Wine Flight for casual dinner

Sangiovese Wine Flight for casual dinner 

Vacationing at The Cove, our Vacation Rental in Destin (FL), we entertained neighbors/friends Richard & Vickie for a casual dinner. Linda prepared fresh John’s Famous Crab Cakes from John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin, and waygu beef burgers. 

We wrote about John’s Crab Cakes in an earlier blogpost - Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner last year. 

I opened from our home cellar a flight of wines for the occasion, taking into account our friends’ Italian heritage and preference for Italian and Italian varietal wines. 

With the starter course of a selection of artisan cheeses and fresh fruits, and the crab cakes, we opened a Russian River Valley Chardonnay. 

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

I wrote about this label and our visit to the Gary Farrell estate winery in the Russian River Valley in this earlier blogpost, Pour Boys Coq-Au-Vin and wine dinner, excerpted here. 

We joined the Farrell club during our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

Gary Farrell Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard. 

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County. 

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.

The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. 

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.

Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork. 

Gary Farrell produces over a dozen ultra-premium Chardonnays sourced from top vineyard sites throughout the region. 

This Russian River Selection bottling is 100% Russian River Valley Chardonnay blended from some of the region’s top vineyard sources - Westside Farms, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Goddard Ranch, Olivet Lane Vineyard, Rochioli Vineyard, Allen Vineyard, Lazy W Vineyard, Martinelli Vineyard, Parnell Ranch, and Pratt Cornerstone Vineyard. It expresses the varietal and the RRV appellation’s unique terroir.

This layered and complex Chardonnay brings together fruit from several of Farrell’s favorite Russian River Valley vineyard sites reflecting the character of Westside Farms, intriguing floral and stone fruit notes from Bacigalupi Vineyard, the wine’s great concentration and structure derive from the nearby Rochioli and Allen vineyards and Olivet Lane Vineyard.

The famous Rochioli Vineyard was originally purchased in 1938 by Joe Rochioli, Sr. The quest of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the fertile, gravelly soils was continued by Joe Jr. after his father’s passing in 1966. The collaboration between Gary Farrell Winery and the Rochioli Vineyard has been in effect for more than 30 years and is a foundation of the Farrel portfolio of Russian River Valley wines.

 

This was aged 10 months in 30% new French oak. 4578 cases were produced. 

This label was rated 92-93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 92 by Wine Spectator. 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, rich, round, concentrated but crisp clean green apple, pear and hints of peach and pineapple fruits with notes of nut, minerals, flintiness and barrel spice with a textured lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

With the waygu beef burgers we turned to a medley of Sangiovese Italian varietal red wines. 

Richard and we both love Sangiovese and most of our Italian cellar selections are that varietal, which we love paired with Italian cuisine. 

The Brunello di Montalcino label is tightly regulated and can only be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. 

Appellation regulations also limit the quantity of wine produced each year and mandate a Long Aging Process which stipulate Brunello must be aged for a minimum of four years, with at least two years spent in oak barrels. This lengthy aging process that ties up resources and increases production costs contributes to the higher price point of the label.

The rigorous production regulations set by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium ensure that only the highest quality wines bear the Brunello label. This commitment to quality often requires additional investment in vineyard management, winemaking techniques, and quality control.

Brunello has gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest wines, prized for its complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully. Its prestigious status and limited availability contribute to high demand and, consequently, higher prices.

We started with this premium ‘Sasoallora’ from Jacobi Biondi Santi.

Jacopo Biondi-Santi 'Sassoalloro' Toscana IGT 2019 

Biondi Santi's Toscana Rosso Sassoalloro crafted by family winery Jacopo Biondi Santi in Tuscany, producers of a portfolio of Sangiovese, labels. 

This Sassoalloro label first produced in 1991 is the iconic wine is sourced from the vineyards of the Castello di Montepò, “Aia di Clemente”, 15 acres in a small garden in Montepò in a portion of Galestro. The vineyard is exposed to the East, South-East with a slope of 17% with rows 280 meters long. There is no irrigation in the vineyards to force deep and well-resistant vine development.

It is crafted by Jacopo and Tancredi Biondi Santi in collaboration with the winemaker Donato Lanati. 

It is produced with 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, harvested at the end of September. After vinification, the wine was aged in barriques of non-toasted woods of the Tronçais forests for 14 months.

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 90 by Wine Enthusiast. 

Winemakers notes -  “It is a wine with a brilliant ruby ​​red color, with shades tending to violet. The nose opens with fresh and fruity scents, enriched with pleasant notes of violet. In the mouth it is soft and velvety, with an extremely long finish. Overall it is a very elegant wine, with an excellent longevity potential: from 15 to 20 years.”

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, slightly opaque, smooth and elegant sweet berry and cherry fruits with notes of walnuts, herbs and spices with bright acidity and fine tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4185025

Cerbaia Brunello Di Montalcino 2019

I then opened this highly rated Sangiovese from Cerbaia. I featured this wine and producer in an earlier blogpost, excerpted here - Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian. 

We acquired this Limited Production Brunello di Montalcino at Binny's, our Chicagoland beverage superstore, based on their recommendation and its stellar 98 point rating. While I didn't give it such stellar ratings, we enjoyed it a lot and I went back to pick up a few more bottles. 

This is from Cerbaia, a boutique winery that produces wines from some of the finest vineyards in Montalcino that are a true expression of a unique and distinctive place.

The Cerbaia property has belonged to the Pellegrini family since the 1950s, with the family beginning to make wine in the 1970’s. The estate covers of a total of 35 acres of land, 11 of which are under the Brunello appellation controls, located on the highly regarded Montosoli Hill, known as the Grand Cru of Montosoli — some of the most coveted land in Tuscany.

