Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks

Big Reds with Tomahawk beefsteaks 

With fellow ‘Pour Boy’, Lyle, and Terry, of our wine group at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we grilled out tomahawk ribeye beefsteaks.

For wine pairing with the dinner, Lyle brought this Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino from his home cellar to share, and I opened, from our home cellar a Bordeaux varietal.

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2016

I was eager to taste this premium Brunello from this producer since we have some vintages of this label at home, and for a comparison with several Sangioveses we had a dinner the just the other evening.  

The Uccelliera estate has 30 acres of vineyards almost entirely planted to Sangiovese, made up of vines between 5 and 45 years old. The site consists of sandy loam with presence of crumbled fossils in the zone of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. The vineyards sits at an average altitude of 150, 250 and 350 meters above seal level adjacent a natural barrier provided by the proximity to the height of Mount Amiata in the south-east side and of Poggio d’Arna in the south-west. 

Also, the nearby Orcia river provides a marine breeze rising up from its valley contributes to create a unique microclimate that is particularly well-suited to viticulture. This label consistently shows a sense of place of this specific Montalcino location.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, smooth and balanced, plush, round, complex black raspberry and blackberry fruits with tones of dark chocolate, tobacco, licorice and spice with hints of mushroom and smoke, reserved with polished tannins.. 

RM 93 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3830792

https://www.uccelliera-montalcino.it/

To complement the dinner, I opened from our home cellar this Bordeaux varietal blend. 

Long Shadows "Pirouette" Columbia Valley Bordeaux Blend 2017

I wrote about this label in detail in a recent blogpost, Long Shadows Pirouette 2016 with beef roast.

I wrote, after enjoying the Long Shadows Pirouette 2014 at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Linda prepared a beef roast and I pulled out the next vintage release of this label to enjoy, and compare with the earlier vintage in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. 

As I wrote in that recent blogpost - Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville, This is one of our favorite labels for a Bordeaux varietal red blend, a sleeper, not well known or sufficiently regarded, given the pedigree of the winemaker and the quality of the product. 

This is the Bordeaux varietal red blend from the Long Shadows Vintners's Collection that features world class winemakers and Washington State Columbia Valley fruit. 

This label is produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, in collaboration with Agustin Huneeus, Sr.. another legendary wine producer. I;ve written about about Philip Melka numerous times in these pages including that recent Sullivan’s Steakhouse post and previously - Château Boswell Napa Valley Estate Reserve Red Wine 2016. I featured Huneeus in a recent blogpost here - Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner.

We’ve featured Long Shadows and their vintners collection, and our visit to their hospitality center and tasting room in Woodinville (WA) in these pages. 

We’re members of the Long Shadows wine club and hold nearly a decade of vintages of their various label releases. 

Checking our cellar inventory, we hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label so we pulled the oldest in our holdings, and one year adjacent to following the earlier release tasting. We supplemented our wine club allocation with several bottles of this label acquired at auction, some of which I took to Florida to our vacation rental home which we opened tonight. 

The 2017 Pirouette is a left-bank Bordeaux blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot, crafted from small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards.  It was aged 22 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new.

 

Winemaker notes - “The Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily sourced from a collection of Red Mountain’s best vineyards, gives Pirouette the structure and textured richness that has come to characterize this acclaimed growing region. A small percentage of old vine Cabernet from Sagemoor Vineyard, planted in 1972, adds complexity. Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine. Malbec from Sonnet Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills adds spice. Finally, Dionysus Vineyard’s Petit Verdot enhances the wine’s color and contributes to the wine’s layers of intense aromas and flavors.’

“The 2017 Pirouette has an expressive nose with a firm core of dark fruit and mocha flavors, displaying a layered concentration of black cherry and well-integrated oak spices. Vibrant and full-bodied across the mid-palate, this is a texturally pleasing wine with a broad and lengthy finish.” 

This was a blockbuster release, rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and International Wine Report, 94 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and 93 by Steve Tanzer.

Dunnuck wrote - “It can be drunk today but will develop additional complexity with 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.”

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, vibrant expressive expressive vibrant blackberry, plum and black currant fruits with savory accents of cinnamon and clove spice, bitter dark chocolate and crème de cassis with smooth polished tannins on a sumptuous finish.

