Whitehall Lane Petit Verdot with pasta, red sauce and meatballs

Whitehall Lane Petit Verdot with pasta, red sauce and meatballs 

Midweek dinner at home, Linda prepared spaghetti with tangy red sauce and meatballs. I pulled from the cellar as a wine accompaniment a big single varietal Petit Verdot. Rather than a red blend, I was seeking a single varietal akin a traditional Italian such as Nebbiolo or Sangiovese and chose this Petit Verdot, typically a Bordeaux varietal, for its characteristic structure, full body and round fruit, to complement the pasta red sauce and meatballs. It proved to be an ideal pairing. I write often in these pages about the importance of pairing wine with food, which amplifies and multiplies the enjoyment of both when done correctly. 

Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine during our private tasting at the Whitehall Lane estate winery and vineyards in Napa during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2018. 

I wrote about Whitehall Lane estate vineyards and winery and this label in these pages and replay excerpts here. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/07/whitehall-lane-cellars-winery-visit-and.html

From post - Saturday, June 20, 2020

Whitehall Lane Petit Verdot

After a sensational Petit Verdot tasting with dinner the other evening, I pulled another 100% Petit Verdot from the cellar for a repeat, comparison tasting experience. We tasted another Napa Valley Petit Verdot, this time from Whitehall Lane which is just up the Route 29 Napa Highway from Piazza Del Dotto. This was the same vintage, 2014, as the Piazza Del Dotto we tasted the other evening. 

We tasted and acquired this label during our visit to the winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018.

Whitehall Vineyards Napa Valley Rutherford Fawn Park Vineyard Petit Verdot 2014

This is 100% Petit Verdot, sourced from the Whitehall estate Fawn Park Vineyard, located in the Rutherford appellation  (AVA - American Viticulture Area), just off the Napa Valley floor on the eastern hillside in St. Helena. It is one of seven vineyards on the Whitehall Lane estate.

Like the traditional Bordeaux producers, consistent with the percentage of fruit in a typical Bordeaux Blend, the vineyard is planted primarily to high-power Cabernet Sauvignon with just a small two-acre block of Petit Verdot. As I wrote the other evening, Petit Verdot is usually added to the blend in a small portion, usually less than ten percent, to add color and structure to the mix. 

According to Whitehall Lane, the vineyard has been producing for about twenty-five years but the property’s history pre-dates the vines or its buildings. It’s been told that local Native Americans mined the neighboring Glass Mountain where they turned the mined obsidian into tools and arrowheads. There is a home on the property that was constructed in 1865 with a second story addition made when Judge Chiles owned the estate in 1915.

A vintage barn pre-dates the house and was constructed in 1905 using timbers harvested from Howell Mountain. The property was originally used as a dairy to supply milk to the nearby St. Helena Sanitarium—now known as St. Helena Hospital.

The property was owned by the Hultman Family from 1928 to 1978, and they ran the dairy and raised chickens there. In 1978, Loren Sorenson purchased the land, planted the vineyard, dug a spring-fed pond and continued a small farm for the local 4-H program. 

Whitehall Lane was founded in 1979 and was acquired in 1993 by the current owners, the Leonardini Family of San Francisco and Saint Helena.

The property is named Fawn Park Vineyard after the road that borders the southern side of the estate. This road was originally the stagecoach road going up and over Howell Mountain to Angwin and Pope Valley.

Tasting this again, I wish I had bought more as this is a big bold expressive fruit forward style that we love.

Consistent with earlier tastings of this wine back in 2018 and 2020, this was "Dark inky blackish purple, full bodied, structured concentrated rich tongue coating black fruits, hints of clove spice and earth, with tongue puckering chalky tannins that form distinct 'legs' on the glass. This wine begs for hearty cheese, grilled steak or darkest mocha chocolate."

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2545349

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/big-red-petit-verdot-for-serious-sipping.html

https://whitehalllane.com/ 

Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot

Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot

Called to grandparents babysitting duty, we took to our son's house a BYOB to enjoy for the evening with artisan cheese and fresh fruits. We took a favorite label from a favorite producer from a memorable estate visit and tasting in Napa Valley. 

We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery and as part of the Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience, which was definitely one of the highlights of our Napa trip. 

Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot 2014

Regretably this is the last bottle of this label from a multi-case mixed assortment acquired during that visit. At nine years of age, this was likely at the peak of its tasting profile, as good as ever.

We posted earlier tasting notes of this label in 2018 and several times in 2020. 

