Showing posts with label Peter Michael. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Michael. Show all posts

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Winers and Diners Cityscape Deck Wine Dinner '21

 Winers and Diners, Pour Boy's Cityscape Deck Wine Dinner '21

The 'Pour Boys' gathered for the annual Winers and Diners Cityscape Deck Dinner hosted by Lyle and Terry F in their west loop dual condo. Since they first moved to the neighborhood it has undergone an incredible renaissance transformation with the Oprah Harpo studios being demolished and replaced by the McDonalds World HQ complex, Google and numerous other hi-tech firms moving into the new developments in the area. 

Lyle and Terry merged their condo with an adjacent unit and transformed the second kitchen into a purpose built custom designed wine cellar. They also completely renovated and expanded their existing kitchen and transformed the adjacent space into a dining area. 

Of course one of the most distinguished highlight features of their residence is the extraordinary adjoining deck with views of the skyscrapers of the nearby loop. 

The evening was perfect with ideal weather conditions of a pleasant early autumn evening.

Pour Boys on the cityscape deck.

Lyle and Terry prepared grilled filets of beef, scalloped potatoes, brussel sprouts from Duck Inn Chicago, where we ate as a group recently, ceasar salad, green beans and carrots.Prior to the main course they served grilled scallops, and a selection of artisan cheeses, olives, and deviled eggs.

Pour Boys Winers and Diners Dinner -
photo by Linda M

For the wine flight planning, I suggested Bordeaux Blends to accompany the beefsteaks. 

I had an aged vintage Joseph Phelps Insignia from 1989, one of Bill and Beth's sons' birthyear.
That, coupled with Dan's deep vertical of, and collection of this label as a long time club member and collector, I suggested we bring Insignia's from our cellars, for those of us that had such. 

We visited the magnificent Joseph Phelps Winery and Vineyards in Napa Valley together during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017, one of the highlights of that trip. 

So, our wine flight was anchored by the vertical of Phelp's Insignia consisting of:

Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Blend 1989, 2000, 2007 and 2008

 

Note the three generations of wine labels during this period. 

The red wine Phelps Insignia vertical flight was augmented by the following additional wines:

Domaine Jean Grivot Bossieres Vosne Romanee Burgundy 2002
Peter Michael Les Pavots Red Wine 2005
Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Rubissow Napa Valley Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Newton "Puzzle" Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Red Blend 2016
Cos d' Estournel St Estephe Bordeaux 2009

Prior to the red flight we had a selection of white wines including French Champagne and California Methode Champonais Sparkling Wine. 

Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc Brut Champagne 2006
Sea Smoke 'Sea Spray' Santa Rita Hills Sparkling Wine 2015
Sea Smoke 'Gratis' Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012

John brought the Salon Les Mesnil from his cellar, which has become somewhat of a tradition, and Dan brought the duo of Sea Smoke labels, Gratis Chardonnay and Sea Spray, from Santa Rita Hills.  

 

Salon Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2006 

John brought this classic cellar selection that he has brought in earlier years.

This 2006 release was awarded 100 points, a 'Cellar Selection' by Wine Enthusiast, 97 points by James Suckling and Vinous, 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 95 points by Decanter.

This release from a great vintage for Chardonnay in Champagne was considered perfect by Wine Enthusiast.

The 2006 Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut is silver-golden color, pure and fresh mouthfilling, round and elegant, well balanced, creamy and elegant. Beautifully fresh acidity, rich creamy lemon and white peaches with tongue-gripping minerality.

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2595658

 

 The wine flight was concluded with bottles of Chateau Suduiraut dessert wine. Ernie brought the 2013 and I brought the 2002.

Chateau Suduiraut Sauterne Bordeaux 2002 and 2013

As has become custom and tradition of our Lyle and Terry hosted wine dinners, Terry prepared her delectable, decadent Orange Cake and her cheesecake with chocolate sauce and fresh berries. 

Steve S brought this Burgundy Pinot Noir for opening the red flight as we transitioned from the white wines to the reds.

Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru "Bossieres" 2002

A different profile and character than the bigger bolder Bordeaux varietals, this Burgundy is based on the native Burgundy varietal Pinot Noir. It was a nice transition wine from the flight of whites to the reds. It was a nice accompaniment to the deviled eggs, olives and selection of cheeses.

Ruby colored, light-medium bodied, cherry and red current fruits with notes of spice, dusty forest floor, earth, mushrooms and hints of vanilla.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=20610

Some wine tasting observations from the evening:

The Insignia vertical flight was fun and interesting, as to be expected, as such comparison tastings of multiple vintages of the same label usually are. 

Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Blend 1989

We tasted this same vintage release of this bottle at Dr Dan's at OTBN in 2020. Tonight was consistent with that tasting experience when I wrote the following: "Drank adjacent a 2006 Insignia.' 

"Garnet colored, slightly opaque, this was medium bodied, lighter than I expected, with dark berry fruits, notes of anise, spice, plums and currants. A mere shadow of the bigger, more concentrated and fruit filled 2006, not due to age, but likely indicative of a lesser vintage and perhaps lesser selection of the fruits."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/otbn-2002.html

Tonight, the 1989 vintage Insignia, at 32 years, was in remarkably good condition, showing impressive aging steadfastness in a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Indicating excellent provenance cellar and aging conditions, the label, and foil were in excellent condition, the fill level was ideal, appropriate, customary at low neck above the shoulder.  The cork was slightly saturated but generally in excellent condition. 

This wine was past its prime but still within an acceptable drinking window, the color was good, dark garnet colored, the structure was medium bodied, holding together nicely, the fruit was still in-tact showing only slight but expected levels of diminution from aging, the black berry and plum notes giving way to tones of spice, earthy leather, tobacco leaf and tea. 

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14182  

Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Blend 2000

This bottle was one of the surprises of the evening, for the wrong reasons, it was a bit disappointing showing less than we expected and hoped. 

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and plum fruits with moderate structure and backbone, this too was past its prime, and still within its acceptable drinking window, but more akin to the 30 year old than the dozen year old vintage releases in comparison. The fruits giving way to earth, leather and notes of tea. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=4283

Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Blend 2007 

This was one of the standouts of the evening, likely at the apex of its drinking window, dark blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, big, forward, complex, concentrated, vibrant bright fruits with dusty, firm tannins, notes of anise, tobacco, cigar box and black tea. 

RM 94

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=674245

Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Blend 2008

Another surprise of the evening, this was the Insignia profile of the flight, but a bit closed and tight with slightly subdued black fruits, it took a while to open indicating it needs a couple more years to integrate and open to reveal its true character and full flavor profile - still, concentrated, big, impressive and elegant.

RM 93 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=880843

Chateau Cos d' Estournel 2009

This was another standout of the evening, showing well with big bold complexity and concentrated fruits - also likely at the apex of its drinking window, but likely too to age beautifully for a couple more decades. 

We saw the legendary St Estephe estate during our trip to Bordeaux in 2018. We hold several vintages of this classic label dating back to the early 80's. This too would make for a marvelous vertical wine flight with its extensive longevity with drinking windows that would span several decades.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, elegant, polished and nicely integrated full forward bright vibrant black berry and currant fruits with earthy tobacco, notes of anise, spice, herbs and black tea with oaky, silky tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=874488

 

Peter Michael Les Pavots Sonoma County Knights Valley Red Wine 

Ernie brought this ultra-premium label from his cellar. Records show he brought this vintage of this label to an earlier Pour-Boys dinner back in 2014. 

Les Pavots is an estate bottled Bordeaux blend from the slopes of Mt Helena above the eastern Knights Valley in Sonoma County. This release is a Bordeaux Blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot.

This release got huge reviews and scores - 95 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator and 93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pour Boys Dr Dan, Bill and I attended our special wine dinner back in June of this year down in Florida when we had this label.  Ernie was not with us that night. but we toasted him noting he collects this label as a member of their club. At that time, I researched and wrote in this blog that Ernie served this same label to us at our OTBN wine gathering tasting in 2014.

This was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, and 92 points by Wine Spectator.

Parker likened this wine more to a Right Bank Merlot based blend, "a sensational wine, with a style that suggests a hypothetical blend of a great St.-Emilion and Pomerol". 

This was not like my earlier tasting six years ago, when I wrote this was "Dark ruby colored, elegant and polished, full bodied with full complex concentrated layers of blackberry, black raspberry and blackcurrant with tones of black tea, cigar box and hint of dark mocha and cedar on a silky smooth finish," and at that time gave this 95 points. 

This was more subdued and modest with the fruit being more restrained and less concentrated and less complex than earlier. Perhaps this was due to the comparison with the bigger more forward wines compared against it tonight. 

Tonight I would give this 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=505831

http://www.petermichaelwinery.com/

https://twitter.com/PMWinery

 @PMWinery

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/pour-boy-wine-dinner-at-del-ray-beach.html

Beaulieu Vineyard "Georges de Latour Private Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Lyle pulled this ultra premium Napa Bordeaux Blend from his cellar. This received from 94 points Vinous, 93 points from Wine Spectator, 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocateand  Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.  

This is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot and was aged in new French oak for 22 months.

Coming across like the Les Pavot, this was more elegant and polished, coming across more subdued and subtle than some of the bigger, bolder more concentrated forward wines. 