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3581703

https://longshadows.com/library/pirouette/6951

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

@unwindwine

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/long-shadows-cellars-feature-world.html

Long Shadows Sequel Syrah w/ Focaccia & Murray’s Cheese

Long Shadows Sequel Syrah with Focaccia and Murray’s Cheese

Returning from a week of travel we settled in for a quiet evening to watch the latest session of ‘The Voice”, time-phase recorded for convenient viewing. 

Linda prepared a creative unique crescent foccacia bread with a medley of sweet and savory flavoring combinations including cheese, bacon, chocolate, apricot butter and raspberry spread. 

After baking, it was cut into bite size squares. 

We also had a selection of robust artisan cheeses, Widmer 6 year old aged cheddar, and Mango Ginger Stilton, and an aged Gruyère.

Two of these classic selections are from Murray's Cheese from Greenwich Village, New York City. We discovered the NYC cheese purveyor, Murray's wine and cheese bistro on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village, a favorite eatery which we visited many times with son Alec and Vivianna when they lived in nearby Chelsea in Manhattan. How ironic or fortuitous that Murray's was acquired by the parent of our local grocer/marketer Marianno's and is now available here locally in the in-store cheese shop!

I pulled from the cellar one of our favorite sipping wines, a hearty robust premium Syrah (Shiraz). this classic Long Shadows Syrah from our club allocation cellar collection. 

Readers of these pages will note several such occasions where we have enjoyed artisan cheeses and robust red wines, here an earlier tasting similar to tonight, Long Shadows Sequel Syrah 2016, and another favorite - Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner.

Tonight, this Sequel label is part of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection - a portfolio of wines, each crafted by a world renowned winemaker, noted for each particular varietal selection. We gained appreciation for the Long Shadows program during out visit to their tasting room during our our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour back in 2018 -  https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/long-shadows-cellars-feature-world.html.

This is the Syrah varietal member of the collection and was crafted by legendary John Duval who was winemaker for Australia’s iconic Penfolds Grange for 16 years. John Duval came to Washington State's Columbia Valley in 2003 as the “sequel” to his life’s work with Syrah. 

 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Columbia Valley Sequel Syrah 2016

This is a fun wine that we enjoy and started collecting, not only because of the QPR - quality price ratio of these Washington State sourced wines, but also due to the extraordinary portfolio of legendary winemakers' handicraft. 

Lastly, this particular wine is sourced from vineyards of a distant family connection, our niece married into the Den Hoed family, boutique producers and vineyard owners and grape growers for Long Shadows and several other leading brands and labels. 

I took a rare, limited release Den Hoed on vacation last month to have with son Ryan BYOB for a special family dinner.    

 

This is sourced from Yakima Valley’s Boushey and Den Hoed Grandview Vineyards, comprised 50% of this blend which gives the 2016 Sequel its bright, vibrant character. Also, Bacchus Vineyard Syrah (25%), grown on a south-facing block planted in 1993, adds black fruit character and richness. And, a Shiraz clone from Sonnet Vineyard at the Benches brings blueberry notes to the wine, and a small amount of Red Mountain area Syrah adds to the wine’s dark, brooding character. Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon provides added backbone. 

I featured another similar label sourced from this famous vineyard in this blogpost - Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah.

 

The blend is 93% Syrah and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. 1,924 cases were produced.

This was rated 93 points by James Suckling, 91 by Wine & Spirits, and 90 by Wine Spectator.

Winemaker's notes: The 2016 Sequel Syrah has a dark, garnet color with enticing aromas of black fruits, sweet spice, fresh espresso and roasted meats. Expressive on the palate, this is a complex and layered wine with vibrant flavors of ripe figs, wild blackberries and a hint of olive tapenade that linger on the finish.

Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated full rich round flavors of blackberry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of black tea, bitter dark chocolate, spice, black olives and hints of black pepper and anise with moderate tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3096199

 

https://longshadows.com/  

https://twitter.com/longshadowswine

 

@LongShadowsWine

 

Long Shadows Pirouette 2016 with beef roast

Long Shadows Pirouette 2016 with beef roast 

After enjoying the Long Shadows Pirouette 2014 at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Linda prepared a beef roast and I pulled out the next vintage release of this label to enjoy, and compare with the earlier vintage in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. 

As I wrote in that recent blogpost - Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville, This is one of our favorite labels for a Bordeaux varietal red blend, a sleeper, not well known or sufficiently regarded, given the pedigree of the winemaker and the quality of the product.

