Christmas Celebration & Dinner

 We hosted the family for a gala Christmas celebration, exchanging of gifts, followed by dinner and an accompaniment of wine pairings. 

At grandson Jessie’s request, Linda prepared Beef Wellington, with roasted vegetables and potatoes and pasta.

Prior to dinner we served an extensive selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, shrimp cocktail, fresh fruits, salad and sweets with holiday punch bowl. 

We served a broad flight of wines beginning with Champagne, vintage Bordeaux and ultra-premium Napa Valley Reds. 

We started with two Brut Champagnes, both from special release festive Christmas bottles, one in large format Magnum.

G. H. Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Rose’ NV

We bought a case of this special bottling for the holidays and it has been extremely popular and well received over several dinners and holiday gatherings. I wrote about this producer and label in this blogpost about one of those events - Festive wine for Christmas Social Gathering.

Piper Heidesieck Cuvee’ Brut Champagne

There’s always room for Champagne, and always a crowd pleaser! 

I opened for the occasion this large format magnum special limited edition bottle of Piper Heidseick Brut NV Champaign.  This festive red bottle was released a couple years ago over the Christmas holidays and I bought a couple cases of the picturesque festive bottles for the holidays and for special occasions such as this. 

I also opened several of these large format bottles for son Alec and Viviana's wedding celebration dinner as featured in this blogpost at the time - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

This is a traditional blend of primarily Pinot Noir (for structure) and Pinot Meunier (for fruit), with Chardonnay (for elegance). This is sourced from over 100 Crus (vineyard plots) throughout the Champagne region which provides consistency from vintage to vintage as well we as complexity and depth.

This perennial favorite was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling.

Pale golden colored, medium bodied, creamy, fruity, fine, persistent bubbles highlight notes of fresh pear, apple, almond, hazelnut, brioche, and a touch of spice and lemon citrus with a smooth, balanced finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1279843

Château Figeac St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 1990

I pulled from the cellar another large format magnum of this birthyear vintage right bank Bordeaux, from one of our favorite producers. We’ve served this wine at many special occasions including birthyear vintages for the kids’ wedding and anniversary celebrations. I wrote about this producer in this blogpost following one such occasion - Birthyear vintage Silver Oak Bonny's, Figeac for father-son dinner.

Our CellarTracker records indicate we have more than a decade of vintages of this label dating back to and including our kids’ birthyear vintages, 1981, 1982, 1985 and this 1990 release, many in large format bottles. 

This right bank blend is roughly one-third each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It was aged in 100% new oak.

This release was rated 96 points by Decanter, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Wine Spectator and Jeb Dunnuck.

Winemaker Notes - “With its pedigree style, Château Figeac epitomises the elegance of the great wines of Bordeaux. Its unique style gradually shows through and develops over time. This great wine displays a distinctive rich nose that has wonderful aromatic complexity. On the palate, the Cabernet Sauvignon reveals lovely floral aromas in the first year then, as the wine ages, great structure on the palate. The Cabernet Franc brings lots of freshness in the tannins, and the Merlot contributes roundness and flesh. The attack on the palate is clean, the texture is silky, and the complexity elegant. The characteristic freshness of Figeac is underpinned by great length of flavor. With its long aging potential, the wine goes on in time to reveal hints of forest floor, leather, cigar-box and licorice – always with its hallmark elegance.”

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, writing about tasting this release as part of a vertical tasting at the Château Figeac property in June 2015 said, “The 1990 Figeac was drinking gloriously and this is perhaps the best bottle that I have tasted. It is noticeably deep in color, deeper and more lucid than many vintages from the 1980s. There is something still "old school" about this Figeac, but it certainly would be my pick from this era.”

At thirty-five years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level were ideal for the age. The cork was partially saturated but still intact and in decent condition. 

Deep garnet colored with an ever so slight rust hue showing age, medium-bodied to full bodied, black earthy currant, berry and plum fruits with notes of black olive and black tea, tobacco leaf and hints of black truffle and smoke with with chewy tannins on a tangy lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/179893

Ryan brought from his home cellar this limited release highly allocated ultra-premium Napa Cabernet. 

Seven Apart “Shale” Napa Valley Stags Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 

Seven Apart is from proprietor/producer Don Dady who purchased the Stags Ridge Vineyard in 2018. The property sits up on Pritchard Hill at the southern end of the Vaca Mountain range that forms the eastern wall of Napa Valley. 

