Showing posts with label Yountville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yountville. Show all posts

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Premium Napa Reds for Family Birthday Celebration

Premium Napa Reds for Family Birthday Celebration 

 Son Ryan and Michelle hosted the family for daughter/grand-daughter Mackenizie’s birthday. Ryan pulled from his cellar a flight of premium wines for the occasion.


Before dinner, they served a selection of artisan cheeses: Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue, Italian triple milk soft cheese, and 1yr aged El Trigo DOP Manchego Sheep’s Mile from Toledo, Spain.


Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue, La Tur Italian triple milk soft ripened cheese,  1yr aged El Trigo DOP Manchego Sheep’s Mile from Toledo, Spain.

Caseificio dell'Alta Langa, from the village of Bosia, in the heart of Alta Langa, a short distance from Alba, Barolo and Barbaresco. Family run since 1881, continuing the work of their grandparents passed down from generation to generation the ancient practice of local shepherds in the production of cheeses based on mixed or goat's milk. 

Ryan pulled from his cellar this wine flight - ‘08 Pierre Moncuit BtB Champaigne, 2012 Kapcsandy Yountville Cabernet, and 2013 Cliff Lede SLD Cabernet. I brought from our home cellar a 2003 vintage Integrity Shiraz by Marquis Philips. 


Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru Champagne 2008

This is from the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. The hamlet, one of the world’s best sites for Chardonnay with its ideal great terroir, old vines, and learned winemakers, is also home to other notable producers such as Krug, Salon, Pierre Péters and Selosse. 

The estate is run by the mother and daughter team Nicole and Valérie Moncuit. Except for a Rose’, all their labels they produce are single vintage, single estate sourced wines that represent the terroir of the village. The 2008 vintage was one of the best in this century.

The 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru was given extended time on the lees for more than ten years resulting in added complexity that developed in bottle and was disgorged in November 2020. 

It has all the racy, laser sharp acidity of the vintage, and the delicate richness we can attribute to élévage — the wine ferments in stainless steel, to preserve fruit purity, and is allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, converting crisp, apple-y malic acid into rounder, softer lactic. There’s no oak aging, but this latest shipment of the wine spent nearly 15 years aging in the bottle, a time during which flavors meld and become something rich, toasty and deeply mineral.

Any sharp edges this wine may have had on release have softened and relaxed, leaving a complex wine with great depth. And while some 2008 vintage Champagnes (ahem, Krug, Cristal) are selling for hundreds of dollars, Moncuit’s is available for much less.

Reseller’s notes - Baked apple tart, spice, apricot, orange peel, spice, hazelnut and coffee are some of the many aromas and flavors that shape this wonderfully complex Champagne from Moncuit. 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous gave this 94 points.

“Moncuit's Extra Brut …shows a different facet of its personality in this version, with lower dosage vis-à-vis the Brut version. Here the flavors are brighter and more sculpted throughout. Hints of toastiness, almond and tangerine oil add an exotic flair that makes the Extra Brut absolutely beguiling. Lower dosage seems to exalt the minerality and bright acids of the year, while pushing the fruit a bit into the background. Both Brut and Extra Brut bottlings are terrific; choosing among them comes down to personal preference. 94 points” Antonio Galloni, Vinous.

Kapcsandy Estate Yountville State Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Ryan served from his cellar, a large format magnum, this 100 point ‘perfect’ wine (Robert M. Parker, Jr.) is from Kapcsándy (pronounced "Cup-chon-dy") Family Vineyard in Yountville, central Napa Valley, a father-son team of Lou and Louis Kapcsándy. 

Lou Kapcsándy emigrated to the U.S. from Hungary in 1956 and had a successful career in chemical engineering and manufacturing in the San Francisco Bay Area, then in Seattle. 

In 1998, Lou and his wife, Bobbie visited Bordeaux and the centuries-old estate, Leoville-Las Cases where they were inspired to retire in California and create a wine-based business in partnership with their son, Louis, Jr. There vision and goal was to produce wines of “First Growth” quality that could rival any region or winery in the world.