This is the Bordeaux varietal red blend from the Long Shadows Vintners's Collection that features world class winemakers and Washington State Columbia Valley fruit. We’ve featured Long Shadows and their vintners collection, and our visit to their hospitality center and tasting room in Woodinville (WA) in these pages.

We’re members of the Long Shadows wine club and hold nearly a decade of vintages of their various label releases. 

Checking our cellar inventory, we hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label so we pulled the oldest in our holdings, and one year adjacent to following the earlier release tasting.

Long Shadows "Pirouette" Columbia Valley Bordeaux Blend 2016

Winemaker notes - “A richly aromatic wine with beautiful notes of cassis, toasted walnuts, fresh rosemary and a hint of earthiness. On the palate, silky tannins create an elegant, textured mouthfeel with layers of blackberry, ripe cherry, dark chocolate and a hint of oak spice that gain focus across a vibrant finish.”

The 2016 Pirouette a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. It as fermented in barrel and aged 22 months in 75% new oak. 2,188 cases were produced.

“It is sourced from Red Mountain, praised for its Cabernet Sauvignon and this wine displays all the structure and textured richness that has come to characterize the grapes from this acclaimed growing region. Dionysus Vineyard's Petit Verdot adds layers of complex aromas and flavors. The remainder of the blend is from select Wahluke Slope vineyards. The Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine; Cabernet Franc adds a hint of earthiness; and Malbec contributes appealing spice and beautiful color.”

At nearing ten years of age, this is most likely at the apex of its drinking profile and window, but will continue to age gracefully for up to another decade. 

This was a blockbuster release, rated 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar and Wine & Spirits,  91 by Wine Enthusiast, 90 by James Suckling and Wine Spectator. 

Dunnuck said this was “another best-to-date from this estate”.

Dark garnet colored full bodied, deep, concentrated, forward round, ripe blackberry and black currant fruits, notes of black cherry notes of bitter dark chocolate, licorice, oak, tobacco leaf, hints of cinnamon nd clove spices and cedar with smooth tongue-saturating tannins. 

RM 94 points, 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3107408

https://longshadows.com/library/2016-pirouette-1/471

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

https://www.sullivanssteakhouse.com/

@unwindwine

Long Shadows Chester Kidder with Beef Tenderloin

Long Shadows Chester Kidder with Beef Tenderloin

With left over beef tenderloin I pulled from the cellar this premium Washington State Cabernet as an accompaniment. 

This is from Long Shadows collection which I I have featured often in these pages, Long Shadows Cellars feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit. Long Shadows was the creation of Allan Shoup, leader of Chateau St Michelle from 1983 to 2000. There he introduced Washington State grapes to winemakers from around the world in collaboration to produce quality wines. 

After retirement from Chateau St Michelle he founded Long Shadows to produce world class ultra-premium wines in Washington with fruit sourced from there. He built a state of the art winery in Walla Walla and recruited a team of legendary producers to craft signature wines from the best vineyards' fruit from the Washington Columbia Valley. Three years into the new venture Long Shadows was awarded the Winery of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine. 

Shoup recruited a top winemaker with expertise and a track record producing best in class wine in each category or type of wine based on varietal grape. Marketed under the Vintners Collection, each of the Long Shadows labels in a testament to the legend of the winemaker for each label based on each varietal.

Since the beginning, Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Gilles Nicault, has overseen the operations of the winery and worked closely with the vintners to bring each winemaker’s vision to completion. Internationally renowned winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather Cabernet Sauvignon); John Duval (Sequel Syrah); Philippe Melka (Pirouette Red Wine); and Michel Rolland (Pedestal Merlot) are active partners in their respective wines. Gilles now crafts Poet’s Leap Riesling and Saggi, a Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, in styles that remain true to their original winemakers, Armin Diel and Giovanni Folonari respectively. Gilles crafts Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend, independently.

Gilles works closely with the state’s top growers to execute a diverse winemaking protocol at Long Shadows’ state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla to produce wines of exceptional quality, true to the Columbia Valley’s terroir.

Nilles Nicault has served as director of winemaking and viticulture since Long Shadows inception in 2003. As resident winemaker overseeing daily operations at Long Shadows' state-of-the-art winery in Walla Walla, Gilles works with a group of celebrated vintners from around the globe. It is his job to ensure that each winemaker's vision is realized in the vineyard and the cellar.

While many winemakers would find this proposition a daunting task, French-born Nicault describes the position as his "dream job." Those who know Gilles best say it is his insatiable curiosity and desire to learn something new every day as well as his winemaking skills that make him uniquely qualified for the position. In addition to executing daily operations at the winery, Gilles is the winemaker for Long Shadows' acclaimed Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah blend that carries his signature.

