Showing posts with label Dragon's Tooth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dragon's Tooth. Show all posts

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Team cook-out dinner features grilled beefsteak and diverse wine flight

Team cook-out dinner features grilled beefsteak, salmon and broad diverse assorted wine flight

This continues our earlier post on the cookout dinner we hosted for my global team, wherein I wrote about the white Napa Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc blend we served to accompany the grilled salmon. 

Over the course of the Salmon, grilled T-bone beefsteaks, assorted salads, cheeses, fruits and desserts, we opened a broad diverse wine flight of white, red, red blend, tawny port, and pair of dessert wines. 

We served a Sauvignon Blanc from Blackbird Vineyards and were discussing their vineyard site on Oak Knoll Road at Big Ranch Road in southern Napa Valley, down the road from Trefethen Vineyards and Winery. 

Guest and colleague Rick K mentioned he was a member of the Trefethen wineclub and collected several of their wines over the years. Mark B, visiting from the UK, discussed the likely geneaology of the Trefethen name and his shared Welsh family heritage. 

Hence, I pulled from our cellar a special Trefethen select blend as an additional pairing with the grilled T-Bone steaks, and comparison with the other Napa Cab, Clos du Val.

To accompany the grilled T-bone beefsteaks, I opened the pair of red Napa Valley Cabernets starting with . Clos du Val Napa Cab in a large format magnum bottle. Both were ideal pairings with the steak.

Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Clos Du Val is French for “small vineyard estate of a small valley,” was founded in 1972 in the historic Stags Leap District by Franco-American entrepreneur John Goelet. Monsieur Goelet conducted a global search for vineyards where he could build a world class winery - and craft world-class wines. His search ended with the purchase of 150 acres in the Napa Valley Stags Leap District, and 180 acres in the Carneros region at the bottom of Napa Valley near where it meets Sonoma, near the confluence at the top of San Pablo Bay.

In 2012, Clos Du Val’s Winemaker Kristy Melton became only the third winemaker in the four-decade history of Clos Du Val. Previous she had worked at Seresin Estate in New Zealand, and Iron Horse and Saintsbury in California.

I first posted a tasting of this label back in November 2015 when I noted "I like this wine" and rated it 93 points; "Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a symphony of smooth polished complex flavors - tightly wound blackberry, black cherry, hints of plum and currant fruits accented by tones of black tea, black olive, hints of vanilla, light toast, and tobacco on the finely integrated supply sinewy tannin finish."

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/11/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html

I then wrote about it again almost a year ago to the day on 7/16/2021 when I wrote: "At eight years, this is just now starting to hit its stride and has a long life ahead and may not yet have reached the apex of its drinking/aging profile. It might settle down and integrate a bit further for more polish and nuance, but it is delicious now as it is."

'Bright garnet/purple colored, medium full bodied, vibrant, forward expressive blackberry, dark cherry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, smoke, floral, herbs, black tea and tobacco turning to firm but smooth approachable tannins and a pleasing bright tangy lingering finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/07/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html

This Clos Du Val 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was rated 95 points by Antonio Galloni of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 92 points by James Suckling.

Served from large format magnum which I believe contributed to its being somewhat more settled balanced than earlier tastings, at nearing a decade, this is hitting its stride and likely at or nearing the apex of its tasting profile and window. 

Consistent with earlier notes, bright ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant, complex but nicely balanced blackberry, black currant and dark cherry fruits with bitter dark chocolate, baking spice, black tea, with some smoke and leather on a tangy acidic finish and moderate soft tannins on the finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2122040

https://www.closduval.com/

As mentioned, based on the discussions about Trefethen above, and the unique nature of this label and its heritage, I pulled from the cellar this red Bordeaux blend from them.

Trefethen Dragon's Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine 2018

We discovered and wrote about this label when we visited the Trefethen Estate winery and vineyards at the entrance to Napa Valley just above the City of Napa in the Oak Knoll District during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013.  

Founded by Eugene and Catherine Trefethen in 1968, today, it is managed by the third generation of the Trefethen family.

This label is a tribute to the winery's matriarch Catherine Trefethen, who was from Welsh ancestry. 

This is an interesting, unique blend of Malbec and Petit Verdot, 100% Estate, sourced from new plantings from the rockiest part of Trefethen's vineyard where obsidian flakes occasionally remind them of the toothy smile of Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) guardian and symbol of Wales.

The blend for this release is 49% Malbec, 27% Petit Verdot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. 
 
