Wine Flight for casual dinner

Sangiovese Wine Flight for casual dinner 

Vacationing at The Cove, our Vacation Rental in Destin (FL), we entertained neighbors/friends Richard & Vickie for a casual dinner. Linda prepared fresh John’s Famous Crab Cakes from John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin, and waygu beef burgers. 

We wrote about John’s Crab Cakes in an earlier blogpost - Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner last year. 

I opened from our home cellar a flight of wines for the occasion, taking into account our friends’ Italian heritage and preference for Italian and Italian varietal wines. 

With the starter course of a selection of artisan cheeses and fresh fruits, and the crab cakes, we opened a Russian River Valley Chardonnay. 

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

I wrote about this label and our visit to the Gary Farrell estate winery in the Russian River Valley in this earlier blogpost, Pour Boys Coq-Au-Vin and wine dinner, excerpted here. 

We joined the Farrell club during our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

Gary Farrell Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard. 

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County. 

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.

The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. 

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.

Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork. 

Gary Farrell produces over a dozen ultra-premium Chardonnays sourced from top vineyard sites throughout the region. 

This Russian River Selection bottling is 100% Russian River Valley Chardonnay blended from some of the region’s top vineyard sources - Westside Farms, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Goddard Ranch, Olivet Lane Vineyard, Rochioli Vineyard, Allen Vineyard, Lazy W Vineyard, Martinelli Vineyard, Parnell Ranch, and Pratt Cornerstone Vineyard. It expresses the varietal and the RRV appellation’s unique terroir.

This layered and complex Chardonnay brings together fruit from several of Farrell’s favorite Russian River Valley vineyard sites reflecting the character of Westside Farms, intriguing floral and stone fruit notes from Bacigalupi Vineyard, the wine’s great concentration and structure derive from the nearby Rochioli and Allen vineyards and Olivet Lane Vineyard.

The famous Rochioli Vineyard was originally purchased in 1938 by Joe Rochioli, Sr. The quest of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the fertile, gravelly soils was continued by Joe Jr. after his father’s passing in 1966. The collaboration between Gary Farrell Winery and the Rochioli Vineyard has been in effect for more than 30 years and is a foundation of the Farrel portfolio of Russian River Valley wines.

 

This was aged 10 months in 30% new French oak. 4578 cases were produced. 

This label was rated 92-93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 92 by Wine Spectator. 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, rich, round, concentrated but crisp clean green apple, pear and hints of peach and pineapple fruits with notes of nut, minerals, flintiness and barrel spice with a textured lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

With the waygu beef burgers we turned to a medley of Sangiovese Italian varietal red wines. 

Richard and we both love Sangiovese and most of our Italian cellar selections are that varietal, which we love paired with Italian cuisine. 

The Brunello di Montalcino label is tightly regulated and can only be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. 

Appellation regulations also limit the quantity of wine produced each year and mandate a Long Aging Process which stipulate Brunello must be aged for a minimum of four years, with at least two years spent in oak barrels. This lengthy aging process that ties up resources and increases production costs contributes to the higher price point of the label.

The rigorous production regulations set by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium ensure that only the highest quality wines bear the Brunello label. This commitment to quality often requires additional investment in vineyard management, winemaking techniques, and quality control.

Brunello has gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest wines, prized for its complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully. Its prestigious status and limited availability contribute to high demand and, consequently, higher prices.

We started with this premium ‘Sasoallora’ from Jacobi Biondi Santi.

Jacopo Biondi-Santi 'Sassoalloro' Toscana IGT 2019 

Biondi Santi's Toscana Rosso Sassoalloro crafted by family winery Jacopo Biondi Santi in Tuscany, producers of a portfolio of Sangiovese, labels. 

This Sassoalloro label first produced in 1991 is the iconic wine is sourced from the vineyards of the Castello di Montepò, “Aia di Clemente”, 15 acres in a small garden in Montepò in a portion of Galestro. The vineyard is exposed to the East, South-East with a slope of 17% with rows 280 meters long. There is no irrigation in the vineyards to force deep and well-resistant vine development.