Gilles grew up in southern France and graduated from the University of Avignon with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. He honed his craft in the fabled hillside vineyards and wineries of Cotes Du Rhone, Provence and Champagne. On 1994, already a vintner of rising fame in his homeland, Gilles traveled to Washington State to expand his winemaking skills.

Impressed by Washtington State's vineyards and the opportunity to be part of a growing wine community, he stayed in the Columbia Valley, working for Staton Hills and Hogue Cellars before joining Woodward Canyon in 1996, where he stayed until moving to Long Shadows in June 2003. Sharing Woodward Canyon's passion for world-class wine, Gilles soon found Woodward Canyon's founder Rick Small was his ideal mentor and biggest champion. In 1999, Woodward Canyon named Gilles head of enology and production.

Gilles is married to winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla of Forgeron Cellars, also an acclaimed winemaker. The couple wilves in Walla Walla with their two children.

Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He selected Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture, Gilles Nicault, to craft this New World blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other classic Bordeaux varieties.

Chester-Kidder is one of six distinct red wines from Long Shadows Vintners - a collection of ultra-premium wines, each built on the unique expertise of some of the world’s most knowledgeable winemakers to showcase the quality and caliber of Washington State’s Columbia Valley. 

Long Shadows "Chester-Kidder" Columbia Valley Red Blend 2015

The 2015 Vintage of Chester-Kidder is a red varietal blend composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot, sourced from the Columbia Valley Appellation. It is styled to capture the complexity of the growing region, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes from Candy Mountain give the wine its firm structure and wonderful intensity. Walla Walla Valley vineyards contribute Cabernet that adds depth and rich textures.  Petit Verdot sourced from Sagemoor Vineyards provides layers of ripe, fresh flavors and refined tannins. This release is aged for an average of 30 months in tight-grained French oak which allows the fruit to fully integrate prior to bottling.

We wrote about this wine earlier this year in this blogpost - Long Shadows Chester Kidder.
 

The 2015 CHESTER-KIDDER was awarded 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points by Wine Advocate and 92 points by Vinous.

This was bright garnet/ruby colored, medium to full bodied with a complex rich round core blackberry, black raspberry and red currant fruits with notes of licorice, savory spices, dark mocha chocolate and hints of graphite and earth, ending with a long and complex finish with gripping tannins.

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2914665

https://longshadows.com/ 

https://twitter.com/LongShadowsWine 

@LongShadowsWine

 

Long Shadows Chester Kidder

 Long Shadows Chester Kidder with grilled beefsteak dinner - Tribute to Founder Allan Shoup

We grilled out beefsteaks served with asparagus, buttered baked potatoes and wedge salad. To accompany the dinner I pulled from the cellar this special bottling, Chester Kidder Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend from the Long Shadows Collection. 

I written often in these pages about Long Shadows Cellars that feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit. Long Shadows was the creation of Allan Shoup, leader of Chateau St Michelle from 1983 to 2000. There he introduced Washington State grapes to winemakers from around the world in collaboration to produce quality wines. 

After retirement from Chateau St Michelle he founded Long Shadows to produce world class ultra-premium wines in Washington. He built a state of the art winery in Walla Walla and recruited a team of legendary producers to craft signature wines from the best vineyards' fruit from the Washington Columbia Valley. Three years into the new venture Long Shadows was awarded the Winery of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine. 

Shoup recruited a top winemaker with expertise and a track record producing best in class wine in each category or type of wine based on varietal grape. Marketed under the Vintners Collection, each of the Long Shadows labels in a testament to the legend of the winemaker for each label based on each varietal. 

 

Allen took inspiration for Long Shadows from his good friend and mentor Robert Mondavi, whose Opus One collaboration with Baron Philippe de Rothschild helped establish the prestige of Napa Valley. Inspired by the idea of international partnerships and fortunate to enjoy industry friendships around the  globe, Allen envisioned a the collaborative alliances to highlight the quality and diversity of Washington vineyards that lead to recruiting the dream team of winemakers.

