Pour Boys Fall Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Fall Wine Dinner features spectacular wines and food pairings

We hosted our Pour Boys wine group fall wine dinner. Bill & Beth came in from South Carolina, escaping Hurricane Ian, Dr Dan & Linda from Indiana, and Lyle and Terry out from the City. 

We were joined by son Sean and Michelle and grand-daughter Lavender, recently new neighbors, and son Ryan and wine buddy Dave M. 

 Each time we think we have out done ourselves with a spectacular wine flight, we seem to step it up another level, and tonight was another such occasion. 

We started with a pair of premium California Chardonnays with grilled scallops in beure blanc sauce, baked brie in pastry with toasted almonds and figs, with fresh berries and toast points, and deviled eggs. 

Nickle and Nickle Sonoma County Russian River Valley Stiling Vineyard Chardonnay 2013

Sea Smoke Santa Rita Hills Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2010

Dan brought a recent release of this label which we set aside to drink this older vintage release. 

Lyle wanted to try a certain St Julien Bordeaux from his cellar so I opened an older vintage of the same label for a mini vertical tasting of Château Branaire-Ducru. We then opened another Bordeaux from the same vintage for a mini horizontal tasting as well. 

Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien 2005 and 2010

Linda and I visited and toured Château Branaire-Ducru Chateau winery and vineyards (below) during our St Julien Bordeaux Wine Experience in 2019. We also visited Pauillac and the vineyards and grounds of Château Pichon Lalande (below), one of my absolute favorite producers' labels.

 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2010

As we then moved to the dinner courses we opened a selection of California Bordeaux varietals and blends, starting with Linda's stuffed mushrooms followed by chopped wedge dinner salad. 

Linda then served grilled Tomahawk Rib-eye beefsteaks with a medley of grilled vegetables - corn, brussel sprouts, carrots, haricot verts, and onions, and scalloped potatoes.

Linda then served with the grilled Tomahawk Rib-eye beefsteaks a delicious medley of grilled vegetables - corn, brussel sprouts, carrots, haricot verts and onions, and her super scalloped potatoes.

Flight of California Bordeaux varietals and red blends - 

Chateau St Jean 'Cinq Cepages' Sonoma Red Blend 1997

We have visited the magnificent Chateau St Jean in northern Sonoma Valley numerous times over the years during trips to Napa and Sonoma, including a couple visits with Bill and Beth. 

Most recently we visited Chateau St Jean in Sonoma and did a Reserve Private Tasting with Dr Dan and Bill during our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017 (shown left).

Peter Michael 'Les Pavots' Red Blend 2011

Fellow wine buddy Ernie couldn't make it tonight. He's a wine club member from this producer and often brings this wine to our dinners. We've been fans and collectors of this wine for decades and pulled from the cellar this vintage release of a favorite label to match/compare with the same vintage Diamond Creek, another legendary label. 

Peter Michael hails from Newbury in Berkshire, England where I worked for fifteen years back in the eighties and nineties. I regret this was in the early days before he became a legendary American wine producer and hospitality entrepreneur over there, and that I never got to meet him during my almost two hundred trips to the region. 

Diamond Creek Vineyards Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Gravelly Meadow Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

We've visited Diamond Creek Winery on several occasions over the years. We did a private tasting with Bill and Beth during our Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards back in 2011, and then again with Bill and Beth and Dan for the Diamond Creek Open House 2015 Release Tasting in 2017 (shown left).

Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Vineyard Napa Valley Red Blend 2009

Brandlin Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

We were then joined by son Ryan and his neighbor, wine buddy, Dave; Ryan brought a couple of big reds from Napa Valley and Dave brought a classic Aussie Shiraz/Syrah. 

Ryan and Dave recently hosted a spectacular Boy's Night Out cellar tour and tasting that I wrote about in these pages.

Phillippe Melka 'Metisse' MontBleau Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Seven Apart 'Expedition' Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

To accompany and pare with the Melka I pulled from our cellar a vintage release for a vertical comparison. It was fun to compare these Phillippe Melka labels in light of our recent visit to Galena Cellars Vineyards and Winery where we met Eric White, President and Winemaker for Galena Cellars who in 2015,  went to cult-cab Napa Valley producer Brand, and worked with Phillippe Melka there.

