Showing posts with label beef bourgogne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beef bourgogne. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Château La Dominique Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé with Beef Bourgogne

Château La Dominique Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé with Beef Bourgogne

For a hearty midweek dinner, Linda prepared her delicious beef bourgogne, so I pulled from our wine  cellar this Grand Cru Classé Right Bank Bordeaux for a fabulous food and wine pairing. Having a fine wine cellar is made for situations such as this.   

While some suggest Burgundy wines based on Pinot Noir for pairing with beef bourgogne, I prefer a moderate, complex, but expressive and soft Bordeaux such as Merlot based blends from the Right Bank, such as this.

Château La Dominique produces this Grand Cru Classé wine from their 71 acres of vineyards located in the northwest of Saint-Émilion, on the edge of the Pomerol appellation, adjoining some of the most famous vineyards of the region - Cheval Blanc, Figeac, La Conseillante, and L'Evangile.  It has been owned by the Fayat family since 1969.

From the Wine Cellar Insider, we learn that Chateau La Dominique dates back to the 1700s and is named for the island in the Caribbean where the original owner of the property earned his fortune.

The Fayat family purchased the estate in 1969 from the de Bailliencourt family, who had owned the vineyard since 1933 and also still own Chateau Gazin in Pomerol. The property had several ownership changes over the previous two decades before it was obtained by Clement Fayat.

Clement Fayat started out as a bricklayer and went on to found one of the largest construction companies in the world. In addition to La Dominique, he also owns Chateau Fayat in Pomerol and Clement Pichon in the Haut Medoc appellation. The Fayat family also recently purchased Vieux Fortin in St. Emilion which was incorporated into La Dominique.

The 71 acre Château La Dominique vineyard is planted to 81% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. All the vineyards are classified as Grand Cru Classe. The best parcels in the La Dominique vineyard are located next to the legendary first growth estate Cheval Blanc, and not far from Chateau Figeac, one of our favorite Saint Emilion producers, and cellar holdings. Head north towards Pomerol the estate also bordered the premiere estates of Chateau Conseillante and LEvangile in Pomerol.

Chateau La Dominique underwent a major renovation of the entire estate in 2013 including the chateau, cellars, winemaking facilities, grape reception area, and a larger vat house, bringing in the most up-to-date, modern technology available. 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote of the 2012 vintage - "This 2012 is sensational and further evidence of the rebound of La Dominique after a few years of mediocrity." 

The estate produces 60,000 cases per year of the grand vin and slightly more than 7,000 cases per year of a second wine, Saint-Paul-de-Dominique. 

We have enjoyed tasting these wines and meeting the producer at the annual UGC Bordeaux' (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB)) North American release tour (s) and appreciate their participation and visits to Chicago to show their wines.  See example postings of this event here - UGC Bordeaux 2013 Release Tour Chicago 2016, and Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Chicago.

Château La Dominique Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (Grand Cru Classé) 2012

This wine was produced with the advisement of the legendary Merlot master, Michel Rolland and Jean-Philippe Fort as consulting winemakers. 

The 2012 is a blend of  95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 

This release was rated 94 points by Vinous, 93 points by Wine Advocate, 92 by Wine Cellar Insider, and 89–91 by Roger Voss of Wine Enthusiast. 

At eleven years of age, the label, foil and most importantly the fill level and cork were ideal, likely at it's apex and may be there for perhaps close to a decade yet. 

This was double decanted and left to open for an hour before serving.

Dark garnet inky purple color, medium full bodied, elegant, bright vibrant expressive but soft ripe plum, cherry and blackberry fruits with floral, spice and earth notes, hints of lavender, black tea and licorice with a long smooth silky finish. 

60,000 bottles of this cuvée were produced

https://www.chateau-ladominique.com/en/accueil/

https://twitter.com/chladominique

@chladominique

Friday, November 3, 2023

BV Tapestry with Beef bourguignon

Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Bordeaux Blend, fabulous pairing with Beef bourguignon

Friday night dinner, Linda prepared a beef bourguignon with - sirloin steak with carrots, onions, rosemary and hot-house tomatoes, with sherry port wine, over linguini noodles. It was delicious, enhanced mightily by an aged vintage Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend. 

