Horizontal tasting of 2004 Napa Valley Mountain Cabernets

Horizontal tasting of 2004 Napa Valley Mountain Cabernets from estate visits and private wine tastings

Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill flew in from Socal for our Mom's funeral proceedings this weekend. For such a poignant family gathering celebration of life dinner, we prepared a grilled beef tenderloin dinner and opened some special wines. We pulled from the cellar a pair of Napa Cabernets from Estate visits that we attended together - this Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet and the Ladera below. Notably, tonight's dinner was a tribute not only to Mom, but to wine producer Freddie Constant who passed since our visit.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

I wrote a while back when we opened a bottle of this label for another special dinner.  

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner. 

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

We also acquired this bottle during another winery visit with Jan and Bill. 

Ladera Lone Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

We served another label from this producer that we also acquired during our Napa Valley winery visit together during Sister Jan's visit from SoCal a couple weeks ago. 

Once again I pulled from our cellar a bottle of Napa Cab from a producer we visited with Jan and husband Bill during one of our Napa Valley Wine Experience trips together. Shown left, Jan and Bill with proprietor/producer Anne Stotesbury at Ladera Vineyards and Winery up on Howell Mtn during our Howell Mtn appellation tour in 2008. 

We last tasted and posted about this wine just a couple months ago when I reposted about this producer and label, we discovered this wine and purchased it following our visit to the Ladera Vineyards estate and winery up on Howell Mountain in 2006 and then again during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008. 

We'd driven past the property, formerly the historic Chateau Woltner many times over the years on our treks up Howell Mountain in northeast Napa Valley.

The fabulous historic winery building consisted of production and barrel storage below and a rustic tasting room upstairs. It is surrounded by spectacular gardens, beds of lavender, and of course the vineyards. 

 

Ladera was founded when Stotesburys moved their family to Napa Valley from Montana in 2000 when they acquired a historic Howell Mountain property featuring an 82-acre vineyard. For the next 16 years, this property served as the home for Ladera.

Ladera initially primarily focused on Cabernet Sauvignon of which we still hold a several cases of four different labels across several vintages from this era.  

Around 2008, their son Dan visited us while on a wine promotion trip to/thru Chicago and we took him around to several of the local wine merchants in the area.  

Stotesburys sold the Ladera land on Howell Mountain in 2016, following the earlier sales of their Lone Canyon and the Mount Veeder properties.

Ladera Lone Canyon Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Ladera produced several labels of Cabernet Sauvignon including several sub-appellation designated labels from Howell Mountain and this one from Lone Canyon. This is our first tasting of several bottle in a mixed case we acquired a while back near its release. 

This was awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm, tight and concentrated complex black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of black tea, cassis, mineral sage and herbs with fine smooth tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.laderavineyards.com/

http://mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/img_napa08_ladera_winery_remc.jpg

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/ladera-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon.html

 

 

Ducru Beaucaillou Birthyear Vintage

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1985 Birthyear Vintage

Celebrating son Sean's engagement to Michelle, Linda prepared a special dinner and I pulled from the cellar a special birthyear vintage bottle of this premium Bordeaux to celebrate. We hold more than a dozen vintages of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou dating back three decades including each of our kid's and their spouse's birthyears dating back to 1980.

Our visit to Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was one of the highlights of our trip to St Julien Bordeaux this summer where we had a personal tour and barrel sampled the current 2018 vintage.

Tonight we opened a 1985 vintage release to accompany Linda's dinner of grilled beef tenderloin, baked potatoes, cauliflower and fried onions and mushrooms. The pairing of the wine was perfect, especially with the mushrooms.

Our thirty-five year old bottle was in perfect condition with acceptable above neck fill level and a partially saturated but still intact cork. The provenance of the bottle dates back to acquisition upon the vintage release and being held in our cellar ever since. This is another testament to our cellar conditions for long term aging of fine wines.

As is my custom, I used an "Ah-so" two pronged cork puller to extract the cork and believe it may not have come out intact using a tradition cork screw.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1985

Even at thirty years old, this was delicious, still at the apex of its drinking window and likely suitable for another decade of aging, showing no diminution whatsoever. It drank like a nicely aged ten year old! A testament to the age-worthiness of fine vintage Bordeaux.

