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/

Groth Oakville Cabernet with Grilled BeefSteak

Groth Oakville Cabernet with Grilled BeefSteak

We watched four grandkids for the weekend, back and forth between our house and theirs’. For dinner on our deck we grilled out flank steak with scalloped potatoes, asparagus, cheese bread and Texas toast. To accompany the grilled beefsteak I pulled from our cellar a favorite Napa Valley Cabernet. 

This follows another Oakville Cabernet from the same appellation and vintage recently which, not surprisingly, had an almost identical profile and status. That earlier wine food pairing was featured in these pages in this blogpost - 

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 with Tomahawk Ribeye steak dinner

Groth Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

This is a remarkably similarly situated replay of an earlier previous tasting of this wine about three years ago, which, therefore, I’ll excerpt here. 

At twenty years, the fill level, foil and most importantly, the cork were in ideal condition. Amazingly, even this bottle has the same label conditions as the one opened back in 2021 with ripples of separation from the bottle. Obviously this batch of bottles had some issues with the labeling machine resulting in this separation a decade and half later, identically on multiple bottles of the same batch (as shown, tonight’s bottle here, and earlier bottle below). 

From blogpost - 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/05/groth-oakville-napa-cabernet-2004.html

Posted May 7, 2021

Groth Oakville Napa Cabernet 2004

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - ideal pairing with filet of beef

We feasted on the left over filets of beef from last evening and I pulled from the cellar this Groth Napa Cabernet - a perfect pairing. Indeed, the producer's menu suggestion for this wine: "A slab and a Cab", Dennis Groth recommends you drink his Cabernet Sauvignon with steak."

We visited the Groth estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. Groth gain notoriety and recognition when Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being California’s first perfect 100-point wine. 

Since then, Groth wines have been ranked on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines list eight times, most recently in 2019, when the 2016 Reserve Cabernet was No. 4. 

From the beginning, Groth has been a family business, managed today by second-generation family member Suzanne Groth. 

Groth Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Dennis and Judy Groth. Dennis gained his fame in fortune in Silicon Valley when he was CFO of early tech phenom Atari (remember 'Pong'). When it was acquired by Time Warner, Dennis went on to President of the Consumer Products Division and President of the International Division.

The Groths purchased the 121-acre vineyard parcel in Oakville, Napa Valley in 1981 and in '82 added a second vineyard of 44 acres located south of Yountville. The Groth estate vineyard was originally planted between 1972 and 1974 by Justin Meyer, who went on to achieve acclaim with Silver Oak.

Those two vineyards remain the primary source of grapes for the Groth portfolio which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 

Dennis and Judy moved to Napa Valley and have resided in Oakville since 1985. Today, Dennis is Chairman of the Board, and Judy plays an active role in the look and feel of the winery. Their daughter Susan now runs Groth Wines. After college and several years working various jobs in the wine business, she returned to the family business in 1998, working in sales, public relations and marketing. She took the reins as President and CEO in 2017. “It was only after selling other people’s wine that I was able to appreciate how very special Groth Vineyards was.”

The Groth Oakville Estate sits on the valley floor in the heart of the Napa Valley. The Groth family helped Oakville become recognized as one of the world’s preeminent wine regions. Today, the Oakville AVA is home to the largest concentration of the very best Napa Valley producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon wines are is renowned as full, lush and elegant.

 

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004  

 

Winemaker notes on the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: "Big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in our area of the Oakville AVA. Patience during bottle aging will reward the "steward" with an outstanding bottle over the next 10 to 15 years." 

Indeed, at seventeen (now twenty) years, this is likely at its peak and should continue to drink well for another decade. Thankfully, we still hold a couple more bottles of this vintage of the half dozen vintages in our collection (which includes still a Alec birthyear vintage 1990). The fill level was perfect while the cork appearing perfect was a bit soft upon extraction using a 'ahso' two pronged cork puller.  

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, smooth, elegant, briary black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of cassis, dusty cedar and hints of dark chocolate, herbs and creamy oak turning to gripping tannin on a fruit filled finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=328095

https://grothwines.com/ 

@GrothWines

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Returning home from weekend getaway, we grilled T-Bone steaks on the grill, served with spinach and baked potatoes. 

As a wine accompaniment we pulled from the cellar this Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet.  

We visited the Harris' Paradigm Oakville winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. We still hold more than a case from a half dozen vintages of this label dating back to the mid-nineties.

As shown on the special label affixed to the bottle, this bottle was acquired at the Napa Valley wine auction, not directly from the producer.

Tonight, this was enjoyable and the tasting notes and rating was consistent with earlier published notes, our last tasting of this label was in 2020. 