Beef bourguignon or bœuf bourguignon, also called beef Burgundy, and bœuf à la Bourguignonne, is a French beef stew braised in red wine, often red Burgundy, and beef stock, typically flavored with carrots, onions, garlic, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon. 

I love selecting a Blend over a single varietal wine as it adds breadth and complexity to complement the beef and savory vegetable and spice flavors. Indeed, the French have been perfecting their blending to produce complex elegant sophisticated wines to pair with and complement foods for over five hundred years!

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Bordeaux Blend 2002

We hold a vertical collection of nearly two dozen vintages of this label dating back two and a half decades. It represents good value - QPR (Quality Price Ratio) in a Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietal blend. This is especially true when comparing this label to their Georges de Latour Reserve Cabernet which sells for twice the price, often with similar ratings and rankings. 

Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) ("Quelle beau lieu!" or "What a beautiful place.”) is one of the oldest, most storied estates and producers in Napa Valley, Its founding dates back to 1900 when Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande initially purchased a four-acre ranch with the vision of making Napa Valley wines that would rival those of their native France.

They expanded their land holdings over the next several decades, many of which are still part of the BV portfolio today. In 1903 they purchased 127 acres in Rutherford, which they named "BV Ranch No. 1." In 1910 another land purchase was made, known as "BV Ranch No. 2."

In 1923, Georges de Latour purchased the Fred Ewer Winery, a building that dates back to 1885. Its four original stone walls remain the core of today’s Beaulieu Vineyard winery in Rutherford sited along St Helena Highway 29, mainstreet of Napa Valley. This purchase increased Beaulieu’s production dramatically allowing Beaulieu Vineyard’s business to thrive and increase fourfold in the 1920s,

Since its first release in 1990, BV have produced Tapestry Reserve as a tribute to their French heritage and homage to the classic Bordeaux blends and Clarets. It is sourced from a selection of specific vineyard blocks of top-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of terroir expression and a round, approachable tannin structure. Roughly half of the Cabernet Sauvignon was grown on the famous western benchland of the Rutherford American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the balance from the Calistoga, Oakville, and St Helena AVAs. The Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec are sourced exclusively from BV estate vineyards in Rutherford. Two styles of Cabernet Franc lend complexity and intrigue: one from cooler Sonoma Valley providing fresh acidity and a slight herbal character; the other from warmer Calistoga adding ripe and expressive red fruit notes. 

In 2010, legendary winemaker Michel Rolland joined Beaulieu Vineyard as a blending consultant on their reserve wines. 

I pulled a twenty-one year old 2002 vintage release from the cellar, 'Goldilocks' age, not too old, but not too young. It proved to be an ideal pairing with the hearty beef bourgogne dish, accentuating the enjoyment of both! 

My wine tasting notes index shows fourteen vintages of tasting notes of this label. It shows we tasted and I reported on this wine back in February 2006 when I wrote:

"Feb 2006 - Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve 2002 - RM 92 WE 90 - Dark medium bodied, smooth easy drinking, Bordeaux blend showing loads of plum, cherry and currant fruit as well as vanilla spice notes from oak aging. Tasted at Indigo Restaurant in SPG.

At twenty-one years, the fill level, label (slightly stained and soiled), foil, and most importantly the cork were all still in ideal condition. 

While still very much in its drinking window, this was showing some diminution from age with the vibrant fruits just starting to give way to non-fruit flavors of earth and wood. Still, it was consistent with that earlier tasting. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, full round plum, black cherry and black currant fruits with notes of cassis, cedar, spice and toasted oak with a hint of dark mocha chocolate, on a moderate firm tannins finish. 

RM 90 points. 

