Beau Vigne Old Rutherford Napa Cab

Beau Vigne Old Rutherford Napa Cab with Calogero’s Pizza 

Son Alec and D-in-law Viviana dined in the city at Juno Sushi in Lincoln Park, so we were called to grandparent babysitter duty. Alec arranged for pizza pick-up at Calogero’s Pizza, Naperville, their neighborhood pizza shop. He also set out a nice Napa Cab from his cellar for a wine pairing.

Calogero’s has become a regular dining experience when we serve at Alec & Viv’s. They take pride in their mission to create the highest quality food using only the best and freshest ingredients possible - certified imported Italian products and local fresh produce. All their meat comes from farm-fed, humanely raised cattle, toppings are 100% organic and arrive fresh daily. All of their cheeses are made from organic goat, sheep, cow and water buffalo milk, and the flour used to make their pizzas, breads and sweets are organic & imported from Italy.

The pizza and wine were wonderful - a perfect, delicious pairing with the arugula salad, bruschetta and the sausage and cheese pizza; ‘Bruschette al Pomodoro’ - wood fire bread with cherry tomatoes, basil, oregano, and evoo; ‘Salsiccia Pizze Rosse’ - Italian plum tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella, fennel italian sausage, pecorino romano.

Beau Vigne “Old Rutherford” Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This is a producer we know well as we hold a half dozen of their labels in our cellar (s) dating back nearly a decade. I featured this producer in detail in a blogpost last summer when we took their wine along on holiday - Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red.

Ironically, we just ordered a half case of Beau Vigne wine earlier in the day from their just published winter releases.

As the producer exclaimed, “This is 100% Cabernet from a 100 Point Winery, a rare single vineyard designated label”. Old Rutherford is the sourced from the highly acclaimed Missouri Hopper Vineyard (known for year-over-year 96-99 point ratings). 

The producer writes, “The utmost rarity because you can’t always get this fruit (it’s an outright bidding war), and is reserved for some of the most expensive wines in Napa Valley.”

I wrote in a recent blogpost about getting ‘invested’ in a wine from a producer that doesn’t own or control their vineyard source (s). This is another such case, as the producer admits. 

While they call this wine “Old Rutherford”, the vineyard source is actually in the Napa Valley Oakville AVA. It is part of the iconic Beckstoffer Vineyard holdings. 

Located north of the town of Yountville in the Oakville AVA, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper was originally part of a large piece of land owned by George C. Yount, from whom the town of Yountville takes its name. It is name for Charles Hopper who purchased it and gave it to his daughter Missouri in 1877. The land was planted to wine grapes, prunes and walnuts. 

In 1960, the land was purchased by Bruce Kelham as part of the historic Vine Hill Ranch and subsequently purchased by Beckstoffer Vineyards from the Kelham family in 1996. As noted in the release notes, the vineyard is today planted with multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2002, the property was placed under a land conservation easement that forever prohibits non-agricultural development.

The total vineyard site is 46 acres of which 36 acres are planted to vines. 

Producer Notes - “The Old Rutherford project is a clonal micro-terroir look at different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford Appellation. Our 2020 is a 50/50 blend of Clones 4 & 6. The fascinating thing is, this wine tastes young, with 10-15 years of aging potential. The integration is likely to become more apparent with 3 years of cellaring.”

Winemaker notes - “The 2020 Old Rutherford Cabernet displays an intense array of wild blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry jam and dark chocolate aromas. Its inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of dusty Rutherford and beautifully balanced French oak frame the dark berry flavors, with notes of graphite, cracked pepper, caramel, and blackberry adding depth to a long finish.”

Robert Parker’s assessment of Beau Vigne: “this winery is currently on a qualitative roll”, “wine that even eclipses the other fabulous wines in the Beau Vigne portfolio.’

This was delicious and exceeded my expectations. 

Dark ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant expressive sweet blackberry and boysenberry fruits accented by clove spice, graphite chalk from that famous ‘Rutherford Dust’, hints of bitter mocha dark chocolate and sweet oak on a smooth polished refined finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4591751

http://www.beauvigne.com/

BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville

BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville 

We dined with neighbors/friends Richard and Adessa at Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took from our cellar this middle-aged Brunello Di Montalcino, a Sangiovese that be become one of our favorite varietals, especially with tangy Italian faire. 

I ordered their signature comfort dish, Pasta and Peas - Ground Italian sausage simmered with sweet peas in a vodka cream sauce and tossed with rigatoni pasta. The ample portion provided a left over dinner the following night at which time this was even better! 

Linda order her favorite standby dish, Angeli’s Eggplant Parmigiana - Layers of lightly floured eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, baked in the oven, and topped with homemade marinara sauce (pictured below).

To accompany our meal, we brought BYOB from our home cellar this middle-aged Brunello di Montalcino. 

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2017  

I’ve written often in these pages about Brunello and what makes it so special. They are sourced from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. 

Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine.

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.

Altesino is located In the heart of southern Tuscany, forty kilometers south of the City of Siena amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino. The 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the estate. Built by the Tuscan family Tricerchi in 2002, Altesino has been owned by the Gnudi Angelini family with technical collaboration of Paolo Caciorgna, the company have involved the Brunello di Montalcino for forty years. 

