MR Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner

Michel Rolland Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner 

Readers of these pages might think I’m obsessive and make too much out of a bottle of wine or its label, and they might be right. But selecting and tasting a wine often brings back memories of friends, good times, travel, and evokes many stories. You be the judge.  

Tonight was such a case. Friday evening, end of a busy event filled week, I longed for an enjoyable casual sipping wine with dinner. Scouring the wine cellar I was looking at Merlot for its complex but velvety soft drinking, and pairing with food. 

Wife Linda grilled quality prime chopped beefsteak prepared in my favorite Pittsburgh-style (charred with hot pink center). We also enjoyed a plate of olives and fine olive oil produced by and gifted from our French friend Philipe from fruit from the tree in their backyard in the Luberon in Provençal France. Philippe brought a large container of their fine olive oil during his visit last fall. A visit to the Speziani family home was one of the drivers and highlights of our visit to Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon this past summer. Our relationship with them dates back to our hosting Philipe as a French exchange student in our home when son Alec was his sponsor back in High School.

I selected a bottle of Merlot from the Long Shadow’s Vintners Collection, crafted by the legendary master of Merlot, Michel Rolland, producer of and consulting winemaker to the world’s most iconic Merlot labels. We own several of his and his clients’ labels including his proprietary Michel Rolland Napa Cabernet, Chateau Clinet and Chateau Figeac, one of our signature birthyear labels we collect for our son’s birthyear.  

Long Shadows created their special Collection of wines, each crafted by a world renowned winemaker selected for their particular expertise in a specific varietal and style of wine. Michel Rolland was chosen to craft the Pedestal Merlot label. 

Michel Rolland was a French Bordeaux-based oenologist, with hundreds of clients across 13 countries as consulting winemaker to produce Merlot based wines. Wine Enthusiast memorialized Roland in a feature, ‘The Master Blender Who Turned Bordeaux into a Global Sensation Leaves the Wine World Forever Changed“, excerpted below.

The celebrated Bordeaux-based oenologist and winemaker who pioneered a style of wine that became fashionable in the 1990s and 2000s, died suddenly of a heart attack on March 20 at age 78.

“Rolland was a master blender who developed the style known for its ripe fruit, extended maceration, low yields, and new wood, crafting wines that were soft, lush, and generous, with unusually high alcohol for the time. Some loved it, especially in the American market; others found it too heady and alcoholic. But everyone can agree that he changed the wine world forever.’

“Born in 1948, into a Libourne wine family, owners of Château le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Rolland grew up surrounded by Merlot vineyards. His career began in 1973 after he graduated from Bordeaux University’s Wine Faculty. Rolland became known as the original “flying winemaker,” traveling the world and advising wineries as far-flung as California, where he created the cult Cabernet style in Napa, Chile, and Argentina.”

It just so happened that this week, I also lost a dear friend, for whom I just recently traveled to Florida to visit in what turned out to be his final days. LLL, or L3 as we called him, grew up on 105th in the Beverly section of Chicago, and we reminisced about him growing up in his neighborhood amongst historic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and legendary associate Walter Burleigh Griffin. He was unaware of Griffin, and I was able to share the importance of the legacy and history of Griffin for whom 104th Place is today called “Griffin Way”, for the large number of turn of the century prairie style homes he designed and built there. Griffin is a key character of my tours that I give at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in historic Oak Park. 

Below shows some of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burleigh Griffin homes in my friend’s old neighborhood. This is a screenshot from The Prairie School Traveler, an amazing source of prairie school architecture sites. 

Such is the backdrop of my selection of a special Michel Rolland label, as a dual tribute to two recently departed special individuals. 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

I wrote about Long Shadows Vintners Collection in this blogpost, Long Shadows Cellars feature world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit, and this Pedestal Merlot and other Collection wines in several blogposts back in 2022 - Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2015, and Long Shadows Duo Showcase Katy Business Dinner, and Catch 35 Naperville Surf & Turf and Wine Dinner, excerpted here. 

Long Shadows Vintners' Collection 

I have written in these pages about Long Shadows, the brand portfolio of several labels, all crafted by world famous winemakers from fruits sourced in the Washington State Columbia Valley. This was the vision of Allen Shoup, former CEO of Chateau St Michelle, champion and evangelist for Washington State wines. He formed the brand and recruited a world famous winemaker for each varietal based label. 

As noted above, Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world’s top wineries, was selected to produce this Right Bank Bordeaux Blend wine. He is the 'Master of Merlot', winemaker to some of the leading Bordeaux labels from the Right Bank where Merlot is the predominant varietal in the blend as well as the Napa based Merlot based Red Blend release cited herein. 

We've long known about the brand and joined their club while visiting their tasting room hospitality center in Woodinville WA during our Seattle Wine / Dine Experience in 2018. We remain Vault Club Members of the allocated portfolio and get a case each quarter of two of the varietal based selections including this Pedestal label.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

We know this wine well as I have several vintages of this label in our cellar collection, having been a wine-club member for close to a decade. As noted, we also know and hold several vintages of the winemaker Michel Rolland's flagship labels, legendary Pomerol Bordeaux and Napa Valley oenologist, vintner and consultant to some of the world’s best wineries. 