This release was awarded 92 points by Wine & Spirits, 90 points by Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=198670

https://www.bvwines.com/

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Force Majeure Parvata Red Blend with Beef Bourgogne

Force Majeure Parvata Red Blend with Beef Bourgogne

Linda prepared a delicious hearty beef bourgogne stew and I wanted a proper wine to pair for the occasion - something big and bold, but not overpowering, and complex to meld with the breadth and depth of flavors. I chose this Parvata Rhone varietal red blend from Force Majeure for its complexity of the blend.

We first featured this label in our Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting report.

Force Majeure Parvata Red Blend 2017

We originally discovered and acquired this label during our visit to Force Majeure in Walla Walla back in 2018. We hold three vintages of a mixed case from our wine club allocation orders.   

This is from their Force Majeaure Red Mountain Vineyard site in the central Columbia Valley. The Red Mountain site was the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Developing the Red Mountain estate vineyards involved carefully matching varietal and clonal selections and vineyard trellising and irrigation to the eight distinct soil types in the vineyard.

Parvata means “mountain” in sanskrit, and hence is the name for Force Majeure's southern Rhône style blend, grown in the sandy, loamy soils of the lower section of the Red Mountain vineyard.

Parvata is a a classic Rhone River Blend that the French, and in the new World, the Australians, call GSM, for the blend of the three Rhone varietals, (25%) Grenache, (23%) Syrah, and (42%) Mourvedre. 

But this 2017 Parvata is a blend of Rhone varietals, somewhere between a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) and a CDP (Chateauneuf-du-Pape of which 70% is typicall GSM, the total can be from a possible thirteen sanctioned varietals). This release is 42% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 23% Syrah, and 'lesser' varietals, 4% Cinsault and 5% Counoie - 100% sourced from the Force Majeure Red Mountain Estate vineyard.

We've posted blogspots of the 2015 and 2016 releases but this is our first tasting of the 2017 release. It seems to be less fruit forward than the earlier releases. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this is black fruits accented by white pepper, dried herbs, leather and tobacco notes with bright lively acidity.

RM 92 points.

The 2015 seemed to more fruit forward, more the style we love, with its dark blackish garnet purple colored, full bodied, rich unctuous concentrated black and blue fruits accented by white pepper and tones of dried herbs with bright lively acidity.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3519567

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/force-majeure-vineyards-site-visit-and.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2659538

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/ 

@ForceMVineyards 

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Christmas Family Dinner and Big Syrah Blends with Beef Bourguignon

Christmas Eve Family Dinner features Big Red Syrah Blends with Beef Bourguignon

Much of the family gathered at our house after Christmas eve church service for a dinner celebration. Linda prepared Beef Bourguignon, mashed and sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus, and salad.

I pulled from the cellar two big Syrah based red blends to accompany the rich meat and vegetable stew in red wine reduction sauce - a perfect complement. 

Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend Napa Valley Red Blend 2012

Randy and Debbie Lewis established their family winery in Napa back in 1992. We've been fans since the earliest days and hold and keep and extensive collection of their wines - Cabernet Sauvignons, Syrahs, and this unique blend of both. 

We enjoy Lewis wines as  I've often written in these pages about the fun we have with this branding, with its signature 'L' on the label, ala Laverne and Shirley, or wife Linda, or her mother Lucy, or our daughter Erin Leigh, or her daughter, our first grandchild/daughter Lucy, and now our recent grandaughter Lavender! That coupled with the Hoosier heritage of Randy Lewis, Indy 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason,  we adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it often at family celebrations such as tonight.

Lewis wines are family favorites for such special occasions, and this is one of our go-to wines, a 'signature wine' for son Alec, his namesake Blend for Dennis Lewis' son Alec. Lewis Cabernets are some of our favorites and we have a decade long vertical of Alec's as well as their Cabernets, dating back to the inaugural release in '97.
The label is dedicated to Randy and Debbie Lewis' first grandson, Alec, who was born on the day of the harvest of the grapes for this wine leading to the name.

