Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville 

Son Ryan and D-in-law Michelle treated us to dinner at Gordon Ramsey's RK Kitchen in downtown Naperville (IL). This was our first visit to the trendy restaurant that opened in our hometown last summer to much fanfare. 

Readers of these pages know I write often about dinesites and our food and wine restaurant experience. But, up until now I've not had a metricized qualitative or quantitative rating or review system against which to evaluate and compare such restaurants. Based on tonight's, and recent experiences, I felt such a evaluation method with criteria was required and after much thought devised a system to try. 

Using my new system, I evaluated tonight's dining experience. I then went back and retrospectively scored a half dozen recent restaurant experiences as a basis of comparison, evaluating the evaluation system, so to speak. 

Here are my criteria for evaluating a restaurant dining experience, and the associated weight applied to each:

Food - 35 - Selection, quality, creativity or ingenuity, presentation, course pairing, wine pairing

Wine - 35 - Breadth and depth of selection, range of options at various price points, suitability and applicable pairing with the dinner courses

Ambiance - 10| - atmosphere, vibe, comfort, stylishness, general aura

Service - 10 - delivery, attentiveness, professionalism, attitude, overall experience

Value - 10 - value for quality, service, atmosphere, experience

Wow Factor - Lastly, what I simply call the WOW Factor - additional scoring, weighting based on special consideration or  extra credit factors that contribute to the overall experience such that they warrant attention - food and wine pairing - site architecture, location, historical significance, specials ... other ... potential for +10 points

So, here we go, for tonight's experience - 

Food  - 31 - Food was superb in creativity, ingenuity, preparation, quality - downgraded the rating for the only thing lacking, bread or depth of selection choices - only the limited menu choice detracting from score.

Wine - 31 - Same as food, the minimalist winelist offered various options for each course, at multiple price points, but lacking depth and breadth of multiple choices for minimal options for effective wine pairing with each course.

Ambiance - 8 of 10 - chic, stylish, artful, warm, lively and vibrant but a bit noisy and boisterous for optimal comfort. 

 

Service - 9 of 10 - Starting with the host station, going the extra meal to seat us promptly, attending to checking our coats, superb food service, adequate wine service. 

Value - 5 - Expensive, especially taking into account the ala carte sides, and the somewhat limited number of options or alternatives. 

WOW Factor - 8 points extra credit for the up-beat, stylish, quality fixtures, furnishings, layout, design, artfully designed and implemented for a positive experience. 

Total - 92 points.

Our dinner - 

We started with a Wedge Salad which they conveniently served almost family style like a chopped salad making it easy and convenient to share around the table.

Wedge Salad- iceberg, blue cheese, glazed bacon, roasted tomatoes, pickled red onion, chives.

With the salad course we had from the WBTG offerings two sparkling wines - 

Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose'

Lanson Brut NV Champagne 

For our main source entree selections, we had to try the house specialty, Ramsey's signature dish, the Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellingto, potato purée, glazed baby root vegetables, red wine demi, served medium rare.

RK offers a Daily Special so in the spirit of trying out the gourmet chef's selections, Linda ordered the daily special - Lobster Pot Pie -butter-poached lobster, lobster bisque filling served aside for preparation at the table by the diner, pouring into the puff pastry.

We ordered two side dishes, Potato Puree with sour cream and chives, and the Roasted Heirloom Carrots with harissa yogurt, za’atar, brown butter, marcona almonds and mint.

For dessert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding -warm date cake, sweet cream ice cream and english toffee sauce.

Our wine accompaniment pairing with the dinner was a robust full bodied Red Blend. 

Ridge Lytton Springs Red Blend 2021

Once again, as happens often, we drank this same wine, from our cellar, about this same time, two years ago, almost to the day for another dinner tastings - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek ValleyZinfandel 2014. At that time, I wrote about the producer and wine in these pages, Ridge Vineyards  and Lytton Springs.  

We always keep a selection of big robust fruit forward wines for pizza and barbecue - Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Syrah varietals to name a few. We typically hold a half dozen different labels from the various offerings of Ridge Vineyards.