Previously we we  tasted this label two years earlier in 2018 in a comparison tasting with two other Napa Cabs. At that time I wrote, "Perhaps an unfair comparative tasting of three diverse Napa cabs, the Paradigm was slightly narrower and single dimensional compared the mountain fruit and complexity of the Bordeaux blends. It was delicious never-the-less and a top performing Napa Cab."

At twenty-one years of age, this is holding well and not showing diminution from aging, but certainly not likely to improve any further. As shown, the fill level, foil, label and most importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition. The cork was starting to be slightly soft, but likely still has several years of integrity left.

This is labeled 'Estate Bottled', meaning all the grapes were sourced from producer owned vineyards on the property. 

This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright tangy black cherry and black berry fruits accented by notes of anise, tea, spice box and hints of dark mocha, caramel, and leather.

RM 90 points.

Day two, the remains of this clearly showed its age, with much of the fruit overtaken by wood, cedar, smoke, forest floor and a bit of funkiness. Pop, decant, pour, drink-up. Don't hold.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=196146

https://paradigmwinery.com/

@ParadigmWinery 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/paradigm-napa-valley-oakville-cabernet.html

BBQ Ribs and Big Red at Carnivore & Queen

 BBQ Ribs and Big Red at Carnivore & Queen

Friday night dinner out, we dined at Carnivore & Queen in nearby DG (Downers Grove, IL). We were delighted to learn that the restaurant was soon to take over the adjoining space, thereyby doubling their seating area, but intent on maintain their unique funky bohemian vibe atmosphere. 

Linda and I ordered shared a full rack of the BBQ ribs entree along with the wedge salad. For a starter we had the stuffed mushrooms. 

Everything was delicious, artfully prepared and served, however, the ribs, while delicious, had a bit of spice heat, tasty, but detracting from the wine experience for someone like me who places such a high merit on the wine experience and the food and wine pairing.

From the somewhat limited but carefully selected wine-list, we ordered this small production single vineyard ultra premium select Napa Red. 

Goldschmidt Vineyards Napa Valley Oakville Game Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This is from Winemaker Nick Goldschmidt and wife Jolyn, both originally from New Zealand, who spent time living and working in Australia and South America, and now call Sonoma County their home. Goldschmidt and his wife and business partner Yolyn have called Healdsburg, California home since 1990, and their immersion in the wine is a family affair.  There are five Goldschmidt children, all of whom are involved in Goldschmidt Vineyards, whether pitching in during harvest or helping out in the cellar with the winemaking. Two of their daughters, Hilary and Katherine grace Goldschmidt labels in name and with a silouette profile pictured.

We featured Goldschmidt Hilary Napa Oakville Charming Creek Cabernet in these pages in an earlier blogpost.

Daughters Chelsea, Hilary and Katherine have become winemakers under their father’s mentoring. One “daughter” wine, Katherine Cabernet, can be found in many wine departments across the country.

Nick has worked for decades now, in many regions around the world and today closely supervises no less than 16 other vineyards in six countries. Wineries for which he’s worked and consulted are numerous and include but are not limited to: Atlas Peak, Buena Vista, Simi Winery, Clos du Bois, Gary Farrell, William Hill and of courese his own Goldschmidt Vineyards, which was established in 1998.

Goldschmidt’s career officially began in 1982, when he took a research position at New Zealand’s Lincoln University where he graduated with a degree in horticulture, He then did postgraduate work in viticulture and oenology at the Wagga Wagga campus of Charles Stuart University, also in his homeland, and then at Adelaide University, in South Australia, where he was enrolled in the Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science program.

Goldschmidt is involved in several venture around the world where, as mentioned he supervises some 16 other vineyards across six countries. 

Goldschmidt Vineyards focus on and produce Cabernet Sauvignons sourced from two prestigous vineyards in Northern California — Yoeman Vineyard, located on the northeastern slope in the Alexander Valley, and Game Ranch Vineyard, located on old river bottom on the eastern bench of the Silverado Trail. Both showcase the optimum silhouettes of Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa Valley.

The Goldschmidt prestigious Game Ranch Vineyard is adjacent and borders the legendary Screaming Eagle property, one of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignons from California. At $2,000 per bottle - if you can find any - Screaming Eagle is a special occasion, it not once in a lifetime wine, without question. With the same terroir as the most collectible California Cabernet for a fraction of the price, some consider this one of the hidden treasures in the Oakville District of Napa Valley.

The harsh winter of the vintage didn't impact quality but did produce smaller yields for the 2019s across Napa Valley.  Due to the fires that plagued the 2020 vintage around Napa Valley, there was no 2020 Goldschmidt Game Ranch.  As a result, this limied release small production label is less available than normal resulting in great demand for the 2019 Goldschmidt Game Ranch Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Napa Valley Oakville Game Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is a 3-acre old vine vineyard on the west side of the Silverado Trail with exceptionally good drainage from the volcanic red clay, with gravelly brown loam producing wines with deep concentration. The classic Oakville wine character highlights the elegant style sourced from only the site’s best fruit. The wine is aged for 30 months in small French barrels.

