Christmas revelry includes ultra-premium wine flight

Christmas revelry includes ultra-premium wine flight

Christmas Day, we made the rounds to the kid’s homes to celebrate the holiday with their families in their own homes. We’re blessed that all four of our kids, and our eleven grandchildren are all here in the area. 

The afternoon stop at son Ryan’s house found him preparing a beef tenderloin for their gala evening celebration dinner with the in-laws. It afforded us the chance to taste the flight of wines he opened and set aside for the occasion. 

As part of the tasting opportunity/experience, we brought along from our cellar a premium Napa red from the same appellation, and a vintage desert wine.

We paired the wines with a selection of artisan cheeses Ryan set out for the occasion. They included:

• Rogue River Blue
• Farmhouse Truffle Gouda
• Chardonnay Infused Creamy Toscana 
• Brie

The wines flight:

• Antica Terra Anequorin Willammette Chardonnay 2020
• Hall Wines Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
• Odette Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
• Shafer “Hillside Select” Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
• Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA #9 Zwischen den Seen 2001 
• Giraud Sauterne 2013

Antica Terra “Anequorin” Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2020

Antica Terra is a boutique winery with an 11-acre vineyard located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley on a rocky hillside with steeply pitched grades and panoramic views of the surrounding land  in the Eola-Amity Hills, founded by John Mavredakis, Scott Adelson and Michael Kramer.  

The first vines were planted in 1989 in a clearing within the oak savannah. The geology of the site is extremely unusual. In most of the region, vineyards are planted in the relatively deep, geologically young soils left behind by either the Missoula floods or the volcanic events that formed the Cascade Range. The remains of older pre-historic seabed rise to the surface with exposed boulders, steeply pitched grades without topsoil, amongst a fractured mixture of sandstone sown with fossilized oyster shells, leaving the vines to struggle. 

The west wind moves constantly through the vines. Clouds fissure over the vineyard and allow the sun to ray through, at an angle and with a clarity that makes the site feel bright, even on the bleakest day. But it’s what you can’t see and feel, those aspects of the site that the vines allude to as they strive to find balance, that make it a remarkable place.

In 2005, winemaker Maggie Harrison came on board. Harrison had been assistant winemaker to legendary Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non.  

Audrey Frick's notes on the producer for jebdunnuck.com: "Maggie Harrison is a first-generation winemaker, having grown up in the Midwest. With an educational background in International Relations and Conflict Resolution, she fell in love with wine while working in restaurants and set out to follow that passion and create wine. She went on to land the position of assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, where she remained for eight years. She is currently the co-owner and winemaker for Antica Terra, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since 2005, and is also responsible for the Syrah at Lillian Winery in Santa Barbara. Initially, it had been her goal to only produce a singular wine, but during blind tastings for blending, she felt the various components would not necessarily complement one another and would overpower or detract from the other. Rather than force them to homogenize, each of the wines bottled today chases the individual and opposing personalities each possesses. Her wines are impeccably expressive and worth seeking out if you can get your hands on them." 

Today, Antica Terra produce ultra-premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rose. Maggie Harrison leads the winemaking team focusing on small-batch wines using meticulously sourced grapes from the best vineyards in the Willamette Valley crafting wines that show off the region’s unique terroir and individualized tastes. 

They taste about 150 samples over 10 days through a careful selection process that ensures they use only the best grapes. The wines are aged in French oak for up to 36 months. This method produces complex and age-worthy wines that highly desired.

This Aequorin Chardonnay and their Obelin Pinot Noir labels are only produced in certain vintages making them are rare and sought after. 

The 2019 release of this label was rated 98 points by James Suckling and 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points by Wine Advocate.

This 2020 Aequorin Chardonnay was an extraordinary vintage due to the season faced with forest fires. As they tell it, Antica Terra Collective Tasting. “(This was the) Only chardonnay made in 2020, picked before the wildfire smoke decimated much of the Pinot that year. All we had was this: seven-fiftieths of the fruit we typically harvest, all white when typically, mostly red. The result -  A funky, savory, unique chardonnay. Musk melon, dank oak, charcuterie, plummy stone fruit. Maruchan chicken soup base and no one can tell me otherwise!! Distractions disappeared and left in their place, their opposite – a mindful possession, in clear and vivid form.”

Very unique and distinguishable - Greenish golden straw colored, medium bodied with tightly wound, intense brilliant focus, vivid bright vibrant razor-sharp acidity, complex textured ripe layers of fresh pear and orange citrus with notes of hazelnut, melon the producer refers to as Brioche and salted butter and oak notes on a long crisp tangy finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.anticaterra.com/2020-aequorin-chardonnay/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4348327

www.anticaterra.com

Moving to the red wine flight …

Hall Wines Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We’ve featured Hall Wines often in these pages highlighting our visits to their magnificent Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate vineyards, winery and cellars in 2013 and their Hall Rutherford Winery Estate Appellation Tasting in 2017.

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label at the magnificent Rutherford estate winery during that Napa Wine Experience in 2017. We then acquired more of  this highly allocated release as part of our wine club distribution. 

This is sourced from the Schweizer (75%) and Bench (25%) vineyards in the Stag’s Leap District AVA of Napa Valley The vineyards are bounded on the east by the warming Stags Leap Palisades, on the west by rolling hills and the Napa River, on the north by the Yountville Cross Road, and on the south by flatlands. 

Legend has it that quick and nimble stags would escape the indigenous hunters of southern Napa Valley through the landmark palisades that sit just northeast of the current city of Napa. As a result, the area was given the name, Stags Leap. 

