Mt Veeder Napa Cab and Sicilian Blend for Italian Dinner

 Duo of Mt Veeder Napa Bordeaux Varietals and Unique Sicilian White Blend for Italian Dinner and Evening Tasting

With Sis Jan visiting from SoCal, we dined at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. We took BYOB from our cellar a Yates Mt Veeder Napa Cab from Yates Family Vineyards, a producer we visited together during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience back in 2011. 

As mentioned, we visited Yates Family Vineyards located high on the upper slopes of Mt Veeder in the Mayacamas Mountains in the southwest corner of Napa Valley, in the Mount Veeder Appellation.

Yates have 35 acres of steep, hillside vineyards that were replanted in the early 1980s to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  

The Yates vineyards sitting at the upper reaches of the mountain at an average elevation of over 1,100 feet, have site terroir that combines the altitude and its exposure and drainage with its microclimates and volcanic soils to produce incredible grapes with intense fruit flavors.  These elements all contribute to produce long-lived ageworthy wines from the estate vineyard.  

Proprietor Mike Yates, shown left, is aided by his daughter Whitney Yates Hanes, working together as Co-Winemakers to produce wines under the Yates label. 

They estate bottle standard Bordeaux varietal designated labels as well as a Reserve. They also produce a St Emilion style blend and a left bank Bordeaux blend Alden Perry Reserve named for family patriarch Mike's grandfather, Perry and father Alden, who shifted to the Bordeaux varietals in the early fifties, (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc). 

Yates labels are produced in small quantity of less about 200 cases, including this Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that we tasted this evening of which only 98 cases were produced.

Here we are, shown with Mary Yates and her husband Todd Jones who manages sales and marketing for Yates.

We drank this with the Angeli's special Sausage and Pepper Pasta in garlic with shaved brussel sprouts and crushed red pepper. As a post course it was an ideal complement to the Butternut Squash Gnocci with its brown sugar sauce.

Yates Family Mount Veeder Redwoods Estate Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 

The winemaker's notes on this release sum it up well. "Deep dark purple ruby in color shows the intensity of this varietal. Bold earthy aromas of eucalyptus, sweet cherry, blackberry, cedar stone, and bittersweet chocolate. Lusciously complex, this wine boasts of high toned fruits, cherries perfectly ripened in the sun, rose, leather, cinnamon, briar, wet stone with a hit of coriander. The finish is smooth and memorable."  

Wine Enthusiast gave this release 92 points in their September 2009 issue.

This was aged eighteen months in 35% new French oak.  

Producers notes on the 2006 vintage,  "2006 started off with heavy rains bringing in the New Year.  This wet weather lingered into spring. This caused the vines to grown energetically early, delaying bloom into June.  June’s weather started to warm, with dry conditions favoring fruit set.  July had some record heat which was followed by a moderate summer.  Harvest was delayed due to the wet spring and delayed bloom.  Total yield was slightly lower, with small berries that helped concentrate the flavors and enhance the fruit aromas creating intense wines with soft tannins for accessibility early but still possessing age ability for years to come."

At fourteen years of age, this is likely tasting at the apex of its drinking window. Tonight, this was consistent with our earlier tasting experience, dark deep inky purple color - complex and full bodied, the black berry and black cherry fruits were accented by dusty rose petals, tones of dark bittersweet chocolate, spice, and a layer of leather on a smooth tannin finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1106552 

https://www.yatesfamilyvineyard.com/

https://twitter.com/YatesFamilyWine 

@YatesFamilyWine 

As we did last week, once again, we ordered from the Angeli's wine list this interesting unique Italian white blend from Sicily. Both wines were sensational with this one an ideal accompaniment to the Angelis signature Boston Clam Chowder and the Butternut squash gnocci and Linda's entree, the Seared Ahi tuna.

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2016

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago. 

 

This wine is from the Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

 

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

 

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent grillo and 20 percent viognier.  

 

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil.

This was sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio. 

Straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, apricot and citrus with tones of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

 Rubissow Mt Veeder Napa Valley Merlot 2006

 After dinner, back at home, we opened another label that we tasted and procured with Jan at the winery, Rubissow, high atop Mt Veeder during the same Napa Valley, Mt Veeder Appellation tour. 

We visited the Rubissow Estate and Vineyards, also high atop Mt Veeder and met proprietor, winemaker, producer George Rubissow.  The Rubissow hilltop vineyard is at the southern end of the Mt Veeder appellation looking south to Carneros with views in the distance of Mt Diablo to the west of San Francisco Bay and Mt Tamalpais in Marin to the north of the golden gate. 