It is crafted by Jacopo and Tancredi Biondi Santi in collaboration with the winemaker Donato Lanati. 

It is produced with 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, harvested at the end of September. After vinification, the wine was aged in barriques of non-toasted woods of the Tronçais forests for 14 months.

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 90 by Wine Enthusiast. 

Winemakers notes -  “It is a wine with a brilliant ruby ​​red color, with shades tending to violet. The nose opens with fresh and fruity scents, enriched with pleasant notes of violet. In the mouth it is soft and velvety, with an extremely long finish. Overall it is a very elegant wine, with an excellent longevity potential: from 15 to 20 years.”

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, slightly opaque, smooth and elegant sweet berry and cherry fruits with notes of walnuts, herbs and spices with bright acidity and fine tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4185025

Cerbaia Brunello Di Montalcino 2019

I then opened this highly rated Sangiovese from Cerbaia. I featured this wine and producer in an earlier blogpost, excerpted here - Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian. 

We acquired this Limited Production Brunello di Montalcino at Binny's, our Chicagoland beverage superstore, based on their recommendation and its stellar 98 point rating. While I didn't give it such stellar ratings, we enjoyed it a lot and I went back to pick up a few more bottles. 

This is from Cerbaia, a boutique winery that produces wines from some of the finest vineyards in Montalcino that are a true expression of a unique and distinctive place.

The Cerbaia property has belonged to the Pellegrini family since the 1950s, with the family beginning to make wine in the 1970’s. The estate covers of a total of 35 acres of land, 11 of which are under the Brunello appellation controls, located on the highly regarded Montosoli Hill, known as the Grand Cru of Montosoli — some of the most coveted land in Tuscany.

In 2014, Elena Pellegrini gave up a promising career in corporate finance to devote herself to her family estate, striving to craft elegant, balanced wines in the traditional Montalcino style as her father Fabio did, applying minimal intervention and sustainable practices. She is advised by notable consulting enologist G.Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine.

This 2019 release was awarded 98-points by James Suckling who declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his review. Kerin O`Keefe of www.kerinokeefe.com gave it 94 Points.

The 2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Wine Advocate called the vintage “uniformly easy” for vintners.

The release was aged three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.

Winemaker Notes - Intense ruby red in color, garnet with aging. Rich and intense bouquet of violets, undergrowth, red fruits, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Very long persistence, fresh, and elegant but complex.

Bright ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty rose, tobacco, dried herbs and leather with hints of truffle with bright acidity on a smooth polished tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4577891

For a fun comparison, and introduction to Richard an American Sangiovese, I opened this rare limited production Napa Valley label from a producer we know well. 

Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar with more than a dozen labels dating back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993. 

Del Dotto Vineyards was established in 1990 when David and Yolanda Del Dotto planted vineyards on 17 acres in Rutherford at the homestead Estate on the corner of Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane in Napa Valley. It truly is a family affair with David's father John being involved in the early days, and daughter Desiree and son Giovanni being involved in the business and having their own labels as well. I had the pleasure of meeting John back in the late nineties and working with Desiree as she took on marketing duties during that era.

The Del Dotto first release vintage was 1993. Since then the estate has grown significantly to 437 acres of vineyards producing 8,000-12,000 cases annually. Around 2010, the Del Dotto brand expanded further with the release of Villa Del Lago, an ultra-premium label from Pritchard Hill.

Del Dotto Vineyards are located in several appellations through Napa Valley and Sonoma County, including Rutherford Bench, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Sonoma Coast, Spring Mountain, Oakville and Napa Valley. The large wine portfolio includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah and various blends. 

Rick and Linda with David Del Dotto circa 2003

Indeed, Del Dotto is one of the largest holdings in our cellar dating back to the inaugural vintage release back in 1993. Our association with Del Dotto dates back to our Napa Wine Experiences and wine producer and winemaker dinners back in the mid-nineties.

