Showing posts with label Kistler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kistler. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Kistler Sonoma Mtn Chardonnay at Cotton Row Huntsville

Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay at Cotton Row Restaurant Huntsville

Enroute to our favorite getaway at The Cove, Destin, Florida vacation rental home, we stopped in Madison/Huntsville, AL to visit an investment property. Staying over the night, we dined at Cotton Row Restaurant, downtown Huntsville

Arguably one of the more highly acclaimed restaurants in Huntsville, Cotton Row sits on the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square in a historic three-story brick building built in 1821 along the cotton exchange, from which it derives its name.

Cotton Row is the creation of Chef James Boyce and wife Suzan. James started his culinary career in New York City at venerable Le Cirque, where he worked for six years under the tutelage of Daniel Boulud. While working in New York, Boyce studied at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, graduating with top honors. 

In 1990, Boyce moved west to Phoenix, where he worked at The Phoenician with Mary Elaine’s former chef de cuisine, Alex Stratta. After five years there he moved to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas as chef de cuisine at Palace Court before moving to Loews Coronado Bay Resort as executive chef in 1995. While heading culinary operations for Loews, he made a name for himself as one of Southern California’s leading chefs, earning critical acclaim with a variety of awards. James Boyce was tapped to be the anchor of Studio when it opened in 2003 where he earned a second Mobil Five-Star award.

In 2008 he and wife Suzan moved to Huntsville and opened Cotton Row featuring fine American cuisine with strong Southern influences. In 2014, Cotton Row was awarded Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence for its extensive well crafted wine list. They won it again several times from 2015 through 2020, however they don't appear to be currently so recognized. 

The recognition is given for "offering a wine list of typically 350 or more quality selections with significant vintage depth or superior breadth in one or more major wine regions."

Wine Spectator identified Cotton Row's "wine strengths as California and Bordeaux."

Their website speaks of their wine cellar that houses the restaurant’s collection of nearly 5,000 bottles of 300 different selections in the Cedar Pipe Cellar dining room that can seat sixteen for special dinners. 

It is written that the Boyces own three restaurants in Huntsville -- Cotton Row, Commerce Kitchen and Pane e Vino Pizzeria, and Galley and Garden Restaurant in Birmingham. Both Cotton Row Restaurant in Huntsville and Galley and Garden in Birmingham received the distinctive Best of Award of Excellence, the only two in Alabama to be so recognized in 2017. 

Cotton Row has four dining areas, an outdoor streetside patio, inside adjacent the bar, intimate stylish warm comfortable dining areas to the rear with cushioned bench seating along both walls, and a private dining room in the wine cellar.


The rear dining area is highlighted with an intriguing large industrial strength vault safe door (below), presumably from the legacy cotton exchange, or perhaps from a follow on era as a bank.

From the menu I ordered as a starter the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The foie gras was small from my experience and was served on a rather strange somewhat tasteless waffle that continued the breakfast theme with what appeared to be simple maple syrup drizzle for a somewhat disappointing attempt at creativity, or, as if they ran out of or forgot to mix in the berry compote.


Linda ordered the Cornmeal Crusted Apalochiola Oysters as her starter and entree. Once again, the serving was rather modest.

For my entree I ordered the Roasted Alaskan Halibut, served with a gnocchi, and the chef's selection grilled scallops enhancement. The tab reflected the two grilled scallops were a twenty dollar up-charge which would've been pricey had they been perfect, but in the end was somewhat egregious since they were less than stellar being less than fresh and unimaginative in preparation and serving.

From the winelist I selected an ulra-premium Kistler Sonoma Chardonnay as an accompaniment and wine pairing with dinner. This is the third different label Chardonnay from this producer we have ordered in restaurants in recent memory. Most recently - Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emerils Coastal

Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay 2019

Our awkward dining experience continued over discussion about the label and source designation of this wine. I commented to the server that I half expected the notation on the wine list to be a mis-print, expecting a Sonoma Coast or Sonoma Valley, other appellation vineyard specific designation, knowing that Kistler offer a dozen different Chardonnays. I admit I'd never heard of or didn't recall Sonoma Mountain as a designation and asked where it was. The server didn't know and deferred, but confidently stated Suzan, wine director was a sommelier and would undoubtedly know the answer.  