Ridge Vineyards are a legendary producer of a broad portfolio of wines with an extensive line-up of Zinfandels, all from single vineyard designated label sites. 

Ridge has a rich history dating back to 1885 when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, he planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building remains to this day serving as the Ridge production facility.

Ridge have been producing Lytton Spring vineyard wines since 1972 with 100 plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Genache. The site has produced the quintessential example of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. 

The Lytton Springs site lies just north of the town of Healdsburg, just west of Highway 101 in the Dry Creek Valley. The topography consists of a benchland and gently rolling hills. The climate provides foggy mornings turning to warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. Soils are varied with a predominance of gravelly clay, which aids in moisture retention, ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. The Lytton Springs terrior with weathered, agronomically poor soils in the benchland have proven to be an ideal site for Zinfandel vines to produce classic Zinfandel varietal wines.

The Lytton Springs vineyards were part of land once owned by Captain William Litton, who during the last half of the nineteenth century developed the springs and built a hotel just east of the vineyard for San Franciscans who arrived by train to “take the waters.” 

According to the producer's website, Long after the death of Captain Litton, controversy continued in regards to the change from “i” to “y”, as the accepted spelling of the Litton property. According to the text of Once Upon a Time by Julius Myron Alexander, the spelling was changed “because it was proper”. Then, in a 1969 Press Democrat article, Healdsburg City Clerk and local historian, Edwin Langhart, offered a different opinion, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

Ridge Vineyards dates back to 1959 when three scientists from Stanford University's Research Institute (SRI) and their families formed a partnership and bought a property owned by Dr. Short up on Monte Bello Ridge high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of them, David Bennion, made a half barrel of cabernet from the ten year old vines. The partners re-bonded the winery and named it Ridge Vineyards in 1962. That year they produced their first Monte Bello vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ridge produced its first Zinfandel in 1964 from 19th century vines on the Pichetti Ranch near the base of the Monte Bello Ridge. Ridge produced it's first Sonoma County Geyserville Zinfandel in 1966, from vines planted in 1882. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year.

Paul Draper joined the partnership as winemaker in 1969. He was a Stanford graduate in philosophy, and a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge. He had recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range. He oversaw the restoration of the old Perrone winery and vineyards acquired the previous year. 

He first saw the Lytton Springs vineyard in 1972 and, based on its age with 80 years old vines, purchased grapes and produced Ridge’s first Lytton Springs bottling that year. In 1991, on the 20th anniversary of their first vintage, Ridge purchased the Lytton Springs winery and the old vines surrounding it, making it a true estate vineyard.

Paul Draper went on to become a legend with Ridge Vineyards. The Ridge brand grew to a broad portfolio of more than four dozen single vineyard designated label wines from more than two dozen different vineyards. They operate two wineries and hospitality sites, Lytton Springs in Healdsburg up in north Sonoma County and Monte Bello high in the Santz Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley. 

Paul Draper retired in 2016 at age 80, after 47 years as winemaker. Ridge continued on expanding with additional vineyard site purchases include the purchase that year of Whitton Ranch, a 36-acre parcel in the heart of Geyserville.

Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Red Blend 2021

This is a single vineyard designated label, sourced from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Northern Soboma County. The vineyard lies just north of Healdsburg on the benchland where the gently rolling hills separate Dry Creek from Alexander Valley. 

Lytton Springs is named after Captain William H. Litton and two naturally occurring springs that were located on the original property. Litton worked as a ship’s pilot in the San Francisco Bay in the mid nineteenth century before acquiring the large tract of land in 1860. The property straddled the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys that extended from the southernmost boundaries of Geyserville to the northern limits of the fledgling town of Healdsburg, with the Russian River serving as its eastern boundary. The property was originally part of the Rancho Sotoyome land grant of the 1840’s. By 1867, Captain Litton was considered the fourth largest property owner in Sonoma County. 