This was the best tasting vintage of this label I have had as this vintage selection and food pairing met my lofty expectations. As I write often in these pages, an optimal food/wine pairing amplifies the enjoyment of both. 

At nine years, the bottle was pristine and this is drinking at the apex of its drinking profile, but should continue to age for pleasurable drinking for perhaps another decade. 

This vintage release is a blend of 82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, that was aged 22 months in French oak barrels, with 86% being new.  

The 2017 Pedestal Merlot was predominately grown on the Wahluke Slope, a warm area of the Columbia Valley that produces Merlot with layers of fresh, dark fruit and beautiful aromatics. A small amount of Merlot from Dionysus Vineyard and The Benches was used to build layers and complexity. Red Mountain’s Tapteil Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon added backbone. Petit Verdot from Dionysus Vineyard contributed to the finished wine’s rich mid-palate.

This release was awarded 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points by Wine Advocate and International Wine Reviews, 93P points and a Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast, and 92+ points by Stephen Tanzer.

Winemakers tasting notes - “Vibrant and deep in color, with a beautiful array of red and dark berries woven around a hint of well-integrated oak spice and refined tannins. Soft and rich on the mid-palate extending through a lengthy finish that leaves an elegant impression.”

Dark inky ruby purple in color, full bodied, bright vibrant opulent black raspberry and blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, spice, dark mocha chocolate, cigar box, black tea and hints of vanilla with a smooth polished medium silky tannin laced finish.

RM 94 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3581700

http://www.longshadows.com 

@LongShadowsWine

  

Pour Boys Veal Marsala Wine Dinner

Fabulous Wine Flight with Pour Boys Veal Marsala Wine Dinner ...

 We were invited to fellow ‘Pour Boy’, (our wine group), Dr, Dan, and Linda for dinner. 

They prepared Veal Marsala with buttered mashed potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Tomatoes with herbs, crustin and goat cheese. 

Before dinner there grilled shrimp, cheese and mango blintzes, and a medley of artisan cheeses with fresh fruits, nuts and assorted biscuits. 

Over the course of the evening we had a wonderful wine flight starting with a Willamette Oregon Pinot Noir, a Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Cabernet, and finishing with a special limited release Shiraz. 

I took from our home cellar a bottle of one of our favorite Pinots. Readers of these pages know we don’t do a lot of Pinot Noir, but this is a special bottle we keep in our cellar for special occasions. We discovered and first tasted this label during a weekend getaway in the city (Chicago) during an enjoyable memorable afternoon lunch on the patio overlooking the Chicago River at Smith & Wollensky.   

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011 

This is from the estate of Grace and Ken Evenstad who settled in the Willamette Valley, Oregon in 1989 to craft  Pinot Noir wines equivalent to those of Burgundy from Oregon fruit. They established Domaine Serene, a 42-acre hilltop estate in the Dundee Hills in Yamhill County, effectively creating Oregon’s luxury wine industry. In 2001, they constructed a state-of-the-art, five-level, gravity-flow Pinot Noir winery. The notable Ken Wright, vintner and producer, was Domaine Serene's first winemaker.

In the ensuring years they acquired and developed several more vineyards in the area growing Domaine Serene to over 1,000 acres, with 300 planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today they craft a portfolio of ultra-premium single vineyard designated labels, this reserve, an entry level cuvée, and also a line of Chardonnays, all sourced from individual estate vineyards.

In 2018, the couple was honored with Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award.

This ‘Evenstad Reserve’ label is the Domaine Serene flagship wine, a blend crafted from best select barrels each year to create a reserve wine that is consistent in both quality and flavor profile. The ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Collection has earned world-class accolades over the years, including Wine Spectator's #1 Pinot Noir in the World (2013) and #1 White Wine in the World (2016).

Domaine Serene aims for consistency and character in their flagship "Evenstad Reserve" Pinot Noir, a complex blend of fruit from different clonal selections and sites in the Dundee and Eola Hills. The 2011 was aged for 13 months in 55% new French oak. 

Producer’s Notes: "A true illustration of the art of blending, the Evenstad Reserve® Pinot Noir is a wonderfully complex wine that delivers an array of red fruits, caramel, baking spice, vanilla, dried flowers, and potpourri. On the palate, this elegant wine shows a harmonious balance of structure, richness and acidity with soft tannins and a clean, lingering finish. With clonal variation and site driven diversity, we are able to craft this wine to our precise and exacting standards year after year."

At fourteen years of age, this was at, but likely nearing the end of its prime drinking window. The label, foil and most importantly, the cork and fill level were pristine. 

This release was awarded 92 points by James Suckling and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Ruby colored medium bodied, smooth and elegant with bright ripe red berry fruits, floral, earthy, dusty rose petal, tangy acids and smooth polished fine tannins on the finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.domaineserene.com/shop/2011-domaine-serene-evenstad-reserve-pinot-noir-15l

With the dinner course we had this Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Cabernet.

Diamond Creek Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

We visited the magnificent Diamond Creek Vineyards and Winery back in 2011 as featured in this post - Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards.