Only 300 cases of this single-vineyard red are made each year and expect a reduction in availability going forward after the effects of 2019 and 2020.

Winemakers Tasting Note: Vintage 2019 was characterised for exceptional color, one of the darkest seen in the last few years. On the nose this wines  shows profiles of blonde tobacco and blackberry that marries beautifully with hints of vanilla bean. Game Ranch is a  complex wine that requires time to appreciate the subtle layers that you will get with each sip. Round, soft and silky tannins acompany the perfect acidity and structure giving place to an amazing lush finish that only a well-crafted Cabernet can provide

This release was awarded 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, full forward red, black berry and black cherry fruits are accented by notes of anise, mocha, currant, sage, and pain grille, with hints of cedar and mint, with firm tannic texture on a long bright finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4489489

https://goldschmidtvineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/goldschmidtwine

@goldschmidtwine

Mt Brave Double Diamond Napa Reds at Morton's Steakhouse Naperville

Mt Brave and Shrader Double Diamond Napa Reds at Morton's Steakhouse Naperville

Son Sean and d-in-law Michelle took us to trendy upscale Morton's Steakhouse here in Naperville (IL) for a festive Christmas dinner outing. Morton's are one of the premier upscale steakhouses, with over 65 restaurants nationwide since opening the first in Chicago in 1978. Morton's specializes in steaks with complementary seafood and accompaniments, with each location offering a deep broad extensive award winning winelist. 

Sean, Linda and I each ordered beefsteak entrees, Sean the Waygu, me the surf and turf beef filet with lobster tail, and Linda the beef filet Oscar selection with crabmeat. Michelle ordered the lamb chops. We ordered family style side dishes of creamed spinach and smoked gouda cheese au gratin potatoes.  

Morton's has an award winning winelist that features 275 different selections, mostly American, with an inventory of 1500 bottles, showcased in the elegant glass enclosed wineroom cellar adjacent to and separating the bar from the dining room.

From the winelist I ordered a Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt Brave.

Perusing the winelist I noted they offered Shrader Double Diamond Oakville Napa Cabernet by the glass. Of course this wine was just awarded Wine Spectator's #1 Top 100 Wine of the Year for 2022.  I couldn't resist and ordered a glass to try this momentus wine only to be advised it was sold out, but they just acquired a case of half bottles of the label, so we took advantage and partook of one.

Mt Brave Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

We acquired a bottle of this label from the 2018 vintage but are holding it, aging in our cellar, so I've never tasted this wine and was eager to do so. 

Mt. Brave Veeder Peak Vineyard was formerly the Chateau Potelle Vineyard, since taken over the powerful expansive Jackson Family Wine Empire. The estate sits high atop Mt Veeder at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet, above the fog line, with the morning sun warming the grapes each day, and cooling at night from maritime breezes wafting up from the San Pablo Bay to the south. The sparse soils are comprised of gravelly loam with large and small rocks that hold the heat into the evenings contributing to the ripening of the grapes. The sparse nutrients and minerals in the soil coupled with the drainage from the steep slanted slopes result in tiny berries with concentrated and complex flavors. 

We toured Mt Veeder during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Appellation Wine Experience in 2011. 

The wines of Mt. Brave show the characteristic brambly aromas and blue fruit flavors that are common to Mt. Veeder but are expressed here uncommonly well. They feature intense minerality, well-defined tannins allowing for extended aging, and recognizable mouth-pleasing acidity. The incredible structure suggests an extended development over time, but the wines have been crafted for enjoyment and celebration in the present.

The Mt Brave winemaker is Chris Carpenter known for legendary Napa winemaking for Lokoya and Cardinale, involved since the Mt. Brave project began in 2007. 

Chris, originally from Chicago, earned a BS in biology from the University of Illinois, then an MS in both viticulture and enology from the University of California, Davis. He also holds an MBA in marketing and international business from the University of Illinois. He broke into the wine business with a prestigious research internship at Tenute Antinori in Tuscany and further study at Università per Stranieri di Perugia. Through these experiences he developed an old world sensibility paired with a new world ambition.

This label release is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. It was barrel aged 21 months in 100% French oak, 80% new.

Winemaker notes on this label: "Grown on the rocky slopes of Mt. Veeder, the 2019 Cabernet shows notes of black cherry, blueberry, and Asian spice. On the palate, the wine has a profound density of fruit that is structured by fine tannins while the perfectly balanced acidity elongates a long savory finish."

