Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2005 with grilled beefsteak

For Sunday night dinner at home with grilled steaks, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus spears I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.

I chronicled this wine in detail back in 2020 when I wrote the following: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. In line with that theme, four different generations of the branding and label imagery going back to the 1980's have all adorned the three grape varietals' leaf shapes in the label artwork.

To this day, this Bordeaux-style wine continues to be sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes. Jerry and Flora were married back in 1935 in San Francisco but moved throughout California and Texas over the years as Jerry pursued an engineering career with the giant San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. The couple had three children, Mike, John and Julie, and eventually settled back in San Francisco when Jerry settled in a corporate job in international relations at Bechtel HQ in the Bay Area.

When Jerry retired in 1976, he and Flora began looking for a place to retire in Napa Valley. They came upon a property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, and Flora saw magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.

“There are so many wonderful things about Napa Valley and St. Helena. I just fell in love with that property and that was it.” Jerry and Flora purchased the estate believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They had the wisdom and prescience to craft a Bordeaux style blend from Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietals in the early days as Cabernet was becoming the king of Napa Valley. 

We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold nearly a dozen vintages including bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91. We served those vintages at their wedding rehearsal and celebration dinner party back in 2020.

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs, but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fulfill the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this nearly two decade old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  

At eighteen years, the fill level, foil, label, and importantly, the cork, as shown, were in ideal condition. This is still holding its own with life left although likely at the end of the apex of its drinking window and won't improve with further aging. 

This was the 30th anniversary wine of producer Flora Springs, their flagship Trilogy is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French Oak.

This release was sourced from Flora Springs estate vineyards on the bench of the Mayacamas in the farthest northwest corner of the Rutherford appellation.

Winemaker Notes - "In 1984, we set out to make the best wine possible by hand-selecting the highest quality lots from our estate vineyards. Using a blend of three Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot - we created Trilogy, one of the original Meritage wines.'

"Flora Springs has built its legacy on beautiful and complex wines that can be enjoyed either as young and vibrant or as cellared and graceful. The 2005 Trilogy may be our boldest statement yet. It exhibits all the classic Trilogy attributes with a lovely cassis and cherry bouquet as well as huge black fruit flavors that envelope the palate. Each varietal is vital to the outcome - the Cabernet exhibits black cherry and dark cocoa character, while the Merlot carries these flavors to the back of the palate where the Cabernet Franc adds notes of coffee and toffee to the finish. Unrelenting with power and grace, the 2005 Trilogy is the perfect wine to mark Flora Springs' 30th anniversary year."

This release was awarded 95 points and Editors' Choice by Wine Enthusiast and 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Dark garnet colored with a some purple and very slight amount of rust hue starting to set in, full-bodied, dry, rich, complex, nicely balanced integrated flavors dark berries and currants, with notes of dark cocoa, graphite, leather, tobacco leaf, cedar and spice with lingering firm but refined tannins.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=340749

https://www.florasprings.com/  

@FloraSprings

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Alec and Vivianna hosted a gala first birthday party for Marylin. They served a broad selection of foods including Salmon and beef tenderloin, along with salads, shrimp, and a broad selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie and dips.

Afterwards we had two birthday cakes, a white cake and a chocolate cake, also to celebrate Linda's birthday. 

The occasion was an opportunity for all the family to gather, along with many of their friends and families. 

On the eve of the NBA All-Star game, and the day our Indiana Hoosiers, and rival fellow Hoosier Purdue Boilermakers are the only Big Ten teams nationally ranked, the day also called for a serious pop-a-shot tournament, first by the kids, and then the adults. 

I brought from our cellar an aged Napa Cabernet Reserve from Alec's birthyear vintage, a fitting tribute to the occasion. Alec served a selection of reds, a white and Rose' from his cellar. 

Flora Springs Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1990

We collect many wines in our cellar that are family affairs, such that we favor them with family outings such as this. 

One family winery who's wines we collect is Flora Springs and their Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s family have acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyards. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes who bought the property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They may be best known for their label, Trilogy which is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. This label is a Reserve bottling of their single varietal Cabernet.

 They started producing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1989 reaching production of 700 cases. Their 1991 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator and was called 'stunning' by Robert Parker. 

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.At thirty-three years, this was holding up amazingly well, still within its drinking window and only beginning to show diminution from age with slight discoloration and haziness. Never-the-less the fruit was vibrant and after decanting and settling for an hour, it was very tasty and pleasant drinking. 