We then tasted and acquired this wine together at the Diamond Creek Winery Chateau 2015 vintage release party on Diamond Mountain during our Napa / Sonoma Valley Wine Experience back in 2017- as featured in this blogpost -  Diamond Creek Open House 2015 Release Tasting.

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon is one of four single vineyard designated lablels made by Diamond Creek with the Cabernet Sauvignon variety from estate vineyards on Diamond Mountain in nortern Napa Valley.

Known as the first Californian winery to bottle 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the same plot, Diamond Creek Vineyard is a benchmark for great winemakers. Founded in 1968 by Al Brounstein and his wife Adele Boots, this project started with identifying the differences in the soil composition and the slope of the terrain when planting the vines. They ended up with four vineyards with very special characteristics: Volcanic Hill, Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, and Lake Vineyard - four unique plots with four distinctive exclusive wines with a marked character of their own. 

Following the death of the founders, the winery was acquired in 2020 by the exclusive Maison Louis Roederer.

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon comes solely from the small Red Rock Terrace plot of less than 3 hectares of vineyards planted in reddish soils with a high iron content. Throughout the year they enjoy a warmer climate and are meticulously cultivated through environmentally friendly agriculture.

In the winery, once the best grapes have been selected to make Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, they are crushed to ferment and macerate at a controlled temperature. The wine is then aged in 225-litre wooden barrels for about 18 months.

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We tasted this wine as part of the three labels vintage release tasting at the release party and it immediately became my favorite, and the benchmark against which the others were compared. This was the most vibrant and expressive fruit of the three, although the others' fruit gave way to more complexity with layer of accent flavors.

This release was awarded 99 points by Robert Parker’s Wine advocate in 2018, and 94 points Vinous and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Two months ago in November, 2025,  Antonio Galloni wrote, “the 2015 has aged exquisitely”. While the legendary long lived anticipated maturity is projected to be 2032-2052, tonight this was spectacular and hard to imagine it will improve more with further aging. In 2018, Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Robert Parker gave it 99 points and projected anticipated maturity from 2020-2044.

Like that memorable tasting at the winery, tonight, this was fabulous, even better having aged ten years in bottle. 

Deep garnet-purple colored, medium full bodied, rich, round, structured, complex, layered blackberry, black raspberry and plum fruits with earthy notes of herbs, graphite, creme de cassis, dark mocha chocolate, cinnamon spice and licorice, hints of vanilla and cedar, with super ripe, fine-grained tannins on a polished finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3430910

https://diamondcreekvineyards.com/red-rock-terrace/

https://diamondcreekvineyards.com/

With dessert, Dan opened another 2015 vintage, this special limited release Shiraz/Syrah from Washington State. 

Long Shadows Vintage Select Bin 898 Columbia Valley Syrah 2015

Dan acquired this limited release label crafted by legendary winemaker John Duvall, winemaker of the iconic Penfolds Grange Australian Shiraz. Duvall was recruited by Long Shadows to produce “Sequel” as part of the Vintners Collection series of master winemaker labels. 

We discovered Long Shadows and joined their wine club during our visit to the Long Shadows Cellars winery visit - featuring world class winemakers and Columbia Valley fruit, as part of our Seattle Culinary and Woodinville and Washington Wine Tour was a visit to the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room back in 2018. 

This highly allocated limited release bottling was available only through the Long Shadows wine club - 125 cases were produced. It was rated 94 points by Wine Advocate and 93 points by Owen Bargreen.

This is a unique blend of 83% Syrah and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated, complex structured blackberry, plum and black raspberry fruits with creosote, tobacco leaf, floral, clove and cinnamon spice notes on a tangy tongue puckering finish. 

RM 93 points. .  

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3383466

https://longshadows.com/library/sequel-bin-898/15399

 

Baer Star Columbia Valley Merlot

Baer Star Columbia Valley Merlot 

Watching the latest binge worthy Series on Netflix, “Blindspot”, we grilled some hot dogs and also had left-over ribeye steak sandwiches. 

I pulled from the cellar this vintage red for an accompaniment. I acquired a half dozen of these several years ago and have been holding for such an occasion and was eager to taste.

At eight years old, this might be at it’s ‘Goldilock’s’ age, not too old and not too young, but just right, perhaps at the apex of its drinking window, able to age a few more years, but not likely to improve. 

Baer Star Columbia Valley Merlot 2017

This is from Winemaker Lance Baer, who founded Baer Winery in 2000 with the goal —“to bring something unique to Woodinville”. 

After years of working with some of the most prestigious wineries in the area, Lance wanted to take his winemaking skills in his own direction handcrafting blends distinctly his own. Iin April 2003 he released his signature blend, Ursa, a feminine expression of red wine, predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Next he released ‘Arctos’, a bolder Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.

He expanded production from just 200 cases in 2003 to over 3,000 cases in 2007 when he moved Baer Winery moved into the popular warehouse wine complex near downtown Woodinville with plans to grow to 3,500 cases per year, continuing to increase to 5,000.

Sadly, never realized his dream passing away in 2007, at the age of 39. With the help and expertise of consulting winemaker Erica Orr, the Baer family, his sister Lisa and father Les,, carried on producing wines that Lance was devoted to creating, and adding add new blends to the winery’s line-up, including this Star Merlot.

