Showing posts with label bar-b-que. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bar-b-que. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Duo 1997 Vintage Napa Cabs

Duo of 1997 Vintage Napa Cabs - Pride and Heitz Highlight Bar-be-cue Dinner

Invited over to son Ryan's for Saturday night bar-be-cue he was opening a '97 Napa cab so I pulled one from the cellar for a horizontal tasting of the legendary vintage.

Ryan had open and was tasting this Heitz cab when we arrived.

Heitz Cellars Bella Oaks Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Ryan tasted and acquired this single vineyard designated vintage release from the Heitz library collection at the estate during a trip to Napa. 

This was garnet colored, medium balanced, nice floral notes with black berry fruits accent by notes of tea and anise, spice and hint of cedar on a slightly austere finish that WS James Laube desribed as a bit of heat on the finish.

RM 89

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3210

https://www.heitzcellar.com

This was good and enjoyable, ....  and then we opened the Pride which took over in every respect!

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1999 when we visited the Pride estate high atop Spring Mountain. My Wine Journal records show this is the eighth bottle consumed from a case we would've acquired. We still hold a mixed case of a half dozen vintages of  this label from this era. The 1997 vintage was highly praised but it has been lackluster for many years. This was the best tasting bottle we have experienced from this vintage which makes me wonder if it has taken twenty years for this big, tightly wound, structured Napa Cab to finally start to open and reveal its native character and potential?!?

Reading the historic reviews of this release lead me to think many drank this wine too early. This was one of the Wine Spectator Top 100 for the year 2000.

This was rated 94 points by Wine Spectator, 93 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 91-93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and 91 points by Connoisseurs Guide. 

The Connoisseurs Guide review in 2012 sums up our experience with with vintage when they wrote, "We confess to mixed feelings here for, while the wine leads with a lovely nose of deep, impressively concentrated fruit, it proves to be surprisingly tight and still bound up by toughening tannins once in the mouth. It demands further patience, and it needs a good many more years in the cellar, but its extracted fruit encourages hopes that polish will come some. The combination of its mountain-top fruit and an exceptional vintage have here produced a wine with the potential for unusual longevity." 

Wine Spectator (94 points ) said it was "dark and intense, with a solid, plush core of ripe, rich currant, black cherry, blackberry, .... jam-packed with flavors, an immense wine but beautifully balanced, big yet gentle."

This was as good as I remember from this label and from this vintage ... big, bold, forward, polished ... Bright garnet/dark purple colored, full bodied, rich concentrated, extracted but nicely balanced black fruits with notes of currants, mocha, oak, hints of anise on a long full tongue coating sweet smooth tannin laced finish.

RM 93 points.

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

https://www.pridewines.com/wine/our-wines/pride-cabernet-sauvignon/1997-pride-cabernet-sauvignon/




Sunday, December 17, 2017

Arns Napa Valley Melanson Vineyard Pritchard Hill Syrah 2010


Arns Napa Valley Melanson Vineyard Pritchard Hill Syrah 2010

Saturday quiet relaxing evening at home, we brought home carry-out barbecue beef brisket and opened this Arns Syrah for what turned out to be the perfect meal. Linda prepared baked sweet potatoes and baked beans for an ideal set of side dishes. I cannot imagine a more ideal food and wine pairing. Absolutely delicious!

We were already fans of Arns Napa Cabernet when we arranged a visit and private tasting with producer John Arns at the estate on lower Howell Mountain during our 2013 Napa Wine Experience. John's wife Sandi Belcher is the winemaker. It was during that visit that we discovered their single vineyard designated Syrah made with fruit sourced from the Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill which I write about in an earlier blogpost.

This wine is so good, I almost don't want to let out the news for fear I'll create more demand and have to compete for it in the marketplace. Supplies are limited as for this vintage of this Syrah, only 80 cases were produced. Arns is available directly from the winery, in select stores in Napa Valley, and at Bassin's MacArthur Wines in Washington DC, (as I explain in separate Arns blogposts) which is where I first discovered it. I pick some up every trip to DC.

As I write this, before I hit 'publish', I just ordered more of this from the winery to ensure I can obtain the latest release and to fill out our vertical collection with the latest release of the Cab.