The fill level, foil, label and importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition, considering their age. The cork was pristine and held together well when extracted using an Ahso two pronged cork puller.

Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish gray hue started to set in showing its age, medium bodied, complex, concentrated blackberry and plum fruits with layers of currant, mocha, anise, leather, sage herbs and hints of eucalyptus. on a long finish of bright acidity and ripe tannins. Time to drink and we caught this just in time. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=151440

https://www.florasprings.com/

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

 

Alec then pulled from his cellar a recent acquisition, this premium single vineyard designated Big Red from Napa Valley Stags Leap District. 

Mira Schweizer Vineyard Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

 

This is the handicraft of Co-Founder/Winemaker Gustavo A. Gonzalez and co-founder Jim “Bear” Dyke, Jr., consultant and lobbyist. A chance meeting at the Off The Record bar in Washington, D.C., lead to their joint pursuit of the dream of creating a world class winery. In 2009, the duo sourced their first grapes and in 2012 Mira went to market. 

They are joined by Ed Thralls who came to Mira with 25 years of experience in both wine and financial technology industries. Having studied winemaking at UC Davis and earning a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), he has served as General Manager for a Sonoma premier producer. Ed had his own winery, Thralls Family Cellars, producing premium Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley, Syrah and Chardonnay. Prior to that, he served as the director at Flowers Vineyards & Winery and Huneeus Vintners.

Mira Winery is named for the Latin root of “miracle” and Greek for “destiny”. It is a family owned, 16-acre estate in the heart of the Napa Valley, farming historic vineyards that were first planted to grapes in 1885. 

Gustavo A Gonzalez has been practicing his craft in the Napa Valley and around the world to critical acclaim for over 20 years, in California, Italy, France, Argentina, and Brazil. He brings local knowledge and global perspective, experience and creativity to Mira’s vineyard practices and winemaking techniques.

Gustavo’s grew up in California’s Central Valley, surrounded by family with longstanding ties to agriculture and an appreciation for wine. His appreciation for winemaking took him to the Napa Valley where he joined the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1995 working in the fields towards a career in winemaking. For 17 years at Robert Mondavi Winery, Gustavo worked his way up to Head Red Winemaker where he established Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the leading Napa Valley Cabernets, consistently receiving Wine Spectator ratings of 95 or higher. 

There he also produced some of the best Sauternes style wine of the new world and raised the Pinot Noir program to cult status. During this time, he also worked with other notable wineries around the world including Tenuta dell’Ornellaia where he was responsible for the 2001 “Masseto” Toscana which received 100 points from Wine Spector and was described by James Suckling as, “possibly the best Tuscan red ever.”

Gustavo’s strong relationships with leading Napa Valley grape growers brought Mira unique access to some of the finest blocks of grapes in some of the Napa Valley’s premier vineyards including Hyde Vineyard in the Carneros AVA and Schweizer Vineyard in the heart of the Stags Leap AVA.

Gustavo has established Mira as one of the top producers of small production single vineyard wines from the Napa Valley. At a blind tasting commemorating the historic Judgement of Paris featuring eight of the world’s top wines from Bordeaux and the Napa Valley, the 2012 Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard took the top slot for Napa Valley Cabernet besting Screaming Eagle, Schrader To Kalon, and Shafer Hillside Select.

Mira produce a dozen premium labels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varietal red and white blends sourced from leading Napa growers.  

Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard 2016 

This is from Schweizer Vineyard, one of the oldest in Napa Valley, that has been producing grapes for premier wines for over 100 years and has been owned by the Schweizer family since 1956. The historic 42-acre vineyard in the heart of Stags Leap District has ideal terroir for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. It combines excellent draining Perkins Gravelly Loam soil with a microclimate of great afternoon sun due to its position on the east side of the valley and ideal hot days and cool nights. As a result, Schweizer Vineyard is among the world’s top locations to grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
 

Winemaker notes: "A level of refinement on the nose that defies easy description, evoking the best of the “Grand Cru” tradition. Smooth despite tremendous structure, on the palate the wine’s essential fruit character underlies layers of earthy, forest floor notes. Already extremely complex, this wine is destined for a profound journey in the cellar."

This release was awarded 97 Points in the Sunset International Wine Competition, 95 Points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 Points by James Suckling, and 91 Points by Wine Spectator.  

