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/

Ferrari Sparkling and Spring Valley Uriah with Valentine's Day Filet of Beef Surf & Turf Dinner

Ferrari Sparkling and Spring Valley Uriah with Valentine's Day Filet of Beef Surf & Turf Dinner

For a quiet intimate relaxing Valentine’s dinner, Linda prepared surf & turf, Filet of Beef and Lobster Tails in ramekins of buttered bread crumbs with braised roasted potatoes. 

We opened a Ferrari Rose Champagne style sparkling wine for the chopped salad starter and lobster tail course, followed by one of our favorite Right Bank Bordeaux varietal red blends. 

Ferrari Rose Champagne NV

While seen on the winner's podium as the official toast of Formula 1® races, Ferrari Trento bears no relation to the car manufacturer, but plays up on the name, and provides the celebratory bubbly sprayed by and upon the auto racing victors.

Giulio Ferrari, a Trentino native, started his venerable sparkling wine house in 1902, after studying winemaking in France. Convinced that his native region’s terroir was ideal for growing Chardonnay, he produced three of his now best-known cuvées – Ferrari Brut, Perlé and Giulio Ferrari – as blanc de blancs. 

Ferrari wines consistently receive some of Italy’s top accolades, including being awarded Tre Bicchieri 22 years in a row.

With its mountain viticulture (the Dolomites), Trentino is an area well-suited to the production of sparkling wines of great elegance and complexity. Ferrari represents the largest estate in the Trentino region with 300 acres of vineyards. 

In 1952, Giulio Ferrari, having no children of his own, chose friend and local merchant Bruno Lunelli as successor for his business. Today, the third generation of the Lunelli family, with Bruno Lunelli's sons, Franco, Gino and Mauro. They have established Ferrari as the market leader in Italy and the nation’s celebratory wine par excellence with chief winemaker Marcello Lunelli. 

This Ferrari Rose is a premium blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes vinified as a rosé. 

Winemaker Notes:
Ferrari Brut Rose is salmon pink in color. The bouquet is distinct and very refined, with the fresh fragrance of hawthorne flowers, red currants and wild strawberries. The taste is Dry, clean and elegant, with a delicate finish of sweet almonds.

 

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling, 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Tasting Panel, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

 

Pale salmon color; smooth balanced with bright acidity, delicate rosé red berry flavors bright raspberry, hints of pomegranate, blood orange and a hint of hazelnut and toasted almond. 

 

RM 90 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=467910

 

 

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2014

For the main course of filet of beef we opened this Right Bank Bordeaux varietal blend from one of our favorite producers. We've written often in these pages about Spring Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla Washington and their portfolio of wines named for members of the family. 

We've written a dozen tasting notes about this label, but surprisingly, this is the first one for this 2014 vintage release.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is Merlot based like those from the northeastern or right bank of the Gironde River, (as opposed to. Spring Valley Frederick, their Left Bank Bordeaux Blend in the style of wines from the left bank or from the south west of the river based primarily on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.) 

I've featured in these pages often about the portfolio of Spring Valley wines with each label featuring a member of three generations of the Corkrum family reaching back to first generation founding producers Uriah and wife Nina Lee.

We tasted and acquired this wines during our visit to the tasting room and vineyards during our Spring Valley Vineyards Tasting and Vineyard Visit as part of our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in 2018. 

During our visit to the area, we drove out northeast of town to see the Spring Valley Vineyards. 

There we had the privilege of meeting Dean Derby, husband of Sharilee Corkrum Derby, who is daughter of Frederick and grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum who is featured on this label. 

Tonight, with dinner,  Linda also served a chopped salad, a selection of artisan cheeses and medley of Greek olives. The black Greek olives were an amazing pairing with this wines.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2014

We've been collecting this label for two decades and typically hold close to a decade of vintages in our cellar. When the 2010 vintage received a Top 100 #27 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 ranking for the year, it suddenly disappeared from merchant stocks. We acquire it regularly as part of our wine club shipments allocation.

Tonight, this 2014 vintage is the oldest release we hold in our cellar of this wine so we pulled it as part of cellar management, drinking the oldest vintage as we cycle through the half dozen vintage releases in our cellar, replacing the oldest with the newest.

Being a blend of five Bordeaux varietals, this was more complex than the 'simpler' Frederick with only three. I often compare the profile of blended wines to their width and depth - imagine a bar chart with five bars vs one with three.

