Showing posts with label Piggott Range. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Piggott Range. Show all posts

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Diverse Reds for Duck Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Diverse Reds for Duck Inn Hot Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Returning from a overnight trip to Indiana, a day in Lafayette and a day in Indy, we stopped in St John to visit fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan and Linda for a impromptu dinner. Dan grilled 'Duck Dogs', produced by Duck Inn in Chicago as a tribute to the classic Chicago Hot Dog, all beef hot dogs with a small amount of duck fat, and grilled sirloin beef burgers. Both were delicious.

The Duck Inn Dog has received numerous local and national accolades, including being named Top Dog by Food Network and Best Hot Dogs in Chicago by Food & Wine magazine.

We dined at Duck Inn with the Pour Boys together back in 2021 as presented in this blogpost - Duck Inn Chicago Unique Dining Experience.

With dinner, Dan pulled from his cellar a medley of diverse reds. Putting a call out for requests, I asked if we could start with a California Pinot Noir, following our recent tastings of a flight of such wines. 

Dan served an ultra-premium Seasmoke Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, followed by an ultra-premium Aussie Shiraz.

SeaSmoke 'Ten'  Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2015

This is from Sea Smoke's estate vineyard in the Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills AVA.

Dan is a member of their wine club and gets access to these highly allocated very popular wines.

Owner/producer Bob Davids acquired the property in 1999. They produce Pinot Noir grown exclusively on the south-facing hillsides of the estate vineyards. 

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. It is known to have the perfect microclimate for growing world-class Pinot Noir, with crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soils. The Santa Ynez River canyon funnels the cool maritime fog layer (sea "smoke") across the hillsides, slowing the ripening process and providing the extended maturation period essential to the development of top-quality Pinot Noir. The shallow clay soils are planted to French clones on vigor-reducing rootstocks, resulting in fewer grape clusters of intense flavor, ripening optimally while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance. 

Sea Smoke's "Ten" is named for the ten different Pinot Noir clones planted in their estate vineyard which all find their way into this bottling. 

Sea Smoke notes is "the most masculine wine of their multiple labels, brooding and intense, with firm, mature tannins and a long, velvety finish. Ten is not for the faint-of-heart and has been known, on occasion, to convert even the most fanatic Cabernet lover."

Winemaker Don Schroeder explains, “The wealth of clones at our vineyard is one of the keys to the complexity of our wines.” This bottling is made from all ten clones farmed directly from the organic- and Biodynamic-certified estate vineyard: Aged 16 months in French oak, it shows scents of chocolate syrup and baked plum pudding. A solemn Pinot, it remains extravagant with flavors of black cherry washed with rose petals and rhubarb. Tilled soil, beet root, and firm tannins prove its profundity."
 
Winemaker Notes - A brooding and intense wine. The dark fruit dominant aromas begin with notes of cola, Black Cherry and Blueberry, then some Asian spice, chocolate and a hint of Rose petals. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten’s ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish. 

The wine was aged for 16 months in 60% new French oak before bottling. 

This was rated  95 points by the Tasting Panel and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and a Cellar Selection.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright concentrated black cherry and black plum fruits with notes of clove spice, vanilla bean, pepper and earth.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2612871

https://www.seasmoke.com/

Next Dan pulled one of our favorite labels, a big hearty Aussie Shiraz.

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah McLaren Vale South Australia 2011

I wrote about this label in an earlier blogpost. "This vintage release of this label was not as big or fruit filled as the other releases I have tasted, taking on a little bit more menthol and acidity than the more complex concentrated fruit flavors of the 2004 that we paired and compared. One Cellartracker reviewer MMack gave it 92 points and compared it to a CDP (Chateauneuf du Pape). Vivino reviewer DcLaxFan also likened it to a Rhone, he wrote "From a winery founded by a biochemist, the Syrah opens with a nose of smoked meat, mulberry, tapenade, and plum. Savory mouth of prunes, brisket, cassis, and earth. A wild, smoky, meaty feel like a Rhône Vacqueyras."'

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1953014

Dan then pulled from his cellar this surprise label. We both acquired this label as part of our wine club allocation from the producer. Linda and I actually took this label to Florida on our recent trip to enjoy but never got the chance to drink it and brought it back to have at a future occasion. Tonight, we got to try this new label bottling we've been eager to try! 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

This is from Force Majeure, an ultra-premium producer winery located in the Walla Walla Valley, specializing in estate-grown, single-vineyard Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines. Force Majeure wines are the handicraft of Todd Alexander, former winemaker for Bryant Family Vineyards and a couple of other notable Napa producers. He and his wife Carrie relocated their family to Walla Walla to take on the Force Majeure estate and brand. I featured Todd in these pages when he took on that role back in 2016 - Todd Alexander joins Force Majeure Winery.