Deep garnet-purple colored, notes of plum and dark berry fruits accented by spice, touches of tobacco, mocha, hints of mint, licorice and graphite with a lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1668973


Newton "Puzzle" Napa Valley Spring Mountain Red Wine 2016

I came across this ultra-premium label recently and picked up several bottles to share and compare, commemorating the wine from this producer that we served at our son's wedding welcome reception a couple weeks ago. 

I served that wine from our son Alec's birthyear 1990 vintage from a six liter Imperial large format bottle. Hence I wanted to try a recent release of that wine that has recently appeared in the marketplace. 

This is a Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It was rated 94 by James Suckling. 

This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex and flavorful black berry and black raspberry fruits with accents of spice, tangy acidity, hints of dark cocao, vanilla and black tea. Yet this was less concentrated and forward than some of the other wines tasted tonight. I put this near the middle of the spectrum.

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2720196

https://www.newtonvineyard.com/en-US/our-wines/puzzle/

Rubissow Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Bill brought this from his cellar from Charleston. We visited this producer estate vineyards high atop Mt Veeder during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2011. At that time we met with the founder, George Rubissow and tasted and acquired earlier releases of this label. Bill subsequently acquired this later release as well.

In their peak production, Rubissow produced about 5000 cases per year. In 2016, with their vintage release, they announced 'that after 37 years, the property would be taken over by new ownership'. With their 2016 release, they wrote at the time, "When Tim made this wine, he and we didn’t yet know that it would be our final Rubissow Reserve, but just as well."

This bottle was another one of the surprises of the evening, showing bright vibrant expressive fruits and tangy spices. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, black berry and black raspberry fruits with note of tangy clove and cinnamon spices, hints of cigar box and black tea on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points.





Sunday, August 22, 2021

Chez Francois Vermillion ultimate fine dining experience

Chez Francois Vermillion ultimate fine dining experience 

Enroute to Conneticut for our gala family gathering and wedding celebration for son Alec and Vivianna, we laid over in Northern Ohio and dined at Chez Francois Vermillion, as we close out our anniversary week celebration. 

Chez Francois in Vermillion, Ohio presented the ultimate fine dining experience - perhaps the most extraordinary we have ever had, exceeding our expectations in every respect - food, wine, service, ambiance! 

Chez Francois has been cited as the highest rated Zagat restaurant in Ohio and was chosen as one of OpenTable’s 2015 Top 100 restaurants in America.

Traveling to Vermillion takes one through customary rural and ex-urban farmland and small town settings until arriving at the destination. Downtown Vermillion is a historic district setting of a quaint picturesque New England town centre with picture postcard mainstreet, town square park and a magnificent amazingly extensive waterfront of waterways of the Vermillion River where it meets Lake Erie, with a labyrinth of four lagoons named for the great lakes, with blocks of private as well as public boat docks. The Sunday evening was bustling with people everywhere with a welcoming, hospitable atmosphere. 

Owner, General Manager and Wine Director Matthew Mars was working the room, overseeing service,  operations and meeting dining guests. Personable and unpretenscious, he sat at our table with us and answered questions about the clientele, seasonal coverage, special events, and shared insights, perspectives and experience regarding the extensive wine cellar collection and list.

Our server, a 21 year veteran in the Chez family, was delightful, charming and equally personable, advising us on the menu selections, cuisine, locavore sources, and local area information. 

Chez Francois sits on the waterfront with the elegant fine dining room on the lower level adjacent to the water. Their Touche wine bar dining room is on the upper level, above, with outside dining wrapping around the building overlooking the waterway, bustling with sport boats and pleasure craft. 

There are three dining rooms, the main dining room, the Parisian Room for special occasions, and the waterside Riverfront Cafe, a porch setting outside the main dining room adjacent the waterfront. There is also the adjacent Touché Bistro and winebar.

The main dining room is a combination of rustic, chic and elegant with brick floors covered with persian rugs, brick walls adorned with French posters. 

Another wall is covered with framed certificates denoting the artist labels of First Growth Bordeaux Chateau Mouton Rothschild artist labels. Other walls feature paintings of French cities, villages and landscapes. 

The ambiance and atmosphere is comfortable and  hospitable, but all business in presenting and delivering extraordinary cuisine and service. They enforce an appropriate dress code suitable for the setting resulting in a respectable and more formal atmosphere, yet it is relaxed and comfortable.

The Riverside Cafe dining room on the waterside porch of the building faces the bustling waterway. Nearby adjacent slips can accommodate boats up to 63 feet in length.

The Chez Francois menu provides an broad selection of authentic French and Northern Italian preparations of midwestern cuisine of the finest locavore selections and ingredients, masterfully crafted and artfully presented. 