While its grape-growing history dates back to the mid-1800s, winemaking didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s after a small but pivotal blind tasting called the Judgement of Paris, when a 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won first place against its high-profile Bordeaux contenders, like Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion, international attention to the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley escalated rapidly.

Winemaker notes - “The dramatic diurnal shifts, emanating from the San Pablo Bay influences, ushers in cool nighttime air, which helps the grapes retain their tell-tale fresh acidity. The wine possesses bright red berry and plum flavors, with a vibrant and lengthy core of tannin.”

This 2015 Hall Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon was rated 97 points by Robert Parker, 95-97 by Jeb Dunnuck, and 93 points by Vinous. 

Deep inky purple-black colored, full-bodied, powerful rich concentrated but polished and nicely integrated ripe sweet black berry and black cherry fruits scented by earthy notes of pine, forest floor and bark with notes of spice, cigar box and hints of cassis with ripe, firm, grainy tannins on a long full finish.

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2639918

Https://hallwines.com/ 

https://mcnees.org/winesite/labels/labels_California/lbl-CA-Hall-Stags-Leap-Napa-Cab-2015-remc.jpg

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines

Odette Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This is part of the Plumpjack group portfolio of wineries. We used to love their wines. I wrote about Plumpjack and their unfortunate demise into woke progressive politics in this recent blogpost - 
Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Cabernet for meatloaf dinner, and in previous posts, Plumpjack Founders Reserve Cabernet, and Spectacular dining experience at Entourage Restaurant Downers Grove.

 in more detail in a recent blogpost. 

Odette Estate Winery was established in 2012, sitting on 45 acres straddling the Silverado Trail in the Stag’s Leap District in southeast Napa Valley. It was founded with a guiding philosophy of environmental responsibility and a commitment to preserving their special spot in the Stags Leap District for generations to come.

“Change is good, green is good, organic is good,” says Odette partner John Conover about the estate’s environmentally proactive approach to winemaking. “We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do as stewards of the land.”

They subscribe to and practice Organic farming and their winery construction and operation reflect these priorities in their LEED designed facilities that promote a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five critical areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The winemaker for Odette is Andrew Haugen who gained interest in wine with the movie Sideways during his time at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He set out to deepen his knowledge, with his fascination with relationship between ‘site and soul’ in wines. Andrew joined the Plumpjack/Odette team in 2015 as Cellar Master, honing his skills and ascending to Enologist, Assistant Winemaker, and now Head Winemaker for Odette and also sister winery estate, Adaptation.

This release is actually a blend of Bordeaux varietals- 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. 

Bring a classic traditional Left Bank Bordeaux Blend explains why this wine was wider and more complex and not as deep, so to speak, when compared to the other Napa Cabs. This likely showed best when consumed with the beef tenderloin. 

This release was awarded 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck. 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, round, complex, concentrated ripe blackberry, black currant and black raspberry fruits accented by crème de cassis, licorice with notes clove spice and anise with bright acidity and smooth polished fine grained tannins on the long persistent finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.odetteestate.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4137711

Shafer “Hillside Select” Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

The highlight of our tasting, was this vintage release of the iconic flagship of legendary Napa producer Shafer Vineyards. I’ve written in these pages about our holding the predecessor to this label back with the Reserve release of Hillside vineyard back in 1982, which became Hillside Select in the follow year vintage release. That happened to be one of our birth-year vintage wine holdings for son Ryan which I featured in this blogpost - Birthyear Vintage Wine for Family Birthday Dinner, excerpted below.

Shafer Hillside Select is a classic Napa Valley premium label dating back to 1983. The prior year, 1982, was Ryan's birthyear, and for that vintage, Shafer produced this Hillside Vineyard Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which thereafter from the following 1983 vintage would be known as Shafer Hillside Select.

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of rugged, arid vineyard blocks that surround the winery in the Stags Leap District in Southeast Napa Valley.

Founder John Shafer was a native of Chicago, hailed from northern suburb Glencoe, and lived for a time in nearby Hinsdale, Illinois. He moved to Napa Valley in 1972 when the Shafer family purchased a 209-acre property including 30 acres of Scansi’s vineyards. In 1973-74 Shafer planted Cabernet Sauvignon, creating small hillside vineyard blocks such as Sunspot and John’s Upper Seven. 

In 1978, John produced his first Shafer Vineyards wine, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from fruit sourced from John’s Upper Seven vineyard, a precursor to Hillside Select.

Doug Shafer joined his father John as winemaker in 1983. When he tasted the 1982 lot from the Sunspot vineyard block he was so impressed he talked John into keeping it separate from the others. With the Sunspot lot, Doug created this label, Shafer’s one and only Reserve Cabernet. Starting with the 1983 vintage, in 1984, the Reserve was rebranded as the first release ofHillside Select.

That inaugural release of Hillside Select, and those since, are sourced from the collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. With scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, producing lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

I wrote about Shafer Vineyards in a detail blogpost back in 2021 as part of my review of the book A Vineyard In Napa by Doug Shafer, that chronicles the founding and history of Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley 

It is about the life of John Shafer, a Chicago businessman, and his pursuit of a dream when he decided to pursue a second career by buying a plot of land that included a vineyard in Napa Valley back in the early seventies. 

He moved his family from their comfortable suburban lifestyle in an adjacent suburb from here, to a remote mountainside farmstead in rural northern California, and set upon developing vineyards, and ultimately, building a winery, a business and a brand.

The book, narrated by Shafer’s son Doug, follows their dual careers as they lived the history of Napa Valley and the American California wine business. Through it they learned the challenges, travails, science, technology and handicraft of planting and growing grapes, crafting wines, and building a brand and wine business- the three legs of the stool, as they called it.

So, it’s with a bit of reverence when I get the chance to taste this iconic ultra-premium label.

