Chez Joël Authentic French Bistro Cuisine with High QPR Wine Selections

Chez Joël Authentic French Bistro Cuisine with High QPR Wine Selections

Back home from our road trip, Friday night dinner, we were treated to dinner with son Sean and d-in-law Michelle to celebrate their new home down the street from our in the Hobson Road corridor. 

We dined at one of our favorite eateries in the City (Chicago), Chez Joël on Taylor Street. As usual the service was outstanding, food was delectable and the price was agreeable.

Chez Joël is quaint, artsy, intimate, tasteful, comfortable,  authentic yet unpretentious in its French Bistro setting and faire. We had a perfect lat summer evening sitting outside in the adjacent courtyard.

I had my oft-time usual fare, the Duck Confit, Linda had the salmon, Sean the daily special Blue Fish, and Michelle had the lamb, Michelle's cousin Ola had the Coq au vin. 

Chez Joel Patio

Chez Joel Confit Duck

Chez Joel Lamb

Chez Joel Salmon

All the entrees were excellent - well prepared, artful presentations, ample portions, and with appropriate accompaniments.

With the starters and seafood entrees we had a selection of WBTG (Wine By The Glass) offerings from the winelist, the Sauvignon Blanc, Daniel Olivier, Montravel, Bergerac and this California Chardonnay.

Bishop's Peak Tally Vineyards San Luis Obispo Chardonnay 2020

Bishop's Peak is the second label of wines are crafted by Talley Vineyards to capture the unique diversity of the greater Central Coast region. The goal with the Bishop's Peak Chardonnay is to produce wine that reflects the distinct aroma and flavor of cool climate chardonnay in the purest way possible. Consequently no new oak barrels are used for fermentation or aging. Produced from Chardonnay grapes grown sustainably in coastal San Luis Obispo County, predominantly in stainless steel with some neutral French oak barrels.

Vinous rated this 91 points reflecting high QPR in this entry level label. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, notes of pear and peach fruits with hints of lemon, floral with bitter citrus tones. 

RM 89 points.

For the main courses we ordered from the winelist this Northern Rhone red that we know well having enjoyed earlier vintage releases it on several occasions from the winelist at another one of our favorite French Bistro's Suzzettes' Creperie in suburban Wheaton. 

Repeating that earlier blogpost the notes about Domaine Chevalier and brother and sister team of Nicolas and Marlène Chevalier, tonight we tasted the newer, later 2020 vintage of this label.

Marlène & Nicolas Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes Hermitage 2020

Once part of the cave co-operative at Tain-Hermitage, since 2008 the family vineyards of Domaine Chevalier are gradually being reclaimed by the brother and sister team of Nicolas and Marlène Chevalier. Nicolas tends the vineyards and crafts each cuvee, while Marlène handles all of the sales and marketing for Domaine Chevalier.

Following his formal agricultural studies in France, Nicolas spent four years honing his winemaking skills on estates in Australia, California and South Africa. After completing studies in agronomy and enology in France, he headed to South Australia’s Clare Valley where he mastered various techniques for fermenting Shiraz (Syrah). He then worked with Kendall Jackson in California crafting white winemaking skills. To further his post-graduate wine studies, he spent 2002 in South Africa working at legendary three-hundred-year-old Boschendal estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a winery renowned for its superb Syrah-based wines.

Marlène and Nicolas Chevalier farm three small vineyards at their meticulously tended family property comprising 3 1/2 acres in Crozes-Hermitage from which they produce on average 500 cases of red and white Rhône wines in tiny lots which are highly allocated. Their wines are found only in a couple of importer direct wine clubs and renowned restaurants in North American.