Phillippe Melka 'Metisse' Napa Valley Red Blend 2000

Wine buddy Dave brought from his cellar this classic Australian Shiraz/Syrah signed by the producer.

Mollydooker Velvet Glove McLaren Vale Shiraz 2006

 This signed bottle is especially appreciated as a special bottle as it is signed by Mollydooker co-founder producer Sparky Marquis (who has since left the business). Sparky is a personal friend and fellow racing enthusiast with a colleague and business associate,  Peter F, who manages Australia and the Asia Pac region in my business.  

For dessert, Linda served her delectable chocolate mousse with homemade profiteroles with fresh berries and whipped cream. 

To accompany the dessert course we pulled from the cellar an aged birthyear vintage port from Ryan's birth year.

Warres' Late Bottled Vintage Port 1982

As the evening progressed, to settle or substantiate debates and claims, and open questions about the Napa Valley vintage years 2004 and 2005, the guys ventured back down to the cellar to pull a couple Napa Cabernets from those vintages.

Ryan and Dave - photo from
Caroline Ct Wine Boys 22

Darioush Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvigon 2004 

This was somewhat special because we were first introduced to Darioush and first had a wine dinner together with Bill and Beth at a Cress Creek Country Club wine dinner back around the millennium.

We've visited Darioush several times over the years. Most notably was a private wine dinner hosted by Darioush and Domaine de Chevalier at Everest Dining Room. Chicago, with a special dinner matched to a flight of wines from Darioush and Domaine Chevalier. 

 

This fabulous private dinner was hosted by Darioush & Shaptar Kaledi of Darioush Winery and Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier (shown left with a much younger me). Dr Dan attended with us as our guest for this special dinner.

Most recently, we all visited the Darioush Napa Valley Estate Winery Visit & Tasting during our 'Pour Boys'  Sonoma/NapaValley Wine Experience back in 2017.

 

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvingnon 2005

 

Linda and I visited the Paradigm Oakville estate winery and vineyards and were hosted by owners Ren and Marilyn Harris back in 1999, as part of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 1999, and have been collecting this label every since.

Unless we manage another group dinner in the meantime, we'll next meet for our annual OTBN - "Open That Bottle Night", as is customary, the last Saturday in February. Following the seasons, we'll meet down on Seabrook Island in Charleston at Bill and Beth's. We hope then to possibly be joined by Bob & Gloria from Palm Beach County, and perhaps Ernie, and possibly Eric and Cathy, whom were all unavailable for tonight's gala.

Melka CJ Napa Valley Cabernet BYOB at Carnivore & Queen

Phillippe Melka 'CJ' Napa Valley Cabernet BYOB at Carnivore & Queen

We went out to dinner with son Sean and d-in-law Michelle and dined at Carnivore & The Queen in adjacent Downers Grove, IL. I took from our wine cellar BYOB this Napa Valley Red wine to accompany our entree dinner selections - NY Strip Steak and Bone-in Veal Chop. 

 

Closing in on celebrating our grandaughter's, Sean and Michelle's daughter, Lavender's first birthday, this was a fun choice with its whimsical label with the child's hand-prints on the label and foil, as this label is named for and dedicated to the winemakers' two children. 

There's another reason I selected this label, from producer Phillippe Melka, a producer we know well and hold several of his labels across two decades of vintages. Phillippe was the mentor for Eric White of Galena Cellars Vineyards and Winey in Galena, IL, whom we met during our stay in the estate guest house during our getaway holiday week before last.

Philippe and co-proprietors and co-winemaker for Melka Estates, wife, Cherie Melka produce four distinct brands that reflect their philosophy of soil driven wines:  Métisse from Napa Valley, Mekerra from Sonoma Valley, Majestique from sites around the world and CJ, also from Napa Valley.

Both Philippe and Cherie are both academically prepared for their distinctive careers and achievement in winemaking.  Philippe having degrees in Geology, Agronomy and Enology; and Cherie in Microbiology from the US and a diploma in French Studies from the University of Bordeaux III. 

Philippe learned winemaking and vineyard techniques from legendary prestigious estates such as Haut Brion, Chittering Estate, Badio O Coltibuono, the Moueix domains and Dominus.  Cherie was more self-taught as a enologist gaining her wine knowledge from equally impressive estates such as Ridge Vineyards, Beaulieu and Silver Oak Cellars.  Their combined science backgrounds and extensive experience in the industry make them a perfect team in their winemaking endeavors.