In 2014, Elena Pellegrini gave up a promising career in corporate finance to devote herself to her family estate, striving to craft elegant, balanced wines in the traditional Montalcino style as her father Fabio did, applying minimal intervention and sustainable practices. She is advised by notable consulting enologist G.Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine.

This 2019 release was awarded 98-points by James Suckling who declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his review. Kerin O`Keefe of www.kerinokeefe.com gave it 94 Points.

The 2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Wine Advocate called the vintage “uniformly easy” for vintners.

The release was aged three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.

Winemaker Notes - Intense ruby red in color, garnet with aging. Rich and intense bouquet of violets, undergrowth, red fruits, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Very long persistence, fresh, and elegant but complex.

Bright ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty rose, tobacco, dried herbs and leather with hints of truffle with bright acidity on a smooth polished tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4577891

For a fun comparison, and introduction to Richard an American Sangiovese, I opened this rare limited production Napa Valley label from a producer we know well. 

Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar with more than a dozen labels dating back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993. 

Del Dotto Vineyards was established in 1990 when David and Yolanda Del Dotto planted vineyards on 17 acres in Rutherford at the homestead Estate on the corner of Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane in Napa Valley. It truly is a family affair with David's father John being involved in the early days, and daughter Desiree and son Giovanni being involved in the business and having their own labels as well. I had the pleasure of meeting John back in the late nineties and working with Desiree as she took on marketing duties during that era.

The Del Dotto first release vintage was 1993. Since then the estate has grown significantly to 437 acres of vineyards producing 8,000-12,000 cases annually. Around 2010, the Del Dotto brand expanded further with the release of Villa Del Lago, an ultra-premium label from Pritchard Hill.

Del Dotto Vineyards are located in several appellations through Napa Valley and Sonoma County, including Rutherford Bench, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Sonoma Coast, Spring Mountain, Oakville and Napa Valley. The large wine portfolio includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah and various blends. 

Rick and Linda with David Del Dotto circa 2003

Indeed, Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar dating back to the inaugural vintage release back in 1993. Our association with Del Dotto dates back to our Napa Wine Experiences and wine producer and winemaker dinners back in the mid-nineties.

Del Dotto and then winemaker the legendary Nils Venge were pioneers of Sangiovese in Napa Valley, planting a couple acres around the house along the highway at the Rutherford Estate. We acquired many of those vintages, and several variations of their Sangiovese labels over the years, as seen in several of these blogposts - 

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 1998 - 2016

As mentioned, I’ve written often in these pages about Del Dotto pioneering Sangiovese in Napa Valley back in the late nineties under the collaboration with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. Del Dotto continues their lineage of Sangiovese wines with this offering under the Piazza label, the recent addition to the growing list of Del Dotto brands.

We discovered the Piazza brand during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. We then targeted the just opened Piazza Winery Delicacies Wine and Food Tasting Experience during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018. It was the highlight of our entire Napa trip. We tasted and acquired this 2015 release during that Cave Tour tasting, and then follow on releases at the Piazza Winery. 

Del Dotto offered Napa Valley Sangiovese under the historic flagship 'David' label (shown right) from 1998 through 2003 and also appeared as Rutherford Estate Sangiovese 2013. (The 1998 label is shown here. The 1999 label calls it St Helena Sangiovese. 

((While we’re at it …. For the record and for reference for anyone tracking such details, the Cellartracker dossier, our inventory management system and normally reliable reference guide, is confused and misguided on this wine. It contains two references to this wine, both partially right and wrong. It lists the wine twice, Del Dotto Piazza Sangiovese and Del Dotto Sangiovese Piazza. For the first, it lists vintages 1999, 2003 (wrong) and 2013, '15 and 2016 (correct). For the latter it correctly lists 2013, '14, '15 and 2016, and errantly lists 1998 and 2003.))

Then followed a Del Dotto Caves Sangiovese line. We tasted and acquired these wine during our Del Dotto Napa Estate visit and Del Dotto Wine Producer Dinner back in 1999, and again at our Napa Wine Experience in 2003. 

Del Dotto then offered Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend Sangiovese under the Cave Blend brand from 2004 through 2016. I believe Cellartracker references to this label from 2001 are in error and should refer to the 'David' branding. There is no photo evidence of this (Cave Blend 2001) label in the Cellartracker library or in internet searches.

When the Piazza Del Dotto estate and winery opened, the Piazza brand appeared with the 2013 release and continues to this day.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/del-dotto-sangiovese-for-family-lasagna.html

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting back in 2018. We featured this wine soon thereafter and in several posts to follow including this one when we took it took it BYOB to our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, Angelis Italian. 

This was delicious and everyone loved it making me glad we were able to acquire more. I wrote back then that “I wish I had more than the single case we acquired last year. I'll be looking for more.” And we did. 

After we consumed all the bottles we acquired during that visit, we reordered more and finished that too. We tried to order more and it was no longer offered on the Del Dotto shopping site (s). 

Then, we received an email from Del Dotto clearing out numerous vintage labels and we acquired a mixed case of favorites including several vintages of this label (below). 

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Sangiovese 2018 

When it arrived, I was surprised to see the historic original ‘legacy’ labels and the Rutherford Estate designation leading me to believe that this is sourced from those original two acres of vines planted back in the nineties. Indeed, according to the rear label, only two barrels were produced of this release.  

 It was great fun sharing this label with my Italian friend, and Italian Wine Lover, who had never experienced an American Sangiovese. It showed exceedingly well, more robust, forward and powerful than the more subdued, subtle Italians. 