In 1872, the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad linked Healdsburg and points north with the Bay area. In an attempt to attract tourists, Captain Litton and three partners built a resort hotel on the site in 1875, known as “Litton Springs” for the popular soda springs that were located half a mile uphill from the original hotel site. The naturally carbonated seltzer, or sweetwater, springs were considered to have medicinal value for their mineral properties. The springs still exist today and their presence was one of the primary reasons that underground caves were never built underneath the winery.

Captain Litton sold the 2700 acre property, including the hotel in 1878. Over the next couple of decades, the resort property was bought and sold and subdivided into smaller parcels by various owners. 

 According to the producer's website, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

 The vineyards were first established on the property in 1901 with the hillside vineyard blocks on the eastern portion of Lytton Springs, followed by vineyard blocks on the flats in 1910. To this day, Lytton Springs is home to those 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Grenache.

 The site is ideal for Zinfandel with foggy mornings, warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. The agronomically poor soils are gravelly clay which holds moisture ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. 

This label was first produced in 1972.

I write regularly in these pages about the pairing of wine with food. This wine was too bold and rich for the Beef Wellington, which would've been better suited with a more balanced and finely integrated Red Blend. 

This vintage release is a red blend of 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut and 1% Counoise.

This label release was awarded 95+ Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, 94 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles and 94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 93 Points by Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com.

Winemaker Notes

"Rich blackberry and plum on the nose with notes of aniseed. Full-bodied with dark bramble fruit and well-coated tannins on the palate. The long finish reveals layers of black licorice and dried sage.'

"Lytton Springs has become synonymous with classic Dry Creek zinfandel. It shows potent, ripe boysenberry and blackberry, but also a pronounced rusticity and earthiness often attributed to its blending varietals; petite sirah and carignane. Acid and tannin are firm, yet not overwhelming; in youth, at least, fruit predominates. This balanced, powerful wine becomes more nuanced with age, and it often holds for more than a decade."

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, a cacophony of bright, vibrant expressive, full round ripe red and black brambly fruit flavors accented by sweet spices, clove and cinnamon, full tannins on the finish. May be better with some age to further integrate.

RM  92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4578675 

https://www.ridgewine.com/product/2021-lytton-springs/

https://www.ridgewine.com/

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen/menus/naperville

https://twitter.com/GRamsaysKitchen

@RidgeVineyards

Quivira Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

Quivira Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 - an unfortunate wine and cheese pairing ?

We discovered this Sauv Blanc label at dinner the other night at Carnivore and the Queen as a WBTG offering which we did not take up, but I picked up a bottle at Binny's, our wine superstore to try. We knew the Quivira label dating back to the 1990 vintage, of which we purchased a 6 liter large format bottle of Quivira Cabernet Sauvignon for son Alec's birth year vintage collection. We served this at his wedding eve rehearsal dinner gathering. 

Quivira has been family owned since its founding in 1981. Proprietors Pete and Terri Kight farm 63 acres of vines planted at Wine Creek Ranch, and another 26 at two sites close by. Quivira Vineyards produce primarily Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhône varieties.

Dry Creek Valley in remote northern Sonoma County is home to a wide range of wines—both red and white. One of the smallest AVAs in California, Dry Creek Valley has a terroir with a combination of ideal geography and climate, fertile, well-drained soils with long, warm days and cool nights.

While known for Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, the area also produces respectable Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah which is often found in blends with Zinfandel. 

Quivira Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019

For this Sauvignon Blanc, the producer touts this label. "All the elements of the world's best Sauvignon Blanc converge at Fig Tree Vineyard. The site is located at the confluence of two waterways, Wine Creek and Dry Creek. The wine's mineral freshness comes from the alluvial, rocky soils that have been scoured over millennia. The rare Musqué clone adds complexity and aromatic lift. Simply put, the right grape + the right place = Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc."

The winemaker notes on this release sum it up. "Classic straw color with traces of green on the edges complement the aromatic sensory overload. Crisp with citrus oozing onto your tastebuds with each sip. Flavors of green fig (ode to our name!), white grapefruit, golden raspberry, and Princess Anne cherry combine with a steely, refreshing minerality. Theres an earthiness and a touch of grass that balances this wine. The nuanced acidity makes this appealing now and, based on our decades of library Sauvignon Blancs, we are confident it will continue to hold well through 2028-2029. Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc is perennially racy making it a solid pairing with fattier dishes. It can also be savored with goat cheese ...."