After a three month search they discovered the 20-acre parcel in Yountville, one the original crown jewels of Beringer Estates Private Reserve Cabernet, and acquiring the property in May 2000. They set upon a rigorous plan to redevelop the property including replanting the vineyard.

In 2002, the Kapcsándys completely replanted the vineyard site to 15 specific blocks, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and constructed a state-of-the-art winery in September 2005.  

Son Louis, born in Marin County, California and raised in Seattle attended the University of Washington where he played varsity football and gained a degree in economics. After graduation, he worked in Los Angeles in feature-film post-production.

Louis Jr. began his wine career in 1999 when he co-founded Grand Cru Imports LLC with his father, specializing in Bordeaux Cru Classé and Petits Chateaux wines. He moved to Bordeaux to learn the intricacies of the Place de Bordeaux (a network of chateau owners, agents, and merchants) working for negociant firm Maison Joanne.

While at Maison Joanne, Louis visited more than 100 chateaux and learned fermentation methods, then apprenticed at Jean Luc & Murielle Thunevin of Ch. Valandraud (St. Emilion). During this time, he learned both classic and cutting-edge winemaking techniques from Alain Vauthier (Ch. Ausone) and Peter Sisseck (Pingus, Ribera del Duero).

Louis (Jr) returned in 2002 to co-found Kapcsándy Family Vineyard with his father. Today, he is intimately involved in all vineyard and winemaking decisions.

In the early days, and for this release, Denis Malbec was the consulting Winemaker for Kapcsandy Family Winery. Denis was born at Latour, where he learned winemaking and vineyard management early on with his father, Jean-Noel Malbec who worked at Château Latour from 1947 to 1994, and his grandfather, Camille Malbec who worked in the vineyard from the 1920s until the late 1970s.

Denis initially studied viticulture and enology in Bordeaux and later in Reims, Champagne. He completed his studies with a “Tour de France” of the vineyards with work at Château Haut-Brion, Château Lagrange, the Pugnac Cooperative in Côte de Bourg, Léon Viollant, owner and wine merchant in Côte de Beaune, Duval Leroy, in the Côte des Blancs in Champagne and at Calvet, negociant in Bordeaux.

Denis started at Château Latour as one of the cellar workers in 1993 and took the position as enologist and winemaker at Château Latour in 1994 until 1999.

Denis and his wife moved to the United States in 2000, setting up base in St. Helena, working for such clients over the years as Charles Krug, Kapcsandy Wines, Respite Wines, Sodaro Estate and Medlock Ames. They also made Aliénor.

Denis worked with Kapcsandy Family from 2005 until he was tragically killed in a car accident in Yountville in 2016.

Today, winemaking duties are managed by the collaboration of consulting winemaker Tony Arcadia and Cellar Master David Sotelo. 

Tony left his well-established career in tech and engineering to follow his passion for wine after 20 years working as an engineer aboard Navy submarines and then IBM. 

He graduated from UC Davis’s oenological program and trained in France at Rhône-based Maison M. Chapoutier. Returning to the Napa Valley, he served as assistant winemaker at Nickel & Nickel in Oakville. 

In 2009, Tony joined up with renowned winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett collaborating making wine together.

Tony’s addition to the winemaking team followed a career path parallel to Kapcsándys, from engineering background and training in France to pursue desire to cultivate vineyard-designated wines.

David Sotelo began his career in the wine industry Napa Wine Company, where he worked for 11 years before joining the Kapcsándy Family Winery team. He fondly recalls his first harvest at Kapcsándy in 2005 and the excitement of their first 100-point score from Robert Parker, Jr. for the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon-Grand Vin.

This 2012 Grand Vin Kapcsàndy release is a single vineyard designated label sourced, 100% from the State Lane Vineyard in Yountville, composed of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot. The wine was aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels.

This release was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 99 points by Int'l Wine Review, 98 by Vinous, and 97 by Antonio Galloni.