The southern exposure and proximity to the San Pablo Bay moderates the climate of the site. 

 

From my earlier notes in a previous blogpost, "my recollection of this wine was the profile of the Yates Fleur de Veeder that we tasted next to this as reviewed above - full bodied with rich extracted fruit. Tonight this was leaner and lighter than I remembered and hence expected. I am looking ahead to trying this again as we still have a half case in the cellar."

Tonight's tasting was consistent with that earlier experience, this showed dark garnet purple color, medium body with black berry fruits, slightly tart black cherry with a hints of spice, tobacco, touch of mocha and coffee bean. 

This was a bit flabby and lacked structure and therefor was a bit underwhelming, perhaps due to comparison with the bigger, bolder, brighter Yates, reviewed above.

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=872497

https://www.rubissowwines.com/ 

https://twitter.com/RubissowWines 

@RubissowWines

Robert Biale Royal Punishers and Dalila Sicilia White Blend

Robert Biale "Royal Punishers" Pettite Sirah and Dalila - Viognier Grillo Blend for Angeli's Italian Dinner

Our whacky govenor is espousing shutting down restaurants again in Northern Illinois so we made a point to dine out at Angelis' Italian, our local Italian trattoria in case we're prohibited from doing so in the near future. I took BYOB from our cellar this hearty Napa Valley Petite Sirah for the occasion. It was ideal with our dinner entrees, especially the Veal Marsala with its hearty brown sauce, and the seasonal butternut squash gnocci. 

We also ordered from the Angeli's wine list this interesting unique Italian white blend from Sicily. Both wines were sensational with this one an ideal accompaniment to the steamed mussels, Linda's Seared Ahi tuna, and the daily special, Angeli's Jalapena Gnocci. 

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2016

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago. 

 

This wine is from the Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

 

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent grillo and 20 percent viognier.  

 

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil.

This was sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio. 

Straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, apricot and citrus with tones of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

Robert Biale Petite Sirah Royal Punishers 2013

Robert Biale Vineyards in Napa Valley dates back to the 1930s when the Biale family grew Zinfandel grapes and other produce, selling the grapes to local wineries, saving some for their own wine production. During prohibition, to obfuscate their banned trade selling bottles of illicit homemade Zinfandel, they would refer to their dark fruit filled wines as "Black Chickens" over his party line phone service.

Biale Winery was formally founded in 1991 when Aldo Biale and his son Robert formed a partnership with winemaker Al Perry and wine salesman Dave Pramuk. Their initial product was Zinfandel, eventually adding Petite Sirah grown on their 25 acres in Napa Valley.  

Despite its popularity, the Petite Sirah grape is somewhat rare with less than 10,000 acres planted worldwide, with the bulk of that in California. In France, the grape is referred to as Durif. Not to be confused with Syrah, Petite Sirah is a cross of Syrah and Peloursin. The result is darker and fuller.

In Napa Valley, the market has turned to Cabernet Sauvignon and other French varieties leaving Zinfandel as a rare varietal comprising less that 3% of the valley's grape production.

The inaugural wine production was a quantity of 400 cases produced from 8 acres of old non-irrigated low-yielding vines called "Aldo's Vineyard." Today, Bob Biale, Dave Pramuk, and winemaker Steve Hall specialize in a broad portfolio of twenty Zinfandel labels each representing the terroir driven personalities of their property with some of the oldest vineyards in America.

Biale Zinfandel is produced in a distinctive style utilizing intensive old world Burgundian methodology from vineyard to barrel to bottle and are recognized as one of the top Zinfandel producers in America.

In addition to Zinfandel, Biale also is recognized for producing blockbuster and ageworthy red wines from other California varietals – Petite Sirah, plus small lots of Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Rhone blends, and Sauvignon Blanc.

This bottle exceeded my expectations for a big fruit forward sipper. It got 95 points from  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points from Wine Spectator noting it as "Highly Recommended".

Robert Parker calls it "stunning, almost off-the-charts richness, and a killer finish of nearly a minute."

It was aged in 30% new French oak for 17 months prior to bottling

Dark inky black/purple color, full bodied, rich concentrated, dense juicy ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits, floral and spices with hints of tea turning to a long chewy polished tannin finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=2079685

Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar

Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar offers spectacular wine selection at extraordinary values

Visiting friends Bob and Gloria in Florida, they took us to the Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar in Delray Beach. They boast to have "The World's Largest Selection of Wine by the Glass!"  with over 200 hand-selected wines available through their Enomatic wine dispensing machines. The Italian made, state-of-the-art machines are equipped with a wine-preservation system which guarantees to serve a fresh pour every time in pre-calibrated 1oz, 2.5oz, or 5oz size servings.