8/13/2020 - 92 Points - Consistent with earlier tasting notes - Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/del-dotto-piazza-napa-valley-petit.html 

6/20/2020 - 93 Points - Consistent with earlier tasting, a big hit for our dinner! Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/covid-breakout-engagement-celebration.html

2/16/2020 -  92 Points - Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/del-dotto-piazza-petit-verdot-2014.html

12/22/2018 -  91 Points - Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, nicely balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of mocha, spice and hints of pepper spice with smooth lingering tannins.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinant to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics I love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Tonight this was as good as any previous tasting, showing well, benefiting from nearly of decade of graceful aging in the cellar. Wish we had more! Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza

https://twitter.com/DelDottoWine 

@DelDottoWine 
 

Team dinner at Angeli's Italian

 Team dinner at Angeli's Italian 

As my leadership team continues our workshops in strategic planning, we move to the western suburbs for a day of planning which is becoming somewhat of a routine. The out of town team members move to their suburban hotel and we gather for a pre-session dinner at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian trattoria. 

I took BYOB from our home cellar two wines I was eager to share and compare, that I expected to be ideal accompaniments to our Italian cuisine dinner. 

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Il Bruciato 2016

We discovered this wine when we dined for Saturday Brunch in NYC Chelsea Flatiron neighborhood with son Alec and Viv, we dined at La Pecora Bianca (The White Sheep) on Broadway at 26th. With my Tagliatelle with beef and pork bolognese sauce I paired my entree with this Il Bruciato Tenuta Guado al Tasso - a delicious perfect combination as each was embellished and enhanced by the other as a result. 

Upon returning home I went out and purchased more of this label release at at Malloy's, our Village wine shop. We have enjoyed it with tangy Italian pasta and meat sauce dishes. Hence, I took this tonight for our special dinner with my colleagues at our favorite neighborhood trattoria, Angeli's Italian.

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Il Bruciato 2016

As I wrote in my original posting of this wine, this is what is known as a Super Tuscan, made famous in the 70s when wine critics noted the quality rivaled that of high-end Bordeaux. 

The Bolgheri area was known for producing IGT and VdT wines based on the typical Bordeaux varietals. 

VdT classification is the first or lowest quality standard, stands for Vino da Tavola, or Table Wine. Wines marked with a VdT on the label tells you they’re made in Italy, and that’s about it. IGT classification, the second level, one step up from the VdT wines is the IGT classification, which stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica — IGT-classed wine is “typical” of a particular geography or local region. Most IGT wines are simple, made from grapes grown locally and intended to be drank young. Many IGT wines from Tuscany are made from Sangiovese, a grape with a long history in the region. Think of them as a table wine.

In 1994, the Bolgheri DOC appellation designation was created to recognize more notable, higher quality wines. DOC, or Denominazione di Origine Controllata. The key word here is Controllata, meaning that a DOC wine is produced in a specific, well-defined region in Italy, according to defined wine making rules that are designed to preserve local traditions.  These wines tend to offer great QPR - Quality Price Ratio values.

This label if from the vast portfolio of the Antinori family who have been producing fine wines for over six centuries since 1385, a history that spans twenty-six generations. They produce legendary wines from nine different estates across Italy, and since 1985 from an Estate in Napa Valley, Californina.

This label is from the Guado al Tasso estate, located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history, DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Bolgheri was approved in 1995 and since then it has become recognized for the Italian and international winemaking. 

The estate covers an area of 320 hectares (790 acres) planted with vines, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the "Bolgheri Amphitheatre" due to its particular shape. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino. The proximity to the sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure.

Il Bruciato was first produced in 2002 and has become an interpretation of Bolgheri’s unique terroir made from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from Guado al Tasso’s vineyards. The geological composition of the soil is diversified giving the wine structure and complexity.

Winemaker notes: The 2016 Il Bruciato offers an intense ruby red color. On the nose, the aromas of ripe red berry fruit, sweet spices, and a light and fresh minty note are the most prominent sensations. The palate is well structured, persistent, and very pleasurable in its fruity finish and aftertaste.

The 2016 Il Bruciato was given four months of bottle aging before commercial release.

This 2016 Il Bruciato was delicious and provides great high QPR value. Amazingly, more than one million bottles were produced at this quality level. It is great for every day casual sipping but will also stand up to special occasions and quality drinking.

This wine, “Il Bruciato,” which means “the burned” is the second wine of Antinori’s Tenuta Guado al Tasso, second to the flagship wine, “Guado al Tasso”, named after the large vineyard in Bolgheri in which the grapes are grown.

This Il Bruciato, produced to be a more approachable and contemporary style of wine than the more traditional estate wine, is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Syrah.

This was delicious again tonight in combination with our dinner entrees. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth, polished for casual easy drinking with vibrant red and black fruit flavors accented by spice, mocha and smoke with elegant soft tannins on a moderate lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

The Wine Advocate gave this 93 pts, Jame Suckling of Wine Spectator gave it 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2904858

https://www.antinori.it/en/vino/il-bruciato-en/ 

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

 

Our second bottle with dinner was a real unique wild card selection, pulled from my home cellar and brought BYOB for dinner. 