We visited the Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate back in 2018 and wrote about that visit in this blogpost at the time - Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting, as part of our Walla Walla AVA Visit that provided the opportunity to visit this vibrant emerging wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and experience the best of Red Mountain and Walla Walla appellation wines. We walked the estate vineyards, source for this wine with the rocky soil, and thus were excited to eventually receive this release of this wine as part of our club allocation.

Force Majeure had recently acquired two new vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. The site is within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, just across the Oregon side of state line border. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA.

The Rocks District is named for the rocky deposits left by the Walla Walla River where the river exits the foothills of the Blue Mountains and enters the Walla Walla Valley. It resembles the gravelly soil of the Southern Rhone River Valley in Chateauneuf du Pape. The Rocks District of Milton Freewater is the country’s newest AVA. Wine Spectator calls this AVA “perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir."

The unique riverbed of cobblestones and pebbles is as much as two hundred feet deep, formed 12,000 years ago from massive floods that swept through the region caused by ruptures in the ice dam that held Montana's glacial Lake Missoula. The Rocks District is a 12-square mile alluvial fan of 3,770 acres. 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

The property is partially within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, on the Oregon side of the border, and is located adjacent to the site of our new winery. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Rocks District is an alluvial fan, and the cobbles that define the area are a result of deposits left by the Walla Walla River. 

This vineyard was planted between 1992 and 1994, and has a diverse soil profile covering the cobble stones, highest at the north end of the property and most shallow at the southern end. This gives us a lot of diversity within a small area, and the grapes will have different characteristics depending on the soil composition where they are grown. This vineyard is in an area proven to have very distinct terroir.

The unique topography and geological variants in these vineyards provide fruit characterized by stunning intensity, depth, concentration and complex flavors.

This wine was rated 20/20 points, Rand Sealey, Report on Washington Wines 

All Syrah that saw 30% stems and roughly 30% new barrels,

Inky dark purple garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant complex black cherry with some blue fruit tones, with notes of earth, violet, pepper and herbs, with chalky minerality and tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4624205

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/ 

@ForceMVineyards


Saturday, June 17, 2023

Pour Boys Impromptu Wine Dinner on the deck

 Pour Boys Impromptu Wine Dinner on the deck features top flight Napa Cabernets and medley of reds and whites

We hosted a short notice impromptu wine dinner with Pour Boys Dan and Lyle Saturday evening on the deck. Linda prepared grilled New York Strip beefsteaks with stuffed mushrooms, toasted cheese bread, mashed potatoes, gezpacho soup and tomato and burrata salad. 

Dan and Lyle brought some classic wines from their cellars and I matched or complemented each with matching labels from our cellar, plus several selections to accompany and complement the dinner.

I also pulled a couple of bottles I was eager to try. Following our recent gala Pour Boys Winers and Diners Cityscape wine dinner where Cos d' Estournel was one of the WOTN - Wines of the Night, I was eager to try this aged vintage Cos from our cellar, but held it for a special occasion such as tonight when I could share it with fellow oenophiles. 

Similarly, I recently acquired this 100 point Alvaviva Concho y' Toro Chilean red wine, the Chilean property of the legendary first growth Bordeaux producer Baron Phillip Rothschild, that I was eager to try and share. 

Lyle brought from his cellar a premium Beringer Private Reserve Napa Cabernet so I matched it with a David Arthur from the same vintage, 2008. Additionally, we opened this aged vintage Cos that I was eager to try following the WOTN (Wine of the Night) showing of this label at Terry and Lyle's gala Pour Boys dinner recently.

 
Dan brought from his cellar a vintage premium Aussie Shiraz, Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggot Range so I pulled a near age label, Montes Folly. We also matched these with the 100 point Alvaviva Concho y' Toro Chilean red wine from the Baron Phillip Rothschild Chilean estate, that I was eager to try and share.


For a starter, prior to dinner and with the chilled gazpacho soup and a tomato, burrata balsamic salad course, we opened a casual easy sipper Napa Valley Rutherford appellation Sauvignon Blanc. Later in the evening we also opened this aged dessert wine.

To close the evening with the grilled peaches on angel food cake and fresh chocolate brownie desserts, I opened another Beringer label, Nightingale Sauterne blend style dessert wine. Look at the dramatic difference in the color of these two white wines! 

The flight:

  • Long Meadow Ranch Napa Valley Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc 2018
  • Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
  • David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
  • Chateau Cos d' Estournel St Estephe Bordeaux 1979
  • Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggot Range Shiraz 2011
  • Montes Folly Shiraz 2010
  • Baron Phillip Rothschild Almaviva Concho y' Toro Chile 2017
  • Beringer Nightingale Botrytized Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2004

 

Long Meadow Ranch Napa Valley Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc 2018 

Long Meadow Ranch farms in 3 counties over 2,000 acres of grapes, olives, fruits, vegetables and pasture. The Mayacamas Estate is rugged 650-acre landscape nestled in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains also gave way to a long, sweeping meadow, thus the name Long Meadow Ranch was born. 