All the pundits are consistent that this wine should last several more decades at the apex of its drinking profile. 

If you’ve been fortunate to taste a 100 point ‘perfect’ wine, you might be in for a surprise … they’re not a blockbuster that knocks you over with big forward fruits, or some other highlight, rather, they’re remarkable for their lack of excessive notes, and are flawless, and seamless in their polished harmonic integration.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex, rich, plush polished, a symphony of ripe black currant and raspberry fruits with floral violet, cinnamon spice, graphite and hints of black olive and cedar notes on a smooth silky tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 




Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 

This is the standard Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit sourced from the hillside terraces of the Poetry Vineyard down the road and across the Silverado Trail from the winery, from the Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighboring vineyards in the Stags Leap District.

Notably, this is just across and down the road from Kapcsàndy Family Winery and vineyards of the label above. 

One of our favorites and mainstays of both Ryan's and my cellars, the Cliff Lede Stags Leap property is just down and across the road from Kapcsàndy property geographically. We’ve visited the estate several times during our Napa Valley visits and held several private tastings/tours there. 

This is a consistent crowd pleaser from vintage to vintage. We hold about a half dozen vintages of this label and they seem to hit their stride and be in their peak after a decade of cellaring. 

The wine is composed of small lots from Lede estate vineyard best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks. From Poetry’s exposed, rocky terraces that are volcanic in origin, to the ancient riverbed alluvial soils of Twin Peaks, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity.

Robert Parker gave this release 93 points. 

Producers’ Production Notes - “Hand harvested throughout the night, the fruit was immediately subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, including our cutting edge optical sorter, with a goal of retaining only perfect berries. The selected fruit was gently delivered to specially-designed truncated tanks via gravity by our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and fermentations were managed by a combination of délestage and pumpovers. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned tannin profiles, allowing us to build mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 50% of which were new, for twenty-one months.”

Winemaker Notes - “Inky purple with blood-red tinged edges, the elegant and seamless 2013 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon's multilayered perfume fills the glass with notes of violets, lavender, and spring flowers. Intertwined with the floral notes are heady layers of plum, blackberry, and red currents. Silky, unctuous flavors of smoked cardamom, cinnamon, and black licorice lay out on the palate and finish with the taste and texture of liquefied rocks.”

Dark garnet and dense purple in color, full bodied, bright vibrant black berry and black currant fruits with tones of anise, hints of cinnamon spice and oak with firm but smooth tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 91 points. This got 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 points from Vinous



I brought from our home cellar this limited release premium label from Marquis Philips, predecessor to the widely popular Mollydooker brand. 

Marquis Philips Integrity Shiraz 2003 

We loved the Marquis Philips portfolio of wines and wrote about them extensively in these pages, and of course, today they’re the widely popular Mollydooker brand.



Marquis Philips was formed as a collaboration between the U.S. importer Dan Philips and Sparky and Sarah Marquis, highly-regarded Australian winemakers who brought Fox Creek to cult fame. They had a falling out between the founders in late 2005 and the Marquis started their own label, Mollydooker. (Marquis Philips wines made since about 2005 were overseen by Chris Ringland, another legendary Australian winemaker.)

While Marquis Philips wines were known for their eye-catching, often provocative labels such as the ‘roogle’, a cross between an eagle and kangaroo - representing the Aussie, American partnership. Mollydooker went on to create their own portfolio is whimsical eye-catching labels. 

Robert Parker wrote - Perhaps another way to think of these wines is that they are XXX-rated stuff. They’re not exactly wines for those wanting finesse, lightness, restraint, or intellectual challenge. These are totally decadent homages to joy and yumminess. Or. As a friend of mine said, they are ‘fragrantly delicious.'"

Because of Marquis Philips’ tumultuous history, the affordable wines are highly sought-after and difficult to obtain in the current market. We acquired a couple vintages of this, their ultra-premium flagship label at auction. This was our last bottle, I was saving for a special occasion.