Baer Star Columbia Valley Merlot 2017

This is sourced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard,  a 235 acre site on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills in the Columbia Valley of Central Washington, on steep south-facing slopes at an 1300 feet elevation with a climate classified as warm but not excessively hot. 

The site was purchased by Thomas A. Alberg, Sr. In 1968, who suspected the land would make an excellent vineyard. It wasn’t until the the 1990’s that the Albergs gathered historical weather data to determine the site’s suitability for wine grapes.

The Alberg family began developing the vineyard planting a wide selection of premium vinifera grapes in 2000. That same year, Tom and his wife, Judi Beck, also founded Novelty Hill winery. 

Alberg was joined by his son, Tom, who served as managing director of the family entity through 2022 when it was taken over by his daughter, Katherine Anderson. Under the direction of acclaimed winemaker Mike Januik, Novelty Hill focuses on estate-grown wines. The remaining two-thirds of the vineyard’s grapes are sold to other top vintners in Washington State.

The Frenchman’s Hills site’s fractured rock and extreme southern exposure are ideal for reds, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. White grapes are planted on a mixture of fractured rock and areas of fine sandy loam.

2010 label shown 

The climate see temperatures during the growing season with warm days and cool nights, allowing the Grapes to ripen fully under these conditions, enhanced by both hours of light per day during the summer and the total number of sunlight days from bud-break through harvest.

This release was produced by Lisa Baer and Woodinville winemaker Erica Orr. Production was 448 cases. This was a nice complement to the left over grilled beefsteaks. 

It was rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely balanced, soft plush round black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of cassis, dark mocha, graphite and tangy spice with a lingering smooth tannin laced finish. 

 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3429393

https://baerwinery.com/

Den Hoed Cabernet at Beach House Restaurant Kauai

Den Hoed Cabernet at Beach House Restaurant Kauai

Vacationing with son Ryan, d-in-law Michelle and their family on the island of Kauai, we dined at the highly acclaimed scenic Beach House Restaurant located on the south shore Lawai Road in Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii. 

Beach House is known for its scenic waterfront location with spectacular sunset views. 

Each evening folks congregate to the seaside lawn to watch the sunset.

  

The Beach House Restaurant is a consistent winner of numerous culinary awards including Honolulu Magazine's Hale Aina Gold Award for Best Kauai Restaurant, and many others. The restaurant features what they call, ‘innovative Pacific Rim Cuisine’ - locally raised steaks and venison, farm to table fresh vegetables, and locally caught fresh seafood. 

Beach House’s Chef Marshall Blanchard, born and raised in Wilton, Connecticut, graduated from the legendary Culinary Institute of America program at Hyde Park, (NY). Marshall made a name for himself spending 11 years as the Executive Chef at Restaurant D’Oro and The Golden Eagle in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado. He taught at Colorado Mountain College and hosted a monthly cooking show on Vail’s TV8 and has also worked with Bon Apetit and Food & Wine Magazine.

Prior to the entrees we had a selection of starters and salads including Ahi Tuna Sashimi - dayboat caught ahi, pohole fern salad and wasabi ginger, and Szechuan Smashed Cucumber Salad - pu'uwai gardens cucumbers, papaya, waipoli farms mixed greens, ok king farms cilantro, sesame vinaigrette, chili crisp.

For entrees, Linda and Michelle ordered the daily special fresh catch, Macadamia Nut Crusted Fresh Hawaiian Fish - Mahi Mahi with organic macadamia nuts, ginger bok choy, lemon, celery-caper relish, garlic-scallion rice, brown butter …

I ordered the filet of beef steak and Ryan had the surf and turf, combining the filet of beef with diver sea scallops …..

Beach House Filet Mignon - prime center-cut filet, sautéed mushrooms, hirabara farms rainbow chard & ok king farm kale, ulu mashed potatoes, herb butter.

Beach House Surf and Turf Duo - USDA prime center-cut filet, sea scallops, sautéed mushrooms, hirabara farms rainbow.

To accompany our dinner, I brought from our home cellar BYOB a special red wine that has special significance to Ryan, Linda and me. This special limited release label was from a lot that I acquired at auction, since this wine has a rather disparate lengthy family connection. 

Ryan, Linda and I first tasted Den Hoed wines at chic upscale Canlis Restaurant in Lake Union, suburban Seattle, when we were together for a Seattle Culinary Wine Weekend.  

Den Hoed Marie's View Walula Slope Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

This is from the Den Hoed brothers who grow grapes for several producers and also produce some select limited release select labels of premium wines. Den Hoed Wine Estates is a collaborative effort between the Den Hoed brothers, Bill and Andy, and former Stimson Lane and Chateau St Michelle CEO and Washington wine pioneer, Alan Shoup, to produce great red wines from their jointly owned Wallula Den Hoed Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills. 

We met the sister of the producer Den Hoed brothers, vintner farmers in Yakima Valley Washington, at the wedding of Linda’s niece, Ryan's cousin, who married the producers’ nephew. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/canlis-restaurant-seattle-extraordinary.html

Den Hoed “Marie’s View” Wallula Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

As I wrote at the time. this is named for the wife of patriarch founder, Andreas Den Hoed who married Marie Den Hoed in 1956 and they planted their first vineyard on their property that year. After two years in the Army Andreas returned to the farm.