Thirty years after acquisition we are being rewarded for buying Bordeaux during the 1980's, although, regretably, we have learned we consumed much of our collection to early and too young back in the nineties. We still hold several cases of this producer from the string of top vintages from 1981, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 89 and 1990 and are now enjoying these special vintage bottles on special occasions, such as tonight.

We also still hold several of these vintages in large format magnum (1.5l) and double magnums (3.0l). Our collection of large format birth year wines was the basis for our cellar being featured in Wine Spectator Collecting column back in June 2001.

To commemorate our visit to the Chateau, we recently conducted a vertical tasting of several vintages of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou with our 'Pour Boys Winers and Diners' wine group.

Looking back at critics' reviews for this release, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote of this release in 2003, "the 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a floral, cedary nose intermixed with red and black currants as well as flowers. The wine is fully mature and soft, with beautiful concentration and purity. It is not a blockbuster, and certainly not nearly as powerful and massive as the 1986, but it is certainly much more seductive." Parker gave the 1985 Ducru 92 points.

In 1996, James Suckling of Wine Spectator wrote, "Seductive and beautiful. Minty, rich and fruity aromas and flavors caress the palate and tickle the throat. Medium- to full-bodied, with super firm tannins and a long, silky finish. Drink now or hold; will improve with age."

The Zachy's wine team tasted this vintage release more recently and wrote, "We had this wine over dinner while in Bordeaux tasting the 2014s - easily one of the highlights of the entire trip. Perfectly mature and is currently drinking the way Bordeaux was intended to be consumed - with age and enough sweet fruit to complement the tertiary development. This wine is all about elegance, no hard edges, classic St Julien cedar, truffle, and damp earth are joined by tobacco and cinnamon. Tongue-staining, long finish. It is a wine that transports you back to old world style claret, where the wine doesn't clobber at 12.5% alcohol. It is truly a special treat to have this wine with this provenance and condition." Zachys Notes 95 Points, Zachys Buying Team. Zachy's wine mcrchant  show they hold this vintage release in stock available for purchase.

All those characteristics remain today as this releases holds on into its fourth decade.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, muted aromas on the nose but elegant, balanced and full flavored, bright and expressive on the palate with black currant fruits accented by sensuous floral, cedar, tobacco leaf, hints of damp earth with super firm tannins and a long, silky finish.

RM 93 points.

We hold a few more bottles of this release in a mixed case from the era and look forward to opening them in the coming year as we celebrate with family, friends, Sean and Michelle.

Like Zachys above, K&L Wine Merchants in the Bay Area, where we acquired much of this wine during the 1980's are showing they hold this vintage release wine in stock.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17635

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

Ducru Beaucaillou Vertical Showcases Pour Boys Wine Dinner

Ducru Beaucaillou Vertical Showcases Pour Boys Wine Dinner

Following our trip to St Julien - Bordeaux recently where one of the highlights of our trip was a visit and tour of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and another, our visit to Château Branaire Ducru, we were eager to explore a vertical tasting of the Second Growth grand vin.

During our recent Pour Boys Sassicaia owner dinner, I suggested we focus our upcoming dinner on Bordeaux - St Julien and offered a range of producers I could support. Over the ensuing weeks we selected Ducru-Beaucaillou as our featured producer for this evening's dinner. As noted by the boys at dinner, not many small groups could muster a vertical tasting of such a great wine spanning three decades.

Our dinner was hosted by Lyle and Terry and it was our first time there to see their new wine cellar. Lyle and Terry's pied-a-terre is in the city in Chicago's trendy West Loop neighborhood. The area has exploded in recent years with the new McDonald's world headquarters and the nearby Fulton Market district and its emergence as a high tech mecca anchored by Google and many others. The meteoric rise in popularity and property values in the area not only justifies Lyle's investment in his custom designed and built cellar, but suits the upscale feature requirements of upscale neighborhood residences.

Lyle and Terry prepared a spectacular dinner of beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes, asparagus, butternut squash, all capped off by Terry's decadent orange cake and cheese cake desserts with chocolate ganache, fresh berries and cherry jubilee.