Their restaurant tasting room hospitality center is on St Helena Highway as you enter town from the south.

Winemaker notes - “A beautiful growing season produced another early and expeditious harvest of outstanding quality. Our overnight picks and slow cold fermentations resulted in rich aromas of pink grapefruit, lemon verbena, and lychee on the nose that carry through to lime zest, lemon curd, and guava on the palate. Crisp, clean, elegant, and mouthwatering, the always versatile Sauvignon Blanc is fit to quaff and pair.” – Justin Carr

https://www.longmeadowranch.com/shop/wine/sauvignon-blanc-rutherford/

Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

This is the flagship Cabernet from one of the most storied producers in Napa Valley. Beringer dates back 1868, when Jacob Beringer, emigrated from Germany, and settled in Napa Valley 1869 where the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor resembled that of vineyards back home in Germany. He became cellar foreman for Charles Krug, one of the first commercial winemakers in Napa Valley. In 1875, he and his brother Jacob purchased 215 acres adjacent to Charles Krug in St. Helena for $14,500. The Beringer Brothers' first harvest and crush followed in 1876 producing nearly 40,000 gallons of wine, or 18,000 cases, that first year. 

The Beringer Cabernet was named #1 Wine of the Year for the 1986 Cabernet by Wine Spectator (1990 edition). Six years later, Wine Spectator named the 1994 Chardonnay #1 Wine of the Year (1996 edition) - this is special because not only is it the first time a white wine has ever garnered that top spot, but Beringer was the first and only winery to ever have both a red and a white wine in that top slot. 

Former Chief Winemakers Myron Nightingale and Ed Sbragia created the Private Reserve program in 1977 as the flagship labels of the portfolio. The Private Reserve Chardonnay was introduced with the 1978 vintage, and together these wines have earned three decades of extraordinary accolades, including two "Wine of the Year" awards. The 2015 and 2016 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon vintages were awarded back to back 99-point scores.

The fruit for this 2008 vintage release was predominantly (80% St. Helena, 18% Steinhauer) sourced from the Home Vineyard on the Beringer estate just on the outskirts of St. Helena. This vineyard was part of the original 215 acres Jacob Beringer purchased in 1875. The Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the sloped sedimentary soil of this 48-acre vineyard has been a key component of our Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon since 1982.

The remainder of the Cabernet was sourced from the Steinhauer Ranch vineyard, located at 1,800 feet on Howell Mountain, this 36-acre vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc sits above the fog, exposed to cool mountain temperatures and high solar radiation. The vineyard is named in honor of Beringer's longtime vineyard manager Bob Steinhauer.

The final blend includes a touch of Petit Verdot (1%) and 1% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Howell Mountain AVA Bancroft Ranch Vineyard. The mountainous 89 acre vineyard has nutrient-poor, rocky soils at 1,800 feet, and produces the intense Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in this Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaker Notes - "The 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon shows youthful characters of fresh blackberry, black cherry and blueberry, and has bright characteristics of blackberry and blueberry aromas, accented by notes of toast, graphite, cedar and brown spices. The palette is rich and supple with seamless, mouth-coating tannins. The rich, juicy fruit core is highlighted by flavors of cassis, blackberry, sweet cocoa and a light savory note. A nice acidity lifts the fruit and carries it into a prolonged, pleasing finish."

This was awarded 93 points by Stephen Tanzer and 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator. 

Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, dense concentrated but superbly balanced and integrated, bright expressive ripe sweet blackberry and black raspberry fruits predominate with layers of cassis, dark mocha, with hints of oak, vanilla and graphite. Wine Spectator set the drinking window through 2023 and it certainly appeared to be at its apex. 

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1155222

https://www.beringer.com/

https://twitter.com/beringervyds @beringervyds

https://twitter.com/beringerwinery @beringerwinery

David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

The superb Beringer Cabernet was ideally matched by this premium label from the southern end of the Vaca Mountain range of Napa Valley. I pulled this 2008 vintage release to compare with the Beringer for a mini-horizontal tasting. 

We have fun with this label produced by the Long Family on the Long Family Ranch, high atop Pritchard Hill. We visited the David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013. We were joined on that trip by the other of  the Ned Long daughters, wife Linda and sister Pat, who grew up on the Long Family (no relation) farm in Indiana.

David Arthur Vineyards was founded in 1985 by brothers David and Bob Long on land their father Don Long purchased in the late 1950s. David settled in Napa Valley in 1977 and learned the wine business from the ground up working at nearby Chappellet, Joseph Phelps and Schramsberg. 