 

Since the beginning, Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Gilles Nicault, has overseen the operations of the winery and worked closely with the vintners to bring each winemaker’s vision to completion. Internationally renowned winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather Cabernet Sauvignon); John Duval (Sequel Syrah); Philippe Melka (Pirouette Red Wine); and Michel Rolland (Pedestal Merlot) are active partners in their respective wines. Gilles now crafts Poet’s Leap Riesling and Saggi, a Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, in styles that remain true to their original winemakers, Armin Diel and Giovanni Folonari respectively and this label, Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend, independently.

Gilles works closely with the state’s top growers to execute a diverse winemaking protocol at Long Shadows’ state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla to produce wines of exceptional quality, true to the Columbia Valley’s terroir.

In researching Long Shadows for this blogpost I just learned that Allan Shoup recently passed this pas November. He is memorialized in a tribute on the Long Shadows website, “It is impossible to overstate the impact Allen had on Washington wine. If there were a Mount Rushmore of Washington wine, his face would be on it. His accomplishments will continue to impact this industry long after we are all gone." - Sean Sullivan, NW Wine Report.

 

Allen Shoup created this label and named this wine in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He selected Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture, Gilles Nicault, to craft this New World blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other classic Bordeaux varieties.

Chester Kidder Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

This is a unique blend that is crafted and styled to capture the complexity of the growing region, Chester-Kidder is aged for an average of 30 months in tight-grained French oak which allows the fruit to fully integrate prior to bottling. 

Since discovering Long Shadows Cellars and joining their club, we've acquired a vertical collection of a half dozen vintages of this label and are now being rewarded for collecting and holding these bottles.  

Tonight, after four years of aging, this was much better behaved, more approachable, seamless and well integrated than and last encounter in 2019 when I wrote: "I like this wine: 91 Points - I found this dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, complex, and layered, but slightly disjointed as if the boldness of the Syrah was competing for attention with the firm structured Cabernet Sauvignon. I suspect that with some time in bottle this will settle and become more balanced and harmonious. The Syrah predominance showed a layer of sweet red fruits, accented by notes of spice, tobacco leaf, smokey sweet oak and smooth tannins on the lingering finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/10/long-shadows-chester-kidder-2016.html

 Winemaker Notes: Inky in color and brimming with layered aromas and flavors of black cherries, baking spice and a subtle earthiness, the 2016 Chester-Kidder offers an impressive concentration of refined tannins and a lively mouthfeel. Wonderfully rich and well-balanced, the wine gains fullness across the mid-palate and leaves a vibrant impression on the finish.

This is an interesting, enticing blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, and 12% Petit Verdot resulting in a style and profile that we love.

This was delicious and a perfect complement to the grilled beefsteak dinner. 

This label release was awarded 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 92+ points by Wine Advocate and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast Sean Sullivan.

Dark blackish inky purple, full bodied, powerful, dense/rich, yet nicely balanced, ripe layered dark berry fruits are accented by spicy oak, flavors of bitter dark chocolate, dark currants and cassis with silky mouthfeel and firm tannins lingering with a long, drawn-out finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3025418

https://longshadows.com/ 

https://twitter.com/LongShadowsWine 

@LongShadowsWine

Super Bowl party wine - Long Shadows Feather

 Super Bowl party big red sipping - Long Shadows Feather 2018

Wine buddy, fellow Pour Boy, Dr Dan hosted a Super Bowl party and opened a selection of champagne and wines for the occasion. I zero'd in on this favored sipper from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, Feather by Randy Dunn. 

We've written often in these pages about the Long Shadows Vintners Collection featuring a cadre of world class winemakers, chosen for their expertise in a particular varietal, then challenged to produce the optimal wine sourced from Washington State fruit. 

This was the vision of Allen Shoup, former CEO of Chateau St Michelle, champion and evangelist for Washington State wines. He formed the brand and recruited a world famous winemaker for each varietal based label to craft wines that showcase Washington State vinifera. For Cabernet Sauvignon he chose and partnered with iconic Napa Valley winemaker Randy Dunn. 

We've long known about the brand and joined their club while visiting their tasting room hospitality center in Woodinville WA during our Seattle Wine / Dine Experience in 2018. We remain Vault Club Members of the allocated portfolio and get a case each quarter of two of the varietal based selections including this Feather label, which we often share with Dr Dan and his cellar.

And, we've written often about our affinity for Randy Dunn and his handicraft with Cabernet Sauvignon. While this label might not normally be considered a casual sipper, it was enjoyable with the broad buffet of artisan cheeses, Italian Beef and BBQ pulled pork, and medley of chocolate, cherry and cheesecake desserts.

