Battle Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

 Battle Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

To our 'father-son' dinner the other night, Alec brought from his home cellar this boutique limited production family producer Alexander Valley Cabernet. He acquired this through an on-line "Wine-Text" wineclub he used while in NYC which doesn't ship to IL, hence he has dropped this source of what provided many high QPR quality labels limited production boutique labels. I post this separately as I actually didn't taste it till the next day over at his place. While Alec paid around $50 for this at that time, on-line sources and wine commerce sites widely offer later releases at $125 to $150 per bottle.

According to the rear label, only 175 cases were produced of this Sonoma County Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, "Cellared and Bottled" by Battle Family Vineyards in Santa Rosa. 

From Wine Enthusiast we learn this is from a small site where the appellation overlaps with Chalk Hill, crafted by Winemaker Patrick Sullivan. Alcohol 13.9%, aged for 20 months in 90% new oak. 

Wine Enthusiast gave this 92 points.  

From Mio Creative Services Marketing Agency in St Louis, 'Battle Family Vineyards, tucked into the rolling hills of Sonoma county is a small vineyard and a family with a dream of one day having their own wine collection. Battle Family Vineyards is a rich brand ripe with passion. We assisted their launch with print collateral and an e-commerce website.' 

That said, however, their website www.battlefamilyvineyards.com is no longer viable or live. 

This was dark garnet ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated firmly structured blackberry and black cherry fruits with complex layers of soy, currant, leather, cedar and clove finishing with firm gripping tannins on a long round acidic finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3565960

Birthyear vintage Silver Oak Bonny's, Figeac for father-son dinner

Birthyear vintage wines for father-son (s) dinner - Silver Oak Bonny's, Château-Figeac

With family and wives out for the day or traveling, son's Ryan and Alec came over for Friday night beef roast stew dinner. With several reasons to celebrate, Ryan pulled from our cellar two birthyear vintage bottles we've been holding for such an occasion. 

At thirty-nine years, both bottles needed to be consumed and both showed amazing resilience in holding on, still being approachable, even in their advanced age approaching their fourth decade. 

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1982

This is the sole remaining bottle, held out from a case of this label that we served at Ryan and Michelle's wedding celebration dinner back in 2006. We also served large format five and six liter bottles of Silver Oak at their wedding rehearsal dinner. Just recently we also served a six-liter bottle of this label at son Alec's and wife Vivianna's wedding celebration festivities. 

We recently participated in a software vendor partnership executive briefing hosted by Ryan's company in collaboration with Silver Oak. I had the opportunity to share these Silver Oak special occasion experiences with the gathered group. 

Lastly, our visit to the Silver Oak Cooperage where they produce their specially crafted Missouri Oak barrels was a highlight of our Missouri Wine Experience month before last. 

I chronicled Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard in detail in the Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration blogpost mentioned above. The single vineyard designated wine was from the vineyard named for Silver Oak co-founder, Bonny Meyer, planted by Silver Oak founders Bonny and Justin Meyer in 1974 on a gravelly, four-acre plot in the Oakville district of Napa Valley. It was a much-heralded bottling for Silver Oak over the course of two decades, and the vineyard is now bottled under its own label by the Meyers. 

The fill level, lower neck, foil, label and cork were all in excellent condition, amazingly in top condition, appropriate for the age, testament to the provenance of our cellar conditions. The cork was tight and firm; Ryan used an ahso two pronged cork puller but exclaimed it would've come out intact with a traditional cork screw.

We decanted this as there was a fair amount of sediment in the bottle and an initial bit of musky dusty earthiness that burned off over the course of an hour. Dark ruby, ever so slightly brickish colored, medium bodied,  silky smooth and polished, holding together amazingly well for its age, vibrant black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of creosote, cigar box and hints of cassis, and what the winemaker refers to as notes of rhubarb. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=135872

https://silveroak.com/

https://twitter.com/SilverOak

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

For father-son dinner with son Ryan we opened from the cellar two of his birthyear vintage bottles, the Silver Oak and this Château-Figeac. I remember acquiring this wine at auction of TCWC - The Chicago Wine Company, back in the 90's. I still have the records from that purchase and note it was one of the highest prices I had ever paid for a wine, including the First Growth Bordeaux I acquired during the period and previously. 

This was one of the top ranked Bordeaux labels I acquired in large format bottles for my kids' birthyear vintages back upon or soon after release. 

I recall taking this label when we visited Ryan at college to take BYOB for a special dinner.

Château-Figeac has long been recognized and acknowledged as one of the top Bordeaux wines with the great ageing potential, gaining a highly flavourful and succulent complexity over the years, but one that could also be enjoyed just as much in its youth as after several decades. 

Château-Figeac is the flagship estate of a family that has a long history committed to promoting and advancing the region’s prestige and reputation, The estate, located in the heart of the Saint-Émilion appellation covers 133 acres, nearly a quarter of which is left unplanted to preserve a high-quality living environment and an overall natural balance. 

The principles of Château-Figeac have played an active part in the life of the City of Saint-Émilion and of the Bordeaux region, from the time of Élie de Carle, “knight of the vines”, in the 18th century to most recently, the current proprietor, Thierry Manoncourt and his descendants.

While the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 100 acre vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation. 