We were then approached by a young lady purportedly the general manager who advised us that Sonoma Mountain was in California. Of course it was, I exclaimed but where? My premise was that Sonoma Mountain must be the western side of the Mayacamas Range that separates or divided Napa Valley to the east, from Sonoma Valley to the west. If that were to be the case, then how is it distinguished from Diamond Mountain at the north end of the range, Spring Mountain in the middle, and Mount Veeder on the southern end? 

Her response was that it was in Southern California!?! I was a bit flummoxed from the response and politely responded that no, Sonoma County is in Northern California. I further explained my quandary and query, as to the location of Sonoma Mountain - to the north near Fisher Vineyards?, Or in the middle near Chateau St Jean or Kenwood? Or to the south, past Kunde, down near Arrowood? - all Sonoma Valley properties up against the western side slopes of the Mayacamas Range. 

She departed to consult with the Sommelier again and returned to advise us that it "appellates" as Sonoma Mountain. I took that to infer that it is in itself an Appellation in Sonoma. With my numerous travels to and studies of Sonoma County and its numerous, varied appellations, it made sense, however I had never heard of or seen such, and still wasn't sure where it was. Perhaps in response to my apparent dismay at the use of 'appellate' as a verb, or an adjective, she repeated it again.

I expected more from an upscale restaurant serving an ultra-premium label from an Wine Spectator Award wine-list - especially when sincerely inquiring about this, the most expensive (white wine) bottle on offer from such list.

To close out the matter, the following day, ironically and fortuitously, we had the distinct pleasure and honor of meeting Master Sommelier Thomas Price, Master Sommelier in Residence at 1856 Culinary Residence in Auburn, where we dined for lunch. When asked about the existence of and location or Sonoma Mountain, he promptly and confidently advised us it is on the eastern wall of Sonoma Valley near or at Kenwood. Alas, that makes sense and answered the question. Interestingly, it does not correlate to the adjacent or opposing Napa Mountains on the east side of the range as it is on the opposite western side of the Sonoma Valley. Lesson learned. 

Forgive me for this diatribe but I had to share it, and get it off my chest - indeed these pages are all about sharing our wine and dining experiences.

In retrospect upon further research the Sonoma Mountains cover approximately 130 square miles (83,200 acres, about 8% of the County). According to James R. Allen, MS, PG Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, California State University, East Bay, "Actually, it should be called the Sonoma Mountains, a 25-mile long ridge bordered on the east by Sonoma Valley, on the west by the Petaluma River Valley and the Cotati/Santa Rosa Plain and on the south by San Pablo Bay. The north/south-oriented ridge is only about nine miles wide on its east/west axis".

The Sonoma Mountains range separates the Sonoma Creek watershed from the Petaluma River and Tolay Creek watersheds.

Sonoma Mountain anchors the Western boundary wall of Sonoma Valley, opposite the Mayacamas Range that forms the eastern wall. It is the center of the coastal range that separates Sonoma Valley from the coastal Sonoma County and borders pretty much the totality of the Sonoma Valley, from the town of Sonoma in the south up to Glen Ellyn. 

To the north, adjacent the town of Kenwood is the northern coastal range consisting of Bennet Mountain on the eastern slope, and Taylor Mountain on the western facing slope. 

The south range, from the town of Sonoma south to Sears Point is bounded by the lesser predominant Wildcat Mountain. 

Confusion or bewilderment about Sonoma County wine appellations is understandable given Sonoma County has no less than eighteen American Viticulture Areas (AVAs), federally designated grape-growing regions that each reflect the wide variety of climate and soil conditions in the County.

The difference in climate and soil (terroir), means that cooler climate grapes grow well in certain regions and in others warm climate grapes are more suitable. The large production of the County means that each AVA is significant in its own right. 

So, not to be confused with Sonoma Valley AVA, or Sonoma Coast AVA, or Northern Sonoma AVA, Sonoma Mountain gives its name to the Sonoma Mountain AVA.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/napa-sonoma-wine-experience-2017.html

We visted and toured some of the remote regions of Sonoma County from the coast to Sonoma Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience 2017.