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Connoisseurs' Guide and James Suckling, 94 by Wine & Spirits, and 92 points by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast which also coined it a “Cellar Selection“.

Winemaker notes for this release - “A newly opened bottle of 2006 announces itself with lifted, aromatic beauty. The lively, elegant nose is followed in the mouth with a core of juicy, black fruit, chocolate, black plums, cassis, black and red cherry, black tea, and vanilla and spice. Ripe, round, Stags Leap District tannins put together good structure for very long term aging.”

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, powerful, textured, rich, structured core of concentrated black berry and blackcurrant fruits framed by complex layers of bitter dark chocolate, licorice, cassis, cedary camphor, minty pine and lead pencil graphite with full round tannins on a long long lingering finish, well oaked, having been aged in 100% new French barrels. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=544877

https://shafervineyards.com/index.php

 

@ShaferVineyards - https://twitter.com/ShaferVineyards

@unwindwine, @rickmcnees

More to come …. 

Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA (Trockenbereene Auslese) #9 Zwischen den Seen 2001

It’s fascinating holding these wines over the years and seeing them darken from straw color to butter to gold, then weak tea and tea colored, and beyond! Top vintages of these “Ice-wines” can last several decades or more. 

Neusiedlersee in Austria is one of the classic growing regions for vinification of grapes for producing these wines, along with the Sauternes appellation in inland eastern Left Bank Bordeaux, the Niagara Peninsula escarpment in southern Ontario just above Buffalo, NY, and the western Canadian Okanagan Peninsula. 

This wine is from producer Alois Kracher, internationally regarded as one of the finest dessert wine makers. Their estate vineyards located in the Seewinkel, an area in the Burgenland region of Austra, along the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl, called the Weinlaubenhof, 

Their estate has the terroir including the unique appropriate microclimate uniquely suited to the production of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines. Their estate has 80 acres of vineyards planted with Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Traminer, Muskat Ottonel and this Scheurebe, such as in this label. 

After Alois Kracher passed away in December 2007, his 27 year-old son Gerhard took over responsibility of winemaking and continues to manage the winery with the same skills and acumen and successful outcomes as his famous father once did.

Source of Austria’s finest botrytized sweet wines, the Burgenland covers a lofty portion of Austria's wine producing real estate consisting of the smaller sub-regions of Neusiedlersee, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland.

Neusiedlersee, named for the lake that it surrounds to the east, is home to a great diversity of grape varieties but the region’s most notable wines, however, are the botrytis-infected, sweet versions.

We hold more than a dozen labels and vintages spanning more than two decades of Kracher premium dessert wines. We enjoy serving them for special occasion dinners with fellow eoephiles that appreciate the label. 

Trockenbeerenauslese is the highest in sugar content in the category of Austrian and German wine classifications. Trockenbeerenauslese wines, called "TBA" for short, are made from individually selected grapes affected by noble rot (i.e., botrytized grapes).

This means that the grapes have been left on the vine to ripen to the point that they gain a high sugar content, individually picked and are shrivelled with noble rot, often to the point of appearing like a raisin. They are therefore very sweet and have an intensely rich flavor, frequently with a lot of caramel and honey bouquet, stone fruit notes such as apricot, and distinctive aroma of the noble rot. 

Trockenbeerenauslese means literally "dry berry selection." This very sweet dessert wine is made from individually selected shriveled grapes that have the highest sugar levels with flavors concentrated further by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. 

Trockenbeerenauslesen rank among the greatest sweet wines in the world.

Winemaker Notes - “Medium gold in color. Attractive aromas of orange zest, floral characters and reminiscent of fresh grapes. Nutmeg, exotic fruit and a touch of honey on the palate. A very mineral finish.”

This release was rated 94 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast.

At 23 years of age, the label and foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork were in pristine condition. The color had evolved from straw to butter to gold to weak tea to tea colored. 

This was full bodied, rich, thick unctuous, concentrated syrupy nectar of honeyed apricot, grapefruit citrus, clove spice and nutmeg with roasted nut notes on the thick tongue puckering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

Wine Enthusiast said - “The most concentrated of the range of TBAs made by Kracher in 2001, this is almost too sweet, almost too concentrated. It is hugely liquorous, with very low alcohol because the sweetness of the grapes was too much for the yeasts, which gives it a character almost of intensely sweet, very pure grape juice.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19088

https://www.kracher.at/

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Alec and Vivianna hosted a gala first birthday party for Marylin. They served a broad selection of foods including Salmon and beef tenderloin, along with salads, shrimp, and a broad selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie and dips.

Afterwards we had two birthday cakes, a white cake and a chocolate cake, also to celebrate Linda's birthday. 

The occasion was an opportunity for all the family to gather, along with many of their friends and families. 

On the eve of the NBA All-Star game, and the day our Indiana Hoosiers, and rival fellow Hoosier Purdue Boilermakers are the only Big Ten teams nationally ranked, the day also called for a serious pop-a-shot tournament, first by the kids, and then the adults. 

I brought from our cellar an aged Napa Cabernet Reserve from Alec's birthyear vintage, a fitting tribute to the occasion. Alec served a selection of reds, a white and Rose' from his cellar. 

Flora Springs Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1990

We collect many wines in our cellar that are family affairs, such that we favor them with family outings such as this. 

One family winery who's wines we collect is Flora Springs and their Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s family have acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyards. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes who bought the property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They may be best known for their label, Trilogy which is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. This label is a Reserve bottling of their single varietal Cabernet.

 They started producing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1989 reaching production of 700 cases. Their 1991 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator and was called 'stunning' by Robert Parker. 