One of the most anticipated wine producer visit tastings at our just completed Pour Boys 2017 Napa Wine Experience was a visit to the Chateau of Lewis Cellars.

This 2012 vintage release was the oldest of a decade of vintages we hold in our cellar of this label. 

This is a powerful yet balanced blend of 79% Syrah, 13% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot. 

Winemaker's notes: "One of our best bottlings ever, the 2012 Alec's Blend carries the casual confidence of a 17-year old. Deliciously complex...layers of lifted ripe blackberry, black cherry, cola, malt chocolate, Heath bar and bramble never quit. There's great acid and structure here too with a balanced arc of tannin and toasted cherry wood spice."

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Connoisseurs Guide.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, rich bold full round ripe blackberry fruits with  mocha, spice, toasty oak, smoke  and graphite with a long and persistent finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1887417

http://www.lewiscellars.com

@lewiscellars

Mollydooker "Carnival of Love" McLaren Vale Syrah/Cabernet 2011

This is another fun label that we have designated one of our family signature wines that we love to serve at family occasions. 

I've written often in these pages about Mollydooker husband and wife winemaking team, Sara and Sparky Marquis, who happen to both be 'lefties', hence 'Mollydooker', the Aussie term afforded what in America we would call a 'southpaw' or a left handed person. 

You gotta love our Aussie friends and their sense of humour. They emerged on the American wine scene with Marquis Phillips and their whimsical 'Roogle' or half kangaroo half eagle character for the Australia - American joint venture with their US distribution partnership back around the turn of the century.

After several successful releases, Sara and Sparky set off on their own and never looked back developing an extensive brand and line-up of labels, all with whimsical names and colorful cartoon characters (see select library below - a more complete library is on our winesite Aussie 'M' Mollydooker label library).

Aside their flagship 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz which nears $200, their two premium labels in the release price $80 range are this one, and 'Enchanted Path', a Shiraz and Cabernet blend. Their line includes an extensive collection from an entry level Shiraz to Cabernet, Cabernet-Shiraz blends, Merlot - even a sparkling Shiraz.

The story of these wines according to the winemaker is: "Our whole family is involved in making our wines, and all the wonderful people who drink them become our friends, so we named this wine Carnival of Love, because the wines bring us together. If you look closely you will notice that the Lefty characters are all included in the label and when you join the Carnival of Love and the Enchanted Path together, the two labels form one beautiful continuous love story."

Alas, the Enchanted Path and Carnival ended a couple years ago when Sara and Sparky split and went their separate ways. Sara took over and runs the business and serves as CEO, Winemaker, producer and philanthropist. Sparky, it turns out is a racing car buddy of my associate down is Australia who builds and races cars in his spare time when not tending to running the APAC region for my software business. 

Since Sarah took over the business, Mollydooker’s wines have been praised globally, including receiving five 99-point Wine Advocate scores by renowned wine critic, Robert Parker. Its Carnival of Love Shiraz has also been listed a record three times in Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines in the World. Under her leadership as sole owner Sarah Marquis, the company has been recognised for its business success, being chosen as the 2019 South Australian Business of the Year at the much revered Telstra Business Awards.

At these price points, these are not every day wines for us ordinary folks, but wines for special occasions. 'Carnival of Love' has become one of our family tradition wines which we serve at wife Linda's and family birthday parties, since Linda is a Lefty, and we happen to have three family birthdays in the span of several weeks.

Mollydooker have continually won high acclaim with Carnival receiving 95-ish ratings consistently over the years; 2010, RP95, WS94, 2009; WS94, RP93, 2008; WS94, 2007; RP96, WS95, 2006; RP97, WS95. This 2005 release got 98 points from Robert Parker, rarified space indeed for only very special highly acclaimed wines.  
 