Of course, the saga continues and becomes more interesting. The turmoil in the house of Philips continued as Sarah and Sparky then had a falling out of their own, and winemaker Sarah bought out Sparky. Sparky it turns out was a friend of my Australian employee representative when I was still running a software company! I had plans to visit Aussie wine country and meet Sparky, then Covid, and I never made the trip. 

Marquis Philips "Integrity" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia 2003 


Notably, we drank an earlier vintage release of this label at another special occasion - taking it to a highly acclaimed restaurant BYOB for our anniversary celebration dinner five years ago - as covered in this blogpost - Goosefoot Chicago Anniversary Celebration Dinner, excerpted below.


Marquis Philips 'Integrity' Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2001

This is the premium release from Marquis Philips, precursor to Mollydooker. and their Velvet Glove premium label. We acquired this at auction a decade ago ... packaged in special gift box - awaiting a suitable occasion for gifting or serving ... OTBN - Open That Bottle toNight! 

This (2001) got over-the-top 99 and 97 point ratings from Parker who called it 'virtually perfect'. 

Back in the day, winemaker and producers Sarah and Sparky Marquis considered this the finest they had ever produced. 

We hold a couple dozen bottles of their wines dating back two decades. 

Ironically, we hosted Aussie colleague Peter F this weekend in Chicago and it turns out he is a personal friend of Sparky back in Adelaide South Central Australia! 

That Integrity packed a walloping 16.2% alcohol but didn't come across as the least bit overpowering. Parker cited the anticipated maturity out to 2020 so it was supposedly still at but nearing the end of its apex. 

Similar to and consistent with that earlier release … 

Inky dark garnet purple color, full bodied, big rich concentrated and multi-dimensional, but not as big, forward or unctuously rich as some that we have had, the fruit was also a bit more subdued than expected, black berry fruits accented by white floral, cassis, leather, tobacco, tea and hints of vanilla with fine smooth silky tannins on a long finish. Perhaps the fruit has subsided over the almost two decades. 

At the time I gave the 2001 RM 93 points, tonight I give the 2003 92 points. 


https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Robert Parker writings about Marquis Philips …

“Marquis Philips is the most exciting wine project to emerge from Australia, and perhaps the New World, in the last year. Run, don't walk to a client of The Grateful Palate and secure as much as you can of these wines. This must be the most exciting development that has occurred in the Southern Hemisphere over the last several years. Marquis Philips is a partnership between highly talented winemakers Sarah and Sparky Marquis and their American importer, Dan Philips (of The Grateful Palate). I favorably reviewed the stunning debut values of the Marquis Philips range in the 2000 vintage. Remarkably, the 2001s are even more amazing, and probably for the price, the greatest red wine values in existence ... anywhere! Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #143 (Oct 2002”

Robert Parker 93 - “The flagship offering, the 2003 Shiraz Integrity, is a slightly down-sized version of the massive 2002 and 2001. Nevertheless, it is an amazing, modern-styled wine. It boasts a dense purple color, a big, sweet nose of chocolate, espresso roast, blackberries, creme de cassis, Asian spices, and new saddle leather, full body, an opulent texture, and tremendous length. Drink this seductive, rich Shiraz over the next decade.”

“The highly respected South Australian viticulturists/winemakers, Sarah and Sparky Marquis, in partnership with their importer, Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate, successfully launched the inexpensive line of Marquis Philips wines several years ago, creating something of a monster because of their enormous crowd appeal. While 2003 is a lighter vintage than its predecessors, these offerings have turned out nicely. The handful of consumers who deemed 2002 too concentrated for such inexpensive wines will be delighted to learn that the 2003s are slightly lighter, but still loaded with character as well as flavor. They possess heavy duty, exuberant fruit, ripeness, and considerable personality.”
94 - Wine AdvocateReview Date: 02/2013


Sunday, December 20, 2020

Hill-Family Estate Origin Napa Valley Red 2016

Another wine served during our gala family Christmas celebration dinner ...