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.At thirty-three years, this was holding up amazingly well, still within its drinking window and only beginning to show diminution from age with slight discoloration and haziness. Never-the-less the fruit was vibrant and after decanting and settling for an hour, it was very tasty and pleasant drinking. 

The fill level, foil, label and importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition, considering their age. The cork was pristine and held together well when extracted using an Ahso two pronged cork puller.

Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish gray hue started to set in showing its age, medium bodied, complex, concentrated blackberry and plum fruits with layers of currant, mocha, anise, leather, sage herbs and hints of eucalyptus. on a long finish of bright acidity and ripe tannins. Time to drink and we caught this just in time. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=151440

https://www.florasprings.com/

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

 

Alec then pulled from his cellar a recent acquisition, this premium single vineyard designated Big Red from Napa Valley Stags Leap District. 

Mira Schweizer Vineyard Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

 

This is the handicraft of Co-Founder/Winemaker Gustavo A. Gonzalez and co-founder Jim “Bear” Dyke, Jr., consultant and lobbyist. A chance meeting at the Off The Record bar in Washington, D.C., lead to their joint pursuit of the dream of creating a world class winery. In 2009, the duo sourced their first grapes and in 2012 Mira went to market. 

They are joined by Ed Thralls who came to Mira with 25 years of experience in both wine and financial technology industries. Having studied winemaking at UC Davis and earning a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), he has served as General Manager for a Sonoma premier producer. Ed had his own winery, Thralls Family Cellars, producing premium Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley, Syrah and Chardonnay. Prior to that, he served as the director at Flowers Vineyards & Winery and Huneeus Vintners.

Mira Winery is named for the Latin root of “miracle” and Greek for “destiny”. It is a family owned, 16-acre estate in the heart of the Napa Valley, farming historic vineyards that were first planted to grapes in 1885. 

Gustavo A Gonzalez has been practicing his craft in the Napa Valley and around the world to critical acclaim for over 20 years, in California, Italy, France, Argentina, and Brazil. He brings local knowledge and global perspective, experience and creativity to Mira’s vineyard practices and winemaking techniques.

Gustavo’s grew up in California’s Central Valley, surrounded by family with longstanding ties to agriculture and an appreciation for wine. His appreciation for winemaking took him to the Napa Valley where he joined the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1995 working in the fields towards a career in winemaking. For 17 years at Robert Mondavi Winery, Gustavo worked his way up to Head Red Winemaker where he established Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the leading Napa Valley Cabernets, consistently receiving Wine Spectator ratings of 95 or higher. 

There he also produced some of the best Sauternes style wine of the new world and raised the Pinot Noir program to cult status. During this time, he also worked with other notable wineries around the world including Tenuta dell’Ornellaia where he was responsible for the 2001 “Masseto” Toscana which received 100 points from Wine Spector and was described by James Suckling as, “possibly the best Tuscan red ever.”

Gustavo’s strong relationships with leading Napa Valley grape growers brought Mira unique access to some of the finest blocks of grapes in some of the Napa Valley’s premier vineyards including Hyde Vineyard in the Carneros AVA and Schweizer Vineyard in the heart of the Stags Leap AVA.

Gustavo has established Mira as one of the top producers of small production single vineyard wines from the Napa Valley. At a blind tasting commemorating the historic Judgement of Paris featuring eight of the world’s top wines from Bordeaux and the Napa Valley, the 2012 Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard took the top slot for Napa Valley Cabernet besting Screaming Eagle, Schrader To Kalon, and Shafer Hillside Select.

Mira produce a dozen premium labels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varietal red and white blends sourced from leading Napa growers.  

Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard 2016 

This is from Schweizer Vineyard, one of the oldest in Napa Valley, that has been producing grapes for premier wines for over 100 years and has been owned by the Schweizer family since 1956. The historic 42-acre vineyard in the heart of Stags Leap District has ideal terroir for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. It combines excellent draining Perkins Gravelly Loam soil with a microclimate of great afternoon sun due to its position on the east side of the valley and ideal hot days and cool nights. As a result, Schweizer Vineyard is among the world’s top locations to grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
 

Winemaker notes: "A level of refinement on the nose that defies easy description, evoking the best of the “Grand Cru” tradition. Smooth despite tremendous structure, on the palate the wine’s essential fruit character underlies layers of earthy, forest floor notes. Already extremely complex, this wine is destined for a profound journey in the cellar."

This release was awarded 97 Points in the Sunset International Wine Competition, 95 Points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 Points by James Suckling, and 91 Points by Wine Spectator.  

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, concentrated ripe blackberry and currant fruits, earth, tobacco, dark bitter mocha chocolate, vanilla and spice notes with hints of cedar and on a long expressive acid tinged finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4093038

https://miranapa.com/

https://twitter.com/mirawinery

Team cook-out dinner features grilled beefsteak and diverse wine flight

Team cook-out dinner features grilled beefsteak, salmon and broad diverse assorted wine flight

This continues our earlier post on the cookout dinner we hosted for my global team, wherein I wrote about the white Napa Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc blend we served to accompany the grilled salmon. 

Over the course of the Salmon, grilled T-bone beefsteaks, assorted salads, cheeses, fruits and desserts, we opened a broad diverse wine flight of white, red, red blend, tawny port, and pair of dessert wines. 

We served a Sauvignon Blanc from Blackbird Vineyards and were discussing their vineyard site on Oak Knoll Road at Big Ranch Road in southern Napa Valley, down the road from Trefethen Vineyards and Winery. 

Guest and colleague Rick K mentioned he was a member of the Trefethen wineclub and collected several of their wines over the years. Mark B, visiting from the UK, discussed the likely geneaology of the Trefethen name and his shared Welsh family heritage. 