We just picked up the entire lot that we acquired on Winebid and waited until Saturday evening and this special dinner to open our first bottle. Wow!

This is serious juice. The 2010 vintage was aged in one year old French oak for three years. The concentrated extracted fruit is apparent as soon as you  pour the dark inky purple juice into the glass. Full bodied, thick, concentrated black and blue fruits are accented by a pronounced layer of sweet spicy oak laced caramel that turns to black licorice on the rear pallet with smooth sinewy tannins on the lingering finish.

As noted above, this was a perfect accompaniment to the barbecue beef brisket and baked sweet potato with baked beans making for a wonderfully delicious meal.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1809227

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/11/arns-melanson-napa-syrah-08.html

http://arnswinery.com/

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Chateau Haura Graves Bordeaux 2015

Château Haura Graves Bordeaux 2015

Traveling to the Twin Cities where the temps plunged forty degrees to zero degree windchills and freezing rain, for the second night in a row I went to Total Wine to get a robust hearty wine to complement dinner. I found this Bordeaux Graves that is a 'Winery Direct' label that Total Wine sources directly from the producer resulting in good QPR (quality price ratio) at less than $20.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium bodied, tight firmly structured black fruits of black berry, black cherry and dark plum with notes of smoke, creosote and leather with moderate approachable tannins on the lingering finish. Much like the Northern Rhone Syrah I had last evening, this begged for and was a great accompaniment to smoked cheese and barbecue.

RM 90 points.

Wine Advocate gave this barrel sample 90-92 points. I might have rated it higher had the fruits been more predominant opposite the non-fruit notes.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2376326

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Maison Denuziere Crozes-Hermitage Les Galets

Maison Denuziere Crozes-Hermitage Les Galets, 2015

Traveling to the Twin Cities where the temps plunged forty degrees to zero degree windchills and freezing rain, I went to Total Wine to get a robust hearty wine to complement dinner. This bold firm blackish Northern Rhone Syrah was perfect for smoked cheeses and barbecue back in the hotel. This is a 'Winery Direct' label that Total Wine source directly from the producer. This provided good QPR (quality price ratio) at less than $20.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intense concentrated black fruits of blackberry and ripe plum, layers of smokey barbecue and creosote, black pepper and notes of licorice and what Wine Advocate called "caramelized meats"; approachable despite its tight structured core and firm tannins - ideal accompaniment to barbecue and smoked cheeses.

RM 90 points.

Wine Advocate gave it 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2864709






Sunday, May 24, 2015

BBQ on the deck features medley of Red Wines

Late Spring BBQ on the deck features medley of Red Wines

A pleasant late spring evening on the deck at Bill and Beth's with Bob and Gloria, chargrilled burgers, caprese and summer salads with a medley of wines provided a delightful setting to watch the Blackhawks struggle to a game 4 playoff win in double OT.

Hazy Blur Barossa Shiraz 2004

This is a fun wine, great for easy sipping on the deck with burgers, but its not a simple sipper by any means with its robust full bodied fruit forward profile.

We've enjoyed the various labels from this producer on many occasions including a super New Year's eve (2009) horizontal brand tasting at Bill and Beth's, shown in the link here, and an earlier vintage of this same label just earlier this week. Interesting that this '04 was showing well and still holding its fruit nicely, compared to the '02 which was showing its age.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich concentrated black and blue fruits with tones of spice, hints of vanilla, smoke and pepper.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=150186

Justin Paso Robles Iscosceles 2007

This may have been the best Isosceles I can remember. The hotter Paso Robles clime tends to add a harsh edge to the Bordeaux varietals at times but this release was quite nice - polished and balanced for smooth easy drinking.

Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, black berry and black cherry with a red berry tone, hints of sweet mocha and anise and a touch of sweet oak on the back palate with soft tannins provide easy approachable sipping. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=786610

http://www.justinwine.com/




Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

We discovered and acquired this wine with Bill and Beth during our Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Wine Experience back in 2011, at the spectacular winery high atop Diamond Mountain.