Winemaker Notes for this vintage release: "This wine opens with expressive aromas of cherry and blackberry accented with notes of fig, tobacco leaf, and sarsaparilla. Full-bodied and balanced, the integrated flavors of ripe dark fruit lead to a lush and abundant finish."
 
This release was awarded 94 points by James Suckling, 92 points by Vinous, 91 points by International Wine & Spirits Competition, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits and Decanter World Wine Awards.
 
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, perhaps too young to reveal its true character and potential as it was a bit tight and closed, still full round ripe black cherry and berry fruits with notes of dark mocha, spice, leather and black tea notes with full tannins on a long finish.
RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3774917

https://www.trefethen.com/ 

At this point, one of our guests mentioned a liking to port wine which turned the discussion to suitable and appropriate after dinner wines for such an occasion. I returned from the cellar with a half dozen bottles from which the group selected a Tawny Port and a pair of diverse dessert wines. 

Cockburn's Twenty Year Tawny Porto Director's Reserve (Bottled in) 1994

Our British guest, Mark, noted the proper pronunciation of this producer's name, which is British, Scottish, is "CO-burn", with the ck being silent. 

Cockburn's dates back to 1815, when Robert and John Cockburn, two brothers from Scotland, bypassed the stuffy merchant’s fair in Porto and bought the best grapes directly from farmers upriver in the Douro region of Portugal to produce their own wine, which continued thereafter to this day. 

Cockburn's 20 Year Old Tawny is blended from older, mature, cask aged wines and then refreshed by the addition of younger wines. The average age of this blend is no less than 20 years.

Notably, this Bottle numbered OP 293941, was bottled in 1994, one of the best most highly acclaimed vintages years for port in history. That would render this wine to be going on 20 plus (2022-1994) 28, or 48 years of age. 

This is interesting in that while they indicate on the label that this bottle was produced in 1994, it is not a Vintage Port, since the actual wine is a blend from the highest quality wine frmo across numerous vintages, with an average age of twenty years, hence called a "20 Year Tawny." 

Cockburn produce their flagship premium Vintage Ports in designated vintage years, which is the custom in Porto, a '10 Year Tawny', a '20 Year Tawny', and a 'Late Bottled Vintage' (LBV), sourced from the same vineyard that produces the Vintage Ports, the LBVs are aged in large oak vats for four to six years before being bottled, produced to be ready to drink.

It was wonderful, not the least showing any diminution from age whatsoever. It was enjoyed by all, not just the more hearty robust aged wine aficionados. The Cellartracker drinking window for this wine was 'Drink by 2017', rendering this warning, "This wine is past its drinking window. DRINK UP!!" I dutifully updated the Cellartracker Drinking Window to 2024, based on our experience with this bottle.

My photo of this bottle, with my watermark 'www.mcnees.org/winesite', indicates I published it before I obtained and started using the 'www.unwindwine.com' internet domain name and branding.  

Winemaker Notes for Cockburn's 20 Year Old Tawny although not necessarily this release: "The wine is star-bright, in color somewhere between rose hip pink and dark honey. A seductive, delicate nose evokes subtle hints of raisins, cedar wood, walnuts and cinnamon. Silky and light yet still with a distinct grip the wine is very much alive. The finish is nutty and sinewy and lasting. The character of this wine is similar to that of a fully mature vintage port of a very great year."

Of course, due to the age of our bottle, it was darker, more the color of iced tea.

The recent Cockburn 20 Year Tawny was awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Dark golden colored resembling iced tea, full bodied, rich, unctuous, notes of smoke, nut, hints of butterscotch, toffee and honey. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=620571

More to come .. being updated further ... 

Continuing the wine journey, we opened a pair of aged vintage dessert wines with the dessert course which also included assorted cheeses and fresh fruits. 

We opened, in small format, 375 half bottles, an Italian and a French dessert wine, two disparate styles, profiles and tastes. 

Calvalchina Bianca Del Veneto Passito IGT 2004 Trebbiano Blend 

Several from our group know and have had this wine together during our team dinners at Italian Village, Chicago, many of which have been chronicled in these pages.

I've written about this label on numerous occasions as this is one of the several remaining bottles from a case of 24 half bottles we acquired of this wine for every day casual sipping, ideal for such occasions such as this evening.

Upon release the color of this wine was straw, then turned to butter, and over time has consistently darkened to honey color and it is now the hue of weak tea.

Consistent with some earlier notes, back in 2016 I wrote: Medium-full bodied, the apple fruits, subtle tangerine and hint of apricot and peach flavors have given way, overtaken by tones of burnt caramel, smoke and nut on a flavorful lingering finish.