In the early years, they paid the bills growing mint. He continued to plant more vineyards as resources allowed, expanding acreage almost every year. In 1988, their two sons Bill and Andy joined the business as partners in a new project, with acreage planted to vineyards.

The father and sons team continued to expand in the Yakima Valley for the next 5-6 years. After several years of searching, in 1997, they purchased a 550 acre parcel of land bordering the Columbia River in the Wallula Gap. Since then the vineyard has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the region. It is sited in a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of of the town of Kennewick. The wines produced from this vineyard have proven to stand the test of time and can stand up and hold their own against the best wines of the new world.

Two of their key labels are named for Andreas and for Marie. Each is a limited production estate wine which celebrates their family history and showcases the Wallula Vineyard. They are robust Cabernet Sauvignons crafted by Gilles Nicault of the notable Long Shadows Vintners Collection of wines that we collect as prime members of their club. We also discovered Long Shadows during that Seattle, Woodinville Wine Weekend. 

Canlis Lake Union night view

Our first tasting experience of Den Hoed wines was ordering it from the wine list at Canlis Restaurant in suburban Seattle. The Andreas met our most lofty hopes and expectations and was a highlight of our extraordinary meal.

So, how fitting it was that that Canlis dinner was a mini family affair as wife Linda and son Ryan joined me at this legendary family restaurant. Moreover, a subplot to the story, our niece Anna Long, married into the Van Hoed family, farmers, wine growers, viticulturists and winemakers from the famed Walula Vineyards in the central Washington wine region.

Tonight we opened another Den Hoed label, Marie's View from a vineyard so named on the Walula Slope in the Horse Heaven Hills Washington State Appellation. This was from the same vintage as that first Den Hoed wine encounter, 2012.

The 2012 Washington red wines vintage follows challenging vintages in 2010 and 2011. Some producers considered 2012 the best in state history - a notable great vintage that stands tall amongst the best in the past 20 years. While 2002 and 2005 may have produced wines a bit richer than 2012 made great wines across the regions, from cooler climate Yakima Valley to the stony Walla Walla Valley.

Wines made in 2012 might have slightly more acidity,but they are generally balanced red wines that show a good core of fruits, while perhaps not as hedonistic as the big red wines made in 2013, 2014 or 2016.

At thirteen years, this wine was probably at it’s apex, not likely to improve with further aging, but certain to age gracefully for perhaps another decade.

The winemaker is the local well known Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars.

Previous vintages of Marie’s View were blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese with the proportions varying from year to year. This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine.

This was a perfect complement, pairing with the grilled beefsteaks and mushrooms.

This is from a vineyard block named for Marie Van Hoed, wife of founder Andreas, mother of the current generation producers.

This was awarded 93 points by Owen Bargreen, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. Earlier releases consistently earned 92 and 93 points.

This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Den Hoed wines are packaged in an extra heavy bottles with the most incredible deepest punts (that indentation in the bottle around which sediment collects). 

Even better than earlier tasting, perhaps benefiting from further bottle aging, densely colored inky garnet purple, medium full bodied, concentrated, firmly structured, full round black berry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of creosote, cassis, cedar and hints of pepper with a vibrant acid backbone and firm tannins on a lasting finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2799196

https://www.denhoedwines.com/

https://www.the-beach-house.com/

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

With extended family in town for Celebration of Life Ceremonies for in-law Kevin D, we hosted a dinner at our house on the eve of the weekend. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and haricot verts and Caesar salad. I pulled from the cellar a couple middle aged Bordeaux varietal blends, a ten year old and a twenty year old, for a wine accompaniment to the dinner. 

Chappellet "Mountain Cuvée" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This is their standard bearer cuvée (blend) at a more affordable prime point than their signature and ultra-premium labels. We visited the Chappellet Estate Winery and Vineyards up on Altas Peak during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2009. It was then that we acquired a large format magnum of their Signature label from our anniversary vintage year 1974from their library, that we served at our 50th anniversary celebration dinner last autumn as featured in these pages - Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN.

I wrote about Chappellett in an earlier blogpost - Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas Smith, Sommellier and wine staffer at K&L wine store in Redwood City writes of this label - “I get a lot of customers who come into the store looking for a bottle of Napa Cab for a dinner they are on their way to. At $30 Napa Cab can be really hit and miss, but this Bordeaux blend is an absolute home run. This wine has tons of intensive fruit, is totally upfront an accessible, and an exceptionally balanced bottle that will wow the table from the moment it is opened. I can't stress enough the quality here, but anyone who loves full-bodied reds from Napa should really consider this a house wine whenever having guests for dinner. If you're looking to wow someone with a bottle, this is a total bullseye.”

“Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals. Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides. Nearly a half century later, their 2015 Mountain Cuvée still includes fruit from the winery’s coveted Estate Vineyard, and was expertly composed by renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who’s been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years.” 