The dinner course begins with classic Amuse Bouche - the most tasteful imaginable, followed by mixed green salad bed in a cucumber coral with baby zuchini and heirloom tomatoes. 

We selected from the broad list of delectable options for the starter course the Maine Lobster Zucchini Blossoms - sautéed Erie County zucchini blossoms filled with a Maine Lobster stuffing topped with hollandaise sauce.  It was exquisite, bursting with flavor sprites and a perfect pairing with our wine accompaniment.

For our entree course, we selected the daily special, Lake Whitefish Snapper, lightly breaded, covered with a layer of savory native sweet white peaches, with a side of whipped potatoes and grilled baby zuchini spears. 

The substantial extensive winelist features a selection of 750 wine labels from a cellar inventory of 8,500 bottles, cited by Wine Spectator for strengths of offerings from Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, France, Rhône, Italy and Port. The Wine List was awarded the Wine Spectator Magazine “Best of Award of Excellence”. 

The wines are presented on a electronic tablet which provides efficient navigation by wine type, varietal, region, rating, price range, or direct search. Each wine is laid out by type, presenting a photo of the label, producer, name, appellation and vintage, with a click through to a detailed producer and label profile. It was the finest winelist presentation I have ever seen, on par with and similar to the Aureole at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the first such electronic presentation I encountered years ago. 

The winelist is broad and deep with global regional coverage, verticals of select popular labels, an extraordinary selection of 'cult' producers, first, second and third labels offering a extensive selection for every pricepoint and budget modest to ultra premium The high end wines are expensive however there are many selections at reasonable winelist value of 1.3 to 1.5 times retail pricing. 

For our seafood entree selection we were seeking a white, and the offerings were extensive from France - Burgundy, Rhone, Luberon, Italy, Germany, and new world regions, and US offerings from California, Oregon and Washington. We settled on a Chardonnay from California.

For premium California Chardonnays we were tempted by Kistler, Kongsgaard and Peter Michael, to name a few. We opted for the Peter Michael 'Belle-Cotes' Burgundian style Chardonnay, available for a reasonable 1 1/3 times typical retail price. 

Our final dessert course selection was Chocolat Moulleux, Crème Glacée - warm chocolate cake with Madagascar French Vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce, seasonalberries, and mint. It was delicious!

It was served with Quinto do Crasto, Porto ”LBV ”, Douro Valley, Portugal, 2012.

Peter Michael Belle Cotes Knights Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay 2017

The grapes for Belle Côtes are grown at the oldest of the four Peter Michael estate Chardonnay vineyards at a high elevation altitude of 1,700 to 1,800 feet with a naturally cool climate, sheltered from the hot afternoon sun by its southeastern exposure and a stand of trees on its western border. 

The vines are exceptionally slow to ripen at the site's growing season typically extending into October, two to three weeks longer than most Chardonnay vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties. The vineyard's high elevation, and sheltered exposure creates conditions for a long and slow ripening, producing wine with the broadest, fullest fruit profile of Michael's four single vineyard Chardonnays.

 Belle Côte exemplifies how consistently these mountain vineyard sites produce exceptionally high-quality Chardonnay. Thicker soils; cooler via elevation, easterly exposure and trees on western border, slow ripening, longer growing season.

Producers/Winemakers notes: "The 2017 growing season began with abundant rainfall, ending California’s long drought. Spring weather was cool but dry, resulting in an extended blooming period and some shatter. Vines were vigorous thanks to the winter rains and aggressive canopy management and fruit thinning brought the crop into optimal balance. Warmer than normal conditions after veraison accelerated ripening and required careful irrigation to mitigate dehydration. A return of cooler conditions allowed our Chardonnay to gradually reach perfect ripeness. The slightly smaller than normal harvest, resulted in a forward, exotic vintage of Chardonnay with wines showing uncommon richness."

"Very intense and powerful, the nose reveals hedonistic aromas of lychee nut, rose petal and orange blossom, with a background of mineral, candied orange, yellow peach, crème brûlée, nougat, whole nut and toasted almond. The rich seamless palate is very creamy and weighty in the mouth. Notes of pain grillé, marmalade, brioche and hazelnut coupled with natural acidity and minerality complete the mouth feel. The 2017 Belle Côte is enjoyable now and will continue to develop for a decade or more."

This label was awarded 99 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 97 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Vinous, and 92 points by Wine Spectator. Jeb Dunnuck says it is "flirting with perfection".