Château-Figeac’s vinegrowing terroir is a geological exception in the appellation, with three quartz and flint gravel outcrops, several metres deep, and blue clay subsoil, forming a patchwork of plots that are planted with the three grape varieties which give the wine its core identity - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Critics notes summarized - The wine is highlighted by its aromas that reflect the lightness of the soil, its floral bouquet, infused fruit and graphite presenting a bright vitality. The two-thirds of Cabernet in the blend provides a structured backbone and firm body, rolling out a long, vibrant backbone with pure mineral notes on the finish. 

The whole is perfectly enfolded in lush, satin tannins in the style of the highest of high fashion. With time, the wine develops flavours of tobacco-leaf with hints of black truffle, while retaining incomparable freshness of fruit. A glimpse of perfection …

Château-Figeac’s exceptional vinegrowing terroir is the basis for the wines of Château-Figeac and their character and distinctive style from the unique combination of exceptional and complex soils (three Gunzian gravel outcrops, blue clay at depth, a patchwork of plots), several microclimates and an unusual mix of grape varieties dominated by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the primary Merlot in the blend. 

Thierry Manoncourt was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in significant proportions on the Right Bank.

Although the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 41 hectare (100 acre) vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation.

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

This vintage release of this label was awarded 95 points by Decanter and John Gilman, 94 points by James Suckling and Rober Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

At thirty nine years of age, this was showing its aging potential, still holding its own and being approachable, still within its drinking window. The fill level was a lower neck level, appropriate for this age. The label, foil and importantly, the cork were all in excellent condition - further evidence of the aging conditions of our cellar. In 2009 Robert Parker wrote, this 1982 appears to be fully mature, but it tasted the same a decade ago, and it should hold at this level for another 10-20 years.

We decanted and left to open and settle for an hour. The color was dark garnet  colored with red bricking and a bit of grey cloudiness starting to set in, medium full bodied, deep complex black cherry and plum fruits with notes of black olive, clove spice, smoke, tar, mushrooms, wet earth and truffles with hints of bitter dark chocolate with smooth tannins on a long finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22601 

https://www.chateau-figeac.com/en/

https://twitter.com/Chateau_Figeac/

@Chateau_Figeac 

 

 

Jack's Masterpiece Father Son (s) Celebration Tasting

Hall Jack's Masterpiece, Signorello Padrone for Father Son (s) Celebration Tasting

For eldest son Ryan's birthday we pulled from our cellar a special bottling label crafted and dedicated as a tribute to Father's Day and father-sons. We were joined by youngest son Alec who also brought a Napa Cabernet to share and compare. 

Ryan had open from his cellar a Signorello Padrone Napa Valley Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013. Alec brought a Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet, the Lede estate is a line of sight neighbor to Signorello, just down and across Silverado Trail, but across the geographic boundary, the foothill rise that separates the Stags Leap from Oak Knoll appellations.

To top off the tasting flight, I brought Hall Vineyards Jack's Masterpiece Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, another 2013 for a horizontal comparison with the Padrone. 

All these wines were spectacular with the fudge chocolate that Linda brought along - a perfect pairing that accentuated the enjoyment of it all. 

 

Signorello Padrone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Our visit to the Signorello Napa Valley Estate Vineyard & Winery was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley wine Experience in 2013. 

This is a poignant memory as the magnificent Estate was destroyed by the Atlas Fire that ravaged the hills of Napa Valley and engulfed much of sections of Sonoma and Napa County in August, 2017. 

The fire came down the foothills to the property that sat up the hill back from the highway. The fire had winds that reportedly topped 70 mph on Atlas Peak that swept the flames down to the Silverado Trail area near Soda Canyon and destroyed the Signorello winery production facilities, offices, hospitality space and the Signorello family home. 

We viewed the devastation during our Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley visits in 2017 and Napa Wine Experience 2018. It was amazing how Signorello was destroyed, yet adjacent wineries such as Darioush were untouched. Notably, son Alec's and Vivianna's honeymoon to Napa Valley was cut short last year due to the ravishing Glass Fire that forced cancellation of a half dozen of their winery visits.  Signorello has become a symbol of the survival and recovery, and resurgence, the spirit of Napa (and Sonoma) wine producers.

The Signorello Napa Valley Estate Vineyard & Winery site sits on the base of the eastern slope of the Vaca Mountains overlooking Napa Valley near the bottom of Silverado Trail in the Oak Knoll Appellation of Napa Valley. At the very southern end of Napa Valley and the Silverado Trail, the estate has 43 acres of vineyards, including some of the oldest Chardonnay and Cabernet vines in all of Napa Valley with 40-year-old vines.  

Meeting the cousins at Signorello Estate
overlooking vineyards and valley floor.

Signorello is coming back, the Napa County Planning Commission approved their plan to increase annual production from 20,000 gallons to 50,000 gallons and annual visitation from 6,637 guests to 20,221 guests. 

The plans include construction of a 15,906-square-foot cave, increasing parking from 10 to 17 spaces and employees from four to 20.

 The Signorello family bought the Silverado Trail property in 1977, initially growing grapes that they sold to other wineries; they started producing their own wine in 1985.

Signorello Padrone Napa Valley Proprietary Red Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Padrone is Signorello's flagship wine, produced in honor of Ray Signorello Sr., the patriarch of the family and founder of the estate. Grapes for this complex proprietary red wine are sourced from two extremely rocky parts of the estate vineyard with minimal yields of only 1.3 tons per acre.  