At 1,400 feet, the vineyard faces the Pritchard Gap, looking to the south with a view to San Francisco Bay. At an elevation above the fog line, the site gets generous sun exposure with afternoon breezes that blow in from the San Francisco Bay to cool down the vineyard. The breeze is said to help balance the sugar levels and acidity of the grapes. 

The rocky mountain site is covered with giant rocks that winemaker Andy Erickson says “The soil is more like a cobblestone street. Scattered throughout, some of the rock are so large that we couldn’t install trellising into the ground!” According to him, the soil contributes big, round tannins and concentration to the Seven Apart Shale wine. 

The site was developed in 1999, when the volcanic rocks, some the size of small cars, were excavated, and the land was finally cleared and planted with grapevines. The resulting vineyard was named Stags Ridge.

Acclaimed winemaker Andy Erickson produces four distinct estate Seven Apart Cabernet Sauvignon wines: Seven Apart Expedition, Seven Apart Shale, Seven Apart Basalt, and Seven Apart Summit. 

“While it may seem odd to craft three Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vineyard, that’s also the challenge for me. Even within one vineyard, you might have one section that gives you one unique element and another section that gives you something completely different. I view it as my mission to create unique expressions of our dramatic vineyard site on Atlas Peak,” says Andy.

This label Seven Apart ‘Shale’ is named for the shale rock, fine-grained, laminated soil and rock in the Stags Ridge vineyard. The name refers to the ‘soft finely stratified sedimentary rock formed from consolidated mud or clay and can be split easily into fragile plates.’ As the name suggests, the “Shale” label represents the finer, more detailed side of Seven Apart winemaking. 

Winemaker notes - “Seven Apart Shale is beautifully layered,” opens Andy. “It is simultaneously hard, yet also easily pliable rock. This dichotomy of texture is really what we want the namesake wine to capture. It’s layered, but in a soft, gentle way that means you can dig into it easily.”

“While it may seem odd to craft three Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vineyard, that’s also the challenge for me. Even within one vineyard, you might have one section that gives you one unique element and another section that gives you something completely different. I view it as my mission to create unique expressions of our dramatic vineyard site on Atlas Peak,” says Andy.

Seven Apart Shale is more delicate. Andy describes the Seven Apart Shale as being crafted with softer tannins and a subtler aromatic profile.

When they harvest the grapes and collect the individual components from the different vineyard blocks,  they let them age for a year separately before they start crafting the blending. The winemaking team taste for specific components that have the elegance and finesse best suited to the Seven Apart Shale style and start forming a blend. Once the envisioned Seven Apart Shale blend is composed, the wine is aged 24 months in the finest French oak.

 

For the 2018 Seven Apart Shale, Andy and the Seven Apart team selected only 9 barrels to be ‘worthy of this final bottling’. Described as graceful yet powerful, the latest 2018 vintage was produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Ridge vineyard. 

Winemaker notes - “At first sight, it shows a notable black-purple hue and great density. On the nose are intense aromas of black licorice and cassis, along with savory tones of teak oil, sage, baked bread, and chaparral. The wine brims with intense berry flavors, as well as soy, thyme, and orange blossoms. Along with the voluminous palate impression, the tannins are highly polished, making for a long, velvety finish.”

This label release was rated 94 points by Vinous, 93 pints by James Suckling,

Dark purple/ruby colored, full bodied, deep rich, round, powerful, expressive concentrated but finely integrated bright vibrant ripe blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruits accent by clove spice, graphite, mint, cedar, rose petals and cassis licorice with firm but silky polished tannins on the lingering finish.  

RM 95 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3905517

https://sevenapart.com/behind-the-bottle-1-seven-apart-shale-cabernet-sauvignon/

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3975575  

We dove back into our cellar to find a suitable pairing with the Seven Apart and pulled this 100 point Napa Valley Bordeaux varietal blend from the same vintage. 

Continuum Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2018

Like the Seven Apart, this is 100% estate grown and made, sourced from a single vineyard, the Continuum Sage Mountain Vineyard, high up on Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Range along the eastern ridge high above the town of Oakville. 

The Continuum estate is on the backside of Pritchard Hill, over the hill opposite the David Arthur estate and vineyards that we visited during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013, as featured in this blogpost - David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery.

We also visited Pritchard Hill and the Chappellet Vineyards estate down the road back in 2009. Within sight of the Continuum estate, Pritchard hill is the home to illustrious neighbors, iconic cult wine producers including Bryant, Colgin and Dalla Valle.