This 2014 release of Uriah is a blend of 56% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and James Suckling, 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Winemaker's notes - "Winemaker Notes A blend focused on elegance and finesse. Herbal nose with hints of cassis and cherry. Lightly spiced, the texture is rich with velvety tannins and an ultra-long finish."

Interesting that back on release, Wine Spectator wrote to "Drink now through 2023". At ten years of age, I would say this was at the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve with further aging,

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, concentrated,  complex, a bit tightly wound but balanced, dark berry, cherry and plum fruits with notes of herbs, black tea, dark mocha chocolate with hints of creosote with nicely textured and integrated acidity. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2296582

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Some other Uriah reviews going back a dozen years ... 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/05/spring-valley-2013-blends-uriah-vs.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/02/uriah-spring-valley-red-blend-2015.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/03/uriah-spring-valley-vineyard-red-wine.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/uriah-spring-valley-vineyards-walla.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/12/spring-valley-vineyard-uriah-red.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/07/uriah-spring-valley-red-blend-2002.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/02/del-dotto-gio-tuscan-reserve-spring.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/groth-reserve-napa-cabernet-2010-on-eve.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/12/spring-valley-vineyard-uriah-walla_19.html

Right Bank Bordeaux Blends and South African Chardonnay with surf and turf dinner

Right Bank Style Bordeaux Blends and South African Chardonnay with surf and turf dinner of lobster and grilled ribeye beefsteaks 

 We hosted neighbors Rich and Edessa for a casual Sunday evening dinner and Linda grilled ribeye beefsteaks and lobster tail medallions for a surf and turf dinner al dante on the deck, taking advantage of a delightfully perfect autumn evening. 

Son Alec dropped in and joined us and helped select, and enjoy, the wine (s).

De Wetshof Limestone Vineyard Robertson Valley Chardonnay 2021

Prior to dinner with artisan cheeses, and then with ramikans of lobster medallions with butter baked croutons, I served this interesting Chardonnay from South Africa.

We picked this up at Wine Discount Center downtown (Chicago) during a getaway weekend to the City last year. They do a great job finding good QPR (quality price ratio) wines from around the world. Regretably, they closed their Naperville retail outlet a while back but still offer the means to shop on-line and pick-up wines at a convenient location nearby. We've bought many wines this way however it involves several steps in the process including being able to pick up your purchase at a specific time on a specific day. In any event, its an avenue to acquire some interesting selections of wine-finds.

This producer, De Wetshof is known for the production of fine wines in South Africa since the 1970’s and were the first registered wine estate in the Robertson Wine Valley. De Wetshof specialize and focus on Chardonnay and become known internationally as South Africa’s eminent Chardonnay House due to the pioneering role they have played in producing the noble Burgundian grape to the country.

Proprietor's Danie De Wet's family were early growers in the Robertson Valley and can trace their Cape winemaking heritage back to the 1700s when the De Wet family first arrived in 1694 and made their mark on the South African wine industry.

Today, De Wetshof is one of the few third generation wine estates in South Africa managed by Johann de Wet, CEO who oversees the De Wetshof’s vineyards, while brother Peter runs finances and logistics. Both are also actively involved in winemaking and strategy along with their father Danie.

About 80% of the estate is planted to Chardonnay, with various clones matched to specific sites on the property aimed at optimal expression of terroir. This label is the standard entry level to a portfolio of a half dozen Chardonnays which also includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, a "Lilya Dry Rosé", "Nature in Concert Pinot Noir" and a Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a a "Edeloes" Noble Late Harvest aged dessert wine.

Winemaker Notes for the Limestone Vineyard Chardonnay - "Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow this Chardonnay to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. An un-wooded wine, Limestone Hill has notes of grapefruit and nuts, with the complexity balanced by a nuanced elegance ending with a delicate ripeness."

This label was awarded 91 points by Wine & Spirits, and 90 points by both James Suckling and Wine Spectator.

This De Wetshof’s unoaked Chardonnay is grayish green and gold colored, medium bodied with crisp pear and apple flavors with notes of lemon, apricot and crushed stones on the nose with tangy acidity and a mineral on the pleasant zesty finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4101211

 https://dewetshof.com/

For the main course with the grilled rib-eye beefsteaks, I pulled from the cellar a couple aged "Right Bank" Bordeaux varietal blends, one from Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards and Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah. 