David prepared the Long Family Ranch site in 1978-79 and planted the first grapes in 1980. Don’s youngest son, David Arthur, founded the winery with his then wife, Joye Dale, in 1985 with the purchase of 30 French oak barrels. The first vintage was the 1985 Chardonnay followed by the first red wine, Meritaggio, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Sangiovese in 1992 and then Cabernets.

David and Joye’s daughter, Laura Long, now work side by side with her father running the day-to-day operations of the winery and vineyards.

This David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 was awarded 93 points Wine Enthusiast. 

This was a great comparison tasting of the same vintage Beringer, both showing superbly at fifteen years of age, likely both at the apex of their drinking windows.

This is blended with 11% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, slightly softer and more focused and less complex than the Beringer, since this is sourced from but one single vineayard site, black raspberry and black currant fruits with notes of vanilla, cocoa, hints of mineral, mint, toasty herbs and oak.

RM 93 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2403639

https://www.davidarthur.com

https://twitter.com/DavidArthurVine

@DavidArthurVine


Chateau Cos d' Estournel St Estephe Bordeaux 1979

As noted above, we tasted together this label from a near recent vintage at Lyle and Terry's dinner recently. Hence I was eager to share this aged bottle of the label. 

We drove by the magnificent historic Chateau estate and vineyards that sit on the road on the edge of St Estephe as you round the bend and climb the gentle hill from the Pauillac appellation. 

This release was awarded 92 points Wine Spectator, Three Stars from critic Michael Broadbent.

Wine Advocate said this was "the best of the 1979 St-Estephes" for the vintage. 

At forty years, it was time to open this bottle and we weren't sure what to expect. The label, fill level and foil and most importantly the cork were all in amazing condition, looking more like they were half their age. In 1998, at twenty years, Robert Parker noted "this wine has aged slowly". The longevity was impressive, especially considering this was a 375ml half bottle, another testament to the provenance of our wine cellar!

This showed minimal signs of diminution from age with decent color, bouquet and fruit flavors - ruby/garnet colored, medium bodied, amazing resilience with its flavors and bouquet of black cherry fruits, notes of cassis, and some vanillin, oaky scents. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=73618

We then moved to the bigger more robust Syrahs. 

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah McLaren Vale South Australia 2011

This is a label we have enjoyed for more than two decades having discovered it in the '90's. This is our favorite label from this producer who produces several Rhone varietal wines in single vineyard designated labels.

Clarendon Hills is a small family-run winery based in Clarendon, South Australia. The company was founded by biochemist, Roman Bratasiuk, in 1990 when this biochemist and wine lover decided to produce his own wine. Though he'd never trained as a winemaker, Roman was guided by his refined palate and scientific knowledge. Following his favorite producers and preferred styles, Roman sought to make a version of the wines he loved. 

This vintage release of this label was not as big or fruit filled as the other releases I have tasted, taking on a little bit more menthol and acidity than the more complex concentrated fruit flavors of some other vintages we have tasted. 

From an earlier review of this release, "One Cellartracker reviewer MMack gave it 92 points and compared it to a CDP (Chateauneuf du Pape). Vivino reviewer DcLaxFan also likened it to a Rhone, he wrote "From a winery founded by a biochemist, the Syrah opens with a nose of smoked meat, mulberry, tapenade, and plum. Savory mouth of prunes, brisket, cassis, and earth. A wild, smoky, meaty feel like a Rhône Vacqueyras."

Dark inky purple, full bodied, full round blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, bacon fat, black tea and tapenade. The fruit is more subdued than other vintages of this label.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1953014

Previous tastings of this label:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/bbq-ribs-and-syrah-syrah.html 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2012/08/clarendon-hills-clarendon-piggott-range.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/10/cityscape-syrah-zin-bbq-ribs-wine.html 

 

To compare with this label I pulled this near vintage, same varietal release from a different part of the world, Chile.

Montes Folly La Finca de Apalta Syrah 2010

From an earlier tasting, Montes Folly has been cited as the best Syrah in Chile. It is the first ultra-premium Syrah to be sourced from Chile. The grapes for this Montes Folly grow on the steepest hillsides of the Finca de Apalta vineyards in Apalta, Colchagua, Chile, where the vines have adapted best and have found good balance between yields and vegetative expression.

The terroir driven soils are of granitic origin and primarily consist of decomposing rocks from high above in the chain of mountains that crosses the valley, and therefore the soils in this sector are rather thin and poor in organic matter with a good percolation capacity, which enables the roots to explore the entire profile in search of water.

The grapes are hand-selected and sorted on special selection sorting tables. The vinified wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 24 months.