This release was award 96 Points James Suckling, 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck, and 94 points by Wine Advocate.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex concentrated, bright expressive ripe blackberry and huckleberry notes with cassis, caramel, cedar turning to refined tannins and bright acidity on a lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4306541 

https://www.mtbravewines.com/

https://twitter.com/MtBraveWines

@MtBraveWines

Shrader Double Diamond Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvginon 2019

This label is from the ultra premium producer Schrader as a separate second brand. We hold a half dozen labels from this brand going back a decade. Double Diamond labels are available from appellations vineyards in Napa Valley, Amber Knolls in Lake County, Mayacamas in Sonoma, and this from the Oakville appellation in Napa Valley, 70% from the legendary To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. 

The winemaker for Double Diamond (Schrader) is Thomas Rivers Brown. I wrote about him in an earlier blogpost about Double Diamond Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

What a surprise that a wine from their second label brand would gain infamy and notoriety as Wine Spectator's #1 Top 100 Wine of the Year for 2022. 

I've written in these pages about the consternation when a favored wine gains such notoriety resulting in exorbitant demand drying up availability, and significantly driving up the price from that moment forward.  It was timely and serendipitous that this wine was available at our dining site tonight.

Producer notes - "Our 2019 Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown in the Schrader Cellars tradition of making the best Cabernet Sauvignon that Napa Valley can offer. A unique expression of the Oakville AVA with harmonious integration of decadent fruit, refined structure, and silky tannins, the 2019 vintage of Double Diamond is ready to enjoy now and will continue to evolve over the next 3-5 years."

Winemaker notes - "The 2019 vintage of Double Diamond offers intricately woven layers of decadent flavor, complemented by exotic spice components and a refined tannin structure. It highlights all the best attributes of what defines Oakville as the epicenter for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.'

"In the glass, the wine displays a nearly opaque ruby-purple hue. Upon closer inspection, aromas emerge in waves suggesting framboise, nutmeg, toasted cedar bark, plum reduction, and pennyroyal mint. The sleek palate is marked by mouth-watering notes such as blackberry compote, dark chocolate shavings, cassis, oolong tea, flint, and lavender. The dynamic flavors interact on the mid-palate with a vivid harmony, carrying through to the long floral finish, which lasts for up to a minute. With a  pleasing acidity and fine tannic framework, this wine is very enjoyable today and should develop gracefully in the cellar for years to come."

This wine was awarded a rare consensus 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling and of course, Wine Spectator which also anointed it #1 Wine of the Year in its Top 100 wines of 2022. That accolade is awarded based on availability and value as well as quality and distinction. 

Dark garnet colored with hues of purple, medium full bodied, aromatic, elegant, round, nicely balanced and integrated ripe plum, black currant and blackberry fruits with notes of mint, cassis, bittersweet cocoa, tobacco, and hints of sweet caramel, turning to smooth polished tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 94 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4503361

https://doublediamondwines.com/products/2019-cabernet-sauvignon-750ml

https://twitter.com/dd_wines

@dd_wines 

https://www.mortons.com/

https://twitter.com/Mortons 

@Mortons

Chicago Experience - Museums, Architecture and Smith Wollensky Riverside Lunch

Chicago Experience - Museums, Parks, Architecture and Smith & Wollensky Lunch with Private Reserve Wines

Last weekend we took advantage of living near the City of Chicago and all that it has to offer with world class museums, architecture, and restaurants - all things we love to explore and experience. 

Friday evening we dined at Chez Joël Authentic French Bistro in Little Italy restaurant district, one of our favorite such outings.

Saturday, we toured the magnificent Art Institute of Chicago, attending the final weekend of the Cezanne special exhibit. We've been members for decades and frequent there often and take in all the major exhibits. The Art Institute was rated No. 1 in the world on their list of the World's Best Museums. It has 300,000 pieces of art from the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Rembrant, and many other famous artists. Among the most famous works is “American Gothic,” that famous 1930 farmer/pitchfork painting by Grant Wood, and my favorite, (shown below), Night Hawks by Edward Hopper.

Linda and Cezanne's "Bathers"

Rick and my absolute favorite -
NightHawks by Edward Hopper

We then walked through Millennium Park with its unique iconic CloudGate (aka the Bean), Lurie Gardens, and the Pritzker Pavilion which this weekend was hosting Jazz Fest, one of the many music festivals held in the park and across the City throughout the summer. 

We then toured the new 6-acre Lakeshore East Neighborhood Park with its urban botanic gardens and fountains adjacent the spectacular architecture of the new neighborhood development that includes the undulating 101 story 1,198 ft supertall skyscraper St Regis Tower Hotel and Residences designed by award-winning architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang, originally known as the Wanda Vista Tower.