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards "Right Bank" Napa Valley Red Blend 2006

We served an earlier vintage release of this label and wrote about the producer and this label in an earlier blogpost in the spring of last year - Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2004.

Just like that night when we prepared Tomahawk Ribeye beefsteaks, I was eager to serve the optimal food wine pairing, which as I state often in these pages, results in heightened enjoyment of both.

I pulled from the cellar this aged Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, aptly named "Right Bank" by the producer in light of its Merlot predominance in the Blend, accented by another Bordeaux varietal Cabernet Franc.

Tonight's 2006 release is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and provided a delightful sipping smooth polished Merlot centric red wine with a tangy spicy edge provided by the Cabernet Franc, ideal for pairing with the grilled beefsteak. 

As I highlighted in that earlier blogpost, Oenophiles and Bordeaux enthusiasts know that a Bordeaux Blend will comprise the classic specified Bordeaux varietal grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and perhaps Malbec, or some combination thereof. 

Those wines produced on the 'Right Bank' of the Gironde River, to the north and east of the slightly diagonally running river, will be predominantly Merlot based, complemented by the remaining varietal (s) in the mix. 

Meanwhile, those wines from the 'Left Bank', to the - south and west of the river, will be predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with lesser amounts of some combination of the remaining Bordeaux varietals in the Blend.

Hence, at 77% Merlot, this is considered a 'Right Bank' Bordeaux (Blend). Indeed, the rear label cites they produce this wine from the two Bordeaux varietals to be complimentary of those from the most famous Right Bank appellation, St Emilion.

This is from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards, a family owned and operated producer founded in 1983, who released their first vintage in 1987. This is not to be confused with Conn Creek Napa Valley labels and brand from St Helena that go back to the 1980's. 

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produce estate Bordeaux varietal based wines from their 40-acre estate located south of Howell Mountain in Conn Valley, just over the first lower slope of the Vaca Range that makes up the eastern wall of Napa Valley. Take Howell Mountain Road to Conn Valley Road which snakes through the valley parallel to the ridgeline above Silverado Trail, above Joseph Phelps and Hall Rutherford estates and vineyards.

They promote that they are just 3 miles or 10 minutes east of downtown St. Helena to invite visitors to their tours. 

Anderson's is run by Todd Anderson who graduated from University of Pacific in Stockton, CA with a degree in Geology before working for a small tech firm in seismic oil and gas exploration. Todd soon joined up with his parents in starting a “small vineyard” in the creation of Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards.

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2006

Anderson produces a portfolio of Napa Valley sourced wines, Bordeaux varietals and blends as well as a Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc whites. 

Conn Valley’s Cabernets are made from 100% Estate grown grapes from the vineyards located at the winery site in Conn Valley - from their estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a Reserve, a Cabernet Franc, this Right Bank blend and their flagship super premium Eloge blend label. Their website library notes go back to the 2007 or 08 vintages, post dating this 2006 vintage release. 

Prior to blending and bottling, their wines are aged in the hillside caves located on the Conn Valley Estate.

According to the rear label, winemaker for this release was Mac Sawyer, winemaker since 2000, he sadly passed away in 2012.  Owner, founding winemaker Todd Anderson brought Mac on when they created the ultra-exclusive Ghost Horse Label.

Mac had interned at iconic Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, one of the most famous top rated estates' labels in the world. No doubt that experience formed the inspiration from the wines of Saint-Émilion and at Cheval Blanc, that Todd Anderson and Mac sought to recreate with this Right Bank Cuvee, crafted in the style of Cheval Blanc from Napa Valley fruit. 

The first vintage release of Right Bank Cuvee was in 2001 and was intended to be produced only for the the annual Napa Valley charity fundraising auction Napa Premier.  

The story goes that legendary wine reviewer Robert Parker was on his annual visit to Anderson’s Conn Valley when Todd Anderson agreed to let Parker taste the Right Bank 2001 on the condition that he agreed not to publish any tasting notes. Impressed with the wine, somehow, Parker unintentionally published glowing tasting notes in the Wine Advocate. The ensuing demand for the Right Bank label was so great that Todd agreed to make it part of Anderson’s Conn Valley’s annual portfolio. 

My records show we've had a half dozen vintages of this label that included a mini-vertical dating back to the 2003 release, including at least one vintage in large format magnum. 