Chappellet is famous for Bordeaux varietals, with It's high elevation terroir on the Eastern side high above and overlooking Napa, on Pritchard Hill. There the grapes achieve maximum ripeness, basking in the long exposure to sunlight on the Vaca mountain range. 

This 2015 Mountain Cuvee’ is a blend of  all five of the Bordeaux varietals - 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux producers have been experimenting with the blend composition for more than five centuries. We American;’s in our half century of producing such wines can learn from their experience. 

Merlot predominates on the Right Bank (of the Gironde River) while Cabernet Sauvignon rules on the ‘Laft Bank’. In each case, they add Malbec into the mix for enhanced body, Petit Verdot adds depth, structure, body and deep color, while Cabernet Franc adds breadth and spiciness. 

I love both for their complexity, breadth and depth with beef and hearty dishes - favoring Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon based on desire for more or less intensity as Merlot tends to be softer and more velvety to moderate or balance the firmer and more structured Cabernet.   

Winemaker notes - “The Wine Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when youre looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.”

Tasting Notes - This inviting wine offers a complex array of elegant aromas that include spicy red fruit, black cherry, sage, anise, clove and cocoa powder. The palate is silky and balanced, with a plush, mouth coating texture that makes the wine immediately approachable and delicious. Flavors of red currant and cassis are underscored by hints of smoke and vanilla, while seamlessly integrated tannins add length and structure to this complex blend of Bordeaux varietals.

This was much better than I remember it upon release and at ten years, it has clearly benefited from some cellar aging and is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further, but available for enjoyable drinking for several more years. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex and concentrated, full and round but nicely integrated and polished, black and blue berry and plum fruits with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, black cherries, and hints of smoky tobacco leaf with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2630305

https://chappellet.com/
https://twitter.com/Chappellet_wine 
@Chappellet_wine

Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

In consideration of Kevin’s Irish heritage and fondness for all things ‘green’, I pulled from the cellar a Red Winemaker from a producer with similar roots. 

Dunham Cellars is a family owned winery located in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington. Eric Dunham discovered wine sampling from his parent’s cellar collection. Then during several years serving in the Navy, stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area, Eric continued to pursue his passion trekking up to the Napa Valley as often as time permitted. 

After the Navy, seeking to pursue wine in earnest, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington. He then hired on as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. 

By 1999, he set up to devote his full attention to his wines and together with his parents, Mike and Joanne, they opened the winery at Walla Walla Regional Airport. They were joined a couple years later by David and Cheryll Blair.

Dunham Cellars sought out and selected the finest fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. Working in collaboration between its growers and winemaker, they strive to capture and showcase the select fruit from these vineyards with their combination of climate, soil and geography.

We drove by the winery situated in a remodeled World War II era airplane hangar on the north edge of Walla Walla (Washington) during our Walla Walla AVA Wine Experience visit to the region back in 2018,  as we exited town on our way out of town to see the Spring Valley vineyards northeast of town.

In addition to winemaking duties, Eric Dunham is also an accomplished chef and artist painter. While unpretentious and modest on the outside, Dunham boasts a good-sized hospitality center in the large room known as the Hangar Lounge. The eclectic space, decorated with some of Eric Dunham’s personal original artwork on the walls. Some of Eric’s artwork also appears on certain Dunham Cellars wine labels.

Since Dunham’s inaugural release of the 1995 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “I”, Eric has served as winemaker for Dunham Cellars from the beginning. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Dan Wampfler joined Dunham Cellars as winemaker and now Eric took on broader duties as Director of Wine.

Today, Dunham produce a half dozen reds, Bordeaux varietals and a Syrah, and a couple of whites. I particularly enjoy their Bordeaux Blend, Trutina, which I find provides very good QPR - Quality Price Ratio, in a moderately priced sophisticated blend that encompasses all five of the Bordeaux varietals, sourced from fruit across the Columbia Valley. Their 2021 Trutina was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Owen Bargreen 92 by Wine Enthusiast and International Wine Repor, and 90 by Jeb Dunnuck and Sean Sullivan.

This 2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” is the eleventh edition of Dunham's signature Columbia Valley Cabernet that they distinguish with a Roman Numeral designating the release edition, hence this bears a ‘XI’ prominently on the label. 

While over the years, we accumulated close to a decade of vintages of this wine, we didn’t keep up with it and consume bottles, checking their maturation, managing our collection in a timely manner. As a result, at twenty years, this wine has lapsed beyond the apex of its drinking window, starting to decline and show diminution of fruit, begging to be consumed soon before it’s too far gone to be enjoyable. 

Never-the-less, brother-in-law to Kevin, Dr. Ken, enjoyed this and preferred it over the younger more vibrant Napa blend. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight murky cloudiness beginning to set in, tight, blackberry and black cherry fruits are starting to give way to leather, tobacco and leafy black tea flavors with notes of smoke and tar with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?520923

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/

Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville

Long Shadow’s Pirouette Red Blend at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Naperville 

To celebrate a major business transaction, we went out to dinner at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Naperville. We both ordered steaks and from the wine list, a Red Bordeaux varietal blend from a notable producer and winemaker. 

I ordered the signature 8 oz filet of beef with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. 