More noteably, they have an extensive wine cellar of fine wines with top vintage wines dating back several decades. Most importantly, they offer such wines at close to retail prices rather than marking them up 1.5, 2 or two and a half times retail or more.

I've written in these pages about the margins various dinesites extract from their winelist selections and the resulting values offered to patrons. This is the best value, highest QPR dining site I have ever experienced anywhere.

Moreover, they have a Reserve Wine List of extraordinary vintage selections of premium and super premium wines including First Growth classified Bordeaux that are also offered at fair market price or current retail prices for such wines, a fraction of what most other restaurants would charge.

The secret to the extensive collection and extraordinary values provided by the Wine Room and Kitchen is that it is sourced from the personal private cellar of the owner, a long time collector of fine wines. He shares his extensive cellar collection with patrons, and uses the restaurant outlet to 'thin' his cellar collection.

As shown, there is on offer a dozen vintages and labels of First Growth Bordeaux, Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Margaux. There are several vintages of Penfold's Grange, and a similar offerings from top rank California producers as well.

We started with a pre-dinner cheese and charcuterie plate and ordered a bottle of Washington State Quilceda Creek CVR - Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend.

At the near retail price for a current vintage release, I originally thought it was a mistake on the wine list and offered at close to half price. On further investigation I realized this was the norm for all offerings, including old vintages.

As Bob and Gloria are not obsessive oenphiles, with the level of interest or enthusiasm for wines as me, they also don't share my level of investment I might spend on a special bottle.

This provided a perfect opportunity to share a favorite selection of a vintage fine wine at a great value price to suit even a modest budget or appetite. The same could be said for our next selection, another Washington State wine from a legendary cult producer, Cayuse.

Then, there is a spectacular Charcuterie and Cheese selection. There are on offer over 70 cheeses available à la carte, matched with charcuterie or in pre-selected composed cheese flights below. There is a cheese master who can assist with accompaniments for entree selections as well as wine pairings. Our cheese plate was another memorable highlight of our visit.

Quilceda Creek CVR - Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It was projected to improve with age and drink well for a decade. At this stage, it is very likely drinking at the apex of its drinking profile and window - certainly so for wine geeks such as me who enjoy drinking aged wines, later in their aging window/profile.

This was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

Quilceda Creek owners/winemakers Alex and Paul Golitzin produce outstanding Bordeaux Blends with their Columbia Valley label at the pinnacle of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. We love this label and consider it a high QPR great value more affordable alternative to the flagship that costs 2-3x more.

K&L, the SFO Bay Area wine merchant cite this wine represents a great value and has received an average score of 92 points from the Wine Advocate over the past five years. The 2011 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley is a blend of declassified lots that didn't make it into their flagship wines that cost several times more in price. It was a delicious accompaniment to our selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie. 

The fruit for this label was sourced from all the Quilceda Creek vineyard sites, Columbia Valley vineyards - Champoux, Discovery, DuBrul, Galitzine, Klipsun, Palengat, Shaw, Tapteil and Wallula. 

The Blend was aged for 22 months in 100% French Oak.  

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, fruitful, plush, sweet ripe cherry, currant and boysenberry fruit flavors with accents of mocha chocolate, creme de cassis, graphite, spice and hints of licorice and coffee.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1753715

https://www.quilcedacreek.com/

We had dinner reservations at another restaurant in town but ended up staying at Delray Wine Room and Kitchen for dinner too. Bob ordered the fresh salmon, Gloria and Linda had the fresh day's catch Red Snapper, and I had the beef in puffed pastry with whipped potatoes and red cabbage. 

For dinner wine selections we ordered from the wine list another Washington State cult wine Cayuse and Pride Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Viognier 2011

We tasted another Cayuse label at our recent OTBN gala wine event the other night. At that time I noted that Cayuse is a limited production boutique producer whose wines are much sought after and highly allocated. 

This Cayuse Viognier is another unique label offering on the winelist, an interesting and imaginative pairing with the seafood entrees. 

This release got reviewed 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 92-93 by David Schildknecht, both for The Wine Advocate. Dunnuck wrote of the 2011 Viognier Cailloux Vineyard, "One of the best examples of the variety coming out of Washington".

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, Dunnuck writes of notes of 'white peach, citrus rind, liquid mineral and hints of white flowers'.

Schildknecht wrote, "Baron’s 2011 Viognier Cailloux Vineyard is redolent of acacia and honeysuckle along with lime and orange zests, ... also of pungent floral and white pepper .... reminiscent of Roussanne or even of Riesling from Austrian Urgestein."