The 2016 release of this label was awarded 96 points by James Suckling.

Not in the class of the 'old world' Northern Rhone Hermitage Chave, this 'new world' or emerging market Syrah represents the art of the possible of what is coming from the emerging wine producing regions and nascent producers.

More new world style like a big Australian Syrah with its complex concentrated forward fruits, almost obtuse when compared to the Chave, dark inky purple with blackberry and black raspberry fruits highlighted by notes of spice, cassis, currants, mocha and hints of black olive.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1479344

https://www.monteswines.com/en/ 

https://twitter.com/monteswines @MontesWines

And, with the pivot to South America, Chile, I opened this highly rated red from the same region.

Almaviva Baron Phillip Rothschild Concho y' Toro Chile 2017

Almaviva is a partnership between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, Chairman of Viña Concha y Toro S.A., formed in 1997 to create exceptional Franco-Chilean wines and launched in 1998.

Almaviva was the first wine in Chile produced under this French Château concept, based upon exceptional terroir, one unique bodega (estate vineyard site) and one technical team – the three of which are dedicated exclusively to the production of one wine seeking unparalleled quality and excellence. The Château concept was introduced in the XIX century in France as a way to honor creative mastery of winegrowers from Bordeaux.

The vineyards are in Puenta Alto to the south of Santiago, Chile.

Almaviva wines are produced under the joint technical supervision of both partners.

Using the Bordeaux Classification system of producers, created back in 1855, Liv-ex published a 2017 Classification of Bordeaux where Almaviva is ranked as second growth. Liv-ex published its fifth Classification of Bordeaux. Like the original classification of 1855, it places fine wines into five classes based on price and visibility. For the first time, this year’s Liv-ex classification has been extended to include regions beyond Bordeaux.

Almaviva was classified as a second growth. This ranks it alongside world renowned brands such as Opus One, Dominus, Vega Sicilia and Bordeaux’s Pichon Baron and Leoville Poyferre, among the finest wines in the world and top one in South America.

According to the producer, the name Almaviva, despite it's Hispanic sonority, belongs to classical French literature: Count Almaviva is the hero of The Marriage of Figaro, the famous play by Beaumarchais (1732-1799), later turned into an opera by the genius of Mozart.

The label design pays homage to Chile’s ancestral history, with three reproductions of a stylized design, which symbolizes their vision of the earth and the cosmos.

The label bears the name Almaviva in Beaumarchais’ own handwriting. 

This is made from a blend of classic Bordeaux varieties, in which Cabernet Sauvignon predominates at 65%, with Carménère, 23%, Cabernet Franc, 5%, Petit Verdot, 5%, and Merlot at 2%.

It was barrel aged 19 Months in new French Oak.

Producer's Tasting Notes - Deep, intense and opaque ruby red. The nose reveals a generous, powerful and layered bouquet of ripe cassis and blackberries, interwoven with hints of mineral, fine notes of vanilla, coffee, black pepper and earth. Dense and full-bodied, the wine fills the mouth with round, ripe and refined tannins, leaving an overall impression of balance and persistence. Produced from an extremely warm, but superb vintage, this well-structured wine of balanced acidity strikes a wonderful combination of elegance and power, with a very promising long aging potential."

This was rated 100 points by James Suckling. 

Despite it's pedigree and superior ratings, this was a bit disjointed, perhaps needing more time in which to integrate and settle. Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, tightly wound and structured black berry fruits with notes of cassis, black tea, leather and earth.

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3395373

https://www.almavivawinery.com/en/start/

Beringer Nightingale Botrytized Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2004

In light of the Beringer Private Reserve served earlier, I pulled from the cellar this Beringer French Sauternes-style dessert wine. This is named for Myron Nightingale who joined Beringer in 1971 as the 5th winemaker and developed this special wine.  

This is a classic French Bordeaux Sauterne style blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaker Notes -  "This very special wine offers a golden hue and features aromas of apricot nectar, creme brulee, vanilla and honey. Rich flavors of butterscotch, stone fruit and spice, with just a slight hint of cigar box, coat the mouth and linger for a long, luxurious finish. Whether paired with a cheese course or rich dessert, Nightingale is a wonderful way to end a meal."

According to the producer's website: "The techniques used to make this special botrytised dessert wine were developed by Myron Nightingale (Beringer winemaker, 1971-84) and his wife Alice. The Nightingales spent three decades developing their method for making a wine in the style of the classic French Sauternes. The Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc for this wine were vinified separately and combined only after 23 months of barrel aging."

This was awarded 90 points by Wine Spectator.