This is from Crozes, the village adjacent the more prestigious appellation that shares part of its name, but operates in Hermitage’s shadow. The Crozes-Hermitage appellation area extends about 10 miles (16 km) both north and south of Tain and Hermitage itself and is known to produce more approachable wines than its higher profile neighbor. By 2017, almost 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) of vines had been planted among the local cherry and apricot orchards. Unlike Hermitage, land in Crozes-Hermitage is relatively affordable and available providing an opportunity for enthusiastic newcomers, as well as a number of local growers, who want to bottle the fruit of their own labors, rather than send their production to the Cave de Tain co-op, the case of this wine too.  

Nicolas works with several distinct parcels for their wines: La Motte, Marius, Petite Pend, Les Pends and namesake source for this label, Les Voleyses. These vineyards have clay and limestone soils with excellent exposure, known to produce ripe, high quality grapes with great aromatic character and freshness. The Domaine Chevalier site has been producing grapes for notable wines gaining high praise and critical acclaim for more than three centuries.

Like the 2018 vintage we tasted earlier, the 2020 vintage was also top rated in the Northern Rhône. This represents a great value, high QPR (quality price ratio) wine.

 

Importer notes for the 2018 release: The 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage sports a brilliant purple robe and a captivating aroma redolent with the scents of blackberry, plum, violets, and exotic spices. Sensuous and seductive in the mouth, the 2018 Les Voleyses graces the palate with a silky texture and pure floral, fruit, and forest floor flavors that have aptly been described as hedonism in a glass. Moreover, the 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses is juicy and harmonious to the finish, as it makes an exit with joyful panache.

 

The Voleyses Cuvée is 100% Syrah made from younger vine fruit and aged in stainless steel.

 

Tonight's tasting was totally consistent with our earlier experiences with this label.

Deep inky purple colored medium-full bodied, full round layers of blackberry and plum fruits, notes of black tea, spice and leather overtake the fruits, turning to soft chewy textured tannins on a medium finish. 

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4133858

The 2018 release - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3495672

Earlier vintage release blogpost - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/12/intimate-dinner-suzettes-creperie.html

With the dessert course Sean had the Tawney Port and I had another wine we know well from previous visits here as well as from our home cellar, this WBTG Sauterne offering. 

Château Suduiraut Lions de Suduiraut Sauterne 2016

This is the second wine of a well known prestigious Bordeaux Grand Cru. 

Resembling its flagship first label big brother this was delicious and a perfect perfect accompaniment to the Creme Brulee and Chocolate Lava Cake. 

The history of Château Suduiraut began in 1580 with the marriage of Nicole d’Allard and Léonard de Suduiraut. Classified as a Premier Cru Classé (First Growth) in Sauternes in 1855, it has always been known as a superb property (its neighbor is Château d’Yquem). 

In the 1990’s, the estate was sold to French financial insurance conglomerate AXA, who invested in the Château making significant investments in its vineyards and winemaking facilities. This eventually translated into a dramatic increase in the quality of the wines.

The Suduiraut vineyards span 92 hectares consisting of gravel, sand, limestone and clay soils on sloping hillsides. They are planted to 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is fermented in French oak barrels and aged on its lees in 50% new French oak for 18-24 months. Lions de Suduiraut, their third label, is produced from almost nearly 100% Semilon. This release was a blend of  93% Semillon and 7% Sauvignon Blanc. 

It was aged 50% in new barrels and 50% from barrels of one vintage, for 16 to 18 months

Dark golden, weak tea colored, medium bodied, sprites of sweet honey, apricot with note of peach and glints of pear, citrus and notes of lychee, stone fruit on a tongue coating unctuous finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3417749

https://www.suduiraut.com/

As usual and to be expected at Chez Joel, a wonderful, relaxing fun wine and dine evening.

http://chezjoelbistro.com/

 

 

Signorella Hope's Cuvee at Marco's Kitchen

Signorella Hope's Cuvee at Marco's Kitchen La Grange (IL) Dinner

Friday night datenight, we dined at chic Marco's Kitchen in nearby suburban LaGrange (IL). Expecting to order seafood I took BYOB from our cellar a ultra-premium Napa Chardonnay. 