Continuum is from the iconic Mondavi Family who founded this brand after selling the historic Robert Mondavi to Constellation Brands. Continuum was set up in 2005, a partnership between Tim Mondavi, his father Robert, and sister Marcia, (who lives in New York). 

Initially, they produced a Bordeaux blend with grapes sourced from the famous To Kalon vineyard. Meanwhile, after an extensive search, they found the site 70 acre vineyard on Pritchard Hill, about half, 41 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, a third to Cabernet Franc, and the smaller remainder to Merlot and Petit Verdot

After years of searching hillside estates, in 2008 and 2009, the family acquired contiguous parcels on the slopes of Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge of Napa Valley, now known as Sage Mountain Vineyard, the core of Continuum Estate. 

The Continuum estate Sage Mountain Vineyard sitting high on Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge above Oakville, overlooks Napa Valley with views in the distance of the San Francisco Bay.

In total, the vineyard is comprised of 38 distinct vineyard blocks planted to Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The vineyards sit above the fog line at an elevation of 1300 to 1600 feet facing to the western and south with some blocks with slight northern and eastern views. Continuum credits this diversity of plantings in the volcanic soils with the complexity of the estate bottled wines. The rocky, volcanic soils of the site force the vine’s energy to produce low yields that contribute to the fruit’s depth and complexity.

The first three vintages (2005–2007) of Continuum were not from today’s estate vineyard but were sourced primarily from Marjorie’s Vineyard within the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, plus some fruit from Stags Leap District.

The first three vintages of Continuum, from 2005 to 2007, were sourced primarily from Marjorie’s Vineyard within the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, located on the valley floor near the Robert Mondavi estate, representing the family’s past, plus some fruit from Stags Leap District.

Before this acquisition, the property had been a conventionally farmed, rocky 70 acre vineyard that needed extensive work; Tim brought in former Mondavi colleagues to re-graft, replant, and convert it toward organic and biodynamic practices.

Following early vintages sourcing fruit from To Kalon and Stags Leap, the 2008 vintage was the first that included some fruit from the new estate site. From the 2012 vintage onward, Continuum has been sourced exclusively from Sage Mountain Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, making it a true single-estate wine rather than a blend of purchased valley-floor fruit.

Having developed and transformed the property and vineyard, they build winery facilities, completed in 2013, establishing the ability for the first time, the family were able to grow, produce, and bottle from a single estate the product of a singular site. The year 2013 also marked Tim Mondavi’s 40th year making wine as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert’s birth.

The 2018 Continuum has an average vine age of 20 years reflecting 38 acres of mature estate vineyard, planted in 1991 and 1996, with additional plantings in 2004 and 2010. 

This 2018 release is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot.

Winemakers notes - “The 2018 growing season was a winemaker’s dream given the overall cooler weather patterns paired with ample sunshine. The spring brought timely, abundant rainfall nourishing the earth and setting the stage for a healthy crop. Moderately cool temperatures post veraison allowed the fruit an extended hang time, retaining vibrancy and evolving character complexity. Berry size was smaller than average though berry count was up given the bountiful rain. Crop size was generous for the estate at 2.4 tons per acre-still quite small by any measure. Harvest began 135 days from bloom on September 27th, and continued at an unforced and purposeful pace, thanks to record cool weather in August and September. Harvest concluded on October 22nd.’

Wine Production - “Continuum is 100% estate grown, produced and bottled. All fruit is selectively hand-harvested at night. The fruit is then sorted before and after de-stemming, and gravity fed into French oak or concrete tanks. A three-day cold soak is followed by fermentation, receiving three to four pump overs daily, and délestage two to three times in total during the most active period. The wine remains on skins in tank for 20 to 40 days. All lots are then drained, basket pressed, and transferred with lees for malolactic fermentation and aging. In 2018, Continuum spent 22 months in barrel. 63 percent of French oak barrels were new and 35 percent were once used.A single concrete amphora was also used for aging.The wine clarified slowly and settled naturally in our cold barrel room, was racked sparingly and bottled without fining or filtration.Each vineyard lot was tasted and carefully considered many times to assemble the 2018 blend.”

Winemaker Notes - The 2018 Continuum shows energy and verve. The wine expresses purity and precision, with high tone aromatics of red and blue fruit, deep plum and rose oil. This vintage shows an approachable nerve of the land in the refined mineral quality on the palate. The surrounding native vegetation of bay and sage is evidenced in an earthy, savory profile. This is a shimmering, silky and harmoniously integrated wine with densely packed fine grain tannins.”