They were a forerunner with the introduction of the “Cru” concept (Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli) concept in 1975, Altesino was the first winery to use barriques in 1979. In 1977, the first Grappa di Fattoria was created and produced by Altesino with the help of the master distiller Gioacchino Nannoni.

The Altesino estate covers 250 acres, half of which are planted vineyards consisting of six plots, each of which are distinguished and represented with single vineyard designated wines in their own right.

The six vineyards consisting of one parcel in the north – Altesino, one in the north east Macina, two in the north west - Cerbaia and Montosoli (first Cru in the history of Brunello di Montalcino and always famous for the production of wines of extreme elegance), one in the area of Sant’Angelo in colle – Pianezzine, and finally, one in Castelnuovo dell’Abate – Velona.

In addition to Sangiovese, which constitutes the majority of the plants (used for the production of Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and Palazzo Altesi), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are cultivated (which in blend with Sangiovese give the Alte d’Altesi and the Rosso di Toscana), the Trebbiano and the Malvasia (for Vin Santo), the Vermentino, the Chardonnay and the Viognier destined for the production of Bianco di Altesino.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Winemaker’s Notes - “Brunello di Montalcino is the ambassador of top quality Italian wines around the world, the first wine to receive the DOCG appellation. Brunello is a brilliant ruby red colour, tending towards garnet red with age. Its bouquet is intense, pure, pleasant and refined, reminiscent of sweet violet, tobacco, chocolate and pleasant hints of wild berries and vanilla. Its flavour fully confirms the above in a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with good tannins and a solid structure.’

For the 2017 vintage release - “Brilliant ruby-red color, this classic Rosso offers sumptuous aromas of ripened blackberries and dark cherries. On the palate, the wine is generously well-rounded and rich with fruit-forward notes complimented by hints of leather and mesquite.”

Tonight’s tasting of this label release was consistent with my earlier tasting note pasted last winter when I wrote: “Tasted from wine list at Italian Village Chicago for a fabulous, perfect food and wine pairing. Dark Ruby colored, medium-to full-bodied, full round balanced blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruits with savory baking and clove spices with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather with smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.”

RM 92 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2024/01/pour-boys-wine-dinner-at-italian.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4119676

http://www.altesino.it/en/altesino/

Angeli’s Eggplant Parmagana

Richard ordered another Angeli’s Signature dish, Shrimp Diavolo - Shrimp sautéed in a spicy red sauce with spinach and fresh tomatoes. 

Adessa had the Angeli’s Chicken Parmigiana -Breaded chicken breast smothered in marinara sauce, baked with mozzarella cheese, and served with pasta.

To accompany their shrimp and chicken entree’s, at my suggestion they ordered from the wine list this unique interesting Italian White Blend. This has become our go-to wine there, enjoyable, sophisticated great value, high QPR drinking - everyone loves it, as did Adessa and Richard. 

I’ve featured this wine many times in these pages, as excerpted below. 

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2020

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the Feudo Arancio Stemmari winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago.

This wine is from the historic Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "Grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent Grillo and 20 percent Viognier.

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil. 

Tonight they were serving the 2020 vintage release label. This is the forth vintage they've served this wine. This continues to be a sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio. We enjoyed this discovery such that we went out and special ordered some from a local merchant to have in our cellar for enjoyable casual sipping.

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Consistent with earlier releases and tastings. Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated floral and tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, mango and citrus with hints of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with bight acidity on a character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

https://www.feudoarancio.it

https://www.angeliscatering.com/

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian, Naperville

Dining out with son’s Alec and Sean and their families allowed the grandkids/cousins to get together. On a gorgeous evening of the waning days of autumn, we dined outside on the patio for a delightful dinner at Angeli’s Italian Restaurant, Naperville (IL), our favorite neighborhood trattoria. 

The grand-daughers/cousins had a great time being together, a special bonding opportunity.

And, eldest grandaughter was along to entertain and enjoy the girls.

As always, such gatherings are a wonderful time for grandma to spend time with the grand-babies. 

For the occasion, I took BYOB from our cellar this recent vintage Brunello di Montalcino for an ideal pairing with the Italian cuisine. 

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 2019

We love Sangiovese and find it perhaps our favorite go to varietal for hearty pasta dishes, the designated signature grape ideally matched to the unique terroir of Montalcino, with notes of red fruit, spice, and earth. A perfect pairing for hearty Italian cuisine.

I’ve written often in these pages about Brunello and what makes it so special. They are sourced from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine.

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.

Caprili was one of the earliest estates in Montalcino – founded when there were fewer than 20 estates (there are now well over 200). They are considered one of the old guard of Montalcino producers as they were established in 1965 when they split off from the famous Pieve Santa Restituta estate. The estate is extremely well located, next to Pieve Santa Restituta, immediately adjacent to Soldera, two of the iconic top producers of the region. It is located in the southwestern sector of the Montalcino appellation near the hamlet of Tavernelle, on hillside slopes along the Orcia and Ombrone Rivers, one of the warmer areas within the appellation.

The winery is run by the young and dynamic Giacomo Bartolommei, who still in his 20¹s ratcheted up the quality at this historic estate in recent years. He has been making the wine at his family’s property without an external consultant since 2016.  Given the wealth of vineyards that the family was able to purchase early on in Montalcino¹s young history, they are able to make on average about 35,000 bottles of Brunello and 4,000 bottles of the Brunello Riserva each year. Total production at the winery is about 60,000 which includes Brunello, and both Rosso and Moscadello di Montalcino, plus a few wines they make from a small Maremma property they purchased in 2003.