Straw colored, full-bodied, complex with layers of dense flavors of green apples, pears and white peaches turning to notes of pink grapefruit and sprites of lychee fruit with a full, crisp clean finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3210785

https://petermichaelwinery.com/wines/belle-cote/

 

Quinto do Crasto, Porto ”LBV ”, Douro Valley, Portugal, 2012

Excellent aroma intensity and concentration, with fresh wild berry fruit notes and delicate hints of chocolate.  A perfect complement to the chocolate gateaux.

RM 92

https://chezfrancois.com/

@Chez_Francois


Friday, June 4, 2021

Pour Boys Wine Dinner at Del Ray Beach Wine Kitchen

Pour Boys Wine Dinner at Wine Kitchen Wine Cellar in Del Ray Beach

The Pour Boys descended upon Del Ray Beach to visit Bob & Gloria in their sunshine state home for a mini-reunion. We held a wine dinner in the private cellar dining room at Wine Kitchen in Del Ray Beach. We dined there on our previous trips to the area and planned a dinner in their cellar private dining room on our next trip into town. 

I first wrote about the Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar after our first visit back in 2019. They boast to have "The World's Largest Selection of Wine by the Glass!"  with over 200 hand-selected wines available through their Enomatic wine dispensing machines. Bill and I visited there again when we were in town later in the year and had a Spectacular Wine Cheese Pairing featuring Cliff Lede Poetry 2004.

Rick & Bob with Wine Director Ron Mitchell
in the cellar during our winter visit last year

A major attraction of the venue for serious wine aficionados is their extensive wine cellar of fine wines with a Reserve List of top vintage wines dating back several decades. Most importantly, they offer such wines at close to retail prices rather than marking them up 1.5, 2 or two and a half times retail or more.

The Reserve Wine List includes extraordinary vintage selections of premium and super premium wines including First Growth classified Bordeaux that are also offered at fair market price or current retail prices for such wines, a fraction of what most other restaurants would charge.

With this enticement, we reserved the private dining room for our gathering. Dr Dan and our two Lindas and I flew in from Chicago, and Bill and Beth C drove down from Charleston. 

We selected a flight of extraordinary wines, perfectly paired with the selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie, our pre-entree selections, our entrees and the dessert courses. 

One of the showcase highlights of the Del Ray Wine Kitchen, beyond the wine BTG (By-The-Glass) selections and the Fine and Rare Cellar Collections, is their Cheese program. The Cheese program is designed and developed by world-renowned Maître Fromager and James Beard award-winner Max McCalman. He was America's first restaurant-based Maître Fromager. Max was honored by L'Esprit Alimentaire (French Food Spirit Awards) in NYC. 

Max is the author of Mastering Cheese which received the World's Best Book on Cheese award in Paris at the 16th Annual Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and was designated a finalist by the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Max has also written two more books on cheese - "The Cheese Plate" (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2002), which was nominated for awards by the James Beard Foundation and by the International Association of Cooking Professionals, and Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best (Clarkson Potter, 2005), an expansive reference on the world's finest cheeses and their wine pairings, which won a 2006 James Beard Award. 

Max personally currated our cheese and charcuterie plates from the incredible selection of over 80 cheeses and a broad variety of charcuterie meats in a Mix & Match offering. In addition to the cheeses were olives, almonds and artichoke hearts. 

Max was so into the cheeses and the whole culinary experience, he made no effort to leverage the opportunity to promote or commercialize his brand. Earlier in the day I asked that he come in and meet us and bring and sign copies of his book which we looked forward to purchasing. We never got around to it. A missed opportunity for all.

The Wine selected was guided by Wine Director Ron Mitchell. 


Our wine flight journey started with this extraordinary white with the cheese and charcuterie selections. 

Kongsgaard Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2016

John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggy are fith-generation Napa natives. They began their Napa Valley wine experience in the 1970s planting The Judge vineyard on the Kongsgaard estate family land near Napa. The inaugural Kongsgaard wines came in 1996. 

Today, in addition to their legendary signature estate The Judge labels, they produce a portfolio of Napa Valley varietal wines - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño. They craft their wines in their underground winery — a cave dug into the volcanic rock, high on the eastern rim of the Napa Valley where they have also planted their spectacular mountain vineyard. 

My son's and I had the Kongsgaard Carneros Hudson Ranch Syrah for my father-son birthday celebration dinner just a couple weeks ago. This is sourced from the same vineyard as tonight's Chardonnay. 

Kongsgaards source the fruit for this label as well as their Syrah from several perfect acres in the Napa Carneros, of which they direct the farming under long-term contracts. They also source fruit from several sites near the winery. They write that "these intensely farmed, shy-bearing vineyards and their traditional low-intervention winemaking produce powerful, graceful wines—vivid expressions of vineyard and variety". Production is limited to what they, along with their son Alex, hand craft in their own proprietary labels. 