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, concentrated ripe blackberry and currant fruits, earth, tobacco, dark bitter mocha chocolate, vanilla and spice notes with hints of cedar and on a long expressive acid tinged finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4093038

https://miranapa.com/

https://twitter.com/mirawinery

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Red

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2009

I wrote extensively about Flora Springs and the Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend label (2008) and chronicled their branding history in these pages two years ago.

I wrote at that time, 'This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.'

As with that post, again tonight, for midweek dinner at home with grilled steaks, whipped potatoes and haricot verts, I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. 

We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

As mentioned in earlier blog postings: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The label adorns three grape leaves on the label.

This Bordeaux-style wine is sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards that sit just west of St Helena Highway down Zinfandel Lane, in the northwestern corner of the Rutherford Appellation. 

The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91. Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this fifteen year old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  Wine Enthusiast gave this release 92 points.

Winemaker’s Notes: "The 2009 Trilogy possesses all the attributes that make Trilogy so great—ripe berries, allspice, white chocolate, espresso and black currant. Three varietals merge together to form a beautiful balanced lush wine that makes you just want to have one more sip.'

"The Merlot brings out the red fruits, while the Cabernet and Malbec are responsible for the black fruits. We are proud to say that after 33 years of winemaking and 25 years of crafting Trilogy, Flora Springs is still breaking new ground. We credit the consistent organic and sustainable farming practices of our vineyard team as well as the focus and direction of our winemaker, Paul Steinauer." 

As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, this 2009 Trilogy is a red Bordeaux Blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Malbec. It was aged for 21 months in 100% new French Oak. 

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.

At thirteen years, this is drinking very nicely now, probably at the apex of its drinking profile, and not likely to improve any further with aging. 

With dark inky color, this exhibited medium-full bodied, nicely complex but nicely balanced and well integrated bright vibrant forward blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of cassis, cedar, mocha and hints of sweet oak with  smooth soft tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1316779

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/flora-springs-trilogy-napa-valley-red.html

https://www.florasprings.com/ 

  

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

Team Beef Tenderloin Dinner features 2002 Napa Bordeaux Varietals

Team Dinner features Beef Tenderloin 2002 Napa Bordeaux Varietal Wines

I hosted my leadership team for a team building planning session kick-off dinner at our house. Linda grilled beef tenderloin and sockeye salmon with baked sweet potatoes and Idaho potatoes, with haricot verts. We served a horizontal flight of Napa Valley Bordeaux varietals with the dinner, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Cabernet Franc, and a Bordeaux Blend of all five, all from the same 2002 vintage.

As noted in my blogpost about the fun of serving from Big Bottles, tonight we served the Flora Springs Trilogy from Magnum.  

Prior to dinner we served a selection of artisan cheeses with a refreshing white Sauvignon Blanc, which also complimented the caprese salad course, and the salmon entree.

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Prior to dinner we served a selection of artisan cheeses and a caprese salad accompanied by this Lede Sauvignon Blanc. 

As I've written numerous times in these pages, this is one of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs, one we keep on hand with each vintage release as one of our mainstay 'go-to' wines.

The primary vineyards and sources for Cliff Lede Napa Sauvignon Blanc are estate grown Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musqué. Another vineyard located in eastern Rutherford has old vines planted to a heritage Musqué clone and Sémillon.

Two other old-vine vineyards, both in Calistoga, contribute to the blend, one planted to Sauvignon Blanc and the other to Sémillon. 

In many vintages, they also include grapes from a cooler climate vineyard on the east side of Napa, imparting vibrant acidity and finesse to the wine.

A vineyard in Chiles Valley, a small pocket in eastern Napa County, east of Napa Valley, adds complexity with old vines of Sauvignon Vert planted in 1947.

The Cliff Lede winery estate and vineyards with their picturesque sculpture gardens at Yountville Cross Road and Silverado Trail are one of our popular visits during our many trips to Napa Valley. We've had many memorable visits there with the most memorable, our private tour and tasting during our Napa Wine Experience 2009.

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016

We hold nearly a half dozen vintages of this label and as part of cellar management, opted towards the oldest from 2016. It was still vibrant and refreshing and tasty at five years.

I wrote in a couple notes about this release that the peach sprites were more subdued or muted but tonight it resembled previous tastings where that was a highlight of the wine. Straw colored, light bodied, aromas of floral and apricot and flavors of peach predominate with tones of lychee, pear, apple, citrus and hints of lime with a crisp clean sharp tangy finish.

RM 90

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2616721 

Earlier tastings ...

