Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations

Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations … 

For Grandson Reid’s birthday we were invited over for a family gathering and combination birthday and Fathers’ Day celebration dinner. Ryan and Michelle ordered in pasta and pizza and Ryan pulled from his cellar a couple of birthyear ultra-premium red wines. I took from our cellar a matching label to share and compare. 

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We served this at Christmas last year - certainly one of the best drinking bottles from our cellar - worthy of a special occasion. I featured it in this blogpost at the time, excerpted below:

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label at the magnificent Rutherford Estate Winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. This is sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard that lies just above the winery adjacent to the estate residence. We hold and have had some of the earlier single vineyard designated wines from this vineyard dating back to 1998. Who knew this would evolve and progress to such heights? Not often does one get to taste a 'perfect' wine. of course perfection is in the eyes ('eyze') of the beholder. The 2013 vintage of this label that we tasted that day in their magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown below) got 100 points from  Robert Parker.

Parker wrote of this wine; "This hails from the foothills of Rutherford and refers to Kathryn Hall’s ambassadorship to Austria between 1997 and 2001. A prodigious wine with beautiful floral notes intermingled with blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry and graphite, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied force, but nothing seems pushed, cloying or out of sync. Gorgeously pure blue and black fruits cascade over the palate, a full-bodied presentation with remarkable purity and complexity. The finish is a good 45-50 seconds, and while there is significant tannin, the extravagance of the fruit and glycerin generally conceal it. This is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, world class Cabernet Sauvignon that should prove compelling for at least another 30-40+ years."

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points.

Sacrashe Vineyard at Hall Rutherford Estate

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

As explained on the rear label, shown below, the name Exzellenz is German for Ambassador, in commemoration of Kathyn Hall's service as US Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001. 

The bricks in the magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown right and above) and featured in a separate blogpost at this link)  are recovered and repurposed from a former royal castle in Austria.  

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard (shown above) at the Hall Rutherford Estate on the lower slopes of the Vaca Range overlooking Rutherford, Napa Valley.  

While this release didn't get 100 points, it came as close as possible, 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points from Owen Bargreen of owenbargreen.com, and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Parker wrote about this wine: "Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and sporting a very deep purple-black color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz unfurls slowly, tantalizingly out of the glass to reveal powerful, intense scents of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and preserved plums with an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, molten chocolate, licorice and Marmite toast with wafts of garrigue and camphor. Very rich, full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it coats the mouth with black and blue fruit preserves plus tons of spice and savory accents, held together by a rock-solid, grainy frame and finishing with epic persistence."

Consistent with our earlier tastings of this label - Spectacular! Delicious! Enchanting! Deep dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, round, rich, complex but elegant and seductive smooth blackberry and black currant fruits accented by savory clove/cinnamon spices, tones of crème de cassis, mocha chocolate, tobacco leaf and black tea, with a tongue coating dusty gripping but silky smooth tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 97 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2508301

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

For the special family occasion, I brought this ultra-premium label from our cellar and it proved a perfect match comparison. The Exzellenz and the Del Dotto Family Reserve had remarkably similar tasting profiles albeit the Del Dotto being strikingly more bold and assertive but on the same tasting curve.   

Del Dotto St Helena Mountain Family Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

We tasted and acquired this bottle at the Del Dotto Winery Cave Tour Tasting in St Helena during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. That tasting was from the barrel. This is another spectacular memorable Napa Valley tasting destination experience.

We've been collecting Del Dotto Family Wine for over twenty-five years, since their inaugural release of this Napa Cabernet in 1993. The Del Dotto brand, holdings, portfolio and presence have grown substantially over those years, yet they still maintain their focus on small production, premium wines. 

Over that time Dave Del Dotto has acquired vineyards in some of the best American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) including Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, and Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast. The portfolio and brand has grown proportionally as well. 

Today Del Dotto produce wines based on cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, sangiovese and sauvignon blanc from their Napa Valley vineyards, as well as pinot noir, chardonnay and limited amounts of syrah, sauvignon blanc, sparkling grenache and mourvedre from their Cinghiale (wild boar) Vineyard in the King Ridge region of the Sonoma Coast.

We still hold nearly two decades of Del Dotto wines dating back to that 1993 inaugural vintage release. 

Over the years we've held Del Dotto wine dinners with Dave and Yolanda such as our Napa Wine Experience back in 1999, and attended numerous Del Dotto hosted special events. More recently, our Pour Boys wine group did the Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Tour and Barrel Tasting at the magnificent St Helena estate winery and caves. And, our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience at the then new Piazza Del Dotto estate and winery (and now caves) was one of the memorable highlights of our Napa Wine Experience in 2018. 

Its hard to believe that with published tasting notes of no less than sixty-five different labels and vintage releases - and countless iterations thereof, I have not tasted, or published a tasting note or blogpost of this particular label vintage release.