Long Shadows "Feather", Columbia Valley, Washington, 2018

This is a label from a producer we know well from our broader cellar collection that span more than two decades, and vertical collection of this label. Our meeting with winemaker Randy Dunn during a visit to Dunn Vineyards estate high atop Howell Mountain was a highlight of our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience back in 2008.

 

One note about winemaker Randy Dunn's wines is that they tend to be long-lived. Pundits say in their reviews, "Best after 2025, with a long life beyond that"; "This wine will be even more delicious with another several years of bottle age. Cellar this and enjoy it for the next 15 years or longer."

That said, this showed better than when we last tasted this label last summer when I wrote "this may have been consumed too young and need several more years of aging to develop, integrate, and settle to reveal its true profile, character and potential". A risk of drinking young wines from a restaurant wine list at that time. They might likely be better served perhaps holding this back a few years, or, more likely, featuring some of the other Long Shadows Vintners Series labels that might provide earlier younger drinking gratification.

I gave this an additional point over that earlier tasting last summer of this label. 

This label also got blockbuster reviews and ratings - 96 points from International Wine Report, 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, Owen Bargreen, and 93 points from Wine Enthusiast who awarded it Cellar Selection, Best of the Year 2021.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Feather comes from the Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slope Weinbau and Wallula Vineyards in Columbia Valley, Washington, and spent 22 months in 90% new French oak. 

Classic Randy Dunn style Cabernet with dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, tight, structured dense and concentrated yet somewhat subdued blackberry and black plum fruits accented by cassis, dust, tar, graphite, leather, tobacco leaf, with hints of dark chocolate and expresso coffee. 

RM 92 points. As noted, an additional point over earlier tasting last summer.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3729486

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

Long Shadows Saggi BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Long Shadows Saggi BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Son Alec and d-in-law Vivianna treated us to a Anniversary celebration dinner at  Angeli's Italian, our customary favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took BYOB from our cellar this Sangiovese Blend, one of our favorite best drinking bottles in our cellar right now for an Italian cuisine dinner.

Long Shadows Vintners Series Saggi Sangiovese Red Blend 20162016

We discovered and acquired this wine during our Woodinville, WA Wine Experience back in 2015. As I have written in these pages, this is a selection of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, a portfolio of seven ultra-premium wines showcasing the viticulture of the Washington State Columbia Valley growing region and the artwork and expertise of internationally acclaimed winemakers who crafted them.

Long Shadows was founded in 2003 by Washington State wine legend Allen Shoup, former Chairman and CEO of Chateau St Michelle, one of the premiere wine producers in the State. There he evangelized Washington Wines and championed collaboration with notable winemakers from around the world. Upon retiring, he started Long Shadows with a vision to produce the best, art of the possible wines showcasing/featuring the region's grapes, each produced by a world renowned winemaker reputed for producing grapes of that varietal.  Each vintner had access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery to outfitted to accommodate a their exacting cellar specifications. The idea was a resounding success as the wines have received critical acclaim that grown with each vintage. The Long Shadow collection went on to win numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

The Saggi label is a Sangiovese blended from top Washington State vineyards, from Candy Mountain, a warm area of the Columbia Valley adjacent to Red Mountain that produces fruit with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. From the cooler growing conditions in the Yakima Valley, the Boushey Vineyard produces Sangiovese that is lively red currant with bright strawberry notes. Saggi also contains Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, which contributes  structure and texture. Also in the blend is Syrah from the Bacchus and Den Hoed Dutchman vineyards, that add depth and complexity.

We talk about Den Hoed and their wines and our family connection in an earlier blogpost from our Seattle, Woodinville trip. 

Saggi, is crafted by the father-son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wine families from A. & G. Folonari Tenute that produces a collection of small, ultra-premium wines from the family's numerous Tuscan estates. The Folonaris teamed with Allen Shoup to produce a wine that showcases Washington State's terroir with plenty of Italian character. Saggi (meaning "wisdom") is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Long Shadows founder Allen Shoup originally met the Folonaris through mutual friend Piero Antinori. It was Allen who introduce Piero to Washington State while at the helm of Chateau Ste. Michelle, and it was Piero's regard for the vineyards of the Columbia Valley that piqued the Folonaris interest in creating a wine true to Washington terroir with plenty of Tuscan character.  Gilles continues that tradition, honoring the quality and style of wines the Folonairs inspired. 