 

Ray Signorello first made this wine in 1997, although the first vintage for Signorello was back in 1985. Most of the vineyard is between 30 and 40 years of age. 

 

This label was rated 96+ points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. 

 

This wine is a selection of the best lots chosen from the top rank 2013 vintage. The wine is sensational long, rich, complex and should age for 30 or more years.

 

The 2013 Padrone Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. This is aged in 100% new French oak.

 

Despite decanting and aerating a couple times, this was a brooding bruiser, a big bold concentrated and structured wine with a firm tannic backbone, this will age for another two decades or more and may be more approachable after a few more years of aging.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, complex, dense contrated powerful blackberry, black current and black cherry fruits (note the redundant 'black' fruits), with tones of bittersweet dark mocha chocolate, graphite, what Anthony Galonni of Wine Advocate refers to as 'scorched earth', creme de casis licorice, leather and hints of mint with a long tongue puckering tannin laced finish. 

RM 94 points.
 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2456066

 

https://www.signorelloestate.com/ 

 

https://twitter.com/SigVin 

@SigVin

 

Hall's Jack's Masterpiece Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This special bottling is crafted from select grapes from the HALL Wines vineyards from their 500-hundred acre estate in the Rutherford Hills of Napa Valley and ten estate vineyards across the valley. 

This is a fun label and appropriate for the occasion. It is a special blend produced annually by Hall President Mike Reynolds dating back to when he was head winemaker there. The label features an original painting done by his son, Jack, who was eighteen months old at the time, who painted the picture and presented it to his father on Father's Day. 

As I have written in earlier posts, this is another very special wine for a several reasons; it is devoted to family, it is based on artwork, and it is a birthyear vintage for two of our grandkids. Our dearly beloved Lucy was an artist, our daughter Erin was educated in Art, Art History and Fine Arts, and taught art for several years, and Linda is a budding artist and studied and taught art history.

 With the current market price at $230  (Cellartracker average value), this is what one might call a 'special occasion' wine, set aside for celebrations such as this. We featured this wine for our Gala Family Christmas celebration wine dinner last year, and previously for a Covid Shutin virtual family dinner.

Our tastings at the Rutherford site have been highlights of several of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences such as this on back in 2013. We tasted this wine during with Kathryn Hall during the release tour tasting for Club Members in Chicago in 2018. Ryan also tasted and acquired this wine during a visit to the magnificent Hall Rutherford cave tasting room. We acquired this label as part of our Hall wine club allocations.

Son Alec selected Hall's Excellenz from their super premium collection for special gifting to clients for the holiday a year ago.

This vintage selection is also the birthyear of Ryan's daughter Marleigh and cousin Richie, eldest son of our daughter Erin. 

This was awarded 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points from Wine Spectator and 93 points from Vinous.

This is a premium blend, selected from the finest grapes from Hall's finest vineyards. All the pundits say it needs several years to shed its 'formidable tannic heft', and that it has three decades or more of longevity. 

From their reviews: "opaque purple color, opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, deep, plush texture, dark, powerful and explosive, blueberry and blackberry fruits, blackberry jam, dark berry flavors, mocha-scented oak and notes of blackberry, licorice, hazelnut and brownie, espresso, chocolate, leather and super-sweet tannins.

This was clearly WOTN (Wine of the Night) - dark garnet with inky purple hues, full bodied, black and blue berry fruits - smooth, silky, velvety, polished, elegeant - a symphony of flavors, mocha, cognac, toasty oak, creme de cassis, tobacco and leather .. a long sensuous finish ... 

RM 96 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2289051

https://www.hallwines.com/ 

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

This is a perennial favorite that we collect as members (Ryan) of their wineclub. We've visited the Stag's Leap District estate during numerous visits to Napa Valley. 

Alec is carrying on the tradition to the next generation with this label. 

It was fun to taste the next new vintage release of this label that we have collected and enjoyed for more than a decade. Alas, tonight it wasn't a fair fight against these two stellar, spectacular ultra-premium labels. It was a shadow of the Signorello with a similar profile and character but lacking in comparative depth or breadth. We'll save a proper review when we can taste this in an appropriate setting and pairing that will reveal its potential.  

Mentioned links:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/04/signorello-napa-valley-estate-vineyard.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/04/hall-napa-valley-rutherford-estate.html 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/kathryn-hall-vertical-tasting-hall-wine.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/gala-family-christmas-celebration-wine.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/calera-ryan-vineyard-jacks-masterpiece.html

Stringer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard 2017

 Stringer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard 2017

Son Alec dropped in and brought this Napa Cabernet to share and compare with the Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 that we had open. He obtained this wine through a wine club source from whom he has acquired several great wine finds.  

From their website, Stringer Cellars is a family owned and operated winery making wine from premier vineyard sites throughout California.

Inspired by a family trip to Napa Valley, Casey Stringer from Wisconsin developed an interest in wine and set a course to pursue a career in the industry. He picked up a job at a local wine shop to begin learning all he could while father Chip began collecting wines both from Napa and around the world.

Casey went to college in California, in Santa Barbara and got a job as a cellar hand at a local winery where he soon realized that he wanted to spend his time in the cellar and vineyards. Throughout his twenties, he traveled both near and abroad seeking different experiences in winemaking. He worked and gained experience at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa, Archery Summit in Oregon and a few wineries in Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, where he attended school for a formal winemaking education. Upon returning to California, Casey worked in the cellar at the esteemed Santa Ynez cult winery Jonata.