The Caprili estate, covers an area of 140 acres, planted with vines covering 60 acres, 55 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso, with the remainder planted to small amounts of Trebbiano Malvasia, Vermentino and a small section planted with Moscadello.

The vineyards mostly are adjacent to or surrounding the winery with an exposure to the south-southeast between 225-340 meters in elevation. The soil there has a bit more sand than in other parts of Montalcino giving the wines elegance and bright aromatics. It is also a sector that benefits from regular circulation of wind currents that come off the sea to the west. This air flow pattern greatly reduces disease pressure which in turn allows the winery to farm organically. It also provides a cooling effect in warmer years to help insure freshness and balance to the wines.

The heart of the winery is the Madre vineyard whose grapes make up the Brunello Riserva Ad Alberto (Alberto was the Great Grandfather of current generation winemaker, Giacomo Bartolommei). Those vines were planted in the 1960¹s, and their other vineyards which were planted subsequently all have used massale selection cuttings from the mother block. 

The 2019 Caprili Brunello was rated 96 Points by Kerin O’Keefe,www.kerinokeefe.com, and Wine Spectator, 95 Points by Eric Guido of Vinous and Wine Advocate, 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 by James Suckling, and 92 by Decanter. 

Readers of these pages note that I most often reference the reviewers of wines and their ratings. I pay attention to this not only as a benchmark and calibration of the wine, but importantly, over time, one may determine or establish and affinity for one reviewer over the others, for a particular wine. This helps determine which pundit may be the most suitable or best fit to one’s own tastes when selecting such a wine. 

Wine scores and ratings also provide a benchmark relative to the price of the wine, determine the QPR - Quality Price Ratio, for such a selection - identifying wines with the greatest value for the score at the price point.  

The Caprili 2019 Brunello di Montalcino has deep ruby/magenta color, medium bodied, concentrated and complex yet nicely balanced, smooth, elegant and polished with bright vibrant berry and cherry fruits accented by floral and lavender aromas, notes of cocoa, tobacco and truffle with fresh acidity, firm round but smooth and polished tannins on a silky-textured long finish. 55,000 bottles were made.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4832099

https://www.caprili.it/en/

https://angeliscatering.com/

Il Bruciato Super Tuscan, Torbreck Barossa Shiraz with Gia Mia Naperville Pasta, Pizza

Il Bruciato Super Tuscan, Torbreck Barossa Shiraz with Gia Mia Naperville Pasta and Pizza 

As summer wanes, we dined Monday outside with neighbors Richard and Adessa, on the deck/patio at picturesque Gia Mia in Naperville. Their Naperville location is sited in the old historic library amidst the bustle of downtown city centre. 

They have also in recent years opened several other similarly situated downtown locations in the Chicagoland western suburbs of Wheaton, Geneva, St. Charles and Downers Grove.

Their formula for success is ‘chef-driven, farm-to-fork food concepts, … Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzas, creative small plates, fresh pasta, antipasto, and hand-made mozzarella’. This is based on the vision, experience and drive of Chef Brian Goewey, who has been involved in or partially responsible for the opening of over 50 restaurants, ranging from quick-serve style to high-end 5-star restaurants.

We’ve become big fans of Gia Mia, and several of their pasta dishes including their Linguini, Risotto and their meatballs with polenta.  

Tonight we ordered these favorite signature dishes:

“The Bruno” (meatlover’s) Pizza - meatballs, pepperoni, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil with spicy Soppresatto Sausage, (I usually have them hold back the spicy sausage which I find overwhelming to the wine accompaniment),

Linguini Carbonara with bacon, garlic, black pepper, Parmesan cream, pecorino and egg yolk,

Arancini Mozzarella, Creamy Risotto with fontina, tomato sauce, garlic and basil,  

Rigatoni, and their Meatballs with Polenta

From their wine list we ordered this Super Tuscan from mega brand producer Antinori. 

This is from the broad Antinori portfolio of estates, Guado al Tasso, located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. 

This relatively young appellation, DOC Bolgheri was established in 1995.

The huge Antinori Guado al Tasso estate covers 2500 acres of which 790 acres are planted with vines, set in the rolling hillsides known as the "Bolgheri Amphitheatre" due to its particular shape. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino. 

The proximity to and effects of the nearby sea provide a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure. The remainder of the estate is covered with wheat fields, sunflowers and olive groves.

Il Bruciato was created in the year 2002 during one of the most difficult vintages at Guado al Tasso in order to present the unique terroir of Bolgheri and give it a greater visibility and recognition. The first blend to be used was that of Guado al Tasso only to see, in the years which followed, a modification of the varietal composition and the identification of a series of vineyard plots intended to be used exclusively for this wine. 

Il Bruciato Guado Al Tasso Antinori 2022

In the fashion of what has become known as ‘Super Tuscans’, wines sourced in the Italian Tuscany region, but crafted from French Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. 

Il Bruciato is the ‘second’ label of the estate, first introduced in 2002 as a lower cost every day drinking label to the flagship premium Guado Al Tasso Super Tuscan blend, a more affordable interpretation of  and introduction to Bolgheri’s unique terroir made from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from Guado al Tasso’s vineyards with their geological composition of the soil is diversified giving the wine structure and complexity. 