We capped off the afternoon with lunch on the esplanade overlooking the Chicago River Walk at Smith & Wollenksy steakhouse in Marina City, one of our favorite dining spots on a sunny summer afternoon downtown Chicago.

The River Walk was bustling with people and the river was full of boat traffic with the Water Taxi and the numerous tour boats filled with tourists and weekenders amidst the flotilla of private boats and hoards of kayaks.

With lunch we ordered two WBTG selections from the Smith & Wollensky winelist to go with my BBQ ribs and Linda's crispy battered shrimp in spicy lobster butter sauce and our side of creamed corn.

The Best of Award Wine Spectator winelist is presented on an electronic interactive tablet that showcases its 350 selections from the inventory of 5,500 bottles.

Smith & Wollensky Private Reserve Meritage Red Blend

This is a private label special bottling is from Girard Winery in Calistoga, Napa Valley.  It is crafted by Girard vintner Pat Roney and winemaking team, Marco DiGiulio and Glenn Hugo. Girard offer a dozen Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietal premium wines sourced from their estate as well from numerous vineyard growers across Napa Valley.

This private label offering is sourced from some of the finest Napa vineyards select fruit from the best sites ranging from mountaintop to valley floor sources that reflect wines that are authentically Napa.

This Meritage, which is registered trademarked term for an American Bordeaux varietal blend, is a rich, aromatic cuvée (blend) comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. 

Winelists' notes: "Shades of plum and spice mingle with a hint of French oak to complement the intense flavor of our USDA Prime beef. The lengthy, warm finish lingers on the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec."

This vastly exceeded our expectations for a 'house wine' - especially one offered BTG - by-the-glass! This is a testament to the wine team at Smith & Wollensky and shows the care and attention they give to their wine program. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex, nicely integrated, smooth polished blackberry, black raspberry and plum fruits with notes of leather, subtle oak, mocha chocolate, hints of vanilla and tobacco with a pleasant lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4425168 

https://www.smithandwollensky.com/our-restaurants/chicago/

https://twitter.com/smithwollensky

https://twitter.com/girardwinery

Next .... I tasted ...

Groth Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

On our last visit to Smith & Wollensky, earlier this summer, I tasted BTG the Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot which was delightful and a perfect pairing with our food. I was tempted to order that wine again but in the interest of adventure, and exploring another wine offering, I ordered this estate Napa Cabernet from Groth in Oakville. 

This follows a recent tasting of an aged vintage release of this label at home, from our cellar featured in this blogpost, Groth Napa Oakville Cabernet and Grilled Beefsteak.

Today, this premium estate Napa Cabernet was overshadowed by the Private Label Meritage featured above. Perhaps it was the pairing with the food, such that this might have called for a juicy grilled beefsteak. It also most likely needs several more years to integrate and perhaps soften further to be more approachable. Antonio Gallini writes, "I would prefer to cellar the 2018 for at least a few years." Wine Spectator wrote, "Best from 2023 through 2035."

Wine producer description - "A breathtakingly beautiful place set among centuries-old oak trees and a patchwork of meticulously planted vineyards, Oakville has become recognized as one of the world’s preeminent wine regions. Here soil and climate coalesce, allowing us to produce elegant, age-worthy and immensely enjoyable Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit for this delicious wine comes from our sustainably farmed estate vineyard and carefully selected lots from our grower neighbors."

Winemaker's Notes: "The 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is an attractive ruby-garnet color that is strikingly intense. When swirled in the glass, it unleashes an array of aromas. The initial blueberry and fresh blackberry aromas are joined with rose petal, black tea, cigar box and baking spices. When tasting the wine, the texture is immediately noteworthy. It is at the same time extremely soft but also rich and balanced. Flavors of toast and vanilla mingle with blackberry and tart red currant, then transition to a juicy and long finish."

This was awarded 94 points by Antonio Galloni and Vinous, 92 by Wine Spectator and Decanter, and 91 points by JamesSuckling.com.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex, intense, concentrated, tightly structured (WS said it has a 'racy edge') black berry fruits with notes of black tea, cigar box, baking spices and hints of anise with a long finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://grothwines.com/wine/2018-cabernet-sauvignon-oakville/

https://www.smithandwollensky.com/our-restaurants/chicago/

To round out the busy holiday weekend, Sunday, I conducted public tours at the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, as a Docent Interpreter for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. 

Groth Napa Oakville Cabernet and Grilled Beefsteak

Groth Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and Grilled Beefsteak

Sunday night dinner on the deck, Linda grilled one of the special extra thick cut T-Bone beefsteaks from our team dinner last weekend. Served with whipped potatoes and wedge salad, our steak dinner was a perfect setting and pairing for this aged Napa Cabernet from our cellar. 