Marco's is a stylish, chic, trendy casual and comfortable dining experience with imaginatively crafted and artfully presented food, a basic but sufficient carefully selected winelist including WBTG offerings, with a reasonable BYOB policy, and professional friendly attentive service. The broad menu offers a selection of seafood dishes as well as duck, lamb, pork and beef entrees, with a range of salads and starter dishes.

We ordered from the menu the Chicken Liver, Shitake Mushroom Cognac Mousse Pate that was delicious, the highlight of the evening for me from our previous dining experience there last winter. To accompany this, I ordered from the WBTG selection (Wines By the Glass) the Böen California Pinot Noir from Joseph Wagner (son of) of Caymus fame, which was an ideal pairing.

Linda loved the Gezpacho with shrimp as her salad course. I ordered the Cous Cous & Orange Arugula Salad with dried mango, cucumber, orange, tomatos and pomegranate ginger vinagrette (above).

For our dinner entree we shared the Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi and Gulf Shrimp with Basmati Rice, Coconut Lime and Basil Broth with Crushed Macademias and blanched asparagus. 

 
The salad and seafood dishes were perfectly accented, paired with the Signorello Napa Chardonnay.

Signorello Hope's Cuvee Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

As posted in an earlier blogposts, we discovered and acquired (the then current release vintage of) this wine during our visit to the Estate on Silverado Trail in Southeastern Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013. At that time I wrote about this label: "I am predominantly a red wine drinker and while I enjoy an occasional glass of white, most often with appropriate food, I don't normally get excited about a white wine. This chardonnay was the exception,  memorable and special."

(Former) Signorello Estate overlooking vineyards
and valley floor.

The Signorello winery sits at the very southern end of Napa Valley and has 43 acres of vineyards, including some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in all of Napa Valley - fruit from 37-year-old vines goes into his Hope’s Cuvée.

The magnificent Estate was destroyed in the fires that engulfed much of sections of Sonoma and Napa in 2017. Fires came down the foothills to the property that sat up the hill back from the highway.

The fire reached the winery and completely destroyed the hospitality center that also housed offices, a wine lab and a family residence upstairs. The adjacent  crush pad and stainless steel tanks survived intact along with the barrel cellar and equally if not most importantly, the vines of the adjacent vineyards. 

In the wake of the destruction from Napa Valley’s October 2017 Atlas Peak Fire, Ray Signorello vowed to rebuild. We're relieved to read about the Phoenix of Signorella Estate, rising from the ashes, literally, and being rebuilt, even grander and larger than before. Signorello said he viewed the tragedy as an opportunity to do something new and exciting and is rebuilding with a larger fermentation facility, wine caves and a stunning expanded hospitality center.

The winery has kept almost all of its team employed as an interim step toward returning to normalcy and they have been operating out of a modular building was brought in to serve as a temporary hospitality center.

The adjacent Darioush property nearby the sits at the valley floor closer to the highway and similarly situated properties were untouched.

Signorello "Hope's Cuvée" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave the 2015 release 98 points and said, "The best Chardonnay I have ever tasted from Ray Signorello has to be the 2015 Chardonnay Hope’s Cuvée." Vinous gave it 91 points.

This Hope's Cuvée Chardonnay was full bodied but nicely balanced and polished for very pleasant drinking. It is bursting with flavorful fruit with layers of peach and poached pear giving way to hints of honey, almond, nutmeg, vanilla and creamy soft spicy oak. There is very pleasant full mouth-feel with rich texture on the palate with a long lingering finish of sweet mellow oak.

Golden colored, full bodied, rich and concentrated caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, white peach, pear and melon notes with a touch of almond and brioche.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2806461

https://www.signorelloestate.com/

https://www.marcoskitchen.com/

Queensyard Hudson Yard New York

Queensyard Hudson Yard New York - a favorite chic trendy lunch spot

In NYC for a team meeting, we lunched at one of my favorite NY eateries, Queensyard in Hudson Yard. We walked over from our hotel to the magnificent Hudson Yard mall complex and dined at the Queensyard restaurant on the fourth floor, overlooking the Hudson Yard Vessel tourist attraction. 