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, vibrant forward round sweet ripe black berry and black currant and raspberry fruits with notes of spice, rustic earthy black tea, hints of mushrooms, dark mocha and vanilla with smooth silky tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points.   

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3727599 

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

https://x.com/DelDottoWine

Something earlier Del Dotto posts - 

Del Dotto Sangiovese and Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve for Angelis Italian Dinner

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=48662

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/del-dotto-sangiovese-for-family-lasagna.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2579868

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/del-dotto-piazza-sangiovese-at-angelis.html

Del Dotto Sangiovese with Angeli's Italian Pasta 

Del Dotto Napa Cab at Bijoux Bistro Sandestin

Del Dotto Napa Cab at Bijoux Bistro Sandestin

For our actual fiftieth anniversary, we had a getaway week to our Destiny East Cove vacation rental, in Destin, FL, and dined at Bijoux French Bistro restaurant in nearby Miramar Beach, Sandestin. 

Pictured above at earlier celebration, and, at the right,  the anniversary couple, not at elegant dinner, but on our pickleball courts at Destiny East, earlier in the day. 

Bijoux has been acclaimed for being the "Most Romantic Restaurant" as well as "Restaurant of the Year” and “Best French Restaurant on the Emerald Coast", 

Their wine list has been recognized by Wine Spectator Magazine with their Award of Excellence over the last decade. 

From the Bijoux Award Winning wine list we selected a producer and label we know well, Del Dotto Cave Napa Valley Cabernet, which was an ideal pairing with our filet of beef entrees. 

As a starter, I ordered the Lobster Spring Roll, Tempura Fried Maine Lobster Tail, with Green Tea Soba Noodle Slaw, Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce, and Wasabi Aioli.

We both ordered the “Black Skillet” Filet Mignon with Buttermilk Gruyere Mashed Potatoes, Bacon Braised Greens, Roasted Garlic Herb Butter and Demi-Glace sauce. 

Note - I ordered my filet of beef my customary “Pittsburgh Style” - charred with a hot pink center, and it was prepared perfectly!  

Del Dotto Caves Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 

While the wine list offered several labels from several of our favorite producers, we chose this producer since we’ve had many memorable visits to the Del Dotto estate and wineries over the years. 

We've been fans of Del Dotto Vineyards and their Estate wines since the early nineties dating back to their inaugural release in 1993. We still hold a vertical collection more than two decades of vintages of their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon dating back to those earliest vintages. We visited and featured Del Dotto during several of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences in 1998 through 2008, then again in 2017 and 2019.

We wrote about Del Dotto Family Vineyards and Wineries extensively in our feature of our Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Tour Barrel Tasting during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. 

Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar collection, but we’ve not had this vintage selection of this label before so it was a new experience to celebrate the festive occasion. 

Even though it says, Cabernet Sauvignon, we chose this particular label as it is actually a Bordeaux Blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot,  3% Petit Verdot, - ideal for pairing with our filets of beef. 

Note - This label is not to be confused with their “Cave Blend”, which is artistically identical to this label, but is a completely different wine. 

Producer’s Tasting Notes:

The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is our classic blend showcasing a conglomerate of vineyards and Bordeaux varietals. This is the painter's palette of Napa's finest appellations. With fruit from the hillsides and valley floor, this is about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. For an everyday Cabernet, this is the perfect bottle. The bouquet is refined with both floral notes, cedar shavings, milk chocolate and red berries. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and supremely balanced with crushed cherries, vanilla cream and brownie crumbles. The finish is soft and lengthy creating a perfect complement to many foods or by itself with a great movie or book!

Dark ruby garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex, full round, smooth and polished sweet ripe dark berry fruits accented by spice and mocha chocolate, hints of oak, black tea and cedar with a smooth soft tannin lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations

Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations … 

For Grandson Reid’s birthday we were invited over for a family gathering and combination birthday and Fathers’ Day celebration dinner. Ryan and Michelle ordered in pasta and pizza and Ryan pulled from his cellar a couple of birthyear ultra-premium red wines. I took from our cellar a matching label to share and compare. 

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We served this at Christmas last year - certainly one of the best drinking bottles from our cellar - worthy of a special occasion. I featured it in this blogpost at the time, excerpted below:

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label at the magnificent Rutherford Estate Winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. This is sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard that lies just above the winery adjacent to the estate residence. We hold and have had some of the earlier single vineyard designated wines from this vineyard dating back to 1998. Who knew this would evolve and progress to such heights? Not often does one get to taste a 'perfect' wine. of course perfection is in the eyes ('eyze') of the beholder. The 2013 vintage of this label that we tasted that day in their magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown below) got 100 points from  Robert Parker.

Parker wrote of this wine; "This hails from the foothills of Rutherford and refers to Kathryn Hall’s ambassadorship to Austria between 1997 and 2001. A prodigious wine with beautiful floral notes intermingled with blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry and graphite, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied force, but nothing seems pushed, cloying or out of sync. Gorgeously pure blue and black fruits cascade over the palate, a full-bodied presentation with remarkable purity and complexity. The finish is a good 45-50 seconds, and while there is significant tannin, the extravagance of the fruit and glycerin generally conceal it. This is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, world class Cabernet Sauvignon that should prove compelling for at least another 30-40+ years."

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points.

Sacrashe Vineyard at Hall Rutherford Estate

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

As explained on the rear label, shown below, the name Exzellenz is German for Ambassador, in commemoration of Kathyn Hall's service as US Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001. 

The bricks in the magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown right and above) and featured in a separate blogpost at this link)  are recovered and repurposed from a former royal castle in Austria.  

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard (shown above) at the Hall Rutherford Estate on the lower slopes of the Vaca Range overlooking Rutherford, Napa Valley.  

