Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

Another quiet Tuesday night at home, we settled in to watch our time-phased recording of “The Voice” with a selection of artisan cheeses and bold sipping Shiraz wine - much like last week as featured in this post Long Shadows Sequel Syrah w/ Focaccia & Murray’s Cheese. 

Like last week, we had a selection of Murray’s and other cheeses, fresh whole berry jams, and fresh cut Chive herbs, with toasted sourdough bread. 

Tonight our cheeses included aged blue cheese, Gruyère, Beemster Swiss, aged white cheddar and aged sharp cheddar, 

For a wine accompaniment we pulled from the cellar this big bold everyday Australian Shiraz.

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

This label is from the partnership of two global beverage heavyweights, global wine producer and distributor Terlato and French based global producer Chapoutier. 

Suburban Chicago based, family owned, Terlato started as a retail store in 1938 and has grown into one of the world’s leading importers, marketers and producers of luxury beverage brands. Their global portfolio includes more than 85 fine wine and artisanal spirit brands from world-class producers in more than a dozen countries and is the leading fine wine & spirits marketer in the U.S. Some of their well known brands include Chimney Rock, Rutherford Hill and Rochioli in the US and I’ll Poggionne, Feudi di San Gregorio in Italy. Notably, they are the exclusive distributor of ultra-premium Gaia wines in North America and the portfolio also includes Champagne Roederer,Joseph Drouhin and Louis Latour.

Maison Chapoutier, founded in 1808, has vineyards throughout France, primarily the northern and southern Rhône river valleys, as well as in Portugal, Australia and Spain and produces iconic brands with over two hundred labels.

The Terlato & Chapoutier partnership dates back to 1987. Michel Chapoutier joined forces with the Terlato family (the company’s American distributor) in 2000. This domain brand is the company’s third project in Australia, and the second domain in Victoria, to the north-east of Melbourne. 

This is a single vineyard designated wine from the Pyrenees appellation in the Western Victoria sub-region of the Victoria wine region of Australia. While Victoria may be Australia’s second smallest state, it’s home to over 600 cellars, the largest number of individual wineries. 

Not to be confused with the Pyrenees region bordering southern France and Spain, the Australian appellation is the most prolific of three appellations in the sub-region, and is home to 50+ wineries that produce over 600 wines. 

The project is in the Central Highlands region in Western Victoria, Australia, about 198 kilometres west of Melbourne, on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera in what is known as the Grampians wine region.

The ares’s proximity between 100 -200 kilometres to the Southern Ocean provides a Mediterranean climate with cooling influence during summer.

This label, Lieu dit is a French term referring to a specific part of a vineyard or region recognized for its own topographic or historical specificities, commonly used in Alsace, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley. It is a bit disingenuous for Chapoutier to use it outside of France. 

The Grampians wine region’s primary variety is Shiraz. The region also produces Sparking Shiraz, Riesling, the best performing white variety in the region, along with Chardonnay that can also be found. Cabernet Sauvignon is found in some of the older vineyards, and Pinot Noir is starting to gain a foothold as a straight varietal. In recent years, Italian varietals such as Pinot Grigio (or Gris), Sangiovese annd Dolcetto are making their mark with a growing legion of fans.

The region is know as Shiraz Central in the Victoria Highlands, and it is grown throughout the region in the towns and sub-appellations of Ballarat, Bendigo, Goulburn Valley, Grampians, Heathcote, Macedon Ranges, Pyrenees, Strathbogie Ranges, Sunbury and Upper Goulburn.

Scattered among the old gold mining towns, 250 wineries benefit from long sunny days and cool nights that produce a cool, spicy Australian shiraz, notable for their complexity and finesse.

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

Winemaker notes - Deep ruby. Highly aromatic with black fruit aromas (black cherry and black currant) and undertones of dark chocolate, white pepper and eucalyptus. Explosive black berry and black plum flavors with perfectly matched, elegant tannins that give the wine a long, lasting aftertaste. Full bodied and rich. A treat to drink now and will age well for 7-10 years.

This label is widely distributed and can be found priced from $10 in special sales, all the way to $40. At its moderate prices it provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio for every day sipping.

Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, wild black berry and black currant fruits with notes of earth, spice and hints of black tea, tar, pepper and bitter dark chocolate, with moderate tannins on a long persistent finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4722048

https://terlato.com/s/

https://www.chapoutier.com/en/

La Crema Coastal Chardonnay with Homemade Chicken Piccata

La Crema Coastal Chardonnay with Homemade Chicken Piccata

Sunday afternoon dinner, we prepared homemade chicken piccata with corn, peas, carrots and pasta. I opened a basic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to pair as an accompaniment. 

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 

This is from a historically family owned and operated winery that was originally named, La Crema Viñera which means "best of the vine," founded in 1979. Over the ensuing 35 years, they focused exclusively on cool-climate appellations and single vineyard sites, from their original home in the Russian River Valley, to Monterey and, now, the Willamette Valley. 

Through rigorous vineyard site selection and boutique winemaking techniques they consistently produced affordable balanced expressive wines such that they were named Winery of the Year in 2024 by Wine Enthusiast.

But the real story here is that La Crema is part of the vast Kendall Jackson portfolio of vineyards, wineries and brands. I wrote about the meteoric rise of Kendall Jackson to the pinnacle of the US wine industry, as it was featured in an earlier blogpost - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2018, excerpted below. 

Building on the premise of affordable quality wines, Jackson Family Wines have amassed no less than forty leading brands including historic widely popular labels such as Freemark Abbey to ultra-premium labels/brands such as LaJota, Cardinale, Mt Brave and Lakoya. One can’t say enough about the astonishing powerhouse Jackson Family has become in the global wine industry.