BLANKbottle Petit Verdot Pat Bird 2019

I discovered this bottle, a special selection offering from Vin Chicago. Finding it intriguing I ordered a six pack case, and now wish I had acquired more. Of course on trying to obtain more it is long gone, and not likely to be found again as it is a select bottling. I wrote about another unique BLANKbottle -  "B.I.G. SA" Swartland Cabernet Blend 2019  wine that I also purchased at the same time in a recent blogpost.  

This was another special buy from VinChicago who find and often offer such limited release labels at good value - high QPR (quality price ratio) wine finds. This seemed to be good value relative to the market price if you could find it. Being from South Africa, it had lesser brand recognition and distribution with a more limited following than more popular regional wines. Searching for this label, I found it available throughout Europe and in a few locations on the east coast, in all cases at prices ten to thirty percent to 2x higher!

During my South Africa Wine Experience in 2019, I tasted some really good wines from down there, thus was open to try some unknown labels. 

Fun with wine ... as the header of this blog states, I write about "perspectives on wine buying, collecting, tasting, a study in wine marketing & branding; observations, experiences and ruminations of a winegeek & frequent traveler." This post is the epitome of such ruminations.  

This wine is the extreme of the broad spectrum of wines and labels, the polar opposite of the grower producer terroir driven wine labels where one collects and compares the subtleties of variations of the same label from vintage to vintage over time, the same wine sourced from the same 'estate' producer owned vineyard (s).

This is from South African winemaker producer Pieter Walser, who travels the region sourcing a vast wide variety of grapes from numerous growers to produce a broad portfolio of labels, many one-of single vintage offerings, and some that are repeated. There are several American and French producers that employ this negociant method of acquiring grapes to produce a private label or own label brand. I've written in these pages the perils of 'collecting' such wines since they may never appear again. Walser notes, "At the moment, roughly 30% of our wines are once-off wines. If they perform well, they will stay on."

To his credit, he employs expensive quality packaging of these wines with heavier bottles and wax dipped capsules, and imaginative designer labels.

Pieter is regarded as one of the more innovative producers in South Africa. Pieter Walser founded BLANKbottle in 2004 to make wine of quality, excitement and mystery – for those intrigued by what’s in the bottle, not by what’s on the label. Educated in Agriculture, Viticulture and Oenology, and a nomadic, adventurous spirit, BLANKbottle was born. Pieter sought creative flexibility, not to be unconstrained by style, region, vintage and cultivars. He has developed alliances with vineyards, winemakers and wineries throughout the country (ZA), to craft a broad portfolio of unique blends of premium character. 

Pieter’s eclectic range is from vineyards positioned across the Western Cape, representing diverse regions, micro-climates, soil types, and varietals, ultimately leading to different wine styles and the ability to also introduce once-off limited runs of compelling wines.

Seeing the producer website sole photo of the winemaker, (shown left), and the way he describes himself and talks about his business and his brand, I am drawn to think this is what it would be like if Crocodile Dundee, the Australian outback movie character, were a winemaker. 

Indeed, he plays on the movie theme metaphor: “It’s our privilege to be the costume designer and screenwriter, to present this time capsule, a catalyst that brings people together, there to de-stress, entertain, – as the star headline act, in the privacy of your home.”

As Pieter tells it himself, “When I started BLANKbottle, my goal was to create an honest wine brand that had no limitations in order to break down any preconceived expectations….I’ve come to realize that the road I’m on does not necessarily lead to the perfect winery. Rather, it’s an adventure, it gives me stories to tell, and that I count as my true riches and success.” 

 

As it turns out, the Blankbottle labels that I obtained from Vin are in fact as exceptional as the wine, having, featuring creative artwork, and having recently won multiple awards, including the Grand Prix, at the 2015 Wine Label Design Awards. The "B.I.G. SA" Swartland Cabernet Blend 2019 label is ingenious and brilliant if you get a chance to check it out.

 

BLANKbottle Petit Verdot Pat Bird 2019

In trying to gather more background on this wine, all the producer website says is, "A special production exclusively to the USA. Story to come soon. A 100% Stellenbosch Petit Verdot." This is after it loads 255 different images with the notice - 'Please be patient while we load labels of our 255 different wines'. 

This bottle exceeded my expectations. It hit the mark of capturing the essence, character and profile of single varietal Petit Verdot, a full-bodied red wine that originates in Bordeaux, typically highly desired as a blending grape in red Bordeaux blends because of its plentiful color, tannin and floral aromas of violet. 

 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, muscular firm structured backbone of black berry fruits with smokey notes of tar, anise, tobacco leaf and black tea with firm but agreeable tannins on the long finish. 

 

RM 91 points. 