This was rated a perfect 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and James Suckling, 99 by Wine Independent, 98 points by Vinous, 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 94 points by Wine Spectator. 

Deep garnet-purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated, complex yet smooth, polished and elegant, integrated and balanced ripe red and black fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha, cassis, graphite, black tea and dusty rose with gentle silky smooth fine grained tannins in the long finish. 

RM 96 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3778487

https://www.continuumestate.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3975575 

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon  2018

We also opened this Hall Napa Valley Cabernet from the same vintage. We’ve visited the Hall Rutherford estate vineyard and winery on numerous trips to Napa Valley, one in 2017, and previously back in 2013, and hold an extensive collection of their wines spanning more than two decades.  

Winemaker Notes - “Hall 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet is deep ruby in the glass, and displays effusive aromas of crème de cassis, dark plum, anise, and dried herbs. The palate is lush and layered with fine-grained tannins supporting flavors of dark berry, cocoa, and a hint of freshly turned earth. The long and supple finish showcases the impeccable growing season that allowed us to coax the very best from each of our unique vineyard sites.”

This was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, dense concentrated black berry and plum fruits with notes of cassis, dark licorice, tobacco leaf, black tea, black olive and pain grille’ with smooth polished tannins on the finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3883343

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/04/hall-napa-valley-rutherford-estate.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/hall-rutherford-winery-estate.html

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe’

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe with Waygu Beef at Entourage DG 

Having been traveling for much of the month of July, Friday night dining out, we returned to Entourage Restaurant in nearby Downers Grove, which has become our favorite go-to eatery with a diverse menu of delectable selections. This was a return visit for us with friends/neighbors Richard and Adessa. 

We’ve featured Entourage numerous times in these pages, most notably our Pour Boys Wine Group dinner at Entourage last fall. This is the same restaurant group that has a sister restaurant in Naperville, also featured in these pages in  Plumpjack Reserve Napa Chardonnay at Entourage Restaurant Naperville.

After dinner, we enjoyed the live band performing on the fountain square at the train station, immediately across the street. This is a bonus for those dining outside at Entourage!

Prior to dinner we enjoyed two favorite features … taking advantage of the Social Hour, ‘early bird’ specials, we ordered the Rosemary Focaccia Bread - “Made Fresh Daily”, served with Mediterranean Olives and Sea Salt Butter. While it may be easy to discount this as a simple bread plate, it’s delicious! 

Additionally, prior to our main course, we enjoyed the Roasted Beets and Whipped Goat Cheese Salad - Arugula, Baby Gem with Spicy Pecans, Fennel, Hot Honey and Grapefruit Citrus Vinaigrette. As always, this was delicious - a wonderful pairing of flavors.

For dinner, I had one of my favorite dishes that I look forward to, but can only take occasionally, which is understandable when you see the sensational presentation! 

This signature entree continues to be amazing! It’s enough for two dinners, tonight, and then a follow on with the take-home leftovers. On occasion, we’ve actually ordered a second one for carry out to take home. 

Entourage Signature Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

This was delicious and with ample portions - enough for a follow on take home meal with two large slices of meatloaf, but not enough of the delectable pomme puree’! But where would you put it in that tower, or what they call a ‘Sundae’!

Linda ordered what has become one of her favorite entree’s, Entourage classic signature Shrimp and Grits -  Spicy Shrimp & Jalapeno Grits - Blackened Wild Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Charred Jalapeno, Charred Corn, Baby Peppers and Creole Cream. Richard also ordered this dish on her recommendation and loved it as well. 

Adessa ordered the Waygu Beef sliders and loved them. 

To pair with my Waygu beef meatloaf, I brought BYOB from our home cellar this aged vintage Right Bank Bordeaux for a perfect food-wine pairing. 

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

Grand Cru Classe’ producer Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 25 hectares of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991. 

Looking back at our CellarTracker tasting notes, and blogposts in these pages, this is the fourth bottle of this label we’ve enjoyed over the recent past, as we consume our remaining holdings of this label in its twentieth year, arguably at the prime, or reaching the end of its prime drinking window. We have one more remaining bottle from this vintage and I’ll miss this enjoyable label. (Records show we acquired no less than twenty bottles upon release - a great QPR - quality price ratio selection.) 