That was our first trip to focus on exploring and discovering the more remote appellations of Sonoma County, as a discovery and learning trip, setting the stage for further in-depth immersive studies in the future. We stayed the first few days in the Pacific coastal town of Bodega Bay.

That week we focused on, visited and toured the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Dry Creek Valley appellations, as well as Sonoma Valley. This set the stage, so watch for more immersive studies on these areas in the future, now that we have the big picture and understanding of navigating the region.

We discovered some new producers or producer's sites in the remote Sonoma areas - Gary Farrell and Porter Creek Vineyards and Winery. Lastly, we also visited Krug in Sonoma County, and  Chateau St Jean and Kunde in Sonoma Valley before venturing on to Napa Valley. 

As I wrote in my posts about that trip, Sonoma County is vast, covering almost 60,000 acres of vineyards, with a broad diverse range of terrior and microclimates. Sonoma County, reaches all the way to the Pacific Coast from the west side of the Mayacamas Mountain range that forms the eastern boundary of the Sonoma Valley and separates Sonoma Valley from Napa Valley. Sonoma County consists of, at that time, 16 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs, or appellations) – each with its own distinctive characteristics. There are more than 400 wineries in the region.

The western Sonoma County Sonoma Coast area is emerging as the source of 'cool climate' Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

Citing Wine.com, a valuable source of wine information - "Defined more by altitude than geographical outline, the Sonoma Mountain appellation occupies elevations between 400 and 1,200 feet on the northern and eastern slopes of the actual Sonoma Mountain and is part of the greater Sonoma Valley appellation. The mountain reaches 2,400 feet; its hills separate the cooling winds of Petaluma Gap from the Sonoma Valley.'

"On a cooler western flank, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah enjoy a great deal of success. Vineyards on its warmer, eastern side, interspersed with heavily forested areas, tend to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Given its complexity of topography and mesoclimates, Sonoma Mountain excels with a wide range of grape varieties."

The peak of Sonoma Mountain defines part of the boundary of another such region, the Sonoma Coast AVA. Wines made from grapes grown on its western and southern slopes qualify for the Sonoma Coast appellation, but wines made from grapes grown on its eastern and northern slopes do not.

The Sonoma Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) centered on the Sonoma Mountain in the Sonoma Mountains includes the town of Glen Ellen, California and is nearly surrounded by the Sonoma Valley AVA. The area is known for the diverse micro-climates that occur on exposed hillsides and shaded drainages, and as such is home to production for a wide range of grape varieties beyond Chardonnay, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Zinfandel.

Meanwhile, the Sonoma Mountain (appellation) Chardonnay from Kistler is another vineyard or appellation designated label in their broad portfolio. Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay has been produced since 2009. It ranked fourth for number of awards won among wines from this region: the The TEXSOM International Wine Awards awarded the 2021 vintage Gold and the 2019 vintage Gold Medal.

Kistler is widely considered one of the New World’s greatest Chardonnay producers.

Winery note: "The Kistler plantings on Sonoma Mountain, situated on a hillside bench perfectly suited for growing world class Chardonnay, are interlaced with the rare combination of red volcanic and fine grained chalky soils. The vineyards are planted to California Heritage clones that were selected specifically over the last 30 years to ripen to our balanced wine standards. They are some of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in Sonoma County. When coupled with the selections in the vineyard the textbook growing conditions afford a wine that is decidedly Sonoma Mountain in character. Annually some of our earliest vineyard pickings each year, this is a wine driven by a grounded, focused mineral core yet lifted by striking ethereal tones of vibrant light fruit raised at elevation."

Once again, rather general and broad representation of the source of, or location of the vineyard site/sources.

Founded in 1978, Kistler Vineyards is a small, family-owned and operated winery specializing in the production of Burgundian style Chardonnay and limited amounts of Pinot Noir. Grapes are estate grown and purchased from vineyards in Sonoma County. In 1992, Kistler Vineyards moved all production to its Vine Hill Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.

Winemaker's notes: “The Kistler plantings on Sonoma Mountain, situated on a hillside bench perfectly suited for growing world class Chardonnay, are interlaced with the rare combination of red volcanic and fine grained chalky soils. The vineyards are planted to California Heritage clones that were selected specifically over the last 30 years to ripen to our balanced wine standards. They are some of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in Sonoma County. When coupled with the selections in the vineyard the textbook growing conditions afford a wine that is decidedly Sonoma Mountain in character. Annually some of our earliest vineyard pickings each year, this is a wine driven by a grounded, focused mineral core yet lifted by striking ethereal tones of vibrant light fruit raised at elevation.”