 
 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3967387

 

https://blankbottle.co.za/

 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/10/blankbottle-big-sa-swartland-cabernet.html

 

http://angeliscatering.com/

 

https://www.vinchicago.com/

 

https://twitter.com/vin_chicago 

 

 

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

 Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014 

Trying to support our favorite neighborhood trattoria, Angelis Italian, we took BYOB from our home cellar this Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot. We dined outside which is the only option in Illinois as the Covid lock-down is relaxed.

This label is from one of our favorite producers, which is one of our largest holdings in our collection. It is our signature wine for taking BYOB to this establishment. It was a perfect complement pairing to the anti-pasta Fig Boretta Cheese plate and our Italian cuisine dishes, Margharita Pizza and my Breaded Veal Joey with capers, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. 

Below is from my posting of this label from a previous dinner tasting on Linda's birthday earlier this year.

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

We tasted and acquired this wine as part of  our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience Tasting at the winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018. 
 
Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinate to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics we love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 92-93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting below.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/del-dotto-piazza-petit-verdot-2014.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend 2015

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend 2015

Dining outdoors at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria, we took BYOB from our signature producer for such occasions, this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley producer Del Dotto. Readers of these pages know we have been collecting Del Dotto dating back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993 and still hold decades of vintage release of more than a dozen labels - one of the largest producer holdings in our cellar collection.

We tasted and acquired this vintage release during our Del Dotto Winery Caves Tour during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017.

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend 2015

This Del Dotto Caves Blend label is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.

At five years of age, this has improved with some aging and is more integrated and balanced than in its youth. Dark purple garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright vibrant, nicely integrated and balanced black berry and black raspberry fruits with tangy notes of clove spice and hints of bitter dark chocolate turning to cloying tannins on an lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

Winemakers' notes for this release: "Dark garnet color with a bright bouquet of sweet blueberries, wet rock and fresh cut violets & flowers. Earthy flavors with hints of clove and all spice. This wine has a long, balanced finish with a kiss of oak."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-tour-barrel_12.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2381300

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@DelDottoWine 

Whitehall Lane Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot Redux - Whitehall Lane

After the sensational Petit Verdot tasting with dinner the other evening, I pulled another 100% Petit Verdot from the cellar for a repeat, comparison tasting experience. We tasted another Napa Valley Petit Verdot, this time from Whitehall Lane which is just up the Route 29 Napa Highway from Piazza Del Dotto. This was the same vintage, 2014, as the Piazza Del Dotto we tasted the other evening.

We tasted and acquired this label during our visit to the winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018.

Whitehall Vineyards Napa Valley Rutherford Fawn Park Vineyard Petit Verdot 2014

This is 100% Petit Verdot, sourced from the Whitehall estate Fawn Park Vineyard, located in the Rutherford AVA, just off the Napa Valley floor on the eastern hillside in St. Helena. It is one of seven vineyards on the Whitehall Lane estate.

Like the traditional Bordeaux producers, consistent with the percentage of fruit in a typical Bordeaux Blend, the vineyard is planted primarily to high-power Cabernet Sauvignon with just a small two-acre block of Petit Verdot. As I wrote the other evening, Petit Verdot is usually added to the blend in a small portion, usually less than ten percent, to add color and structure to the mix.
 

According to Whitehall Lane, the vineyard has been producing for about twenty-five years but the property’s history pre-dates the vines or its buildings. It’s been told that local Native Americans mined the neighboring Glass Mountain where they turned the mined obsidian into tools and arrowheads. There is a home on the property that was constructed in 1865 with a second story addition made when Judge Chiles owned the estate in 1915.

A vintage barn pre-dates the house and was constructed in 1905 using timbers harvested from Howell Mountain. The property was originally used as a dairy to supply milk to the nearby St. Helena Sanitarium—now known as St. Helena Hospital.

The property was owned by the Hultman Family from 1928 to 1978, and they ran the dairy and raised chickens there. In 1978, Loren Sorenson purchased the land, planted the vineyard, dug a spring-fed pond and continued a small farm for the local 4-H program. 

Whitehall Lane was founded in 1979 and was acquired in 1993 by the current owners, the Leonardini Family of San Francisco and Saint Helena.

The property is named Fawn Park Vineyard after the road that borders the southern side of the estate. This road was originally the stagecoach road going up and over Howell Mountain to Angwin and Pope Valley.

Tasting this again, I wish I had bought more as this is a big bold expressive fruit forward style that we love.

Consistent with our original tasting of this wine back in 2018, "Dark inky blackish purple, full bodied, structured concentrated rich tongue coating black fruits, hints of clove spice and earth, with tongue puckering chalky tannins that form distinct 'legs' on the glass. This wine begs for hearty cheese, grilled steak or darkest mocha chocolate."


RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2545349

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/big-red-petit-verdot-for-serious-sipping.html

https://whitehalllane.com/ 

Covid Breakout - Engagement Celebration Dinner

Covid Breakout - Dual Engagement Family Celebration Dinner

With son Alec and fiance Vivianna visiting from Manhatten, we met son Sean and his fiance Michelle for dinner at Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. This  was our first dinner out since the opening restaurants for outdoor dining only in Illinois as the Covid lock-down is relaxed. For Alec and Viv this was their first dinner out since NYC is still shut down.

This was our first time getting together since both Alec and Sean got engaged so it was also a special celebration dinner. Alec and Viv were due to get married next weekend but due to the Covid disruptions, their event has been postponed. Sean and Michelle's is slated for September but the outcome remains to be seen due to the uncertainties of the Illinois handling of the crisis and associated regulations.

For the celebration we took a Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne.

Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Rosé NV

We served this last month at a Bridesmaid's Luncheon for Michelle. 

This got 91 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points from John Gilman and earlier from Wine Spectator.

This is a a blend of 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier.

Rustic orange color, crisp, full-bodied, complex and zesty, lively red currant, red berry and citrus fruits with a good core, fine acidity, crisp texture, chalky minerality and hint of apple, smoke and spice with a long, vibrant finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27316





For the dinner entree's I took BYOB from our home cellar this Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot. Below is from my posting of this label from a BYOB dinner tasting on Linda's birthday earlier this year.

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

We tasted and acquired this wine as part of  our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience Tasting at the winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018. 

Readers of these posts know we can be over-indulgent, even obsessive, we have fun with wine. Part of the fun is serving wines with 'V' when dining or tasting with Vivianna. Popular labels are from Venge or Viader for such occasions. Tonight, on a different twist, we served a Petit Verdot. 

This was a big hit for our dinner tonight, everyone loved this wine. 
 
Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinate to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics we love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 92-93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting below.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/del-dotto-piazza-petit-verdot-2014.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza



We also ordered from the wine list a white wine to accompany dinner, a Jordan Sonoma County Chardonnay.

Jordan Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016

This is a popular widely available label from a long time iconic Sonoma County producer.

The winemaker's notes for this label, "Mirroring the classic elements of a grand cru Chablis, this is a rare expression of Chardonnay that shyly but exquisitely excites the senses. Pretty aromas of citrus blossom and passion fruit spring from the glass. Its elegant palate reveals flavors of lemon, Asian pear and kumquat with a beautiful weight and roundness—all supported by an attractive, crisp backbone of acidity. A lingering finish laced in succulent citrus begs you to take another sip.“

"There’s a beautiful balance to this wine. The opportunity to work with such delicately spiced fruit with such lively acidity was especially fun, offering so many aromas and flavors to employ on our vintage canvas. Similar to 2015, the 2016 Jordan Chardonnay will be remembered as very Chablis-like upon release. Expect this wine to take on more Puligny-Montrachet qualities with another 1-2 years of bottle age.” —Winemaker Rob Davis

https://www.jordanwinery.com/wines/russian-river-chardonnay/vintages/2016

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2901151

Viader V Petit Verdot 2000

Viader "V" Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2000

We discovered and acquired this label during our visit to the Viader winery estate on the lower reaches of Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008. We have since acquired and still hold more than a half dozen vintages dating back to this 2000 release. 

The Viader 23-acre estate sits at 1200 foot elevation overlooking Napa Valley. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Viader is known for its Bordeaux-style blends. The elevation is notable as that is the height that the fog reaches above the valley floor and hence is the point at which below is designated Napa Valley, and above it designated Howell Mountain. This is due to the difference terroir due to the effects of the fog on the ripening vines. 

With son Alec engaged to Vivianna, this has become somewhat of a 'signature' wine for us and our future daughter-in-law.

Readers of these posts know we have a lot of fun with wine labels associated with family members and friends, as well as vintage specific wines for birthyears, anniversaries and memorable occasions.

Tonight, we video-conferenced with Vivianna and Alec celebrating her birthday together, albeit remotely and virtually. In this case our virtual visit was due to distance between Chicago and New York, and not the isolation due to the current Coronavirus pandemic. In commemoration of her and her special day we opened this vintage release of the ultimate 'V' label and shared it via video.

Another 'V' series of labels we enjoy with and in honor of Vivianna is from Venge Vineyards, as shown.

The 'V' is a testament to the producer and winemaker Delia Viader, a remarkable and impressive lady who was born in Argentina and educated in Europe before earning graduate degrees in the U.S., a notable role model for any career minded female. It is also the branding and label for this single-varietal designated wine that is based on the Bordeaux Varietal Petit Verdot.