I chose Queensyard and Hudson Yard for a special luncheon for our gathering, welcoming our NY colleague whom we were meeting for the first time in person, due to the Covid disruptions of the last year. It was one of culinary highlights of a previous trip to NYC prior to the Covid crisis.

The dining room (Queensyard photo) as seen
from my seat.

I love the stylish Queensyard dining room and bar with its bright airy wall of glass windows that overlook the Vessel architectural tourist attraction, its courtyard, the railroad yard, the Hudson River in the background and the opposite New Jersey riverscape. 

The trendy hip dining room sports a large colorful artistic painted murals on the opposing walls. 

They also have a stylish formal dining room framed by the wine wall wine cellar. 

Another reason I chose Hudson Yard is that it is a notable landmark and the tower is the consolidation of several locations from around the city for several of our key valued clients.

My lunch selection and wine pairing may have been the culinary highlight of my entire week in NY. While the rest of the entourage had the burgers, I had a starter and a side dish for lunch accompanied by a WBTG (Wine-By-The-Glass) glass of wine. 

Perhaps the best dining selection of my week was the Chicken Liver Mousse with parsley salad, lemon honey gastrique and toasted brioche. Additionally, I had the side dish, Macaroni & Cheese with stout braised oxtail and english cheddar. 

To accompany my lunch I selected from the WBTG list this Austrian Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner. The perfect wine and food pairing multiplied the enjoyment of each. 

 

Grüner Veltliner Weingut Bründlmayer 'L&T' Kamptal, Austria 2020

This was a perfect accompaniment to my lunch selections. This is from the producer Weingut Bründlmayer from the village of Langenlois, some 70 km north-west of Vienna, upstream along the Danube River in the Lower Austrian Kamp Valley. I traveled the wine region while on a trip to Slovakia several years ago.

The wooded hills of the Waldviertel protect the vineyards from the cold north-westerly winds. During the day, the sun warms the stony terraces, while at night the fresh, fragrant forest air drifts through the Kamp Valley into the Langenlois Arena. The wines are characterised by a combination of hot days and cool nights, the meeting of the Danube and Kamp valleys, and the geological and climatic diversity of the vineyards.

The Bründlmayer estate includes the family dwelling, a cellar equipped with state of the art technology and a heuriger which is open almost all year round and where all wines can be tasted in a convivial atmosphere.

The Bründlmayer vineyards highlight “ancient” vines, some older than 90 years of age, that produce wine that is particularly balanced and rich in character. Their most important varietal is Grüner Veltliner, which is the primary varietal grape in the Langenlois. Its name in an old dialect “Mauhardsrebe” refers to the Manhardsberg, a mountain ridge bordering the Waldviertel with the villages of Langenlois and Zöbing lying to the south.

Climbing north and slightly east of the Kremstal region, Kamptal has very little vineyard area bordering the Danube River (unlike Wachau and Kremstal, whose vineyards run along it). The region takes its name from the river called Kamp, which traverses it north and south. Kamptal’s densely planted vineyards represent eight percent of Austria’s total.

The area experiences wide diurnal temperature variations like the Wachau but with less rain and more frost. Its vast geologic diversity makes it suitable for various experimentations with other varieties besides Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Zweigelt.

The region is noted for the beautiful and expansive terraced Heiligenstein, arguably one of the world’s top Riesling sites, as well as some of Austria’s most extraordinary Grüner Veltliner vineyards. Kamptal’s soils, which are mostly loess and sand with some gravel and rocks, make it suitable for Grüner Veltliner, so much so that actually half of the zone is planted to that grape.