This release was awarded 97 points by The Wine Advocate and 95 points by Vinous / IWC (International Wine Cellar). It should be noted that the 2016 Kongsgaard "The Judge" Napa Valley Chardonnay was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Golden colored, medium full bodied, rich, focused, complex, round, decadent fruits of what Wine Advocate calls "nectarine, spiced pears and apple pie... and candied ginger", with stunning sprites of what I struggled to describe as nutty almond and nutmeg with a long smooth sumptuous finish. 

RM 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2719612

www.kongsgaard-wine.com

We then moved to a flight of red Bordeaux blends wines that were a perfect pairing with our next courses. This provided a nicely diverse but balanced trio to compare.

From the charcuterie we shared a 56 ounce tomahawk ribeye steak sliced for sharing by the group. 


Château Beychevelle St Julien Bordeaux 2010

We hold more than a dozen vintages of this label in our cellar dating back to the eighties. We visited Château Beychevelle and had a private tour and tasting during our visit to Beychevelle St Julien, Bordeaux in 2019. 

As usual, we were attentive to the tasting order of the wines based on our experience and knowledge of their character, profiles and the vintages. We tasted this first in our flight of three reds. In the end, we were correct in our approach in all respects. 

The Chateau Beychevelle 2010 blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Merlot (38%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (3%).

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling,  94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast, 93 points by  Wine Spectator, and 91 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Suckling summed this up well, "Beautiful aromas of blackberries, currants and flowers. Very aromatic. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and gorgeous fruit. It's polished and very refined. One of the best Beychevelles in years."  

Wine Enthusiast also captures the style and approach, "Beychevelle's style privileges elegance over weight, and such is the case with the 2010. It's a pure-fruited, ripe and lightly tannic wine, emphasizing a blackberry note."

This was the lightest, and most approachable of the three labels. Ruby colored, medium bodied, soft, nicely balanced, initially slightly astringent on opening (what Stephen Tanzer referred to as 'medicinal'), it opened up and that blew off after 1/2 hour to reveal pleasant black currant and black berry fruits, notes of floral, earthy leather, herbs and hints of plum on the smooth moderate finish. 
 
RM 91 points. 
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1358113

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2011


We toured the estate and grounds of the Pichons, Chateau Pichon Baron and the adjacent Chateau Pichon Lalande (shown left), during our Bordeaux trip to the Medoc, the same trip we visited Château Beychevelle. 

This is another one of our favorite labels that we hold going back more than three decades, including our kids' birth-year vintages, several in large formats. 

Next in the tasting order, despite being from a lesser, lighter vintage, this was bigger and more complex than the Beychevelle. 

Classic Pauillac in its profile and character, dark garnet colored, full bodied, more tight and firm with its structured backbone, complex black berry fruits with notes of smoke, anise and graphite with a firm long tannin laced finish.

This was a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 12% Cabernet France, and 2% Petit Verdot.

This was awarded 95 points and a *Cellar Selection* by Wine Enthusiast,  93 points James Suckling, 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, and 91 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied, concentrated with weight and power, rich black fruits with blackberry, dark-chocolate, cassis, spice, tobacco and hints of cedar with firm tannins on a long, intense finish. 

RM 93

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1355736

Peter Michael Les Pavots Sonoma County Knights Valley Red Wine 

Fellow Pour Boy Ernie was not with us tonight. but we toasted him with this super premium Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend that he collects as a member of their club. In retrospect, as I research and write this blog, I see Ernie served this same label to us at our OTBN wine gathering tasting in 2014

We hold a few bottles of this in our cellar. 

The 2005 Les Pavots is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot.

This was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, and 92 points by Wine Spectator.

While this was last in our tasting order it might've been best placed in the middle but it was great to compare the Bordeaux and then move to the Californian. 

This was the most elegant, polished and refined of the three wines, more complex, fuller, more round than the Beychevelle, but more approachable than the more powerful brutish Pichon. 

Parker likened this wine more to a Right Bank Merlot based blend, "a sensational wine, with a style that suggests a hypothetical blend of a great St.-Emilion and Pomerol". 

Ruby colored, medium full bodied, smooth and harmonious layers of black berry, black raspberry and currant fruits with notes of tobacco, mocha and hints of anise and graphite on a soft silky tannin laced lingering finish. 

Consistent with my earlier tasting six years ago, "Dark ruby colored, elegant and polished, full bodied with full complex concentrated layers of blackberry, black raspberry and blackcurrant with tones of black tea, cigar box and hint of dark mocha and cedar on a silky smooth finish." At that time I gave this 95 points. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=505831

 http://www.petermichaelwinery.com/

 After dinner we had dessert selections, Parisian Beignets, Crispy Pâté à Choux, Cinnamon & Sugar, Salted Caramel, Spiced Ganache, Passionfruit Curd and decadent Double Dark Chocolate Cake, Coconut Dulce de Leche, Sweet Shiraz Jam, Dried Blueberries, Hazelnut Crumble.