While this release didn't get 100 points, it came as close as possible, 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points from Owen Bargreen of owenbargreen.com, and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Parker wrote about this wine: "Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and sporting a very deep purple-black color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz unfurls slowly, tantalizingly out of the glass to reveal powerful, intense scents of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and preserved plums with an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, molten chocolate, licorice and Marmite toast with wafts of garrigue and camphor. Very rich, full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it coats the mouth with black and blue fruit preserves plus tons of spice and savory accents, held together by a rock-solid, grainy frame and finishing with epic persistence."

Consistent with our earlier tastings of this label - Spectacular! Delicious! Enchanting! Deep dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, round, rich, complex but elegant and seductive smooth blackberry and black currant fruits accented by savory clove/cinnamon spices, tones of crème de cassis, mocha chocolate, tobacco leaf and black tea, with a tongue coating dusty gripping but silky smooth tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 97 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2508301

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

For the special family occasion, I brought this ultra-premium label from our cellar and it proved a perfect match comparison. The Exzellenz and the Del Dotto Family Reserve had remarkably similar tasting profiles albeit the Del Dotto being strikingly more bold and assertive but on the same tasting curve.   

Del Dotto St Helena Mountain Family Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

We tasted and acquired this bottle at the Del Dotto Winery Cave Tour Tasting in St Helena during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. That tasting was from the barrel. This is another spectacular memorable Napa Valley tasting destination experience.

We've been collecting Del Dotto Family Wine for over twenty-five years, since their inaugural release of this Napa Cabernet in 1993. The Del Dotto brand, holdings, portfolio and presence have grown substantially over those years, yet they still maintain their focus on small production, premium wines. 

Over that time Dave Del Dotto has acquired vineyards in some of the best American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) including Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, and Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast. The portfolio and brand has grown proportionally as well. 

Today Del Dotto produce wines based on cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, sangiovese and sauvignon blanc from their Napa Valley vineyards, as well as pinot noir, chardonnay and limited amounts of syrah, sauvignon blanc, sparkling grenache and mourvedre from their Cinghiale (wild boar) Vineyard in the King Ridge region of the Sonoma Coast.

We still hold nearly two decades of Del Dotto wines dating back to that 1993 inaugural vintage release. 

Over the years we've held Del Dotto wine dinners with Dave and Yolanda such as our Napa Wine Experience back in 1999, and attended numerous Del Dotto hosted special events. More recently, our Pour Boys wine group did the Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Tour and Barrel Tasting at the magnificent St Helena estate winery and caves. And, our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience at the then new Piazza Del Dotto estate and winery (and now caves) was one of the memorable highlights of our Napa Wine Experience in 2018. 

Its hard to believe that with published tasting notes of no less than sixty-five different labels and vintage releases - and countless iterations thereof, I have not tasted, or published a tasting note or blogpost of this particular label vintage release.

Our collection of Del Dotto family wines remains one of the largest holdings in our cellar with both vertical and horizontal collections of favorite labels. Hence it was only fitting for a special occasion family dinner that I took a Del Dotto Family Reserve estate label.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Del Dotto St. Helena Mountain Vineyard​. This is the same fruit that is used in their super ultra-premium label The Beast. I wish we had more of this to experience over the years as it ages but it was spectacular tonight in its 9th year - clearly at the apex of its tasting window, not likely to improve with further aging, but assuredly will hold and drink well for a couple decades to come!

Winemaker’s notes for this label - “The St. Helena Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has immense power and body with enough integration to achieve 100-point status in previous vintages. The color is an opaque purple and visually viscous. This particular selection is the finest combination of French Oaks along with the best blocks from the 12-acre estate along the base of the Mayacamas mountain range. The bouquet is dense with notes of black plum, molasses, allspice and marmalade. The mouthfeel is velvety with a hint of boysenberry, mocha, roasted walnut and dark chocolate. The tannins are firm and well balanced.”

Bright ruby colored, full bodied, huge, dense, powerful, firm structured, rich, concentrated, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of cognac, clove cinnamon spice, layers of oak, tobacco, black tea and black olive notes with hints of dark bitter chocolate and crème d’cassis with tongue coating sweet oaky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2752657

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@deldottowines

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-tour-barrel_12.html

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot St Emilion Premiere Grand Cru Classe 2015

Another top label from Reid’s birthyear vintage, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is a fantastic example of a full, round, flavorful, powerful expression of Saint-Émilion terroir. Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is owned by the Becot family who has overseen the property for several generations. It is designated a Saint-Émilion Grand Crus Classés estate. 

The estate lies on the St Martin de Mazerat plateau, immediately to the west of the old town, Beau-Séjour Bécot lies in the very heart of the Saint-Emilion appellation area just outside the commune of St Emilion very near some of our favorite producers, Châteaux Canon and Le Gaffeliere. 

The Becot family hired the legendary oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland to establish and maintain the estate’s classification.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot has a long storied history in the Right Bank. The vines on the grounds were first cultivated by the ancient Romans who recognized the promise of the terroir centuries ago. The grounds of this property still hold stone ruins scattered amongst from those early days. At one point, the property was owned by the Monks of the Saint Martin Abbey in Saint-Émilion, who also owned and tended the vines of Château Canon. 

The monks of Saint-Martin de Mazerat were followed by the Gères, lords of Camarsac. In 1722 one of their descendants, Jeanne de Gères, brought the Domaine de Peycoucou into the estate of the Carles de Figeac family on her marriage. In 1787 General Jacques de Carles de Figeac renamed the estate Château Beau-Séjour, which means “beautiful resting place.” 