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/03/cal-wine-flight-highlights-st-pats.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/10/cliff-lede-napa-valley-sauvignon-blanc.html

https://cliffledevineyards.com/

@CliffLedeWine 

Flora Springs 'Trilogy' Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2002

For the flight of Red Wines, we started with the most complex, a blend of all five Bordeaux varietals. Moreover, this was the most moderate and subdued wine, appropriately served first, before the more concentrated, bolder, bigger single varietals reds which would have overshadowed and overpowered this more delicate selection. 

We hold or have held over the years a dozen vintages of this label spanning three decades going back to the 1990, one of our favorite Napa Valley Bordeaux Blends. I chronicled this label in detail in a blogpost early last year. 

Tonight we served this from a larger format magnum. At nineteen years, this was still drinking quite nicely, still well within its acceptable drinking window, perhaps at its prime but not likely to improve any further with aging.

Tonight's tasting experience was similar to my notes from when I last wrote about this vintage release back in 2007 when I wrote, " Smooth, soft after an hour of settling, medium bodied but somewhat complex dark berry, black cherry, and a hint of essence of mocha on the medium finish." 

At that time, this release was awarded 92 points by Wine Spectator, 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits. 

This release of this popular label was not limited to just three varietals as usual, this Trilogy contained all five Bordeaux grapes in the blend.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, elegant and more subdued sophistication as opposed to bigger, more concentrated, bolder Napa Valley Cabernets, blackberry, black currant and black cherry fruits with notes of spice box, herbs, a hints of dark mocha with moderate soft tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=64904

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/2001-vintage-napa-cab-comparison.html

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

@FloraSprings

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2002

Colleague Ken was one of our guests tonight and he is a big fan of Del Dotto wines so I pulled this from the cellar for him. We're huge fans of Del Dotto, one of the larger producer holdings in our cellar. 

We've visited Del Dotto's several Napa Valley properties numerous times over the years dating back to their early years in the mid-nineties. Our most recent visits and tastings were highlights of our Napa trips - 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.

I remember obtaining this label back when Del Dotto were producng was one of, if not the first vintage releases of this varietal in Napa Valley. Del Dotto were one of the first producers to bottle Cabernet Franc as a standalone bottling, a varietal typically used as part of a Bordeaux Blend to add depth and breadth of spice and structure or character to the blend. This is a great wine to keep on hand for special pairing with food highlighting the distinctive characteristics of this varietal. 

Like the other two 2002's, this was still drinking quite nicely, still well within its acceptable drinking window, perhaps at its prime but not likely to improve any further with aging.

I recall I had to bargain to obtain more than a very few of the allocated bottles at the time. Of course, by itself its big, bold. forward and expressive. 

At our last tasting of this release, four years ago, I wrote, "At fifteen years, this is aging very nicely and still holding well within its drinking window. Consistent with earlier tasting notes, dark garnet color, full bodied, bright cedar, cinnamon spice, raspberry, and hint of mocha on a big, long silky smooth tannin finish."

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19187

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@DelDottoWine

Robert Craig Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 

This was the WOTN - Wine of the Night, darker, bigger, bolder and more fruit forward than the others, perhaps reflecting Mountain fruit vs those from the Valley floor.

It was apparent why Robert Craig considered his favorite of his five Napa Valley Cabernets (Mt Veeder, Spring Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley Mt George in some vintages. 

 

As the biggest wine, it was appropriately served last, so as not to overpower the 'lesser' more delicate,  complex wines.

We've written throughout these pages of our Robert Craig cellar collection, one of our largest holdings, and our numerous visits to the estate winery and wonderful memories of hosted dinners with, and Tribute to the late Robert Craig.

This is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. 

 

Robert Parker gave this 90 points, Wine Enthusiast 91 points, and Vinfolio 94.

 

Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, rich concentrated, structured black berry and black raspberry fruits integrated with notes of cassis, clove spice, currant and licorice, turning to silky smooth  finely textured, supple tannins on the supple finish.

 

RM 92 points.  

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=70952

https://mcnees.org/winesite/labels/labels_California/lbl_CA_Robert_Craig_Mt_Veeder_cab_2002_remc.jpg 

 

https://robertcraigwine.com/

 

@RobertCraigWine

After dinner Linda served grilled peaches and Tuxedo Chocolate cake with fresh berries. With the dessert court we opened this unique limited release Augusta Missouri Port.