Interesting that I opened this to try with a Bourgogne cheese. The wine overpowered the otherwise expressive cheese. The winemaker describes the wine as a 'sensory overload ... a touch of grass ... perennially racy ... nuanced acidity .. '. I encountered all these traits and considered the wine obtuse, angular and a bit over the top. I picked up the citrus and white grapefruit and steely minerality. I also picked up pleasant notes of sweet peach which tended to balance the otherwise obtuse flavor profile. 

This is a Quijote paradox ... like it or leave it ... 

Golden straw colored, traces of green on the edges, medium bodied, slightly angular forward citrus with a white grapefruit and hint of peach fruits with steely minerality and nuanced acidity and touch of grass on the tangy finish. 

While Wine Spectator gave this 93 points, I found it a bit over-the-top and gave it 87 points. Perhaps my ill fated cheese pairing undermined a fair evaluation. I've written in these pages about how a perfect wine and food pairing can amplify the experience, I guess it goes without saying that an imperfect pairing can/will also detract from the experience. Perhaps this was such a case.

RM 87 

Wine Spectator wrote "Verbena, beeswax and matcha green tea notes give way to a succulent, polished core of lemon curd, lanolin and quince flavors. Powerfully intense and focused, but the mouthwatering acidity keeps the flavors vivid, fresh and light-footed."

 

Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points. They mention the peach notes, and the grassy notes and the acidity.

"From certified-organic grapes fermented in both stainless steel and neutral oak, this lovely and balanced wine tastes of peaches, white flowers and stones. Fresh, high toned and grassy, it lingers in both acidity and dried herb, impressing in both length and grace."

 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 90 points and mentioned the peaches, called it 'gregarious' and cited a 'musky perfume'.

"The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree Vineyard has gregarious scents of guava, lychee, fresh herbs, warm peaches and musky perfume. The palate is light-bodied with a gently rounded texture and zesty acidity, finishing long and perfumed."

In the end, Cellartracker's and I agreed, as their community tasting averaged 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3911925

https://quivirawine.com/

@QuiviraVineyard

Dueling Zin-Syrah Blend for big bold sipping

 Dueling Zin-Syrah Blend for big bold sipping

I was captivated by the peculiar, eerie, almost alarming label ... the whole concept of a gunfight duel at close range. But, then you apply the metaphor to wine and its almost brilliant, two big bold heavyweights fighting it out, although that certainly devolves the concept of harmony and integration or a blend. So it is with Dueling Pistols, a blend of half Zinfandel and half Syrah. One really has to see it to appreciate it, so here it is ...

This blog is as much about branding, marketing and packaging of a wine as its varietal, terroir and resulting flavor profile. Too often, the marketing and branding affect one's purchase decision as much as the latter, the actual wine. 

I saw the label, photographed it, then came home and researched the wine, thought about it, and went back and bought a bottle to try. As I thought about it, this reflects the same tasting profile and character of one of our favorite go-to labels, Venge Scout's Honor, of which we've written about often in these pages. Big, bold, fruit forward, expressive - great for pizza, pasta, burgers - a wine anyone can enjoy - and any provincial or less sophisticated wine drinker will love! Throw in the Venge 'V' and the fun we have serving with our daughter-in-law Vivianna, and you have a 'go-to' wine that we keep around for such occasions. Read more about Scout's Honor in this blogpost - Venge Scouts Honor Trio. and here - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/02/venge-vineyard-scouts-honor-napa-valley.html.

But a whole brand for this wine, versus just this label? You be the judge. Of course if a judge were involved, he'd settle the dispute and resolve the matter, eliminating the need for Dueling Pistols! They actually have two labels, both the same story and approach - one from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, and the other from Paso Robles.

The producer writes, "Dueling Pistols wines intertwine two competing varietals in a 50/50 blend where each varietal’s fight for power balances that of the other, like the compelling characters that tell the Dueling Pistols story."