General Jacques de Carles was without successors - Beau-Séjour eventually came into the possession in 1924 of Doctor Jean Fagouet, who enlarged the vineyard, increasing its surface area to 10.5 hectares (26 acres). Michel Bécot, born into a wine growing family who had lived in Saint-Emilion since 1760 and owner of the neighbouring Château La Carte since 1929, purchased the estate in 1969. 

In 1979, the Bécot family further enlarged the estate with the purchase of 4.5 hectares (11 acres) on the Trois Moulins plateau. The estate, which then became known as Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, is today a
substantial 16.6-hectare (41-acre) holding on a perfectly uniform terroir. Michel Bécot retired in 1985, turning over the management of the Château to his two sons Gérard and Dominique.

The vines at Château Beau-Séjour Bécot are typically 45 years old primarily planted to the appellation specific Merlot, interspersed with the customary varietal Cabernet Franc for added dimension and complexity.

The 2015 Beau-Sejour Becot is composed in a somewhat traditional or customary St Emilion blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in 85% new and 15% one-year-old French oak for 17 months.

It was rated 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, 95 points by Wine Spectator, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling, and 94 points by Decanter. It was #55 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018 and a ‘Cellar Selection’.

This was not exactly a fair fight, or comparison with the rich almost obtuse forward vibrant single varietal Cabernet Sauvignons. A Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, predominantly Merlot based it was more complex yet nicely balanced and integrated. It begs for a filet of beef pairing. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex round, full ripe plum and blackberry and black cherry fruits with touches of spice box, tobacco, lavender and cedar with rich, firm but silky smooth polished tannins on the long floral finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2353242

Mother’s Day Surf ‘n Turf dinner paired with ultra-premium wines

Mother’s Day Surf ‘n Turf dinner paired with spectacular flight of ultra-premium wines

We were blessed to have all four of our children drop in for Mother’s Day. Some had to move on to mother-in-laws for dinner but Ryan and Alec were able to stay. 

After some spirited blistering pickleball on the driveway court we settled in to a fabulous dinner with some spectacular wines. 

For a very special Mother’s Day dinner we dined on the deck and Linda prepared surf ‘n turf lobster tails and ribeye beefsteak served with grilled asparagus and baked potatoes. Son’s Ryan and Alec brought over from their cellars some ultra-premium wines, which I supplemented with some labels from our cellar.

Our initial wine flight included these labels plus a couple others … 

Kistler Durrell Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay 2019 

Ryan brought from his cellar this classic, legendary producer single vineyard select Chardonnay. Kistler produce one heritage Californian selection Chardonnay based clone planted across fifteen select vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. From those sites they produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays, each representing the unique terroir of the site.

This label, Durrell Vineyard Chardonnay, has been bottled since 1986, sourced from a vineyard at the bottom of Sonoma Valley where it meets the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations. The site contains loamy soil that is heavily influenced by a vein of stone that runs through the blocks that are dedicated to this label. 

Winemaker notes for this release - “Pale yellow. Luxurious perfumes lift high, pinned by the marine-earthen tones of the lower reaches of Sonoma Valley/Carneros. Fully ripe yellow and orange citrus flesh and blooms, and a golden fruited body lead to a silken-weighted middle, sparked by natural acids and a lengthy finish that persists with hints of herbed nut oils. The weightiest of our fall release wines but so driven by its well-integrated acidity, that it belies its own density and sits perfectly balanced.”

This release was awarded 97 points by Lisa Perrotti-Brown of The Wine Independent and James Suckling, and 95 points by Vinous, Antonio Galloni.

Golden straw colored with light green hue, medium-full bodied, polished nicely integrated and balanced, expressive vibrant notes of lime, lemon and grapefruit citrus with notes of stone fruit and minerality with smooth acidity on the long finish.

RM 93 points, 

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/wines/2021-durell-vineyard-chardonnay/

Cuvée 'L' Veuve Doussot Champagne NV 

This Pinot Noir Chardonnay blend Champagne comes from the southern Aube region, the vineyards surrounding the village of Noé-les-Mallets in the Côte-des-Bar, situated near the house of general Degaulle and its memorial, opposite the village of Troyes. The area is closer to Chablis than the center of the Champagne region, with a warmer microclimate ideal for Pinot Noir. 

The Champagne house of Veuve Doussot has been home to several generations of winegrowers, involved in all aspects of growing and producing wines since 1746. Today it is run by third generation Stephane Joly.

The Joly family have been winegrowers and producers in the heart of the Champagne region for over a century. In 1970, Georges Joly and his sons created the first Veuve Doussot brand, continuing the family winemaking history set by his grandfather, father and uncles. 

Stephane Joly took over after the death of his father. He restructured the vineyard taking over parts from his cousins, and took over all aspects of  winemaking, marketing and distribution. He is a member of the commandery of “Saulte bouchon Champenois” and local member of the general winegrowers union.

The vineyards are 90% planted to Pinot Noir, best suited to area for its soil rich with clay and limestone. To add fresh and floral flavours to the Champagne they also grow Chardonnay; creating a smell and a taste unique to the distinctive terroir. Because of the proximity to Chablis, you often find similar veins of the chalky Kimmeridgian soil, interspersed with red clay and limestone.

The Veuve Doussot portfolio includes 10 different Champagne cuvees, a few still wines, and an excellent Ratafia (an aperitif made from distilled Champagne grapes).

This cuvee is primarily composed of Pinot Noir, blended with 15% chardonnay, and aged in the classical Champagne tradition, on the lees in bottles for a minimum of 18 months. The dosage level here is designated as Brut.  