Like the Alec's Blend above, this is also Syrah (2/3) based accented by Cabernet Sauvignon (1/3), just without the Merlot that comprises 1/3 of the Bordeaux varietal components in the Alec's Blend. Being from South Australia, it is remarkably similar to the profile of the California based Alec's Blend - dark inky purple, rich, concentrated, syrupy, chewy fruit filled. Both share a profile of spicy, clove accents.

This unique blend really works with the Cabernet adding breadth and depth to the big black inky purple colored full bodied Shiraz. The result is a powerful full bodied complex wine with concentrated forward chewy tongue coating black berry and black cherry fruits accented by ripe plum and spice, a layer of leather and hints of anise with fine silky tannins on the long finish.
 
Winemaker's notes on this release: "This is the wine I tell all my friends about. To see the look on their faces after their first sip is priceless. The 2011 Carnival of Love so clearly shows the essence of Mollydooker. It has elegance; a complete, intense, seamless flavour spectrum; a sumptuous mouth feel and perfect balance. At 92% Fruit Weight it is a wine to go WOW about, an absolute beauty." 

This release was awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who said "Drink it from 2014 to 2022+."

This is my third review of this label and tonight's experience was consistent with the earlier ones. Like tonight, both previous blogposts were on family celebration events.

My post from 8/17/2020 - "This was dark inky garnet purple colored, full bodied, expressive fragrant floral notes, dense, deep concentrated, complex fruits of sweet black cherry, black raspberry and hints of blueberry fruits accented by creme de cassis, cinnamon and clove spices with a layer of charcoal that detracts from the harmonious desirable fruit and spice notes. The finish is long with crisp acidity and soft silky tannins."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/carnival-of-love-for-anniversary-dinner.html

And, previously back in 2014 - "This 2011 continues with a big powerful concentrated, dense, deep and complex wine, black inky purple in color, with super ripe blackberry and raspberry and layer of blueberry flavors that are a bit over the top for my preference, almost being raisiny and hint of herbs in their concentration, with tones of spicy cinnamon and clove, and hints of creme de cassis, mocha and black pepper on the lingering sinewy tannin finish. This is not for the faint hearted and needs a big steak, bold cheeses or dark chocolate to offset its in-your-face power,such as tonight's beef burgundy which was perfect."

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/02/mollydooker-carnival-of-love-shiraz-2011.html

Both times, as with tonight, I gave this 92 points.
 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1436687

http://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/  

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Coronavirus shut-in virtual family dinner and wine tasting

Dispersed Family Conduct Coronavirus Shut-in Virtual Family Dinner and Wine Tasting

Locked in for the Coronavirus pandemic, our family, Alec and Viv in New York, and Ryan & Michelle, Sean & Michelle, and us, Linda and me, in Illinois, held a virtual family dinner and wine tasting.

Linda prepared a beef pot roast with carrots, potatoes and gravy. To complement our family dinner I pulled from the cellar a special vintage bottle of Château Gruaud-Larose, 1989.

Ryan and Michelle prepared beef bourguignon with half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (below). Prior to dinner they also had a selection of artisan cheeses. They accompanied these with an Arrowood Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.



Alec, in New York City, prepared a grilled steak dinner, Pittsburgh style, to make his dad proud! He and Vivianna tasted a Sonoma Valley Arrowood Monto Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.



Sean, also shut in here in Illinois with Michelle, prepared a parmesan crusted halibut topped with micro green and fresh chives, picked from the nearby forest preserve, served with steamed artichokes, served with a Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc (below).


Funny that Sean mentioned the chives being picked from the nearby forest preserve. Linda, too, went out into our yard and cut fresh chives which she mixed into a home prepared fresh pimento plus cheese spread which we also enjoyed prima (before) dinner.


Both Ryan and Michelle and Linda and I prepared extensive cheese plates to accompany our wines before dinner. Our plate included remnants of a aged Old Amsterdam Gouda and an authentic Roquefort we bought last weekend, served alongside Linda's pimento cheese dip and an aged sharp cheddar.



