Keenan Napa Spring Mountain Cab with Grilled Beefsteak

Keenan Winery Napa Valley Spring Mountain Cab with Grilled Beefsteak

We grilled out New York Strip beefsteaks, served with a wedge salad, baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes. 

I pulled from the cellar this aged twenty-year old Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet as a perfect accompaniment wine-food pairing. 

Keenan Spring Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

From our collection of about a decade of vintages, I pulled the oldest vintage release, this twenty year old. This was delicious, especially paired with the grilled beefsteak, amplifying the enjoyment of each. At twenty years, this label is likely at the apex, peak of its tasting profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to be enjoyed for another decade. 

Napa Valley Spring Mountain district may be our favorite of the seventeen different appellations that make up the greater Napa Valley wine producing districts. 

We tasted and acquired several vintages of this label while visiting the estate winery and vineyards during one of our Spring Mountain District Napa Valley Wine Experiences.

I wrote more about our visit to Robert Keenan Winery on Spring Mountain in this blogpost. We discovered Keenan during our many visits to Napa Valley and our treks up Spring Mountain to visit Fantesca, Pride Cellars, Paloma and Spring Mountain Vineyards. 

We visited the winery high atop Spring Mountain above St Helena during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2007 (shown left).

We have enjoyed collecting Keenan and having fun sharing and gifting it to a namesake friend and business alliance partner.
 In 1974 Robert Keenan purchased 180 acres in the Spring Mountain District at an elevation of 1700 feet, located on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas Mountain range overlooking St Helena in Napa Valley.

The Spring Mountain District gained recognition as an American Vineyard Appellation (AVA) in 1993.

The unique terroir of the appellation is characterized by low vigor soils on the steep, rocky, mountainsides, ideal for vineyards to produce wines of great concentration, structure, and pure varietal flavors.

The original acreage included the historic but crumbling Peter Conradi Winery, founded in the late 19th Century and one of the first pioneering properties established on Spring Mountain. The property was originally planted vineyards in Zinfandel and Syrah.

The property declined when it was abandoned during Prohibition until the time Keenan arrived in 1974. He extended the original vineyard acreage and replanted the property primarily in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

A new winery was built using the existing stonewalls from the old Conradi building. Keenan Winery’s first harvest there was in 1977.

Michael Keenan took over leadership of the estate in 1998 and replanted the vineyards to increase grape quality. He built a solar power system that went on-line in 2007 that now supplies all of the estate’s energy needs.  

Notably, winemaking duties during the early years were done by legendary consulting winemaker Nils Venge. We hold many labels of Nil's own wines as well as many of the wines he crafted for Del Dotto and many other leading labels. Nils was winemaker for this 2003 Cabernet release as shown on the rear label (below).

Today Keenan Winery produces four estate wines from grapes grown on the Spring Mountain Estate: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Cabernet Franc and a Merlot Reserve from the Mailbox Vineyard.

I last/first wrote a tasting note on this label back in 2010 when I wrote this: 

Deep bright garnet colour. Forward full bodied fruit with chewy plum, raspberry and currant flavors.At that time I gave this 91 points. 

 

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon was composed primarily of grapes grown on Keenan’s Spring Mountain District Estate; the remainder of the fruit was harvested from select vineyards within the Napa Valley. The wine was barrel aged in thirty-three percent new French and American oak for twenty months.

Wineamakers notes for this release: "The blend was assembled just before bottling. The Estate grown Cabernet imparts amazing concentration and remarkable structure, while the portion of Cabernet harvested from the Pope Valley region of Napa has added complex aromas and a balanced mid-palate. Merlot from the Napa Carneros district imparted ripe berry nuances and plenty of forward fruit."

Wine and Spirits gave this release 92 Points in 2007, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 91 points.

This was a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The Vineyard Sources were 69% Keenan Spring Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Pope Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The 5% Merlot came from Napa Valley Carneros.

 

Production was 3,075 Cases.

 

As mentioned above, at twenty years, this label is likely at the apex, peak of its tasting profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to be enjoyed for another decade. 

 

Dark blackish/blue inky colored, full bodied, rich round concentrated, complex but elegant and refined and balanced - hugely aromatic, ripe black berry and black currant fruits with notes of licorice, black tea, forest floor and tobacco leaf with sweet oak on the lingering finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=676442

 

https://www.keenanwinery.com/

 

https://twitter.com/KeenanWinery 

@KeenanWinery 

@nilsvenge

Exzellenz and aged Robert Craig Mt Veeder for holiday celebration gathering

Exzellenz and aged Robert Craig Mt Veeder for holiday celebration gathering

The kids and grandkids all assembled at our house following the annual ritualistic Santa's breakfast at our local Seven Bridges Golf Club, for Christmas celebration, opening presents, watching the FIFA World Cup final, dinner and some festive wines. 

Since we had a large breakfast together, Linda prepared a more informal lighter meal for the afternoon with lasagna, salad, shrimp cocktail and holiday deserts. 

For such a festive family gathering, the boys went down to the cellar and pulled two memorable, notable bottles, Hall's flagship ultra-premium Exzellenz Napa Cabernet, from the grandkids birthyear 2015 vintage, and the historic inaugural vintage release of Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, 1993.

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label at the magnificent Rutherford Estate Winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. This is sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard that lies just above the winery adjacent to the estate residence. We hold and have had some of the earlier single vineyard designated wines from this vineyard dating back to 1998. Who knew this would evolve and progress to such heights? Not often does one get to taste a 'perfect' wine. of course perfection is in the eyes ('eyze') of the beholder. The 2013 vintage of this label that we tasted that day in their magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown below) got 100 points from  Robert Parker.