This was rated 92 by Wine Enthusiast. 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, rich and textured, intense bright pear, melon, green apple and citrus fruit flavors with toasty pain grille notes accentuated with dusty rose, white flowers and chalky minerals ending with a bright, crisp finish.

RM 91 points. 

• https://confrerie-domaines.com/en/home/champagne/champagne-veuve-doussot/

  
  

Viña Cobos, Vineyard Designate Malbec, Marchiori Estate, Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, 2019

Ryan brought the remains of this bottle from his cellar. We first tasted this wine when Ryan served it at a family gathering about a year ago, which I wrote about in detail in pages at that time, excerpted below. 

Viña Cobos is the Argentine project of legendary California winemaker/producer Paul Hobbs. 

In addition to his global consulting career, Paul Hobbs has navigated producing wines globally, engaging annually in two harvests across nine countries.  Today, Paul is the owner and winemaker for Sebastopol, California based wineries Paul Hobbs Winery and Crossbarn, as well as his international partnerships: Viña Cobos of Argentina, Crocus of Cahors, France, Yacoubian-Hobbs of Armenia and his two latest projects in development: Hillick & Hobbs, focusing on Finger Lakes riesling, and Alvaredos-Hobbs in Galicia, Spain.

Paul Hobbs visited Mendoza in Argentina in 1989 and started working with Malbec, exploring different terroirs of Mendoza, looking for the most distinguished regions in Luján de Cuyo and the Valle de Uco, to produce wines that uniquely express their origins.

He established Viña Cobos in 1998, After twenty years of experimenting, development, innovation and improvement, Viña Cobos has evolved to become internationally recognized for producing luxury-class wines and a world quality leader for Malbec based wines. Viña Cobos creates extraordinary wines of outstanding quality, highlighting Malbec as the emblematic variety of Mendoza.

With the inaugural vintage of Cobos Malbec in 1999, Viña Cobos marked a milestone in viticulture, defying existing standards and firmly positioned Malbec and Argentina on the international wine scene.

Viña Cobos, Vineyard Designate Malbec, Marchiori Estate, Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, 2018  

The winery’s elegant and balanced wines are a result of meticulous vineyard farming and utmost attention to showcasing the specific terroir of the region. This Malbec is sourced from Estates and vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco. The Marchiori Estate is the cornerstone of Viña Cobos. Malbec grapes grown in block C2 have been the key source since the inaugural vintage release, Cobos Malbec 1999. 

Luján de Cuyo is the premier growing region of Mendoza, fed by the snow-melt of the Andes through the Mendoza River. High altitudes range from 945 - 1,100 m (2,624 - 3,608 ft). The soils are alluvial, with a subsoil of clay, sand, silt and rock.

Valle de Uco with proximity to the Andes Mountains characterizes this cool, high altitude region. Vineyards sites range from 900 - 1,400 m (2,950 - 4,600 ft) in elevation. The soils are alluvial, sandy and rocky, and in some areas, limestone.

In addition to Malbec, Viña Cobos grows and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay.

The 2015 Cobos Marchiori Estate Malbec was awarded 98 points by JS. This release was awarded 97 points by James Suckling and 95 by Wine Spectator.

Winemaker Notes - “Cobos Marchiori seduces with its extraordinary aromatic richness, it is an intense and elegant wine, in which its great freshness stands out. It shows an intense red color with violet tones. We find red fruit, cassis, plum, spices, blond tobacco, coconut, white pepper, chocolate and subtle notes of cardamom. The richness on the nose is repeated in the mouth in an exquisite way. It is long and sweet, with soft tannins. A meaty and complex wine, with a long finish on the palate.”

“This is really dynamic and focused with blueberry, blackberry and mineral character. Hints of lavender and sandalwood. Full body, yet so tight and lifting. The palate just grows at the finish which goes on and on. Juicy, meaty and dried herb flavors at the end,” writes James Suckling..

The first release of this wine was 2018, under the 'Viña Cobos Vineyard Designate' label. The Viña Cobos Vineyard Designate line captures the richness and power of exceptional vineyards and estates within Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo. 

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated extracted black and blue fruits with notes of bacon, tobacco, black tea, spice and herbs with a full lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4240423 

https://www.paulhobbsselections.com/vinfata-cobos

 

https://twitter.com/VinaCobos 

@VinaCobos

Stalworth Rutherford Bench Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Ryan also brought this recently acquired limited release label to try to determine his cellaring strategy and expected drinking profile. 

This is the Rutherford Bench label from co-owner and general manager of the Stalworth project Tim Persson who, with his wife, Sabrina, took over his father-in-law's wine business, Hess Family Wine Estates, which today is called Hess Persson Estates. 

Tim took over running the wine estates after spending time with his father-in-law, Donald Hess, during the post-financial crisis in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Tim and his wife moved to Napa Valley to oversee the estate and family wine business.

Tim has a unique background being raised in one of the smallest African countries, Eswatini – Africa's last absolute monarchy, previously known as Swaziland. After attending university in Europe, he became a corporate lawyer and practiced in New York and London before meeting his wife Sabrina.

Tim oversees and leads the wine business as Sabrina tends to her psychotherapy practice. Together they managed to navigate a series of setbacks and natural disasters including the 2014 earthquake that destroyed one of their main wine cellars, the landslides in 2016 that cut off power and access to the winery, wildfires in 2017 causing the winery only being able to make a small fraction of its high-end wines due to the wildfires and the smoke, and wildfires agin in 2020 forcing them to make no Napa wine at all.

Yet, Tim's initial mission to "reestablish" the credentials of Hess with regards to making high-end Cabernet Sauvignon wines was never deterred. As he thought about the 30th anniversary of Hess Family Wine Estates, celebrated in 2011, it was now his responsibility to make sure that the winery stayed relevant for the next 30 years and that is where Stalworth comes in. 