Del Dotto and then winemaker the legendary Nils Venge were pioneers of Sangiovese in Napa Valley, planting a couple acres around the house along the highway at the Rutherford Estate. We acquired many of those vintages, and several variations of their Sangiovese labels over the years, as seen in several of these blogposts - 

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 1998 - 2016

As mentioned, I’ve written often in these pages about Del Dotto pioneering Sangiovese in Napa Valley back in the late nineties under the collaboration with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. Del Dotto continues their lineage of Sangiovese wines with this offering under the Piazza label, the recent addition to the growing list of Del Dotto brands.

We discovered the Piazza brand during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. We then targeted the just opened Piazza Winery Delicacies Wine and Food Tasting Experience during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018. It was the highlight of our entire Napa trip. We tasted and acquired this 2015 release during that Cave Tour tasting, and then follow on releases at the Piazza Winery. 

Del Dotto offered Napa Valley Sangiovese under the historic flagship 'David' label (shown right) from 1998 through 2003 and also appeared as Rutherford Estate Sangiovese 2013. (The 1998 label is shown here. The 1999 label calls it St Helena Sangiovese. 

((While we’re at it …. For the record and for reference for anyone tracking such details, the Cellartracker dossier, our inventory management system and normally reliable reference guide, is confused and misguided on this wine. It contains two references to this wine, both partially right and wrong. It lists the wine twice, Del Dotto Piazza Sangiovese and Del Dotto Sangiovese Piazza. For the first, it lists vintages 1999, 2003 (wrong) and 2013, '15 and 2016 (correct). For the latter it correctly lists 2013, '14, '15 and 2016, and errantly lists 1998 and 2003.))

Then followed a Del Dotto Caves Sangiovese line. We tasted and acquired these wine during our Del Dotto Napa Estate visit and Del Dotto Wine Producer Dinner back in 1999, and again at our Napa Wine Experience in 2003. 

Del Dotto then offered Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend Sangiovese under the Cave Blend brand from 2004 through 2016. I believe Cellartracker references to this label from 2001 are in error and should refer to the 'David' branding. There is no photo evidence of this (Cave Blend 2001) label in the Cellartracker library or in internet searches.

When the Piazza Del Dotto estate and winery opened, the Piazza brand appeared with the 2013 release and continues to this day.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/del-dotto-sangiovese-for-family-lasagna.html

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting back in 2018. We featured this wine soon thereafter and in several posts to follow including this one when we took it took it BYOB to our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, Angelis Italian. 

This was delicious and everyone loved it making me glad we were able to acquire more. I wrote back then that “I wish I had more than the single case we acquired last year. I'll be looking for more.” And we did. 

After we consumed all the bottles we acquired during that visit, we reordered more and finished that too. We tried to order more and it was no longer offered on the Del Dotto shopping site (s). 

Then, we received an email from Del Dotto clearing out numerous vintage labels and we acquired a mixed case of favorites including several vintages of this label (below). 

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Sangiovese 2018 

When it arrived, I was surprised to see the historic original ‘legacy’ labels and the Rutherford Estate designation leading me to believe that this is sourced from those original two acres of vines planted back in the nineties. Indeed, according to the rear label, only two barrels were produced of this release.  

 It was great fun sharing this label with my Italian friend, and Italian Wine Lover, who had never experienced an American Sangiovese. It showed exceedingly well, more robust, forward and powerful than the more subdued, subtle Italians. 

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, vibrant forward round sweet ripe black berry and black currant and raspberry fruits with notes of spice, rustic earthy black tea, hints of mushrooms, dark mocha and vanilla with smooth silky tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points.   

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3727599 

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

https://x.com/DelDottoWine

Something earlier Del Dotto posts - 

Del Dotto Sangiovese and Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve for Angelis Italian Dinner

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=48662

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/del-dotto-sangiovese-for-family-lasagna.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2579868

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/del-dotto-piazza-sangiovese-at-angelis.html

Del Dotto Sangiovese with Angeli's Italian Pasta 

Signorello Hope’s Chardonnay BYOB at Entourage DG

Signorello Hope’s Cuvée Chardonnay BYOB at Entourage DG

We dined Friday afternoon early dinner at Entourage DG (Downers Grove). This week we ordered one of our favorite entrees, a replay of our recent Entourage dinner selections as featured in these pages in an earlier blogpost,.