The Melka brand started in 1996, when Philippe and Cherie moved back to Napa Valley from France and set out to produce their own brand, despite each working for different wineries.  They started modestly with only two wines in 1996, Métisse and CJ for a total case production of 500.

After years of consulting, Philippe and Cherie opened up Melka Wines, in 1996, celebrating their first vintage of a Bordeaux styled Red Wine labeled Melka Metisse with a total production of 500 cases. Soon after, Melka’s success would eventually lead him to 3 more labels, the Mekerra, Majestique and the first vintage of CJ in 1996, the year Jeremy was born with production of only 200 cases.

Melka Estates started with Philippe and Cherie Melka sourcing fruit for their first two labels, two wines  named in honor of their two children Chloe and Jeremy and Metisse. They have since grown to four collections, CJ (a red blend very approachable in its youth sourced from premium vineyards throughout the Napa Valley), Metisse (a word that means ‘blend of cultures’ with wines from the Napa Valley), Mekerra (from the property they own in Sonoma County) and Majestique (single vineyard wines from outside of the Napa Valley). As a footnote, one quickly realizes the affinity the Melka’s have for the letter ‘M’.

Philippe grew up in Bordeaux, earned his degree in Geology at the University of Bordeaux and later his Master’s degree in Agronomy and Enology. His first wine job was at Château Haut Brion in Bordeaux. His first introduction to the Napa Valley came in 1991 as an intern with Christian Moueix, proprietor of Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux and Dominus in Napa Valley. Philippe came to Dominus to study soils – then spent a few years as a traveling winemaker and ultimately settled in the Napa Valley in 1994.

Melka CJ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Cherie earned a degree in Microbiology at Northern Arizona University and worked for a while in pharmaceuticals as a laboratory technician. In 1989, she moved to California and took her first winery job for Paul Draper at Ridge Vineyards where she ran the lab for five years. It was here that she met Philippe who was working the vineyards.

The list of Napa wineries that Philippe has worked with over the years reads like a whose whose list of the valley – Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate, Brand, Bryant Family, Dana Estates, Lail, Hundred Acre and Tusk Estate among many other well-regarded brands.

The vineyards that contribute to the making of Melka wines are sourced from relationships with growers over the 20 years that they’ve been making this wine. Two primary sources of fruit for CJ are Soda Canyon, a unique area in Napa Valley near Oakville with hillside fruit, and Broken Rock has brought more fresh crushed rocks, good acidity and more massive tannins. 

This was a perfect complement to my NY Strip grilled beefsteak and sauteed portabella shiitake mushrooms with red wine reduction, and, the Dark Chocolate Flowerless Torte cake for dessert. 

At eighteen years, the fill level, label and cork were perfect. This was most likely at the apex of its drinking window and profile and will not likely improve with further age, but should last up to another decade.  

This is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot.

This release got 92 points from Wine Spectator.

 Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, firm, structured, tight, concentrated ripe, rich and lush blackberry and wild berry fruits with pointed notes of gritty eucalyptus cedar notes, black tea, dark mocha and cigar box with firm focused tannins on the finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=283194

https://www.melkaestates.com/

https://twitter.com/MelkaEstates

https://carnivoreandthequeen.com/

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet 2004

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

As the Coronavirus shut-in continues, tonight, we ordered out from Angelis Italian, our favorite neigborhood trattoria and wanted a special bottle of wine, so we pulled from the cellar this Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet.

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner. 

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

Long Shadows Duo Showcase Katy Business Dinner

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Duo - Pirouette and Pedestal Showcase Katy Business Dinner

Traveling to Katy (Tx) for a team and partner meeting, we dined at The Cellar Door for a partner teaming dinner. We selected the venue based on their menu, wine selection, and ambiance and atmosphere suitable for a secluded business dinner. What we took for granted and didn't account for was slow, inattentive and bordering on inept service.

The site was ideal for our dinner discussions, the soup and salads were excellent and the menu selection options were ideal. The winelist offered an ideal imaginative and well assembled selection to accompany our dinner entrees.

The evening would have been perfect if we could have gotten basic table services - water refills, timely food delivery, and coordinated serving of the food with wine service to accompany our food selections.