From Kistler ...  "Kistler is a single clone chardonnay house... One heritage Californian selection of Chardonnay planted across fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. From those sites we produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays. We are wholly dedicated to the ideal of wines of site. It’s an unparalleled approach in the new world."

Winemaker notes on this label: "Bottled since 1986. Just shy of 1800 feet in elevation, in a small bowl on the western edge of the Mayacama mountains lies the original Kistler planting. Forty-year old dry farmed vines grow in deep red volcanic soils, producing a wine with an intense sense of its mountain heritage. The Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay has delicate and bright lifted stone fruit and faintly floral like tones, like its McCrea cousin, yet also a firmer nature with a stronger core and added layers of texture."

So, their description of the site fits my initial recollection of its location. It is repeated or elaborated by numerous wine pundits and merchants. 

Wine pundit Natalie MacLean, author/producer of North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes, publisher of two Amazon Best Books of the Year on wine, describes Kistler Chardonny. "Kistler 2019 Chardonnay is a single-vineyard Burgundian-style Chard with great acidity for food. Kistler Vineyards has been producing Chardonnay since 1978 with this example from their estate vineyard in the Mayacamas Range. The wine is unfined and unfiltered, dry, medium-bodied and creamy with ripe apple, pear, hazelnut and toasty oak spice flavours on a long finish." She gave this wine 94 points.

Astor Wine Merchants - At 1800 ft, this is the original planting of Kistler Vineyards. On the western edge of the Mayacamas Mountains, these sturdy, 30 + year old vines yield an evocative Chardonnay, dense in texture, yet delicate on the palate. Waves of apple and pear confit float over fine acidity. A classic in every way and fine for roasted onions, baked gratins, and buttery poultry. The vines are dry farmed in the deep red volcanic ash of the region. 

The notable wine merchant K&L, in Redwood City, offers this citation of this wine: "An iconic wine from one of the most legendary producers in California. Meticulous detail goes into the farming and winemaking. Fruit is from some of the most highly regarded vineyards in the region, many of which are farmed entirely by Kistler themselves."

In any event, this was golden straw colored medium-bodied, rich, full and round yet smooth and elegant with ripe apple, pear and lemon curd notes accented by caramel, nut and toast flavours, silky smooth, dry and long on the palate. 

RM 94 points. 

This release was awarded 94 points by Natalie McLean. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3930636

For the dessert course we shared the Creme' Brulee. Unsolicited, Linda made a point that the accompanying blueberries were not fresh, but rather were dry and bordering being wilted, listless and tastleless.

Linda orderd a Sambucca, her customary aperitif, which she noted was served sans the customary traditional coffee bean. 


As a matter of comparison with the Sambucca, I inquired about the French manifestation of anise, anisette, licorice liquor - seeking a Pastis. The server brought out and offered the Fernet-Branca (shown). Having never heard of or tried such, I ordered one. It was awful - not blatantly offensive such as a Chicago style Malort, but bordering on unpleasant in any event. 

 C'est la vie. A fitting close to the evening. 

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/?animation=viewed

http://cottonrowrestaurant.com/

https://twitter.com/chefjamesboyce 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emerils Coastal

Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emeril's Coastal Restaurant, Sandestin, Miramar Beach

Visiting the Florida Gulf shores for a getaway week, we had a delightful, delicious dinner at Emeril's Coastal Seafood restaurant in Sandestin Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach.

For diiner, we shared the daily fresh seafood catch, whole pan seared Grouper, and for starters we had roasted oysters and the special cheese plate. 

The Emeril's Coastal Cheese Board consisted of  Four Artisanal Cheeses with accompaniments - home-made multi-berry jam, fresh honey comb, fresh berries, nuts and baguettes: 

  • Thomasville Tomme French
  • Humboldt Fog
  • Talcggio
  • Roque Smoked Blue

Fresh Oysters from Murder Point and Admiral, Alabama

The Fresh Catch of the day was pan seared whole Grouper with asparagus spears in a muniere sauce.