Linda ordered the simple price fixe menu, a six ounce filet which came with Bordelaise sauce and a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Had we known it came with the potatoes, it would’ve saved us ordering a redundant duplicate order of such! Equally disturbing was the fact her filet seemed to be a larger portion and nicer cut than mine. C’est la vie. 

I was seriously considering ordering a lobster tail as a side to my steak, but opted for the lobster tempura starter instead, which provided us each a small tail. The impetus for this was to compare with lobster spring roles that we had as a starter at Bijoux Restaurant in Destin last fall. The spring rolls were much better! I would suggest a pass on the Sullivan’s tempura. 

The highlight of the dinner was our wine selection from the Sullivan wine list. This was a perfect pairing with the grilled beefsteaks. 

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pirouette Red Blend 2014

This is one of our favorite labels for a Bordeaux varietal red blend, a sleeper, not well known or sufficiently regarded, given the pedigree of the winemaker and the quality of the product. This is the Bordeaux varietal red blend from the Long Shadows Vintners's Collection that features world class winemakers and Washington State Columbia Valley fruit. We’ve featured Long Shadows and their vintners collection, and our visit to their hospitality center and tasting room in Woodinville (WA) in these pages. 

We’re members of the Long Shadows wine club and hold nearly a decade of vintages of their various label releases. Checking out cellar inventory, we hold every vintage of this label going back to the year following this vintage, hence this was an obvious choice to find this aged vintage release of this label. 

This label is the collaboration of two legendary winemakers, Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus, Sr. teamed to combine the heritage of old world winemaking with the advancements of new world technology, using small lots from Washington State’s finest vineyards to craft this exotic red blend.

Agustin Huneeus entered the wine business in Chile in 1960 to lead Concha y Toro, a company he grew to become Chile’s largest winery. In 1971, he moved to New York, then later to California, continuing in the wine industry before becoming a partner and president of Franciscan Estates in 1985.

In addition to building Franciscan, he also built well-known California wineries Estancia and Mount Veeder and Veramonte Winery in Chile. In 1999, he left Franciscan to establish Huneeus Vintners, a portfolio that includes Napa Valley’s Quintessa where he worked with talented winemaker Phillip Melka.

The 2016 Pirouette is partially crafted by Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, selected to produce this signature label for the Winemakers Collection.

We have long been fans of Philippe Melka and his signature labels Matisse and 'CJ', named for his children.

While we had owned the various labels over the years, we really discovered Long Shadows at the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room during our Woodinville Wine Experience. We joined their club and have been taking regular shipments of the collection ever since. They provide remarkable wines at great value relative QPR. 

Philippe Melka, widely recognized as one of the leading craftsmen of his trade, graduated from the University of Bordeaux, France, where he received a degree in geology in 1989. After earning a master's degree in agronomy and enology, he worked at some of the most famous wineries in the world: Château Cheval Blanc, Pétrus and Château Haut-Brion, among others. There he developed a passion for and expertise in cabernet-based blends. 

He then went on to working at prestigious wineries in Australia, Italy, California.

In 1994, Philippe settled in Napa Valley where he developed his reputation making wines for such celebrated wineries as Hundred Acre, Quintessa, Bryant Family, Seavey, Constant, Lail, Dana Estates and Vineyard 29 before joining the dream project partnering with Agustin Hunneus from Quintessa and Allen Shoup at Long Shadows. 

Today, Philippe Melka and his wife, Cherie, reside at Melka Cellars in Napa Valley. Cherie is an accomplished wine professional and laboratory manager at Silver Oak.

The Pirouette Vintners' Collection label collaboration was launched with the inaugural 2003 vintage.

Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, used small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards to craft this enticing red blend. Seeking to create a wine with complexity and layers, the winemakers chose a diverse selection of Columbia Valley vineyard sites, each contributing unique characteristics to the blend. 

The 2014 Pirouette checks in as a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc and a splash of Malbec.  

This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine, sourced primarily from Red Mountain, displays structure, richness and a focused mouthfeel that has come to characterize Red Mountain Cabernet. Dionysus Vineyard’s Petit Verdot adds layers of complex aromas and flavors. Weinbau Vineyard (Wahluke Slope) Merlot adds bright, red and black fruit intensity.

Aged 22 months in French oak barrels (75% new) before bottling, unfiltered and unfined.

Winemaker Notes - “Deep in color and complexity, this wine combines expressive red fruit aromas with dark chocolate and blueberry flavors accented by hints of oak spice that evolve across the palate. A juicy yet beautifully balanced wine with a rich mouthfeel and persistent finish.’

“The growing season started early in 2014 and the dry, warm conditions that characterized spring set the stage for another hot summer season. Temperatures were consistently warm throughout June and July, hastening an early start to harvest, but the Columbia Valley’s balmy fall days and cool autumn nights allowed the grapes to reach full physiological maturity while preserving the fruits’ natural acidity and yielding high quality grapes across the board. In short, 2014 was a picture-perfect vintage that produced remarkably rich, flavorful wines.”

This 2014 release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and called it “a killer wine from this estate, and possibly the best to date”. Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points.

Inky dark garnet colored, full-bodied, complex, round, rich, forward, super ripe sweet blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, spice, dark mocha chocolate, smoke and herbs with ripe tannin on a lingering. The sweetness is almost off-putting. 