Delia Viader spent much of her formative years in Europe and in France where she earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne University in Paris, then pursued advanced business studies in the US at MIT, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Recognizing the potential Napa Valley wine industry in the 1980's, Delia acquired the Howell Mountain property and set out to create a world class wine estate, and continued studying Enology and Viticulture at University of California, Davis.  During this time she also raised her four children in the wine environment and culture.

We had the pleasure of meeting Delia Viader during a producer tasting evening sponsored by Binny's here in Chicago back in 2005. 

Petit Verdot (“peh-tee vur-doe”) is used as a blending grape in red Bordeaux blends because of its full body, plentiful color, tannin and floral aromas of violet. Because of its boldness, Petitot Verdot typically comprises less than 5-10% of the blend and is rarely produced as a single-varietal wine.

In recent years, Petit Verdot has emerged as a increasingly popular single varietal offering and we have collected the varietal from several of our favorite producers including Spring Valley and Del Dotto. Viader were ahead of their time in offering this as a standalone offering back in the day.

To accompany this special wine, Linda prepared a spectacular meal complete with grilled stuffed mushroom caps with sausage, jalapeno and cheese. 

Viader "V" Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2000

This released was awarded 92 points by Wine Spectator.



This is a blend primarily of Petit Verdot sourced from a 1.2-acre plot in the northeast corner of the estate of  where the soil is particularly rocky and the yields are incredibly small. The producer says, "in each vintage, these grapes are short on production but always long on personality".

The blend also contains some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Only 353 cases were produced of this release.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, firm structured blackberry and black currant fruits, licorice, spice, leather with hints of menthol and dark mocha, finishing with bright acidity and dusty, fine tannins.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3022

https://viader.com/ 

Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Red Wine 2005

Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine 2005

Shut in due to the Caronavirus lock-in, we opened this vintage aged Napa Cabernet for a Sunday afternoon dinner of leftover beef pot roast, baked potatoes and asparagus.

We discovered and acquired this label during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience when we visited Ladera Winery up on Howell Mountain. The producer of this label, Karen Culler, is/was the winemaker for Wolf Family Vineyards and Ladera Vineyards. She produced this label and another Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees under her own label.  

Karen Culler worked at Mondavi and set out on her in 1997. This label appeared in '97 and lasted for a dozen plus years until the '10 vintage, the last vintage recorded. 

This 2005 Proprietary Red La Palette is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot, all from Alexander Ranch fruit.

This label was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

Tonight, this was a perfect complement to our beef dinner and selection of artisan cheeses and fine chocolates afterwards. 

At fifteen years of age, this tasted much better and was more impressive than as noted in my tasting notes from the previous recorded tasting back in 2008 when I wrote: "October 3, 2008 - Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - RM 89 - Dark inky purple, fruit forward gooseberry, currant, red raspberry and silky firm tannins on the finish."

At that time I awarded this 89 points and I remember the tasting and found it interesting but rather uninspiring. Tonight, this was much more expressive and vibrant. Immediately upon opening, aromas burst from the bottle and filled the room.  

Consistent with that earlier tasting note, this was dark inky purple, fruit forward gooseberry, currant, red raspberry and silky firm tannins on the finish. 

Tonight it was more expressive and vibrant than I remember, and was more complex and polished, medium full bodied, black currant and black berry fruits with accents of floral, bitter chocolate, spice, graphite and notes of cedar on the tangy acidic lingering smooth tannin laced finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=499912

Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot 2014

Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot 2014 with Suparossa Italian Dinner

To celebrate Linda's birthday, and with the boys, sons and son-in-law away for the weekend skiing and boarding in the Rockies, the daughters and grandkids brought Saturday night dinner over, carry out from nearby Suparossa Italian restaurant at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.

Our Italian cuisine dinner consisted of veal picotta, rigatoni with vodka creme sauce, Italian meatballs and eggplant parmiagana and linguine with shrimp and broccoli. Afterward, of course, we had chocolate birthday cake.

To accompany dinner, I pulled from the cellar this Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot. We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery and as part of the Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience, which was definitely one of the highlights of our Napa trip.

Normally with a hearty Italian meal we open or serve Del Dotto Piazza Sangiovese, our go-to wine for such occasions and one of our favorites. We're starting to run low on our inventory holdings of the Sangiovese, so I tried this other label. It was equally fitting and spectacular for the occasion.


Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinant to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics I love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 92-93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza
 

Gala Holiday Dinner features Napa Cab Pairings

Gala Holiday Dinner features Napa Cab Pairings

 We hosted a holiday dinner with 'Pour Boy' wine buddy Dr Dan and Linda, neighbors Mark and Shirley and colleague Rick and wife Debbie. Linda prepared her classic beef tenderloin with scalloped potatoes and haricot verts and a dinner salad and fresh baked bread. We were joined later with Sean and Michelle.