For the Stalworth project, Tim searched for a great Napa winemaker who would oversee creating an iconic wine from the Rutherford Bench, raising the bar when it came to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines. 

He as able to sign Celia Welch, an expert in making iconic Rutherford wines including the hard to obtain Scarecrow. They found the ideal vineyard in the Rutherford Bench in 2015 but the back-to-back unfortunate events of extreme accumulation of drought from 2012 to 2015 as well as all the disasters suffered from 2014 to 2017, put off the first vintage of Stalworth until 2018 - considered a "spectacular year" that is "terroir-driven" according to Wine Spectator. 

Celia said that they used that delay time to learn the vineyard and to experiment in the winery with the wines in building up to and preparing for the inaugural vintage. During that time, they also had to rebuild the original historic antique stone winery, built in 1903, that had been destroyed by an earthquake, allowing them to build a state-of-the-art facility setting the stage to reach greater heights.

This 2019 Stalworth, Rutherford Bench, NapaValley is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a minuscule amount of Malbec and Petit Verdot. 

Winemaker notes - “Delicious cassis flavor to this wine that has lots of juiciness with blackberry preserves and baking spice with sweet tobacco leaf and crushed rocks all wrapped up in lush tannins and a superb length of flavor.”

Adding a slight amount of Malbec and Petit Verdot, according to Celia, was more about "balancing the texture" as there might be either a dip in the mid-palate that needs to be filled in or maybe some rounding out as she always wants the last sip to be tasty as she wants to avoid any astringency. 

This was dark ruby colored, full bodied with elegant polished blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of black tea, floral and anise with smooth polished tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

Only 167 cases were made of their inaugural release in 2018.

Del Dotto ‘Vineyard 887’ Connoisseur Series Colbert French Oak St Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

I pulled from the cellar this special limited release label from Del Dotto Vineyards, a family-owned winery which focuses on small production, premium wines. Since our introduction to Dave and Yolanda Del Dotto back in the 90’s they have gone on to acquire several more vineyards across the top Napa Valley American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) including Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena, Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, as well as out on the Sonoma Coast. 

Through our wine club allocations and purchases at the various Del Dotto wineries over the years, including the St Helena Winery and Caves, and the Piazza Del Dotto Winery in Oakville, this producer represents one of the largest holdings in our cellar collection, dating back to their inaugural releases in 1993-94. 

We’ve visited three of the Del Dotto winery estates including one of the most memorable wine tasting events we have had in Napa - the delicacies culinary wine pairing at Piazza Del Dotto during our Napa Wine Experience 2018. 

We’ve featured Del Dotto tasting and site visits many times in these pages including  our Del Dotto Winery and Caves tasting tour the year earlier, when we acquired this bottle. 
With small production counts and a dedicated team, they produce luxurious, high-quality wines. This is from their Rutherford estate, which consists of 12 acres of Bordeaux varietals. Robert Parker has praised the producer: "Don’t dare miss a tasting at Del Dotto’s cellars... Dave Del Dotto has put together an impressive team of winemakers and spent a fortune securing some of the best vineyard sites money can buy. All things considered, his wines, which he calls “silk juice,” are exceptional in quality, along with his charcuterie, which really could be sold for a small fortune, given the amazing quality it exhibits.”

• In the unique, almost excessive Connoisseur Series, Del Dotto uses over 50 barrel types from cooperages around the world including France, USA, Russia, Hungary and Italy. Bottles are labelled with the oak type. For this single vineyard release the Del Dotto website lists no less than 37 different wines featuring different specific oak barrel and vintage combinations.

  
  

  

  Our Pour Boys wine group tour the Del Dotto
  St Helena Winery and Caves 
  

  I pulled from our cellar this ultra-premium single-vineyard designated select Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was especially fun to taste this label as it represents some pleasant memories of our Napa Valley wine tours. We tasted and then procured this wine during our Napa Valley, Del Dotto Winery and Caves Tasting and Tour in 2018.
  
  This single vineyard designated select label is crafted from fruit from the Del Dotto 887 St Helena Vineyard. 
• 
  
• The vineyard is named for the address, 887 St Helena Highway, on the south approaches into the town, the picturesque vineyard sits just north of Zinfandel Lane nestled against the foothill along St Helena highway. It consists of nine acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, planted in 2000. 
  
  

  

  Rick & Linda with David Del Dotto, 2003

  Located on the south end of the St. Helena Appellation, Vineyard 887 is one of the highest rated vineyards in Napa Valley. It is purported to be the favorite vineyard of the producer.
  
  

  This vineyard shows the typical St. Helena characteristics of lush, fruity berries, with easily accessible tannins on the palate. 

  The inaugural vintage of an 887 Vineyard single vineyard designated wine/label was in 2004. By 2012 it was receiving 96-98 point ratings from Robert Parker. 

  
  

    

  The property also is the site of a guest cottage, amidst the vineyard surrounded by the vines. Linda and I had the pleasure of staying in the cottage during a memorable weekend at the Napa Valley Del Dotto winery, estate, vineyards and cave tour back in 2003 (left).

  The single vineyard designated label didn't exist back then, it came along the next year, but we didn't discover the label until our 2018 estate and winery visit and tour. We purchased this label at that time, much in remembrance of that earlier visit, and had great anticipation of tasting this wine again, which we finally did tonight. 

  
  

  Del Dotto Napa Valley Vineyard 887 St. Helena Connoiseur's Series Colbert French Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

  

  This is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Savignon, crafted in the unique Del Dotto method, it is part of the Del Dotto Connoisseur's Series where the same wine will be aged in different oak barrels of different oaks for the ultimate comparison tasting experience. We once did a horizontal tasting of the same wine aged in several different French and American Oak barrels. I recall this oak, was my favorite from that tasting, although many of the differences are very slight and nuanced. 