 

We selected from the winelist this ultra-premium Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

 Kistler “Les Noisetiers” Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, California 2020

Kistler is a family-owned and operated winery founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and the Kistler family. From the beginning it has been dedicated to the production of ultra-premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using old-world Burgundian techniques applied to new world vineyards. 

Kistler wines are crafted from one heritage Californian selection of Chardonnay clone vines planted across fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Kistler's plantings on Sonoma Mountain are some of the oldest Chardonnay plantings in Sonoma County.

They have been working with and on this singular clone of Chardonnay since the mid 1980’s. It was originally sourced from vines imported from Burgundy in the early part of the 20th century. It have been developed by California farmers and winemakers over decades to be best suited to the Californian terroir and growing conditions.  

From the fifteen vineyard sites Kistler produce eleven different vineyard designated select Chardonnays.  

This cuvee is an appellation-focused wine designed to the regional character of western Sonoma County, highlighting mineral tones from vineyards with sandy soils. The wine was originally crafted exclusively for restaurants but is now available in retail stores on a limited basis. It has rich, complex smoky aromas, intense fruit flavors underpinned with toasty oak, and crisp acidity with a long, lingering finish.

This label, Les Noisetiers (pronounced Lay Nwaz-tee-yay) is a study of Kistler's Sonoma Coast sites. The name refers to the toasted hazelnut characters that is manifest year in and year out from these sites. This cuvee is an appellation-focused Chardonnay. explicitly produced to illustrate the site and area specific regional character of western Sonoma County highlighting inherent mineral tones from thirty year old vineyards with sandy Gold Ridge soils. The main sources are the Vine Hill Vineyard, Dutton Ranch and Trenton Roadhouse vineyards.

Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, complex yet elegant, polished and balanced layers of juicy peach and pear fruits with hints of apricot and white flowers, turning to a mineral backbone with stone fruits on a long sumptuous finish. 

RM 93-94 points. 
 
Winemaker notes: The grapes are whole-cluster pressed into 30% new French oak for fermentation via indigenous yeast. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered after 10 months in barrel. From the winery: "Deep green-yellow. A pronounced and refined sense of minerality pierces through the initial first blush of stone fruit on the nose. Wet stone, powdered sea sand, and a slight sense of roasted grain. Perfectly balanced, the core is packed with grilled citrus, a touch of lemongrass and threaded with a vibrant acidity that reverberates across the palate. Possesses a lively, yet elegant finish that just doesn’t want to end.
 
After thoughtful selection at the sorting table, whole clusters are fed by hand directly into the press. An extremely gentle 2-hour Champagne program is used to produce the best juice with the finest solids. The juice is consolidated in tank and then, without cold settling, is transferred directly to barrel with its fine lees. Driven solely by naturally occurring yeasts, the wine is barrel-fermented. Kistler Chardonnay fermentation temperatures are warm by California standards, but very much like Burgundy was made 20 years ago. The wine is fermented bone-dry. After a complete malolactic fermentation, the wine sees 11 months of barrel age with no battonage. The wine spends an additional 3 months in tank before being bottled without fining or filtration. There is a smaller percentage of new oak used on the Les Noisetiers in order to highlight the soil-driven character of this wine. This minerality is rare in new world Chardonnay.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4265917

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/

 

 


Saturday, February 28, 2015

Bordeaux Anchors OTBN 2015

OTBN 2015 - Bordeaux Dominus Dominance

For our annual gathering for OTBN, a Bordeaux theme emerged when Bill brought a Pichon Lalande, and I pulled from the cellar two more vintages for a mini-vertical. Ernie brought a Duhart Milon Rothschild and a Dominus, Lyle brought a Lynch Moussas, Ryan brought a Bahans-Haut Brion, and the flight was on. A couple '97's in the mix also provided a mini-horizontal tasting of that vintage as well.

OTBN - Open That Bottle Night ...

The OTBN (Open That Bottle Night) tradition calls for the event to occur the last Saturday night in February. See our 2011, 20122013 and 2014 OTBN reports.

As written in this blog to explain previous OTBN's, here's the story. Credit (or blame) for this annual wine bachanalia goes to Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal. OTBN - Open That Bottle Night, was conceived for those that have a special bottle of wine or champagne hidden away being saved for a special occasion that for whatever reason hasn't happened.