Our collection of Del Dotto family wines remains one of the largest holdings in our cellar with both vertical and horizontal collections of favorite labels. Hence it was only fitting for a special occasion family dinner that I took a Del Dotto Family Reserve estate label.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Del Dotto St. Helena Mountain Vineyard​. This is the same fruit that is used in their super ultra-premium label The Beast. I wish we had more of this to experience over the years as it ages but it was spectacular tonight in its 9th year - clearly at the apex of its tasting window, not likely to improve with further aging, but assuredly will hold and drink well for a couple decades to come!

Winemaker’s notes for this label - “The St. Helena Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has immense power and body with enough integration to achieve 100-point status in previous vintages. The color is an opaque purple and visually viscous. This particular selection is the finest combination of French Oaks along with the best blocks from the 12-acre estate along the base of the Mayacamas mountain range. The bouquet is dense with notes of black plum, molasses, allspice and marmalade. The mouthfeel is velvety with a hint of boysenberry, mocha, roasted walnut and dark chocolate. The tannins are firm and well balanced.”

Bright ruby colored, full bodied, huge, dense, powerful, firm structured, rich, concentrated, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of cognac, clove cinnamon spice, layers of oak, tobacco, black tea and black olive notes with hints of dark bitter chocolate and crème d’cassis with tongue coating sweet oaky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2752657

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@deldottowines

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

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot St Emilion Premiere Grand Cru Classe 2015

Another top label from Reid’s birthyear vintage, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is a fantastic example of a full, round, flavorful, powerful expression of Saint-Émilion terroir. Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is owned by the Becot family who has overseen the property for several generations. It is designated a Saint-Émilion Grand Crus Classés estate. 

The estate lies on the St Martin de Mazerat plateau, immediately to the west of the old town, Beau-Séjour Bécot lies in the very heart of the Saint-Emilion appellation area just outside the commune of St Emilion very near some of our favorite producers, Châteaux Canon and Le Gaffeliere. 

The Becot family hired the legendary oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland to establish and maintain the estate’s classification.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot has a long storied history in the Right Bank. The vines on the grounds were first cultivated by the ancient Romans who recognized the promise of the terroir centuries ago. The grounds of this property still hold stone ruins scattered amongst from those early days. At one point, the property was owned by the Monks of the Saint Martin Abbey in Saint-Émilion, who also owned and tended the vines of Château Canon. 

The monks of Saint-Martin de Mazerat were followed by the Gères, lords of Camarsac. In 1722 one of their descendants, Jeanne de Gères, brought the Domaine de Peycoucou into the estate of the Carles de Figeac family on her marriage. In 1787 General Jacques de Carles de Figeac renamed the estate Château Beau-Séjour, which means “beautiful resting place.” 

General Jacques de Carles was without successors - Beau-Séjour eventually came into the possession in 1924 of Doctor Jean Fagouet, who enlarged the vineyard, increasing its surface area to 10.5 hectares (26 acres). Michel Bécot, born into a wine growing family who had lived in Saint-Emilion since 1760 and owner of the neighbouring Château La Carte since 1929, purchased the estate in 1969. 

In 1979, the Bécot family further enlarged the estate with the purchase of 4.5 hectares (11 acres) on the Trois Moulins plateau. The estate, which then became known as Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, is today a
substantial 16.6-hectare (41-acre) holding on a perfectly uniform terroir. Michel Bécot retired in 1985, turning over the management of the Château to his two sons Gérard and Dominique.

The vines at Château Beau-Séjour Bécot are typically 45 years old primarily planted to the appellation specific Merlot, interspersed with the customary varietal Cabernet Franc for added dimension and complexity.

The 2015 Beau-Sejour Becot is composed in a somewhat traditional or customary St Emilion blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in 85% new and 15% one-year-old French oak for 17 months.

It was rated 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, 95 points by Wine Spectator, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling, and 94 points by Decanter. It was #55 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018 and a ‘Cellar Selection’.

This was not exactly a fair fight, or comparison with the rich almost obtuse forward vibrant single varietal Cabernet Sauvignons. A Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, predominantly Merlot based it was more complex yet nicely balanced and integrated. It begs for a filet of beef pairing. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex round, full ripe plum and blackberry and black cherry fruits with touches of spice box, tobacco, lavender and cedar with rich, firm but silky smooth polished tannins on the long floral finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2353242

Birthyear vintage Silver Oak Bonny's, Figeac for father-son dinner

Birthyear vintage wines for father-son (s) dinner - Silver Oak Bonny's, Château-Figeac

With family and wives out for the day or traveling, son's Ryan and Alec came over for Friday night beef roast stew dinner. With several reasons to celebrate, Ryan pulled from our cellar two birthyear vintage bottles we've been holding for such an occasion. 

At thirty-nine years, both bottles needed to be consumed and both showed amazing resilience in holding on, still being approachable, even in their advanced age approaching their fourth decade. 

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1982

This is the sole remaining bottle, held out from a case of this label that we served at Ryan and Michelle's wedding celebration dinner back in 2006. We also served large format five and six liter bottles of Silver Oak at their wedding rehearsal dinner. Just recently we also served a six-liter bottle of this label at son Alec's and wife Vivianna's wedding celebration festivities. 