Tonight, this release was better than earlier tastings of earlier vintages of this label. 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated the 2004 release 94 points and described it, "Their Napa Valley Cheval Blanc look-alike is called Right Bank, usually a blend of two-thirds Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, although it can change somewhat depending on the vintage. This is a thrilling wine that comes as close as just about any wine in Napa to mimicking a great Right Bank Bordeaux."

He rated the 2006 release 95 points back in 2009. (RP Wine Advocate, 12/2009) and wrote, "The 2006 Right Bank (70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a dark plum/purple hue along with gamy, cedary, black cherry, black currant, plum, toffee, and caramel aromas. Deep, rich, and youthful with significant tannin as well as impressive concentration and length, this is a stunning, complex Napa Valley red. (RP) (12/2009)"

Like the 2004 two years ago at eighteen years, the 2006', at seventeen years fill level, label, foil and most importantly the cork were all in nearly ideal condition. The cork, shown, exhibited slight evidence of past seepage and the label was soiled from excessive humidity in the cellar at some point over the last decade. 

Unlike the 2004 in the previous tasting, (https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=274955), when it seemed to be "waning on the back side of its peak drinking window signaling it may be time to drink as it will likely start or continue to decline from here going forward", this was still at the apex of its drinking window, albeit not likely to improve any further with age. 

This was delicious, dark garnet colored with purple hues, medium full bodied and complex, yet smooth and polished black berry, black currant and plum fruits accented by notes of sweet toffee and caramel with hints of cinnamon clove spice, anise and cedar on a long silky tannin laced finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=596492

https://www.connvalleyvineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/ConnValley  

As we neared the end of the bottle of "Right Bank", I elected to fetch another similar style wine for a comparison tasting. After discussion on our options, Alec and I went to the cellar to pull the follow on selection for our tasting flight. We went back and forth on the vintage selection and ended up bringing up two vintages. 

Uriah Spring Valley Vineyard Red Blend 2013 and 2015

This provided an interesting comparison in a mini-vertical tasting, showing a disparate contrast in two vintages of the same label. 

I reviewed this wine in an earlier blogpost in these pages - Spring Valley 2013 Blends - Uriah vs Frederick, a comparison tasting between two different Spring Valley wines, their Right Bank, Uriah, and their Left Bank Frederich.

Spring Valley Vineyard 2013 Walla Walla Valley Red Wine Bordeaux Blends - Uriah vs Frederick 

Tonight, this pair of two red wine blends of the same style and blend as our other selection, from different vintages of the same wine provided a comparative tasting in a mini-vertical tasting, as well as a ideal comparison tasting flight.

We visited Spring Valley during our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, namesake for this label. 

Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021. 

All of the Spring Valley wines are named for one of the ancestral or current family members. Spring Valley Vineyard wines are all produced from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington.

The complete lineup of Spring Valley wines featuring the family member labels is featured in a boxed set. Shown is our set commemorating the 2013 vintage releases.

Washington State and regional powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the winery and the brand from the Derby family recently, but they continue to own and operate the vineyards.

This label, Uriah, is named for the Spring Valley Vineyards founder Uriah Corkrum, grandfather of matriarch Shari Corkrum Derby. 

Born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866, he began successfully farming on his own during the 1880s. Unusual summer rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and, in 1897, acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley that is the site of the vineyards today. Uriah is featured on the flagship label Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend. This is our favorite label from the Spring Valley portfolio. 

The Uriah label from Spring Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is Merlot based like those from the northeastern or right bank of the Gironde River.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2013
 

We hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label but pulled two of the oldest, both of which we had multiple bottles.

The 2013 release of Uriah is 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec.

Being a blend of five Bordeaux varietals, this was more complex than the 'simpler' Right Bank that only contained two. I often compare the profile of blended wines to their width and depth - imagine a bar chart with five bars vs one with three. 

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator,  92 points Vinous and Wine Enthusiast. 

Vinous in their review also mentioned both labels in their review,  "Incidentally, this wine and the Frederick are Spring Valley's most important bottlings, with about 3,000 cases of each produced.

The Merlot base exudes smoothness while the Cabernet Franc spiciness shines through. This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, Wine Spectator called it 'broad and expressive', black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by pepper, spice, black olive and notes of black olive, expresso and green herbs turning to fine grained tannins on a lingering finish. 