At twenty years the fill level was still fine but the cork was beginning to lose integrity as it pulled apart using a traditional corkscrew. I took my Ahso two pronged cork puller which would’ve most likely removed the cork in-tact, but I was too late and the cork disintegrated on the server who did his best to save it. 

Our server, Jason, is a Sommelier and relished the challenge and handled it well. In the end, feeble efforts to use a coffee filter, to remove the crumbled cork in the bottle,  I managed to pour the wine slowly, carefully into a decanter for serving. 

I wrote back in 2020, “It's hard to believe its been five years since I last tasted this label when I wrote,' at eleven years of age, I sense this is approaching the end of its prime drinking window as the fruits seem to have given way slightly to the emergence of the non-fruit flavors based on earlier tasting notes from three and five years ago'.

“We still hold three bottles of the case we acquired upon release. We'll need to consume these in the intermediate term, but it still has several years to go, yet.” 

My published tasting report notes for this label show nine postings with one a year ago when my notes were consistent with earlier tastings and project life still left in this release.

This vintage release was a blend of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).

Consistent with earlier notes … Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather, hints of cedar and spice, (earlier reports of mocha were not apparent), on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish - fruits slightly diminished from earlier tastings with seemingly increased acidity.

RM 89 points.*

*PS. A postscript to an earlier tasting, after a couple days open in the bottle, chilled, this wine returned to its earlier elegance, structured balance and fruit, regaining earlier rating of 89 points. Once again, I shouldn't P-n-P, pop and pour these complex aged wines, rather, give them respect, open them and allow them to breathe at least a couple hours before diving in! 

**PPS: And of course, pay attention to the cork condition and use appropriate instrument for extraction! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693

http://www.chateau-soutard.com/chateau-larmande-.aspx

https://entouragerestaurant.com/downers-grove/

Earlier, recent reviews of this label ….

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/chateau-larmande.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/chateau-larmande-2005.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/04/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html

St Emilion Grand Cru duo w/ Beef Tenderloin

St Emilion Grand Cru duo w/ Beef Tenderloin and medley of whites/blush with grilled scallops  

We host long time dear friends Bob & Gloria, visiting us from Delray Beach, at our vacation home in Destin, FL. 

We grilled out beef tenderloin, served with haricot verts and baked potatoes, and grilled seared scallops on buttered herb toast points. 

With the Caesar salad, grilled scallops and a selection of artisan cheeses, we enjoyed a medley of easy drinking casual sipping white wines and a blush. 

La Crema Sonoma Chardonnay 2022

Lohr Riverstone Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Carpenter Creek Cellars Steuben Indiana Rose’ NV

Having fun with and paying tribute to Bob’s and our Hoosier heritage, I opened this Indiana wine from an Indiana producer composed of Indiana grapes.

This is from Carpenter Creek Cellars, a farm winery housed in a quaint picturesque renovated 1919 barn midway between Chicago and Lafayette, IN. 

We tasted, then acquired this label at the producer winery off I-65 in northern Indiana during one of several visits over recent years. I featured Carpenter Creek cellars, the owners and their wines in this and other blogposts - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/11/carpenter-creek-cellars-indiana.html  

During our visit at that time, we tasted a half dozen of their wines and ended up buying several labels. This is a bit remarkable as they exceeded my expectations for Indiana produced wines such that we brought home nearly a case. This is a testament to the craft and handiwork of partner proprietors Ed Courtright who wanted to grow grapes in northern Indiana to supply wineries in the area, and winemaker Randy Rottler, who had dreams of starting a small winery.

This label is 100% Steuben, a Hybrid wine grape that is primarily grown in the northeastern US, particularly in the wine regions of New York State, Pennsylvania and Michigan, as well as Indiana and Ohio. The variety is particularly cold-hardy, vigorous and productive as well as being quite disease-resistant. It is known for its vibrant red color and is often used to produce rosé wines such as this. 

Steuben grapes have a distinct flavor profile, with notes of strawberry, cherry, and a hint of spice. The wine made from Steuben grapes is typically medium-bodied, with a refreshing acidity and a slightly sweet finish. 

This was much better two days later with a selection of artisan cheeses and crackers. 

Winemaker’s notes - A gentle off dry blush wine which exhibits raspberry and strawberry notes with a citrus finish.