Back in 2012, ironically, on the same date, I wrote in tasting this wine,  "Golden yellow on release, this eight year old is taking on a weak tea honey colored hue that will continue to darken with age. Medium to full bodied, scents and flavors of honey, apricot and melon finish with a subtle layer of smoke that moderates the fruit and sweetness." Eleven years later the color has darkened further to a deep golden orange rust color as shown. The sweet fruit is more subdued having taken on more of that smoky tobacco leaf, tea tones.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=441964 

https://www.beringer.com/

https://twitter.com/beringervyds @beringervyds

https://twitter.com/beringerwinery @beringerwinery

 

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah Duo

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah Duo followed by pair of Rubissows

With the ladies gathered in town for a bridal shower for daughter-in-law Vivianna, the guys hung out sipping a medley of fine wines. Dr Dan brought from his cellar a Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah so I pulled another vintage of the same label for a mini-vertical comparison tasting. 

We've had several memorable tastings of this label going back to the '97 vintage including a special anniversary dinner and several of our wine group special events featuring this 2004 release. Links to these various tastings are featured below. I wrote about Clarendon Hills in one of those earlier blogposts

This Piggott Range vineyard designated label is by far my favorite of the Clarendon Hills portfolio even when compared to their flagship super premium Astralis label. I wrote about a trio of Clarendon Hills labels in a blogpost comparison tasting last fall, "Trio of Clarendon Hills labels - Astralis, Bakers Gully and Romas".

.

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah McLaren Vale South Australia 2011

This vintage release of this label was not as big or fruit filled as the other releases I have tasted, taking on a little bit more menthol and acidity than the more complex concentrated fruit flavors of the 2004 that we paired and compared. One Cellartracker reviewer MMack gave it 92 points and compared it to a CDP (Chateauneuf du Pape). Vivino reviewer DcLaxFan also likened it to a Rhone, he wrote "From a winery founded by a biochemist, the Syrah opens with a nose of smoked meat, mulberry, tapenade, and plum. Savory mouth of prunes, brisket, cassis, and earth. A wild, smoky, meaty feel like a Rhône Vacqueyras."

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1953014

Tasty and big never-the-less, the 2004 put it in its place with a more classic big powerful concentrated fruit Piggott Range profile.


Clarendon Hills Syrah Piggott Range Vineyard 2004

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, this exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish.

The rich extracted fruit however did not succumb to the last tasting of this label when the fruit seemed more ripe or extracted so as to be a bit more raisiny with a subtle tone of graphite or a metallic note - perhaps or most likely attributable to aging at this stage of life - fifteen years of age.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=153424

Previous tastings of this label:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/bbq-ribs-and-syrah-syrah.html 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2012/08/clarendon-hills-clarendon-piggott-range.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/10/cityscape-syrah-zin-bbq-ribs-wine.html 

Sunday, November 3, 2019

BBQ Ribs and Syrah Syrah

BBQ Ribs and Syrah Syrah - Clarendon Hills Piggott Range and Marquis Philips '9'

The family gathered for son Ryan's birthday and Linda served Salmon and BBQ Ribs with buttered potatoes, asparagus and baked beans. Ryan and I went down in the cellar and he picked out two wines he wanted to try as an accompaniment.

With the BBQ ribs, son Ryan chose from our cellar two Australian Mclaren Vale Shiraz' - a Clarendon Hills Piggott Range and a Marquis Phillips '9' - both from the 2004 vintage.

Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Shiraz 2004

As written in my earlier tasting, this luscious Australian Syrah was given a 96 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "A superstar effort, it reveals off-the-chart richness, complexity and intensity. Floral-scented, exhibiting a distinctive minerality along with wonderful blackberry and cassis fruit, and a hint of wood. The mid-palate and finish are both long, textured and intense. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for a minimum of 2 decades."

This winery Clarendon Hills is the namesake of the town and area around Clarendon which was established in 1845. Many of the vineyards surrounding the winery are over seventy years old; the gnarly and twisted bush vines are dry farmed and the grapes are hand picked. The soil profiles of each vineyard are very different with the Piggott Range known for the rock and shale. This is a hillside vineyard planted in the 1960's adjacent to the Onkaparinga Valley. The soil there is notable by it's absence rather predominant with solid rock and shale torturing the vine roots to reach deep for nutrients to survive. Low yields rarely exceeding two tonnes/acre produce deeply rich fruit with firm structure and tannins. 
 
Consistent with earlier notes, this exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. However, the fruit was more subdued and a bit leaner than the full throttle profile of previous experience a few years ago.

This exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish.

It seems with this latest tasting of this label, the fruit seems more ripe or extracted so as to be a bit more raisiny with a subtle tone of graphite or a metallic note - perhaps or most likely attributable to aging at this stage of life - fifteen years of age. 