Generally, this label provides high QPR - quality price ratio, available for a fraction of the price of the ultra-premium flagship and has gained a broad following to have for every day sipping with pasta, bold cheeses and meat dishes. The bold fruit flavors of the Syrah, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot added to the blend make this a crowd pleaser for wine lovers at all levels. 

The 2022 Il Bruciato is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot: the blend was reintroduced into barriques where it was left to age before bottling. 

Producer’s tasting notes - “Il Bruciato 2022 is intensely ruby red in color. Dominant aromas on the nose include small ripe red fruit accompanied by notes of sweet spices and light hints of mint and tobacco. The palate has excellent structure, is remarkably mouth filling with a pleasant fruity aftertaste that makes it pleasantly easy to drink and closes with a lingering finish.

This release was rated 93 Points by Audrey Frick of JedDunnuck.com, James Suckling (JS93), and Wine Advocate (WA93), and 92 Points by Wine Enthusiast.

Bright ruby colored with opaque purple hues, full bodied, rich, dense concentrated ripe black and blue fruits with notes of blackberry liqueur, black olives, licorice, leather and hints of espresso and herbs with gripping but approachable tannins, supple texture and fresh acidity through the long finish.

RM 91 points. 

Then several days later, with friend Pat R, after a day trip to the Indiana Dunes National Seashore, we had the same dinner entrees, carry out, at home on our deck. 

For a wine accompaniment with the pizza and pastas, we opened another big bold expressive red for the girls while I had the remains of the Bordeaux Blend from the previous evening. 

Torbreck "Woodcutter's" Barossa Valley South Australia Shiraz 2021

This is another big full throttle, powerful big red wine, that offers high QPR for ideal accompaniment to zesty pasta and pizza. 

The producer’s website speaks of this wine on the content of their Gaelic heritage - “You’d imagine a high country Scottish woodcutter might like a satisfying red at the days end – something rich, warming, full bodied and affordable.’

“Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland. You’ll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions including this tribute to the foresters of this rugged high country.’

“This wine reflects the up and coming Shiraz vineyards of the Barossa, rather than the battle hardened old vines that make up the core of our other cuvées.” This is the producer’s polite way of saying this is a lower  cost affordable alternative crafted from younger vines, versus the mature old vines in the premium labels of the brand. 

Hence, the producer website continues, “But like all Torbreck wines, Woodcutter’s Shiraz receives the very best viticultural and winemaking treatment. Fruit is sourced from hand-harvested and hand-tended, low-yielding vines, then open fermented and gently basket pressed before ageing on fine lees for 12 months in large format seasoned barrels and foudres.”

Although this wine is constantly praised for its succulence and richness, there is also a complexity and texture which is rarely found at this price.

This label is 100% Shiraz sourced from the sub-region vineyards in Marananga, Greenock, Seppeltsfield, Gomersal, Moppa, Lyndoch and Ebenezer in the south central Australia Barossa Valley. 

Winemaker’s note about this vinetage and release: “The 2021 summer growing season was mild, with even and cool daily temperatures throughout. Enhanced by good rains provided during the winter and spring of 2020, our vineyards grew wonderful canopies and developed well-formed grape bunches. As a result of this long flavour development cycle in the vineyard, 2021’s signature is wines of high aromatic lift with densely coloured tints and exceptional balance. Lifted red, black and blue fruits of red cherry, raspberry coulis, blueberry conserve and wild blackberry and blackcurrant. There is a spicy edge showing cardamom, star anise and Chinese five spice. Soft caressing tannins and voluptuous mouthfeel from plump Shiraz berries gives this wine a posture that belies its pedigree.”

Winemaker’s tasting notes: “This wine is crimson with subtle red plum undertones. Upon the first smell, the nose is a complex bouquet of dark plum and ripe blackberries, interwoven with the rich, dark essence of cassis and cherries. This fruity ensemble is accented with a hint of spice and star anise. On the palate, the wine reveals a medium to full body that masterfully balances intensity and elegance. The soft tannins contribute to a smooth and textural mouthfeel.”

25,000 cases were produced with 400 cases imported.

Wine James Suckling pundit loves this wine and gave it a whopping 96 points. Wine Spectator gave it a more down to earth 91 points. 

After tasting the more complex but subdued Bordeaux Blend, I switched to a glass of this big red and was overwhelmed by its big bold, almost obtuse vibrancy. 

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, dense concentrated vibrant expressive ripe blackberry and raspberry fruits notes of black tea, anise, bittersweet chocolate, green pepper, herbs sage and rosemary, 

RM 91 points. 

https://torbreck.com/products/woodcutters-shiraz

https://www.antinori.it/en/

https://www.giamiapizzabar.com/

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red with Gia Mia Pizzas

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red Blend with Gia Mia Pizzas

Monday night is pizza night with special pricing at Gia Mia Restaurant in Naperville with their Southern Italian Neapolitan wood fired pizza, so we ordered individual personal pizzas. To pair with the pizza I pulled from the cellar a hearty robust fruit filled Big Red Blend ‘pizza wine’. 

My personal favorite GiaMia pizza is The Bruno - tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, Italian sausage and meatballs, pepperoni and spicy soppressato (which I usually exclude) (shown right), and Linda’s is their Margarita - tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, EVOO and parmesan with sea salt.  She typically enhances her’s with additional garden fresh basil and cheeses.

