Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997

Gala Christmas Surf and Turf Dinners Features Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997 David Arthur Chardonnay John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Linda prepared surf and turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tails. I pulled from the cellar two 1997 Napa Cabernets - a magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and a Del Dotto Vineyards Cabernet Franc. For the lobster course I pulled a David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay and a John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc.

John Anthony Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013 

Tony Truchard practiced medicine in Reno, Nevada before moving his family to Napa Valley where he purchased and developed 180 acres of property in the Carneros region. His sons John Anthony and Michael learned the business from the ground up working the vineyards. Today they own and operate the John Anthony brand sourcing fruit from vineyards they developed on leased land. Their wines feature small vineyard sites from the Oak Knoll District, Carneros and Coombsville regions of Napa.

This Sauvignon Blanc was a great starter with the shrimp cocktail and artisan cheese and meats course leading to the lobster course. This is butter/straw colored, light bodied, crisp balance of fruits and acidity - aromas and flavors of ripe green apples, ripe melon and hints of zesty citrus with a slight layer of smoke on the opening.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1788034

http://www.johnanthonyvineyards.com/

David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the David Arthur estate Vineyards and Winery high atop Atlas Peak during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013. While known for Napa Cabernets, they also produce this Chardonnay, another wine sourced from Napa growers from vineyards. This wine presents a big bold Napa style. The Chardonnay fruit is sourced from from independent growers' sites in the Oak Knoll District and Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa Valley.

A great complement to the lobster medallions in drawn butter, light pale straw color with greenish hues, full bodied with crisp acidity and buttery full firm flavors of apple, pear, figs, and stone fruits with tones of pineapple, guava, and lightly toasted oak and minerality on a full firm long finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1607206

https://davidarthur.com/assets/2012-dav-chardonnay.pdf

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We discovered Pride and acquired this magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon at the winery during our Napa Valley trip in 1999.

I wrote recently about the 1997 Napa vintage and how it is now coming of age. This Pride is likely at the peak of its drinking window.

Served from magnum. Blackish purple/garnet, full bodied, firm, tight, complex concentrated black berry and black currant fruits with tones of spice and cedar with hints of smoke, anise and mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

RM 92 points
94 points Wine Spectator
91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
92 points Wine Enthusiast
91 points Connoisseurs Guide

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

We acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties. This bottle better resembles earlier tasting results than some recent bottles that were somewhat diminished from aging.

Tonight's tasting was more consistent with notes from a few years ago, dark ruby color, medium to full body, spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this nineteen year old, accented by tones of earthy leather, cedar and tobacco with hints of anise on the smooth tannin finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Dinner Features Judgement of Paris Wines

Dinner Features Judgement of Paris Wines to Commemorate the Tasting event's Anniversary

For a holiday weekend dinner, we selected wines that were featured in the famous Judgement of Paris tasting event on the week of its anniversary - Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and a pair of Freemark Abbey Bosché Cabernets,  contenders in the original tasting. That tasting event was chronicled in Time Magazine in the June 1976 issue.

Linda prepared grilled marinated flank steak and tuna steaks on the grill, served with roasted potatoes and vegetables and sweet corn on the cob.

Prior to dinner we served Sauvignon Blanc with the mixed greens salad brought by Bill & Beth, and with artisan cheese and spinach cheese puff hor d'oeuvres brought by Bob & Gloria.

After dinner I served a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc with Linda's desert, pound cake with creme fraiche and mixed berries.

John Anthony Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2012

John Anthony wines are the product of John Anthony Truchard, who has been exposed to the vineyards and wine production his whole life having growing up in Carneros immersed in the industry learning from many legends of the industry including his father Tony Truchard of the Napa Valley wine label of that name. 

The opening wine served with the cheese and hors d' ovres course. Butter/straw colored, light bodied, crisp balance of fruits and acidity - aromas and flavors of ripe green apples, ripe melon and hints of zesty citrus with a slight layer of smoke on the opening.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1788034

http://www.johnanthonyvineyards.com/


Chateau Monetelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2011

Aficionados of wine must watch the entertaining classic movie "Bottle Shock" that chronicles the early days of Napa Valley, early winemakers, and Chateau Montelena, and its legendary finishing first in the epic competition tasting between American and French wines back in 1976. This descendant of that winning wine is the fortieth anniversary release of the label.

Paying tribute to that legendary wine, this vintage release is a reflection of, but makes the best of a challenging vintage in Napa, its a bit disjointed lacking the balance and polish of better years, never-the-less, the heritage and potential is apparent.

Straw colored, medium bodied, mineral and stone fruit predominate over the citrus, pear and slightly tart apple tones, turning to the long crisp rounded finish.

RM 89 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1642398

http://montelena.com/

  The highlight of the evening tasting were these two showcase reds that were perfect accompaniment to the grilled marinated flank steak and roasted vegetables and potatoes. This is another memorable tasting of these wines that Bill and I have shared over the years, including our vist to Freemark Abbey Winery during our Napa 2009 wine experience. 
 

Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Vineyard 1992 

I discovered this wine and acquired a case when I met the producer at a tasting in Binny's Naperville in the early nineties. At twenty-four years, this is our second to last bottle from that case. Only fitting that we open this on the anniversary of the famed blind tasting that put American and California wines on the map.

This tasting was consistent with similar to the previous tasting in 2012. Still vibrant with life left, while nearing the end of its drinking window this has a few years left and shows only slight signs of diminution with the fruit starting to give way to earthy leather tones, resulting in dropping a point in my rating of this wine. Dark garnet colored and medium bodied yet with distinctive 'legs' (or 'curtains' as my British friends call them), this exhibited polished and balanced concentrated black berry fruits with layer of spice, hint of smoke, earthy leather, tobacco and spice box on a moderate smooth, integrated moderate tannin finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12605

To compliment the Bosche, Bill brought a decade younger vintage 2002 for a mini-horizontal comparison tasting.

Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Vineyard 2002

Not surprising, this is similar to its older brother, and as the night wore on, the two vintages became more indistinguishable. with the same profile and characteristics, the fruit being slightly more bright and vibrant in the more recent release.

Like the earlier release, dark garnet colored and medium bodied yet with distinctive 'legs' (or 'curtains' as my British friends call them), this exhibited polished and balanced concentrated black berry fruits with layer of spice, hint of smoke, earthy leather, tobacco and spice box on a moderate smooth, integrated moderate tannin finish. The still bright and vibrant fruits warrants the higher rating.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1061464

http://www.freemarkabbey.com/


De Lorimier Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest Lace 2002

For the after dinner dessert course I pulled from the cooler this Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from the same 2002 vintage as the earlier tasted Montelena and the same varietal as the opening Sauv Blanc.

Part of the Ken and Diane Wilson, Wilson Artisan Wineries portfolio, this estate winery and vineyards specializes in Bordeaux varietals up in the Alexander Valley. The estate's dessert late harvest wines go back to the mid-eighties. Founded in 1986 by Al deLorimier the winery and vineyard were planted and developed into the Estate it is today. The production facility is set up for the blending and aging of many small lots. Ken and and co-owner/winemaker Diane Wilson, and winemaker Antoine Favero combine their talents to produce award winning artisan wines at deLorimier. 

In special years when the weather allows for a small harvest of Botrytised grapes late in the fall, they make dessert wine from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, or a blend of the two. Botrytis Cineria, the "noble mold", creates a wine of naturally high sweetness and intensity of flavor, while maintaining the fresh fruit character.

This was weak tea colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced with sweet and smokey flavors of apricot, citrus and hints of brown sugar.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=327183

http://delorimierwinery.com/