Dark garnet colored, the medium body and softer more moderate profile of this wine render it more approachable for casual drinking although it is complex and sophisticated enough to stand up to foods for an elegant dinner. 

Bill's notes from an earlier tasting: "Clove, pepper and smoke on the nose. Medium bodied but the spice carries over on the palate along with plum, cassis and blackberry. Still ample but well integrated tannins. Update: evolved after 2 hours to reveal additional minerality with notes of leather and mocha."

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and 22% Cabernet Franc.

WCC 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=395853

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Bogle Zinfandel Blends for Bar-B-Q

Bogle Zinfandel Blends for Bar-B-Q Dinner

For son Ryan's birthday we ordered bar-b-q from Q Bar-b-q in Naperville - slabs of ribs and pulled pork. We prepared our own sides, mac and cheese, corn, and brussel sprouts in a cranberry sauce. To compliment the meal we pulled from the cellar two Bogle Zinfandels - Phantom and Essential Red. Zinfandel was the perfect compliment to the tangy, sweet and spicy bar-b-q variations.

Bogle Vineyards "Phantom" Red Wine Blend 2009 

We rediscovered this wine a couple years ago at the Saturday afternoon tasting at Main Street Liquors in Lagrange, IL. They were serving it because it was the highlight of an earlier tasting they conducted. I was looking for a Zinfandel or Rhone style blend for our Thanksgiving dinner at the time and picked this up. Its always good to have a few Zins in the cellar for bar-b-q. This is a unique blend of Zinfandel and Rhone varietals sourced from the California central valley and Sierra foothills - 52% Zinfandel from Lodi, 46% Petite Sirah from Clarksburg, and 2% Mourvedre from Amador County. This is a lot of wine for the money rendering a high QPR - Quality to Price Ratio for this wine that is available between $15 and $20.

This is dark garnet colored, full-bodied mid palate with a firm finish, the winemaker's notes say this wine showcases the best of these three unique varietals. While it lacks the backbone and tannic structure of a Cabernet, that is why it is approachable easy drinking and suitable for a Thanksgiving dinner offering with Turkey, dressing and so on.

This was complex cacophony of full forward fruits of blackberry, black raspberry and briary boysenberries giving way to layers of black licorice, tones of creosote, black pepper and hints of dark chocolate, juniper and cedar on the finish. It needs a big food to balance its bold forward fruits and lively acidity.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1288036


http://www.boglewinery.com/


Bogle 'Essential Red' Zinfandel Blend 2012

A blend of Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, this wine would be a great blind tasting candidate with its bright, lively forward complex fruits.Dark purple/garnet colored, the fruits are vibrant but nicely balanced, smooth and approachable. I felt the polish and approachability of this wine actually overshadowed the bigger, more complex more expensive Phantom. 

Ripe intense flavors of boysenberries, cherry and black raspberry, with tones of vanilla and mocha, black licorice and spicy pipe tobacco on the moderate oaky tannin finish. This is currently widely available at under $14 and offers fabulous QPR - Quality-to-Price-Ratio. Go out and pick up a bunch for beef, bar-b-que, pasta and pizza. While it has forward fruits, it has a nice polish and balance suitable for many combinations. Great for every day drinking.


RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1811326

http://www.boglewinery.com/moments/#



Saturday, September 27, 2014

Syrah Syrah Extravaganza Barbecue Dinner

Syrah Syrah Extravaganza Barbecue Dinner

For a bar-b-q rib dinner faire, Syrah, Shiraz and Zinfandel were the wine theme for our annual gala (end of) summer dinner on the deck in the city hosted by friends Lyle and Terry on their spectacular, supersized deck with a great view of the Chicago cityscape.

Like last year, the early autumn weather was perfect for the gathering of the 'Pour Boys'  wine group (named such after our wine adventure at the UGC tasting event event last year).  As always, we assembled a fabulous intriguing flight of select wines. Many thanks to Lyle and Terry for their hospitality and a super dinner.

Before dinner featured a flight of white wines with artisan cheeses and Lyle prepared grilled scallops on the deck. The whites included Caymus Conundrum, Cote de Provence, Grigich Fume Blanc and a pair of champagnes. 