Our first choice from the wine list was not available. Secondarily then, for the steak entrees I ordered a couple wines from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection - Pirouette and Pedestal.

I've written in these pages about Long Shadows and their collection of notable legendary winemakers selected to produce a signature wine sourced from Washington State vineyards.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pirouette 2016

The 2016 Pirouette is made by Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, selected to produce this signature label for the Winemakers Collection.

We have long been fans of  Philippe Melka and his signature labels Matisse and 'CJ', named for his children.

While we had owned the various labels over the years, we really discovered Long Shadows at the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room during our Woodinville Wine Experience. We joined their club and have been taking regular shipments of the collection ever since. They provide remarkable wines at great value relative QPR.

Philippe Melka, widely recognized as one of the leading craftsmen of his trade, graduated from the University of Bordeaux, France, where he received a degree in geology in 1989.  After taking a course in Terroir and Viticulture, he aspired to become a winemaker. After earning a second degree in Agronomy and Enology, he applied what he learned working at prestigious wineries in Australia, Italy, California and France, including some of the world's most revered producers, Petrus, Haut Brion and Dominus, among others.

In Napa Valley, Melka honed his craft while contributing to the production of several highly acclaimed wines from a number of the most elite estates including Marston, Seavey, Constant, Lail, Bryant Family, Caldwell, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Vineyard 29.

Today, Philippe Melka and his wife, Cherie, reside at Melka Cellars in Napa Valley. Cherie is an accomplished wine professional and laboratory manager at Silver Oak.

Long Shadows Pirouette, crafted by Melka, is a Bordeaux Style Red Blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, sourced from leading vineyards in Columbia Valley in Central Washington State.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is from Red Mountain Vineyards, manifested in this wine in the structure and textured richness characterized by the grapes from this acclaimed growing region. From the Dionysus Vineyard, Petit Verdot adds layers of complex aromas and flavors. The remainder of the blend is from select Wahluke Slope vineyards. The Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine; Cabernet Franc adds a hint of earthiness; and Malbec contributes appealing spice and beautiful color.

Critic Jeb Dunnuck gave the 2016 Pirouette 97 Points calling it "a total blockbuster, .... deep, rich, opulent red that has sweet tannins, a thrilling texture, no hard edges, and a monster finish. This is another best-to-date from this estate and it's an awesome wine." 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegantly polished, smoothly textured, a symphony of finely integrated layers of ripe blackberry and black cherry accented by notes of dark chocolate, cassis, spice and a nice complement of oak with silky tannins and soft mouthfeel on a lingering vibrant finish.

RM 94 points. 

For our second wine of the evening, I selected another Bordeaux varietal from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, Pedestal Merlot.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Columbia Valley Merlot 2014

Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot is crafted by Michel Rolland , considered to be one of the most influential winemakers in the world.  A graduate of the esteemed Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology, he operates out of his laboratory in Pomerol, France and consults for over 100 vintners and vineyards worldwide, producing wines with an alluring style recognized as the “Rolland Method”.

Rolland has partnership interests around the globe, including his involvement with Long Shadows Vintners.  From his home in Pomerol in the Bordeaux region, he owns and manages a number of holdings and fine wine estates including Chateau Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Chateau Bertineau Saint-Vincent in Lalande-de-Pomerol, Chateau Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Emilion, and Chateau Fontenil in Fronsac.  In addition, Michel manages the Chateau La Grande Clottee in Lussac-Saint-Emilion under a vineyard lease system.

The 2014 Pedestal is a Bordeaux Blend of 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The blend consists of equal parts Merlot from three distinct vineyards from Washington State Columbia Valley: Conner Lee Vineyard brings dark cherry flavors; Dionysus Vineyard adds to the wine’s elegant mouthfeel and deep color; The Benches Vineyard Merlot contributes refined texture. Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Taptiel Vineyard gives the wine its richness and structure. Weinbau Cabernet Franc provides an added layer of complexity and character.

The 2014 Pedestal was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, it has concentrated ripe blackberry and black currant fruit flavors with subtle notes of floral, spice, mocha and hints of tobacco and anise with moderate tannins on the smooth soft velvety finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2503950

https://longshadows.com/

For a finale we ordered this SA Cabernet Franc to close out the courses.