Hence, I pulled from our cellar a special Trefethen select blend as an additional pairing with the grilled T-Bone steaks, and comparison with the other Napa Cab, Clos du Val.

To accompany the grilled T-bone beefsteaks, I opened the pair of red Napa Valley Cabernets starting with . Clos du Val Napa Cab in a large format magnum bottle. Both were ideal pairings with the steak.

Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Clos Du Val is French for “small vineyard estate of a small valley,” was founded in 1972 in the historic Stags Leap District by Franco-American entrepreneur John Goelet. Monsieur Goelet conducted a global search for vineyards where he could build a world class winery - and craft world-class wines. His search ended with the purchase of 150 acres in the Napa Valley Stags Leap District, and 180 acres in the Carneros region at the bottom of Napa Valley near where it meets Sonoma, near the confluence at the top of San Pablo Bay.

In 2012, Clos Du Val’s Winemaker Kristy Melton became only the third winemaker in the four-decade history of Clos Du Val. Previous she had worked at Seresin Estate in New Zealand, and Iron Horse and Saintsbury in California.

I first posted a tasting of this label back in November 2015 when I noted "I like this wine" and rated it 93 points; "Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a symphony of smooth polished complex flavors - tightly wound blackberry, black cherry, hints of plum and currant fruits accented by tones of black tea, black olive, hints of vanilla, light toast, and tobacco on the finely integrated supply sinewy tannin finish."

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/11/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html

I then wrote about it again almost a year ago to the day on 7/16/2021 when I wrote: "At eight years, this is just now starting to hit its stride and has a long life ahead and may not yet have reached the apex of its drinking/aging profile. It might settle down and integrate a bit further for more polish and nuance, but it is delicious now as it is."

'Bright garnet/purple colored, medium full bodied, vibrant, forward expressive blackberry, dark cherry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, smoke, floral, herbs, black tea and tobacco turning to firm but smooth approachable tannins and a pleasing bright tangy lingering finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/07/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html

This Clos Du Val 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was rated 95 points by Antonio Galloni of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 92 points by James Suckling.

Served from large format magnum which I believe contributed to its being somewhat more settled balanced than earlier tastings, at nearing a decade, this is hitting its stride and likely at or nearing the apex of its tasting profile and window. 

Consistent with earlier notes, bright ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant, complex but nicely balanced blackberry, black currant and dark cherry fruits with bitter dark chocolate, baking spice, black tea, with some smoke and leather on a tangy acidic finish and moderate soft tannins on the finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2122040

https://www.closduval.com/

As mentioned, based on the discussions about Trefethen above, and the unique nature of this label and its heritage, I pulled from the cellar this red Bordeaux blend from them.

Trefethen Dragon's Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine 2018

We discovered and wrote about this label when we visited the Trefethen Estate winery and vineyards at the entrance to Napa Valley just above the City of Napa in the Oak Knoll District during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013.  

Founded by Eugene and Catherine Trefethen in 1968, today, it is managed by the third generation of the Trefethen family.

This label is a tribute to the winery's matriarch Catherine Trefethen, who was from Welsh ancestry. 

This is an interesting, unique blend of Malbec and Petit Verdot, 100% Estate, sourced from new plantings from the rockiest part of Trefethen's vineyard where obsidian flakes occasionally remind them of the toothy smile of Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) guardian and symbol of Wales.

The blend for this release is 49% Malbec, 27% Petit Verdot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

 

Winemaker Notes for this vintage release: "This wine opens with expressive aromas of cherry and blackberry accented with notes of fig, tobacco leaf, and sarsaparilla. Full-bodied and balanced, the integrated flavors of ripe dark fruit lead to a lush and abundant finish."

 

This release was awarded 94 points by James Suckling, 92 points by Vinous, 91 points by International Wine & Spirits Competition, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits and Decanter World Wine Awards.

 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, perhaps too young to reveal its true character and potential as it was a bit tight and closed, still full round ripe black cherry and berry fruits with notes of dark mocha, spice, leather and black tea notes with full tannins on a long finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3774917

https://www.trefethen.com/ 

At this point, one of our guests mentioned a liking to port wine which turned the discussion to suitable and appropriate after dinner wines for such an occasion. I returned from the cellar with a half dozen bottles from which the group selected a Tawny Port and a pair of diverse dessert wines. 

Cockburn's Twenty Year Tawny Porto Director's Reserve (Bottled in) 1994

Our British guest, Mark, noted the proper pronunciation of this producer's name, which is British, Scottish, is "CO-burn", with the ck being silent. 

Cockburn's dates back to 1815, when Robert and John Cockburn, two brothers from Scotland, bypassed the stuffy merchant’s fair in Porto and bought the best grapes directly from farmers upriver in the Douro region of Portugal to produce their own wine, which continued thereafter to this day. 

Cockburn's 20 Year Old Tawny is blended from older, mature, cask aged wines and then refreshed by the addition of younger wines. The average age of this blend is no less than 20 years.

Notably, this Bottle numbered OP 293941, was bottled in 1994, one of the best most highly acclaimed vintages years for port in history. That would render this wine to be going on 20 plus (2022-1994) 28, or 48 years of age. 

This is interesting in that while they indicate on the label that this bottle was produced in 1994, it is not a Vintage Port, since the actual wine is a blend from the highest quality wine frmo across numerous vintages, with an average age of twenty years, hence called a "20 Year Tawny." 

Cockburn produce their flagship premium Vintage Ports in designated vintage years, which is the custom in Porto, a '10 Year Tawny', a '20 Year Tawny', and a 'Late Bottled Vintage' (LBV), sourced from the same vineyard that produces the Vintage Ports, the LBVs are aged in large oak vats for four to six years before being bottled, produced to be ready to drink.