Every year since 2000, on the last Saturday night in February, Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) has been celebrated - the time to uncork and enjoy that cherished but here-to-for elusive bottle. OTBN was conceived by Gaiter and Brecher to say, what the heck, go for it, Open That Bottle (to)Night. They realized they weren't alone - having that special bottle set aside for an occasion that just never happens. On this night, you don't need an excuse or a reason - just do it! Take advantage of OTBN to open that bottle and enjoy it! Enjoy it by yourself, or better yet, enjoy it with someone special, or even better, with a group of special friends. Have everyone bring such a bottle and let the story telling begin, because amazingly, every OTBN bottle has a story or some meaning, or not. What the heck, Open That Bottle (To) Night!

Aside the Bordeaux varietals, Dan and Bob both brought Barolo's and a Ribeuro Duero which highlighted the middle courses.

Prior to dinner we opened with a white flight - Lanson Champagne to start, then, Kistler Chardonnay to accompany Dan's shrimp scampi entree. A selection of artisan cheeses, olive and cheese plate, artichoke dip, vegetables in dill, olive oil accompanied the starter course. The cheeses included Prime Reserve aged five year old cheddar, Drunken Goat red wine infused semi-soft goat cheese, Bellavitano, and aged Parmesan.

Linda's spectacular dinner featured beef tenderloin, pork loin roast, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables and brussel sprouts (shown left). 





Wines are listed in order of the tasting course.

Lanson Champagne Brut Rose NV,  to start, then,  

I pulled this from the cellar buried in a case ... its either the last bottle or second to last bottle of a case acquired a while ago. Records say there is one more left in there somewhere. Another OTBN candidate.

A nice start to the evening ... great starter with the starter courses of shrimp scampi, artisan cheeses, fruits and berries.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=327152


Kistler Hyde Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay 1996

This bottle was a gift from Paul H at Pti back around the millennium... a classic OTBN bottle... its time! A grand accompaniment to Dr Dan's classic shrimp scampi dish.

Who said a Chardonnay won't last twenty years? At close to 20 it was time to drink, still within its drinking window, but assuredly past its prime.

Straw or butter colored, medium bodied, crisp and clean in the Burgundian style, a layer of citrus is accented by tones of green apple, hints of almond nut, lychee fruit and pear on a nicely balanced mild acidic finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=61253


http://kistlervineyards.com/

Nova Wines Marilyn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blonde 2013

A fun wine to serve at such occasions is the Nova Wines Marilyn Monroe collection of artist or photo art inspired series wines featuring artwork of photographs of the famous Hollywood movie starlet adorning every bottle that I wrote about in a recent blogpost - Marilyn Merlot and Norma Jean Wines - A Study in Branding. Bob is not able to drink Reds so we pulled this to get him through the evening... both oogling at the label, and for sipping.

These wines, with their sexy and fun labels have become a collector series with an almost cult like following. The producers have done an extraordinary job with their branding of the Marilyn lines associated with the Marilyn Merlot flagship namesake label, and others. The fun of buying their wines is indicated in this whimsical label Sauvignon Blonde - a play on words of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal, and the Platinum Blonde bombshell that was Marilyn Monroe.

This 2013 release, the sixth in this series of wines based on Sauvignon Blanc, that began in 2008, features a picture of Marilyn, taken by Sam Shaw, while she was spending time with him and his family that the producer says "has an intimacy and realness that is rarely seen in her more posed photographs".

Producer's winemakers notes - "Aromas are a combination of fresh violets and a typical herbaceous note that is expected with Sauvignon Blanc wines. Flavors of Meyer lemons and pears abound. This wine explains why we say Marilyn Sauvignon Blonde is the wine we drink daily!"

They say that Sauvignon Blanc is the grape varietal that manifests itself most naturally in its wines, succumbing to less adulteration or alteration than other varietals. This contributes to the consistency in Sauvignon Blanc wines across the spectrum including the price range.