Achával Ferrer Mendoza Cabernet Franc 2015 

This is a single-variety blend from different regions, combining the essence of Luján de Cuyo, Medrano and and Tupungato in the Uco Valley, with a small percentage from Perdriel. It aged for one year in used French oak barrels.

Deep ruby color. Aromas of black cherries, juicy plums, along with tobacco leaf, menthol, sweet roses, coffee and cedar. Impressive structure on the palate, full-bodied and velvety but grip on the tannins, medium acidity. Black cherries and crunchy plum fruit mixes well with cocoa, coffee, spiced black tea, tobacco. Complexity and depth is impressive, but this is still an accessible and friendly wine.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, bright black fruits, notes of tobacco leaf, olive, black tea, coffee and hint of pepper  with lively acidity and fine tannins.

RM 88 points.

It was Rated 90 by Wine Advocate

http://www.achaval-ferrer.com/eng/index.php

https://www.cellardoorkaty.com/

Festive Holiday Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Festive Holiday Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

For son Alec's last night at home for the holidays before returning to NYC, we normally would've dined out at his 'alma mater' restaurant where he worked through high school and college, Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria. Instead, we opted for another favorite Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park. We were accompanied by Sean and Michelle.

To accompany our authentic Provencal cuisine, I took a Bordeaux Blend from the cellar, Pirouette from Washington State Long Shadows, crafted by Frenchman turned California and subsequently Washington State winemaker, Philip Melka.

We're long time fans of the work of Philip Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker. He collaborates with Long Shadows to craft this label from small lots sourced from Washington State's finest vineyards. We visited Long Shadows during our Woodinville, Washington Wine Experience this summer where we tasted and acquired the current release of this label. Tonight we drank a fourteen year old 2004 vintage release.

Long Shadows Vintners is a collection of seven ultra-premium Columbia Valley wines showcasing the viticulture of the growing region and features internationally acclaimed winemakers who inspired them.

Founded in 2003 by Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup, the Long Shadows project is based on the collaboration of notable winemakers from around the world, each known for a particular varietal based wine. Each vintner was given access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery to accommodate their exacting cellar specifications. The imaginative project has been an immense success and the wines have received critical acclaim vintage after vintage. Long Shadows has collectively  won numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

Philippe Melka is the creator of Pirouette, his first wine from Washington State, as he normally hails from Napa Valley where he is involved in cult favorites Hundred Acre, Seavey Vineyard, Dana Estates and Vineyard 29, as well as his own branded namesake labeled wines. Robert Parker Jr. wrote in the March 2013 issue of Food and Wine magazine, "Anything associated with (his) name is of undeniably high, high quality."

Melka had worked with Quintessa owner Agustin Huneeus, Sr. who introduced him to Allen Shoup and Long Shadows. Huneeus was a longtime friend of Shoup and became the first vintner to embrace Allen's vision for Long Shadows. He introduced Philippe as the perfect winemaker to craft the Bordeaux blend both he and Allen envisioned.

Philippe was born and educated in Bordeaux, earning a master's degree in agronomy and enology. He learned the trade and honed his skills at some of the world's most famous wineries including Château Cheval Blanc, Petrus and Château Haut-Brion, where he developed his passion for cabernet-based blends, like Pirouette. 

For our first course selections we drank from the winelist Louis Roederer NV Champagne with the Lobster Bisque, Foie Gras du jour and salads.

Hemingway's is known for a selection of fresh seafoods and most of us followed suit. Linda ordered the Striped Sea Bass, Alec had the diver sea scallops, Sean and Michelle had the crusted whitefish and I had the strip steak au poivre' entrees.

For dessert, Linda shared the chocolate souffle and I had the trio of sorbets, black raspberry, mango and strawberry. 


Long Shadows Pirouette Red Wine Blend 2004

I brought this Bordeaux Blend to accompany my Strip Steak aux poivre'.  While it is a blend of Bordeaux varietals Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, it also contains a percentage of Syrah. It seems the Syrah almost predominated with a residual sweetness un-befitting the blend. The blend is 49% Cabernet, 37% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot and 11% Syrah. It is showing no signs of diminution from aging at fourteen years and seems to still be at the apex of its drinking window.

