in American oak for varying lengths of time.
Frutos Villar is a 4th generation of a family with wines from Ribera de Duero, Toro, Rueda, Cigales and Tierra CyL. The family wine business dates back to turn of the last century when they we bought up and sold wine from the region of Toro, the oldest red wine area in Spain. They established their first winery at Toro in 1920 and a second winery in Cigales in 1960. With the consolidation of the demarcated regions, in 1988, the Frutos Villar family purchased Bodegas Santa Eulalia, a winery belonging to the Ribera del Duero region.
At Bodegas Frutos Villar, they produced estate wines from their own vineyards not belonging to any “Denominación de Origen”, and in 1990 in Castilla, they began to market wines from the Rueda “DO”.
Building on their centuries-old experience in the Toro region, Frutos Villar work with winemakers of some of the highest quality vineyards across the region, as well as fruit sourced from their own 240 acres of vines to produce a broad portfolio of wines that represent some of the best of the region.
With barren terrain that retains the heat and a more southern and sunny vineyard, it has warm red wines with a great tannin and color, with a very tasty palate.
This Tinto Crianza is Designation of Origin, D.O. Toro, 100% Tinta de Toro grape varietal. It was barrel aged 12 months 95% American oak 5% French oak with racking every 3 months, then bottle aged a minimum of 6 months aging in bottles before being marketed.Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011
From the province of Cuenca near central Spain, where winemaking dates back to Roman times and developed during the medieval period.
Dominio de Punctum is a family owned company, founded by three siblings, the eighth generation of the Fernandez family: Jesús, Ruth and Cristina Fernandez, who after running a grocery business in Madrid, founded Dominio de Punctum in the rural plains of La Mancha with a vision to create organic and biodynamic wines that are eminently drinkable.
After years, preparing to produce quality organic and biodynamic wines from the family’s old vineyards, the Finca Fabián estate winery was established in 2005.
CEO Jesús Fernández founded Dominio de Punctum in 2005 with his sisters Ruth and Cristina. He has grown distribution to 37 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.Ruth Fernández serves as Oenologist & Production Director. After graduation from Universidad Autónoma of Madrid in Viticulture and Oenology, she began her career in Languedoc, France. She has pursued her love for organic agriculture grew, studying further in biodynamic agriculture with the Spanish association “Asociación para la Agricultura Biodinámica en España”.
Cristina Fernández serves as CFO, having graduated in Universidad Carlos III of Madrid in Economics. With deep interest in biodynamic agriculture, she studied with her sister several courses on the topic. She was appointed Demeter Farmer in Vineyard and Wine Producer in Cuenca.
The crossroad also symbolises the
position of the estate, vineyards and winery, where Cuenca is adjacent
to Albacete and Ciudad Real.
Working in a land where winemaking has been present for centuries, Punctum pursue the combination of viticulture tradition in Spain and modern sustainable agriculture to turn estate grown grapes into world class wines.
The estate sits at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, with soil, clay-based and rich in limestone, that helps retaining water, essential for the health of the vines and develops intense aromas, freshness and deep colors for our wines.
The continental-mediterranean climate provides plenty of sunlight hours to the vineyards that ripens the grapes easily, yet the night temperature drop and creating a sharp contrast that heightens the aromas and flavors of the wine.
Punctum vineayards are planted to the varietals Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Bobal, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Verdejo and Viura. They produce wines that are 100% of grapes from their own wineries,
Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011
This Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo is a versatile
Spanish red wine that originates from Spain’s famous wine-making
regions, Castilla, La Mancha. Fully 100% organic estate grown fruit, the Dominio De Punctum Winery, uses only techniques and processes that are biodynamic, ecologically friendly and sustainable for the environment, free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and any kind of chemicals in their cultivation of their grape varieties.
Garnet colored, medium full bodied fruit forward blackberry, cherry, strawberry and cherry fruits with notes of oak, mocha and vanilla, black tea and tobacco on the tannin laced finish.
RM 87 points.