We hold more than a decade of vintages of this label dating back to the 1990 vintage, birthyear of son Alec. Linda and I first visited the Groth Estate and Winery back in the mid nineties.  

Dennis and Judy Groth grew up in the Santa Clara Valley, eventually to be known as Silicon Valley. Dennis began his career as an accountant earning his  CPA in 1968. In 1978, he became CFO of Atari, the electronic games company, moving up to President in 1984. Atari was eventually sold to Time Warner.

In 1981, Dennis and Judy purchased a 121-acre vineyard parcel in Oakville, Napa Valley, and in 1982, added a second 44 acre vineyard just south of Yountville. 

The Groth Oakville Estate sits on the valley floor in the heart of the Napa Valley in the Oakville AVA, home to the finest Cabernet Sauvignons. The property is adjacent to Opus, Silver Oak and Plumpjack vineyards. The Groth estate 121-acre vineyard was originally planted between 1972 and 1974 by Justin Meyer, who went on to achieve great acclaim with Silver Oak.

The Groths moved with their family to Oakville in 1985 taking up residence on the estate. 

Today, Groth Oakville Estate is run by their daughter Suzanne Groth. Growing up in Napa Valley, living amongst vineyards with an estate winery, she decided early on a career in Wine.

After four years with the Henry Wine Group, a California wine distributor, selling fine wine to restaurants and retailers in the San Francisco Bay Area, she returned to the family business in 1998, working in sales, public relations and marketing before ascending to President and CEO in 2017. 

She says, “It was only after selling other people’s wine that I was able to appreciate how very special Groth Vineyards was.” 

It didn’t take the Groth family long to realize just how special their Oakville Estate was when they gained early recognition when Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave their Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being the first 100-point Napa Valley wine.

Since then, Groth wines have been ranked on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines list eight times in the winery’s history, most recently in 2019, when the 2016 Reserve Cabernet was No. 4.

Groth Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Michael Weiss, winemaker for Groth said: "The 2006 vintage in Napa Valley has, with age, turned into one of the best so far this century." 

This was a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, aged in French Oak barrels for 20 months, 50% new French Oak. It was awarded 93 points by Wine & Spirits and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

At sixteen years this may be at its apex, but certainly has another decade to go at this level. I extended the Cellartracker drinking window from 2018 to 2026.

The fill level, label, foil and cork were in perfect condition.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, structured yet perfectly balanced, smooth polished black berry fruits are highlighted by notes of cassis, graphite, dark chocolate, black tea and hints of anise with soft velvety tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=624737

https://grothwines.com/

@GrothWines

Tomahawk Beefsteak and Paradigm Napa Cab

Tomahawk Beefsteak and Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet

Friday night dining in, we grilled a Tomahawk bone-in ribeye beefsteak, with baked potato and asparagus, served on the deck, one of our favorite sumertime meal experiences.

I pulled from the cellar this vintage Oakville Napa Cabernet for the occasion, Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.

We visited the Paradigm Oakville estate winery and vineyards and were hosted by owners Ren and Marilyn Harris back in 1999, as part of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 1999. 

We've collected this label ever since and continue to hold a decade of vintages in our vertical collection. I wrote about Paradigm in more detail when I last posted about Paradigm in March, 2019 when we tasted Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Merlot 1996.

Ren and Marilyn Harris, have deep roots in Napa Valley (pun intended); Marilyn's grandparents immigrated from Italy to Napa Valley in 1890, while Ren's family came to California in 1769. Marilyn and Ren moved to Napa Valley in the 1960's and settled into their home just east of where Paradigm sits today.

The Paradigm estate consists of fifty acres of vineyard, the winery, two homes, a warehouse, a barn, and an acre of olive trees. 

Paradigm vineyards are planted to Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot along with some Zinfandel. 

Paradigm Winery produced their first vintage in 1991. Our cellar holdings still include a few bottle of 1994 case from that era, as well as early releases from the 1992, '95, '96 and 1997 vintages, several 2002-2006 era vintages, and several recent vintages.

From the earliest days, Ren and Marilyn hired talented legendary winemaker, Heidi Barrett, who has been with Paradigm ever since.

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

At eighteen years this may be at the apex of its drinking window and profile and while it has several years remaining, its not likely to improve with further aging. The fill level, foil and most importantly, the cork were in ideal condition. 

 

This is one of several bottles of this vintage we acquired at auction while early releases were acquired directly from the producer, in recent years we obtain it at Binny's, our Chicagoland super merchant.