Stringer Cellars started in Windsor, California but now makes their wine high up on Atlas Peak in the Napa Valley, and at winery in the heart of Sonoma County. It’s a family affair with Casey as lead winemaker, father Chip oversees operations with his vast experience running a family specialty manufacturing business back in Wisconsin, brothers Andrew and Tim tending to marketing and sales and wife, Brooke often found pouring tastings behind the bar. 

Stringer's winemaking philosophy is to use the finest grapes he can find from the best vineyard sites in California, to carefully produce small lot wines with minimalist winemaking techniques, allowing the fruit and individual vineyards to shine through in each label release.

Stringer Cellars sources grapes from a wide range of prestigious vineyards throughout California seeking the finest fruit possible. Below are the vineyards sources for the Stringer portfolio of wines:

• Stagecoach Vineyard, Pritchard Hill Region Napa Valley, California
• Williamson Vineyard, Oak Knoll District AVA Napa Valley, California
• Pelissa Vineyard, Oakville AVA Napa Valley, California
• Ghost Block Vineyard, Yountville AVA Napa Valley, California
• Harrison Clarke Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA Santa Ynez Valley, California
• John Sebastiano Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills AVA Santa Barbara County, California
• Linda Vista Vineyard, Oak Knoll District AVA Napa Valley, California
• Shokrian Vineyard, Santa Barbara County AVA Los Alamos, California
• Kick Ranch Vineyard, Fountain Grove District AVA Santa Rosa, California
• Alder Springs Vineyard, Mendocino Laytonville, California 

From these sources Stringer producer a portfolio of branded wines, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, and of course Blends that are combined from multiple sources. 

 

Stringer also produce a more modestly priced affordable second brand, 'Metal Bender', named in honor of the Stringer Family’s manufacturing business in Wisconsin. The business stamps, machines and fabricates metal into components used in industries throughout America. They are “Metal Benders”.  

Since 1972, they have been producing special washers and metal stampings for fastener distributors and original equipment manufacturers.  They serve numerous industries including agriculture, lawn and garden, heavy truck, construction hardware, automotive, engine and transmission, construction equipment and consumer products.

 

Stringer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard 2017

 

This 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from three Cabernet Vineyards: 35% from the Pelissa Vineyard in Oakville, 42% from Stagecoach and 16% from the Williamson Vineyards in Oak Noll. The remainder of the blend is 7% Petite Sirah from Calistoga.

 

The Stagecoach vineyards sites at 1,800 feet elevation in the eastern Vaca Mountains of Napa Valley.  Stagecoach Vineyard extends from the Atlas Peak AVA all the way north to the Pritchard Hill region. 

This Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet is clone 337 from Block C3A in the Pritchard Hill region of the vineyard.  This region of Napa is characterized by red volcanic rock and large diurnal shifts which are ideal for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The 2017 was aged twenty months in 80% New French Oak.

This 2017 label release was awarded 97 points at the American Fine Wine Competition, 96 points by Decanter Magazine and 91 points by Connoisseur Guide to California Wine.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard was sourced from a larger vineyard on Pritchard Hill and was awarded 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck in Jan 2021.

 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm structured backbone, deep densely concentrated extracted black fruits, black cherry and tart black cherry, bright vibrant notes of cassis and spice with subtle vanilla and oak tones turning to a tangy lingering tannin finish. Needs some time to settle and integrate further to achieve more balance. 

 

RM 91 points. 

 

I've written in these pages the challenges or limitations in collecting wines from private label producers that lack their own estate vineyards since they are at the mercy of their sourcing agreements with suppliers. If such arrangements change, labels can be 'one and done', or with terms limited to the length of supply. 

 

If one's objective is to enjoy and study and follow the 'terroir' of a wine, all the elements that embody 'place' - terrain, soil, climate, over time as represented in different vintages, that can only be assured through estate wines, (produced from owned estate vineyards), or from stable long term supplier agreements. 

 

Of course there are some legendary labels and producers such as Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard Cabernet, and the collection from Lewis Cellars that have received high acclaim and long term vertical releases of their labels due to their long term supplier agreements.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3491036

https://www.stringercellars.com/product/detail/2S17CSST/

https://www.stringercellars.com/

Waygu Beefsteak dinner with Diamond Mtn Cab Franc

Waygu Beefsteak dinner with Diamond Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Son Ryan came over to discuss joint business engagement and he brought Waygu Beefsteaks to cook on the grill. I pulled from the cellar a Constant Diamond Mountain Cab Franc for the occasion. 

Linda prepared ceasar salad, brussel sprouts and baked potatoes and ceasar salad for the dinner. 

Purebred Wagyu Japanese cattle are crossbred with traditional beef cattle breeds to create American Wagyu Beef, considered the finest,  ideal combination of the exceptional intramuscular marbling of purebred Japanese Wagyu, and the intense meaty flavor of traditional American cattle. The result is a perfect blend of famous Wagyu buttery marbling and the robust beef flavor for which American beef is known. It was made famous in the Kobe region of Japan and was traditionally known as Kobe beef, much akin to Champagne hailing from the famous wine region in France.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2007

We tasted and acquired this wine at the magnificent Constant Diamond Mtn. Vineyard and Winery estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mtn Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2011.

Shown right with the late Freddie Constant is fellow Pour Boy Bill, Beth, Bro-in-law Bill, Jan, Linda and me.