Mt Pleasant Augusta Appellation Missouri Vintage Port 1988

For a dessert wine, I pulled from the cellar this label from the State of Missouri in light of the irony, that two of our guests tonight, colleagues Stacy and Kevin, are both from the area. Kevin actually knows this producer and has visited the winery on numerous occasions. 

We discovered and acquired this wine during a visit to Mount Pleasant Vineyards in Augusta, Missouri on our way to a Colorado ski trip thirty years ago shortly after its release. Interesting, amazingly, the Augusta Appellation AVA (American Viticultural Area) was the first government-appointed wine-growing district in the United States. 

We've held this thirty-three year old 1988 vintage release in our cellar since then, thinking we'd one day consume it with friends celebrating a 1988 anniversary or birthyear of one of their kids. That occasion never came, but tonight, it served its purpose commemorating the regional home of two of our guests.

Ironically, after thirty years, this producer winery was recently in the news as it was acquired by the Hoffmann Family of Companies, their sixth Missouri vineyard, adding to the 700 + acres that they already own in the area.

Mount Pleasant Vineyards is the oldest winery in the Missouri Augusta Appellation, established in 1859 with buildings dating back to the 1820’s, It was originally founded by the Muench brothers who built the first cellar in 1881, which is still used today to age Mount Pleasant’s estate-bottled wines including this award-winning Augusta Port. Their 1986 Vintage Port was the only Missouri wine to ever take a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Awards in London. 

The winery was closed and vineyards destroyed during prohibition. 

In 1966, it was revived when Lucian Dressel and his wife Eva purchased the property and Mount Pleasant was reopened as a winery. They replanted the vineyards with self-rooted vines and classic grafted European varieties, turning Mount Pleasant into a destination.

In 1980, Augusta was chosen to be the first government-appointed wine-growing district. The first officially designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) became known as the Augusta Appellation.

Keeping the winery in the Dressel family, Chuck Dressel’s family purchased Mount Pleasant from their uncle, Lucian Dressel, in 1992, and then, earlier this year in 2021, it was purchased and is being restored by the Hoffmann Family of Companies to it’s original colors and prestige.

Today, the Augusta estate grows nine grape varieties on 125 acres overlooking the Missouri River Valley.

Tonight, at thirty-three years, while this was past its prime, it was still within it acceptable drinking window, but nearing the end and time to drink. The color was garnet colored, albeit somewhat opaque as it was taking a bit of gray cloudiness, berry fruits with notes of raisin, dark mocha chocolate, hints of cassis, roasted nuts and bit of smoke and creosote on the finish. 

RM 85 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=616788

https://twitter.com/MtPleasantWine

@MtPleasantWine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2008

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2008 

We enjoyed this with left over beef stew dinner at home. It was a perfect complement. I wrote about this label, the producer, history, family and branding in an in-depth chronicle last summer. 

This label is a regular favorite and mainstay holding in our cellar, partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs, but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, we hold a dozen vintages of this label in our cellar dating back to 90 and 91, a dependable offering for quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends.

Notably, we served the 1990 and 1991 vintages of this label, birthyear vintages of the groom and bride, at son Alec's wedding last fall. 

Hence, to fulfill the urge for a Bordeaux with our beef this evening, we opened this dozen year old Trilogy, named for the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend.

Had I read the winemaker's accolades for this vintage release earlier, I likely would've held this vintage longer and chosen an older or alternate year as he attests 'it may be one of our greatest ever', and suggests prime drinking through 2028. 

As shown right, the cork was perfect at a dozen years of age. 

Robert Parker suggested in 2014 it should drink well for 10-15 more years. Prudent cellar management might have suggested I select a bottle that is closer to the end of its prime drinking window since this bottle can be held still longer for prime drinking. 

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

This release was awarded 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. It is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2.5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec, sourced from estate vineyards in the benchland hills of the Mayacamas Range in the further northwest corner of the Rutherford Appellation. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French Oak and nearly 5000 cases were produced. 

Deep ruby purple coloed, medium to full body, complex yet elegant, supurbly balanced and polished black raspberry and black current flavors highlighted by floral, smooth oak and spice with hints of cassis and mocha turning to smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1091239

https://www.florasprings.com/  

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

 

 

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2008

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.

For midweek dinner at home with grilled steaks, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus spears I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

I chronicled this wine earlier this year when I wrote the following: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. In line with that theme, four different generations of the branding and label imagery going back to the 1980's have all adorned the three grape varietals' leaf shapes in the label artwork.