Parker wrote of this wine; "This hails from the foothills of Rutherford and refers to Kathryn Hall’s ambassadorship to Austria between 1997 and 2001. A prodigious wine with beautiful floral notes intermingled with blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry and graphite, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied force, but nothing seems pushed, cloying or out of sync. Gorgeously pure blue and black fruits cascade over the palate, a full-bodied presentation with remarkable purity and complexity. The finish is a good 45-50 seconds, and while there is significant tannin, the extravagance of the fruit and glycerin generally conceal it. This is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, world class Cabernet Sauvignon that should prove compelling for at least another 30-40+ years."

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points.

Sacrashe Vineyard at Hall Rutherford Estate

When Alec was living and working in Manhatten, his boss called me and asked about what wine should he order for a holiday selection for his most special clients. I suggested this wine. Of course the purchase allocation from the winery was two bottles, but after some negotiations and a ritualistic wine club mating dance, I obtained two cases for his holiday benefactors and our cellar. 

So, based on that memory and histrionic of this wine, Alec pulled this from the cellar for our special holiday family celebration. I am so glad he did! What a treat, and what better way to enjoy such a spectacular cellar selection than with family - especially my two sons who are becoming oenphiles in their own right, like me! 

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

As explained on the rear label, shown below, the name Exzellenz is German for Ambassador, in commemoration of Kathyn Hall's service as US Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001. 

The bricks in in the magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown right and above) and featured in a separate blogpost at this link)  are recovered and repurposed from a former royal castle in Austria.  

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard (shown above) at the Hall Rutherford Estate on the lower slopes of the Vaca Range overlooking Rutherford, Napa Valley. 

While this release didn't get 100 points, it came as close as possible, 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points from Owen Bargreen of owenbargreen.com, and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Parker wrote about this wine: "Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and sporting a very deep purple-black color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz unfurls slowly, tantalizingly out of the glass to reveal powerful, intense scents of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and preserved plums with an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, molten chocolate, licorice and Marmite toast with wafts of garrigue and camphor. Very rich, full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it coats the mouth with black and blue fruit preserves plus tons of spice and savory accents, held together by a rock-solid, grainy frame and finishing with epic persistence."

Spectacular! Delicious! Enchanting! Deep dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, round, rich, complex but elegant and seductive smooth blackberry and black currant fruits accented by savory clove/cinnamon spices, tones of crème de cassis, mocha chocolate, tobacco leaf and black tea, with a tongue coating dusty gripping but silky smooth tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 97 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2508301

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

 

Robert Craig Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Son Ryan wanted to open an older aged Napa Cabernet from the nineties so we pulled this 1993 Robert Craig. This was the inaugural vintage release of Robert Craig wines. 

I've written often in these pages about our collection of Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignons, one of the largest producer holdings in our cellar. We got to know Robert from the earliest years as he launched and developed his brand and evolved from a tenant using another producer's production facilities to being one of the premier producers in Napa Valley. His approach of  'four mountains and a valley' grew into a broad expansive portfolio of Bordeaux varietals. He loved Napa Valley mountain fruit and produced Cabernet Sauvignon based labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mt George, as well as the Napa Valley itself. 

Picnic with Robert at Craig Estate atop
Howell Mtn
with Jan and Bill, Andy, Linda and Me

We first met Robert and tasted these wines back at our first visit to Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1996, and then again at our Robert Craig featured producer wine dinners in Napa Wine Experience 1998,  and again in 1999. We were saddened by his passing and posted a Robert Craig Tribute at that time back in 2019.

We tasted releases of this wine with Robert and his crew at the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 and during other visits such as our 2008 Robert Craig Vineyards and Winery visit up on Howell Mountain. Needless to say, we're long time fans of Bob and the Craig team and their 'artwork'.

We heard him often say, his favorite was Mt Veeder reflecting his heritage and history starting out there working in the earliest days as winemaker for Hess and the late comedian Robin Williams and his Toad Hollow brand which later developed to Pym Rae vineyard designated product. 

We hold a vertical collection of this wine that spans two decades going back to this first vintage release. We've held this looking for the right occasion to open such a unique bottle, and concerned that perhaps we'd held it too long and that it might be past its prime or even suitable drinking window. So it was with pleasant relief and surprise that this was approachable and drinking well, still within its acceptable drinking window.

This release was awarded 96 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who called it "One of the vintage’s superstars, ,,, from a winery that is still somewhat under-appreciated for what they have achieved. It received 92 points from Connoisseurs Guide and 91 points from Wine Enthusiast.

 Wine Enthusiast compared this to the Robert Craig Howell Mountain release saying, this is "Riper, softer and more accessible than Craig's Howell Mountain Cab, this wine, grown at 1,800 feet, shows delicious cherry, currant and chocolate flavors, with the caramel and toast of new oak. For all the deliciousness, it still has mountain tannins, and should age well for a decade."

This is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. 

What a pleasant surprise to find this drinking nicely after so many years. There was a barnyard funkiness initially but this burned off eventually. 

Dark inky garnet colored, medium full bodied, blackberry black currant fruits with notes of spice, leather, tobacco and hints of bitter dark mocha, vanilla and sweet caramel on a tangy acidic moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=86390

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine  

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Son Alec and d-in-law Viviana hosted a festive holiday open house so I brought from our cellar two special bottles - birthyear vintage wines of Silver Oak, labels. Tonight was a fitting occasion for a birthyear vintage bottle for Alec and Viv since this is their first holiday in their new home and as a family with their baby daughter. 

Every wine lover, and even casual wine folks know Silver Oak. I'd call it a cult wine since it has such a large devoted following but it has such broad appeal that I don't think cult does it justice. 