The cork came apart on opening so the server had to decant this and strain it to remove the crumbled cork and residual sediment. Bright ruby colored, medium-full bodied, vibrant, rich concentrated forward black and blue fruits with highlights of black cherry, notes of cassis, spice and hints of cedar and creosote giving way to sweet almost obtuse bing cherry notes on the tangy lingering finish.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=317596

http://www.longshadows.com/

 http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/

Long Shadows Cellars feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit

Long Shadows Cellars feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit

A major highlight of our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour was a visit to the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room. Long Shadows is an extraordinarily and unique concept in collaboration between world class distinguished wine makers and grape growers in the Washington Columbia Valley. 

Long Shadows was the creation of Allan Shoup, leader of Chateau St Michelle from 1983 to 2000. There he introduced Washington State grapes to winemakers from around the world in collaboration to produce quality wines. 

After retirement from Chateau St Michelle he founded Long Shadows to produce world class ultra-premium wines in Washington. He built a state of the art winery in Walla Walla and recruited a team of legendary producers to craft signature wines from the best vineyards' fruit from the Washington Columbia Valley. Three years into the new venture Long Shadows was awarded the Winery of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine. 

Shoup recruited a top winemaker with expertise and a track record producing best in class wine in each category or type of wine based on varietal grape. Marketed under the Vintners Collection, each of the Long Shadows labels in a testament to the legend of the winemaker for each label based on each varietal. The winemakers and their wine labels are:

Randy Dunn and Feather Cabernet Sauvignon - Randy has been producing Dunn Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley for three decades. 

Philip Melka and Augustin Huneeus - Noted for Napa Valley leading wine labels, they produce a Washington State Bordeaux Blend under the label Pirouette. 

Philip was named by Robert Parker as one of the Top Ten Winemaker Consultants in the World. He earned his handicraft at legendary Chateau Haut Brion and has consulted for notable Napa labels including Gemstone, Hundred Acre, Lail, Seavey, Vineyard 29, Bryant Family Vineyards, Caldwell, Cliff Lede, Dalla Valle, and with Augustin at his well known Quintessa.

 

This is the Syrah varietal member of collection and was crafted by legendary John Duval who was winemaker for Australia’s iconic Penfolds Grange for 16 years. John Duval came to Washington State's Columbia Valley in 2003 as the “sequel” to his life’s work with Syrah. 

Saggi is a Super Tuscan style blend produced by Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, producers from one of Tuscany's leading wine families dating back to the 1700's. 

Pedestal Merlot is a Merlot produced by Michael Rolland, PhD and winemaker for or advisor to some of the world's most exclusive wineries across Bordeaux including top producers Clinet, l'Evangile, and Ausone in St Emilion and Pomerol.

Rolland's has been involved in notable projects outside of Bordeaux including some of the highly regarded Napa Valley wineries including Dalla Valle Vineyards, Jericho Canyon Vineyard, Harlan Estate, Staglin Family Vineyard, and Bryant Estate. 

Lastly, Chester Kidder, a new world blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other Bordeaux varietals. Named after Allan Shoup's grandparents, Charles Chester and Maggie Kidder, this wine is crafted by Long Shadow's director of winemaking Gilles Nicault. Gilles is also the winemaker for the Den Hoed wine label that we tasted during this trip with one of our culinary gourmet meals.

We've known the Long Shadows brand and have collected the Pirouette and Feather labels since the earliest vintages. We're long time fans of both Randy Dunn and Phillip Melka, producer of those labels. We hold more than a dozen vintages of Randy Dunn's Napa Valley and Howell Mountain Cabernets dating back to the early 1980's. We hold nearly a dozen vintages of Philip Melka wines marketed under numerous labels. 

The tasting at Long Shadows of the most recent releases prompted us to join their highest participating level club to ensure allocation of each vintage of each of these labels going forward. 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection

Julia’s Dazzle Rose’ 2017

Long Shadows Wineries Riesling Poet's Leap 2017

Pedestal Columbia Valley Merlot 2015 by Michel Rolland
Blended w/ Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

Feather Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 by Randy Dunn

Pirouette Bordeaux Blend 2015 by Augustin Hunneeus, Sr and Philippe Melka
Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 21%, Petit Verdot 11%, Malbec 3%

Chester Kidder Columbia Valley Red Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 by Gilles Nicault
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot

Sequel Columbia Valley Syrah 2015 By John Duvall, renowned winemaker for Penfolds Grange

More to follow ...