Entourage DG, one of the our favorite go-to eateries with its great menu, ease of parking, great service, and reasonable BYOB policy. 

We have several favorite menu selections, both beef and seafood, so we’re routinely challenged on which wine we want to take BYOB, if any, for our dinner pairing. And, of course, we don’t know what the Specials will be, so, tonight we brought a red and a white to cover all contingencies on dinner entree selections. 

Linda opted for our perennial favorite dishes, the Entourage signature Miso Marinated Chilean Seabass with Broccolini, Charred Peppers, Shiitake Mushrooms and Black Truffle Risotto, Yuzu and the new offering approach, Lemon Butter Sauce. 

As I wrote in a previous post - Spectacular dining experience at Entourage Restaurant Downers Grove, that this was extraordinary, delicious in all respects, the fish artfully prepared and served hot, and the Black Truffle Risoto was spectacular. We love it all, the harmony and synthesis of the many artfully crafted robust flavors. 

Hence, I selected the Daily Special, a seafood dish, Hawaiian Wahoo, with which I asked they substitute the truffle risotto as the accompaniment. 

Based on our seafood entree selections, we opened BYOB from our cellar this ultra-premium Napa Valley Chardonnay, one of our favorite vintages/labels from a favorite producer. 

Signorello Hope's Cuvee Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

As posted in an earlier blogposts, we discovered and acquired (the then current vintage release of) this wine during our visit to the Estate on Silverado Trail in Southeastern Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013. At that time I wrote about this label: "I am predominantly a red wine drinker and while I enjoy an occasional glass of white, most often with appropriate food, I don't normally get excited about a white wine. This chardonnay was the exception,  memorable and special."

We're getting down to the last few remaining bottles of the label that we've acquired over time and we look to refreshing our inventory with more, from the current release. 

(Former) Signorello Estate overlooking vineyards 
and valley floor.

The Signorello winery sits at the very southern end of Napa Valley and has 43 acres of vineyards, including some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in all of Napa Valley - fruit from 37-year-old vines goes into his Hope’s Cuvée.

The magnificent Estate was destroyed in the fires that engulfed much of sections of Sonoma and Napa in 2017. Fires came down the foothills to the property that sat up the hill back from the highway.

The fire reached the winery and completely destroyed the hospitality center that also housed offices, a wine lab and a family residence upstairs. The adjacent  crush pad and stainless steel tanks survived intact along with the barrel cellar and equally if not most importantly, the vines of the adjacent vineyards. 

In the wake of the destruction from Napa Valley’s October 2017 Atlas Peak Fire, Ray Signorello vowed to rebuild. We're relieved to read about the Phoenix of Signorella Estate, rising from the ashes, literally, and being rebuilt, even grander and larger than before. Signorello said he viewed the tragedy as an opportunity to do something new and exciting and is rebuilding with a larger fermentation facility, wine caves and a stunning expanded hospitality center. 

The winery has kept almost all of its team employed as an interim step toward returning to normalcy and they have been operating out of a modular building was brought in to serve as a temporary hospitality center.

The adjacent Darioush property nearby the sits at the valley floor closer to the highway and similarly situated properties were untouched. 

Signorello "Hope's Cuvée" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave the 2015 release 98 points and said, "The best Chardonnay I have ever tasted from Ray Signorello has to be the 2015 Chardonnay Hope’s Cuvée." Vinous gave it 91 points.

Perhap’s due to nearly a decade of aging in our cellar, tonight's tasting was the best experience we’ve had of this label. 

This Hope's Cuvée Chardonnay was full bodied but nicely balanced and polished for very pleasant drinking. It is bursting with flavorful fruit with layers of peach and poached pear giving way to hints of honey, almond, nutmeg, vanilla and creamy soft spicy oak. There is very pleasant full mouth-feel with rich texture on the palate with a long lingering finish of sweet mellow oak.