Tonight's tasting was consistent with our previous tasting of this label way back in 2014. 

At fourteen years, this is aging well, perhaps continuing at its apex, and showing no signs of diminution whatsoever. It was delicious and a perfect pairing with the ultra premium Waygu beefsteaks. 

My last tasting note as posted on cellartracker, and blogspot back on 11/21/2014 - I like this wine: 93 Points.

Bright dark ruby/purple colored, medium to full bodied, this was bright vibrant full forward black berry and black currant fruit with a bold punch of sweet almost cinnamon spice accented by tones of mocha chocolate, soft sweet oak with dusty lush pleasing tongue coating lingering tannins.

RM 93 points.

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/11/constant-cab-franc-and-eileen-hardy.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1262714

https://www.constantwine.com/

Birthyear Bordeaux bottle celebrates new grand-daughter

Birthyear Bordeaux bottle celebrates new grand-daughter - welcome Lavender !

First family photo with Lavender

Celebrating the birth of our granddaughter Lavender, to son Sean and daughter-in-law Michelle, we pulled a birthyear bottle for toasting with some artisan cheeses and fruits. 

I pulled from the cellar a St Julien Bordeaux from one of the producers we visited during our trip there back in 2018, Château Gruaud Larose. 

Those wines we tasted then (from the barrel) are now being released and we've acquired a flight of those labels to commemorate our memorable trip in future tastings. This also extends our vertical collection of these wines.

One of the highlights of that trip was a tour and tasting at the magnificent estate of  Château Gruaud Larose on the outskirts of the village of Beychevelle St Julien. 

Linda and Rick at
Château Gruaud Larose

We hold more than two dozen vintages of this wine dating back more than three decades including birthyear bottles of our kids' vintages, taking advantage of the long term cellaring age-worthiness of this producer. 

We opened bottles of this label last year celebrating Sean and Michelle's wedding, and three years ago leading up to our trip to Bordeaux. 

Tonight's tasting was consistent with those most recent tastings, showing the progression of aging and the differences between aging in a magnum, standard and split size bottles, the larger bottles aging better and showing slightly better as well. 

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator, 92 points by Neal Martin's Wine Journal, 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Tonight we tasted this from a 375ml small format split (shown left), ideal for simple casual sipping with cheeses and snacks, but less than ideal for aging / cellaring. Its time to drink these up, they are still holding on at 36 years, amazingly, but past their prime, showing their age and continuing to diminish from aging. 

The fill level was ideal for its age, to be expected, near the bottom of the neck, the label and foil were in good condition, and the cork was also ideal, especially for its age. 

My notes from last year - tasted from a magnum: "Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, a bit closed and slightly subdued complex, ripe earthy blackberry and black current fruits with tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, hints of cassis and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/big-bottle-birthyear-mania-for-wedding.html

And, my notes from three years ago, in 2018, tasted from a standard size bottle:

Showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones of mushroom and tapenade.

Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/05/pichon-lalande-gruaud-larose-1985.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=20848

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/

 

 

Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet duo

Father Son Dinner features Napa Atlas Peak Cab duo

The ladies were gathered in the city for a baby shower for expecting daughter-in-law Michelle, so son Alec and I were bach'ing it and grilled out a tomahawk ribeye steak and tasted a pair of Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernets. 

Alec brought a feature selection from his wine club allocation of Hill Family Estates Atlas Peak Napa Cabernet. To match and compare, I pulled another Atlas Peak Cabernet from what appears to be the vineyard location in closest geographic proximity to the Hill Family Estate vineyard, the Elan Vineyards Atlas Peak site. They paired ideally with the grilled tomahawk beefsteak, but also with an aged gouda cheese before dinner.

This proved to be a fun, worthwhile, interesting comparison of two different wines, with similar terroir  and profiles, yet reflecting individual craftmanship and vintage characteristics. 

Hill Family Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 

This is from Alec's collection - one of the few wineries he and Vivianna were able to visit in their fire shortened honeymoon trip to Napa Valley last year. 

This is from the Hill Family Baker Vineyard high atop Atlas Peak at 1,500 ft. elevation. The vineyard has a series of different volcanic soil types carved out of heavy chaparral in Foss Valley with a southwestern exposure, featuring several clones and rootstalks selected for their suitability to the thin, rocky soil. 

The 2016 Napa Valley cabernets are showing to a top vintage with its early year resulting in a long growing season, with bloom in mid-May, and veraison in the last week of July, and harvest the second week in October. 

Winemaker notes for this label release: "The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon had big color and big tannins and showed off the potential of the site and to create elegance and complexity. The 2016 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon aromas burst out, with many layers of mountain spices such as sage and curry leaf, but the real focus is on the blackberry and black currant. The palate is very deep and serious, with plenty of structure, but still showing the finesse that comes from 74 days of hang time at high altitude after veraison. Black currant and elderberry fruit lead to a long rich finish."

This was dark blackish garnet colored, medium full bodied with blackberry and black currant fruits accented by spices and black tea and tobacco. 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3333307

https://hillfamilyestate.com/vineyards/

https://twitter.com/HFEWine

@HFEWine

Elan Vineyards Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

For comparison with the Hill Family Atlas Peak peak cab, we pulled from the cellar this aged vintage release of another Atlas Peak Cabernet. As per a replay of an earlier wineblog post below, we visited Elan producers Patrick Elliott-Smith and wife Linda at Monticello Winery back in the late nineties. During that time, over the ensuing years, we acquired a decade of vintages including this 2001 which I thought might be showing best from the half dozen vintages we still hold in our cell.