Hill Family Estate Origin Napa Valley Red 2016

The newlyweds Alec and Vivianna visited Hill Family Estate during their forest fire shortened honeymoon in Napa in September. They visited the new estate winery, located just minutes south of Yountville just off the highway. They tasted this wine there and acquired it as part of their wine club allocation.

The Hill Family, lead by patriarch and proprietor and fourth-generation farmer Doug Hill, started producing their own branded portfolio of wines after four decades of farming grapes for some of the finest Napa Valley wineries.

Doug grew up in Healdsburg on the family farm. After earning a degree in Plant Sciences at Cal State Fresno and traveling some, Doug returned home to Sonoma County in 1978 where he learned the art of vineyard management while working at Sonoma-Cutrer. 
 
After settling in Yountville, Doug managed the extensive holdings of the Jaeger family before starting Oak Knoll Farming. Doug and Darci Hill settled down on an acre of land at the northern edge of Yountville in 1981 where they raised their family, Ryan who runs the sales division, and Carly who lives and works in San Diego and hosts tastings and dinners in Southern California.

Hill Family Estate produced their first wines in 2001, a Merlot and a red blend called Origin.
 
Today, the Hill Family owns 120 acres of vineyards with a properties on Atlas Peak, in Carneros, Oak Knoll and American Canyon. They are 100% family-farmed, family-owned and family-operated. Production ranges between 9,000 to 12,000 cases annually sourced from 12 different estate vineyards allowing them to select the highest quality fruit for their wines. 
 
The Hill family began to select and plant their own vineyards in the 1980’s, using their intimate knowledge of the diversity of Napa Valley terroir - the range of microclimates, soil variations and the many subtle growing factors which influence the characteristics of the grape and the resulting quality of wine. They planted Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Albariño, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the Carneros appellation. They planted Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Oak Knoll district, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah at 1,500 feet elevation near Atlas Peak; both areas with a perfect environment to develop the rich berry flavor and intense fruit color that make these red wines some of the best in the world.
 
The Hill Family portfolio has grown to over twenty five different labels across the broad range of varietals, blends, and single vineyard designated offerings.  
 
Hill Family Estate winemaker Alison Doran joined the team and crafted the inaugural 2001 vintage. Alison was introduced to Doug while he was growing grapes and she was making wine for Lewis Cellars, another one of our benchmark favorite producers, and the other estate visit tasting the kids attended during their shortened honeymoon. Alison developed her skill while being mentored by renowned wine expert Andre Tchelistcheff, completing a degree in winemaking at UC Davis and spending time in the legendary wine region of Alsace, France. Today, Doug and Alison work closely together selecting the highest quality grapes and producing ultra premium wines
 
Origin is their Bordeaux blend comprising all five Bordeaux varietals sourced from Hill Family estate vineyards - Cabernet Franc that Doug planted at the Beau Terrior Vineyard which had its first harvest in this release, hillside Merlot at Beau Terroir in Carneros, and Beau Terre in Oak Knoll for added structure and plushy fruit, Malbec, adds big color and lower tannins, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc add serious texture to balance the Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon adds 'dignity' to all blends.  

The composition of 2016 Origin is
55% Merlot, 18% Malbec, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc sourced from Carneros, Oak Knoll, Yountville and Atlas Peak Appellations.
 
Production was 960 cases.
 
The blend was aged in 68% new oak barrels aged for 16 months (of the new barrels, 61% French oak (Nadalier, Treuil Terroir, Orion, Tonnellerie O), and 7% American oak (Canton).
 
Winemaker Alison Doran’s tasting notes: "The 2016 Origin has lovely aromas of raspberry and roses. The broad entry has a big mouthful of berries and crunchy cherry. The ripe and intense mid-palate rolls into more sweet fruit –blueberry, red currant, and plum, with subtle tannins rounding out the finish.