With the delicious dessert course we took advantage of the BTG program and tasted two perfect accompaniment dessert wines. 

Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest 2013

This Dolce Late Harvest White dessert wine is a meal course in itself! Dolce is one the most notable late harvest wines in America, first crafted in 1985 by the partners of Far Niente. Dolce stands as standard bearer. Wine Enthusiast lovingly calls it "one of the greatest sweet California wines in memory". 

Dolce’s 20-acre vineyards are located in Coombsville, east of the city of Napa, and are situated at the base of the Vaca Mountains, which define the eastern border of the valley. The volcanic soil is loose and well drained, and the west-facing vineyard is protected from the prevailing winds so that the damp, morning fog of autumn—a very important factor in the development of Botrytis cinerea—hangs longer amongst the vines, often until midday. A combination of high humidity followed by drying conditions encourages, but does not guarantee, the growth of Botrytis. As the mold develops, its coverage is seemingly random with individual berries succumbing to Botrytis at different rates, if at all. 

With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc varietals in the style of a classic Bordeaux Sauterne, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine. 

Dolce has produced a wine in every vintage, yet in small, unpredictable quantities; testament to the incredible difficulties presented every year in the effort to make Dolce. "Dolce is an extraordinary wine bred from a combination of sunshine, soil, fog, expertise and dedication; a wondrous luxury, limited by nature to always being a gift of absurd rarity." 

Dolce is a blend of 89% Semillon and 11% Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaker's Notes: "The 2013 Dolce offers lifted and youthful aromas of orange zest, vanilla bean and butterscotch with subtle notes of minerality and oak-derived spices. The entry is juicy, and Dolce’s signature texture is lively and enduring on the palate leading to a mouthwatering finish. Flavors of orange, pear and dried apricot mingle together with rich caramel notes and hints of minerals that make this vintage a delicious expression of the season’s exceptional ripeness." 

After nearly three years in French oak, this luxurious vintage shows bright stone-fruit aromatics and flavors, elegant caramel undertones and has a texture like silk.

RM 94 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2547948

Fonseca Vintage Port 2016

Winemaker's Notes: "Dense purple black with a narrow purple rim. The nose opens with very fine pure black fruit, a fusion of black cherry, cassis and blackberry jam aromas, with notes of crushed mint, an ethereal fragrance of violets and undertones of ripe tropical fruit. The year has added an additional layer of purity and refinement to the subtle, complex Fonseca fruit character, as well as an attractive minerality. The palate is supported by a vibrant acidity and taut, wiry tannins that provide structure but also texture and volume. The fresh berry flavours carry into the long finish A finely crafted and perfectly balanced Vintage Port."

This was awarded 98 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling, and an extraordinary consensus 97 points by Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Decanter and the Tasting Panel.

Parker said, " Don't even think of buying it if you aren't prepared to cellar it. The 2030 start date that I have will not be even close to late enough if you want harmony and complexity. To me, this is the best of the three 2016's from the Fladgate Group this issue (Croft and Taylor being the other two), thanks to its pure intensity, but time will tell if it becomes as sexy as I'm sure Taylor's will be. In the meanwhile, Fonseca looks like one of the greats of this vintage."

We're holding in our cellar releases of this label dating back to the eighties, most notably the 1985 vintage, birthyear of son Sean. 

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, dense, mildly sweet with notes of figs, sweet cassis, vanilla, hints of creosote and toast with tongue puckering gripping sweet tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 93

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=2977974

http://www.fonseca.pt/

https://www.thewineroomonline.com/delray-beach

Max McCalman's works available at DelRay Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar:




Thursday, August 6, 2020

Big Red Flight highlights grilled steak dinner

Big Red Bordeaux Blend Flight highlights grilled steak dinner

We visited fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan and Linda and they served a wonderful dinner of grilled steaks, baked potatoes, asparagus, cheese stuffed peppers and portabello mushrooms. Dan served a spectacular flight of red wines to accompany the dinner including two Bordeaux and a Sonoma Bordeaux Blend.

Continuing our tastings of Bordeaux wines on the anniversary of our trip there a year ago this week, we started the red flight with a St Emilion Château Troplong Mondot, followed by Château Lascombs Margaux, and closing out with Les Pavots from Peter Michael.

Before dinner with a selection of artisan cheeses, olives, nuts and tapenade, I took an Andretti Montonta Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay. One of the standout cheeses was a English Shropshire Blue Cheddar.