RM 87 points.

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

Then to compare with a different style and varietal from a different region, we turned to a Sauterne from Bordeaux from a near vintage allowing for nearly a horizontal (same vintage comparison) tasting of similar purpose produced wines.

Château Suduiraut 1er Grand Cru Classe' Sauternes Bordeaux 2002, 2005

The full flight photo above shows a 2005 vintage release of this label. That is the bottle we consumed this evening. Additionally, we had the remains of this 2002 vintage release from a few nights earlier that we also finished out tonight.  

This is a label we know well as we have a vertical collection spanning more than two decade of vintages. As I written often in the past, its great fun to watch these Sauternes wines age and turn from the straw color on release, darkening over time to butter, then honey colored to weak tea colored.

Dark honey colored, medium full bodied, not as sweet and unctuous as some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate notes of smoke accented by marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of  vanilla on the tongue cloying finish. 

This was a perfect compliment to the fresh berries, selection of profiteroles and chocolate desserts.

RM 91 points.

Tasted from a 375ml half bottle.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=18468

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Halloween eve dinner with Dragon's Tooth Red Blend

Halloween eve dinner with Dragon's Tooth Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Halloween wine? Well, no there isn't any such thing that I know of, but the closest I could come up with in our cellar was Dragon's Tooth Red Blend by Trefethen. We selected this from our cellar to take BYOB to dinner at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria.

R&L in the Trefethen
estate gardens
We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Trefethen winery estate in the Oak Knoll District Appellation of southern Napa Valley, along St. Helena highway, just above the town of Napa. 

The Red Dragon on the label of this Dragon's Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine originated in ancient Welsh ancestry of the proprietors. 

According to British legend, two dragons, one red, one white, fight in the sky. The boy Merlin watches them with King Vortigern and when the red prevails, driving the white across the sea, the boy foretells the coming of King Arthur who will lead Vortigern's people, the Welsh, to victory over the invading Saxons.

Catherine Trefethen, Matriarch, First Lady of the Trefethen estate family, was Welsh. Her loves for wine, gardens and family were the inspiration for the estate in Napa Valley's Oak Knoll District. Although she has departed, her spirit is said to be still felt, especially in the cool foggy mornings when mist envelops the vineyards. 

This label showcases the newest plantings of Malbec and Petit Verdot of the rockiest part of the estate vineyard where obsidian flakes occasionally remind one of the toothy smile of Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) guardian and symbol of Wales. 

 

Trefethen Dragons Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine 2009

The 2009 Vintage release of this label was a Bordeaux Blend of 67% Malbec, 18% Petit Verdot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Merlot, all 100% sourced from the Trefethen Oak Knoll District Appellation, Napa Valley Estate Vineyard.

It was aged 21 months in 67% French 20% American 13% Hungarian oak. 

Winemaker's Notes: "The Vintage 2009 was an excellent, even-keeled vintage in Napa Valley. Consistently mild weather throughout the growing and harvest seasons resulted in stress-free vines, long grape hang times, and fruit with finely developed flavors at lower-than-normal sugar levels. The third vintage of this lively wine is deep purple in color with aromas of black currant, blackberry and cinnamon. The palate is full with flavors of plum, cherry and chocolate. This voluminous wine finishes with balanced, structured tannins that emphasize the rich fresh fruit and hints of spice. Food Affinities The addition of some blackberries or blueberries to smoky grilled or roasted beef, lamb, pork or duck brings out the best in both food and the wine."

Trefethen Dragon's Tooth 2011 labels

This wine has been sitting in our cellar for a decade, waiting for the right occasion for this peculiar label. It was ideal this evening, so much so, I ran out the next day and picked up the current release vintage of this label to replace the one we drank. I had forgotten this was a Bordeaux Blend, noting the prime anchor varietal is Malbec.  

This label was awarded 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

This was the third vintage of this distinctive blend, medium-full bodied, deep purple in color with aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry and cinnamon turning to tones of plum, cherry and mocha and hints of spice, finishing with nicely balanced but structured tangy acidic laced tannins.

Wine Enthusiast wrote, "This is so smooth, rich and mellow, you hardly notice how intense the tannins are. But they are hard, and lock down the flavors of black currant and black licorice, plus the complex notes of minerals, roasted game and dark spices."