Sharing and comparing our dinners and wines started in the afternoon via text messages and shared videos and pictures and continued throughout the evening and the following day. Perhaps the most memorable part, in addition to be connected and communicating virtually, was a commemoration to Linda's father, the boys' grandfather Ned, who was a farmer who raised beef cattle. The irony was noted that Alec, Ryan, and us all prepared elegant beef dinners - hailing 'Descendants of Ned' in tribute and remembrance! The Descendants of Ned, our boys created this tee-shirt commemorating what is becoming their annual boys getaway ski weekend visiting their visiting cousin Wesley in Steamboat.

Château Gruaud-Larose St Julien Bordeaux 1989

I pulled from the cellar this vintage label of  Château Gruaud-Larose which was a wonderful, perfect accompaniment to our beef stew dinner. This was special as our visit to the Chateau Estate in St Julien Beychevelle was one of the memorable highlights of our trip to the Medoc last fall.

The aged 1989 vintage release was also to compare with a vintage 1989 Napa Cabernet Phelps Insignia that I took to our recent OTBN wine dinner. 

Gruaud-Larose is comprised of 202 acres planted to 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Malbec with about 300,000 bottles produced annually. 

January 2020
At thirty years of age, the fill level was above neck, ideal and appropriate for its age, the label and foil were near perfect, having been purchased upon release and held in or cellar since.

The cork was partly, nearly half saturated, yet intact and the seal in the bottle was perfect, actually releasing some pressure when the seal was broken. It was extracted routinely using an ahso two-pronged cork puller. I suspect it would not have surrendered (intact) using a traditional corkscrew.

Upon initial pouring, this was slightly cloudy but it cleared over the course of an hour. Initially there was some dusty mustiness, to be expected in a thirty year old, and this too cleared as the wine breathed and opened.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright tangy lively plum and black currant and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of floral, leather, forest floor, cigar box, tea and hints of cassis and creosote on a lingering floral minty finish of firm, silky-textured, smooth tannins.

Tonight
Tonight's tasting was consistent with our recent tasting of this same label from our cellar back in January when I wrote, "This was dark garnet colored, medium bodied, concentrated, bright, expressive black plum and currant fruits accented by pronounced brilliant violet floral and cigar box notes turning to tangy sharp tongue puckering tannins on the lingering finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/01/chateau-gruaud-larose-st-julien.html

This wine with our beef pot roast was a perfect wine and food pairing, enhancing the experience and enjoyment of both, exponentially. The magic is not only the food, or the wine, but the pairing of the two together, and the company, both in person and virtually! 

RM 91 points.

This label also got 91 points from Wine Spectator.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5037

@ChateauGruaud

Monday, March 9, 2015

La Sirène de Giscours

La Sirène de Giscours Margaux 2005

L prepared a tantalizing English Pub stew with a beef bourguignon and carrots in breading, which begged for a dark earthy complex Bordeaux. Picked this up and pulled from the cellar following the Giscours off-label last week as a point of comparison.

This lacked the sophistication, complexity and balance of a Grand Cru, but a top year such as 2005 provides the opportunity to dip into the lesser labels for more affordable (QPR - quality price ratio) every day enjoyable drinking. At $35, this is not necessarily an every day wine, (for most of us), and isn't necessarily a great buy at that price-point. I suspect it is less so in lesser vintages.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, huge floral front, firm tightly bound black fruits give way to leathery creosote layer. Initially flabby and lacking balance or polish, after an hour a firm tannic backbone set in and held together the modest black cherry fruit and black olive on a lingering tangy spicy oak finish.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=410171 


Friday, October 10, 2014

Cabs Bistro BYOB Wine & Dine Experience

Cabs Bistro BYOB Wine & Dine Experience

We revisited Cab's Bistro and Wine Bar in tony Glen Ellyn, Illinois, for a wine and dine experience. Ownership has changed since the early founding days when the two Dave's combined their wineshop with the adjoining wine bar and bistro. The wineshop is gone, as is the extensive and imaginative award winning winelist, but a new manifestation of Cabs Bistro and Winebar remains, downtown on Main Street just south of the commuter rail-stop.