Blood orange colored, light bodied, moderately sweet/dry, strawberry and raspberry notes with hints of tea leaves and tangy cinnamon spice. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5398089

Turning to the main course delicious grilled tenderloin of beef, Bob brought from home a St Emilion Grand Cru Classe’ so I opened from our modest remote cellar a like AOC and vintage, for a mini-horizontal comparison tasting. 

Chateau Monbousquet St Emilion Grand Cru 2020 

The Chateau Monbousquet St. Emilion estate can trace its history all the way back to 1540 when it belonged to François de Lescours, before it became the property of the well-established De Carles family where it remained for almost 150 years. The beautiful, classically styled chateau was built in 1648 by Jacques de Geres and today, is the private home of Gerard Perse and Chantal Perse along with the rest of the Perse family.

At the close of World War II, the Querre family purchased Chateau Monbousquet and set upon improving the quality of the wines. In 1993, they sold the estate to Gerard Perse and Chantal Perse for $9 million. Chateau Monbousquet was the first vineyard purchase by Gerard Perse, who later went on to acquire several more properties. 

The first vintage of Chateau Monbousquet for Gerard Perse was the difficult 1997 which produced only a few barrels or somewhere between 300 and 600 bottles out of the entire harvest.

Shortly after Gerard Perse obtained Chateau Monbousquet, he began renovating the estate completely rebuilding the winemaking facilities and cellars and constructing an entirely new barrel-aging cellar.

The 32 hectare Monbousquet Saint Emilion vineyards are divided into three sections with more sand and clay in the north, and more gravel with sand in the south, and are not considered among the best in St. Emilion. They average 40 years of age and are planted to 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some were replanted to increase the proportion of Cabernet Franc over Merlot to better match the varieties to their most appropriate soils.

Perse improved the quality of the wines, also partly by intentionally striving for lower yields thereby increasing their concentration.

In 2013, motivated by French tax laws, Gerard Perse sold a portion of Chateau Monbousquet to a large, anonymous, French, pension fund. This allowed his daughter Angelique and her husband, Henrique Da Costa to eventually take over all the Perse-owned wineries which by this time included Chateau Pavie, Chateau Bellevue Mondotte, and Chateau Pavie Decease. as well as their estates in the Cotes de Castillon appellation.

This 2020 Monbousquet is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and was aged in French oak barriques, 50% of which are new.

This release was rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 95 by James Suckling and Wine Spectator, and 91-93 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 92 by Decanter and Wine Independent.

This is packaged in a heavier, slightly larger than normal Bordeaux bottle, more akin to more expensive ultra-premium wines. 

Deep inky purple-black color, full bodied, complex but nicely balanced, concentrated bright vibrant blackberry, plum and hints of black cherry fruits with notes of cassis, chocolate, tobacco, charcoal and herbs, with plush tannins on a fragrant earthy finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3989361

Chateau Clos Junet St Emilion Grand Cru 2020

 

We tasted and acquired this wine at the Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine World Wine Bar here in Destin last fall, one of the carefully selected featured wines paired with a dinner course. The dinner’s food and wine pairings were prepared in collaboration with and was currated by guest speaker Cassidy Stiebing, Regional Sales Director and Bordeaux expert from Twins, a French Bordeaux Negociant and US Distributor for the wines.

Chateau  Clos Junet, located just west of the picturesque village of Saint Emilion, is owned and managed by Patrick Junet today. The family-owned and managed property has belonged to the Junet family for more than 100 years, having purchased the estate back in 1890, it has remained in the hands of Junet family since.

The diminutive 3-hectare, Clos Junet estate vineyard is planted to 65% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. They have old vines with the oldest being more than 80 years of age. The terroir is typical St Emilion limestone, chalk, sand, and clay soils.

Clearly, a more modest wine than the bigger, bolder and more present Chateau Monbousquet, this provided an interesting comparison between two wines from the same appellation and vintage. A more discerning taster, might also pick up the subtle difference in the blend with the Malbec as opposed to the Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Malbec. 

This release was ted 92 points by James Suckling and 91 Points by Wine Advocate. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, fruity, round bright vibrant tangy red and black plum and berry fruits with notes of floral, clove spice and sweet tobacco and hints of oak on the moderate tannins laced finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3989361

After dinner we were treated to sumptuous tira misu and fresh berries. 

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/

Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations

Duo of ultra premium Napa Cabs for family celebrations … 

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

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

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

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

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

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points.

Sacrashe Vineyard at Hall Rutherford Estate

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

RM 97 points. 

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

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RM 95 points. 

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

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@deldottowines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RM 94 points.

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