Ray Duncan founded Silver Oak with Justin Meyer in 1972, it’s now owned and operated by Ray’s sons, David and Tim. Silver Oak is famous for their Napa and Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons that aged in oak before release introducing many to the effect and impact it has on a quality California Cabernet. Silver Oak have large 40000 case production and do a remarkable job managing their signature Oak profile, much like Caymus and some others. 

Silver Oak became notable for aging their wines exclusively in American oak, determining that it is best suited and most applicable to achieving the flavor profile that has become synonymous with the brand. Silver Oak have a reputation for producing exceptional, food-friendly wines that are both drinkable upon release and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.

We had the unique pleasure of visiting and touring the Cooper's Oak Winery and OAK Cooperage, source of their distinctive American Oak barrels during our Missouri Wine Experience last year.  

Silver Oak's flagship winery and vineyards are in the center of Napa Valley. They also operate vineyard properties, winemaking facilities, tasting rooms and s cooperage in Sonoma County, Alexander Valley.

Silver Oak are unique among most large production Napa and Sonoma producers in that they focus primarily on the production of just one wine from each appellation: Silver Oak Napa Valley and Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.

Robert Parker writes in Wine Advocate: "One of America's favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Silver Oak Cellars produces over 40,000 cases of their Alexander Valley and Napa Valley cuvees. As I have said so many times in the past, it is hard to dislike a Silver Oak Cabernet as they are ripe, deliciously well-oaked, soft, plump, multi-layered, and silky."

We served Silver Oak birthyear vintage bottles at their gala Covid restricted minimized wedding celebration dinner.I featured that festive celebration dinner and wine flight in these pages in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration.

We then served Alec's birthyear vintage Silver Oak special single vineyard select Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet from a large format six-liter bottle at their wedding celebration weekend a year later, featured in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration. 

We served a special large format (six liter Imperials) birthyear bottle of Silver Oak (Bonny's Vineyard) for that gala event. We also served Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard from the 1982 vintage at our eldest son Ryan's wedding, as well as several other birthyear special wines.  The single vineyard designated label is very rare given the exclusivity of small production from the 2 acre vineyard. 

This has become the custom in our family celebrations, we served a couple of large format six liter bottles of wine from our kids' birthyear vintage from our cellar. We did so at each of their weddings

I've written often about our cellar and our collection of verticals, horizontals, big large format bottles and birthyear vintages. And I've written about 'signature' producers featured in that collection - Silver Oak is one of those signature producers. Our affinity and reverence for this producer and their wines spans decades, and memorable family events and celebrations. According to our Cellartracker records, our Silver Oak cellar holdings still consists of 49 bottles and 2 pending in 23 spanning different vintages/labels) wines, including large format magnums of each of the four kids' birthyears, and another remaining six liter bottle of Bonny's vineyard like the one we served at their wedding welcome reception.

Alec and Viv served up a broad selection of cheeses, charcuterie, bruschetta, shrimp cocktail and dips - a great showcase accompaniment to these aged wines. They also served a selection of sparkling wine, white and red wines including Stag's Leap Artemis, Orin Swift Saldo. 

Tonight, these wines actually showed better than that earlier tasting, likely due to bottle variations or provenance of aging over two decades since they were acquired at auction over that period of time.

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 Alexander Valley 1991

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Both of these aged bottles, at 31 and 32 years were well preserved with perfect labels, foils, and importantly, ideal fill levels half way in the neck, reduced less about 3/8 inches from being perfect fill, and near perfect corks. 

Producer's notes on this release: "The 1990 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep tawny color at its core with light rust edges. The fading coconut characteristic is complemented by molasses and freshly sawn redwood and rose petals. It has a light entry but is soft and inviting with medium depth and cedar flavors on the mid-palate. It has a focused and somewhat tapering finish of raspberry, proving to be an elegant and balanced wine with solid back-end structure. Decanting may be necessary due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has an intense ruby-red color and has the classic Silver Oak nose of cassis, blackberry jam, violets, chocolate, roasted coffee and ginger. This wine is full and rich in the mouth with a very long, slightly tannic finish."

Robert Parker gave this release 93 points writing in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate back in 1994, "The 1990 Napa Cabernet exhibits a Graves-like bouquet of tobacco, cassis, minerals, and spice. Chewy and full-bodied, with stunning extraction of fruit, this velvety wine should drink well for 12-15 years."

While past its prime, apex of its drinking window, this will not improve any further with aging, but is holding its own and will likely remain at this level of its drinking window for a couple more years.

Consistent with previous tasting of this label back in June of '19. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this had bright ruby garnet color, very slight bricking at the rim, with the black cherry and black berry fruits having given way to the predominant signature nose and flavor of infused sweet oak layer for which the brand is known and famous.

The black cherry and black berry fruit was subdued, somewhat Bordeaux like with accent by notes of spice, black tea and tobacco leaf with tangy acidity and soft moderate tannins on the lingering tangy finish.

This was more complex and concentrated but more subdued than the bright more tangy acidic bright expressive 1991.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=20741

https://www.silveroak.com/

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Producer note; "The 1991 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense, rich, crimson hue with slight bricking. The aromatics are complex and very interesting with notes of sandalwood, caramel, black pepper, cedar and strawberry fruit. It has a moderate entry, with espresso bean flavors and a finish buttressed by fresh acidity. On the finish, leather and Roquefort linger on the palate. Decanting recommended due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The 1991 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a youthful glow, with an opaque crimson hue and no signs of bricking. It offers aromas of blackberry compote and sandalwood. It is a full-bodied wine upon entry, but is dominated by ample acidity and coffee flavors on the mid-palate. The finish has moderate length, lively tannins and flavors consistent with the mid-palate. Decanting suggested."