This is fantasy! They go to great pains to write a background story setting up the reason for the duel. And go to great lengths to conjure a story about all the other characters on the 'back' label. "No duel is complete without the spectators and everyone has a story to tell. The town physician stood ready, but willing to save neither shooter. The town drunk was there, standing right in the middle, but even he wasn’t about to get between these dueling pistols." 

Dueling Pistols Dual Varietal Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Syrah 2016

The Zinfandel was sourced from older vines in the northern part of the Dry Creek Valley AVA. Dry Creek is the premier Zinfandel region in Sonoma. The Syrah was taken from vineyards in southern Dry Creek Valley. The Southern Dry Creek Valley runs into the Russian River AVA which is a cooler Pinot Noir region. I wrote about the Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels in two recent blogposts, Kinsella Dry Creek Valley Cabernet 2017 and Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014.

Each block of the Zinfandel and Syrah grapes are fermented separately and then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (30% new the rest used barrels). The alcohol is a stiff 15%.

The Dueling Pistols Dry Creek Red 2016 is a brand from Terlato Wine Group. Interesting and perhaps notably, there is no record of this label past, later than this 2016.

Winemaker notes: Black Currant, Blackberry, Cherry, Tea, the nose has brooding aromas of dark fruits and black tea with an enticing hint of white pepper. Aged 18 months in French Oak, 30% new. The long ageing allows the two competing varietals to marry well and balance out one another, develop tannin, and build structure.

This was awarded 92, 91 and 90 points respectively by The Tasting Panel, James Suckling and Jeb Dunnuck. Wilfred Wong gave it 90 points and called it 'full textured, delicious... powerful, finely balanced ..." Well, three out of four, perhaps ...  Cellartracker reviewers gave it 92+ points, but the fix is in ... don't trust the results when four of the six are the same reviewer, and one of the remaining two is "The Drunken Cyclist"!? Hah. "See you at dawn."

As the name exclaims - a duel, not harmonious, integrated or elegant - rather almost obtuse and angular, dark ruby colored, full bodied, concentrated forward fruits of ripe sweet blackberry and black raspberry fruits giving way to black licorice, notes of cognac and finishing with vanilla and almost cotton candy sweetness on the full finish. 

RM 89 points. 

At a similar pricepoint, I will opt for staying with Venge Scout's Honor, same big bold profile, but more craftsmanship in blending a more harmonious, integrated yet complex, interesting wine.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3370864

https://www.duelingpistolswine.com/

 

Kinsella Dry Creek Valley Cabernet 2017

Kinsella Dry Creek Valley Spencer Vineyard Cabernet 2017

Son Alec and wife Viv arrived from NYC as part of their journey to relocate to the midwest from Manhatten. Part of the campaign includes moving his wine cellar holdings to our cellar for interim storage. His collection includes a portfolio of exciting new labels we hope to be introduced to and explore in the time ahead. The exposition began with him opening this premium label Sonoma County Cabernet. 

This is the label of Kevin Kinsella who founded Kinsella Estates in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley in 2007. Kevin bought a 12-acre vineyard in the foothills of the western edge of Dry Creek Valley and hired legendary winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to lead his project.

Kinsella is founder of the private venture capital fund, Avalon Ventures, which funded the first big data company, multiple billion dollar pharmaceutical companies, the first touch screen for the Apple iPhone, the first mega social gaming company and the radically new stealth vessel for the Navy SEALS. Avalon has participated in and helped develop more than 120 different companies. As a consultant to the Peruvian government, Kinsella developed the first international marketing plan for the remarkable Andean grain, quinoa. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Kinsella is also a Tony Award winner as he gained further fame and fortune as the largest individual investor in the musical Jersey Boys, which became a worldwide smash hit becoming the 12th longest running musical in the history of Broadway playing to nearly 23 million people worldwide in five locations worldwide over a decade. 

The musical Jersey Boys not only provided resources to pursue his passion for wine but also was the impetus for the name of one of the three vineyards on the estate named after the musical.