The whole story is chronicled in the book A Man and His Mountain, the story of self-made billionaire Jess Jackson and his pursuit of his dream to build a brand of premium varietal based wine for the mass market. His accomplishments over the ensuring two and a half decades exceeded all expectations achieving the art of the possible building a multi-billion dollar wine empire. 

While the book focuses on Kendall Jackson Reserve Chardonnay and its rise to the number 1 selling Chardonnay in America, the same story and principles apply to and strongly parallel La Crema as well. 

The Jackson family acquired La Crema in the early ‘90s, with a belief in “dreaming big (our entrepreneurial energy is intense) and an unwavering commitment to wine quality”. The family cultivated La Crema, as told by Jackson’s daughter, Jenny Jackson Hartford:

“When my father, Jess Jackson, and Barbara Banke acquired La Crema in 1993, my husband, Don Hartford, with my sister Laura and I, set out on a mission to craft wines that truly express the essence of cool-climate vineyards. We were hands-on in those early days, managing operations, building the winery where we still make wine today, and sharing our passion with wine lovers across the country. That vision lead to recognition with the award of  “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

The Kendall-Jackon Jess Jackson Story

In 1974, Jess Jackson purchased an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard up in Lake County, California, just north of Napa Valley, and replanted it with Chardonnay grapevines. In 1982, Jess and his family set out to make a premium, yet affordable, California wine.

In 1982, he set out for New York City to establish distribution for his new concept wine and unknown brand. That same year, that inaugural vintage of Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay won the first-ever Platinum Award for an American Chardonnay at The American Wine Competition.

Soon thereafter, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy, native Californians, wanted to serve a California wine in the White House. Nancy discovered and fell in love with the taste of Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay and selected Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay as their 'house wine'. San Francisco Chronicle's Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Herb Caen, caught wind of the story and wrote a column about the wine referring to the Chardonnay as "Nancy’s wine." The brand was established, demand exploded, and the company grew exponentially.

By 1991, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay had become the #1 selling Chardonnay in America, and remains so to this day.

In 2007, Jess Jackson was honored with the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded each year to the individuals and companies that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and beverage world. Jess Jackson was one of the first and largest winemakers to introduce America to varietal-specific wine, not only increasing the public’s understanding and appreciation of wine, but also making it affordable.

Jess Jackson passed away in April of 2011.

In 2013, Wine Enthusiast named Barbara Banke, Jackson's second wife and long-time partner who helped him build the business, and succeeded him as its leader, as its 2013 Wine Person of the Year. The first woman to win the award, Barbara shares it with Jess, the magazine’s inaugural recipient in 2000.

In 2017 Kendall-Jackson was awarded Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

https://www.kj.com//wine/grand-reserve/chardonnay

Like Kendall Jackson, La Crema was a pioneer, begun at a time during which few wineries in California were making Pinot Noir, and even fewer were doing so with a single-vineyard focus. A group of wine lovers ran the show back then using old-world techniques such as whole-cluster pressing and open-top fermentation. This was the basis for making fine wines, but with stellar fruit from exceptional vineyard sites. La Crema, like KJ took a different approach. 

That evolution took shape in the early 1990s when Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke instilled in the winery the artisan ethos and simple vision: “That Pinot Noir should be as popular as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and La Crema could be the vehicle to do that.”

Jackson and Banke purchased La Crema in 1993 and produced the first vintage in 1994. Two years later a new winery was constructed in the fog-shrouded, redwood-lined Russian River Valley appellation. Jackson’s daughters, Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford, along with his sons-in-law, Rick Giron and Don Hartford, took on leadership roles at La Crema: managing the day-to-day operations and representing the winery out in the market. 

Right after the new millennium, La Crema set out to nurture an estate vineyard program comprising the best cool-climate sites along the West Coast. The winery began working extensively with fruit from appellations including Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Anderson Valley, and Los Carneros, extending its reach into Monterey in 2008, and then to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2012.

Over the next decade, the winery added wines from cool-climate vineyards in California and Oregon. In 2013 they bought the historic Sonoma Valley property owned by Richard and Saralee McClelland Kunde. They launched a three-year rehabilitation of the circa-1900 barn on the property and reopened it as the La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in 2016. Today, this serves as their hospitality center and modern tasting room in downtown Healdsburg.

Since 2009, the winery operated under the expertise of Head Winemaker Craig McAllister overseeing production from Willamette Valley in Oregon to Sta. Rita Hills in California. McAllister samples grapes from every block of every vineyard, tasting each lot to craft the best wines possible, applying high-touch but low-intervention, something that’s a rarity for wineries at La Crema’s scale.

A New-Zealand native, Craig McAllister spent his first 20 years in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Lincoln University in New Zealand, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in viticulture and enology.

Craig pursued his passion for winemaking traveling from New Zealand to Australia, Chile and Cyprus before coming to the US and joining La Crema team in 2007 as the Harvest Enologist, and then full-time in 2009. He was promoted to head winemaker in 2017.

La Crema’s story follows the long legacy of chairman and proprietor, Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson, who discovered new vineyard terrains to establish and grow the brand. Today it is operated by the next generation Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford, Jess Jackson’s eldest daughters, along with Jenny’s husband. Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, daughters of Barbara and Jess, and Hailey Jackson Hartford Murray, daughter of Jenny and Don, are the next generation to carry forward the family’s legacy and business going forward. 