To this day, this Bordeaux-style wine continues to be sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes. Jerry and Flora were married back in 1935 in San Francisco but moved throughout California and Texas over the years as Jerry pursued an engineering career with the giant San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. The couple had three children, Mike, John and Julie, and eventually settled back in San Francisco when Jerry settled in a corporate job in international relations at Bechtel HQ in the Bay Area.

When Jerry retired in 1976, he and Flora began looking for a place to retire in Napa Valley. They came upon a property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, and Flora saw magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.

“There are so many wonderful things about Napa Valley and St. Helena. I just fell in love with that property and that was it.” Jerry and Flora purchased the estate believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They had the wisdom and prescience to craft a Bordeaux style blend from Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietals in the early days as Cabernet was becoming the king of Napa Valley. We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91.

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this decade old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  Wine Enthusiast gave this release 94 point, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 91 points.

With dark inky color, this exhibited medium-full bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated forward black and blue berry and black currant fruits with a layer of mocha and hints of sweet oak - a pleasant, very tasty, simple easy drinking wine, smooth soft tannins on the lingering finish.

As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, Trilogy is a blend of  79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French Oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1091239

https://www.florasprings.com/ 

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2010

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2010 with grilled tenderloin steak dinner

Midweek dinner at home with grilled tenderloin steak, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus spears I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. In line with that theme, four different generations of the branding and label imagery going back to the 1980's have all adorned the three grape varietals' leaf shapes in the label artwork.

To this day, this Bordeaux-style wine continues to be sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes. Jerry and Flora were married back in 1935 in San Francisco but moved throughout California and Texas over the years as Jerry pursued an engineering career with the giant San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. The couple had three children, Mike, John and Julie, and eventually settled back in San Francisco when Jerry settled in a corporate job in international relations at Bechtel HQ in the Bay Area.

When Jerry retired in 1976, he and Flora began looking for a place to retire in Napa Valley. They came upon a property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, and Flora saw magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.

“There are so many wonderful things about Napa Valley and St. Helena. I just fell in love with that property and that was it.” Jerry and Flora purchased the estate believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They had the wisdom and prescience to craft a Bordeaux style blend from Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietals in the early days as Cabernet was becoming the king of Napa Valley. We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91.

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. 

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this decade old Trilogy.

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2010

The 2010 Trilogy is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. 

I last opened this label on 9/6/2014 when I wrote: "This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated rich black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by complex layers of cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate mocha, hints of caramel and soft sweet oak on the smooth silky tannins on the long lingering finish."

RM 92 Points

Wine Enthusiast also gave this 92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 91 points as did Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Parker said it was "Reminiscent of both Napa Valley and Bordeaux, it should drink well over the next decade or more. (8/2013)" Steve Tanzer said it was, "The best of these big reds in 2010."

Connoisseurs Guide said, "It is still at odds with itself and wants cellaring in spite of its pretty first face. (8/2013)". Wine Spectator said, "this is tannic from start to finish, so patience is required. Best from 2014 through 2024. (Web-2013)"

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455817
 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/2001-vintage-napa-cab-comparison.html

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

2001 Vintage Napa Cab Comparison Reveals Contrasts in Terroir

2001 Vintage Napa Cab Comparison Reveals Contrasts in Terroir

Bach'ing it for the weekend, we invited Bill and son Ryan over for a grilled steak dinner and impromptu wine tasting. Following our tasting of the blockbuster 2001 Cliff Lede Cabernet recently, I suggested we try '01 Cabs as the theme for a comparison tasting. Bill brought from his cellar a HaLo, the flagship wine of Trefethen Vineyards which we visited together during out Napa Wine Experience 2013. We scoured our cellar for a similar wine to compare. While I had several '01 Napa Cabs from which to select, most were from mountain appellations reflecting our penchant for that style. Seeking the closest geographical source for a comparison tasting, we pulled from the cellar a 2001 Snowden estate bottled cab. Snowden is from the lower southern end of Oakville district in the foothills about 700 feet elevation. Halo is from the Oak Knoll District at the lower end of Napa Valley nestled up against the base of Mt Veeder. The two wines ended up being in stark contrast in terroir and style - both well suited to the grilled strip steaks.


Trefethen Halo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Befitting the flagship brand name, HaLo is named for the producer's children, Hailey and Loren, who grew up in the middle of the Hillspring Vineyard, source for the wine. Hillspring is located in the foothills tucked up against the base of Mt Veeder in the lower Mayacamas range on the western edge of Napa Valley. The estate vineyard sits west of the winery and tasting room at the entrance to Napa Valley just north of the town of Napa. The historic building on the property suffered extensive damage in last week's earthquake.