For a ‘pizza wine’ we opened a robust American Zinfandel based red blend. I recently picked up the latest release of this label at Binny’s Beverage Depot, our wine superstore, which served to replace this vintage of the label from a decade ago. As part of cellar inventory management, we opened the oldest vintage in our collection.

Bedrock Wine Company "Bedrock Vineyard - Heritage Wine" Sonoma Valley Red Blend 2013 

This is from Morgan Twain Peterson, son of Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Vineyards, a well known accomplished producer known for Zinfandel wines. 

Morgan grew up working harvests at the family Ravenswood winery before moving to Australia in 2005 where he worked Hardy’s facility of Tintara and with Drew Noon at Noon Wine Cellars. He then moved to Bordeaux for a time at Chateau Lynch Bages. 

Returning home, Morgan founded Bedrock Wine Co. in 2007, on the outskirts of  Sonoma, sourcing fruit from his family’s Bedrock Vineyard and Teldeschi Ranch, following in subsequent years with several other vineyards.

His Bedrock wines have been featured in the New York Times, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. The wines have made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List four times placing as high as number 9 and have received a score of 90 points or higher from them over a hundred times. 

In 2014, Morgan, alongside friend Tegan Passalacqua, was named the San Francisco Chronicle Co-Winemaker of the Year by Jon Bonné. 

In 2017, Morgan became a Master of Wine, making him one of a handful of winemakers in the United States to gain the heralded certification. 

In 2020, Bedrock was named Winery of the Year by Antonio Galloni.

Morgan produces a portfolio of interesting unique wines crafted from old vine sites throughout California. 

The range of wines incorporate extremely old vine fruit, and, in some cases, virtually unknown grapes, such as Aubun, Teredalgo, Trousseau Noir, Le Noir, Mission, Trousseau Gris, Grand Noir and Abouriou, as well as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignan, Alicante Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. 

Many of these sites are heritage terroirs from the ancient past which, until Peterson's arrival, were largely ignored or were co-mingled into some innocuous industrial blend, hence the “Heritage” label in their branding. 

The vineyards were often planted in a "field blend" of which Zinfandel comprises a large portion, but sometimes not as much as the 75% required to label the wine for the varietal. Morgan typically choses to include all 22 varietals into his estate field blend, often taking the extra effort to specifically identify all 22 cultivars selected from the historic 120-year-old Bedrock vineyard. 

On the other hand, Ravenswood notable Zinfandel labels, such as the select bottling from their Old Hill vineyard, have to be picked with great care to select 75% Zinfandel grapes for the bottlings that will be varietal designated labels. 

The 2013 Bedrock Heritage comes from the Peterson family’s estate old vines that were planted as far back as between 1888 and 1895. Amazingly, there are over 22 different varieties of grapes interplanted across their vineyards.

It is labeled a ‘field blend’, containing just about every variety out there, sourced from Bedrock estate vineyards, since it only contains 55% Zinfandel, then 30% Carignane, with the remaining 15% composed of the other 20 varietals. 

Vinous says “The 2013 Bedrock Heritage Wine is one of the most intriguing wines in the range. This is by far the most polished and refined wine I have tasted from the Bedrock Vineyard, where the wines have often been much riper and bigger.“

Somehow, the winemaker manages to avoid the disjointed cacophony of flavors from such a complex and diverse blend, producing a wine that is balanced and approachable for pleasant drinking. 

Zinfandel is known to be America’s varietal grape that is uniquely American. Its big full round robust profile is ideally suited for hearty bbq or pizza so I like to keep a collection of such wines for occasions such as this. 

There were just nine barrels or 750 cases of this wine produced. 

This release was awarded 93-95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points by Vinous, 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and 91 points from Wine Spectator.

Dark ruby/purple colored, full bodied, complex, firmly structured, broad, intense and expansive with dense blackberry, plum and black raspberries, accented by herbs, pepper and notes of smoke, cedar, and tobacco with firm tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1891673

https://www.bedrockwineco.com/

Father’s Day Dinner at Angeli’s Italian

Father’s Day Dinner at Angeli’s Italian

Son Alec and D-in-law Vivianna and their girls took Linda and me to Angelis Italian in Naperville, our favorite neighborhood trattoria for an early Father’s Day dinner. 

I took from our cellar one of our favorite Italian varietal wines for the occasion, for an ideal food - wine pairing. 

For a starter I had their Angeli’s Special Salad and we ordered their delectable Baby Black Mussels sautéed in white wine sauce.

Alec ordered the daily special, Veal Margherita - veal with capers, lemon and parmigana cheese with  white wine sauce over angel hair pasta.

I ordered the Veal Joey from the menu, breaded veal with tomatoes, capers, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts topped with a white wine sauce and finished with shaved parmesan cheese. Served over a bed of arugula.

Linda ordered the Angeli's Salmon Salad - Fresh spring lettuce with caramelized walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and sliced apples & pears, topped with fresh grilled salmon and finished with our sweet raspberry dressing.

And, Vivianna ordered the Shrimp salad over pasta. 

 

From our home cellar we brought this Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015. 

Del Dotto is a family favorite paying tribute to the close knit family there, and our family having 'grown up' with the brand over the years, and many of us having visited Del Dotto during our many visits to Napa Valley. Alec and Vivianna visited the Piazza estate during their wildfire smoke shortened honeymoon trip to Napa Valley back in 2020.  