This was not a smooth, elegant or polished as the Right Bank, which was noticed by everyone at the table. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2296582

We then moved to the 2015 vintage release of this label, which was featured in earlier tasting posts in these pages - Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend 2015

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2015

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2015

The Spring Valley Vineyards adjacent to the
farmstead site

These are 100% sourced from Spring Valley Vineyards in the wind-shaped Palouse Hills 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. 

The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a southern hillside facing southwest. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields.

The 2015 vintage was one of the warmest growing seasons on record in Washington. Warm temperatures continued through the spring and summer, moderating slightly into fall and extending an early harvest. Overall, 2015 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing optimal ripening across varieties and yielding outstanding wines throughout the region.

This 2015 release is a blend or Bordeaux varietals, 43% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 100% French oak, 40% new.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: “Our most terroir driven blend, mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A rich wine coming from one of the warmest harvests. The tannins are velvety and the finish is long and soft.”
~ Serge Laville, Winemaker.

This was rated 93 Points by Wine & Spirits, 92 Points by James Suckling, 91 Points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Sean Sullivan of Wine Advocate. 

We hold half dozen vintages of this label and pulled two of the oldest vintage as part of effective cellar management rotation. 

At eight years this is probably at or near its peak, the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to age gracefully for another decade if you're patient enough to keep it that long. 

This was bright garnet colored, medium bodied, elegant polished, rich but approachable for pleasant but sophisticated drinking, its right-bank style blend shows vibrant black berry and dark plum fruits with notes of cassis, spice, floral and hints of balsamic and herbs with dusty minerality with polished soft tannins on the lingering finish.

It was consensus of the entire group that this was better than the 2013 vintage release, but still not as polished, elegant or delightful as the first Right Bank bottle in our flight.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2648699

Linked referenced in this blog:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/spring-valley-vineyards-tasting-and.html

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend 2015

 Uriah Spring Valley Vineyard Red Blend

Wife Linda's friends took her out to lunch for her birthday at local popular trattoria Gia Mia in Naperville. She brought back for me, take-out, one of my favorite dishes from there, their Meatballs al Forno, Veal Meatballs with Creamy Polenta and Roasted Tomato Sauce.

I picked up some artisan cheeses including Raclette cheese which was featured in our spectacular dinner the other night at 3-Michelin Star Alinea restaurant, that we were eager to try. 

For this favored meal combination, for a nice relaxed evening dinner together, I pulled from the cellar one of my favorite drinking Right Bank Bordeaux varietal blends from one of our favorite producers, Spring Valley Vineyards. 

We visited Spring Valley during our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, namesake for this label. Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021. 

All of the Spring Valley wines are named for one of the ancestral or current family members. Spring Valley Vineyard wines are all produced from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington.

Washington State and regional powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the winery and the brand from the Derby family recently, but they continue to own and operate the vineyards.

The complete lineup of Spring Valley wines featuring the family member labels is featured in a boxed set. Shown is our set commemorating the 2013 vintage releases.

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2015

The Spring Valley Vineyards adjacent to the
farmstead site

This label, Uriah, is named for the Spring Valley Vineyards founder Uriah Corkrum, grandfather of matriarch Shari Corkrum Derby. Born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866, he began successfully farming on his own during the 1880s. Unusual summer rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and, in 1897, acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley that is the site of the vineyards today. Uriah is featured on the flagship label Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend. This is our favorite label from the Spring Valley portfolio. 

This is 100% sourced from Spring Valley Vineyards in the wind-shaped Palouse Hills 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a southern hillside facing southwest. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields.

The 2015 vintage was one of the warmest growing seasons on record in Washington. Warm temperatures continued through the spring and summer, moderating slightly into fall and extending an early harvest. Overall, 2015 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing optimal ripening across varieties and yielding outstanding wines throughout the region.

This label, Uriah, is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is predominantly Merlot based rather than Cabernet, complemented by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. This release has a high percentage of Cabernet Franc which provides spiciness and bright flavor sprites.

This 2015 release is a blend or Bordeaux varietals, 43% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 100% French oak, 40% new.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: “Our most terroir driven blend, mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A rich wine coming from one of the warmest harvests. The tannins are velvety and the finish is long and soft.”
~ Serge Laville, Winemaker.

This was rated 93 Points by Wine & Spirits, 92 Points by James Suckling, 91 Points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Sean Sullivan of Wine Advocate. 

We hold half dozen vintages of this label and pulled the oldest vintage as part of effective cellar management rotation. 

At eight years this is probably at its peak, the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to age gracefully for another decade if you're patient enough to keep it that long. 