Elan Vineyards Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Linda and Rick with Patrick and Linda Elliott Smith
of Elan, with Phil and AJ back in '98

We discovered this label from French inspired producer Patrick and wife Linda Elliott-Smith from the Wine Spectator feature of the 'Undiscoverd Dozen' after their 1995 opening and release of their inaugural 1992 vintage. 

We first tasted their wine during a winery visit during our 1998 Napa Wine Experience (shown left). We have a vertical collection of this label dating back to their 1992 vintage.

Wine Spectator acclaimed Elan Vineyards as one of the " New names in Cabernet to try before they are too hot!" which helped launch Elan and put them on the map! That article also showcased Robert Craig, Del Dotto, Clark Claudon and several other producers which we started following and continue to collect to this day.

Elan Vineyards' owner and winemaker, Patrick Elliott-Smith, was born in the US to a French mother and an American father. He acquired his appreciate for fine wines at a young age from his grandfather Rene´ who had an extensive wine cellar, with many pre World War II Bordeaux wines.

In 1979, Patrick found his dream parcel high up Atlas Peak Road at approximately 2,100 feet elevation. Patrick perfected his viticulture craft working developing vineyards for wineries such as Hess Collection, Liparita, Dominus, and Beaulieu Vineyards. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon on a French-style trellis, uncommon in California at the time. For the first seven years Patrick sold the fruit to Caymus Vineyards.

Over the years, Patrick planted additional acreage and currently farms eleven acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, one acre of Merlot, and half an acre of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Patrick believes that great wines are made in the vineyards.

When he made a small amount of wine in 1991 for family and friends, met rave reviews that he decided to launch the Elan Vineyards label.

There was tremendous irony in the artwork on the Elan label (shown left). We were visiting Patrick and Linda at their Napa crush facility of the time with dear friends Andy (AJ) and Liat whose Vinehill estate and wine cellar have been featured in my wine writings.

As I recall, Liat recognized the artwork on the label from artglass that hung in their home. When inquiring how it ended up on the Elan label, they found the photograph of the artwork was taken at the source, in the artist studio in Brazil. Indeed Liat had acquired the art piece from that studio a couple years earlier.

I worked with Patrick and Linda to set up their first website back in those early days of the internet and received some wine for the effort. I recall purchasing a couple cases over the ensuing years at the Wine Stop in Burlingame near SFO and the price tags on the bottles show I paid $38 at the time.

My records show we last tasted this vintage release back in 2010. Incredibly, tonight at twenty years of age, this was showing little diminution from aging, a testament to Napa Valley mountain fruit cabs, and this winemaker's craftsmanship, and the provenance of our wine cellar. 

This wine showed it is aging gracefully and is drinking very well as at twenty years of age. Dark purple and garnet colored, medium bodied, it shows moderate complex almost brambly black berry fruits with tones of earthy spice and leather, a layer of cedar and hints caramel and black tea on a silky smooth tannin finish - somewhat akin to an aged Bordeaux.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=80690

http://www.elanvineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/elanvineyards

@elanvineyards 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding Celebration features spectacular dinner and select vintage birthyear wines

 

 

Wedding Vow Renewal Celebration features spectacular dinner and select vintage birthyear wines

 Son Alec and wife Vivianna celebrated their wedding vows renewal in a memorable gala celebration with spectacular dinner and select vintage birthyear wines. The festivities were hosted by parents of the bride, Frank and Mary-lisa B., at their private club, Shorehaven Golf and Country Club in Norwalk, CT.

Following a vow renewal ceremony on the main lawn officiated by Vivianna's cousin, the B's hosted a spectacular reception and dinner followed by dancing and entertainment featuring the Steve Delisi Band, and a surprise performance by Father of the Bride, Frank B, accompanied by band vocalist and the groom, Alec. 

Part of the evening festivities also included a surprise announcement by the wedding couple that they are expecting in the spring, and Alec hit a 'gender reveal' golf ball off the Shorehaven Golf Club tee. 

Throughout the evening of hor d'ovres, dinner, desserts and cigars, I served a selection of wines from the bride's and groom's birthyear vintages that we brought from our home cellar collection, curated by members of our Pour Boys wine group attending from Chicago, Charleston, Boca Raton, Huntington \Beach and Indianapolis.

We brought a selection of wines from our cellar to share over the course of the weekend that we have been holding for such an occasion. These included two six liter large format Napa Cabernets that we served at a welcome reception the preceding evening:

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet 1990

Newton Vineyard Spring Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

 
Then, on Saturday evening and Sunday brunch we served the following wines:

Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 1990 from Magnum

Maison Leroy Maranges Côte de Beaune Burgundy Pinot Noir 1990

Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 1990

Fisher Vineyards Coach Insignia Red Blend 1991

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Chateau La Louviere Pessac Leognan Graves Bordeaux 1990

Dow Quinta do Bomfin Vintage Port 1990 

Vinho do Porto Osborn Late Bottled Vintage Port 1990 (Bottled in 1996)

Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey Sauterne Bordeaux 1990

Clos Fontindoule Monbazzilac Bordeaux 1990

 

Earlier in the week, we served birthyear vintage Champagne and Amarone Valpolicella at a pre-festivities kick-off dinner at the B's home.