Hailey Jackson Hartford Murray, granddaughter of the legendary Jess Jackson, and daughter of Jenny Jackson Hartford and Don Hartford, grew up in the iconic wine family, growing up amidst the century-old Zinfandel vines in her Sonoma backyard. After working harvests in France, Chile, and the Russian River Valley, she chose to leave her biology degree to dive fully into winemaking. She participated in harvests at Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale, Australia, and Château Lassègue in Bordeaux. Today she works at La Crema and lives with her husband, Max Murray, and their two children where it all started: Sonoma County.

Sonoma County native Lisa Valtenbergs serves as Facility Winemkaer at La Crema. Inspired by Sonoma’s agricultural traditions, she got her degree in Agriculture Business with a minor in Viticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She studied international wine marketing at the University of Adelaide in South Australia and earned a Winemaker’s Certificate from UC Davis.

After stints at several wineries in California, Lisa re-joined Jackson Family Wines as a production enologist for Kendall-Jackson in 2004, and in 2006, she was promoted to assistant winemaker. In 2008, she became assistant winemaker for Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, then eventually winemaker in 2014, producing a string of six vintages of widely-acclaimed high elevation Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Following a year-long global travel sabbatical with a vintage in South Australia’s McLaren Vale, Lisa joined the La Crema winemaking team in July 2022. 

Lisa is joined by Winemaker Eric Johannsen, a native of Santa Cruz Mountains wine country in Northern California. After receiving undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy, with some restaurant work on the side, Eric began to pursue a Master of Science in Enology at the University of California, Davis.

Before joining the La Crema team in 2004, Eric worked at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cuvaison Estate Wines in Napa, and Williams Selyem Winery in Healdsburg. Eric has pursued understanding of wines from around the world visiting Argentina, Australia, and France, including the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy.

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker notes - “Nose of Meyer lemon, white flowers and subtle hints of oak. Golden peach and pineapple, are followed by flavors of graham cracker crust, with a vibrant and concentrated acidity that drives a lingering ‘

“Aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and white flowers are supported on the nose by subtle hints of oak. Followed by flavors of crisp apple, golden peach, and pineapple. On the palate, flavors of graham cracker pie crust add a vein of richness. Fleshy, vibrant, and concentrated, juicy yet a balanced acidity drives a lingering finish.”

Good QPR - (Quality Price Ratio) in this entry level every day Chardonnay. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, full round crisp fruit flavors of peach peak through the subdued lemon citrus background with notes of apple and hints of pineapple with pleasant balanced acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5091822

https://www.lacrema.com/

https://twitter.com/LaCremaWines

Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with St Pat’s Dinner

Son Alec, D-in-Law Viv and their kids came over after church for traditional St Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Alec brought along this bold Napa Cabernet to share for a wine accompaniment. 

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021  

This label is from Faust Winery, a part of the Huneeus Vintners portfolio lead by wine luminaries Agustin and Valeria Huneeus, both natives of Chile. The portfolio also includes other notable producers Quintessa, Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Illumination, and Leviathan. We visited the picturesque Quintessa estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2003. 

Agustin Huneeus has dedicated his entire professional life to the wine industry from his beginning in 1960 as CEO of Chilean producer Concha y Toro which under his leadership grew from a small winery into Chile’s largest. Augustin and Valeria left Chile for the US in 1971 in light of Chile’s difficult political climate. Moving to NY, Augustin went on to lead global spirits leader Seagram’s worldwide operations, responsible for wineries in seven countries.

In 1977, the Huneeus’ moved to California to pursue careers in the wine business, building a growing portfolio including Concannon in the Livermore valley and taking an interest in Franciscan estates in 1985. In 1999, they founded Huneeus Vintners dedicated to fine wine properties. In 1996, Agustin was awarded the distinguished service award by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Valeria Huneeus, also born in Chile, was a PH.D, Microbiologist and initially intended to study medicine, but also pursued interests in viticulture and enology. When Valeria and Agustin moved to New York and began a family, Valeria gained a PH.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University and spent ten years doing medical research.

Seeking to work more closely with her husband in the wine business, Valeria transitioned into vineyard development at Quintessa Vineyards Rutherford property which the Huneeus’ purchased in 1990 as their portfolio continue to grow.

In 1998. the Huneeus’ founded Faust Winery specializing in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from their estate vineyard in the Coombsville area, Napa’s newest AVA. Located in the southern most part of Napa Valley, east of the town of Napa, close to San Pablo bay, their venture was considered a gamble by many who thought the very cool climate in this sub-region of Napa Valley  was too cold to consistently ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. In time, their risk paid off as this region is now home to some of the most prized vineyards in the valley, producing many serious, structured, and varietally specific wines with volcanic gravel soils and coarse loams, perfect for Cabernet. 

Ryan Woodhouse, wine buyer for Bay Area merchant K&L in Redwood City writes of the Combsville district, “On a personal note, my son plays Little League Baseball right next to this vineyard, so I've spent a lot of time down there, and the site is legitimately cold and windy! It's often 10 degrees cooler than my side of town juts a few miles north west. Fresh breezes come right off San Pablo Bay and morning fog is often particularly thick in this corridor up the eastern bench of the Vaca ranges.”

Faust writes that “Coombsville is not just Napa Valley’s newest AVA, but its southernmost growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled into the rocky ruins of an ancient caldera, its bowl-shaped depression perfectly positions it to collect and hold cool air and fog that’s funneled up from the San Pablo Bay. Volcanic soils, along with the marine breezes, combine to offer polish and structure alongside consistent Napa ripeness. Besides being the latest-to-ripen vines in Napa, the soil profiles are very different given it’s closer to the Vaca Mountain range, so there is a lot of eroded volcanic soil, which means, lots of minerals in the soil.