  
  

  This version was aged in Colbert French Oak. Robert Parker gives this wine 95 points and an aging window of 2018 out to 2040. 

  We have hosted wine dinners where we served a selection the Connoisseur Series of the same wine aged in different oaks. Only the discriminating experienced enophiles appreciated and discerned the differences. 

Winemaker notes - “This is a very unique and dense Vineyard 887 Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet.  Powerful aromatics of leather, cedar, tobacco and blueberry and boysenberry fruits.  As the nose opens up, nuances of purple rose pedals and sweet Tahitian vanilla bean develop. The mouthfeel is very balanced and soft, yet rich from the mid to back palate. This lovely Reserve Cab showcases cassis, black currants and raspberry with an undertone of dark chocolate covered strawberries. The 2015 887 is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to unfold layers of flavors for the next 10+ years.”

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, concentrated, forward, structured black berry and tangy black currant fruits with notes of pipe tobacco, black tea, graphite and hints of milk chocolate, anise and spicy cinnamon turning to firm but silky smooth approachable tannins on the long tangy acidic lingering finish. This is getting better every year. In 2020 I wrote, this needs a few more years to settle, soften and integrate further. It’s working as this was delicious and likely will continue to improve with some more aging over the next several years. I wish I had more. 

RM 94 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2743499

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/our-wines

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/collection/vineyard-887

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/product/2015-vineyard-887-family-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon-750ml

Beau Vigne “Cult” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Alec brought this ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet. 

This producer first caught our attention when buddy Bob brought one of their wines to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite. Bob picked up the bottle at his local Total Wine beverage superstore in Boca Raton Town Center. I saw the label when there and also at the new Total Wine in Indy. 

Soon thereafter, son Ryan got their wine club promotional mailing and shared it and Alec and I picked up a mixed case of their Signature Series Bordeaux varietals including this aged vintage release from their library close-out. Since then we’ve continued to collect various labels and releases from their collection. 

I’ve written about Beau Vigne in several blogposts in these pages, (pronounced bo-veenya), Beau Vigne was founded by Ed and Trish Snider with their first vintage release in 2002. Translated from French it means beautiful vineyard in French.

Ed’s family has a long history in Napa Valley dating back to his Swiss Italian grandfather Martin Garzoli who arrived in Napa in 1913. He grew up on a ranch in Carneros and worked on farms in Napa and Sonoma. Martin made his own wines at home in the evenings. His son John Garzoli played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 and went on to coach football at St. Helena High School in the center of Napa Valley where children of many vintners attended school. A number of Ed’s former students are now in the wine industry.

In 2018, they sold Beau Vigne to Don Dady and Jason Kyle from Arizona. Jason was a former NFL football player, a long snapper for five different teams including the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to his wine interests, Jason is co-owner of Press Coffee Roasters with locations in Arizona.  Partner Dady is co-founder of Annexus, a financial company in Scottsdale and also owns Seven Apart Winery in Napa Valley just north of the city of Napa. 

Beau Vigne sourced fruit for their estate wines from their 10 acre Stags Ridge Vineyard at the top of Soda Canyon Road on the slopes of Atlas Peak at about 1650 feet elevation. The site was planted to 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Ed sold the vineyard and it is now a part of Seven Apart Winery’s estate. Beau Vigne continues to source grapes from there and other premium vineyards in Napa Valley. 

Since 2019, Beau Vigne has partnered with Appellation Trading Company to distribute Beau Vigne as part of their portfolio of brands. 

Over the years, Beau Vigne has been crafted by several highly regarded Napa Valley winemakers. Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney who went on to develop several successful brands, most notably, Orin Swift Cellars and the Prisoner portfolio of wines. One of our favorite winemakers, Kirk Venge of Venge Vineyards has also crafted Beau Vigne wines. Today the winemaker is Julien Fayard.

Originally from France, Julien began his career as a winemaker producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at legendary Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite in Bordeaux before relocating to Napa Valley where he was Philippe Melka’s director of winemaking for a few years before setting out on his own.

Julien earned his Master in Agri-Business from ESA France and his Master in Winemaking from Toulouse France. In 2011, he received his MBA from UC Davis. 

Recently, Beau Vigne became part of a select collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. They showcase wines from an elite group of premier Napa Valley producers who do not have their own tasting rooms. Select bottlings and vintages of Beau Vigne are available for tasting and purchased there. 

Beau Vigne bottles wines under three different brands; the Legacy Series, the Signature Series and the Discovery Series.

Beau Vigne “CULT” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

First released in 2008 and is culled solely from barrels selected with complex aromatics, voluptuous texture and purity as well as depth. CULT is produced to “convey a pure expression of climate and soil with winemaker Julien Fayard nurturing its creation,” according to the producer. ‘

This label is a bit of an enigma, Release priced at $150, some sellers play on the ‘Cult’ label and market dynamics and sell it for $200. Yet, it can be found discounted at $99, and often for less. 

The 2020 Cult is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot magic.

Winemaker notes - Crushed black currant and bing cherry aromas. Among these scents are black licorice, clove, and melted dark chocolate. Flavors of shortbread, blackberry, and plum hit the palate. Loamy black truffle elements add layers of savoriness to the long finish.

Garnet colored, medium full bodied, tightly structured, ripe black currant and blackberry fruits with notes of anise, clove spice and bitter dark chocolate and cedar with moderate tannnins on a lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4476435

https://www.beauvigne.com/