This label release was awarded 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Wine Spectator, one of  their *Highly Recommended, Top 100 Wines of 1995*.

This bottle was pleasantly dramatically different than that last tasting in 2019 of this label release, when it showed diminution from aging, past its prime and nearing the end of its drinking window. Tonight, this exceeded expectations, showing life remaining in its drinking window with little if any diminution from aging.

Dark ruby color, medium full bodied, bright full expressive tangy dark plum, cherry and black currant fruits with herbs, spics and notes of sweet oak on the acidic long finish.

 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=25548 

https://silveroak.com/  

@SilverOak

Hidden Ridge 55 % Slope Sonoma Cabernet

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

I pulled this from the cellar to have with pizza, and wow, what a combination. This wine was bigger, bolder, brighter and more expressive than I remember from earlier tastings - a great pairing with zesty pizza!

This is from Hidden Ridge Vineyards which is located in rugged mountainside terrain, as the name indicates, between Mount Hood and Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west. 

Hidden Ridge Vineyard was founded by the husband and wife team Lynn Hofacket and Casidy Ward who bought the property back in 1991.  The location is so remote that you can only access it by four wheel drive, by foot or by helicopter. Lynn spent six years terracing the 55 acres and planting the vineyard while taking courses on viticulture at Santa Rosa University.

The estates vineyards fall between the range's 'saddles' creating some of the most dramatic vineyard sites on the Sonoma side of the summit crest of the mountain. It lies near the mountaintop estates of Pride , which actually straddles the summit therefore lying in both Sonoma and Napa, and Paloma Vineyards, near Pride on the Napa side, high atop Spring Mountain. The vineyard sits at elevations of 900 – 1700 feet, making it among the highest elevation vineyards in either Napa or Sonoma.

The terraced vines are on a steep mountainside in a valley with eastern, southern and northern exposures and the typical decomposed granite and alluvium soils of the Mayacamas Mountains. The vineyard site experiences cool mornings and evenings and moderate temperatures during the day that allow the fruit to hang for a long time without over-ripening.   The soils and the steep slope contribute to the vineyard’s drainage and to the tannic structure of the fruit, giving it a big, brawny structure that mountain vineyards are known for.

Hidden Ridge Vineyards is comprised of 55 acres, with approximately 46 acres in Cabernet, 1 acre in Petite Verdot and 1 acre in Chardonnay. The Cabernet planted in in 21 different blocks.

The winemakers for this release were Marco Di Giulio, consulting winemaker to several leading Napa labels, and of his own label of which we hold several vintages in our cellar from 2001 through 2004, and Timothy Milos. 

Lynn and Casidy hired Timothy Milos as consulting winemaker. Timothy grew up in the Bay Area and did undergraduate studies in Cell Biology at U.C. Berkley and Sonoma State University, then earned a graduate degree in Plant Pathology at Cornell University. He studied winemaking at the UC Davis Masters Program. He worked at wineries in New York’s Finger Lakes district before returning home to California where he did stints at such notable producers Opus One, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Cliff Lede.

"That's some good grape dirt up there," Oklahoma native and owner Lynn Hofacket points out eyeing his property. Adds winemaker Marco Di Giulio, "A vineyard so steep, so well developed, so interesting in its planning scheme and with so much vision behind it that I could not help but be blown away. I bring my other winemaker friends out there because I like to see the awed expressions on their faces. Yeah, it's really that amazing."

I first discovered this wine at Morton's Steakhouse in Crystal City, Arlington, near Washington DC where it was available by bottle or by the glass. During the ensuing years we enjoyed the 05, 06 , 07 and then this '09 vintages there. We also picked up the '05 at BRIX in Napa and tasted at dinner during our Mt Veeder appellation trip in the Napa and Sonoma Mt Veeder area. 

Hidden Ridge has since been taken over by new owners Timothy Martin and Randy Nichols. Timothy Milos continues as winemaker. 

Timothy Martin spent two accomplished decades in restaurant and hospitality management, then worked with legendary producer Robin Lail, and her wine project, Lail Vineyards. He worked there helping establish the Lail brand for ten years, then launched Gauge Branding, a marketing company in 2004 with partner Mark Wiegard.

In 2008, he began a joint venture, Tusk Estates, with his friends Michael Uytengsu and Philippe Melka with a goal to create the next great luxury wine brand.

Partner Randy Nichols traveled to the Napa & Sonoma valleys for 30 years before discovering Immortal Estate. Founder of the Nichols Partnership, he specialized in commercial and multi-family real estate. 

Hidden Ridge was rebranded into Immortal Estate and produces ultra-premium highly allocated labels "Slope" and "Impassable Mountain".

In 2014, Wine Spectator rated this 2009 “55% Slope” #32 of the Top 100 Wines of the year.

The 2012 “Impassable Mountain Reserve” achieved a 97 points from Robert Parker and in March 2016, received a perfect score of 100 points by Robert Parker. The 2013 sells on the website to members only for $375.

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

Winemaker notes: "Dark and brooding, the bouquet offers intense huckleberry, red cassis and black tea aromas, laced with hibiscus flower and brown sugar. The palate is firm initially, but with aeration opens up to give layers of dense cocoa, sweet spice, ripe black fruit, and iodine, with touches of violet. The finish completes with a coda of hibiscus, sweet huckleberry, smoky tea, and cocoa tannins."

This vintage release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points by Wine Spectator and was #32 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2014, and 91 by Wine Enthusiast.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate said "this stunning 2009 is one of the finest Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignons ever produced. Drink it over the next 15+ years." 