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1444903

https://cayusevineyards.com/
 

Pride Cellars Napa Sonoma Valley Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Bob was up for drinking a red with his salmon entree and I ordered hearty beed so we also ordered this Napa Cab, one our favorite labels. There were more than a dozen different vintage label releases of Pride Spring Mountain Cabernet and the Reserve on the winelist. I selected the oldest vintage of the Estate bottling that I had not already tasted. Once again, this was offered at close to the fair market retail price, a high QPR value offerings.

Napa and Sonoma Valley ? What gives? As the label notes, this is sourced from the Pride Mountain estate vineyard, high atop Spring Mountain above Napa St Helena, 53% from Napa and 47% from Sonoma. The vineyard is one of two wineyards along the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west, that straddles the summit and actually can be attributed to both Napa and Sonoma Valley.

The other (so situated vineyard) is Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard further north along the range summit atop Diamond Mountain. We have visited and know and have wine in our cellar from both vineyards - having visited Pride during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1998, and Constant during our Napa Wine Experience 2011.

Pride Family acquired this property in 1990 and have been producing Cabernet Sauvignon from this Estate vineyard since 1994. Interesting, we have had or still hold bottles dating back to the 1994 vintage, some that we tasted and acquired during our visit in 1999.

Another reason for this selection tonight is that we gave mutual fellow fraternity brother and fellow Pour Boy wine buddy Dr Dan a large format magnum of this label for his (second) wedding present. Dan and Bob both brothers, were college roommates, and Bob and Gloria were with us, all together at the ceremony and celebration occasion.

This is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

Winemaker's Notes for this release. "Sumptuous nose of dried black cherries overlays a sweet background of cassis. A caressing texture initially coats the mouth with pure flavors of black cherry that give way to dark berry, subtle cedar, smoke and graphite on a long evolving finish framed by just the right amount of acidity. This wine is all about balance with supple ripe tannins providing a beautiful foundation for the ample dark fruit and with nuanced acidity giving structure and lift without bite. An absolute pleasure to roll around the mouth."

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave this 91 points.

Bright garnet ruby colored, medium full bodied, full forward blackberry fruits accented by notes of bitter dark chocolate, black tea, and hints of creosote and tones of graphite, cedar and oak with supple full tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=2960628

https://www.pridewines.com/

http://www.thewineroomonline.com/delraybeach/

Porter Creek Russian River Valley Estate Visit Tasting

Porter Creek Russian River Valley Estate Visit Tasting

While we focus on targeted producers' select private wine tastings on our wine country trips, one of the greatest joys is discovering a new producer. Typically, these discoveries are smaller producers whose labels are not in wide distribution back in our states. Invariably, they're discovered during a drive by pop in visit which we allow for once or maybe twice per day. In retrospect, these often turn out to be highlights of the trip, and become sources for small boutique wines that we continue to collect going forward.

Its a double edged sword serving and sharing undiscovered 'no-name' producers' labels with friends. While its fun to experience a new undiscovered wine, its dauntingly tempting serving a wine that is not available to acquire after discovery. While, one may not run out to the local wine shop to pick up a couple bottles, in the modern era, almost all producers are available and can be acquired on-line, (unless you're in one of the few states that prohibit importing wine into their bounds (such as Indiana)).

So it was, on our just completed 'Pour Boys'  Sonoma/NapaValley Wine Experience that we came upon Porter Creek Vineyards and Winery during our recent drive through the Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley.

Porter Creek is a small father-son operation run by George and Alex Davis, named for the Porter Creek tributary that runs down to the Russian River. They focus on organic hillside grown, single vineyard designate wines from varietals from Burgundy and the Rhone, those best suited to the terrior of the Russian River Valley, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Viognier. They also produce an estate Zinfandel and a Carignane sourced from Mendocino.

Quite different from the opulence and commercialization of Napa Valley, Sonoma's Russian River Valley is still idylic, laid back, hospitable, and enthusiastically energetic to showcase their high quality wines. Smaller, as yet undiscovered producers such as Porter Creek, represent significant value QPR (Quality Price Ratio) to the high end aggressively marketed

big-name branded labels from Napa producers which are sourced from the same appellations and terroir. Of course, many factors go into making wine, yield and viticulture, the wine making and blending, but small producers who exercise the same care and controls, can produce equally compelling wines as the premium labels.

Under the direction of owner/winemaker Alex Davis, Potter Creek strives to produce quality wines creatively and reasonably so as to maintain high QPR affordability. 

Porter Creek is as unpretentious as could be in their historic one room tasting hut built with hand made redwood beams, decorated with local artwork, with its colorful sweet scented wisteria covered trellis, up the gravel road, nestled between the cottage farm house and a free range egg chicken coop.