Our records show the we last tasted this label back in 2008 at Tra Vigne in St Helena, Napa Valley. Back then, it was a fine dining restaurant and had the outdoor deck and patio garden, which has been repurposed as a pizzeria, which is sad as we had many memorable wine dinners there.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright lively concentrated black berry and black currant fruits with a layer of cedar accented by tobacco, earth, hints of licorice and mint with a moderate tannins and tangy acidity on the finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=282068

https://paradigmwinery.com/

https://twitter.com/paradigmwinery/

Groth Oakville Napa Cabernet 2004

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - ideal pairing with filet of beef

We feasted on the left over filets of beef from last evening and I pulled from the cellar this Groth Napa Cabernet - a perfect pairing. Indeed, the producer's menu suggestion for this wine: "A slab and a Cab", Dennis Groth recommends you drink his Cabernet Sauvignon with steak."

We visited the Groth estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. Groth gain notoriety and recognition when Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being California’s first perfect 100-point wine. 

Since then, Groth wines have been ranked on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines list eight times, most recently in 2019, when the 2016 Reserve Cabernet was No. 4.

From the beginning, Groth has been a family business, managed today by second-generation family member Suzanne Groth. 

Groth Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Dennis and Judy Groth. Dennis gained his fame in fortune in Silicon Valley when he was CFO of early tech phenom Atari (remember 'Pong'). When it was acquired by Time Warner, Dennis went on to President of the Consumer Products Division and President of the International Division.

The Groths purchased the 121-acre vineyard parcel in Oakville, Napa Valley in 1981 and in '82 added a second vineyard of 44 acres located south of Yountville. The Groth estate vineyard was originally planted between 1972 and 1974 by Justin Meyer, who went on to achieve acclaim with Silver Oak.

Those two vineyards remain the primary source of grapes for the Groth portfolio which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Dennis and Judy moved to Napa Valley and have resided in Oakville since 1985. Today, Dennis is Chairman of the Board, and Judy plays an active role in the look and feel of the winery. Their daughter Susan now runs Groth Wines. After college and several years working various jobs in the wine business, she returned to the family business in 1998, working in sales, public relations and marketing. She took the reins as President and CEO in 2017. “It was only after selling other people’s wine that I was able to appreciate how very special Groth Vineyards was.”

The Groth Oakville Estate sits on the valley floor in the heart of the Napa Valley. The Groth family helped Oakville become recognized as one of the world’s preeminent wine regions. Today, the Oakville AVA is home to the largest concentration of the very best Napa Valley producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon wines are is renowned as full, lush and elegant.

 

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

 

Winemaker notes on the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: "Big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in our area of the Oakville AVA. Patience during bottle aging will reward the "steward" with an outstanding bottle over the next 10 to 15 years." 

Indeed, at seventeen years, this is likely at its peak and should continue to drink well for another decade. Thankfully, we still hold a couple more bottles of this vintage of the half dozen vintages in our collection (which includes still a Alec birthyear vintage 1990). The fill level was perfect while the cork appearing perfect was a bit soft upon extraction using a 'ahso' two pronged cork puller. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, smooth, elegant, briary black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of cassis, dusty cedar and hints of dark chocolate, herbs and creamy oak turning to gripping tannin on a fruit filled finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=328095

https://grothwines.com/ 

@GrothWines

Rudd Estate Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Rudd Estate Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

With a winter storm warning and heavy snow falling for the last six hours, Linda grilled some beef steaks served with baked potatoes and mixed vegetables. I pulled from the cellar a robust Napa Cabernet for the occasion seeking a suitable accompaniment to the grilled steak. This proved to be a perfect selection. 

Founder Leslie Rudd began his wine career working in his father’s alcoholic beverage wholesale distribution business in Wichita, Kansas. Over time he grew Standard Beverage Corporation to be the state’s largest alcoholic beverage wholesaler.

Leslie expanded into the specialty foods business launching and investing in several national restaurants and eventually acquiring iconic Dean & DeLuca, which he owned until 2014. In 2007 he acquired the legendary Oakville Grocery in Oakville, Napa Valley, which he renovated in 2012.

Rudd purchased the Oakville Napa Valley winery in 1996 and immediately set upon enhancing and expanding the caves and winery facilities opening in 1999.

Leslie Rudd passed in 2018, after handing control of his estate to his daughter Samantha.

This 2001 Rudd Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon was the inaugural vintage of this label, vinified by David Ramey but finished by Charles Thomas, who assumed winemaking responsibilities there in the spring of 2002. 

Packaged in a heavy oversized bottle, at twenty years, the cork was moist and slightly soft but intact and this wine was drinking superbly, likely still at or near the apex of its drinking profile.

This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, (2,150 cases were produced.)