Of course this evening was all about big bold reds suitable for bar-b-q. As customary practice dictates, the wines are listed in tasting order - light to heavy, aged to young. One of the highlights of these events is the ritualistic 'line-up' of the flight. This process entails determining the tasting order, first based on alleged style, age, reputation, and knowledge of and experience with the wines. Once the order is established it is validated and tuned or corrected based on a sample tasting of each wine. Remarkably, as is typical, our initial order was right on the mark (as shown in the picture below) with only one correction following the tasting, with the HdV moving from right to left of the Balmoral.

Syrah or Shiraz? Consider them the same ... different monikers for the same grape, genetically related whether it be from France, Australia or California, according to Carol Lagier, winemaker, Syrah specialist and plant geneticist at Syrah producer Lagier-Meredith which we visited during our 2011 Napa Wine Experience

The Big Reds Flight - 

Santa Ema Amplus One 2008
Jackson Franklin (Elyse) Petit Sirah
HDV Carneros Syrah
Rosemount Balmoral Syrah 1995
Dead Arm 1995
Dead Arm  2002
Dead Arm 2004
Outpost Zinfandel 2009
Branson Coach House Rare Single Vineyard Syrah 2004
Chateau Tanunda Old Vines Shiraz
Sine Quo Non - The Raven






Santa Ema Carménère Amplus One 2008

This was the only blend in the flight, and the only South American wine, from Chile, an interesting mix of 75% Carmenere, 20% Syrah, and 5% Carignan. Since none of us are versed in such wines, we have no basis for comparison. Then again, this is such a unique blend we have no previous exposure to such a blend. The contribution of Syrah was our only baseline. It would be a good stumper in a blind tasting. I almost would've picked a right bank Bordeaux.  

Credit the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide with this information on the producer, region and appellation. "In 1931, Pedro Pavone-Voglino acquired a plot of land in Chile’s Maipo Valley and began producing high-quality. Then in 1956, Pedro and his oldest son, Félix Pavone-Arbea, began producing and marketing their own bottled wine. The business continued to grow, and in the late 1960s the company purchased a large amount of land in the Peumo commune located in the Cachapoal province—an area known for red varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenère. Today, Santa Ema exports its wines to more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Santa Ema has five lines—Selected Terroir, Rosado Soul, Barrel Select, Reserve and Amplus—as well as two red blends—Catalina and Rivalta. The winery has received numerous awards for its value-driven wines, particularly the Reserve and Amplus series."

This was dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely balanced, smooth and polished with dark berry and black raspberry fruits offset by moderate tones of soft oak, hints of earth and mocha with modest soft tannins.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1386293

Jacob Franklin Napa Valley Chavez Leeds Vineyard Petit Sirah 2008

We visited this winery on the guidance of Bill Arns during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2012 with Bill and Beth, when we tasted and Bill acquired this wine during the visit.

Perhaps a point of serendipity, this is the product of Elyse Winery and we maintain a couple of bottles from the label in our cellar for when dining with dear friends Eric and Cathy, in recognition of their daughter Elyse, who has also joins us on occasion. I think however it was coincidence that Bill brought this to the tasting tonight given that Eric and Cathy would be there.

This wine exceeded our expectations which were modest when compared to this flight of comparative labels. It was medium bodied, dark garnet colored, forward blackberry fruit with hints of anise, eather, bit of cedar and black pepper on a moderate dusty tannin finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1215967
 
Hyde de Villaine Carneros Syrah 2004

This is the estate label formed from the combination of two legendary wine families, the Hyde family of California and and the de Villaine family of France. The 178 acre Carneros estate has been farmed by Larry Hyde since 1977 when he purchased and developed the property after serving as an apprentice at some of Napa Valley's top wineries. His late father, Richard Sr., an attorney from Woodside, purchased the first piece of land that now makes up Hyde Vineyards in 1979. At that time the Carneros area was undeveloped grasslands at the top of San Pablo Bay extending up to the beginning of the Mayacamas foothills leading to the mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

Producing some of the most coveted grapes in Napa Valley, Hyde Vineyards has gained distinction sourcing fruit for some of the leading California winemakers including Paul Hobbs, Kistler Vineyards, Kongsgaard Wine, Mia Klein's Selene Wines, Patz & Hall and Ramey Wine Cellars. Most of these producers release single vineyard designated label wines featuring fruit from Hyde Vineyards. These wines are primarily Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and to a lesser degree, Syrah.