The '01 Halo was smooth, polished and elegant, a symphony of layers of fruit flavors - berry, black cherry and nuances of soft oak and delicate floral. While complex, it was sophisticated and almost soft, lacking any pretense of muscular structure or backbone on the layer of silky tannins.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=621303

http://www.trefethen.com/


Snowden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

We discovered Snowden shortly after their inaugural release in the early nineties and still hold several vintages dating back to then. We met Scott and Randy Snowden during our early Napa Wine Experience events from that era.

The '01 was dark garnet colored with a subtle rust on the rim, full bodied, firm and a bit tight, forward black cherry, black currant and black cherry fruits, accented by tones of black tea, black olive, herb, cedar and spice, finishing with a gripping tannins.  A layer of funky earth, leather, and musty wet wood hung over the fruits and didn't dissipate until late into the night.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=244995






Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2010

I picked this up today and wanted to try it against a couple benchmark cabs to see if I wanted to buy more. We hold numerous vintages of this wine going back to the 1991 vintage. It used to be a perennial favorite. This 2010 vintage release is as good as any in my recollection and definitely warrants being included in a cellar collection. I will most certainly go back and buy more. This release is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. It has the best of both worlds, all the positives of a nicely crafted, balanced Bordeaux varietal blend, with the new world 'instant gratification of a full forward rich concentrated Napa Valley fruits. 

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated rich black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by complex layers of cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate mocha, hints of caramel and soft sweet oak on the smooth silky tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 92 points Wine Enthusiast, 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455817

http://www.florasprings.com/ 

Fog Dog Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2012

Prior to dinner, Linda broiled two lobster tails to serve lobster medallions with drawn butter that we served with Fog Dog Chardonnay.

FogDog is the label of Sonoma Coast wines from famed Napa producer Joseph Phelps. FogDog is the whimsical name for the expression used when there is a slight break in a fog bank, and clear skies can be seen.

This release is 100% Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sourced from the Phelps owned Freestone estate vineyards and the Dutton Ranch Mill Station Vineyard.
 

Light straw colored, light bodied, bright, crisp, nicely balanced acidity, tangy citrus, stone fruit giving way to green apple tones with hints of pineapple and tangy lemon on a smooth lingering finish.

RM 90 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1916269

http://www.josephphelps.com/2012-fogdog-chardonnay

Summer-cookout-2k-Bordeaux_and_like_flight

Summer grilled steak cookout highlights 2k Bordeaux flight, Napa Bordeaux Blends and Select Whites

Terry and Lyle hosted our mid-summer wine dinner at their pied-à-terre in Chicago west loop. Lyle grilled steaks on the deck and Terry fixed an assortment of dishes including salads and potato casserole.  The antipasto included selected artisan cheeses and olives including tapenade and a crab dip salad with assorted biscuits and breads.

The wine theme featured a flight of 2000 vintage Bordeaux complimented by California Napa Valley Meritage (Bordeaux-like) Cabernet Sauvignon blends. The evening was kicked off with a pair of Champagnes and closed with a pair of Graham Vintage Ports to accompany chocolate cake, fresh berries and whipped cream topping.

A selection of artisan cheeses included an aged Gouda, Bellavitano with pepper, and three fine aged cheddars - one, three and five years old from Fair Oaks Farms in Northern Indiana.

The cheeses were complimented by the a selection of white wines - vintage Brut Champagne, a Vouvray and a Dry Riesling from Finger Lakes region in New York.

John brought two Champagnes, a Paul Bara Grand Cru Spécial Club Brut Bouzy Champagne 2002 and Henri Giraud Esprit Brut Rose NV.

The Paul Bara was initally yeasty but this melted off to reveal nut, apple, pear and peach flavors with medium bodied, medium acidity. Thirteen Cellartracker reviews averaged 91 points with a medium 90.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=558661  

The Henri Giraud Esprit was dark salmon, almost copper colored, started a slight bit yeasty and this too melted off to reveal a hint of smoke accenting the strawberry and hint of citrus notes with medium body and medium acidity. This received average 90 and medium of 89 points from seven Cellartracker reviewers. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1169585

Two other whites were tasted to accompany the first course - Ernie brought  a Chateau Moncontour Vouvray 2002 and L & I brought Ravines Finger Lakes New York Dry Riesling 2010.  We'll be touring the Finger Lakes region in early August so I sought out a selection from there that could be sourced locally.  
 