It was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, 93 points by Connoisseurs Guide and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

Dark garnet inky purple colored, medium-full bodied - concentrated expressive bright vibrant firm yet elegant and nicely balanced, structured blackberry and black currant fruits are accented by floral aromatics with notes of cola, sweet mocha and oak with hints of cassis and graphite on a sweet fruit filled lingering silky tannin laced finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1221410

https://www.ruddwines.com/

 

Goldschmidt Hilary Napa Oakville Charming Creek Cabernet

Goldschmidt Hilary Napa Valley Oakville Charming Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 

We hosted wine buddy, fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan and Linda for a wine dinner. We came across this label, Oakville, single vineyard designated Napa Cabernet, namesake to Dan's daughter, so we picked it up for the occasion. 

On further investigation of this label we learn it is the product of Yolyn and Nick Goldschmidt,  owner/vintners, with Nick, the winemaker. Hailing from New Zealand, Yolyn and Nick have spent time living and working in the wine areas of New Zealand, Australia and South America. They operate out of winery offices in Healdsburg from where they operate Goldschmidt Vineyards, a "'vehicle' by which Nick and Yolyn present their innovative way of wine making and wine presentation. There are two brands under their portfolio – the prestigious Goldschmidt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon label, and the international Forefathers label', according to their website'.

"The Goldschmidt Vineyard label is a program designed to showcase single vineyard source wines from both the Alexander Valley and Napa Valley Oakville appellations. The goal is to create wines that highlight the distinct characters, benefits and attributes derived from these site specific harvests. Goldschmidt Vineyards Cabernets are crafted with the best possible resources to achieve exceptional richness, quality and balance – the hallmarks of world-class wines."

I deduce they are negociants, of sorts, procuring excess fruit from numerous sources and crafting their own wines under their own series of private labels. Several of the wines are  named for their children, which they furthr explain that, "Joined periodically in the field by their five children, the Goldschmidt expertise is being passed down to the next generation, as evidenced in the wines released under the labels Chelsea Goldschmidt, Hilary Goldschmidt and Katherine Goldschmidt."

This label is sourced from the Oakville district in Napa Valley, so it was a fitting comparison to the Plumpjack Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon that we also served this evening. 

Goldschmidt describes the Oakville appellation, "where the coolness of the south meets up-valley warmth in perfect equilibrium. Oakville isn’t too hot; it isn’t too cold. It’s just right. That’s why Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville so perfectly expresses the essential qualities of the varietal in deep, complex wines that can last for decades."

They attribute the source for this label is "Charming Creek, located on Route 29 just north of Oakville Cross Rd. One retailer says of this label, "this particular Oakville Cabernet comes from a secret vineyard that borders OPUS ONE on the North Side…  Sounds expensive right?  Fortunately for us, this one was created by Nick Goldschmidt whom many of you recognize from his Crazy Creek Cabernet which is arguably the best value in California Cabernet."

I admit, I came across this at Cosco, which further leads me to believe it is a negociant sourced 'excess fruit or bulk wine' produced, packaged and sold under private label. As I have often written in these pages, the challenge with such labels is that they often are the 'second' picking or are composed of fruit not selected for the primary label. And, they're one-time wonders, not subject to long term contracts, hence any concept of terroir is a one time chance encounter. For a collector, don't fall in love with it because you may never see it again, or not in a string of continuous releases. If it proves to be that good, it'll end up back in the grand vin.

On the other hand, these labels often provide great QPR - quality price ratio, available at times for a fraction of the grand vin price. Hence, they're typically anonymized by the private label and the source is obfuscated so as not to diminish the primary source's brand and price point, as indicated by this retailer referring to the 'secret' vineyard. While under such circumstances, once in a while you get a sixty dollar wine for forty bucks, in this case, I think one got a thirty dollar wine for that price-point.

Alas, this was characteristically, lesser fruit and a lesser effort, belaying the potentially premium or ultra-premium source. Even if they reproduce in next year in a follow on vintage, I won't hold my breath for it to be memorable, or even a significant QPR value. 

Goldschmidt Hillary Napa Valley Oakville Charming Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 

Winemakers' notes: "The old Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon vines here give perfumed aromatics but also silkiness, deep color, power and richness. Also typical of Clone 7, the wines age very gracefully and show good acidity and structure when older. After 10 years this vineyard will still show dark fruits and supple tannins."

"Tasting Note: Deep garnet-purple; concentrated aromas of chocolate and black cherry alongside notes of cinnamon and hazelnut. The entry of this wine is juicy with a silky-smooth texture that builds through the mid-palate. Blackberry and black current flavors are supported with well-integrated oak. Nicely balanced and shows the fresh acidity on the finish that Oakville is known for."

Dark garnet purple colored, medium bodied, straightforward black berry fruits with note of mocha, cinnamon and hazelnut with bright acidity that seemed a bit flabby and obtuse on the finish. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3122527

https://goldschmidtvineyards.com/wines/united-states/hilary-goldschmidt/