Looking forward to a wine and dine experience, we took advantage of the BYOB policy and brought a couple of quality sippers. Bill brought from his cellar a Chateau Giscours Margaux 1998. I brought a rare special Premiere Napa bottling of Ladera Two Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 2000.

Opening with the salad course including the Spinach Pear Walnut Salad with sliced pear, blue cheese, walnuts, raspberry white wine vinaigrette, we selected this Sonoma County blend from the winelist. 

Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma County Mountain Cuvee 2011

We met and had an enjoyable visit with producer Jeff Bundschu back in February 2005 in Chicago at the Silicon Valley Bank hosted wine producer wine tasting and networking event held at the One North Wacker restaurant.

We stopped in at the winery and vineyard during following Sonoma Valley visits. We need to schedule a tour and tasting on an upcoming Sonoma trip.  




This cuvee is a complex blend of 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Zinfandel, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec, sourced primarily from the estate (72%), but including fruit from other local sources.

Not the least bit subtle and lacking polish, this begs for pairing with expressive food, cheese or dark chocolate. Beth liked this a lot. This was garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bold, forward black cherry, plum, and blackberry fruit with tones of smoke, black tea and hints of anise and subtle mocha on a tangy finish.

RM 88 points. 


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1740457

http://www.gunbun.com/


With our entrees Bill & Beth enjoyed the food and wine pairing that matched the Margaux with the daily special beef bourgnogne with garlic mashed. I had the Seared Maple Leaf Farms Raised Breast of Duck with potato melange, red cabbage and grilled asparagus in a delicious sweet red berry wine sauce that paired perfectly with the Ladera.

Linda enjoyed the Scottish Salmon on wild rice, saying it was as good a Salmon entree as any she remembers.

Afterwards we matched both wines with the creme brulee (on a layer of dark chocolate) and the Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake.

Chateau Giscours Margaux 1998

True to its heritage, the Giscours exhibited classic Bordeaux nuances of floral, subtle earth and leather on a core of black berry fruits - dark inky blackish colored, medium bodied, smooth, polished and complex, turning to a lingering tongue coating powder dry soft silky tannin layer that filled the mouth with a berry-floral tone that lingered for minutes on the finish. No signs of diminution in this sixteen year old.

RM 91 points.

Bill's Cellartracker notes - "Dark inky color. Quite surprising for a 16 year old. Only when side by side with a 2000 Napa Cab did the color difference become evident. Typical Margaux floral nose. Earthy and full of minerals but still surprisingly full of blueberry, plum and cassis. Long, lingering, layered finish that slowly reveals layer after layer."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=30802

Ladera Two Mountains Premiere Napa Valley Lot 64 Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

We've been fans of Ladera since the Montana rancher Stotsmayers took over the classic old stone barn winery and vineyards of Chateau Wolter high up on Howell Mountain back around the Milennium. 

Ladera Winery was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Appellation Wine Experience 2008. We then hosted them here during their Chicago visit the next summer.

One of my favorite picturesque Napa Valley screensaver photos is this one of the old winery building set amongst the estate gardens. 



This was a select bottle from a barrel sourced from fruits from Howell Mountain and Mt Veeder that went into a special bottling donated to the Napa Valley Premiere charitable auction by Ladera Vineyards and Winery. The fruit from the 2000 vintage was bottled and auctioned in the 2002 auction, Lot 64.

My wine tasting notes were consistent with earlier posting at http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/03/ladera-two-mountains-napa-valley.html.

This wine was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bold, expressive and aromatic with full forward flavors of classic Howell Mountain terroir predominating - black cherry, currant, black berry fruits with a layer of spice, and hints of earth and tea on the finely integrated smooth tannin finish.


Like last week, my preference for the bolder brighter Napa Cab style was favored over the more polished, subdued and civil Bordeaux style.


RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=959982