This was a superb addition to our two big hitters, the premium Bordeaux and Napa Cab. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant black raspberry, currant and plum fruits with spice, oak and tangy acidity on a full tannin laced lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3243704

https://www.hillfamilyestate.com/

@HFEWine

Monday, July 16, 2018

REDD Napa Valley Wine Pairing Tasting Dinner

REDD Napa Valley Wine Pairing Tasting Dinner

We dined at REDD in Yountville and had their Pric Fixe tasting dinner with wine pairing. While there
were six courses with six different wines, they prepared a different course with different wine pairings so we go to sample twice as many pairing selections!

REDD is the project of chef Richard Reddington, formerly of Masa’s and Jardiniere in San Francisco, and Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley. His dishes feature an what he calls 'wine country cuisine' with influences from Asia, Europe, and Mexico. The atmosphere is contemporary elegant yet casual and relaxing, unpretentious for such sophisticated and serious cuisine. REDD is on Washington Street the main street in Yountville with an outdoor court, bar, the dining room and a semi-private dining room.



Our entree courses are pictured below:

Tuna Tartare

Sishimi Hemachi
Diver Scallops


Duck Confit
Alaskan Halibut




Pork Belly
NY Strip Steak


Lamb




http://reddnapavalley.com/


Friday, January 23, 2015

Rocca Family Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Rocca Family Vineyards Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006


As written in my blog earlier this week, after depleting my stock of the Marilyn Sauvignon Blonde, I stopped at Sav-Way Liquors in Hinsdale to pick up their remaining bottles. Based on the wines I was browsing, they suggested I try this Napa Cab, an unknown label which was a special buy, which according to them was on offer at half price, marked down from $80 to $40.

Upon further research, this is the product of emerging producer, vineyard proprietors, Mary Rocca and Eric Grigsby. Mary a cosmetic dentist, and Eric a nationally known pain management physician, are producing wines from two vineyard sites in lower Napa. I was not aware of this wine so we tried it tonight, after a Friday evening movie out, with a variety of cheeses, some leftover tenderloin steak from last weekend's wine and dine dinner, and fresh apple slices.

Rocca and Grigsby pursued their dream to produce world class wines when they purchased their first Napa Valley vineyard in 1999. They have the twenty-one acre Grigsby vineyard in Yountville, and the eleven acre Collinetta Vineyard located in Coombsville, Napa Valley's newest sub-appellation east of downtown Napa. Collinetta is Italian for “little hill,” named for the topology of the site. Mary now devotes her time to the vineyard project with winemaking duties tasked to consulting winemaker Paul Colantuoni.

The vineyards are planted in Bordeaux varietals centered on Cabernet Sauvignon, and some Syrah. Their early releases have earned them accolades as a top emerging Cabernet producer. The Grigsby Vineyard 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon came in #1 in a blind tasting of 12 Rising Star Cabernets at the Vintners Club tasting in the U.S. That wine was cited #1 from a group of 12 Cabernets shown in France's 12 Best Cabernets from California.

Watch for more from this producer as they increase production over the next couple years. Rocca release only about a third of their fruit under their own label, selling the rest to other Napa producers.  For the 2009 vintage, their production was 2,200 cases across a portfolio of six wines. That output is expected to increase to 5,000 cases by 2019.

This was dark blackish Ruby colored, full bodied, complex dark berry fruits that were overtaken by smoky creosote and tree bark flavors, with layers of spicy oak, expresso, and hints of dark chocolate with full tannins on a lingering finish. The seven reviews on Cellartracker are unanimous with a 92 point score. I ranked it a slighty lower 91 points due to the fruit being overtaken by the smokey tar non fruit flavors. It will be interesting to see how this is tomorrow, and to see if the fruit emerges in a couple more years as it settles down and balances out.