The Davis family acquired the Healdsburg estate and vineyards in the 1970's which already had vines on the property that were planted in the 'Old Vine Block' as early as 1974. They were early pioneers when they started producing Russian River Valley Pinot Noir in 1982, made still today in the old world classic Burgundian style.

Alex Davis was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle "Porter Creek's Alex Davis: Winemaker to watch in a 2011" in their WINEMAKERS TO WATCH 2011, by Jon Bonné, Chronicle Wine Editor in January of that year.

Alex spent his childhood in the vineyards and wine barn, earned a degree in Enology at Fresno U., and after college worked at producer Sonoma Cutrer.

His wine education for Pinot Noir was cast when he went to the home of Pinot, Burgundy in France, and worked the harvest at famous properties Domaine Georges Roumier, with its holdings in the grands crus Bonnes Mares and Musigny, and then spent time at Meursault's Domaine Michelot.

He studied viticulture at the University of Dijon for two years, where he met  Philippe Guigal, of the legendary Rhone producer. Alex was one of the first foreign interns to ever work a harvest at Guigal. He returned to California in 1997 to take over as winemaker of the family business at age 26.

Porter Creek sources fruit from their own vineyards and a couple neighboring growers - the vineyards forming a crescent around the wine estate property. Today, Davis focuses on the Porter Creek signature Estate Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, but he also produces some Rhone varietals, Syrah, Viognier and a Carignane sourced from a Mendocino vineyard planted in 1950. He also produces a Zinfandel that is sourced from the vineyard just across the road.

On our chance drive by pop in visit we were hosted by Jonathan Demichael, Tasting Room Manager (left). The tasting room was full of revelers and we almost moved on but Jonathan persisted and served us on the picturesque patio under the pleasant perfume of the wisteria covered trellis.

After initial introductions and overview of the property and wine selections, we learned Jonathan, a musician before turning Sommelier, was a fellow Hoosier and still had ties back to IU and Bloomington.

We stayed on and explored the Porter Creek portfolio and had a wonderful relaxing visit. We ended up acquiring several cases and are eager to re-visit and share our discovery back home.



Porter Creek Wines tasted:

Porter Creek "Haley Marie Cuvee" Russian River Valley Viognier - Timbervine Ranch 2014 

Winemaker's Notes: In the spirit of its northern Rhone counterparts in Condrieu, this wine possesses a weight and richness rarely found in New World Viogniers. Beautiful nuances of mango, pear and nectar. Balanced, round and capable of aging.

Porter Creek "George's Hill" Old Vine Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2014

Porter Creek "Fiona Hill Vineyard" Estate Bottled Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2014

Porter Creek "Old Vine" Mendocino County Carignane 2014

Porter Creek "Timbervine Ranch" Russian River Valley Syrah 2013

 Porter Creek Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2014

Highlights of the tasting for me were the Chardonnay, Pinot and the Syrah, (shown left) of which we acquired a mixed case with Dr Dan, who also acquired cases including some of the Viognier and the Carignane.

Baked Brie Tranche Slice of Pape Blanc Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

Baked Brie highlights Tranche Cellars 'Slice of Pape Blanc' Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

One of the highlights of our recent gala French cuisine wine dinner at Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park was their decadent baked brie cheese with honey and toasted almonds. So, for a casual midweek tasting of an interesting white wine, Linda crafted her own rendition of this preparation - Baked Brie in crescent wrap with mixed berries, honey and toasted almonds (shown below).

 

The delicious crescent rolls with baked brie, mixed berries with honey and toasted almonds were ideally suited to a moderately complex Rhone style white blend.  

To accompany this decadent treat, we tasted this interesting, odd named proprietary white blend from the producer Corliss, otherwise known for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Wine Advocate says "Tranche Cellars consistently delivers serious, impeccably made wines that over-deliver". 

This label, "Slice of Pape Blanc" is a blend that would characteristically be found in Chateauneuf du Pape Blancs, white blends from the southern Rhone River Valley known mostly for big reds. 

This is a blend of 59% Roussanne and 41% Viognier aged in 100% neutral French oak. 

The complexity and depth of the wine was a perfect compliment to the symphony of flavors of the brie, crescent, berry, honey and almonds.  


Tranche Cellars 'Slice of Pape Blanc' Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

Straw colored medium bodied with a silky texture, this opened to rich, crisp, bright vibrant tones of lemon citrus with accents of peaches, hints of apricot, floral and just the right amount of acidity.

RM 91 points. Wine Advocate gave it 92

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1611401

http://tranchecellars.com/