Rich golden butter colored, full bodied, rich and concentrated but silky smooth, elegant, balanced and polished, caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, white peach, pear and melon notes with a touch of almond and brioche on a harmonious finish.

RM 96 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2806461

https://www.signorelloestate.com/

https://twitter.com/SigVin 
@SigVin 

https://entouragerestaurant.com/downers-grove/

Quilt Napa Cab at Stacy’s Crystal Beach

Quilt Napa Cab at Stacy’s Crystal Beach

Visiting The Cove at Destiny East, our vacation rental home in Destin, FL, on our daily beach walk we stopped at Stacy’s, the new restaurant at the Inn at Crystal Beach, for early dinner to watch the sunset on the beach front patio table. 

Stacy’s just opened last month, replacing the former Soleil restaurant. They sport a new menu and wine list while everything else about the location and facility remain the same. 

 I ordered from the menu the meatloaf entree which we as served with two sides of which I chose the corn nibblets and mashed potatoes. The meatloaf was delicious with an ample portion, the mashed potatoes as well, and the corn nibblets were creative and imaginative slices of the kernel sections off the corn cob roasted. 

To accompany my meatloaf entree I ordered from the wine list BTG - (by-the-glass) Quilt Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

I had this same wine, also BTG, at one of our favorite road side dining spots that we enjoy frequenting when traveling along the interstate downstate Illinois, as featured in this blogpost Lunch at Firefly Grill, Effingham, excerpted below.

Returning from a week at our Destiny Cove vacation rental home in Destin, FL, we stopped for lunch at the trendy, fun, Firefly Grill, at the interstate intersection of I70 and I57 in Effingham, IL.

Quilt Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This is from Joseph Wagner, son of the iconic Chuck Wagner of Napa Valley Caymus fame. This is a lower entry level price point that provides affordable QPR - Quality Price Ratio for everyday sipping, or for a WBTG offering. 

It derives its whimsical name from the picturesque patchwork of vineyard sources from across the region for their wines - “For Napa Valley Quilt, our grapes come from a patchwork of prime Napa Valley vineyards to create a classic Cabernet Sauvignon the way my family has made it for five generations.”

Photo from earlier vintage

“From Los Carneros to Howell Mountain, our fruit is drawn from nine distinct, iconic regions throughout the Napa Valley. Each with its own unique character.”

This release was rated 94 points by The Tasting Panel and The Wine Enthusiast rated this 91 pts.

Winemaker notes for this release: “Dark ruby red in the glass, with rich notes of chocolate, black currant, ripe blackberry, and marionberry with hints of toasted oak and dark cherry on the nose. The palate is rich and complex with flavors of ripe dark fruits, chocolate cherry, plum, toffee, and blackberry pie. This wine has a lingering fruit-forward finish with firm acidity and smooth velvety tannins. A classic yet complex Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Dark ruby colored, medium bodied, bright black berry and black currant fruits with notes of bitter mocha dark chocolate, black tea and hints of okay with crisp acidity on a moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://quiltwines.com/

Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with St Pat’s Dinner

Son Alec, D-in-Law Viv and their kids came over after church for traditional St Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Alec brought along this bold Napa Cabernet to share for a wine accompaniment. 

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021  

This label is from Faust Winery, a part of the Huneeus Vintners portfolio lead by wine luminaries Agustin and Valeria Huneeus, both natives of Chile. The portfolio also includes other notable producers Quintessa, Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Illumination, and Leviathan. We visited the picturesque Quintessa estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2003. 

Agustin Huneeus has dedicated his entire professional life to the wine industry from his beginning in 1960 as CEO of Chilean producer Concha y Toro which under his leadership grew from a small winery into Chile’s largest. Augustin and Valeria left Chile for the US in 1971 in light of Chile’s difficult political climate. Moving to NY, Augustin went on to lead global spirits leader Seagram’s worldwide operations, responsible for wineries in seven countries.