Bright garnet colored, medium bodied, elegant polished, rich but approachable for pleasant but sophisticated drinking, its right-bank style blend shows vibrant black berry and dark plum fruits with notes of cassis, spice, floral and hints of balsamic and herbs with dusty minerality with polished soft tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2648699

Linked referenced in this blog:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/spring-valley-vineyards-tasting-and.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/spring-valley-vineyards-nina-syrah-2017.html

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Red Blend

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Columbia River Red Blend 2013

Following the Columbia Valley Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Bordeaux Blend 2013 earlier this week, I pulled from the cellar another label from the region from the same vintage for a comparison tasting. Tonight I selected this Mark Ryan Red Mountain Red Blend, another Right Bank Bordeaux Blend. 

We discovered and acquired Mark Ryan wines when we visited their tasting room in Woodinville, WA during our Seattle Woodinville Culinary Wine Experience back in 2018.

(Son) Ryan and Linda - Woodinville, 2018

Mark Ryan McNeilly founded Mark Ryan Winery in 1999 with the goal to produce the quality wines achievable from Washington State vineyard sources. Largely self-taught, Mark learned winemaking through study and mentorship from some of the area's most experienced producers. 

Mark Ryan produces a broad portfolio of wines that can be found in distribution and are served from their tasting room in Woodinville, an epicenter of more than a hundred tasting rooms of Washington State producers, since most of the vineyards are located hours away in remote locations of Central Washington State. 

This label, Long Haul was one of his first vintage releases, produced crushed and pressed in garages of friends and family, barrel in warehouses in the Seattle area. He opened the Woodinville, WA facility in 2003.  

Like many of the Woodinville and region's producers, Mark Ryan sources its fruit from growers of the large established vineyards. Many of these are long established relationships under contracts for specific rows of a vineyard or blocks. While not Estate wines, where the grapes are sourced from producer owned sites, it offers the next best thing. This consistent sourcing is important and essential if one is to reflect Terroir, the unique essence of climate, soil, site, as it manifests itself in the wine, consistently over time, from vintage to vintage.  

The Long Haul label is a 'Right Bank' blends of Bordeaux varietals, meaning it is predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc making up the majority of the blend. The 2013 Long Haul is sourced from vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA in the Yakima River Valley, a Columbia River tributary in Central Washington, the smallest appellation in the state.

Despite what its name suggests, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead, the name is derived due to the cheatgrass which is prolific and covers the area in springtime, which has a reddish color, hence the area the name, "Red" Mountain. 

The appellation sits on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes and is a notable source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers.

Red Mountain fruit produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington. This is due to its terroir with a climate that is one of the hottest in the region with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. This results in a low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries. This combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Columbia River Red Blend 2013

 

This label is comprised of fruit from three of most prolific well-known vineyards in the region. This release is composed primarily of Merlot from the legendary Ciel du Cheval Vineyard planted on calcium-rich clay beds that give the wine a rich, delicate texture and feminine aromatics. 

 

Combined in the blend are grapes from the equally renowned Force Majeure Vineyard, a relatively younger, high elevation site, which provides rich fruit with bold structure. 

 

The other vineyard source is Yakima Valley’s Red Willow Vineyard that contributes aromatics and depth and complexity to the blend. 

 

The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities

The blend for this release is 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 62% new, 38% once used French Château Ferré in barrels for 21 months. A total production of 1,130 cases were released. 

Winemaker Notes: "The Long Haul offers plum, cassis, and savory aromatic probles on the nose that morphs into a lush entrance of black fruit, caramel, tea, and earth. Silky, velvety tannins combine with mid-palate structure and acidity that leads into a lengthy finish."

The 2013 Long Haul is ruby in color, darkening gradually toward the inside of the glass. Aromatically, the wine shows of brambly, wild blackberry and raspberry, along with sweet baking spices that surprises with bright cherry and darkens to a range of black fruits toward the end of the sip. Subtle minerals mingle
with the ne, dusty tannins bright acidity on the finish. 

This was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Dark purple colored, medium full bodied, tightly wound, structured black cherry and black plum fruits open with a layer of cinnamon spice with notes of black tea, earthy tobacco and hints of caramel on the lingering tannin finish. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2140079

www.markryanwinery.com

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/mark-ryan-columbia-valley-wine-tasting.html

https://twitter.com/MarkRyanWinery

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

For early week dinner with some left over steak and an assortment of artisan cheeses, I pulled from the cellar this middle aged Right Bank Bordeaux blend.