I've written in this blog about perhaps the best Shiraz/Syrah that I have ever tasted, from Kongsgaard Wines , which was produced from fruit from the nearby Hudson Vineyard from south-sloping land at the Hudson Ranch near the Bay on the southern Napa Valley side of the Carneros District. This site is also the source for Ramey, Kistler and other notable producers who also get their fruit from the Hyde property. The Hudson property is named after Hyde's mother Virginia Hudson and sits next to the Hyde de Villaine winery.
 In 1999, Aubert de Villaine, codirector of Burgundy's legendary  Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (DRC), who happens to be married to Hyde's cousin Pamela F. de Villaine, partnered with Hyde to form HdV Wines, to brand and produce single vineyard wines from Hyde Vineyard fruit.


Aubert de Villaine is a legend in France's Burgundy region as the proprietor of his own wine, A. & P. de Villaine, and as co-director of DRC, one of the world's most exclusive and sought after wines.

While Larry Hyde manages the vineyards, his older siblings, Richard Jr. and Diana, are also involved in the business along with Diana's son Ryan Bailey, Richard's son Rick and Larry's son Chris.
Larry's other son Peter, 23, makes a proprietary family blend from the property's unsold grapes.

Based on the pedigree of this wine, I had very high expectations and approached it with much anticipation.  I was hoping it would fit the profile and character of Konsgaard Syrah, but it fell short in weight and polish, but this is certainly understandable since it is a fraction of the price.

Medium-full bodied, dark ruby color, black berry and black cherry fruits with hints of cassis, spice box and a bit of  pepper, turning to a funky grassy tone of dried meat on the moderate tannin finish that detracted from the rich fruit flavors. 

RM 89 points. This got 90 points from Wine Enthusiast; 92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar and 92 points Connoisseurs Guide.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=176312

http://hdvwines.com/


Rosemount Estate Syrah Balmoral 1995 
 
We still hold several cases of this wine in nearly a decade long vertical going back as early as 1992. Its time to drink them up as they're definitely reaching the end of their drinking window. This was showing its age with a somewhat funky leather and damp wood essence that thankfully subsided after an hour or so after decanting, giving way to aromas and flavors of blueberry fruits and eventually turning to its traditional tasting profile. 

Dark full flavor, over ripe berry, raisin, notes of blueberry, plum fruit, with spice and anise. Showing age on opening but opened and softened with a long full complex finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12022

d'Arenberg Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz 1995, 2002, 2004

Ernie, Dan and I all brought this label (without any collusion or prior communications), thankfully from different vintages, which afforded  us the chance to comparison taste this mini vertical of this popular wine. 

1995 - Like the aged Rosemount Balmoral from the same vintage, this was also showing its age with a bit of funky earthy leather and tobacco overtaking the fruit, but after decanting for an hour or so, this subsided and the black and blue fruits emerged.

Intense ruby, colored, medium bodied with black berry, tone of vanilla and oak giving way to earthy leather and bacon fat overtaking the fruits, rich and reasonably long modest tannin finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27224

d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2002

The biggest of the three, always a big fruit forward complex wine, this was much more expressive than as documented in my earlier 2004 and 2009 tasting journal posts. Its bigger and still boasts a forwardness but what was an off-tone of minerality now is more natural ripe raisin-fig with a layer of cedar predominating over complex black and blue berry fruits with tones of pepper, spice, and cassis and hint of vanilla with a big long bold finish that has a slight tone of tangy cherry. Linda likes this ripe boldness but its a bit too much to my liking. LIke the rest of these wines,  this wine is suited to a bigger accompaniment like beef steak or even perhaps bar-b-que!

RM 91 points.

Subdued black berry and black cherry fruit, leather, hint of spice and pepper on a moderate tannin finish.

d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2004

Dark inky black purple color, full bodied, thick, tongue-coating unctuous layer of ripe plum, black raspberry, ripe blueberry and a layer of anise and black cherry with a spicy long firm tannin lingering finish.