We’ve written often in these pages about Del Dotto wines and the Piazza Del Dotto labels. We featured Del Dotto Piazza and this label in a more detailed blogpost excerpted below.

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

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

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015

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.”

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. 

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. 

Tonight's tasting experience was consistent with my notes from earlier tastings except this bottle, acquired from the recent Del Dotto clearance sale, showed some signs of diminution with slight rust hue color on the edges and a slight burnt taste. Never-the-less, we love this wine and it was still delicious. We’ll plan to consume those bottles sooner than later in the event they’re on the backside of their drinking window. 

My notes from the initial tasting soon after receipt of our initial acquisition - "This was dark garnet colored ((with a slight grayish hue that signaled caution but the wine was fine, we'll monitor the next bottle (s) with interest to see if this is an early warning of trouble ahead) (as noted, there was a slight discoloration setting in tonight)); medium full bodied, this was delicious with sweet ripe raspberry fruits accented by notes of vanilla and almond with supple smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points, reduced by a point for this bottle relative to earlier tastings, attributed to bottle variation.

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

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

https://x.com/DelDottoWine

https://x.com/unwindwine

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

El Nido "Clio" Jumilla for birthday celebration lunch at Meson Sabika Naperville

El Nido "Clio" Jumilla for birthday celebration lunch at Meson Sabika Naperville

For my birthday, Linda and the kids took me to Meson Sabika restaurant in Naperville for a celebration lunch. Mesón Sabika opened in 1990 in the 1847 mansion that sites on a four-acre estate near downtown Naperville.

The historic mansion has several elegant dining rooms inside and a large patio for alfresco dining. They also have a tented dining room and a large tented pavilion that is used extensively for weddings and special events. 

The kids love the immensely popular Mesón Sabika with its Spanish cuisine that they serve tapas style, a wide variety of small plates from meats to seafood and several dishes of Paella, the iconic dish of Valencia and Spain. 

According to tradition in Valencia, paella is cooked by men over an open fire, fueled by orange and pine branches along with pine cones. This produces an aromatic smoke which infuses the paella. 

With our dinner we ordered from the wine list a big hearty red wine in the style we enjoy, especially with hearty foods. The fairly extensive Spanish centric list offers a couple Rose’s, a dozen whites and three dozen reds, as well as a half dozen ultra-premium ‘Rare and Old Vintage’ selections of classic Spanish top growths -  Prada Enea Gran Reserva, an older vintage of this Clio, several vintages of Muga "Selección Especial”, and a Clos Erasmus. 

Bodegas El Nido "Clio" Jumilla, Spain Red Wine 2021 

Bodegas El Nido is one of Gil Family Estates, owners of eight wineries spread throughout seven D.O.'s in Spain, based in Jumilla with winemaking roots going back over a century, known for bold flavor wines with lavish texture and alluring spice. It is a joint venture of the Gil Family and notable winemaker Chris Ringland from Australia, one of the best Australian enologists and author of Clio and El Nido and others,  known for producing big bold Shiraz and GSM -  Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre wines. 

The winery and vineyards of Bodegas El Nido are located in the Valle de La Aragona, inside the Murcia district of Jumilla wine region and surrounding area. Their vineyards include thirty acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 79 acres of very old the Monastrell grape varietal, also known as Mourvèdre in the French Rhône River Valley. 

Monastrell is a red wine grape that goes by the name Mourvedre in France and in Australia. Historically from the Rhône Valley it is commonly used as a blending grape to add body, tannin, and color. In Spain it is produced as the core of blends that are complex and powerful as this grape variety can be.

They produce a portfolio of three big red wines including their flagship ultra-premium Ed Nido, and this popular Clio label which has been consistently rated 91-97 points for the past 13 consecutive years by acclaimed wine critics.

Famous for the robust and earthy, black-fruit dominated, Monastrell, Jumilla is an arid and hot region in southeastern Spain. Its vine yields tend to be torturously low but this can create wines of exceptional intensity and flavor. Quality combined with accessible price points give the region great recognition on international markets far and wide. 

Coming from the warm climate of southeastern Spain, the grapes get the chance to fully ripen and produce hyper-concentrated dark fruit. The reds from Jumilla are heady and spicy, packed with fruit and show aromas of dried licorice and herbs. 

Monastrell vines are planted in a foot deep layer of chalky stones over substrat a of sandy soil. Cabernet vines are planted in vineyards with chalky, stony soil over a layer of sandy soil with clay. The vines are trained and groomed to produce very low yields and the grapes are harvested in small baskets to prevent bruising, with only the best bunches selected. 

This 2021 release is 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak for 24 months. It is a monster with a heady 16% alcohol. 50,000 bottles were produced. 

This vintage release was rated 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 

Winemaker's notes: This wine exhibits a glass-coating opaque purple color. It has an expressive nose of pain grille, brier, minerality and blueberry and blackberry overtones. This plush, opulent wine has great density, savory flavors and a very lengthy finish that gets better with age. 

Winemaker Notes - “Deep ruby with a garnet rim. Aromas of succulent black fruit from fresh to preserved and suggestions of caramel and toffee, with hints of toast, cocoa, distinctive tobacco, and coffee. In the background, some earthy and mineral nuances. Fruit and freshness define the palate, complemented with exotic touches of spices, violets, some vegetal nuances, some toasted notes, and deep mineral undertones. Huge, powerful and savory, yet it shows a distinctive elegance. A linear, steely acidity, some ripe tannins and very long finish.”