Château Vieux Maillet castle sits outside the village of Pomerol, on the edge of the Pomerol plateau, in the Pomerol AOC, near the appellation Saint-Emilion. In the area are some of the most prestigious and noted producers of the region, Châteaux Petrus and Figeac, to name a few. The area is known for the diversity of soils with gritty brown soil, clay, flabby iron slag, sandy clay on a deep base, all which combine to giving the wines expression, complexity and depth.

Herve and Griet Lavale, owners of Châteaux Lussac and Franc Mayne, took over the estate with eleven acres of vineyards in 2004, and set upon an ambitious renovation and modernization.  They changed the team, expanded the vineyard, and modernized the winery and vinification with new equipment, installing new gravity feed vats, all coming together prompting Robert Parker to write, "The 2009 is finest wine I have ever tasted from this estate".

The vineyards are planted 90% to Merlot with 90%, with the remainder planted in Cabernet Franc. 

The guiding principles for the Laviales and their team are, "from the vineyard to the winery, for the fruit, the fine grapes, vinified well, express the wonders of Pomerol." 

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

Reflecting the vineyard plantings of the estate, this is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.  

At thirteen years, this is likely at its peak, but not likely to improve further with aging. The fill level, foil, label, and most importantly the cork, were all in pristine condition. 

This release was awarded 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, 89-91 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 90 points by James Suckling and Wine Spectator.

Nice casual sipping with the steak and cheeses. Dark blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, black current, blackberry and plum fruits with notes of dark mocha and tobacco with hints of espresso and earth with silky tannins and a 'delicately fruity finish'. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=883493

https://www.chateau-vieux-maillet.com/en/home/ 

 

Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2015

 Michel Rolland Crafted Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2015 for Grilled Beefsteak Dinner

Son Alec flew in from NYC to attend son Sean's, his brother's bachelor party and we celebrated the reunion with a hearty grilled beefsteak dinner including tomahawk rib-eye steaks. We selected from the cellar this Long Shadows Pedestal crafted by legendary winemaker Michel Rolland for the occasion. 

 Linda prepared beefsteaks prepared in our favorite Pittsburgh-style (charred with hot pink center) with baked potatoes, haricot verts, sweet corn and an iceberg wedge salad with fresh tomatoes and blue cheese. I must say this is a classic midwest summer dinner. During the years that we lived in Silicon Valley, California, I missed good steak, sweet corn and beefy sweet tomatoes! I often say, California (in this case, Washington State) do the grapes, and Indiana/Illinois the beef, corn and tomatoes!

Alec turned us on to the Michel Rolland own-label crafted from fruits from the notable Tokalon Vineyard in Napa Valley - (source for many ultra-premium labels including Opus). He had that wine with soon-to-be father-in-law Frank B. We researched the label and picked up a highly allocated three pack which I shared with fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan, and son Ryan for their cellars. We'll look forward to indulging in that super-premium label. 

Long Shadows Vintners' Collection 

I have written in these pages about Long Shadows, the brand portfolio of several labels, all crafted by world famous winemakers from fruits sourced in the Washington State Columbia Valley. This was the vision of Allen Shoup, former CEO of Chateau St Michelle, champion and evangelist for Washington State wines. He formed the brand and recruited a world famous winemaker for each varietal based label. Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world’s top wineries, was selected to produce this Right Bank Bordeaux Blend wine. He is the 'Master of Merlot', winemaker to some of the leading Bordeaux labels from the Right Bank where Merlot is the predominant varietal in the blend as well as the Napa based Merlot based Red Blend release cited herein. 

We've long known about the brand and joined their club while visiting their tasting room hospitality center in Woodinville WA during our Seattle Wine / Dine Experience in 2018. We remain Vault Club Members of the allocated portfolio and get a case each quarter of two of the varietal based selections including this Pedestal label.

Long Shadows Pedestal Red Blend (Merlot) 2015

The blend is a Right Bank Bordeaux composition, 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon,  8% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.  The production was 2,365 cases. 

The grapes for the 2015 Pedestal were sourced from several top, notable Columbia Valley vineyards, the Wahluke Slope’s Weinbau and Stone Tree Vineyards dominate the blend and give Pedestal its aromatics, bright fruit, texture and fine tannins. Conner Lee Vineyard adds richness, and Dionysus Vineyard grapes build complexity in the wine.