Wine Enthusiast said, "Give it until at least 2017." Wine Spectator said, "Drink now through 2024."

My previous tasting of this label were in 2014 and before that, my review and blogpost in 2019 and I must say, tonight this blew me away, exceeding expectations set by those earlier tastings. This appears to be just hitting its stride at fourteen years and is the best I've had from this producer to date.

The label, foil level and most importantly, the fill level and cork were all perfect.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, deep, rich, intense, concentrated expressive blackberry, black raspberry and black cherry fruits with notes of licorice, dark mocha chocolate, tobacco, cedar, hints of charcoal, truffles, and graphite with firm, structured but approachable tannins and nicely balance acidity on a long firm polished finish. 

RM 93

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1768006

There were 3,385 cases produced and thankfully we have several more bottles to enjoy over several years ahead of this vintage plus several other vintages dating back to the 2004. 

 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/04/hidden-ridge-55-degree-slope-cabernet.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/04/hidden-ridge-55-degree-slope-cabernet.html

Hidden Ridge is now - 

https://www.immortalestate.com

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

For midweek dinner in, we selected this legendary Napa Valley Cabernet from the cellar. 

This follows a recent blogpost about Mayacamas when we selected a Mayacamas Chardonnay for a similar setting, midweek dinner in. In a replay of highlights from that blogpost I wrote:

For a weeknight dinner, Linda prepared a smoked turkey breast with mash potatoes, gravy, and mixed vegetables. For a wine pairing,  I opened one of Linda's favorites, Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay.

We tasted this wine at the historic old winery and vineyards high atop Mt Veeder at the south end of the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma valleys during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011. We obtain and keep a half dozen vintages in our cellar ever since. 

We pulled this from the cellar for tonight's pairing, the oldest vintage release for this label, as part of effective cellar management.

The mountain terroir at Mayacamas ranges from 1,800 to 2,400 feet in elevation and the estate spans 475 acres, only 50 of which are dedicated to vines.

I wrote in detail about the original historic Mayacamas winery (left) tht dates back to 1889 in earlier blogposts including one in January 2016. 

The modern era Mayacamas dates back to 1968 when the property was taken over by Robert Travers who had worked at Heitz Cellars. He and his wife Elinor continued to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay striving to make wines of great character, depth, complexity, and longevity.

In July 2013, Mayacamas was purchased by Charles and Ali Banks in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son, Joey. Andy Erickson took over the Estate’s winemaking duties, and Phil Coturri took over farming and vineyard development. This release was crafted by Winemakers Andy Erickson and Braiden Albrech.

The old vines of the Terraces vineyard had been deteriorating, so after a long and productive life many were retired with the 2013 Harvest being their last. 

Since then, many of the vines from the old historic vineyards have been replanted with only a few plots remaining from the old historic vines. 

 

In 2017, the Schottenstein family of Columbus, Ohio, took over the remainder of the 100% ownership of Mayacamas Vineyards to become sole proprietors of the estate and brand. 

 

As noted above, Jay Schottenstein and his son Joey had been partners in Mayacamas Vineyards since it was purchased from long-time owner Bob Travers in 2013. 

 

A month later in October 2017, the Nuns Fire reached Mayacamas Vineyards. One of the property’s historic buildings burned to the ground but the historic stone winery building constructed in 1889 survived intact.

The burned structure, was a building they called “the residence.” that served as the hospitality center for the winery (though Mayacamas is generally not open to the public for tastings). That building was completely destroyed.

Mayacamas has been on a roll with their estate Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2015 vintage having been awarded #2 on Wine Spectators Top 100 wines in 2019 with a 96 point score. The 2018 vintage was awarded 98 points by Vinous and 97 points by Wine Spectator.

 

Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

 

My Cellartracker records and my blogpost from that Mayacamas Vineyards and Winery visit from that time indicate we tasted and purchase this wine at the winery during that visit back in 2011. 

Cellartracker - purchased from Winery on 3/7/2011, delivered 3/25/2011.

At that time I gave it 91 points.

Winemaker's Comments: Deep, brooding blackberry and black cherry aromas, along with a sage-like dimension, on the nose.  The acidity on the tongue balances the surprisingly supple tannins.  Red currants and plums on the palate finish very long.  Will age gracefully for many years. 

 

This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot.

This release was awarded 96 points by Vinous and 94 points by Decanter.

At seventeen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking and not to improve further with additional aging, nor does it show any signs whatsoever from aging. 

 

In 2018 AG at Vinous wrote that "Readers lucky enough to own the 2005 can look forward to several decades of exceptional drinking from this powerhouse, old school Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon."

 

Wine buddy and fellow Pour Boy and Cellartracker Bill C was with us when we visited the estate and also wrote about this wine recently last summer. He wrote:  "Wow! Great depth and complexity. Deep garnet color with no signs of aging. Nose of cassis and graphite. Blueberry, plum and cassis on the front palate with layers of green pepper, mint and tobacco on the mid palate. Big and full bodied with ample tannins yet. Layered and complex.  Tannin and savory notes were most prevalent upon first tasting. Fruit took front stage at about 90 minutes. Tannins became more sedate at 2 hours and the balance, elegance and layers revealed themselves at about 2 and a half hours. A real treat." He gave it 94 points.

 

Regarding the bottle from our cellar, the fill level, foil and label, and importantly, the cork were all in ideal condition. 

 

Upon opening it exhibited some funkiness but that dissipated over the course of about an hour after opening. It should be decanted as it had a fair amount of sediment in the bottle.