Kinsella Estates is situated in a private valley in the foothills of the western edge of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, situated at an elevation of 500 feet above the Russian River. The valley provides a warm climate that seldom sees a winter frost, some hills even grow citrus trees. The valley runs east-west and is planted with 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines on steep eastern hillsides made of loamy, metamorphic soil.

The estate has three vineyard blocks; the six acre Jersey Boys Vineyard, Spencer Vineyard is four acres, and two acre Heirloom Vineyard (formerly Tamara Vineyard), a steep sloping 17-year-old parcel wedged between an arroyo and a knoll of Spanish oaks, 

The Kinsella Estate property is a bit unique spot because the Dry Creek AVA is known primarily for the predominant varietal Zinfandel and not much Cabernet. This vineyard however gets plenty of sunshine to provide appropriate terroir for the Bordeaux varietal. 

The Heirloom Vineyard was planted in 2001 with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Jersey Boys Vineyard was replanted in 2008, utilizing four Cabernet Sauvignon clones, with two thirds of an acre planted to Wente clone Zinfandel and eight rows to Petit Verdot. 

With the purchase of the the 12-acre vineyard estate, his business instincts took over. "Part of the philosophy of venture capital is to go with the best people you can," explains Kinsella, who hired talented winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker in 2007. Prior to Kinsella, since 2000, Brown had crafted 37 individual bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon for Schrader Cellars. Twenty of those releases earned ratings of 95 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, including a pair of 100-point 2007s. Ninety-one is the lowest score in the bunch.

Working with Thomas Rivers Brown are viticulturist Kelly Maher and Josh Clark of Clark Vineyard Management. Josh is the son of Tom Clark of the family wine label Clark-Claudon. Josh says he started in this business at age 12, when he would spend the day with “the vineyard as his playground", and where he “practically grew up on a tractor.” Josh took over the family business in 2003 that Tom Clark, started in 1978 so that Tom could focus on the Clark-Claudon label. Notably, we hold twenty vintages of the Clark-Claudon label in our cellar collection dating back to the inaugural vintage 1994.

Kinsella Estates is the only vineyard property Josh farms in Sonoma County with the rest of his clients being in Napa County. Josh says Kinsella vineyards receive even sunlight throughout the day and the soils are well drained to accommodate Cabernet.    

 

The Kinsella team quickly set their sights on making the best-tasting Cabernet from Dry Creek, an area better known for Zinfandel. Success came swiftly with their very first vintage, the 2008, scoring 95 points at Wine Spectator.

Kinsella Estates produces 2,000 cases annually and has no plans to expand outside of what the vineyard has to offer, as Kinsella prefers to remain a single estate production. "Buying grapes to supplement a label would be considered absurd in Burgundy or Bordeaux," he says. Instead, he wants the Kinsella story to be about a single estate. "I have no need for other varietals," Kinsella says. "No need to amp up production. I'd be very happy just to do this perfectly." 

Kinsella Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley Spencer Vineyard Cabernet 2017

The premium label comes packaged in an extra heavy bottle (as heavy as I have ever seen in a standard 750ml!) forged to hold an embossed coin emblem with the Kinsella moniker and motto, "Su Una Stretta Di Mano" which is also on the rear label.

"Su Una Stretta Di Mano" (on a handshake) is a line from the Broadway show, Jersey Boys, but expresses perfectly the enduring bond forged among us, the sun, rain and soil, our excellent winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, our dedicated vineyard team... and our customers, who by buying and enjoying our wine - our passion - have joined that circle of friendship.'

Our wines let the fruit speak for itself - an expression of the terroir, the exceptional clones and the seasonal variation of sun and water in our vineyard. Kinsella Estates wines showcase beautiful expressions of the vineyard blocks from which they are made. Characteristics of the wines include expressive floral and dried herb aromas combined with bright fruit flavors and seductively smooth tannins.

Kinsella Estates Spencer Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. Production was 508 cases.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intense concentrated forward black fruits accented by notes of menthol, cedar, cinnamon and clove spices with hints of cassis and leather on a bright acidic finish. Give it some time to settle and become a bit more approachable.

RM 91 points. 

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Spencer Vineyard was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate in 2016.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3542037

https://www.kinsellawines.com/