In 1977, the Huneeus’ moved to California to pursue careers in the wine business, building a growing portfolio including Concannon in the Livermore valley and taking an interest in Franciscan estates in 1985. In 1999, they founded Huneeus Vintners dedicated to fine wine properties. In 1996, Agustin was awarded the distinguished service award by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Valeria Huneeus, also born in Chile, was a PH.D, Microbiologist and initially intended to study medicine, but also pursued interests in viticulture and enology. When Valeria and Agustin moved to New York and began a family, Valeria gained a PH.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University and spent ten years doing medical research.

Seeking to work more closely with her husband in the wine business, Valeria transitioned into vineyard development at Quintessa Vineyards Rutherford property which the Huneeus’ purchased in 1990 as their portfolio continue to grow.

In 1998. the Huneeus’ founded Faust Winery specializing in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from their estate vineyard in the Coombsville area, Napa’s newest AVA. Located in the southern most part of Napa Valley, east of the town of Napa, close to San Pablo bay, their venture was considered a gamble by many who thought the very cool climate in this sub-region of Napa Valley  was too cold to consistently ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. In time, their risk paid off as this region is now home to some of the most prized vineyards in the valley, producing many serious, structured, and varietally specific wines with volcanic gravel soils and coarse loams, perfect for Cabernet. 

Ryan Woodhouse, wine buyer for Bay Area merchant K&L in Redwood City writes of the Combsville district, “On a personal note, my son plays Little League Baseball right next to this vineyard, so I've spent a lot of time down there, and the site is legitimately cold and windy! It's often 10 degrees cooler than my side of town juts a few miles north west. Fresh breezes come right off San Pablo Bay and morning fog is often particularly thick in this corridor up the eastern bench of the Vaca ranges.”

Faust writes that “Coombsville is not just Napa Valley’s newest AVA, but its southernmost growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled into the rocky ruins of an ancient caldera, its bowl-shaped depression perfectly positions it to collect and hold cool air and fog that’s funneled up from the San Pablo Bay. Volcanic soils, along with the marine breezes, combine to offer polish and structure alongside consistent Napa ripeness. Besides being the latest-to-ripen vines in Napa, the soil profiles are very different given it’s closer to the Vaca Mountain range, so there is a lot of eroded volcanic soil, which means, lots of minerals in the soil.

‘In Napa Valley you get more red fruit, more spice. The tannins can be a bit more rustic. Down in Coombsville you get more intense color, a blue-black fruit profile. A brighter acidity and minerality in the wines. Coombsville is just very unique.”

Winemaker notes on the 2021 Faust Napa Valley - “The wine combines the signature dark graphite and mulberry core of Coombsville Cab with more exotic, plush cassis fruit from Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford that make up the remainder of the blend. A modest use of French oak (only 20% new) but longer elevage in barrel (20 months) has allowed the tannins to become refined and tactile, but without blasting the fruit with over the top oak influence.’ 

“Cabernet's classic aromas and flavors, delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.”

This release was rated 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine Spectator and 93 by Wine Enthusiast, 92 by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 91 by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This was a pleasant surprise and  exceed my expectations, this label was a bit under the radar and deserves more attention as it fights above its weight class delivering good QPR (quality-price-ratio)  and has 50,000 cases available of Faust's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It showed  dark garnet color, was full bodied, complex, firmly structured but balanced and approachable, ripe blackcurrants and blackberries, notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, dark mocha, cedar and bark, with firm, polished tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4673339

https://faustwines.com/visit/

https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1688046

Pizza and Fleury Napa Cab Hawaiian Sunset

Pizza and Fleury Napa Cab Hawaiian Sunset

Another night in paradise, the family gathered on the lawn to watch the Hawaiian sunset with pizza and a bottle of fine wine. Somewhat of a son Ryan’s family tradition, on their last night at the south island resort, they watched the sunset together on the lawn with pizza dinner. 

Ryan brought from his home cellar this bottle of ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet. 

Fleury Estate Winery Howell Mtn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Ryan obtained this rare highly allocated label as a member of the Fleury wine club and has amassed a vertical and horizontal collection of their various labels. We first met Brian and Claudia Fleury at a Del Dotto event in their earliest days when they were just starting Fleury Estate back in 2000.