The Moncontour was light lemon colored, medium bodied with hint of citrus, peach and pear notes.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=42695

The Finger Lakes region is not well known beyond the East Coast but this Dry Riesling 2009 label made Wine Spectator's list of Top 100 exciting wines for 2011 (Nov. 21, 2011).

This tasted almost like a Viognier with weak tea color, medium body - mineral and crushed stone character with subdued citrus, pear and apple notes on a very dry pronounced acid finish. Medium and Average review of 89 points from sixteen Cellartracker reviewers including me.

http://ravineswine.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1162835

Prior to the Bordeaux flight we tasted Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2008. With dark inky color, this exhibited full bodied forward black and blue berry and black currant fruits with a layer of mocha and hints of sweet oak - a pleasant, very tasty, simple easy drinking wine. As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, Trilogy is a blend of  79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French Oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1091239

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.


 The flight of 2000 vintage Bordeaux was poured during dinner, consisted of St Emilion, Margaux, Pessac-Leognan, and St. Julian appellations, tasted in that order.

Clos de L'Oratoire St Emilion Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2000

Full-bodied, round, ripe black currants, blackberry and black cherry fruits with hints of herbs and spice on a silky smooth tannin finish.

92 points Robert Parker; 92 points Wine Spectator; 90 points Stephen Tanzer; RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6340




Chateau Lascombs Margaux Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2000

Medium-bodied, deep ruby/purple-colored,  upon opening a huge bouquet of floral and perfume permeate the air -  flavors of violet, blackberry, black currant, and black cherry fruits with a layer of vanilla and smooth polished tannins on a a long, berry, vanilla soft oak finish. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6403



90 points Robert Parker:  89 Wine Spectator; Steven Tanzer 87-90; RM 91 points.



 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Leognan Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2000

We discovered this wine through their collaboration with Napa Valley's Darioush. We were honored to attend a gala wine dinner at Everest Room in Chicago co-hosted by proprieter Dominic Laborie of Domaine Chevalier and  Darius and Shaptar Khaledi of Darioush. We hold a vertical of this wine starting with the 94 vintage through the 2000 which we presented here.

This was the most subdued of the reds, perhaps in a closed period. classic Bordeaux character with musty earthy leather and tobacco notes that masked the black berry fruit, cassis and spice notes with a moderate firm tannin finish.

Average of 90.8 points with a medium 92 points in 42 Cellartracker reviews - my rating - RM 88 points - perhaps more indication that this bottle was shut down at this time.  . 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=15913

Chateau Langoa Barton St Julien Bordeaux Cru Classe 2000

This wine was Number 24 of the Spectator's top 100 wines of 2003!

Legendary Anthony Barton owns this and the more renouned Léoville Barton but Langoa Barton sells for a fraction of the price - this is a great investment wine from this vintage.

This Langoa is big and intense with dense, rich, aromas and flavors of  earthy black and blue berry and black currant fruits with a layer of anise and hint of leather with structured lingering full tannins and acidity on the finish.

94 points Wine Spectator: 91 points from Robert Parker; 90 points RM - average and median of 91 points in 50 Cellartracker reviews.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=9898

  Still in process .... More to come ...


Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

If you love Silver Oak, you'll like this release; if you think Silver Oak is over the top over-oaked, then you won't!

Complex, full bodied with dark ruby red color, aromas and flavors of floral, ripe plum and blackberry with a layer of that signature predominant sweet spicy oak, undercurrents of spice, black olive, mocha and vanilla with supple, integrated fine grained tannins and a long finish.

Like the Trilogy above, Silver Oak Napa 2004 is also a meritage blend but even moreso (Bordeaux like) with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot 2%, 1% Malbec.

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar; RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=334621

http://www.silveroak.com/

Celler Vall Llach Priorat IDUS Catalunya Spain 2005

John brought and served a 2005 Proriat Idus from Celler Vall Llach. Dark inky colored, full bodied it exhibit black fruits, creosote tar notes, licorice, black cherry and spice with a hints of smoke and tobacco on the finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=354910

Cellartracker reviewers rated this an average 90.9 points with a median of 91 pts. in 37 notes. RM 87 points.

Grahams Vintage Port 2000 and 1991  

To finish, with chocolate cake, fresh berries and whipped cream, we Lyle served Grahams Vintage Port 2000 and 1991.