Dark garnet deep opaque purple color, full bodied, dense, concentrated, vibrant and opulent yet nicely balanced briery blueberry and blackberry fruits with savory baking spices, dark bittersweet chocolate, anise, cigar box and oak with full firm refined tannins on a tongue puckering lengthy finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4889564

https://gilfamily.es/bodegas_el_nido

https://www.mesonsabika.com/

https://www.mesonsabika.com/wine-menu/

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville 

Son Ryan and D-in-law Michelle treated us to dinner at Gordon Ramsey's RK Kitchen in downtown Naperville (IL). This was our first visit to the trendy restaurant that opened in our hometown last summer to much fanfare. 

Readers of these pages know I write often about dinesites and our food and wine restaurant experience. But, up until now I've not had a metricized qualitative or quantitative rating or review system against which to evaluate and compare such restaurants. Based on tonight's, and recent experiences, I felt such a evaluation method with criteria was required and after much thought devised a system to try. 

Using my new system, I evaluated tonight's dining experience. I then went back and retrospectively scored a half dozen recent restaurant experiences as a basis of comparison, evaluating the evaluation system, so to speak. 

Here are my criteria for evaluating a restaurant dining experience, and the associated weight applied to each:

Food - 35 - Selection, quality, creativity or ingenuity, presentation, course pairing, wine pairing

Wine - 35 - Breadth and depth of selection, range of options at various price points, suitability and applicable pairing with the dinner courses

Ambiance - 10| - atmosphere, vibe, comfort, stylishness, general aura

Service - 10 - delivery, attentiveness, professionalism, attitude, overall experience

Value - 10 - value for quality, service, atmosphere, experience

Wow Factor - Lastly, what I simply call the WOW Factor - additional scoring, weighting based on special consideration or  extra credit factors that contribute to the overall experience such that they warrant attention - food and wine pairing - site architecture, location, historical significance, specials ... other ... potential for +10 points

So, here we go, for tonight's experience - 

Food  - 31 - Food was superb in creativity, ingenuity, preparation, quality - downgraded the rating for the only thing lacking, bread or depth of selection choices - only the limited menu choice detracting from score.

Wine - 31 - Same as food, the minimalist winelist offered various options for each course, at multiple price points, but lacking depth and breadth of multiple choices for minimal options for effective wine pairing with each course.

Ambiance - 8 of 10 - chic, stylish, artful, warm, lively and vibrant but a bit noisy and boisterous for optimal comfort. 

 

Service - 9 of 10 - Starting with the host station, going the extra meal to seat us promptly, attending to checking our coats, superb food service, adequate wine service. 

Value - 5 - Expensive, especially taking into account the ala carte sides, and the somewhat limited number of options or alternatives. 

WOW Factor - 8 points extra credit for the up-beat, stylish, quality fixtures, furnishings, layout, design, artfully designed and implemented for a positive experience. 

Total - 92 points.

Our dinner - 

We started with a Wedge Salad which they conveniently served almost family style like a chopped salad making it easy and convenient to share around the table.

Wedge Salad- iceberg, blue cheese, glazed bacon, roasted tomatoes, pickled red onion, chives.

With the salad course we had from the WBTG offerings two sparkling wines - 

Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose'

Lanson Brut NV Champagne 

For our main source entree selections, we had to try the house specialty, Ramsey's signature dish, the Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellingto, potato purée, glazed baby root vegetables, red wine demi, served medium rare.

RK offers a Daily Special so in the spirit of trying out the gourmet chef's selections, Linda ordered the daily special - Lobster Pot Pie -butter-poached lobster, lobster bisque filling served aside for preparation at the table by the diner, pouring into the puff pastry.

We ordered two side dishes, Potato Puree with sour cream and chives, and the Roasted Heirloom Carrots with harissa yogurt, za’atar, brown butter, marcona almonds and mint.

For dessert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding -warm date cake, sweet cream ice cream and english toffee sauce.

Our wine accompaniment pairing with the dinner was a robust full bodied Red Blend. 

Ridge Lytton Springs Red Blend 2021

Once again, as happens often, we drank this same wine, from our cellar, about this same time, two years ago, almost to the day for another dinner tastings - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek ValleyZinfandel 2014. At that time, I wrote about the producer and wine in these pages, Ridge Vineyards  and Lytton Springs.  

We always keep a selection of big robust fruit forward wines for pizza and barbecue - Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Syrah varietals to name a few. We typically hold a half dozen different labels from the various offerings of Ridge Vineyards.

Ridge Vineyards are a legendary producer of a broad portfolio of wines with an extensive line-up of Zinfandels, all from single vineyard designated label sites. 

Ridge has a rich history dating back to 1885 when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, he planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building remains to this day serving as the Ridge production facility.

Ridge have been producing Lytton Spring vineyard wines since 1972 with 100 plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Genache. The site has produced the quintessential example of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. 

The Lytton Springs site lies just north of the town of Healdsburg, just west of Highway 101 in the Dry Creek Valley. The topography consists of a benchland and gently rolling hills. The climate provides foggy mornings turning to warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. Soils are varied with a predominance of gravelly clay, which aids in moisture retention, ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. The Lytton Springs terrior with weathered, agronomically poor soils in the benchland have proven to be an ideal site for Zinfandel vines to produce classic Zinfandel varietal wines.