The Fleury Estate lies just south of St. Helena in Rutherford with a tasting room, winemaking facilities and a 11 acre estate vineyard. Fleury Estate Winery also owns 50 acres of premium vineyard land in the key locations of Napa Valley with vineyards in different appellations and elevations which enables them to craft consistent, high quality Napa Valley wines year after year. 

I featured Brian and Claudia Fleury and their Fleury Napa Valley estate wines in thess pages back in 2018 in the blogpost Fleury Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Duo. I wrote about when we first met Brian and Claudia Fleury at a Del Dotto Estate Winery event (see below) back in 2002. From that meeting we acquired some Fleury Estate Lauren Bryce Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from what I believe was their inaugural vintage release. How surprising then and what fun to hear son Ryan speaking of this wine and about he and some of his buddy's acquiring some of the highly allocated select wine for their cellars. Fleury Estate Napa Cab is a favorite of him and several of his colleagues who have extensive collections of numerous releases of this label.

Fleury Estate Winery owns 50 acres of premium vineyard land in different appellations and elevations that they note allow them to "craft consistent, high quality Napa Valley wines year after year". Their primary Fleury Estate Vineyard located in the heart of Napa Valley just south of St. Helena in Rutherford, is also home to the Fleury tasting room, winemaking facilities and 11 acre estate vineyard.

They also own and manage 30 acres in the St Helena Vineyard, and six acre Howell Mountain Vineyard high up in Deerpark.

Their vineyards are planted to all the Bordeaux Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated yet elegant and refined, tongue coating blackberry and hints of blueberry fruits, notes of cassis, black tea, cedar and graphite with tangy acidity and velvety smooth tannins on a long lasting finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2519948

https://www.fleurywinery.com/

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

With extended family in town for Celebration of Life Ceremonies for in-law Kevin D, we hosted a dinner at our house on the eve of the weekend. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and haricot verts and Caesar salad. I pulled from the cellar a couple middle aged Bordeaux varietal blends, a ten year old and a twenty year old, for a wine accompaniment to the dinner. 

Chappellet "Mountain Cuvée" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This is their standard bearer cuvée (blend) at a more affordable prime point than their signature and ultra-premium labels. We visited the Chappellet Estate Winery and Vineyards up on Altas Peak during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2009. It was then that we acquired a large format magnum of their Signature label from our anniversary vintage year 1974from their library, that we served at our 50th anniversary celebration dinner last autumn as featured in these pages - Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN.

I wrote about Chappellett in an earlier blogpost - Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas Smith, Sommellier and wine staffer at K&L wine store in Redwood City writes of this label - “I get a lot of customers who come into the store looking for a bottle of Napa Cab for a dinner they are on their way to. At $30 Napa Cab can be really hit and miss, but this Bordeaux blend is an absolute home run. This wine has tons of intensive fruit, is totally upfront an accessible, and an exceptionally balanced bottle that will wow the table from the moment it is opened. I can't stress enough the quality here, but anyone who loves full-bodied reds from Napa should really consider this a house wine whenever having guests for dinner. If you're looking to wow someone with a bottle, this is a total bullseye.”

“Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals. Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides. Nearly a half century later, their 2015 Mountain Cuvée still includes fruit from the winery’s coveted Estate Vineyard, and was expertly composed by renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who’s been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years.” 

Chappellet is famous for Bordeaux varietals, with It's high elevation terroir on the Eastern side high above and overlooking Napa, on Pritchard Hill. There the grapes achieve maximum ripeness, basking in the long exposure to sunlight on the Vaca mountain range. 

This 2015 Mountain Cuvee’ is a blend of  all five of the Bordeaux varietals - 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux producers have been experimenting with the blend composition for more than five centuries. We American;’s in our half century of producing such wines can learn from their experience. 

Merlot predominates on the Right Bank (of the Gironde River) while Cabernet Sauvignon rules on the ‘Laft Bank’. In each case, they add Malbec into the mix for enhanced body, Petit Verdot adds depth, structure, body and deep color, while Cabernet Franc adds breadth and spiciness. 