From 2006, Long Shadows director of winemaking and viticulture Gilles Nicault collaborated with the Folonaris on Saggi's vineyard sourcing, winemaking and blending.  For this 2016 release , Gilles assumed complete winemaking responsibilities for Saggi.

We replaced this bottle with the current latest release from our most recent Club allocation shipment from the winery. We're members of the Long Shadows wine club and hence get regular Vault Key Club release allocation shipments of their top labels of which we share our case lot with Alec and fellow Pour Boy wine buddy,  Dr Dan. We've written in these pages about the Vintners Collection wherein Long Shadows collaborates with world class winemakers to craft varietal compositions from Washington State fruit. 

 

We tasted and posted about the latest 2018 release of this label just last week from our Pour Boys Wine Dinner,

Tonight's tasting was consistent with earlier tastings of this label, earlier this year and back in 2019. 

In January of this year -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/01/saggi-long-shadows-sangiovese-red-blend.html ... and previously back in June of 2019 ....

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/06/american-sangiovese-for-italian-dinner.html

Vibrant and lively, this weighty Sangiovese-dominant blend offers enticing aromas and flavors of red berries and currants with an appealing hint of nutmeg and sweet spice. An elegant and refined wine, its bright acidity pops on the palate with expressive red fruit character that echoes across a long-lasting finish.

The 2016 Saggi is mostly Sangiovese at 60%, but has 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Syrah.

Bright ruby-colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced and polished, black cherry fruits are accented by with notes of spice box, dried flowers and hints of cedar and vanilla, smooth sweet tannins linger on a clean, graceful finish.

RM 92 points.

This was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 92 points by Wine Advocate,  91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Vinous.

Wine Advocate Jeb Dunnuck gave it 92 points noting, "It's certainly one of the best expressions of Sangiovese from Washington."

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3096196

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0536/2016-Saggi

 

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

With my Linda out of town for the weekend, Dr Dan invited me over for Friday night dinner. I pulled from the cellar a vintage Bordeaux Blend for the occasion. 

Dan prepared delicious pork loins with seasoned with hot pepper peach bourbon sauce, roasted potatoes and a medley of grilled vegetables.

Prior to dinner, Dan and Linda served a broad assortment of artisan cheeses, shrimp, olives, charcuterie, nuts and chocolates. 

Pour Boys visiting Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma

I selected a producer that the Pour Boys visited, including Dan and Linda, on our most recent Sonoma County Wine Experience, the last of numerous visits to the estate and Chateau over the years - Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Valley. 

In addition to the legendary flagship label Cinq Cépages - which means five flavors or varieties, I also brought another Chateau St Jean label, Belle Terre, their Late Harvest Riesling dessert wine. 

Chateau St Jean is one of the premier producers in Sonoma County and their winery chateau estate is a showcase highlight of the Sonoma Valley - certainly the most elegant and fashionable tasting experience setting that we've experienced there. We enjoyed visiting there numerous times over the years for a comprehensive tasting experience that offers some of their Reserve and Library selections not available in the marketplace.ch as our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience in 2009.

Our private tastings at the 1920's chateau with views of the Grand Lawn and Estate Vineyards and in the Reserve Room have been the highlights of our trips to the region.

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 1997

We've enjoyed the Cinq Cépages label since its release in the late eighties. Chateau St. Jean "Cinq Cépages" was one of the first classic Bordeaux Blend labels from the region and has always represented good value, high QPR relative, to the top Bordeaux labels. 

This was one of the last releases before the 1996 release was annointed Wine Spectator #1 wine in the annual Top 100 list in 1999.  Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator Magazine. At that time the release price was $28, a remarkable value at the time. From then on, the label exploited its #1 legacy and notoriety and boosted the price point, but it still represents reasonable comparable value at near $100.    

We have a vertical of this up to the recent vintages - this was the oldest release in our cellar so we pulled as part of cellar management, but also to compare to two other 1997 vintage Napa Cabs we opened last weekend.

This release was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

The fill level, foil, label and most importantly, the cork were all in prime condition.  At twenty five years this was at the apex, in its prime drinking window, showing no signs of diminution from aging whatsoever. This exceeded my loftiest expectations and showed even better than the two 1997's we opened last weekend. This was definitely the WOTN - Wine of The Night.

The 1997 Cinq Cepages is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit-Verdot, aged in 50% new and 50% one-year old French barrels. Robert Parker writes, "this is California's answer to a big, rich St-Emilion".