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1370334

https://www.trefethen.com/

 




Saturday, April 20, 2013

Trefethen Family Vineyards Napa Valley Estate

Trefethen Family Vineyards Napa Valley Estate

Located in the Oak Knoll District at the cooler, southern end of Napa Valley just north of the town of Napa straddling highway 29 as one enters the checkerboard of vineyards sits Trefethen Family Estate Vineyards and Winery, one of Napa Valley’s few remaining family wine estates.



Eugene and Catherine Trefethen moved to Napa in 1968 from the Bay area after purchasing six small farms and the historic 19th century Eschol Winery, creating a 600-acre wine estate. At that time, there were fewer than 20 operating wineries in Napa Valley.



After graduating from Stanford University, John Trefethen and his new bride Janet began producing Trefethen Vineyards’ wine in 1973. Three years later, the winery’s 1976 Chardonnay earned “Best Chardonnay in the World” honors at the 1979 Gault Millau World Wine Olympics in Paris. That accolade combined with the famous Judgement of Paris won worldwide acclaim for Napa Valley wines.




After two decades developing their vineyards, Trefethen embarked on a major replanting of twenty thousand vines of disease resistant rootstock. Today, Trefethen grows nine different grape varieties; Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Viognier. These are planted in 63 distinct vineyard blocks comprised of 10 different types of rootstock and 49 different clones including 13 of Chardonnay and 10 of Cabernet Sauvignon.

We first discovered Trefethen in the late eighties in our early days of discovering Napa Valley wines but really took notice when we were introduced to their flagship Trefethen Halo in the late nineties at wine tastings at the Downer's Grove Wine Shop. Our wine buddy Bill C (left with Beth, Will, Kate, L) is a fan and collector of Halo and earmarked Trefethen for our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2013. This was fitting since our custom in recent years has been to focus on but one appellation at a time and we were also scheduled at another Oak Knoll District winery this trip, and, our group were staying just down the road at the nearby Napa Valley Marriott.

Amazingly, we've driven past the Trefethen Estate literally dozens of times and never stopped there. We were all pleasantly surprised by the extensive estate with its scenic drive past the vast vineyards against the backdrop of the backdrop of the Vaca Mountains in the distance to the east, and the nearby Mayacamas Range and Mt Veeder to the west. The vineyards are signposted according to the year they were planted.

Upon reaching the wine house there are picturesque grounds and gardens with fountains and an outdoor tasting area. Inside there is the usual tasting bar, several more formal tasting tables and personal tour tasting rooms, and a do it yourself tour of the barrel storage room with displays of the ranch, vineyard maps, and displays of the soil topology from the different sections of the estate.


They offer an estate and a reserve tasting, which is shown below:

Trefethen Napa Valley Pinot Noir 2010

Rather uninspiring and light, slightly astringent with modest cherry and red berry and currant fruits with a modest cola tone and layer of dusty earth.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1272265


Trefethen Dragons Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine 2010

This wine is a tribute to the winery's matriarch Catherine Trefethen. who was from Welsh ancestry. A blend of Malbec and Petit Verdot, this 100% Estate wine is sourced from new plantings from the rockiest part of our vineyard where obsidian flakes occasionally remind us of the toothy smile of Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) guardian and symbol of Wales.

This is the the third vintage of this distinctive blend, medium bodied, deep purple in color with aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry and cinnamon turning to tones of plum, cherry and mocha and hints of spice, finishing with nicely balanced but structured tannins.

RM 90 points.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1370334


Trefethen American Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Trefethen Hungarian Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010



Another example of the proliferation of labels we saw time and again during this trip. In this case, here is the same wine with two distinct variations of oak - American and Hungarian. This approach was popularized by Dave Del Dotto in his branded Connoisseur Series starting around the millenium. Del Dotto offered the same vintage cabernet with as many as eight to ten different oak variations. We conducted a vertical tasting of the 'Series' a couple years ago. It was fascinating to see the influence of varied nuances of different Ameican and French oaks on the same wine. Neither the breadth or depth of that experience is present here - these two variations are subtle and modestly distinctive - not necessarily worthy of the investment of all it requires with this approach. This was a more modest cab with the American oak being perhaps slightly sweeter and the Hungarian introducing modest tones of spice on the black berry fruits.

RM 88 points.








Trefethen Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009


Medium bodied with subtle blackberry and currant fruits with layer of plum, hints mocha and nutmeg turning to moderate but smooth approachable tannins on the finish.

Blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Merlot
Estate vineyards - 74% Hillspring 26% Main Ranch

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1483155


http://www.trefethen.com/

Gallery -