RM 90 points. 


Outpost Howell Mountain Zinfandel 2009

Howell Mountain anchors the north east corner of Napa Valley and is known primarily for its distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon. Its terroir of rocky soil, western sun exposure with gentle breezes and altitude also produces a select style of Zinfandel with its rich, brambly extracted dark fruit and a unique spice that almost borders on cinnamon.

Outpost sits high atop the west facing slope just below Robert Craig and across the road from Lamborn, two of our other favorite producers.We worked our way up the road there during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2008.

A great wine that demands bar-b-q or rich hearty meaty pasta, every cellar should have a couple bottles of this style Zin for such occasions. At the high end of price-points for typically moderate priced Zinfandel but this one is worth it.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, this wine typifies that classic rich thick extracted forward Howell Mountain briery mountain berry fruit accented by spice, floral with hints of tobacco on the supple long lasting chewy tannins.

RM 92 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1084352

http://www.outpostwines.com/

Branson Coach House Coach House Block Rare Single Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004


We discovered this wine several years ago and acquired and rapidly consumed the 2002 and 2003 vintages. We still hold several bottles from the neighboring Greenock Block. This 2004 that was selected for Wine Spectator's Top 100 2006 comes from old vines in Greenock, a prime growing area in the Barossa for Shiraz. Eric found this at Kahn's in Indy and brought it to share and compare.

Full bodied, rich, concentrated, complex, dark inky purple colored, with layers of black and blue berry, black cherry and black plum fruit flavors, with tones of dark mocha, cigar box and smoke notes with well integrated firm lingering tannins.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=236098&searchId=304406



Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz


We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of eight three packs in OWC's (shown below) which we split amongst the wine team, pictured below.

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines and the grapes for this wine come from hundred year old vines from a high altitude, one acre single vineyard in the Eden Valley. 

Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of liquorice, plum and spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/





2006 Sine Qua Non "The Raven No. 3" Syrah 


This legendary ultra-premium label has taken on almost a cult-like following.
Since its founding in 1994, the winery located in Ventura, on California's Central Coast has become the a classic example of an artisanal, garagiste winery. The husband-and-wife team of Manfred and Elaine Krankl produce very limited quantities of hand-crafted wines primarily from Rhone varietal grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Roussane, and Viognier.

Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Sine Qua Non "one of the world's most creative wineries" and one that "is turning out world-class wines of extraordinary complexity and individuality. The Krankl husband-and-wife team remains wholly dedicated to the pursuit of perfection."

The branding of Sine Qua Non wines is as distinctive as their carefully crafted wines bearing unusual, sometimes outlandish names to their wines, such as "The Hussy", "In Flagrante," and the "The Raven", and they often change the wine names from vintage to vintage.

The 2006 Raven Series Syrah is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, aged nearly two years in French oak. 

Dark blackish ink colored, full bodied, complex, big ,bold, rich layers of dark blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by hints of blueberry and plum, creosote, mocha and spice with tones of anise and pepper turning to a thick tongue coating tangy chewy tannin lingering finish.

RM 95 points.

Wine Spectator gave this 95 points, Robert Parker 96 points and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=557926


After dinner there were three dessert courses accompanied by two dessert wines.

 Grahams Vintage Port 1991



Grahams Vintage Port 1991





Domaine de laAncienne Cuvee Prestige Monbazzilac 1999























More to come .. ...







Sunday, August 25, 2013

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petit Syrah 2001

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petit Syrah 2001


For a family Sunday barbecue dinner of ribs and burgers on the grill I pulled what I think may be the last bottle of this case that we bought more than a decade ago. It has held up amazingly well and still is drinking very nicely. Medium to full bodied, dark garnet color, the black berry and black cherry fruits are starting to fall off a bit and give way to a layer of tobacco and hint of leather and earth, tones of currant and rose petals and anise are accented by firm but polished well integrated tannins on the finish. 

The layer of anise and tobacco accenting the black fruits and the firmness and gripping tannins were a great complement to the grilled barbecue ribs.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=23633