Stephen Tanzer writes: "At once sweet and structured. Finishes with big, dusty tannins and very good length. The most promising vintage to date for this bottling. (ST)"

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, smooth polished, complex but balanced and nicely integrated black berry plum, currant and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha, toffee, spice, cedar, aise and herbs with a smooth finish. 

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2205

Linda served strawberry shortcakes with fresh fruits and I opened the Late Harvest dessert wine. 

Chateau St. Jean Alexander Valley Belle Terre Vineyard Special Select Late Harvest Riesling 2006  

Château St. Jean has been producing several white wine labels from the Belle Terre Vineyard since the 1975 Chardonnay Belle Terre and 1976 dessert Riesling. The Belle Terre Vineyard is owned by the Dick Family, which over the past three decades, has built a reputation as one of the premier grape-growing families in the region

The vineyard is in the Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural) Area just north of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. The Russian River flows through the valley. The region was named for Cyrus Alexander, a 19th century landowner and grape grower. The AVA includes 15,000 vineyard acres, much of it rich, alluvial soil layered on a bed of gravel, similar to many vineyards in Bordeaux. 

Today Alexander Valley is home to some of California’s most admired wineries, including Simi, Stonestreet, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, and of course Chateau St Jean based in Sonoma. 

This Special Select Late Harvest Riesling is produced only in top rated vintages from botrytis-affected fruit that is carefully hand-selected from the Belle Terre Vineyard.

Upon release, this wine is straw colored, and with its high residual sweetness, can be a long lived wine, capable of aging for decades. As it ages, it becomes darker, turning from straw colored to golden, taking on more brown hues resembling weak tea, then stronger darker tea, and eventually dark blackish cola or coffee colored. At fifteen years, this was already blackish colored, like cola, akin more to one that is several decades old. 

Normally this would be predominant ripe ripe apricot, peach and lemon fruits with sweet notes of fruits and honey. This release the sweet fruits were more subdued interlaced with notes of tea, expresso and bitter dark chocolate with bright acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=796124

http://www.chateaustjean.com/

https://twitter.com/chateaustjean1

@chateaustjean1

Over the course of the evening, Dan opened a selection of red wines from his cellar. 

• Long Shadows Saggi Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
• Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
• Il Valentiano Brunello Di Montalcino Reserva 2015 
• Entrepreneur Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Long Shadows Saggi Columbia Valley Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

We're members of the Long Shadows wine club and hence get regular Vault Key Club release allocation shipments of their top labels of which we share our case lot with Dr Dan. We've written in these pages about the Vintners Collection wherein Long Shadows collaborates with world class winemakers to craft varietal compositions from Washington State fruit. 

This label is inspired by the great wines of Tuscany and father-son winemaking team Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, winemaker Gilles Nicault crafts Saggi in the style of its original winemakers.

The 2018 Saggi is a Columbia Valley Blend: 58% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Syrah. The Sangiovese is sourced from two distinct Washington State Sangiovese vineyards, both planted in 1998. Both sites with have terrior of well-draining soils, important to managing Sangiovese’s vine vigor and controlling berry size. Candy Mountain Vineyard Sangiovese is a warm vineyard that delivers grapes with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. Boushey Vineyard Sangiovese, grown in the Yakima Valley, is a cooler site that brings brightness and balanced acidity to the blend. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Stone Tree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, included to add a silky texture to the wine. The Syrah adds a darker hue and another layer of complexity.

Winemakers' tasting notes: "Easily one of our favorite Saggi bottlings to date, this wine showcases the quality of our vineyard sites and the warmth of the growing season. A brilliant garnet-red, the 2018 Saggi is elaborately fragrant, brimming with red cherries, ripe strawberries and notes of nutmeg. Vibrant and
well-integrated with balanced natural acidity, this is a textured wine with great richness and flavors that linger across a generous finish. Drinking beautifully now, the wine’s concentration and structure also make it an excellent candidate for the cellar."

This is becoming a go-to wine for us for Sangiovese complemented Italian cuisine, but bigger and bolder than your typical Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino. Son Alec, who also shares in our club allocation cites this as one of his favorite wines.

Tonight, this stood out from the others with its big bold style, bright garnet-red colored, full bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated vibrant forward fruits of raspberry, red cherries and ripe strawberries with fragrant floral and notes of nutmeg and clove spices. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3720918

 

https://longshadows.com/wines/2018-saggi/133

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0536/2016-Saggi 

https://twitter.com/LongShadowsWine