RM 92 points.



http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2012/08/clarendon-hills-clarendon-piggott-range.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/10/cityscape-syrah-zin-bbq-ribs-wine.html

Marquis Phillips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Our Cellartracker records show we still hold almost four cases of this label from seven different vintages.

From previous tastings of this release I wrote: "This is huge full bodied, deep dark inky color. Almost overpowering forward over ripe black berry, raisin, blue berry fruits, hints of caramel, vanilla, glycerin and cedar. Firm, full chewy unctuous tongue coating tannins that reveal more blueberry, vanilla, mocha on a long alcohol finish. Begs for bar-b-que or like food."

Similar to the 2004 Piggott Range Shiraz above, this too is starting to show its age and lose some of the vibrancy of its fruit. At fifteen years of age this is starting to show a bit of heat from the alcohol as this starts to wane and pass its prime drinking window.



RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=144787

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/05/marquis-philips-mclaren-vale-shiraz-2004.html




Saturday, September 12, 2015

Cityscape Syrah Zin BBQ Ribs Wine Dinner 2015

2015 Cityscape Wine on the deck Features Syrah Zinfandel with BBQ Ribs Dinner

Our 'pour boys' wine group dinner was hosted by Lyle and Terry for their third wine night on the deck with cityscape views.

The theme for the evening was set for Syrah and Zinfandel to accompany their bar-b-cue rib dinner preparation. Their west loop residence features an extraordinary deck with cityscape views of the Willis (Sears) Tower (looming in background as shown left) and the west loop neighborhood.

The spectacular mid-September evening provided a perfect clear cloudless sky and comfortable evening. This was a replay of the success of last years event of the same theme. As usual, like the previous two years, Terry and prepared an wonderful dinner ideally suited for the wine theme - bar-b-cue ribs, potatoes, green beans, salad, cornbread, corn, followed by home-made profiteroles with ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces.

Before dinner there was a selection of artisan cheeses, shrimp, grilled scallops, dips, nuts and olive trays. These complimented several champagne, sparkling and other white wine selections.

The main dinner wine flight ... (pictured below):


As usual we went through our ritual of placing the flight tasting order based on the anticipated weight, sweetness and complexity of the wines. Once set, the wines are opened and tasted to calibrate their appropriate tasting order. For me, this is almost the highlight of such evenings, determining the tasting order, but also testing knowledge and perceptions of the wines and vintages and their respective tasting profiles. As usual we had the basic order generally correct, but made a few modifications based on the tasting results. Shown above is the original expected order. 

Surprisingly, as a result of the tasting, the Killikanoon Oracle moved to the farthest right most position - signifying it as being the biggest and most complex wine, subsequently to be tasted last, so as to overpower a 'lesser' (lighter, less complex) wine. This was remarkable considering the previous tasting experiences of the other four 'big syrahs'.

Surprisingly, the Chateau Tanunda 100 year old vines Shiraz moved a couple places to the left although it compared favorably with the others. 

The wine flight in tasting order:

Domaine Marc Colin Chassagne Montrachet 1999
Niner Wine Estate Boot Jack Ranch Paso Robles Syrah 2006
Robert Biale Black Chicken Napa Valley Zinfandel 2011
Regusci Napa Valley Stags Leap District Zinfandel 2010
Outpost Napa Valley Howell Mountain Zinfandel 2012

The Big Shiraz flight ...

Two Hands  Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz 2012
Chateau Tanunda 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz 2008
Clarendon Hills  Astralas Shiraz 2007
Clarendon Hills Piggot Ranges Shiraz 2004 
Killikanoon Clare Valley Oracle Shiraz 2004

And after dinner with dessert and for casual sipping:

Antoine Alard Chateau Theulet Monbazzilac 1998
Chateau Breustet Saunterne Bordeaux 2001
Grahams Vintage Port 1991, 2000
The Zinfandel flight also included the Niner Paso Robles Syrah which exhibited a profile more aligned with those wines. The Regusci and Biale compared similarly while, not surprisingly, the Outpost stood out with its Howell Mountain terroir showing bigger forward mountain fruit with that classic bramble tight firmness with a creosote anise layer. 

The standout of the evening for me was the Killikanoon Oracle, which I expected to show well as it is one of my favorite wines. It showed dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=234312

Big Aussie Syrah flight ...
I brought the Oracle to compare in a mini-horizontal 2004 against the Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Clarendon Syrah which I expected to mirror the profile but perhaps exhibit even bigger, more forward firm concentrated fruits, which it did, but less so than the Oracle.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=153424

The Piggot Range exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. It was more lean than the full throttle thick rich version I tasted a couple vintages back. It's certainly ready to drink, and doesn't appear it will improve any with age.. probably certainly at its apex and needs to be consumed .. but I'd say no need to hurry .. has a couple years left ....