 

Before dinner, they served grilled breaded scallops, salmon and an assortment of artisan cheeses, cheese dips and olives. The opening dinner course included a dinner salad and cream of mushroom soup.

John kicked off the appetizers and early courses with a garagiste Champagne.

Tarlant NV Champagne

The white wine flight consisted of a selection of premium and ultra-premium chardonnays from Burgundy, south central California Santa Rita Hills, and north California Sonoma County, and a Riesling.

The white flight:

Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes 2012
Sea Smoke Streamside Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012

Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Sonoma County Chardonnay 2006

Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling Dry Slate 2018 

To pivot or transition from the whites to the Bordeaux red flight Steve brought this Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Burgundy.

Domaine François Gerbet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 2010

The red Bordeaux flight:

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1989

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1998

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2000

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2009

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2014

Le Croix de Beaucaillou 2008 

Château Branaire-Ducru 2016

and 

Cos d'Estournel St Estephe 1996

After dinner, the dessert was accompanied by two dessert wines:

Chateau Coutet Premier Cru Classe Barsac 2013

Niepoort Vintage Port 1977

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1879011

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/ 

https://twitter.com/DucruB
@DucruB

Sea Smoke Gratis, King Richards, Del Dotto Highlight Beef Tenderloin Dinner

Sea Smoke Gratis, King Richards, Del Dotto Highlight Beef Tenderloin Dinner

Saturday evening wine dinner with Dr Dan, our Lindas, and Beth visiting from SC featured beef tenderloin, haricot verts and scalloped potatoes. I pulled from the cellar this Del Dotto Estate Napa Cabernet 2001 and Fantesca King Richards Reserve Pinot Noir. Dan brought Sea Smoke Gratis Chardonnay and Chassagne Montrachet 1999.

Sea Smoke 'Gratis' Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2010

Dan brought this allocated limited production Chardonnay from his collection. At eight years, this must be at the apex of its drinking window. I cannot imagine it getting or ever being any better. This was the richest and most vibrant flavorful Chardonnay I've ever had. I've certainly never had one more enjoyable or suitable to my pallette.

Gratis Chardonnay is Sea Smoke's way of telling their direct customers 'thank you for your support!' This wine is only available to regular club members as a gift by Sea Smoke Cellars, and was not available for purchase to the general public. 

Golden colored, medium full bodied, this was rich, flavorful, a nice balance between creamy and acidic, a symphony of nicely integrated and harmonious layered flavors of layers of vanilla, toasted almonds, notes of apricot and hints of caramel with a thick mouth puckering finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1329721

https://www.seasmoke.com/

Fantesca King Richards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2008

We tasted and acquired this wine at the Fantesca Estate and Winery on Spring Mountain during one of our several visits there with Duane and Susan Hoff, proprietors.

Readers of this site know we're Cab drinkers and not normally into Pinots but this was part of the Club allocation deliveries from Fantesca. King Richard refers to Susan's father who is a Pinot lover so they arranged to acquire a Select barrel of Russian River Valley special product and bottle it under the Fantesca brand.

This was opaque garnet colored, light medium bodied and tastes like red berries, strawberry, raspberry, and notes of cranberry with tones of dusty rose, leather and tobacco.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1044739

https://fantesca.com/

Del Dotto Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Since Dan and Linda and Beth were with us at our visit to the Del Dotto Estate for our cave tour and estate wine tasting last year, I chose to pull a vintage Del Dotto Cab from the cellar in remembrance of that event. Also, our Delicacies Tasting at the new Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Winery was a highlight of our Napa Valley trip last month when we acquired several cases of current release Del Dotto wine at that visit so we also need to clear out some room in the cellar and will hence replace some of the older Del Dotto with a more recent vintage release.