The winemaker's notes for this release sum it up perfectly: "The 2015 Pedestal offers vibrant aromas of black cherry and ripe blackberries with accents of vanilla and freshly roasted coffee. Expressive and lively on entry, with a richly textured mid-palate and layers of huckleberry, bittersweet chocolate and oak spice that stretch across a lengthy finish." 

I note that at five years, this is still early in its tasting window and should continue to age gracefully for a few more years to integrate more and gain more balance and lose some of its still youthful astringency. It is dark inky garnet colored, medium full bodied, strong aromatics erupt from the bottle upon releasing the cork, bright tangy astringent black berry fruits with sprites of bittersweet dark mocha chocolate, spicy oak and notes of vanilla tobacco and expresso on the lengthy soft tannin finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2777749

http://www.longshadows.com 

@LongShadowsWine

 

 

Clos l'Église Côtes de Castillon 2005

Clos l'Église (Côtes de Castillon) Bordeaux 2005

Friday night, quiet dinner at home, Linda grilled some steaks and vegetables and I pulled from the cellar this middle-aged vintage Bordeaux for simple, pleasant drinking accompaniment from this 'lesser' appellation.

Château Clos L’Eglise is a 40-acre estate in St-Magne de Castillon in the appellation of Côtes de Castillon, lying at the easternmost edge of Bordeaux's Right Bank, adjacent to the larger and more famous St.-Émilion. 

Côtes de Castillon is a lesser appellation, also known as one of the 'satellite' appellations. The main town of Castillon-la-Bataille lies on the Right Bank of the Dordogne River which flows into and meets the Gironde river above the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary that flows westward to the Atlantic. 

A smaller appellation consisting of  2,900 hectares (7,500 acres). most of the domains are less than 10 hectares (25 acres), never-the-less, it produces 22 millions bottles of Merlot and Cabernet Franc based red wines a year. 

Adjacent to Saint-Emilion, Côtes de Castillon has the similar terroir of plateau and hillslope, about 20% of the vineyards lying on the Dordogne’s silty plane and on a sandy area in the east of the appellation rising up to a limestone plateau which twists around a number of wooded hills and valleys, eventually reaching 117m at Saint-Philippe-d’Aiguilhe. The terroir is climatically a bit cooler than St Emilion, making the harvest a little later, and requiring good vineyard management.

The always dapper Count Stephan von Neipperg,
Château Canon-La-Gaffelière 
at UGCB 2016 Release Tour Chicago

Many St Emilion producers are expanding into the area. Stephan von Neipperg, well known owner of Château Canon-la-Gaffelière and La Mondotte in Saint-Emilion, was the first on the scene when he bought the 30ha Château d’Aiguilhe in 1998. He has been followed by other Saint-Emilion luminaries including Gérard Perse of premier grand cru classé Château Pavie, who acquired Sainte-Colombe, Clos l’Eglise and Clos des Lunelles (formerly Lapeyronie), and Gérard Bécot of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, who launched Château Joanin Bécot with his daughter Juliette in 2001.

Red Côtes de Castillon wines are Merlot-based, offering complex and elegant flavors of red and black fruits. Wines from the best Côtes de Castillon producers can present excellent value (QPR - Quality Price Ratio) for fans of the St.-Émilion Grand Cru style. All wines from Côtes de Castillon may also carry the regional appellations of "Bordeaux" or "Bordeaux supérieur".

The Château Clos L’Eglise estate is owned by Gérard Perse, a French businessman and one-time bicycle champion. Perse sold two supermarket chains to finance his entry into the world of winemaking. He owns several Bordeaux estates, including Château Pavie and Pavie-Decesse. He stopped making wine under the Clos L’Eglise label after the 2008 vintage and since then used the estate’s grapes as part of the blend for his new Esprit de Pavie, a second wine for Pavie. Robert Parker cites that Clos L’Eglise was one of the least expensive wines produced by Gerard Perse.

Clos L’Eglise is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Back in May of 2019 I wrote about this wine,  "Dark garnet purple colored, medium bodied, dark berry fruits accented by notes of leather, tobacco, tea and hints of menthol, turning to nice fine grained tannins on the lingering finish."

RM 88 Points

Stephen Tanzer gave this wine 90-91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=230916

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/05/clos-leglise-cotes-de-castillon-bordeaux.html