 

Bright garnet colored, medium full bodied, rustic rich round concentrated intense black berry and plum fruits with notes of earth, leather, smoke, licorice and tobacco on a lingering moderate tannin finish.

 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1279446

http://www.mayacamas.com/

https://twitter.com/mayacamaswine

@mayacamaswine 

Hall Cabernet and a pair of Spanish Tempranillos

Holiday dinner features Hall Cabernet and a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines

Friday night gala dinner at friends Rod and Pam at their farm estate in nearby exburb Oswego (IL). Pam prepared a delicious chicken with brown wine sauce, carrots, onions and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and green salad. Chip and Sue brought a delightful appetizer of Zuchini with three cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts garlic and other spices. 

In the spirit of the season, we 'decked the Halls' with Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pulled from our cellar.

Rod pulled from his cellar a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines for dinner.

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 

We have fun with the label during this time of year ... as we "Deck the Halls" with boughs of holly ... We discovered Hall wines during our Napa Wine Experience 2003 with their moderrn op-art scuplture garden.

Our visits to the magnificent Hall Rutherford Estate have been highlights of several of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences dating back to 2003.

As members of the Hall Wine Club we acquired many labels of their allocated premium labels. We've attended several Hall wine tasting events including their release tour tasting in Chicago hosted by none other than owner producer Kathryn Hall (right).

Our visit to the magnificent Hall Rutherford winery and estate visit are featured in our blogpost Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate Visit. 

We returned again to Hall for a tasting of their new releases during our Sonoma Napa Wine Experience 2017.

According to our Journal of Tasting Notes, we posted no less than ten different tasting notes for this vintage release dating back to 2010 including this mini-vertical tasting of multiple vintages we took from our cellar to our BNB vacation home in the outer banks for a family vacation. 

According to Cellartracker records, this is the 10th bottle of this vintage label release we've consumed from a case we  acquired upon release.

The 2006 vintage was a high achievement for this Estate standard label Napa Cabernet with a Wine Spectator 93 point rating. Their flagship wine, Katheryn Hall 2006, was #20 that same Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2010 mentioned above, with a score of 96 points!. This year it was selected the #2 Wine of the Year in Wine Spectator's annual roundup.

Back in 2013 and then again in 2015 I gave this label 93 points. The next couple time s and the most recent tasting back in February, I gave this 92 points, indicating the bright vibrant fruits are starting to give way subtly to the non-fruit accents cited below.

 

Those initial early tasting notes rated this release 93 points, reducing that to 92 points after nine years or for various bottles, perhaps due to bottle variations or to the overall effect of wine and food pairings that might contribute to my tasting experience.

In any event, at sixteen years, this bottle showed slight further diminution of the fruit, giving way to non-fruit flavors of smoke, leather and black tea, so as to reduce tonight's rating to 91 points. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex with a symphony of flavors, the bold expressive black berry and black raspberry fruits are starting to give way to notes of smoke, leather and black tea, with highlights of anise and mocha with tones of cedar, sweet toasty oak and clove spice and hints of earthy leather turning to a smooth polished lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=761928

http://www.hallwines.com/visit/winery-experiences/rutherford-tours

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/hall-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-2006.html 

http://www.hallwines.com/

https://twitter.com/HALLWines - @HALLWines

Bodegas Frutos Villar Muruve Crianza Tinta de Toro Tempranillo 2009

This is from Spain's remote, high elevation wine producing region between the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero, known for its intense, full-bodied reds made from the Tempranillo grape, locally called Tinta de Toro.

Tempranillo, the “Noble Grape of Spain,” is Spain’s most widely planted grape, food-friendly, able to be enjoyed early or can be long-lasting, capable of aging for a decade or more. 

The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone.

Wines from the officially demarcated wine regions of Spain, are labeled “Denominaciones de Origen” or “DOs”.

Produced from a small patch of land in central Spain, the Toro DO region produces a this designated label wine called Tinto Del Toro. Toro reds must contain a minimum of 75% Tempranillo, and use other blending grapes such as Garnacha. The wine is often aged in American oak for varying lengths of time.

Frutos Villar is a  4th generation of a family with wines from Ribera de Duero, Toro, Rueda, Cigales and Tierra CyL. The family wine business dates back to turn of the last century when they we bought up and sold wine from the region of Toro, the oldest red wine area in Spain. They established their first winery at Toro in 1920 and a second winery in Cigales in 1960. With the consolidation of the demarcated regions, in 1988, the Frutos Villar family purchased Bodegas Santa Eulalia, a winery belonging to the Ribera del Duero region.

At Bodegas Frutos Villar, they produced estate wines from their own vineyards not belonging to any “Denominación de Origen”, and in 1990 in Castilla, they began to market wines from the Rueda “DO”.

Building on their centuries-old experience in the Toro region, Frutos Villar work with winemakers of some of the highest quality vineyards across the region, as well as fruit sourced from their own 240 acres of vines to produce a broad portfolio of wines that represent some of the best of the region.

With barren terrain that retains the heat and a more southern and sunny vineyard, it has warm red wines with a great tannin and color, with a very tasty palate.

This Tinto Crianza is Designation of Origin, D.O. Toro, 100% Tinta de Toro grape varietal. It was barrel aged 12 months 95% American oak 5% French oak with racking every 3 months, then bottle aged a minimum of 6 months aging in bottles before being marketed. 

Bright ruby color, wood and floral bouquet, complex full-flavoured, notes of plum, black berries and cherries, notes of tobacco, vanilla, herb, and leather and oak with medium tannins and subtle acidity. 