‘In Napa Valley you get more red fruit, more spice. The tannins can be a bit more rustic. Down in Coombsville you get more intense color, a blue-black fruit profile. A brighter acidity and minerality in the wines. Coombsville is just very unique.”

Winemaker notes on the 2021 Faust Napa Valley - “The wine combines the signature dark graphite and mulberry core of Coombsville Cab with more exotic, plush cassis fruit from Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford that make up the remainder of the blend. A modest use of French oak (only 20% new) but longer elevage in barrel (20 months) has allowed the tannins to become refined and tactile, but without blasting the fruit with over the top oak influence.’ 

“Cabernet's classic aromas and flavors, delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.”

This release was rated 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine Spectator and 93 by Wine Enthusiast, 92 by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 91 by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This was a pleasant surprise and  exceed my expectations, this label was a bit under the radar and deserves more attention as it fights above its weight class delivering good QPR (quality-price-ratio)  and has 50,000 cases available of Faust's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It showed  dark garnet color, was full bodied, complex, firmly structured but balanced and approachable, ripe blackcurrants and blackberries, notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, dark mocha, cedar and bark, with firm, polished tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4673339

https://faustwines.com/visit/

https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1688046

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007 

With grilled beef tenderloin I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend. 

We hold more than two decades of this label dating back to the inaugural release in 1993. This is part of a case we acquired of this label at the release party at the winery high atop Howell Mountain, so it is one we know well. 

I have written about Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in these pages many times including this detailed blogpost back in 2019, and again in 2021 in this post - Tomahawk Rib-eye Dinner features Robert Craig Affinity Duo, both partially excerpted below.

Robert Craig is one of our favorite Napa Valley producers and represents one of our largest holdings in our cellar. We've held many wine dinners with Robert and Lynn Craig and attended many events at the estate and winery. We have many fond memories of those dinners, lunches and other tasting events, and hearing Robert talk about this label.

We visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times with sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill, and wine buddy Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the  valley below shown below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet, Affinity and Robert Craig Zinfandel which they served at daughter Krista's wedding.

With Robert Craig at the estate high atop Howell Mtn 
back in 2008.

As mentioned above, we hold as many as two decades of Robert Craig’s portfolio of labels’ vintages dating back to the inaugural vintage release in 1993. This label, Affinity, represents the Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon based blend of Cabernet Sauvignons and other Bordeaux varietals sourced from the various Napa Valley appellations.

Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

This is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio that Robert always took immense pride in this label, as the entry level introduction to his 'three mountains and a valley' appellation select Napa Cabernets, referring to his appellation designated premium labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Spring Mountain. There were also bottlings from Atlas Peak and Mt George and in later years he would say ‘five mountains and a valley’. He also took pride in this providing early gratification quality drinking at an early age, yet as shown tonight, it has some longevity for aging for a decade or more.  

He used to speak fondly of this label and the QPR - quality price ratio it provided, as he strived to hold the price point of this wine to provide excellent value and be a draw to the Robert Craig brand. The appellation designated labels sold for twenty to thirty percent more. I wrote recently about the discontinuation of the Mt Veeder label after two decades of being one of the flagship labels, and was Robert's favorite. 

I wrote back in 2019 about Robert's passing in a Tribute to Robert Craig, when the business turned over to new leadership.

Robert never promoted or played up the fact this label was a carefully crafted  Bordeaux Blend comprising all the Bordeaux varietals rather focus on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
We first tasted this wine from a barrel sample and acquired this release during the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 back in 2009. 

Robert Parker wrote in 2009, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars."

Wine Enthusiast wrote of this release, 'Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s'.
This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 

Back in 2022 I wrote, “this exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. At fifteen years, this seems to reaching the apex of its drinking profile. Tonight, this 2007 release was as good as any Affinity I recall ever having - a perfect accompaniment to the grilled tenderloin beefsteaks. At eighteen years this was at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but available for pleasant drinking for several years yet to come. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=802059

Other related postings … 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1798118

https://robertcraigwine.com/

Visits to Robert Craig Estate - 

Harvest Party 2009 -  
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa-09/napa-09-craig/napa_harvest_09_craig.htm

Howell Mountain Estate Visit - 2008 
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/napa_08_craig.htm

Blason D’Issan Margaux

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

Following the gala UGCB 2022 Vintage Release Tour 2025 Chicago tasting last week of the 2022 Bordeaux vintage release wines, which were generally outstanding, I went to Binny’s, our local beverage/wine superstore and found several labels of the new release already arrived and in stock. I picked up this wine as part of a mixed case of labels to try as I consider my acquisition plans for the vintage. 

With take-out Waygu Meatloal from our visit the other day to Entourage Restaurant in Downers Grove, I pulled this bottle to pair and taste. 

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This is the second wine of Château d’Issan,  a Third Growth of the 1855 Imperial Classification. Château d’Issan is in the heart of the Margaux appellation, less than three kilometers, walking distance from the Chambres de Margaux in the middle of the village, our Bed and Breakfast where we stayed during out visit to the area in the summer of 2019. 

The Château d’Issan enclosure in the middle of the Margaux appellation, sitting midway between the village of Margaux and the Gironde River. The soil there is mainly made up of surface gravel on top of a clay subsoil, which contributes to optimal ripeness and freshness in the grapes. 

The estate is planted to  Cabernet Sauvignon 65% and Merlot 35%. 

Blason d’Issan is the ‘second wine’ of Château d’Issan, first introduced in 1995, and onwards, to enable selection amongst their vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from their youngest vines is used to produce this wine, which represents the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier. 