We recently participated in a software vendor partnership executive briefing hosted by Ryan's company in collaboration with Silver Oak. I had the opportunity to share these Silver Oak special occasion experiences with the gathered group. 

Lastly, our visit to the Silver Oak Cooperage where they produce their specially crafted Missouri Oak barrels was a highlight of our Missouri Wine Experience month before last. 

I chronicled Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard in detail in the Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration blogpost mentioned above. The single vineyard designated wine was from the vineyard named for Silver Oak co-founder, Bonny Meyer, planted by Silver Oak founders Bonny and Justin Meyer in 1974 on a gravelly, four-acre plot in the Oakville district of Napa Valley. It was a much-heralded bottling for Silver Oak over the course of two decades, and the vineyard is now bottled under its own label by the Meyers. 

The fill level, lower neck, foil, label and cork were all in excellent condition, amazingly in top condition, appropriate for the age, testament to the provenance of our cellar conditions. The cork was tight and firm; Ryan used an ahso two pronged cork puller but exclaimed it would've come out intact with a traditional cork screw.

We decanted this as there was a fair amount of sediment in the bottle and an initial bit of musky dusty earthiness that burned off over the course of an hour. Dark ruby, ever so slightly brickish colored, medium bodied,  silky smooth and polished, holding together amazingly well for its age, vibrant black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of creosote, cigar box and hints of cassis, and what the winemaker refers to as notes of rhubarb. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=135872

https://silveroak.com/

https://twitter.com/SilverOak

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

For father-son dinner with son Ryan we opened from the cellar two of his birthyear vintage bottles, the Silver Oak and this Château-Figeac. I remember acquiring this wine at auction of TCWC - The Chicago Wine Company, back in the 90's. I still have the records from that purchase and note it was one of the highest prices I had ever paid for a wine, including the First Growth Bordeaux I acquired during the period and previously. 

This was one of the top ranked Bordeaux labels I acquired in large format bottles for my kids' birthyear vintages back upon or soon after release. 

I recall taking this label when we visited Ryan at college to take BYOB for a special dinner.

Château-Figeac has long been recognized and acknowledged as one of the top Bordeaux wines with the great ageing potential, gaining a highly flavourful and succulent complexity over the years, but one that could also be enjoyed just as much in its youth as after several decades. 

Château-Figeac is the flagship estate of a family that has a long history committed to promoting and advancing the region’s prestige and reputation, The estate, located in the heart of the Saint-Émilion appellation covers 133 acres, nearly a quarter of which is left unplanted to preserve a high-quality living environment and an overall natural balance. 

The principles of Château-Figeac have played an active part in the life of the City of Saint-Émilion and of the Bordeaux region, from the time of Élie de Carle, “knight of the vines”, in the 18th century to most recently, the current proprietor, Thierry Manoncourt and his descendants.

While the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 100 acre vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation. 

Château-Figeac’s vinegrowing terroir is a geological exception in the appellation, with three quartz and flint gravel outcrops, several metres deep, and blue clay subsoil, forming a patchwork of plots that are planted with the three grape varieties which give the wine its core identity - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Critics notes summarized - The wine is highlighted by its aromas that reflect the lightness of the soil, its floral bouquet, infused fruit and graphite presenting a bright vitality. The two-thirds of Cabernet in the blend provides a structured backbone and firm body, rolling out a long, vibrant backbone with pure mineral notes on the finish. 

The whole is perfectly enfolded in lush, satin tannins in the style of the highest of high fashion. With time, the wine develops flavours of tobacco-leaf with hints of black truffle, while retaining incomparable freshness of fruit. A glimpse of perfection …

Château-Figeac’s exceptional vinegrowing terroir is the basis for the wines of Château-Figeac and their character and distinctive style from the unique combination of exceptional and complex soils (three Gunzian gravel outcrops, blue clay at depth, a patchwork of plots), several microclimates and an unusual mix of grape varieties dominated by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the primary Merlot in the blend. 

Thierry Manoncourt was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in significant proportions on the Right Bank.

Although the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 41 hectare (100 acre) vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation.

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

This vintage release of this label was awarded 95 points by Decanter and John Gilman, 94 points by James Suckling and Rober Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

At thirty nine years of age, this was showing its aging potential, still holding its own and being approachable, still within its drinking window. The fill level was a lower neck level, appropriate for this age. The label, foil and importantly, the cork were all in excellent condition - further evidence of the aging conditions of our cellar. In 2009 Robert Parker wrote, this 1982 appears to be fully mature, but it tasted the same a decade ago, and it should hold at this level for another 10-20 years.

We decanted and left to open and settle for an hour. The color was dark garnet  colored with red bricking and a bit of grey cloudiness starting to set in, medium full bodied, deep complex black cherry and plum fruits with notes of black olive, clove spice, smoke, tar, mushrooms, wet earth and truffles with hints of bitter dark chocolate with smooth tannins on a long finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22601 

https://www.chateau-figeac.com/en/

https://twitter.com/Chateau_Figeac/

@Chateau_Figeac