According to the producer, this is sourced from Estate vineyards, 95% Yountville and 5% from their Hillside Vineyard.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=693671 

http://www.roccawines.com/

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Yountville Woodinville Reds For Family Dinner

Yountville Woodinville Reds For Family Celebration Dinner

Celebrating son-in-law Johnny's birthday, the family assembled for a gala dinner. Daughter Erin prepared lasagna so son Ryan and I brought two reds, two Bordeaux varietals from diverse regions. From Yountville, a 'lesser appellation' of Napa I brought a Ninety Plus Cellars Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon. From Woodinville, Washington, the tony Seattle suburb that is home to legendary Chateau St Michelle, Ryan brought 'D2' from DeLille Cellars, named for the famous Bordeaux arterial highway that extends from Bordeaux city along the southern bank of the Gironde through the regions famous appellations to the west.

The town of Woodinville lies about 20 road-miles northeast of downtown Seattle and has become a wine-tourism destination. It all started with Chateau Ste. Michelle, opened in 1976, and has grown to over fifty wineries. It is also home to other notable producers such as Betz Family Cellars, Matthews Estate, Columbia Winery, and upcoming boutique producers such as Mark Ryan and Ross Andrew.

But unlike Napa, center to the nation's most famous wine growing region, the grapes are grown elsewhere, in the Columbia Valley and other wine growing areas a hundred miles or more to the east in eastern and central Washington. We visited Woodinville during our Washington Wine Tour back in 1998. Our cellar, while predominantly Napa and Bordeaux, followed by Australia, holds more than ten cases from Washington producers including Abeja, Andrew Will, Matthews, Dunham, Woodward Canyon, Spring Valley and Quilceda Creek.

Like many other Woodinville producers, DeLille Cellars make their wines in Woodinville from grapes grown in a number of eastern Washington appellations (AVAs - American Viticultural Areas). DeLille have operated since the early nineties and are one of the more notable producers. They have branding under two different labels: Doyenne for Rhone-styled blends, and Chaleur Estate for their Bordeaux blends and Cabernet Sauvignon releases. DeLille were nominated for Winery of the Year in 2014.


DeLille Cellars "D2" Columbia Valley Washington Red Blend 2011

Delille’s 'D2' is billed as the second wine of their Chaleur Estate blend and is a classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot 56.5%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Cabernet Franc 6.5%, and Petit Verdot 2%.

The winemakers review says "A layered vintage of D2 expressing a fruit-driven nose of blueberries, cassis, and cherries along with lavender, cigar wrappers, toasted vanilla, crushed stones and pencil shavings. The flavors have a harmonious combination of red and black fruits with blackberries and cherries leading the profile. The majority of characters, however, are all about spices:  fennel, white pepper, Herbs de Province, cinnamon, graham and a touch of menthol. Definitely a complex D2 that is delicious, savory and balanced."

I certainly picked up the blue berry fruits, tones of cassis, tobacco and pencil. It was dark inky garnet with tones of purple, medium bodied, complex and concentrated with predominant black berry fruits and a hint on the back pallette of what the producer referred to as fennel, a particular flavor I find unfortunate in the profile. This likely will improve with some time.

RM 90 points. Robert Parker gave this wine 93 points.

This profile, review and rating is consistent with my earlier experiences and memories of  this wine.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1577586

http://www.delillecellars.com




Ninety Plus Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Lot 109 Yountville 2012

Napa wine aficionados recognize Yountville as one of the Napa Valley sub-appellations or AVA's (American  Viticultural Area), named for founder George Yount, who settled the area and planted the first vineyards in the Napa Valley in 1836. Today, the area is also known as NapaNook. Yountville is one of Napa Valley's lesser known appellations despite the fact that 4000 of its geographic 8000 acres are planted in vines. Unlike its more famous neighbor Rutherford, with it's famed 'dusty reds', or adjacent Stag's Leap and it's "velvet fisted" cabs, Yountville lacks a distinctive label for its patchwork combination of soils and climates that are a bit antithetical to the concept of terroir. 

Yountville possesses a unique combination of distinctive soil characteristics with volcanic soils to the east that are similar to the neighboring Stags Leap District, and centuries old coastal deposits with both sedimentary and alluvial soils to the west, interspersed with sandy and gravelly loam. No other area in  Napa Valley boasts this particular geomorphic combination. Indeed, very different soils are found in the areas immediately surrounding Yountville in Oakville, Stags Leap, Mt. Veeder, and Oak Knoll districts, hence its AVA designation.