Thankfully, and amazingly, all the wines held up to or exceeded expectations, as hoped, in light of their thirty and thiry-one years of age. I was prepared for, and expecting some of the bottles to be over the hill, especially a couple that exhibited less than perfect fill levels due to slight seepage or customary evaporation over time. Every one of the wines showed well and was optimal given its age, a tribute to our cellar and storage conditions over the previous three decades.  

Pictures and further reviews coming ....

 

Gala Holiday Family Dinner - BBQ and Fine Wines

 Gala Holiday Family Dinner - BBQ and some extraordinary Fine Wines

The family gathered at son Ryan's for a gala 4th of July holiday celebration featuring BBQ, a selection of craft beers and fine wines and holiday fireworks. Son Ryan carefully selected and smoked and grilled four racks of ribs. We brought four side dishes from Sharko's BBQ - baked beans, cole slaw, creamed spinach and mac and cheese. 

For pairing with the BBQ we assembled a flight of spectacular wines: I brought a special birthyear vintage bottle of Penfolds Grange Aussie Shiraz,  Ryan opened from his cellar a Guigal Côte-Rôtie and Alec brought a Château Pape Clément Bordeaux. 

Prior to dinner we had a selection of chips and dips. I brought a bottle of Rose' that Ryan, Linda and I discovered and acquired at the producer during our visit to the Long Shadows Cellars hospitaly center and tasting room in Woodinville. I also brought a special bottle of birthyear vintage Charles Heidseick vintage champagne.

Ryan prepared incredible BBQ ribs with hand crafted rub, smoked for six hours in home trimmed applewood, then grilled. 

 Erin prepared a festive artfully decorated American Flag cheesecake with blueberries and red raspberries and strawberries. 

 With the appetizers, snacks and cheesecake we opened a celebratory Charles Heidseick 1990 birthyear vintage champagne and a Rose'.

 To celebrate the holiday, Sean put on a fireworks display for the kids. 

Long Shadows Wineries Julia's Dazzle Pinot Gris Columbia Valley Rosé 2017

We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine while visiting the Long Shadows Cellars hospitaly center and tasting room in Woodinville, WA during our  Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour. 

We normally don't drink Pinot Gris or Rose' wines but were captivated by this and found it a unique label for our cellar, perfect for as occasion such as today, especially since Ryan was with us when we discovered this label. 

This is from the Long Shadows collection from vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation of the Columbia River Valley in Central Washington State. 

This is produced and bottled independent of Long Shadows, owner producer Allen Shoup tasked  winemaker Gilles Nicault to craft a dry rosé to share with family and friends. This result, "Dazzle" was an instant hit. The wine quickly affirmed Shoup’s long-held belief that Americans would one day develop an affinity for this food-friendly wine, particularly perfect on a warm summer afternoon.

Gilles set aside a special block of Pinot Grigio and gave it extended time on the vine to develop a bright tint through slow fermentation, then added 2% Sangiovese to the blend for color. Named after Allen’s granddaughter, Julia's Dazzle is light pink in color and offers aromas of strawberry and orange peel. It is a dry style but with sweet fruit flavors and clean sharp acidity creating a light and refreshing finish.

Winemaker's notes: "Fresh and lively with bright aromas and flavors of ripe strawberries and melon complemented by a racy acidity that lingers across a clean, dry finish." 

Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésimé Champagne 1990

Sharing and enjoying this bottle recently, and again tonight with son Alec and the rest of the family, was especially memorable as he was with us when we visited the Champagne wine region in northeast France back in 2006.

This vintage release was awarded 97 points from Wine Spectator and 94 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

As written in the recent tasting blogpost, this was a delightful surprise showing and drinking well, meeting all my expectations for this bottle. I was a bit concerned when upon opening and releasing the cork under pressure, the seeming pressure and resulting 'pop' were less than expected. Never-the-less, as hoped, the foil, cork, label, fill level and resulting wine were all ideal, showing little sign of diminution from aging. 

Amazing, impressive with life still left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

The color was dark gold colored with intense, complex, dry, finely integrated layers of zesty citrus fruits accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and pineapple with a long bright vibrant finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2894

https://charlesheidsieck.com/en

@CHChampagne 

 https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/fathers-day-grilled-steak-wine-dinner.html

The wine flight also included the remains of the St Emilion Bordeaux L'Arossee we had left over from the previous evening dinner. 

E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 2008

The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient historic village of Ampuis, home of the legendary wines of the Côte-Rôtie. Some of the historic vineyards are over 2400 years old, bordered by small terraced walls dating back to the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in the region in 1923 at the age of 14 and produced over 67 vintages of wine over his storied career. 

Guigal handed over the reins to his young son Marcel Guigal in 1961 when he was afflicted by an illness that left him blind. Over the years, Marcel expanded the Guigal brand and holdings buying out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, the Jean-Louis Grippat estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage in 2000, and Domaine de Vallouit in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.

In the cellars of the Guigal estate in Ampuis, they produce wines from the great appellations of the northern Rhône Valley: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. They also expanded to produce wines from appellations of the Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône, which are also aged in the Ampuis cellars.

Winemaker notes for this label: "The hallmark of Chateau d'Ampuis is an unbelievably seductive perfume full of sweet red fruits, black fruits and spices, and an elegance despite the intense concentration of fruit. Chateau d'Ampuis defines what a great wine should be with its beautiful balance, complexity and length."