Second wines, while less discriminating than the grand vin, offer a broadening of the portfolio, taking advantage as an outlet for the younger, and less select grapes, and an entry level wine to introduce the brand, at a lower price point, thereby, especially in years such as this delivers high QPR - Quality Price Ratio.. 

The blend for this release is 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Blason d’Issan ‘22 was aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which were new. Annual production is around 120,000 bottles (10,000 cases).

As I wrote in my review of the UGCB 2022 Vintage Release tasting last week, this is a top rated vintage with many extraordinary wines. As is often the case in such highly rated vintages, ‘all boats rise with the tide’, and there are many great values as the second and lesser labels of the top producers are also of high quality, even shrinking the difference between them and the top flaghip grand vins. This is reiterated by Wayne Kelly of Wine Advocate in his review of this second wine of Chateau D’Issan, Margaux. Kelly of Wine Advocate wrote, “ An attractive effort that shares some of the style and personality of the grand vin this year.”

Similarly, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media wrote, “The 2022 Blason d'Issan is a soft, easygoing wine that shows the more charming side of the vintage off to great effect.”

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This release was rated 94-95 by James Suckling, 92 by Decanter and Inside Bordeaux, and a concensus 89-91 by Wine Advocate, Wine Independant, Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck. 

Deep garnet-purple color. medium to full-bodied, a bit tightly structured, concentrated full round dark blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, notes of dark mocha chocolate, spice, dusty rose, hints of tapenade with cigar box, powdery soft, approachable tannins on a structured finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4641185

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

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap, and Everyday Pinot Noir   

First night in town for our winter retreat to The Cove, our vacation rental home getaway in Destin (FL)*, we dined at this neighborhood restaurant that is easy walking distance from (our second) ‘home’. Even though it’s a short walk, we hadn’t yet dined there yet, during  our exploration of the broad selection of restaurants in the area.

Jackacuda’s has a cozy relaxed neighborhood feel, not too big, with somewhat limited seating at and adjacent the bar, and the adjoining dining room, and affable banter between patrons, known and unknown - nice for a casual friendly meal. 

Jackacuda’s history is intertwined with the lore of Destin which is branded the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

Part of the allure of fish and fishing in the area is due to the Tenaco 80 that was dropped back in the mid-1980’s to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly became the spot to catch monster amberjacks.

As the story goes, one day local legendary Destin Charter Boat Captain Dale Beebe set out to catch the celebrated monster amberjacks, only to catch that summer day barracuda. Barracuda have a way of putting on a spectacle and the fish jumped in and out of the water delivering a show for all that were on the boat. On his way back from the trip, surrounding local Captains jumped on the radio to see how Captain Beebe fared and his response was “All I caught today were Jackacudas!” From that day forward the Teneco 80 spot was reborn as the Jackacudas Spot! And the Jackacudas moniker was born along with the founding of the popular local restaurant Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi.

The original restaurant was located on the legendary HarborWalk Village downtown Destin, but relocated when it was merged into another existing restaurant after an extensive renovation in 2017, also owned by Jackacuda's owners Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis, down the road on Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98), just outside the gate of our community.

They also are partnered with these other restaurants in the area: 

• Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer
• Eastpass Seafood & Oyster House
• Coastal Kitchen Catering & Events

The Jackudas menu highlights ‘All You Can Eat Sushi - Traditional Rolls, Signature Rolls and Deep Fried Rolls,’ and their ‘All You Can Eat Snow Crab’ as their “Specials”. Their Happy Hour Specials features a selection of FlatBreads, Seared Tuna, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw, Ginger Dressing, Savory Glaze and Sesame Seeds, and Meatballs with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and crostini. 

The entrees menu features several Sushi courses, with Shrimp, Tuna, and or Salmon, New and Traditional Rolls and Poke Bowls. They offer a selection of specialities including Angus Beef Burger, Local Catch Fish of the Day Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Blackened Snapper, Shrimp & Grits, Teryaki Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, their Specialty Steamed Snow Crab, and their award winning** Mac-n-Cheese. They also offer traditional appetizers, salads and desserts. 

** Jackudas participate in the Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held at the Destin Commons retail center just across the highway which raised $60,000 in support of local club kids. “The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the south’s favorite comfort food while local restaurants competed for the best mac and cheese in town.” Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi entry won the People's Choice Award of the entries submitted.

We’re not sushi aficionados, so we have a difficult time judging the menu at Jackudas. It feels like they have a bit of an identity crisis, determining and then executing on their branding and mission - Seafood and Sushi. The seafood selection is limited, lacking the usual offerings including the highlight daily fresh catch, common along the coast. And, the sushi isn’t apparent, hidden away in the kitchen, unlike Sushi Bars where it is prominently displayed and visibly produced.

 

In any event we had a delightful meal - Linda ordered a burger and I had the Teryaki Bistro Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Asparagu and Teriyaki Glaze. I love Mashed Potatoes and found them delectable, a highlight of the meal, loaded with shallots, cheese and bacon bits.

They serve a selection of beers, including my typical request/choice, an Amber, and on tap! This deserves high marks in of itself. 

Forgive me as I digress here, and pontificate, perhaps on a tirade, about beer, despite this being a ‘wine’ blog. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to order an ‘amber’ beer in restaurants and bars - Dos XXX Amber, Fat Tire, Samual Adams, and what has emerged as one of my favorites, Shiner Bock, my staple at home - from Shiner, Texas. (Gone is the old Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and others.) 

My actual quest is for a traditional English Bitter which is not to be found this side of the ‘pond’. A hundred plus trips to the UK, I grew to love their traditional brew, and searched for it long and far on our shores, to no avail. (Several stories here, for another time.)