Consistent with earlier tastings notes, medium to full bodied, deep dark ruby color - black berry and sweet black cherry fruits accented by clove spice and a hint cassis and whisper of English toffee on the 'Rutherford Dust' moderate silky tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=13349

Forts Latour Quilceda Red Wine

Forts de Latour, Quilceda Creek, Pommery for Outer Banks beachhouse deck beef tenderloin dinner

We're spending the week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (OBX) at a beach house and brought a case of wine to enjoy with our prepared meals. The featured wine of the mid-week dinner was Les Forts de Latour, a tribute to son-in-law Johnnie Fort and daughter Erin. Les Forts is the second label to the flagship Grand Vin Latour, which we served from a 6 liter Imperial at their wedding, but that wine is over the top price wise for even special occasion serving such as this for most of us.

The Grand Vin Latour 1990 was rated 100 points and was anointed Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator in 1993, which only adds further to its lofty heights and associated prices. We hold a few bottles of the Grand Vin which at prices approaching $1000 each I call 'once in a lifetime' event wines, as opposed to 'once a year', 'once a month/week', and 'everyday' wines.

The 1990 vintage was so highly regarded globally, this was the first of three years and wines from the vintage to receive Wine of the Year acclaim - the Latour from Bordeaux, one from California (Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Special Selection 1990, in 1994). and one from Australia (Penfolds Shiraz South Australia Grange 1990, in 1995).

This bottle was from our collection of birth year wines from the 1990 vintage commemorating son Alec's vintage, a fitting tribute for a special family dinner, to serve such a selection. As the second label of a 'perfect' wine, it lived up to lofty expectations.

Before dinner, Ryan opened a bottle of Pommery Champagne that he brought from his home cellar. An ideal starter for a festive dinner on the deck.

Our second bottle of the evening, to fill out the flight and compare opposite the Latour was an American Meritage (a Bordeaux style blend) from producer Quilceda Creek in Washington State. This was from the 2006 vintage, the wedding anniversary year of Erin and Johnnie.

Our feature dinner preparation for the evening was beef tenderloin with twice baked potatos and brussel sprouts. The Les Forts and Quilceda Red were idea matches for the food and were each extraordinary.

Dining on the beach house deck looking out on the dunes and the roaring ocean surf below provided a spectacular and memorable setting. During dinner we witnessed a fox crossing the property and an overflight of military helicopter and formation of fighter jets.

Chateau Les Forts de Latour 1990

As stated, this is the second label wine from the prestigious First Growth Chateau Latour which dates back to the 16th century. The Latour vineyards cover 80 hectares (2.2 acres per hectare), 48 of which are adjacent to the chateau, known as the "Enclos." The Enclos consists of a ridge that peaks at 16 meters above the level of the Gironde River which makes up the Bordeaux valley region. The grape varietals planted on the estate, typical of the Medoc (The Right Bank of the Bordeaux region),  are comprised of  75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The first vintage of Forts de Latour was in 1966 and constant work in the vineyard and in the cellars has resulted in achieving the level of a top Medoc classified growth.

An extraordinary wine from an extraordinary vintage, the Forts de Latour was a perfect accompaniment to the superb preparation of the beef tenderloin that one could cut with a fork.

Opaque, ruby colored, medium bodied, a full bouquet of violets floral perfume and forest floor that holds on the breath in the mouth long after sipping, silky smooth, sinewy, polished notes of black currant fruit seamlessly integrated with notes of tobacco, leather, hints of cassis and touch of cedar and spice on the almost delicate tannin finish.

At 27 years, this resembles a mature Bordeaux that seems to be at the latter stage of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but not to be rushed to consumption either. Indeed, we still hold a half case of this wine acquired en premier (as futures prior to release) to commemorate son Alec's birth year, holding and anticipating for more special occasions or family events.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4397

http://www.chateau-latour.com/en/a-time-for-sharing/les-forts-de-latour
 

Quilceda Creek Red Wine 2006

Like the Forts de Latour, this is also a second label wine of a prestigious producer, from the Washington State Columbia Valley producer Quilceda Creek, known for Cabernets and other Bordeaux varietal wines, including this proprietary Red Wine blend of Bordeaux varietals. The blend of this vintage is similar to that of the blend in Forts de Latour, in the Right Bank style - 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. 

Even at 11 years, this was half the age of the Forts de Latour. While similar in the blend of Bordeaux varietals, this was more in the American style at a walloping 15.2% alcohol as compared to more subdued 12.5% of the Bordeaux.  