About 75% of the world’s Grüner Veltliner comes from Austria but the variety is gaining ground in other countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States. Grüner Veltliner wines cover a diverse range from pleasant “light and dry” (such as this one labeled "L+T") to the most complex classified vineyard wines (crus) such as Käferberg or Lamm.

Winemaker Notes - Appealing nose of apples, fresh citrus and mild flowery aromas, as well as rosewood, green peas and asparagus. Fresh and crisp with flavors of sappy fruits on the palate followed 

This wine was rated 90 points by James Suckling.

Light straw colored, light bodied, notes of pear and green and yellow-apple with hints of citrus, lime and herbs with crisp acidity on a smooth finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4059234

https://www.bruendlmayer.at/en/

https://www.queensyardnyc.com/

@queensyardnyc

OTBN 22 Kick-off dinner at 48 Wine Bar

OTBN 2022 Gala Weekend Kick-offs of with tasting and dinner at Forty-Eight Wine Bar

Our Pour Boys wine group convened for our annual homage to the vinous vinifera in the ritual that has come to be known as OTBN – Open That Bottle Night. In planning this year’s event, wisdom prevailed and we chose to adjust our rhythm and head south for the mid-winter event vs hosting the event in Chicago. We’ll then pivot to host the summer event, that we held last year in Florida, in Chicago, to align with the seasons.

In that regard, Bill and Beth C graciously opened their home and hosted OTBN at their home in Seabrook Island, SC. In the custom and spirit of OTBN, we Pour Boys, pull from our cellar collections bottles that we had been holding for a special occasion, whose time had not yet come. Alas, OTBN – Open That Bottle (To) Night is for gathering and enjoying such bottles. 

Since we traveled to what became a weekend getaway, our usual annual one-night dinner affair became a weekend of three tasting sessions. 

For the gala weekend, I selected four vintage Cabernets, from select birthyears, or designated select producers, or single vineyards, and a twenty year old dessert wine from our cellar collection.

We kicked off the weekend with a perfect wine focused dinner at FortyEight wine bar in Freshfields Village Kiawah, Island. They offer 48 different wines by the glass - WBTG, dispensed from interactive WineStations, where one can select to taste (1 oz.), a half glass (3 oz.), or a full glass (6 oz.) pours. The range of wines available covers American, French, Italian and other labels ranging from modest to ultra-premium offerings. This is similar to the offerings at the Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar in Delray Beach (FL) where we met last year for a gala dinner - see Pour Boys Wine Dinner at Del Ray Beach Wine Kitchen . Bill and I visited there again when we were in town earlier the previous year and had a Spectacular Wine Cheese Pairing featuring Cliff Lede Poetry 2004.

In addition to the self service WineStation dispensed WBTG, they also offer 840 wines by the bottle, carefully selected by the FortyEight wine team featuring every major varietal and every major wine region; and 48 local and regional craft beers, hand selected seasonally. The wines can be purchased retail for take away or consumption on the premises. 

These available wine selections extend from every day sippers to super ultra-premium First Growth labels including Chateau Haut Brion, Latour, Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild - with numerous vintages on offer for several labels. 

The premium selections also include top flight American labels such as Peter Michel, Shafer Hillside Select, Bond and others. 

They also offer a full menu featuring local, regional, and international cheeses; savory charcuterie platters; seasonal salads and paninis; a full menu of entrees and flatbreads, and local artisan chocolates and other delectable tempting sweets. 

I took advantage of the wide selection and premium WBTG offerings to taste several labels including two near 100 point wine releases - Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2018 and 2010 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino.

Château Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien 2018 

We visited Château Léoville Poyferré, St Julien-Beychevelle Bordeaux during our trip to the appellation in 2019.  Our private tour of the winery and chateau and tasting were one of the highlights of our trip to the region. We tasted this vintage pre-release from a barrel sample as part of our tasting flight at that time. 