In my search for a ‘bitter’ I came to ask for an amber, still with an amazing and frustrating amount of difficulty. Then, on a trip to Texas, I found Shiner Bock, called “American-style amber lager” by brewer Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, a small town (population 2127, roughly equidistant between San Antonio (90 miles east), Austin (87 miles south), and Houston (125 miles west)).

Shiner Bock is brewed with rich roasted barley malt and German specialty hops. But, notably, it is not overly hopped. I find too many American brews are hyper hopped - akin to mustard on a hot dog … it’s a condiment, not the main course! (My kids all tire of this tirade, until they too traveled to the UK and discovered English Bitter. At least now, they understand, but still think I’m tyrannically obsessive on this subject (as witnessed here)).

Founded by German and Czech immigrants in 1909, they found a local brewmaster, Kosmo Spoetzl, classically trained in Bavarian, who brought his old world recipe that had been in the family for generations, which he first brewed for them in 1913. Shiner Bock was originally a seasonal favorite, but patrons demanded it year-round, hence, which it has been offered since 1973.

Brewers tasting notes of Shiner Bock - “Bock has a tan, dense head with a crystal-clear amber color and a sweet aroma with a subtle roasted maltiness on the notes. The taste is slightly sweet with notes of roasted nuts and caramel. Lightly hopped, this amber lager goes down smooth.” 

For pairing with my Teriyaki Steak, I tried the amber beer which they had on tap. While close to what I sought/seek, perhaps crave, it was a bit over hopped. After all that, in the end, I opted for some red wine, to accentuate the teriyaki glaze and the steak!

From their limited wine list, I ordered this California red blend. 

Meiomi ‘California’ (not Sonoma or Santa Barbara or Monterey County) Pinot Noir 2022

I first featured Meiomi in these pages back in 2015 in this blogpost about their Chardonnay - Meiomi California Chardonnay 2013, excerpted here.

Meiomi gets its name from the native American Indian word for “coast” from the Wappo and Yuki tribes who lived along the central/northern California coasts in the early days. The Meiomi wine label began in 2002 with their release of Pinot Noir, in a quest to deliver reasonably priced good QPR (quality price ratio) easy drinking wines that are approachable and ready to drink while young. I've written often and regularly in this blog about the challenges of finding such a Pinot Noir. I've tasted the label several times but have never been moved to write of the experience, until now (circa 2015).

Meiomi is the handiwork of fifth generation offspring from the legendary Napa Valley winemaking family. Founder and winemaker Joseph Wagner is the son of Chuck Wagner, winemaker of Caymus Vineyards, who is the son and co-founder with principles Charlie Wagner and Lorna Wagner who started Caymus Vineyards in the early seventies.

Joe's first wine enterprise was Belle Glos, named for Chuck Wagner's great-grandmother who first acquired the Napa Valley estate, followed by this label, Meiomi.

From the Meiomi website - “All of Meiomi's vineyards can be found in California’s sought-after, cool-climate coastal appellations of Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties, which have proven ideal for producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé. By blending fruit from these three regions together, they create richly layered wines of bold character and exceptional balance, every vintage. These wines are always rich and ripe, yet elegantly expressive, with depth and complexity”

“California provides the perfect combination of earth and elements, contributing to each Meiomi wine, representing the best the Golden State has to offer. By combining California's exemplary qualities into a single wine, Meiomi achieves unforgettable balance, complexity, and richness of flavor.”

Meiomi wines are the handicraft of Winemaker Jason Becker, who has an extensive and impressive background at some of California's top wineries. Jason approaches his role as a regular exercise in balancing the best fruit that California has to offer. He strives in his blends of cool-climate grapes to produce wines with bold character and harmony – ripe and rich, with expressive depth and taste.

Meiomi California Chardonnay, and this Pinot Noir, are blends from “reputable vineyard sites in three different California regions - Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties”. Such a blend, lacking a sense of terrior or place, without predominance from one site or another, therefor warrants the 'California' designation for its origin, which they now use in their branding. This versus a more granular specificity such as Sonoma County, or even an appellation specific Russian River Valley, or Santa Rita Hills. Or, an even greater specific designation of a particular vineyard selection, which one often finds highlighted in these pages. The source designation on the label indicates the origin of at least 75% of the fruit represented in the bottle. 

I’ve written before in these pages, that while providing affordable every day drinking, these wines lack ‘terroir’, or the essence of any particular site, since the blend is from a myriad of sites, from diverse regions, topographies and climates, and that will change from vintage to vintage. The practice that provides a supply of quality bulk wine at a reasonable price, loses the selectivity of the finest fruit and consistency of place from one vintage to the next. That difference separates a $20 bottle from a $40 bottle - an appropriate wine for the price point and the occasion.  

This mass market affordable QPR concept was popularized by Jess Jackson which is brilliantly chronicled in the book, featured in this post - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

I wrote back at that time that was our first tasting of this label which was the second vintage release of Meiomi Chardonnay. That was surprisingly flavorful showing the essence of the Chardonnay descriptors of creamy and buttery in a nicely balanced pleasant drinking wine at a good QPR affordable pricepoint; this also applies to this Pinot Noir - casual easy sipping, at a affordable every day price. This was a nice complement to tangy Teryaki and beefsteak, and great QPR.

Winemaker Notes - “The wine owes much of its complexity to its varied upbringing, unifying grapes from California's most notable winegrowing regions. Meiomi Pinot Noir brings you structure and depth seldom seen in a Pinot Noir wine, thanks to its unique and meticulous aging process. Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this California red wine's juicy strawberry flavor and notes of dark berries and toasted mocha add complexity and depth on the palate.” 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, straight forward, while the winemaker stresses complexity, due to its blending from several sites, I call it a cacophony of flavors, competing for primacy, lacking balance and a bit too sweet. Ripe raspberry, currant and strawberry fruits with earthy spice, clove and vanilla notes with moderate tannins on the finish. 