I love both for their complexity, breadth and depth with beef and hearty dishes - favoring Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon based on desire for more or less intensity as Merlot tends to be softer and more velvety to moderate or balance the firmer and more structured Cabernet.   

Winemaker notes - “The Wine Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when youre looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.”

Tasting Notes - This inviting wine offers a complex array of elegant aromas that include spicy red fruit, black cherry, sage, anise, clove and cocoa powder. The palate is silky and balanced, with a plush, mouth coating texture that makes the wine immediately approachable and delicious. Flavors of red currant and cassis are underscored by hints of smoke and vanilla, while seamlessly integrated tannins add length and structure to this complex blend of Bordeaux varietals.

This was much better than I remember it upon release and at ten years, it has clearly benefited from some cellar aging and is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further, but available for enjoyable drinking for several more years. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex and concentrated, full and round but nicely integrated and polished, black and blue berry and plum fruits with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, black cherries, and hints of smoky tobacco leaf with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2630305

https://chappellet.com/
https://twitter.com/Chappellet_wine 
@Chappellet_wine

Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

In consideration of Kevin’s Irish heritage and fondness for all things ‘green’, I pulled from the cellar a Red Winemaker from a producer with similar roots. 

Dunham Cellars is a family owned winery located in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington. Eric Dunham discovered wine sampling from his parent’s cellar collection. Then during several years serving in the Navy, stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area, Eric continued to pursue his passion trekking up to the Napa Valley as often as time permitted. 

After the Navy, seeking to pursue wine in earnest, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington. He then hired on as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. 

By 1999, he set up to devote his full attention to his wines and together with his parents, Mike and Joanne, they opened the winery at Walla Walla Regional Airport. They were joined a couple years later by David and Cheryll Blair.

Dunham Cellars sought out and selected the finest fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. Working in collaboration between its growers and winemaker, they strive to capture and showcase the select fruit from these vineyards with their combination of climate, soil and geography.

We drove by the winery situated in a remodeled World War II era airplane hangar on the north edge of Walla Walla (Washington) during our Walla Walla AVA Wine Experience visit to the region back in 2018,  as we exited town on our way out of town to see the Spring Valley vineyards northeast of town.

In addition to winemaking duties, Eric Dunham is also an accomplished chef and artist painter. While unpretentious and modest on the outside, Dunham boasts a good-sized hospitality center in the large room known as the Hangar Lounge. The eclectic space, decorated with some of Eric Dunham’s personal original artwork on the walls. Some of Eric’s artwork also appears on certain Dunham Cellars wine labels.

Since Dunham’s inaugural release of the 1995 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “I”, Eric has served as winemaker for Dunham Cellars from the beginning. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Dan Wampfler joined Dunham Cellars as winemaker and now Eric took on broader duties as Director of Wine.

Today, Dunham produce a half dozen reds, Bordeaux varietals and a Syrah, and a couple of whites. I particularly enjoy their Bordeaux Blend, Trutina, which I find provides very good QPR - Quality Price Ratio, in a moderately priced sophisticated blend that encompasses all five of the Bordeaux varietals, sourced from fruit across the Columbia Valley. Their 2021 Trutina was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Owen Bargreen 92 by Wine Enthusiast and International Wine Repor, and 90 by Jeb Dunnuck and Sean Sullivan.

This 2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” is the eleventh edition of Dunham's signature Columbia Valley Cabernet that they distinguish with a Roman Numeral designating the release edition, hence this bears a ‘XI’ prominently on the label. 

While over the years, we accumulated close to a decade of vintages of this wine, we didn’t keep up with it and consume bottles, checking their maturation, managing our collection in a timely manner. As a result, at twenty years, this wine has lapsed beyond the apex of its drinking window, starting to decline and show diminution of fruit, begging to be consumed soon before it’s too far gone to be enjoyable. 

Never-the-less, brother-in-law to Kevin, Dr. Ken, enjoyed this and preferred it over the younger more vibrant Napa blend. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight murky cloudiness beginning to set in, tight, blackberry and black cherry fruits are starting to give way to leather, tobacco and leafy black tea flavors with notes of smoke and tar with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?520923

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/