This was dark inky garnet colored, medium-full bodied, concentrated structured forward black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of kirsch, almost cherry cola like with dark mocha chocolate, hints of cedar, tones of tobacco and leather on the structured tannin lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=552969

http://quilcedacreek.com/ 

After dinner dessert included chocolate cake, red velvet cake and ice cream - chocolate, strawberry and vanilla (below). 

 

 

 

Zinfandel Flight Anchors Family Dinner

Ridge Vertical and 1990 Vintage Horizontal Zinfandels Anchor Family Dinner

With son Alec visiting laying over on a cross country trip, the family gathered for a gala dinner to celebrate his return and his birthday. Son Ryan brought a highly rated Ridge Zinfandel, so I pulled from the cellar two vintage Zins from Alec's birthyear - two Howell Mountain labels from Ridge and Lamborn. This provided a vertical tasting of two Ridge vintages, and a horizontal tasting of two 1990 vintage labels.

Linda prepared her delectable beef tenderloin (shown right) with fried onions, twice baked potatoes, broccoli, and mac-n-cheese for the kids (and some adults (me)). Ryan brought a dinner salad and Erin brought a fruit plate. Before dinner included shrimp cocktail and afterwards we had a chocolate birthday cake and cupcakes.

We visited Lamborn Vineyards high atop Howell Mountain during our Napa Howell Mountain Wine Experience  back in 2008. I am not sure where Ridge sourced their Howell Mountain fruit for this label and find it conceivable that both these bottles were from the same source. Even at 27 years of age, they were very similar, almost identical, in condition and profile.

Ironically, the last time I tasted either of these wines, I drank them both together at the same time back in November, 2009.

Tonight, both the 1990 Ridge and Lamborn were garnet colored with a brownish rust hue and a bit of murkiness setting in - the predominant sign of diminution from aging. Both were clearly nearing the end of their drinking window, but were still holding their fruit. There were accents of leather and tobacco leaf but no funkiness that one might expect from wines this age. Setting the clarity and color aside, one might not know how old they were.

Both wines warranted a rating of 86 points. 

Lamborn Family Vineyards Napa Valley Howell Mountain Zinfandel 1990 

My last review of this Lamborn label was back in 2009 when I wrote, "Dark inky color with a tinge of separation on the rim... predominantly earthy, leathery, black bramble fruit accented with black pepper and an edge of creosote."


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=573684

Ridge California Howell Mountain Zinfandel 1990 

My last review of this wine was also back in 2009 when I wrote "Dark inly color - earthy leathery, black cherry and black berry fruits accented with black pepper and hint of black olive."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=69252

Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2013

This recent release got rave reviews with a 95 and 92 point rating from Vinous and Robert Parker. Compared to the subdued aged fruit of the vintage Zins, this was over the top and almost overbearing, more suited to tangy bbq or rich foods than the beef tenderloin. This needs several years to settle and come together.

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, rich concentrated forward black raspberry and blue bramble fruits accented by clove spice, Kirsch, floral, anise and hints of tangy oak (aged fourteen months in American Oak). There is 16% Petite Sirah in the blend and it is apparent in adding breadth and depth complexity and a backbone of a firm but not overbearing tannin finish.

This is a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan and 2% Mataro (Mourvèdre).

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1904753

This received 95 points from Vinous and 92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
RM 92 points.

Twice baked potatoes, mac-n-cheese, broccoli.

Freemark Abbey Cuvaison Haut Batailley Flight for Tenderloin Dinner

Freemark Abbey Cuvaison Haut Batailley Flight for Tenderloin Dinner

Wine buddy and fellow 'Pour Boy' Bill back in town, we held a wine dinner with a flight of reds to compliment Linda's beef tenderloin with roasted red potatoes and medley of grilled asparagus and brussel sprouts.

Bill brought a appellation select Mt Veeder Cuvaison Napa Cabernet and a Château Haut-Batailley Bordeaux 2003.