The Lytton Springs vineyards were part of land once owned by Captain William Litton, who during the last half of the nineteenth century developed the springs and built a hotel just east of the vineyard for San Franciscans who arrived by train to “take the waters.” 

According to the producer's website, Long after the death of Captain Litton, controversy continued in regards to the change from “i” to “y”, as the accepted spelling of the Litton property. According to the text of Once Upon a Time by Julius Myron Alexander, the spelling was changed “because it was proper”. Then, in a 1969 Press Democrat article, Healdsburg City Clerk and local historian, Edwin Langhart, offered a different opinion, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

Ridge Vineyards dates back to 1959 when three scientists from Stanford University's Research Institute (SRI) and their families formed a partnership and bought a property owned by Dr. Short up on Monte Bello Ridge high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of them, David Bennion, made a half barrel of cabernet from the ten year old vines. The partners re-bonded the winery and named it Ridge Vineyards in 1962. That year they produced their first Monte Bello vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ridge produced its first Zinfandel in 1964 from 19th century vines on the Pichetti Ranch near the base of the Monte Bello Ridge. Ridge produced it's first Sonoma County Geyserville Zinfandel in 1966, from vines planted in 1882. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year.

Paul Draper joined the partnership as winemaker in 1969. He was a Stanford graduate in philosophy, and a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge. He had recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range. He oversaw the restoration of the old Perrone winery and vineyards acquired the previous year. 

He first saw the Lytton Springs vineyard in 1972 and, based on its age with 80 years old vines, purchased grapes and produced Ridge’s first Lytton Springs bottling that year. In 1991, on the 20th anniversary of their first vintage, Ridge purchased the Lytton Springs winery and the old vines surrounding it, making it a true estate vineyard.

Paul Draper went on to become a legend with Ridge Vineyards. The Ridge brand grew to a broad portfolio of more than four dozen single vineyard designated label wines from more than two dozen different vineyards. They operate two wineries and hospitality sites, Lytton Springs in Healdsburg up in north Sonoma County and Monte Bello high in the Santz Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley. 

Paul Draper retired in 2016 at age 80, after 47 years as winemaker. Ridge continued on expanding with additional vineyard site purchases include the purchase that year of Whitton Ranch, a 36-acre parcel in the heart of Geyserville.

Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Red Blend 2021

This is a single vineyard designated label, sourced from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Northern Soboma County. The vineyard lies just north of Healdsburg on the benchland where the gently rolling hills separate Dry Creek from Alexander Valley. 

Lytton Springs is named after Captain William H. Litton and two naturally occurring springs that were located on the original property. Litton worked as a ship’s pilot in the San Francisco Bay in the mid nineteenth century before acquiring the large tract of land in 1860. The property straddled the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys that extended from the southernmost boundaries of Geyserville to the northern limits of the fledgling town of Healdsburg, with the Russian River serving as its eastern boundary. The property was originally part of the Rancho Sotoyome land grant of the 1840’s. By 1867, Captain Litton was considered the fourth largest property owner in Sonoma County. 

In 1872, the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad linked Healdsburg and points north with the Bay area. In an attempt to attract tourists, Captain Litton and three partners built a resort hotel on the site in 1875, known as “Litton Springs” for the popular soda springs that were located half a mile uphill from the original hotel site. The naturally carbonated seltzer, or sweetwater, springs were considered to have medicinal value for their mineral properties. The springs still exist today and their presence was one of the primary reasons that underground caves were never built underneath the winery.

Captain Litton sold the 2700 acre property, including the hotel in 1878. Over the next couple of decades, the resort property was bought and sold and subdivided into smaller parcels by various owners. 

 According to the producer's website, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

 The vineyards were first established on the property in 1901 with the hillside vineyard blocks on the eastern portion of Lytton Springs, followed by vineyard blocks on the flats in 1910. To this day, Lytton Springs is home to those 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Grenache.

 The site is ideal for Zinfandel with foggy mornings, warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. The agronomically poor soils are gravelly clay which holds moisture ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. 

This label was first produced in 1972.

I write regularly in these pages about the pairing of wine with food. This wine was too bold and rich for the Beef Wellington, which would've been better suited with a more balanced and finely integrated Red Blend. 

This vintage release is a red blend of 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut and 1% Counoise.

This label release was awarded 95+ Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, 94 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles and 94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 93 Points by Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com.

Winemaker Notes

"Rich blackberry and plum on the nose with notes of aniseed. Full-bodied with dark bramble fruit and well-coated tannins on the palate. The long finish reveals layers of black licorice and dried sage.'

"Lytton Springs has become synonymous with classic Dry Creek zinfandel. It shows potent, ripe boysenberry and blackberry, but also a pronounced rusticity and earthiness often attributed to its blending varietals; petite sirah and carignane. Acid and tannin are firm, yet not overwhelming; in youth, at least, fruit predominates. This balanced, powerful wine becomes more nuanced with age, and it often holds for more than a decade."

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, a cacophony of bright, vibrant expressive, full round ripe red and black brambly fruit flavors accented by sweet spices, clove and cinnamon, full tannins on the finish. May be better with some age to further integrate.

RM  92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4578675 

https://www.ridgewine.com/product/2021-lytton-springs/

https://www.ridgewine.com/

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen/menus/naperville

https://twitter.com/GRamsaysKitchen

@RidgeVineyards