It was wonderful, not the least showing any diminution from age whatsoever. It was enjoyed by all, not just the more hearty robust aged wine aficionados. The Cellartracker drinking window for this wine was 'Drink by 2017', rendering this warning, "This wine is past its drinking window. DRINK UP!!" I dutifully updated the Cellartracker Drinking Window to 2024, based on our experience with this bottle.

My photo of this bottle, with my watermark 'www.mcnees.org/winesite', indicates I published it before I obtained and started using the 'www.unwindwine.com' internet domain name and branding.  

Winemaker Notes for Cockburn's 20 Year Old Tawny although not necessarily this release: "The wine is star-bright, in color somewhere between rose hip pink and dark honey. A seductive, delicate nose evokes subtle hints of raisins, cedar wood, walnuts and cinnamon. Silky and light yet still with a distinct grip the wine is very much alive. The finish is nutty and sinewy and lasting. The character of this wine is similar to that of a fully mature vintage port of a very great year."

Of course, due to the age of our bottle, it was darker, more the color of iced tea.

The recent Cockburn 20 Year Tawny was awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Dark golden colored resembling iced tea, full bodied, rich, unctuous, notes of smoke, nut, hints of butterscotch, toffee and honey. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=620571

More to come .. being updated further ... 

Continuing the wine journey, we opened a pair of aged vintage dessert wines with the dessert course which also included assorted cheeses and fresh fruits. 

We opened, in small format, 375 half bottles, an Italian and a French dessert wine, two disparate styles, profiles and tastes. 

Calvalchina Bianca Del Veneto Passito IGT 2004 Trebbiano Blend 

Several from our group know and have had this wine together during our team dinners at Italian Village, Chicago, many of which have been chronicled in these pages.

I've written about this label on numerous occasions as this is one of the several remaining bottles from a case of 24 half bottles we acquired of this wine for every day casual sipping, ideal for such occasions such as this evening.

Upon release the color of this wine was straw, then turned to butter, and over time has consistently darkened to honey color and it is now the hue of weak tea.

Consistent with some earlier notes, back in 2016 I wrote: Medium-full bodied, the apple fruits, subtle tangerine and hint of apricot and peach flavors have given way, overtaken by tones of burnt caramel, smoke and nut on a flavorful lingering finish.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=436980

Then to compare with a different style and varietal from a different region, we turned to a Sauterne from Bordeaux from a near vintage allowing for nearly a horizontal (same vintage comparison) tasting of similar purpose produced wines.

Château Suduiraut 1er Grand Cru Classe' Sauternes Bordeaux 2002, 2005

The full flight photo above shows a 2005 vintage release of this label. That is the bottle we consumed this evening. Additionally, we had the remains of this 2002 vintage release from a few nights earlier that we also finished out tonight.  

This is a label we know well as we have a vertical collection spanning more than two decade of vintages. As I written often in the past, its great fun to watch these Sauternes wines age and turn from the straw color on release, darkening over time to butter, then honey colored to weak tea colored.

Dark honey colored, medium full bodied, not as sweet and unctuous as some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate notes of smoke accented by marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of  vanilla on the tongue cloying finish. 

This was a perfect compliment to the fresh berries, selection of profiteroles and chocolate desserts.

RM 91 points.

Tasted from a 375ml half bottle.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=18468

Family reunion dinner features select Napa Cabs with beef tenderloin

Family reunion dinner features beef tenderloin and select flight of Napa Cabs

Cousin/Nephew Chris visited from South Carolina crossing the country visiting several family members along the way enroute to a family reunion in Wyoming. We gathered for a family dinner to catch up with Chris and meet his new wife and family. Chris spent several tours serving our country in Central Asia and traveled extensively during furloughs and leaves. On two occasions he visited Napa Valley and sent us wines of producers he visited. 

One of the wines we received from Chris that we consumed a while back, this Liana Estates Vintners Blend 2015. While on leave from his tour in Central Asia, he visited Napa/Sonoma wine country and shipped several bottles back to me, Uncle Rick, and cousin (son) Ryan.

In town for this visit, our kids gathered to visit with their cousin. Linda prepared a beef tenderloin with grilled sweet corn, haricot verts and mashed potatoes. 

Son Ryan and I pulled from the cellar several Napa Cabs for the dinner including one specific bottle we pulled from the cellar was this bottle we received from Chris a while back that we were holding until we might open it with him. 

 

We had a bottle from this producer from our cellar back in February, 2021, this White Rock Napa Claret 2002.

 

Tonight we opened from this producer a special winemaker signed bottle of the White Rock Vineyards "Laureate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. This was obtained and gifted to us by our nephew Chris who acquired it for us during a Napa trip a several years back. 

White Rock Vineyards "Laureate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

 

This is from White Rock Vineyards in the Stags Leap District appellation in the southern foothills, sited in a small valley at the base of the Stag’s Leap Range, in southeast Napa Valley just above the town of Napa. The estate is a 35-acre naturally farmed vineyard, with distinctive terroir of white volcanic ash soils.

The property and White Rock Vineyards dates back to 1870. Originally a land grant to Salvador Vallejo, the original parcel was purchased in 1870 by Dr. Pettingill, a dentist, brewer, winemaker, and horse breeder.

Pettingill planted a vineyard on the property, one of the earliest plantings in Napa Valley. In 1871, he constructed a winery on the property out of the white rock he quarried from the property, using only a hand saw to cut and shape the rock. In that early winery, he produced 7,000 gallons of wine per year.

Dr. Pettingill built two cellars, where he began the tradition of bottle ageing his wine for 4 years before release, a method and tradition still practiced at White Rock to this day.