Rear label
I find Sauvignon Blanc to be an ideal wine for the less discriminating or less sophisticated wine drinker with its simplicity and easy drinkability for every day as well as special occasion drinking. Notably, open this bottle, enjoy a glass, put it in fridge, and enjoy another glass again, and again, up to a week or even ten days later. Its good with white cheeses, seafoods, berries and other fruits, and salads.
This was a great accompaniment to Dan's scampi and the artisan cheeses and salads.


Nova Wines Marilyn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blonde Sauvignon Blanc 2013

This 2013 release Sauvignon Blonde is light straw colored, light bodied, crisp, clean, and flavorful with lemon citrus tones turning to pear and stone with a tangy lingering finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1866356

http://www.marilynwines.com/WINES/SAUVIGNON-BLONDE 

 

Fontanafredda Barolo Lazzarito Riserva Vigna la Delizia 1999

Dan brought this Langhe Nebbiolo Barolo from his cellar.

Dark inky colored, full bodied, black raspberry fruit with  flavors of leather, brown spice, truffle/mushroom hints of tar and earth with firm but nicely integrated tannins.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1365050 

http://www.fontanafredda.it/web/en/
 

Bodegas Arrocal Ribera del Duero Maximo Tempranillo 2005

I am not typically a fan of these wines that reflect their hot climate origins with intense somewhat masculine forward non-fruit flavors. Never-the-less, this was approachable and more polished than many.

Dark inky color, medium-full bodied, black berry fruits accented by notes of tobacco, tar, and a smoky creosote, with bright vibrant acidity and firm tannins.

One reviewer cites tones of 'reduced balsamic vinegar' which I find descriptive and appropriate, but I would not have picked up on. From here on, I can add that to my wine 'vocabulary', as written about in my Wine Tasting 101 blog.

Producer's notes - notably bright, with an abundant acidity one would not expect to find in a wine of such sweetness and density. The aromas and flavours show black cherry and the classic notes of dark berries predominating in tempranillo grown in Ribera del Duero, which gets very hot in summer but which has a very good (although frankly cold) climate most nights. There are a lot of spices and smoked oak among the fruit signatures, and great complexity

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=723520

http://www.arrocal.com/

Grace Family Vineyards Vineyard 29 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Bill brought this from his cellar. Better than I what remember from earlier tasting, and notes of the 1993 vintage, dark ruby colored, medium-full bodied, concentrated vibrant expressive spicy black berry and black currant fruits, but the '95 tonight has a wonderful tone of nicely balanced, subtle sweet red berry fruit that predominates over a subtle layer of spice, mocha, and anise,with smooth nicely integrated fine-grained tannins on the finish.

RM 93

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=286122

http://www.vineyard29.com/







Château Duhart-Milon Rothschild Pauillac 2000

This wine was included in a mixed case we gave Dr Dan in a rack for his wedding gift back thirty plus years ago. Our shared interest in and joint pursuit of fine wine grew from there. Brought by Ernie from his cellar.

This resembled a Margaux as much a Pauillac with its refined, polished elegance and sophistication. Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, well balanced, full foward aromatics broadcast its full floral and dark berry flavors, accented by tones of anise, cedar, tobacco and soft oak, hints of graphite, earth and tar, turning to smooth polished fine grained tannins on the long lingering finish. This presented well, perhaps at the apex of its drinking window.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7062

http://www.lafite.com/en/the-chateaus/chateau-duhart-milon/


Château Bahans Haut-Brion 1995

This wine was brought by son Ryan.  This is the second wine of legendary top growth Haut-Brion.

Dark garnet color, medium bodied, the black berry and black cherry fruits were somewhat subdued being overtaken by notes of cedar, cigar box, slight earthiness turning to tones of anise, smoke, graphite and creosote on a modest tannin finish.

RM 89 points. 


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21058 

http://www.haut-brion.com/





Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1997, 1991, 1992

Bill started this Pichon vertical bringing the '97 to our tasting, and I supplemented it with the two other vintage releases, '91 and '92. All three exhibited classic Pichon terroir characteristics - full elegant floral, dark blackberry and raspberry fruits, earthy leather and tobacco / tea leaf notes, while each showed vintage effects from the three disparate vintages.