RM 93

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2503071

https://longshadows.com/library/2014-pirouette/471

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine

https://www.sullivanssteakhouse.com/

@unwindwine

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah

Sunday evening dinner, we dined in and eagerly opened this just acquired highly regarded Columbia Valley Syrah. I admit I’d never heard of this producer or this highly acclaimed vineyard source, hence I was curious to try this highly rated label that I picked up at Binny’s, our ‘big box’ beverage superstore.

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah 2017

Avennia is the partnership project of entrepreneur Marty Taucher and winemaker Chris Peterson, founded in 2009 based on core principles; “a passionate commitment to signature vineyards and natural processes in the cellar - resulting in timeless, world class wines that are solely and undeniably Washington”. 

This approach and objective is similar to another high profile Washington State producer, Long Shadows, and their Vintners Collection Series of labels, which we love, and have collected as wine club members since discovering them on our trip to the region back in 2017. 

Interesting, that like Long Shadows, Avennia also sources their fruit from contract growers, and promotes their brand through three different tasting rooms in three of the major Washington State wine areas, Woodinville, Walla Walla, at their sole estate vineyard site in the Red Mountain appellation in Yakima Valley. We visited both the Woodinville and Walla Walla wine areas during trips to the region. 

In their first year of production, 2010, they acquired 16 tons of fruit that they transformed to wine that was ultimately released in 2012, Receiving much acclaim in that inaugural release, and affirming and building upon relationships in place with several of the state’s most legendary growers, the stage was set to secure the best fruit in the region for follow-on vintages. More than a decade later, the same core principles continue to guide the direction of the winery and the business.

Marty Taucher, Managing Partner, a native Oregonian, Marty graduated from Oregon State in 1977 and started at then upstart Microsoft in 1984. He went on to lead Public Relations and Event Marketing, then, spent his last five years as Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy for a consumer and online product group.

In 2009, Taucher signed on as a crush intern at DeLille Cellars where he met Chris Peterson and together they laid the plans for what is now Avennia.

Always inspired by new ideas and fresh thinking, Marty is an angel investor. He serves on numerous non-profit boards. When he’s not in the cellar, he’s an avid golfer, a world traveler, and a perfectly reliable

Chris Peterson, Winemaker/Partner was engaged in the Washington wine industry for more than a decade,  working to make some of the state’s most heralded and award-winning wines at DeLille Cellars. 

Together they founded Avennia with the quest to showcase Washington as a unique and compelling place for great wines, acquiring fruit from some of the finest vineyards in Washington, with a specific focus on the grape varieties used in Bordeaux and the Rhône, in light of their similar latitude to Washington, which makes them a natural fit to excel there.

In thoughtfully choosing vineyard sites to match their winemaking style and preferences, they chose not only the vineyard sources themselves, but down to our favorite vineyard blocks. There is an emphasis on older vines, and moderate climates, as these features tend to create wine with more depth and complexity—a balance between fruit and non-fruit characteristics. 

They strive to craft wine that is balanced and harmonious - the fruit, acid, tannin, perhaps oak. 

Avennia "Arnaut - Boushey Vineyard" Yakima Valley Syrah 2017 

The 2017 Syrah Arnaut Boushey Vineyard is 100% Syrah from Dick Boushey's highly regarded vineyard on the western side of the Yakima Valley AVA, considered one of the state's premier Syrah vineyards. 

This is a cooler site, that tends to instill Northern Rhone-like character in the fruit. Dick Boushey was the first grower with whom Avennia partnered. 

From the Boushey site they source three different varieties which go into the three flagship wines. Boushey is best known for Yakima Valley Syrah and Avennia is the only winery that uses both of the oldest blocks of his coveted fruit. The combination of these two Syrah blocks makes up this Arnaut, a wine we have made since our first vintage, 2010. 

The older, called Grand Côte (meaning "great hillside”), produces wine that is piercingly pure and focused, with meaty and mineral aromas backing up its deep blackberry and damson plum fruit flavors. Wines from the second block, Factory Road, show richer body and feature savory cured meat notes, along with orange peel, and a distinct iron note. 

This release was awarded 95 points by Decanter, 93 pints by Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, and 92 points by Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast, an Editor’s Choice. 

Aged 18 months in 15% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Case production was 354 caees

Winemaker's Tasting Notes - "This vintage brings an exceptional level of finesse to Arnaut, but no shortage of the wild, savory aspects we expect from this wine. The nose features, blueberry, salted blackberry, charcoal-grilled pork chop, asphalt, bittersweet chocolate, bee pollen, and a hint of grapefruit pith. Rich and beautifully textured on the palate, with pure Boushey notes of blueberry reduction, bacon fat, cacao nibs, charcoal embers, and grilled thyme. The elegance here hints at this wine drinking well on release, and it should age nicely for 8-12 years." - Chris Peterson, Winemaker

Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, black berry and black raspberry fruits are layered with intense almost obtuse notes of black pepper with accents of creosote, dark spices, black olive, black tea, garrigue, and cigar leaf.

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3277603

https://avennia.com/