Dan brought this one of a kind Special Barrel Selection 25th Anniversary release Cabernet Sauvignon from Saddleback Cellars aptly named 'Nils' for founder, patriarch and Napa winemaker legend Nils Venge. He also brought a 1996 vintage Brunello Montalcino. Ironically I had just been down in the cellar seaching for tonight's dinner wines and came across and considered a 1996 Saddleback Cellars Oakville Cabernet, essentially the same wine  as the Nils. So, this bottle provided both a vertical (multiple vintages of the same wine) comparison tasting of this label, and a mini-horizontal comparison(multiple wines from the same vintage) tasting of two same aged vintage wines, 1996.

For a further horizontal and near vertical comparison tasting, I also pulled a 1996 release of Paradigm Napa Cabernet, another Oakville appellation wine. Extending the vertical theme / approach, we later also opened a 2004 release of the Paradigm (albeit a 2006 would've completed the symmetrical comparisons).

Rick and Debbie noticed my extensive collection of Del Dotto wines and commented on their memorable visit to the Del Dotto Estate Cellar Tour and Barrel tasting. Hence, we pulled a couple of Del Dotto wines to complete our tasting flight for the evening, a vintage 1997 Cabernet Franc, and a Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot. 

For the appetizer course, Mark brought a selection of artisan cheeses and shrimp cocktail hors d'oeuvres, We served a vintage Champagne and pair of Sauvignon Blancs including our favorite, Cliff Lede.

Somewhere during our wine talk over dinner the conversation turned to Negociant wines and private labels. Dan and Linda were just returned from Thanksgiving weekend and wine tasting at the Inn at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. They talked of their two million bottle wine sales, the majority sourced from Northern California fruit and juice. I pulled a Ninety+ Cellars Lot 150 Cabernet Sauvignon as a classic fun example of such wines. More below.

Wines w/ shrimp cocktail hors d'oeuvres course -

Michel Gonet Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2009

Wines with artisan cheeses and salad course:

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Whitehaven Winemakers Select Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Red wines flight:

Saddleback Cellars Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Saddleback Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Nils Special Barrel Selection 25th Anniversary 2006
Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996
Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Ninety+ Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 150 2013

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Franc 1997 

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Rutherford Petit Verdot 2015

Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello de Montalcino 1996 

Michel Gonet Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2009

This is a vintage Champagne, as opposed to a common NV (non-vintage) blend of several vintages. 

The Michel Gonet family have been producing wine for 7 generations, since 1802. Michel Gonet expanded and improved the winery in 1973. He has since retired and turned winemaking over to daughter Sophie Signolle who manages Champagne production. She is President of Women Winegrowers of Champagne and also "l' Universe du Gout en Champagne."

The family owns 40 hectares (about 80 acres) of vineyards stretching south from the city of Epernay on the Côte des Blancs, part of which is the finest classified Grand Cru vines located in Avize, Mesnil sur Oger and Oger, the most renowned terroirs of Champagne. The vineyards' are of the finest terroir in Champagne with exceptional climate, protected by the mountain of Reims from the cold North winds and rainfalls in the Marne valley. The characteristically chalky sub-soil combines with ideal exposure to the sun. This Blanc de Blanc is composed of Chardonnay which is 80% of Gonet production. The remaining is Pinot Noir used to produce Blanc de Noir Champagne.

We visited the area during our Champagne Wine Experience back in 2006. 


Cliff Lede Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015

This is the latest release of one my favorite Sauvignon Blancs. Light straw colored, medium-light bodied, harmonious nicely balanced layers of subdued citrus, peach, pear and lychee fruit with a refreshing crisp clean, smooth acidity finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2324460

 

Saddleback Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Nils Special Barrel Selection 25th Anniversary 2006

We first met Nils Venge back in the mid-nineties when he was winemaker for Del Dotto Vineyards and Winery. We visited Nils at the Penny Lane Estate and vineyard back in 2001 when we acquired a selection of Venge Vineyards and Saddleback wines.

I was not aware of this label and was delighted that Dan discovered this and acquired some to bring and share for our dinner.

This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied with full forward black berry and black cherry fruits accented by notes of spice, black tea, leather, and dusty rose with full smooth silky tannins on the finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=673349

Saddleback Cellars Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

To compare with the Nils 2006 special release above, we opened this 1996 Saddleback Oakville Napa Cabernet. Initially a bit tight and closed, we decanted and aerated this bottle and it opened a bit more and reveal its native character and fruits over the course of the next hour.

The two Saddleback wines had remarkable similarity, being potentially the same wine but ten years removed. They showed the same basic profile and character but the '96 showed darker blackish garnet with slight hints of gray color, the same fruit profile albeit slightly subdued, accented by the same notes above of smoke, dusty leather, earth and tea.