Bill's tasting note posting on Cellartracker - "This was one of my offerings for OTBN 2015. Our host provided a '91 and '92 Comtesse for a fascinating vertical comparison of one of our favorite Bordeaux. Given the poor reputation of the '97 vintage, I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrancy of this wine. Color was a slightly opaque garnet. Nose was floral but with some savory herbal notes. There was ample fruit on the palate in addition to some tea and cola. The '97 is certainly not as complex as offerings from better vintages. It is more one dimensional but compared very favorably to the '91 and '92 which while bigger and a tad more complex were showing some age."

WCC 92 points.

I too thought the '97 showed less structure, fewer tannins and less complexity than the others releases. I sense it is at its peak and won't improve any further. Pichon's tend to be long lived and hang on much longer than one would expect, ala my experience with the 1981 vintage, and subsequent release notes, so don't rush to clear this out just yet.

RM 90 points.

Consistent with earlier tasting five years ago, the '91 vintage initially showed greater complexity, bigger floral, more concentrated fruit, and the most sophistication and balance of the three vintages. The next day, the '92 and '91 seemed to trade places, overtaking the 91 with greater concentration, structure and backbone, however the '91 retained the most polish and greatest balance.

RM 91 and 92 points.

Lynch Moussas 2003

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Proprietary Red 1997

After tasting five different premier Bordeaux, this stands tall as the standard bearer of what they are all striving to achieve. This was the class of the evening, perhaps the best Dominus I've ever had, due in part perhaps to the fact it might be at the peak of its drinking window.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied but with no sensation of weight - complex and concentrated yet nicely balanced and polished, a symphony of flavors, huge aromatics project the flavors of floral and berry fruits accented by sensuous oak, spice, cassis, and touch of dusty rose earthiness and tobacco, but so nicely balanced and polished that no flavors stand out to detract or take away from the harmonious whole.

RM 96 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5417

http://dominusestate.com/


Ninety Plus Cellars Columbia Valley Lot 101 Syrah 2009


Like earlier tastings, I opened this Shiraz to show a contrast in styles and regions, and age, of the same varietal. I've raved about this wine several times in this blog, and tonight, like before, it didn't disappoint, standing up to the other Big Reds. I've stated that this may be one of our favorite drinking wines in our cellar right now, certainly at this price point! Amidst the flight of Bordeaux's Linda begged for this flavorful fruit forward easy drinking favorite. It was a huge hit with the ladies who drank two!

Dark inky garnet colored, medium to full bodied, this full throttle Syrah reveals layers of blackberry and black currants fruits with tones of sweet vanilla, caramel and spice with hints of black pepper on a lingering smooth silky tannin finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1742790

http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/wines/lot-101-collectors-series-syrah




For the transition and desert course I served two whites, - remarkable Didier Dagueneau Jurançon Les Jardins de Babylone which served as a transition to the sweet desert course wine, Kracher Welschreisling TBA #8. We love this wine and consider it a standard bearer for sweet desert wines, akin to a quality ice wine or top ranked Sauterne in a good year. Our continued persistence in serving such a wine at dinners has made it a regular expectation that the group looks forward to.

Desert featured Linda's decadent chocolate mousse with homemade profiteroles, Gloria's creme brulee, and Marlene's lemon pound bundt cake, with fresh berries, assorted chocolate truffles, and chocolate caramels with sea salt.


Didier Dagueneau Jurançon Les Jardins de Babylone 2009 

If you can imagine a transition wine course as a palette cleanser ala a lemon sorbet, this was it.

Straw colored, medium bodied, polished, stunning, refreshing, crisp, clean, spirited acidity, a symphony of balanced flavors with touch of sweetness, tones of lemon accented by hints of peach, orange peel, pineapple and lychee fruits and wet stones.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1266324







Kracher Zwischen Den Seen Welschreisling Trockenberen Auslese (TBA) #8 2001

Classic Kracher nectar-of-the-gods mouth full of sweet fruit flavors. Its fun and interesting to watch these wines darken over time. Starting as straw or butter colored, they then turn to a rust color, then weak tea, then darker tea colored, even to coffee colored if left long enough. Not all are sufficiently long lived.

Deep orange/amber almost rust color, full bodied, thick unctuous nectar of ripe apricot, mango, lychee fruits with tones of peach, citrus, honey and hints of smoke on the tongue coating lingering finish.

RM 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19087

http://www.kracher.at/en/