RM 87 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1511225

 

https://www.bodegasfrutosvillar.com/en/

 

https://twitter.com/FrutosVillar - @FrutosVillar

 

Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011

From the province of Cuenca near central Spain, where winemaking dates back to Roman times and developed during the medieval period. 

Dominio de Punctum is a family owned company, founded by three siblings, the eighth generation of the Fernandez family: Jesús, Ruth and Cristina Fernandez, who after running a grocery business in Madrid, founded Dominio de Punctum in the rural plains of La Mancha with a vision to create organic and biodynamic wines that are eminently drinkable.

After years, preparing to produce quality organic and biodynamic wines from the family’s old vineyards, the Finca Fabián estate winery was established in 2005.

CEO Jesús Fernández founded Dominio de Punctum in 2005 with his sisters Ruth and Cristina. He has grown distribution to 37 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.

Ruth Fernández serves as Oenologist & Production Director. After graduation from Universidad Autónoma of Madrid in Viticulture and Oenology, she began her career in Languedoc, France. She has pursued her love for organic agriculture grew, studying further in biodynamic agriculture with the Spanish association “Asociación para la Agricultura Biodinámica en España”.

Cristina Fernández serves as CFO, having graduated in Universidad Carlos III of Madrid in Economics. With deep interest in biodynamic agriculture, she studied with her sister several courses on the topic. She was appointed Demeter Farmer in Vineyard and Wine Producer in Cuenca.

 

Punctum comes from Latin meaning "point", "transit point" or "crossroad". The vineyard and estate are located in a crossroad. where two old Roman roads meet in an area where wine culture has been around for centuries, where today, one of them is a Vereda (sidewalk or path) where flocks of sheep go through from Jaen to the Pyrenees.

The crossroad also symbolises the position of the estate, vineyards and winery, where Cuenca is adjacent to Albacete and Ciudad Real.

Working in a land where winemaking has been present for centuries, Punctum pursue the combination of viticulture tradition in Spain and modern sustainable agriculture to turn estate grown grapes into world class wines.

The estate sits at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, with soil, clay-based and rich in limestone, that helps retaining water, essential for the health of the vines and develops intense aromas, freshness and deep colors for our wines.

The continental-mediterranean climate provides plenty of sunlight hours to the vineyards that ripens the grapes easily, yet the night temperature drop and creating a sharp contrast that heightens the aromas and flavors of the wine.

Punctum vineayards are planted to the varietals Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Bobal, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Verdejo and Viura. They produce wines that are 100% of grapes from their own wineries,

Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011

This Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo is a versatile Spanish red wine that originates from Spain’s famous wine-making regions, Castilla, La Mancha. 

 

"I love Tempranillo of course, but particularly when it's made to be full of flavour but easy-going. I think the Pablo Claro is exactly that." - Ruth Fernandez, Winemaker.

 Fully 100% organic estate grown fruit, the Dominio De Punctum Winery, uses only techniques and processes that are biodynamic, ecologically friendly and sustainable for the environment, free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and any kind of chemicals in their cultivation of their grape varieties.

Garnet colored, medium full bodied fruit forward blackberry, cherry, strawberry and cherry fruits with notes of oak, mocha and vanilla, black tea and tobacco on the tannin laced finish. 

RM 87 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4506107

 

https://www.dominiodepunctum.com/ 

Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at Hugo's Chicago

Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at Hugo's Chicago Private Dining

For a key partner and team dinner we dined at Hugo's Frog Bar on trendy Rush Street in Chicago. Hugo's is part of the Gibson's Restaurant Group, with Gibson's and Hugo's locations throughout Chicagoland including our hometown, Naperville, nearby Oak Brook, and their adjacent flagship locations on Rush Street, the center of the near north nightlife district. 

For our key business dinner we dined in Hugo's upstairs private dining room. With our grilled beefsteaks we selected this popular long time reliable crowd pleaser wine - Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Jordan is to Sonoma Alexander Valley, what the popular well known Caymus is to Napa Valley.

Since its founding by Tom and Sally Jordan in 1972, Jordan Vineyard & Winery has produced a popular reliable go-to wine that is widely available, approachable for early gratification when young, yet has the ability to age for decades or more. 

At the outset, Jordan enlisted the legendary André Tchelistcheff as consulting enologist, inspired by his work producing Frencophile style cabernet based Bordeaux blends at Napa Valley Beaulieu Vineayards. 

Tchelistcheff hired and mentored Rob Davis, who headed Jordan winemaking from the inaugural 1976 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and inaugural 1979 Jordan Chardonnay until his retirement in 2019.

This continuity along with the tenure of but two winemakers over four decades since the winery’s inception, led to the remarkable quality and consistency of Jordan wines.

Jordan Cabernet is actually a Bordeaux-style California Cabernet Sauvignon based blend sourced from Jordan estate in northern Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley.

Upon taking ownership of their property, Tom and Sally planted more than 200 acres of vineyards on the valley floor and methodically began to produce a single wine, modeled after the first growth philosophy of the finest producers in Bordeaux. To that end, they planted only cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes.

Second-generation John Jordan took over as hands-on CEO vintner and winemaker in 2005 taking on full ownership of the winery in 2007. He carried on the legacy and heritage of Jordan Vineyard & Winery producing award-winning wines year after year making Jordan one of the top Cabernet Sauvignon brands in California.  

Jordan Sonoma County Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The 2018 vintage harvest in Napa and Sonoma was one of the biggest and best in several years with each phase of the growing season  seeing near-perfect weather conditions. The quality of the fruit was exceptional and the harvest was about 25% to 33% above average resulting in holding prices steady for exceptional wines, providind good value QPR (quality price ratios) across the range with this label being no exception. 