I pulled from the cellar one of our perennial favorite producers that we've enjoyed together on numerous occasions, Freemark Abbey Estate Napa Cab from 1994. I also pulled an aged vintage Cuvaison Napa Cab 1988 for a mini vertical comparison of the 2007. In the end, moderation prevailed and we didn't get that far in our tasting. 

The three wines presented a wonderful comparison of the subtle graduation of three different styles reflecting variations in vintage and terroir - all perfect complements to the dinner courses of cheese, chocolates, entrees and desserts.

 Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac Bordeaux 2003

Bill's Cellartracker notes summed it up well - "Medium garnet with a slight touch of brown at the edges. Earthy nose with the slightest hint of lilac. A bit tight upon opening but within 20 minutes, began to reveal cassis, dark chocolate, a bit of moss and just a hint of mint. Over the course of two hours, the fruit became more pronounced and thus actually began to share some of the same profile notes as the 1994 Freemark Abbey Napa Cab served side by side."

We opened this thinking it might be the starting wine in the progression from light to full and heavier wines in our tasting. Also, as customary in a progressive tasting, start with the Bordeaux Blend with its subtle nuances and greater complexity before moving to the bolder single varietal Cabernets.

It opened with wonderful Bordeaux aromas of earthy leather, dark fruits and floral but was firm and tight with a moderate gripping tannin backbone - yet smooth and polished rather than overbearing. We set it aside and let it open and breath for a bit which it did so very nicely over the course of the evening.

This is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging. 

Dark garnet colored with some bricking on the edges, medium bodied, complex black fruits with tones of earthy leather, tobacco and oak, hints of spice and graphite with smooth polished dusty tannins on the modest finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=61279

Cuvaison Mt Veeder Napa Cabernet 2007

The label indicates this is Estate bottled meaning they grow their own grapes on their property for this wine. We visited the Mt Veeder appellation during our Napa Wine Experience in 2011.

I didn't know or don't recall knowing Cuvaison had a presence there or we might have included them in our tour, although they may just have vineyards there while their winery is elsewhere in the valley. Further investigation shows Cuvaison also own and produce wines from the Brandlin Vineyard on Mount Veeder while their winery and tasting room are just below the Mt Veeder foothills in nearby Carneros.

Again, Bill sums it up well in his Cellartracker tasting note - "Dark, inky purple. No signs of age. Lots of bright fruit, typical of the Mt Veeder AVA. Not much nose but cassis, eucalyptus and a bit of tobacco box on the finish. I expected this to be the most forward of the evenings selections but this was overshadowed by a 94 Freemark Abbey Napa Cab and an 03 Haut Batailley."

WCC 89 points. 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant black and blue fruits with subtle tones of that classic Mayacamas Mtns eucalyptus and hints of tobacco, floral and oak. Evident are the subtleties of the moderating effects of the nearby San Pablo Bay fog and breezes that waft in over Mt Veeder that soften the tannins and firmer concentrated punctuated fruits more typically found in the upper valley and opposing Napa Valley Vaca range.

RM 89 points. This received 93 points from Wine Enthusiast.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=860356

http://www.cuvaison.com/

Freemark Abbey Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

What a pleasant surprise in this twenty-three year old. I didn't know what to expect as I still hold some '94 vintage Napa Cabs as it was an excellent vintage that has shown longevity as evidenced by this bottle tonight.Based on this tasting I updated my Cellartracker drinking window to 2018!

Bill and I have enjoyed many Freemark Cabs together over the years including memorable visits to the winery and its wine library. This tasting adds to that legacy with its strong memorable showing tonight.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, initially a bit tight and closed, this evolved to reveal bright vibrant complex black fruits accented by wonderful cigar box and notes of classic Mayacamas Mountain eucalyptus with hints of cassis, spicy oak and cedar that lingered on the long finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=73886&searchId=51630

http://www.freemarkabbey.com/

Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997

Gala Christmas Surf and Turf Dinners Features Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997 David Arthur Chardonnay John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Linda prepared surf and turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tails. I pulled from the cellar two 1997 Napa Cabernets - a magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and a Del Dotto Vineyards Cabernet Franc. For the lobster course I pulled a David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay and a John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc.