According to the Yountville AVA site, climatically, historical record keeping and modern weather gathering techniques indicate that cool marine air currents from San Pablo Bay to the south, are trapped when they reach what are known as the Yountville Mounts, keeping natural "air conditioning" working even on the warmest summer days. These milder temperatures allow the grapes of the region plenty of time to develop unique flavor characteristics, demonstrate the local "terroir."

Based on its unique soil and climatological data, Yountville was granted Appellation status in 1999, and was one of the last Napa Valley sub appellations to be officially recognized. As with all AVAs, a minimum of 85% Yountville grapes must be used in the bottle to have the Yountville AVA cited on the label.

We've talked about Ninety Plus Cellars numerous times in this blog and their negociant model of buying excess or set-aside product from growers or producers, and releasing it under their private label.  They cite the 'source price' for this wine at $45 and are releasing it for $18. I can imagine it being offered under the source label at the $45 price and being considered over-priced or underwhelming at that pricepoint. Perhaps that is why the producer sold it to be marketed under a different label. However, it may prove to be a great buy and offer tremendous QPR (quality price ratio) at the under twenty dollar price point. I bought it for $18 and another local retailer is currently offering this at $16. At that price I'd suggest buying it for a complex sophisticated every day wine that may evolve into a really good wine. With 2000 cases produced, this should be generally available. Notably, since its a negociant offer private label, its a one of a kind, not likely to be repeated, so enjoy it while you can.

This was dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, big floral aromas, complex with dense rich black berry, tones of black cherry and sweet spice, hints of cassis and creosote with a layer of firm but approachable tannins on a long lingering finish. It lacked polish and was a bit forward and needs time and we no doubt drank it too early. It also needs time to open and breath and should be decanted and allowed time to open. The next morning it was much smoother and more approachable.

RM 88 points upon opening, 90 points the next day after settling.
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1845865

Monday, January 2, 2012

Lobster Tail dinner and Catherine & Pascal Rollet Domaine de la Chapelle Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes 2007 and Liparita Napa Valley Yountville Chardonnay 2006.

Catherine & Pascal Rollet Domaine de la Chapelle Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes 2007 and Liparita Napa Valley Yountville 2006 and Liparita Napa Valley Yountville 2006.


For our lobster tail dinner we served Catherine & Pascal Rollet Domaine de la Chapelle 2007 from Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes Burgundy and Liparita Napa Valley Yountville Chardonnay 2006. 

Linda preferred the lighter, citrus forward, non-oaked French Burgundian Chardonnay while I preferred the fuller, sweet oak, caramel and nut laced Napa Chardonnay. 

Pouilly-Fuissé is the appellation in the Maconnais region in southern Burgundy known for most renowned  white wines produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintre, Fuisse, Solutre-Pouilly and Vergisson.

The Pouilly-Fuissé appellation officially dates back to 1936 although the boundaries were drawn up as early as 1922. It covers around 2000 acres (800ha) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soil atop a granitic base. The 1600 foot (500-m) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutre is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below.

The Pouilly-Fuissé title on a wine label may be completed by the name of the specific vineyard where the grapes were grown. The most commonly cited are La Roche, Les Vignes Blanches, Aux Chailloux and Les Crays. There is no Premier Cru system within the appellation, so quality is indicated through the reputations of producers and their vineyards.

Pouilly-Fuissé wines are typically full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Cote de Beaune.

Light-medium bodied, straw colored, the nose is full and forward with lemon and grapefruit;.flavors of toasty pear and tropical fruits are accented with hints of caramel apple and toffee, with a mineral-driven long, lemon-scented finish.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=688118

Liparita Napa Valley Yountville Chardonnay 2006

Butter colored, medium bodied, sweet oak, sweet nut and pear flavors laced with a layer of caramel and hint of vanilla on a tangy finish.  


RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=769185