Dan brought the ultra-premium Clarendon Hills Astralis also provided an interesting comparison between the two Clarendon Hills' labels since they no doubt contain fruit sourced from the same sites.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=94812

Ernie brought Chateau Tanunda from his cellar. I've written herein about us capturing nine OWC three packs of this wine - the entire allocation of this wine for midwest America during the Wine Spectator Grand Tour a few years ago. This wine continues to be a staple of our big syrah tastings that we all enjoy. 

Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz

We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of nine three packs in OWC's (shown below) which we split amongst the 'pour boys' wine team, pictured below.

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines and the grapes for this wine come from hundred year old vines from a high altitude, one acre single vineyard in the Eden Valley.



The 'pour boys' sighted at WS
Grand Tour
Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of licorice, plum, spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/

Grahams Vintage Port 1991, 2000
 
Lyle was concerned that his beloved Grahams Vintage Port 1991 was diminished and entering the later stage of its drinking window. He acquired a case of this wine and has been enjoying it over the decades but was concerned about its recent change in its profile. The consensus of the group was that is was fine, aging normally and gracefully, simply showing it natural aging maturation. We're all getting older! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21593

Friday, August 17, 2012

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004, Conn Creek Anthology 2008


The Capital Grill offers a quality carefully selected
variety of wines.

For our anniversary dinner we chose the Capital Grille (Lombard) where we knew we could match our most favored wine with a comparable dinner and entrees for a memorable dining experience. We took two exquisite bottles we were anxious to taste, secure in the knowledge their spectacular wine list could match our selections if need be. Planning on a perfectly grilled steak I took along a mouthwatering wine to match - Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004.  

We first tasted this wine during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2003, when AJ brought a 1997 bottle BYOB to Bistro Jeanty in Yountille, Napa Valley with friends, AJ and Liat. I still remember it as one of the richest, most polished and full flavored Syrahs I had ever tasted. With this backdrop, I chose this for our anniversary celebration dinner. We also took along a Plumpjack Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 in remembrance of our memorable visit to the winery where we tasted and purchased this wine. Indeed, the fabulous Capital Grill cellar (shown above) offered this wine albeit from the 2008 vintage. The atmosphere, dinner and service were spectacular fitting every expectation for this special occasion. Jay was our server and did a superb job.


We feasted on the the Piggott Range, a spectacular complement to my perfectly 'Pittsburgh' prepared Sirloin and Linda's sliced Filet of Beef. It exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 



This luscious Australian Syrah was given a 96 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "A superstar effort, it reveals off-the-chart richness, complexity and intensity. Floral-scented, exhibiting a distinctive minerality along with wonderful blackberry and cassis fruit, and a hint of wood. The mid-palate and finish are both long, textured and intense. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for a minimum of 2 decades."

This winery Clarendon Hills is the namesake of the town and area around Clarendon which was established in 1845. Many of the vineyards surrounding the winery are over seventy years old; the gnarly and twisted bush vines are dry farmed and the grapes are hand picked. The soil profiles of each vineyard are very different with the Piggott Range known for the rock and shale. This is a hillside vineyard planted in the 1960's adjacent to the Onkaparinga Valley. The soil there is notable by it's absence rather predominant with solid rock and shale torturing the vine roots to reach deep for nutrients to survive. Low yields rarely exceeding two tonnes/acre produce deeply rich fruit with firm structure and tannins.  

To accompany the after dinner dessert medley, Capital Grill served us Conn Creek Anthology Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Garnet colored, medium bodied, moderately complex, smooth and polished, the Anthology complements the chocolate and fruit petit fores with berries and floral violets turning to black cherry and mocha flavors with refined tannins on the long, lingering finish. 

RM 89 points.

Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 11% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Conn Creek located in the historic Rutherford district along the Silverado Trail has been producing Napa Valley wines since the mid-1970's. Their flagship, Anthology is named for a Greek word that refers to a collection of literary or artistic works akin to its Bordeaux blend made from a collection of Napa Valley’s notable vineyards and diverse AVAs for growing Bordeaux varieties.Grapes are sourced from nearly all of Napa Valley’s appellations to provide great variety and options in crafting Conn Creek's flagship wine. The 2008 Anthology includes vineyard lots selected from the following appellations: Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, Stags Leap District, Howell Mountain - Hughes Vineyards, St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, Oakville - Stanton Vineyard, Calistoga - Surber & Frediani Vineyards, Yountville - Herrick Vineyard, Carneros - Truchard Vineyard, and Mount Veeder: Cabernet Franc from St. Helena - Carpenter Vineyard, Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, and Spring Mountain; Merlot from St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, and Atlas Peak - Stagecoach; Petit Verdot from Yountville - Tall Trees; and Malbec from Yountville - Herrick. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1420800

http://www.conncreek.com/