The overt sweetness was moderated and tamed by the tangy teriyaki glass resulting in a nice enjoyable pairing. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4317908

https://meiomi.com/

https://x.com/MeiomiWines

https://www.jackacudas.com/

*PS - Anyone that might think our primary residence is a potential target while we are traveling should note it has significant physical security monitoring, but more importantly, is occupied by house-sitter when we are gone. 

Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin

Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin 

Following the delightful and superbly staged Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin, the other night, we returned later in the week, our last night Destin before returning home, for grilled beef steak dinner.  

We opened with their delightful Pear Blue Cheese Spinach Salad with fresh berries, sliced pears and vinagrette.

For an entree we had the Wine Bar Filet - 8 oz hand cut filet of beef tenderloin with Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potato’s and Asparagus Spears. This was delicious, perfectly prepared, presented and served. 

For a wine accompaniment with our dinner we took advantage of the Wine Happy Hour where they serve a 12oz carafe of wine for the price of a large glass, from a broad extensive selection of wines of each varietal from across all the major growing regions in the world.

We selected a Right Bank St Emilion Bordeaux which as expected, turned out to be a perfect pairing to complement the meal, and enhance the enjoyment of the wine. 

Like the carefully selected flight of Bordeaux wines from the curated wine dinner, this was an excellent offering of a high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) wine. 

Chateau Angelus Tempo d'Angelus 2022

Tempo d’Angelus is a ‘second wine’ (actually a ‘third’ entry level label), a more streamlined version of its illustrious older siblings, Château Angelus and Carillon d’Angelus. While being their lesser wine, it still exhibited the characteristic depth and complexity of the Grand Vin, while offering at the same time a more approachable and affordable alternative. Produced from the great Angelus terroirs and made with the expertise of the estate’s teams, Tempo d’Angelus offers even the most demanding wine lover instant or early gratification in an attractive, well-structured, precise and hedonistic wine that doesn’t require 15 or 20 years of cellaring to be enjoyed at its peak, as is often the case for the Grand Cru wines.

This is a new wine from Chateau Angélus, from the area of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, it is produced from vines located at Saint-Magne-de-Castillon, Castillon-La-Bataille and Sainte-Colombe, a few kilometres from Saint-Émilion, on magnificent clay-limestone slopes. These plots were acquired by Angelus in 2017 with the precise purpose of creating a Bordeaux appellation wine while increasing the Angelus portfolio, and offering an introduction to the brand for more cost conscious consumers. This can be enjoyed at a fraction of the price of the Grand Vin and even the second label. 

From south-facing holdings in the Castillon-Côtes-de-Bordeaux AOC, the fruit is declassified into generic Bordeaux. In the tradition of the Right bank, the blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 

This release was awarded 92 points by pundit James Suckling, and 90 points by Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Advocate. 

Winemaker Notes: This new addition to the range of wines of Château Angélus, made under the Bordeaux appellation, offers a more streamlined version of its illustrious elders -Angélus, Carillon d’Angélus and N°3 d’Angélus, with which it shares the same depth and complexity while being at the same time more approachable young.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant silky smooth polished, balanced black raspberry and currant fruits with spicy notes of herbs, limestone and pencil lead graphite, with firm but polished nicely integrated tannins on a lingering flavorful finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4945654

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/

Il Bruciato Super Tuscan, Torbreck Barossa Shiraz with Gia Mia Naperville Pasta, Pizza

Il Bruciato Super Tuscan, Torbreck Barossa Shiraz with Gia Mia Naperville Pasta and Pizza 

As summer wanes, we dined Monday outside with neighbors Richard and Adessa, on the deck/patio at picturesque Gia Mia in Naperville. Their Naperville location is sited in the old historic library amidst the bustle of downtown city centre. 

They have also in recent years opened several other similarly situated downtown locations in the Chicagoland western suburbs of Wheaton, Geneva, St. Charles and Downers Grove.

Their formula for success is ‘chef-driven, farm-to-fork food concepts, … Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzas, creative small plates, fresh pasta, antipasto, and hand-made mozzarella’. This is based on the vision, experience and drive of Chef Brian Goewey, who has been involved in or partially responsible for the opening of over 50 restaurants, ranging from quick-serve style to high-end 5-star restaurants.

We’ve become big fans of Gia Mia, and several of their pasta dishes including their Linguini, Risotto and their meatballs with polenta.  

Tonight we ordered these favorite signature dishes:

“The Bruno” (meatlover’s) Pizza - meatballs, pepperoni, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil with spicy Soppresatto Sausage, (I usually have them hold back the spicy sausage which I find overwhelming to the wine accompaniment),

Linguini Carbonara with bacon, garlic, black pepper, Parmesan cream, pecorino and egg yolk,

Arancini Mozzarella, Creamy Risotto with fontina, tomato sauce, garlic and basil,  

Rigatoni, and their Meatballs with Polenta

From their wine list we ordered this Super Tuscan from mega brand producer Antinori. 

This is from the broad Antinori portfolio of estates, Guado al Tasso, located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. 

This relatively young appellation, DOC Bolgheri was established in 1995.

The huge Antinori Guado al Tasso estate covers 2500 acres of which 790 acres are planted with vines, set in the rolling hillsides known as the "Bolgheri Amphitheatre" due to its particular shape. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino. 