Château Troplong Mondot Grand Cru Classe' St Emilion Bordeaux 2005

What a treat to experience this vintage release that was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

The 2005 Troplong Mondot is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

There was irony in drinking this amidst the Coronavirus pandemic as years earlier Robert Parker had written in his review/notes: "It was emotional tasting this wine, thinking of the late Christine Valette, who made this compelling wine while battling with considerable courage against an insidious disease. It is a great effort and a superstar of the vintage. ... it is a tour de force, and a great tribute to an incredible woman. Kudos to the late Christine Valette!"

Vinous rated this 98 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar and Wine Spectator both gave it 96 points.

Dense dark garnet inky purple colored, full-bodied, powerful aromatics explode from the bottle upon releasing the cork, complex yet elegant and smooth, rich intense flavors of blackberry and black raspberry with layers of cassis, mocha, spice and notes of tobacco, a hint of truffle and some subtle background oak with silky smooth tannins on the long polished finish.

RM 96 points.



@Troplong_Mondot


Château Lascombes Grand Cru Classe' Margaux Bordeaux 2010

This release was awarded 94 points by James Suckling, 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast, and 91 points by Wine Spectator, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar and Connoisser's Guide. 

This was a special treat to taste this label as a year ago this week in our trip to the Medoc, we stayed in Chambres de Marguax, literally across the lane from Château Lascombes. We walked around the property almost daily in a strolls around the commune or enroute to or from dinner in the village.

At ten years of age, this was a bit tight and closed, perhaps going through a period in this stage, deep dark garnet in color, medium to full-bodied, blackcurrant and blackberry fruits with notes of black tea, fresh herbs, and black olives with hints of clove spice, cedar and licorice, turning to chewy tannins on the finish.

RM 91 points.

 

https://twitter.com/lascombes_


Peter Michael Les Pavots Knights Valley Bordeaux Blend 2012

Peter Michael produces one of the premiere ultra-premium Bordeaux Blends from Napa Sonoma. This is the flagship wine of the Peter Michael portfolio that is highly allocated directly from the winery with occasional limited quantities in distribution. 

Peter Michael is a huge and regretable lost opportunity for me as I spent fifteen years as a senior executive with an international company headquartered in Peter Michael's home town in Newbury, Berkshire, England. Peter Michael today owns hotels, resorts, golf club and restaurants in the town. I was ten years ahead of all of this development and missed potential engagement during my almost two hundred trips to the area. I regret not getting to meet and know Peter in those early years.  His wine operations started about the time I left that position and relationship just before the turn of the century.

Les Pavots is
sourced primarily from the vineyard
of the same name on the slopes of Mount St. Helena in Knights Valley in Sonoma County. The vineyard spans 49 acres ascending to an elevation of nearly 1,400 feet with Merlot and Cabernet Franc Bordeaux varietals growing on the cool upper slopes and Cabernet Sauvignon just below.

The blend of Bordeaux varietals is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

This release was awarded 96-98 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate,  97 points by James Suckling and 95 points by Wine Spectator.

Winemaker notes for this vintage: "Deep dark color with saturated ruby color and vermillion nuance, 2012 Les Pavots reveals a deep bouquet of Cacao powder, fudge cookies, black cherry, blueberry and blackberry, licorice, with nuances of cedar, cigar box, black tea, graphite, vanilla, a stylish ‘garrigue’ touch and black truffle. Extremely full-bodied, the wine offers the same rich, ripe fruit impressions on the palate. The mouth feel is dense and round, with elegant tannins, which lead to a long finish. Complex, the 2012 Les Pavots will age gracefully for two decades and provides a classic presentation of our estate’s terroir."

Dark inky/purple-colored, big bold, full-bodied, complex, rich, ripe dense round dark black cherry, black berry brambley fruits with nuances of spice, cedar, cigar box, black tea with hints of licorice, graphite and black truffle turning to bold tangy tannins on a long finish.

RM 94 points.



Andretti Montonta Reserve Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2014
 
 
The Montona series is the premium Reserve brand available at the winery and to Club members. It is named for the Croatian village, birthplace of Andretti. 
 
We have fun with this brand with Dr Dan, a fellow Hoosier and Indy 500 Race enthusiast, supporting legendary driver and car/team owner Mario Andretti.
 
This was suprisingly good, better than expected. 
 
The golden honey color has a slight rust hue that was initially disarming but the wine was fine, medium bodied, nicely balanced and polished with integrated bright expressive notes of peach, apricot and citrus fruits with notes of vanilla and soft oak on the sinewy finish. 

RM 91 points. 

 
 
@AndrettiWine