Henri and Claire Vandendriessche purchased the property in 1977 and set to work restoring the estate vineyards and winery. The Vandendriessche's released their first vintage in 1986 and it has been family owned and operated ever since. 

Henri Vandendriessche, whose family originated in Northern France, came to America to study Economics at UC Berkeley in 1960. In 1967 he met Claire who was raised in Napa Valley. They fell in love and set out to raise a family and pursue a life in winemaking, purchasing a 64 acre estate north of Napa in 1977. 

They raised their young family on the farm living in the old winery. They replanted much of the vineyard and dug a cave into the solid rock where they could make and cellar their wine. 

Always a family business, Henri oversaw all aspects of the vineyard management and winemaking, while Claire marketed and sold the wines. They raised three children who were involved in every aspect of the operation. 

The White Rock Laureate label is their Bordeaux Blend comprised of estate grown fruit, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot.

 

Plenty of life left and still holding very nicely at two decades, the cork, label and fill level were perfect. This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, rich powerful concentrated ripe blackberry and black currant fruits accented by notes of coffee, vanilla bean, mocha and hints of licorice with supple tannings on a lingering finish. 

 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=655291

 

https://whiterockvineyards.com/  

@whiterockcaves

 

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

 

Everything about Pride Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley California Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot wine producer profile, wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, history of the property, information on their wine making techniques, terroir and soil. You can also read about the Grapes used for California wine and learn about the extensive History of Napa Valley, California Wines

Pride Mountain Wines History, Overview

Pride Mountain Vineyards is located 2,100 feet up on Spring Mountain. The vineyards have been around a long time. In fact, they date all the way back to 1869. Archived records show the property was already being used for the production of wine at the time. The original structure was destroyed by fire after Prohibition. Pride Mountain Vineyards finished construction and a complete renovation of their estate in 1997.

Government regulations have interesting and difficult consequences for Pride Mountain Vineyards. Due to the properties location, the winery is required to maintain two separate facilities, one in Napa and the other in Sonoma. The property line is divided down the center of the crush pad. Pride Mountain Vineyards recent vintages are designated Napa Valley, Sonoma County or with a blend of both. This inspired Pride Mountain Vineyards to add the humorous tag, "One Ranch, Two Counties."

Pride Mountain Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking

Pride Mountain Vineyards owns three vineyards which add up to 235 acres on Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range. Their high elevation gives them an advantage over growers located further down the mountain. The soil includes volcanic rocks, gravel loam and stones along with some clay. They grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay and Viognier.

Pride Vineyards practices sustainable farming techniques. After harvesting, Pride vinifies all their vineyard lots separately. They own 40 different blocks which comes to being fifty lots of wine that are produced each to their own needs. The percentage of new French oak varies from vintage to vintage.

Pride Mountain Vineyards produce a myriad of different wines and bottling's including Cabernet Sauvignon, Claret (a Bordeaux styled, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon blend), Merlot, Viognier, Syrah and Petit Sirah.

Serving and Decanting Pride Mountain wines with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Pride Mountain Vineyards wines are best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Young vintages of their red wine can be decanted for 1-3 hours, depending on the character of the vintage. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

The red wine of Pride Mountain Vineyards is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, ribs, hamburgers, barbecue, roasted, braised, grilled dishes and stews. Pride Mountain Vineyards is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta.

The white wine of Pride Mountain Vineyards is best served with all types of seafood and shellfish, sushi, sashimi, chicken, veal, pork and cheese.

www.pridewines.com

Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=1997&wine=Pride%20Mountain%20Vineyards%20Cabernet%20Sauvignon%20Reserve

We visited the Pride Mountain Vineyards high atop Spring Mountain back in 1999 and 2000 when we tasted and acquired a case of this wine. The property sits at 2,100 feet, at the mountain summit above the town of St Helena in the Mayacamas Range that forms the western wall of Napa Valley. 

 

The vineyards and wine production date back to 1869 according to archived records. The original structure was destroyed by fire after Prohibition. Pride Mountain Vineyards built the current building as part of a complete renovation of their estate in 1997.
 

Due to the property's unique location at the summit, atop the mountain straddling Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west, the winery is required to maintain two separate facilities, one in Napa and the other in Sonoma. The property line is divided down the center of the crush pad. 

Pride Mountain Vineyards labels may be designated Napa Valley, Sonoma County or both, depending on the source of the blend. Pride Mountain Vineyards brands their estate, "One Ranch, Two Counties."

Pride Mountain Vineyards consists of three vineyards totaling 235 acres on Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range that separates the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Their distinctive terroir with their high elevation includes soil of volcanic rocks, gravel loam and stones along with some clay. There they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay and Viognier in 40 different blocks produced in fifty lots of wines that varies from vintage to vintage.

Tonight's tasting was consistent with earlier bottles of this wine. The 1997 vintage produced long lived wines that took several years to actually open and reveal their true potential.  I wrote about this wine in April 2017 when I gave it 93 points. 

 

"Consistent with earlier tasting notes in its profile, it seemed to show more polish and balance than I remember. Previous reviews I have given over the last several years have been increasing by a point indicating this vintage release is hitting its stride, at the peak of its drinking window.'

"Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, a firm structured backbone props up the vibrant complex black berry and black currant fruits showing tones of spice, cedar and hints of smoke, anise, leather and subtle mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish."

RM 92 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/04/pride-mtn-napa-cab-1997.html

This was a comparison to my previous tasting and review of this wine in Oct 2016 when I wrote the following:  - I like this wine: "Consistent with my earlier notes - dark, firm and full bodied with forward currant, black cherry, and a hint of cedar."