The proximity to and effects of the nearby sea provide a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure. The remainder of the estate is covered with wheat fields, sunflowers and olive groves.

Il Bruciato was created in the year 2002 during one of the most difficult vintages at Guado al Tasso in order to present the unique terroir of Bolgheri and give it a greater visibility and recognition. The first blend to be used was that of Guado al Tasso only to see, in the years which followed, a modification of the varietal composition and the identification of a series of vineyard plots intended to be used exclusively for this wine. 

Il Bruciato Guado Al Tasso Antinori 2022

In the fashion of what has become known as ‘Super Tuscans’, wines sourced in the Italian Tuscany region, but crafted from French Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. 

Il Bruciato is the ‘second’ label of the estate, first introduced in 2002 as a lower cost every day drinking label to the flagship premium Guado Al Tasso Super Tuscan blend, a more affordable interpretation of  and introduction to Bolgheri’s unique terroir made from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from Guado al Tasso’s vineyards with their geological composition of the soil is diversified giving the wine structure and complexity. 

Generally, this label provides high QPR - quality price ratio, available for a fraction of the price of the ultra-premium flagship and has gained a broad following to have for every day sipping with pasta, bold cheeses and meat dishes. The bold fruit flavors of the Syrah, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot added to the blend make this a crowd pleaser for wine lovers at all levels. 

The 2022 Il Bruciato is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot: the blend was reintroduced into barriques where it was left to age before bottling. 

Producer’s tasting notes - “Il Bruciato 2022 is intensely ruby red in color. Dominant aromas on the nose include small ripe red fruit accompanied by notes of sweet spices and light hints of mint and tobacco. The palate has excellent structure, is remarkably mouth filling with a pleasant fruity aftertaste that makes it pleasantly easy to drink and closes with a lingering finish.

This release was rated 93 Points by Audrey Frick of JedDunnuck.com, James Suckling (JS93), and Wine Advocate (WA93), and 92 Points by Wine Enthusiast.

Bright ruby colored with opaque purple hues, full bodied, rich, dense concentrated ripe black and blue fruits with notes of blackberry liqueur, black olives, licorice, leather and hints of espresso and herbs with gripping but approachable tannins, supple texture and fresh acidity through the long finish.

RM 91 points. 

Then several days later, with friend Pat R, after a day trip to the Indiana Dunes National Seashore, we had the same dinner entrees, carry out, at home on our deck. 

For a wine accompaniment with the pizza and pastas, we opened another big bold expressive red for the girls while I had the remains of the Bordeaux Blend from the previous evening. 

Torbreck "Woodcutter's" Barossa Valley South Australia Shiraz 2021

This is another big full throttle, powerful big red wine, that offers high QPR for ideal accompaniment to zesty pasta and pizza. 

The producer’s website speaks of this wine on the content of their Gaelic heritage - “You’d imagine a high country Scottish woodcutter might like a satisfying red at the days end – something rich, warming, full bodied and affordable.’

“Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland. You’ll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions including this tribute to the foresters of this rugged high country.’

“This wine reflects the up and coming Shiraz vineyards of the Barossa, rather than the battle hardened old vines that make up the core of our other cuvées.” This is the producer’s polite way of saying this is a lower  cost affordable alternative crafted from younger vines, versus the mature old vines in the premium labels of the brand. 

Hence, the producer website continues, “But like all Torbreck wines, Woodcutter’s Shiraz receives the very best viticultural and winemaking treatment. Fruit is sourced from hand-harvested and hand-tended, low-yielding vines, then open fermented and gently basket pressed before ageing on fine lees for 12 months in large format seasoned barrels and foudres.”

Although this wine is constantly praised for its succulence and richness, there is also a complexity and texture which is rarely found at this price.

This label is 100% Shiraz sourced from the sub-region vineyards in Marananga, Greenock, Seppeltsfield, Gomersal, Moppa, Lyndoch and Ebenezer in the south central Australia Barossa Valley. 

Winemaker’s note about this vinetage and release: “The 2021 summer growing season was mild, with even and cool daily temperatures throughout. Enhanced by good rains provided during the winter and spring of 2020, our vineyards grew wonderful canopies and developed well-formed grape bunches. As a result of this long flavour development cycle in the vineyard, 2021’s signature is wines of high aromatic lift with densely coloured tints and exceptional balance. Lifted red, black and blue fruits of red cherry, raspberry coulis, blueberry conserve and wild blackberry and blackcurrant. There is a spicy edge showing cardamom, star anise and Chinese five spice. Soft caressing tannins and voluptuous mouthfeel from plump Shiraz berries gives this wine a posture that belies its pedigree.”

Winemaker’s tasting notes: “This wine is crimson with subtle red plum undertones. Upon the first smell, the nose is a complex bouquet of dark plum and ripe blackberries, interwoven with the rich, dark essence of cassis and cherries. This fruity ensemble is accented with a hint of spice and star anise. On the palate, the wine reveals a medium to full body that masterfully balances intensity and elegance. The soft tannins contribute to a smooth and textural mouthfeel.”

25,000 cases were produced with 400 cases imported.

Wine James Suckling pundit loves this wine and gave it a whopping 96 points. Wine Spectator gave it a more down to earth 91 points. 

After tasting the more complex but subdued Bordeaux Blend, I switched to a glass of this big red and was overwhelmed by its big bold, almost obtuse vibrancy. 

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, dense concentrated vibrant expressive ripe blackberry and raspberry fruits notes of black tea, anise, bittersweet chocolate, green pepper, herbs sage and rosemary, 

RM 91 points. 

https://torbreck.com/products/woodcutters-shiraz

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

https://www.giamiapizzabar.com/