 

We also had fun meeting Brand Ambassador, our host, tour guide and server, Claire Ridley, when she visited Chicago as part of the UGCB release tour 2019. 

This label tasting was WOTN - Wine of the Night, for me and was arguably the Best of the entire OTBN weekend - certainly so in my book.

This release was awarded a superlative 100 points by Jeb Dunnuck. It received 97 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate,  James Suckling, Vinous, Wine Enthusiast as well as *Cellar Selection*, and Wine Spectator which also recognized it, *Ranked #7 Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2021* - an extraordinary concensus of a spectacular rating. It also received 96 points from Decanter.

Jeb Dunnuck said this was "Every bit as good as the 2009 (that also received 100 points), and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale."

This is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak barriques. 

Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied - complex, concentrated yet smooth, polished, balanced and elegant - flawless, a symphony of plum, blackberry and black raspberry fruit flavors with notes of clove spice, cacao, tobacco, graphite with silky smooth polished tannins on the seductive finish. 

RM 97 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3274427

https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/

Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 2010

What a treat to taste two 97+ point wines side by side. This label vintage release was also rated 99 and 96 points and was considered favorite and WOTN by Lyle, and some of the others. 

This is from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. 

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.  

The Valdicava estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, dates to 1953 when Bramante Abbruzzese returned to the property in Montalcino where his ancestors were sharecroppers centuries before. In 1967 he founded the Consorzio di Brunello. today, the estate is owned and operated by his grandson, Vincenzo Abbruzzese who also serves as winemaker who has transformed Valdicava into one of Montalcino’s most collectible producers. The 300-acre estate has nearly 70 acres planted to vineyards, 100% planted to Sangiovese.  

The estate’s flagship wine is the Brunello Riserva Madonna del Piano, and it also produces this Brunello Valdicava and a lesser Rosso di Montalcino. Total production is about 6,000 cases annually.

This 2010 vintage release is considered by connoisseurs as one of the best vintages so far for Brunello di Montalcino.  Vincenzo Abruzzese, owner and winemaker of Valdicava, makes no exception, saying 2010 “the perfect vintage” for Montalcino - the vintage of the century and certainly the best one he has ever made. 

Vincenzo believes that 2010 has become a reference point in the history of Brunello di Montalcino. The lack of any climatic excesses combined with an extended growing season resulted in a wine that, while packing power and opulence, is elegant with each of its elements – alcohol, sugar concentration and acidity – in perfect harmony. For Vincenzo, the combination of these different qualities makes it one of greatest Brunellos ever made.

This vintage release was awarded 99 points by James Suckling, 96 points by Wine Spectator, *Collectibles*, 94 points by Vinous, and  93 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Bright ruby colored, medium-full bodied, tangy vibrant blackberry, sweet black cherry and plum fruits are accented by notes of flowers, licorice, mushroom, tobacco and leather with layers of ultra-fine tannins and hints of tangy acidity with long big yet silky tannins.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1634731

http://www.valdicava.it/

During the evening, we also had the chance to taste a assorted flight of other red and white wines.

We feasted on an extensive cheese and charcuterie plate of six cheeses and six meats served with fresh baguettes and bacon jam - St James Brie, VAT 17 World Cheddar, LaClare Maple Bourbon Goat, Fig & Honey Chevre, Manchego Viejo, and Clemson Blue cheeses. For the meats - Truffle Salami, Proscuitto Parma, Heritage Farms Smoke Andouille, Aromatic Pepper Clove Bresaola, and Black Pepper Pate.

 I tasted the following additional reds:

Turnbull Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Turnbull consider themselves farmers as much as winemakers with four estate vineyards in Oakville and Calistoga that represent a range of attributes and expressions of the Napa Valley from the valley floor to the steepest of slopes high above Oakville. They profess these vineyards to reflect some of the best terroir the Napa Valley has to offer, providing a "true fingerprint of origin and place."