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=73478

To compare with the '96 Oakville Napa Cab above, we also opened this Paradigm Cabernet from the same appellation and same vintage.

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

This provided an interesting comparison with the other '96 Oakville Cabernet sitting side by side. This wine had the same color and body as above. We also decanted and aerated this bottle which accentuated its bouquet and flavors which emerged further after about thirty minutes. The Paradigm showed fewer aromatics and more subdued fruit than the Saddleback above, but opened a bit more over the next hour. 

We tasted and acquired this wine during a winery visit back in 1999.

My wine tasting notes for this label from back in 2009. "This wine is showing its age, probably beyond its apex, or any chance for improvement, but still within the drinking window. Showing some diminution of fruit, giving way to non-fruit charcoal and earth tones, yet, revealed some of its native fruit character at some point during the evening.'

"I opened, decanted and then rebottled and recorked this wine an hour before setting out for the restaurant. Upon decanting it released huge aroma's of berry fruits and some floral. After opening for serving the fruit was a bit muted for almost an hour before revealing black berry and hints of sweet black raspberry, giving way to a layer of charcoal, anise and spice. Tannins were moderate on the lingering finish. This wine is still showing okay but should be consumed over the next few years."

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/08/vintage-napa-reds-vs-bold-barolo.html

 

Ninety+ Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 150 2013

Dan and Linda spent Thanksgiving weekend visiting the Inn at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina where they tasted Estate and other private labeled wines. They produce two million bottles per year although only a fraction are from grapes grown locally. The remaining majority are sourced from Northern California fruit and juice. 

We talked about Ninety+ Cellars who produce a large portfolio of wines, sourced from numerous producers and growners from around the globe. Each label is named with a unique 'Lot' number indicating the source and vintage release. This is done to anonymize the source typically acquired under non-disclosure agreements to maintain their secrecy, since they don't want to be revealed and thereby conflict with their brands. 

In this particular case, Lot 150 Cabernet Sauvignon, 'sparklers' were acquired, the name given for bottles of wine already filled but not yet labeled. The labels are applied last to avoid them being torn, stained or soiled during storage or shipping. In this case, labels were not yet applied as the wine as sold to a third party private label marketer who applied their own labels accordingly. The issue was that they had already corked the bottles with branded corks identifying the source producer, undermining their quest for secrecy or confidentiality. Only upon opening the wine is the originator source revealed! One of the reasons for seeking anonymity is that often, as in this case, the private label wine is half the price of the original source producer label, providing great QPR (quality price ratio).

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm structured backbone, complex concentrated blackberry and black currant fruits with layers of firm bone dry tannins with notes of oak, spice, hints of dark mocha, anise, leather and dust. Needs a bit more time to settle and not for the feint of heart with the rock hard tannins but if you like that style (which I do) then this is a great find at a good QPR (quality price ratio) value. This is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot aged 22 monthsin French Oak. As noted by others, and in my blogpost (url below), and my label/cork picture submission, the source for this wine is Spring Mountain Vineyards.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/01/ninety-plus-cellars-lot-150-spring-mtn.html

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Franc 1997 

We served this Cabernet Franc to compare against similarly aged Cabernet Sauvignons to contrast the different character of the Bordeaux varietals where Cab Franc is introduced into the Blend for spice, breadth and depth alongside the firmer Cabernet Sauvignon and the softer Merlot. We chose Del Dotto that Rick and Debbie visited during their trip to Napa Valley. This is one of the last remaining bottles we acquired on release back in the late nineties.

Consistent with tasting notes from two years ago, "Tonight's tasting was more consistent with notes from a few years ago, dark ruby color, medium to full body, spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this nineteen year old, accented by tones of earthy leather, cedar and tobacco with hints of anise on the smooth tannin finish."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/12/del-dotto-napa-gio-and-cab-franc-1997.html

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Rutherford Petit Verdot 2015

We tasted and acquired this wine as part of the during our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience Tasting at the winery during our Napa Wine Experience this summer. 

Like the Del Dotto Cabernet Franc above, we served this Petit Verdot to compare against similarly aged Cabernet Sauvignons to contrast the different character of the Bordeaux varietals where Petitot Verdot is introduced into the Blend for backbone, structure and color, as well as further breadth and depth, alongside the primary core Cabernet Sauvignon and or  softer Merlot.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, nicely balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black cherry fruits, with notes of mocha, spice and hints of pepper spice with smooth lingering tannins. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

Later Dan and Sean and the girls opened this vintage release '96 Brunello which rounded out our horizontal tasting of that release.

Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello de Montalcino 1996 

Dan brought this to our wine tasting this summer too. This is 100% Sangiovese for very pleasant easy drinking - ideal for food or hearty cheeses.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of earth tones, tobacco box and sweet brown spices with a tangy long spicy finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=637618

More to follow ...