This was awarded 93 points by Wine Enthusiast who wrote, "In this difficult vintage, Guigal's Chateau Ampuis bottling shines. The kinky nose features exotic notes of celery seed, cracked pepper, hickory smoke and mixed berries, while in the mouth the wine shows ample fullness and intensity without losing any of the silky character that makes Cote Rôtie special. Drink now–2020."

This was an ideal pairing with the smoked BBQ but was overshadowed by the more complex and elegant Grange and the bigger bolder more concentrated and more complex Pape Clement. 

This was dark garnet color, medium-bodied with black fruit and notes of herbs, smoke, pepper and tapenade with soft tannins on a long rather acidic finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1286574 

@DOMAINEGUIGAL

Penfolds Grange Shiraz 1990

This is a legendary bottle from a legendary producer and label. Penfolds and Grange are considered the most famous and prestigious labels of Australian wines dating back to the first experimental release in 1951. At 170 years of age, Penfolds is one of the oldest producers in Australia. They were named Australian Wine Producer of the Year 2014 by the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). Their  flagship wine is this ultra-premium Grange, one of the most prestigious labels in the world as well as from Australia.

This release from the 1990 vintage year, Alec's birth year, was a Wine Spectator Wine of the Year in 1995.  I've written more extensively about this release of this label in earlier blogposts.

This was acquired as part of a OWC, (original wood case) upon release and has been held in our cellar ever since. The fill level of this bottle, at 31 years was lower neck, appropriate for its age, while the tissue, label, foil and cork were perfect, having been held in the original wood case in our cellar since release. 

Consistent with earlier tasting of this label, dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, flawless, elegant, polished, harmonious, perfectly balanced, silky smooth flavors of concentrated black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of vanilla, licorice, spice, black truffles and oak with hints of spice and cedar turning to fine grained tongue puckering tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 95 points.

Wine Spectator gave this 98 points, James Halliday 97 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95 points, and Jancis Robinson gave it 18 out of her twenty point scale. 

James Halliday said it was 'destined to be one of the greatest Granges'. Wine Spectator called it  'magnificent, exotic, a veritable cascade of opulent flavors'. The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004) called it Outstanding and projected its Drinking Window from now to 2040. Southcorp Wines said, 'The 1990 vintage was the kind that winemakers only expect to see once or twice in an entire career'.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6295

https://www.penfolds.com/

https://twitter.com/penfolds

@penfolds

Château Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan Graves Grand Cru Classe 2015

Alec brought this bottle from his cellar, one of a case of this wine he received from his best buddies for his 30th birthday. This is especially memorable and fun to share as I consulted with and advised his friends on selecting this label for this special gift. Its hard to believe or imagine one could serve another bottle that matches or tops the legendary 1990 Grange label above, considered one of the best releases of that prestigious label in history. 

This is one of four Grand Cru Classé wine châteaux owned by Bernard Magrez. He went into the wine trade when he left school at the age of 16, and proclaims he was totally self taught from books and great discipline.

In 1961, when he was 25 years old he traveled to the USA and discovered the super market. On his return to France, he set up his own company, specializing in whisky and port. Selling his port to the French Carrefour hypermarket in France, it became the second most popular brand of port in the country. Over time he expanded the range of spirits eventually capturing the market. 

In the 1980s, he set his focus on top-end wine estates and he acquired Château Pape Clément, the famous Graves Grand Cru Classé, which had been classified for thirty years by then. He then acquired Château Fombrauge, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, followed by Château La Tour Carnet, a Médoc Grand Cru Classé since 1855; and finally, Clos Haut Peyraguey, a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé. He became the only person to own four prestigious wine estates at the same time.   

He has since acquired vineyards in eight different countries: Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and the US, for a total of 43 wine estates comprising over 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of vines. 

Château Pape Clément is one of the oldest Bordeaux Grands Crus, dating back to the 13th Century. The estate’s vineyard established by Bertrand de Goth, who in 1305 became Pope Clément V, the name subsequently given to the Château. The first harvest was in 1252.  The historic estate and brand were acquired by Bernard Magrez in 1980. 

Château Pape Clément is located in Pessac in the Pessac-Léognan appellation contrôlée within the wider Graves wine region of the Left Bank of Bordeaux. We drove through the area during our Bordeaux wine tour in 2018 as the Chateau and estate are but eight miles from the Merignac Bordeaux Airport.  

This is one of the top labels, Vinous calls it "one of the stars" from this top vintage from Bordeaux. It was rated 99 points by James Suckling, 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 95 points and a Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast. This could arguably be the best bottle of Australian wine one will ever taste, at any price, Of course it is also one of the most expensive bottles of Australian wine to be found. 

This was a perfect pairing with the grilled smoked BBQ ribs, however, this wine would be a perfect pairing with pretty much anything! 

This is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, It was aged 18 months in 80% new French oak.

Dark blackish garnet purple colored, medium-full bodied, complex and concentrated yet elegant and polished, perfectly balanced and integrated notes of black currant, black cherry and black berry fruits accented by notes of truffles, cassis, tobacco, hints of dark mocha, spicy clove and graphite turning to smooth polished supple tannins on the full lingering finish. 

RM 96 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2353553

https://bernard-magrez.com/en/le-chateau-pape-clement-2/