 

The Turnbull estate sits right on St. Helena highway in Oakville, with its small-scale tasting spaces nestled among the vineyard and gardens with beautiful views of the surrounding valley.

The label is sourced from Turnbull's Amoenus property in Calistoga, complemented with fruit from Fortuna and Weitz Vineyards in Oakville. 

The Amoenus Vineyard in the sub-valley in the Northwestern corner of Calistoga at 460-860ft elevations and with a multitude of slopes and exposures with volcanic soils. The higher elevations and exposures face varying weather patterns and diurnal shifts with warm, late summer daytime temperatures and cooler nights that allow the wines to achieve both ripeness and balanced acidity. The 46 acre vineyard is planted predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon plantings, with two ridge top blocks of Syrah.

The Fortuna Vineyard is a historic vineyard site from pre-Prohibition and originally sourced by the venerable Christian Brothers winery.  It sits at the base of the gently sloping Oakville Bench, on the eastern side of the Oakville appellation. The site's ancient red volcanic soils from the adjoining Vaca Range produce wines with darker red fruit notes with an identifiable spice box component that tend to be elegant and express themselves more quickly than with our other sites. The 52 1/2 acre vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, & Sauvignon Blanc planted planted between 1987-2017.

The Weitz Vineyard sits on the homestead of the pre-vine era Weitz cattle range and then home to the first vines planted in the area. Sitting atop the Oakville bench, with Western exposure, it is dominated by well-drained red volcanic soils that add minerality, texture and structure to the wines. Coupled with the site's generous sun exposure, the vines reach full ripeness coupled with acid retentionto produce wines with both flavor density and freshness. This site is planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon with some Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Syrah and Lagrein vines as well.

This release was awarded WW 94 points by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, 93 points, an *Editors’ Choice* by Wine Enthusiast, 92 points by James Suckling and Vinous, and 91 points by Wine Spectator. 

Decent QPR in this Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet belays its oversize and weighty bottle packaging.

Winemaker Notes - Aromatics of densely brooding blackberries—seemingly right off the vine—compel the nose into deeper aromatics of dried cassis, toasted almonds,and roasted herbs. The palate reveals a dark baritone of plumpness, highlighted by tones of plum, sage, and muddled strawberries. Through themid-palate of generous width and softness, this resonant darkness persists to a finish of focus and lasting flavor.

 Garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright plum, blackberry and hint of  cranberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty herb and cassis with bright acidity on the tangy slightly astringent tannin. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3126890

https://www.turnbullwines.com/

Hall Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 

Our visits and private tastings at the Hall Estate Winery in Rutherford have been highlights of many of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences. 

We discovered Hall and their Napa Valley wines during our first visit to the Hall St Helena winery when it first opened back in the nineties. We then visited their magnificent new winery and cellar and tasting room in Rutherford during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2003. 

We did a tour and Hall Rutherford Winery Estate Appellation Tasting in 2017 and another Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate Tour and Tasting in 2013.

We've collected this label for going more than two decades along with their premium and some of their ultra premium labels, available only to wine club members through their allocations, and before that, single vineyard designated labels from the Sacrashe Vineyard in the late nineties.

This is their basic Cabernet sourced from their vast range of sites across Napa Valley. Hall have established themselves as one of the top brands and leading producers across the Napa region with a broad portfolio of twenty different Cabernet Sauvignons from premium to ultrapremium labels.

Hall source grapes from over 500 acres of vineyards across the Napa Valley. Roughly half of the grapes Hall uses come from their ten Estate Vineyards, the other half come from over seventy vineyards from around the valley. 

Halls's estate vineyards stretch across the entire Napa Valley region from the valley floor to the hilltops, encompassing approximately 150 acres planted to the classic Bordeaux varietals.