Winemaker notes: "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a showstopper vintage. Its black cherry, boysenberry and black fig aromas jump out of the glass and, the wine’s smooth, rich tannins go on forever, making this a vintage that will age gracefully.'

"Rich aromas of black cherry, Mission fig and dark chocolate mingle with clove and nutmeg. The palate is filled with flavors of blackberry and boysenberry that are enveloped in silky tannins, showing complexity beyond its years. Enticing flavors of vanilla bean and hazelnut carry through a velvety richness that lingers on the finish."

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. It was aged 13 months in 100% French oak, 35% new and 65% one-year-old barrels with 37 total months aging.

Wilfred Wong gave this 92 points and Wine Enthusiast gave this release 90 Points. 

This was a perfect complement pairing with the wedge salad, creamed spinach, grilled beefsteak and dark chocolate gateaux.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex concentrated bright vibrant blackberry and black currant fruits with cedar, bitter dark chocolate, cassis, black tea, and clove spice with bright acidity and a layer of oak on the long moderate tannin finish.  

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4051656

https://www.jordanwinery.com/

https://twitter.com/jordanwinery

https://www.hugosfrogbar.com/

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine 2013

This producer first caught my attention when buddy Bob brought it to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite. Bob picked up the bottle at his local Total Wine beverage superstore in Boca Raton Town Center. I saw the label when there and also at the new Total Wine in Indy.

So, when son Ryan got their wine club promotional mailing and shared it I was eager to pick up a mixed case of their Signature Series Bordeaux varietals including this aged vintage release from their library close-out. My shipment just arrived and I was eager to try this. It did not disappoint.

Beau Vigne (pronounced bo-veenya), was founded by Ed and Trish Snider with their first vintage release in 2002. Translated from French it means beautiful vineyard in French.

Ed’s family has a long history in Napa Valley dating back to his Swiss Italian grandfather Martin Garzoli who arrived in Napa in 1913. He grew up on a ranch in Carneros and worked on farms in Napa and Sonoma. Martin made his own wines at home in the evenings. His son John Garzoli played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 and went on to coach football at St. Helena High School in the center of Napa Valley where children of many vintners attended school. A number of Ed’s former students are now in the wine industry.

In 2018, they sold Beau Vigne to Don Dady and Jason Kyle from Arizona. Jason was a former NFL football player, a long snapper for five different teams including the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to his wine interests, Jason is co-owner of Press Coffee Roasters with locations in Arizona.  Partner Dady is co-founder of Annexus, a financial company in Scottsdale and also owns Seven Apart Winery in Napa Valley just north of the city of Napa. 

Beau Vigne sourced fruit for their estate wines from their 10 acre Stags Ridge Vineyard at the top of Soda Canyon Road on the slopes of Atlas Peak at about 1650 feet elevation. The site was planted to 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Ed sold the vineyard and it is now a part of Seven Apart Winery’s estate. Beau Vigne continues to source grapes from there and other premium vineyards in Napa Valley.

Since 2019, Beau Vigne has partnered with Appellation Trading Company to distribute Beau Vigne as part of their portfolio of brands. 

Over the years, Beau Vigne has been crafted by several highly regarded Napa Valley winemakers. Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney who went on to develop several successful brands, most notably, Orin Swift Cellars and the Prisoner portfolio of wines. One of our favorite winemakers, Kirk Venge of Venge Vineyards has also crafted Beau Vigne wines. Today the winemaker is Julien Fayard.

Originally from France, Julien began his career as a winemaker producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at legendary Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite in Bordeaux before relocating to Napa Valley where he was Philippe Melka’s director of winemaking for a few years before setting out on his own.

Julien earned his Master in Agri-Business from ESA France and his Master in Winemaking from Toulouse France. In 2011, he received his MBA from UC Davis. 

Recently, Beau Vigne became part of a select collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. They showcase wines from an elite group of premier Napa Valley producers who do not have their own tasting rooms. Select bottlings and vintages of Beau Vigne are available for tasting and purchased there. 

Beau Vigne bottles wines under three different brands; the Legacy Series, the Signature Series and the Discovery Series.

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2013

This 2013 is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. The producer cited it amongst the best wines Beau Vigne had made to date. That says a lot since Robert Parker awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. He also awarded the Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet from this vintage a stellar perfect 100 points.

Winemaker notes: "When tasted, it was still locked and loaded. Dense and dark, with notes of soil incense, violets, black cherry and black raspberry elements are also still present. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, with great vigor and delineation. This is a sensational example what happens after nine years in the bottle."

The Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from this vintage, the same fruit that forms the foundation for this blend, was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. 

Parker wrote about that wine: "Profound, with a stunning aromatic display of blue and black fruits, charcoal, graphite, and spring flowers. The wine has a flawless entry and mouthfeel, with a full-bodied density, opulence and an incredible finish of close to a minute."

He also awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate . That wine too contains the same Cabernet Sauvignon as in this blend. That blend contained 98:2% while this one is 70:30. Parker wrote of that wine: "Similarly styled is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Cult, which is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The biggest cuvée of any of these wines, the color is blackish/purple as a moonless night. It offers fabulous fruit and incredible density and richness, with lots of camphor, blackberry and cassis fruit, hints of espresso bean and chocolate as well as some background oak. This is a big, full-throttle, savory style of wine that should age effortlessly for 20-25+ years (RP)."

As a blend of the same fruit as those wines, it has a similar profile. Dark blackish purple colored, full bodied, dense, rich concentrated black fruits accented by a layer of camphor that initially may be a bit unnerving to some, with notes of cassis, expresso and dark bitter mocha with some graphite and oak on the full lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2010086

www.beauvigne.com