 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/10/pride-mountain-cabernet-1997-and.html

Tonight, this showed similar characteristics, blackish garnet, full bodied, more open, complex, bright and vibrant than as described in earlier tastings, showing tones of leather, graphite, anise and spice with hints of mocha before turning to a long tangy gripping tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

This label was awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator, 93 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 91-93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Wine Enthusiast, 91 points by Connoisseurs Guide. It was a Wine Spectator *Top 100 Wines of 2000*.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717

www.pridewines.com

 

@pridewines

 

York Creek Cellars Spring Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

 

Here is our last bottle of this rare label from a great vintage, showing well at two decades of age. The owner of York Creek is Fritz Maytag, notably known for his Anchor Steam brewing company and beer brand that is synonymous with San Francisco. 

 

Maytag is of the Maytag family, more notably known for their appliances. While studying at Stanford University, he spent time hanging out in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco where he fell in love with the Anchor Brewing Company. In 1965, he jumped on the opportunity to save Anchor from going out of business, buying a controlling interest “for the price of a used car.”

 

His Anchor Steam beer preceded the craft brewing craze that become wildly popular over the following two decades. Over that time, Maytag developed Anchor Steam into a world-renowned and best-selling brand.

 

Fritz also pursued interests in winemaking, in addition to craft brewing, when, in 1968, he purchased the York Creek property high above Napa Valley. He continued to add land and invest in planting and replanting vineyards ever since.

 

Fritz farmed the the York Creek property selling grapes from his 125-acre mountain vineyard to other winemakers including many outstanding names in the California wine industry such as Ridge Vineyards, who produced a York Creek vineyard designated label. 

 

York Creek began making a small amount of its own wine in 1992, and to this day, fewer than 1,000 cases of this Meritage are bottled a year, produced entirely from estate grapes grown on Spring Mountain above St. Helena. 

  

Like Pride Mountain vineyards, York Creek's property sits high above the Napa and Sonoma valleys, on the crest of the Mayacamas Range of mountains where the Napa side has long been known as "Spring Mountain."  The Maytag property consisted of 125 acres of vineyards surrounded by another 575 acres of woods and orchards, with 24 varieties of native trees whose silhouettes are shown and illustrated on the York Creek wine labels.

 

York Creek grows 15 different grape varieties—in nearly 50 individually named blocks which they market under different vineyard designated labels such as "Horseshoe," "Arena," "Dynamite Hill," and "Track." 

The property "York Creek Vineyards" in named for the defining feature of the land, the creek which flows all year for a mile and a half through thick forests and redwood groves. The creek flows from a small trickle on hot summer days, and 'roars like a locomotive' during winter when it rains.

The York Creek wine labels' and branding feature the 24 extensive, diverse native trees that flourish on the York Creek property. The trees on their labels are Maytag's way of celebrating the varied wild areas of York Creek with its forests that outnumber the vineyards, and which provide great enjoyment and pleasure.

Winery's notes: "In the early years we made wine from all four of the top varieties grown in Bordeaux, and made our blends a little differently each year. Though each vintage was predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, the blends also contained varying amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot."

  

York Creek winery production began in the early 1990s with their own equipment in other people's wineries. In the early years they focused on three wines: this "Meritage" Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and early experiments with Port, and our Pinot Blanc. 

 

The early vintages with crafted by the famous young St. Helena winemaker Cathy Corison. The Cabernet based blends were labeled "Meritage" to indicate that they are blends of Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, a typical blend of the the Bordeaux varietals and the wines of the Bordeaux region in France.

In 2000, Maytag built a tiny winery in San Francisco, just across the street from the Anchor Brewery, moving the equipment down from Napa. After nearly 40 years studying modern winemaking, Maytag began making the wines himself with the help of Tom Holmes as assistant winemaker. Tom had been a fine brewer at Anchor for several years while earning his B.A. and then his M.B.A. 

In 2000, Tom was about to leave Anchor coop until Maytag enticed him to stay as assistant winemaker. Raised in Hopland, in the heart of the North Coast wine region, and with his brewing background, Tom was well qualified and eager to take on this role.

This particular wine is labeled as both Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage. Its proportion of Bordeaux varietals is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, which technically allows it to be labeled as Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Maytag markets the wine under the licensed term 'Meritage' which means it is a Bordeaux Blend. Produced in the European style, the wine is aged in mostly French oak, with some American in certain vintages. This year, 743 cases were produced.

The term Meritage is derived from a combination of the words “Merit” and “Heritage”. Meritage wines must be US sourced and produced, and include some combination of the classic Bordeaux varietals,  (for red wines, a blend of the noble Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and/or Malbec), but may not have any one varietal account for more than 90% of the blend. The term Meritage is trademarked by the Meritage Alliance group which only allows the use of the branded name for a US Bordeaux Blend under license. 

Over the years, few producers have opted to pay the license fee and have foregone the Meritage (pronounced like Heritage) branding. Instead many wineries choose to brand their wines, creating a 'proprietary blend'. The Alliance considers these wines to be the best of the vintage, and consumers can expect big and bold flavors, brimming with ripe and lush berry fruit that will only improve with oak barrel aging. 

At two decades, the fill level, label, foil and cork were in perfect condition. Tonight, this was consistent with my previous tasting a decade ago, back in 2009, when I wrote: "Dark, full bodied, full flavored currant, red raspberry, and black cherry with a long soft polished tannin finish." 92 points.

 

Much like the Pride, heralding from the same terroir, this was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex, finely integrated blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by notes of cassis, cola, and hints of mocha turning to silky fine grained tannins on the long lingering finish. 

 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=266399

http://www.yorkcreek.com/