Winemaker Notes for this label - This wine is dark garnet in color with layers of blackberry, black cherry, sweet spice, black pepper, and oak. On the palate, there is bold, dark fruit at the forefront of this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that gives way to flavors of cocoa, nutmeg and graphite. The tannins are chewy and powerful, balanced by refreshing acidity on the long finish. 

 

This label release was awarded 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 93 points by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and RP 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate,WE 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

 

Deep garnet-purple colored, full-bodied and firmly structured but nicely balanced, round blackcurrant and blackberry fruits with earthy, tapenade, and black olive-like aromas and flavors, hints of tar and tree bark with grainy tannins and soft acidity on a smooth polished lingering finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2717487

https://www.hallwines.com/

For our dinner entrees, Linda had the Diver Scallops and I had the pan seared Salmon with white bean puree and stewed tomatoes. With our entrees we tasted the following whites.

Stewart Sonoma Mountain, Farina Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

Stewart Cellars in Younville, Napa, is a family affair. Founded in 2000 by Michael Stewart after he sold his technology company in Texas, Stewart Cellars is the collaborative project of founder Michael Stewart, his son James Stewart, daughter Caroline Stewart Guthrie, and son-in-law Blair Guthrie. Together, they oversees all aspects of the winery’s operations: James, an artist who left behind a career in television and music for hands-on work in sales, marketing and distribution; Caroline, leads the day to day operations along with each wine’s development; and Blair, the winemaker who works closely alongside their consulting winemaker to capture the signature terroir of Stewart’s premier vineyards and vineyard sources. 

With a post-graduate degree in oenology and viticulture, Blair got his start in wine in 2009 as a harvest intern at Paul Hobb’s Crossbarn where he met his wife, Caroline Stewart. Together the couple moved to South Australia, where Blair assumed a job as assistant winemaker at BK Wines. Returning to Napa Valley in 2012, Blair was assistant winemaker at Kunde Family Winery for three years. He joined Stewart Cellars as winemaker and vineyard manager in 2015. 

Stewart have lasting relationships with viticulturists of some of the most respected vineyards across the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. From these they craft vineyard designated wines to showcase the terroir of their respective vineyards. They have a portfolio of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and several red blends sourced from some of the finest vineyard sources in Napa and Sonoma. 

This single vineyard designated label is sourced from the Farina Vineyard in the Sonoma Mountain appellation.

The Sonoma Mountain appellation is part of the greater Sonoma Valley which is comprised of four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations - Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. It is defined more by altitude than geographical outline, the Sonoma Mountain appellation occupies elevations between 400 and 1,200 feet on the northern and eastern slopes of the actual Sonoma Mountain. The mountain reaches a peak of 2,400 feet; its hills separate the cooling winds of Petaluma Gap from the Sonoma Valley.

Winemaker notes for this label - "With subtle hints of ripe peach and graham cracker shining through on the nose, our 2019 Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay is both elegant and bright.  Featuring flavors of mandarin and meyer lemon, this medium-bodied Chardonnay is balanced between the Burgundian and California style.  The palate is long and the finish highlights the French oak, circling us back to the beginning."

This was ideally paired with the Diver Scallops. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4094132

https://www.stewartcellars.com/ 

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc 2019

With my dinner I drank one of my perennial favorite whites, Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc 2019.

After dinner, back at Bill and Beth's, Bill opened a Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, in magnum, and for the ladies, a Hall Vineyards Bergfeld Napa Cab 2013 and Diamond Mountain Cabernet 2014.

As is customary ... here 's a compendium of our previous Pour Boy's OTBN galas.

Covid forces Virtual OTBN for 2021

Pour Boys' OTBN 2020 ~ Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2019 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2018 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2016 - Open That Bottle Night 

Pour Boys OTBN 2015 - Open That Bottle Night -  Bordeaux Anchors OTBN 2015

Pour Boys OTBN - Open That Bottle Night 2014

Pour Boys OTBN 2013 - Open That Bottle Night 2013

Pour Boys OTBN 2012 - Open That Bottle Night