John Anthony Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013 

Tony Truchard practiced medicine in Reno, Nevada before moving his family to Napa Valley where he purchased and developed 180 acres of property in the Carneros region. His sons John Anthony and Michael learned the business from the ground up working the vineyards. Today they own and operate the John Anthony brand sourcing fruit from vineyards they developed on leased land. Their wines feature small vineyard sites from the Oak Knoll District, Carneros and Coombsville regions of Napa.

This Sauvignon Blanc was a great starter with the shrimp cocktail and artisan cheese and meats course leading to the lobster course. This is butter/straw colored, light bodied, crisp balance of fruits and acidity - aromas and flavors of ripe green apples, ripe melon and hints of zesty citrus with a slight layer of smoke on the opening.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1788034

http://www.johnanthonyvineyards.com/

David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the David Arthur estate Vineyards and Winery high atop Atlas Peak during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013. While known for Napa Cabernets, they also produce this Chardonnay, another wine sourced from Napa growers from vineyards. This wine presents a big bold Napa style. The Chardonnay fruit is sourced from from independent growers' sites in the Oak Knoll District and Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa Valley.

A great complement to the lobster medallions in drawn butter, light pale straw color with greenish hues, full bodied with crisp acidity and buttery full firm flavors of apple, pear, figs, and stone fruits with tones of pineapple, guava, and lightly toasted oak and minerality on a full firm long finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1607206

https://davidarthur.com/assets/2012-dav-chardonnay.pdf

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We discovered Pride and acquired this magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon at the winery during our Napa Valley trip in 1999.

I wrote recently about the 1997 Napa vintage and how it is now coming of age. This Pride is likely at the peak of its drinking window.

Served from magnum. Blackish purple/garnet, full bodied, firm, tight, complex concentrated black berry and black currant fruits with tones of spice and cedar with hints of smoke, anise and mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

RM 92 points
94 points Wine Spectator
91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
92 points Wine Enthusiast
91 points Connoisseurs Guide

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

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

We acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties. This bottle better resembles earlier tasting results than some recent bottles that were somewhat diminished from aging.

Tonight's tasting was more consistent with notes from a few years ago, dark ruby color, medium to full body, spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this nineteen year old, accented by tones of earthy leather, cedar and tobacco with hints of anise on the smooth tannin finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Edgewood Estate St Helena Triangle Premiere Lot 54 Napa Valley Malbec 2002

Edgewood Estate Vineyards St Helena Triangle Premiere Lot 54 Napa Valley Malbec 2002

With the kids and grandkids over for after church Sunday dinner, grand-daughter Lucy accompanied me down to the cellar to select the dinner wine. She chose this bottle sitting in the rack at her eye level, for its purple foil, her favorite color, and it turned out to be an excellent choice!

Purchased at auction, this Napa Valley Premiere label is a limited special release bottling for the famous Napa Valley charitable auction. This was ideally suited for our beef tenderloin Sunday dinner. Upon opening, the room filled with fruit and floral aromas. While initially a bit closed, the wine opened gradually, progressively over the course of the hour, and as it was being finished, we were all wishing we had more. This was even better than a previous bottle and recollections as per earlier tasting notes. At fourteen years of age, I sense this is drinking at the apex of its drinking window now, better than back in 2011, not likely to improve further with age, but certainly having several years of pleasurable drinking yet, if only we had more. This may have been the most memorable Malbec I've tasted to date.

This is a one of a kind - one time special selection Lot 54, from the 2002 vintage bottled for the 2004 Napa Valley Vintners annual Premiere wine tasting and auction. Its an eye opener to be on the lookout and pay attention to Napa Valley Malbec as a robust tasty food friendly wine.

One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, used to add deep color and tannin based structure, backbone and complexity to the blend. These characteristics make for a delicious savoury and hearty wine that goes well with hearty cheeses and beef. This was delicious with our Sunday beef tenderloin dinner.

Full bodied - dark inky purple color. Big full fruit and floral aromas, huge full, nicely balanced and polished forward flavors of supple blackberry, black raspberry and ripe plum, accented by a layer of dark chocolate and spice turning to smooth tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=685671