OTBN 2025 in Charleston

OTBN 2025 in Charleston

We traveled to Charleston (SC) for a getaway weekend to visit fellow Pour Boy Bill and Beth. As is customary on the last Saturday night in February, we celebrated OTBN together, an abbreviated celebration in light of the travel and unavailability of several members of our traditional Pour Boys wine group. 

OTBN 2025 was our fourteenth straight year, since 2011, that we have celebrated together and fittingly, was an abbreviated replay of our OTBN - Open That Bottle Night - 2023, which was also held in Charleston, as featured in these pages in this blogpost, excerpted below.

The last Saturday in February brings the annual OTBN wine event – Open That Bottle Night – the 24th such event since its creation in 2000 by Dorothy Gaither and John Brecher wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal. OTBN is set aside to share and compare special bottles of wine, that have been held in our cellars, waiting for the special occasion to open, that hasn’t yet come, so as to eventually succumb to the inevitable, its time, open that bottle (to)night!

So this was our fourteenth straight year, since 2011, members of our Pour Boys (TM) wine group assembled to share and compare special bottles of wine.

And so, as we’ve starting following the seasons, we congregate in the south during the winter, and the north during the other seasons. As such, we gathered again at Bill and Beth C’s in Charleston, SC for this years' gala.

OTBN 2025 as in 2023 was hosted by Bill and Beth C at their home on Seabrook Island, SC. While the 2023 Saturday night OTBN dinner was held at the Seabrook Island Clubhouse Ashley Room private dining room, tonight we dined in their home on the island. As in ‘23, several members of our group were not able to attend due to family and other commitments, this year we were joined by special friends.

After a spectacular dinner Friday night, at Oak Restaurant in Charleston, we dined in at Bill and Beth’s for Saturday night with special friends Amy and Beth visiting from Kentucky. 

Bill & Beth prepared grilled beefsteaks with twice baked potatoes and haricot verts.

For starters Beth prepared Caesar Salad and crab cakes. 

Bill pulled from his cellar a medley of Napa Valley Cabernets for the occasion. 

The wine highlight of the evening, and my absolute WOTN - Wine of the Night, was Odette Nap Valley Cabernet.

Odette Stags Leap District Napa Cabernet 2015

Bill opened this big red in a large format magnum for the ladies, but I loved it before and after dinner for enjoyable sipping, and it was just as good over the following afternoon. This big red was so opulent and fruit forward it was almost a meal in of itself with its exuberant full round plump profile! 

This is from the Odette 45-acre estate vineyards in the heart of the Stag’s Leap District appellation nestled against the foothills on the east side of Silverado Trail just north of Napa town. 

It’s too bad this label is part of the Plumpjack Group with their unfortunate affiliation with Gavin Newsom. Never-the-less, despite the distractions and mis-directions, they produce some fabulous wines. 

This release was crafted by Odette winemaker Andrew Haugen.

A native from Southern California, he studied biology at Cal Poly in the Central California wine region around San Luis Obispo. There, he also took the available wine classes. Pursing his interest in wine, he gained experience at Stonestreet in Sonoma County for his inaugural 2012 harvest, then at Church Road Winery in New Zealand, Howard Park in Australia, and Gran Moraine in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, before joining Odette Estate Winery in 2015.

From that time he progressed from cellar master to enologist to assistant winemaker and eventually head winemaker for the Odette and their Adaptation labels. He works closely with long-time Vineyard Manager Oscar Renteria at Oso Vineyard, and a 129-acre site located in Pope Valley.

This Odette 2015 is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

4,000 cases were produced of this release. 

Winemaker’s notes for this release - “Opaque, dark ruby color introduces this wine that expresses dark fruit aroma and flavors. With spicy sweet oak complexity, the wine exudes dark fruit such as blackberry, black currant, blueberry and dark cherry. There are nuances of dark chocolate, chocolate berry truffle dusted with cocoa powder, cola, aromatic cedar, cinnamon, clove, graham crackers and a hint of tobacco. The body is very full with a soft entry, coupled with dark cherry/berry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture and mouth feel, this cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent.”

This release was awarded 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Advocate, 95 and ‘Top 100 Wines of 2018, Highly Recommended’ by Wine Spectator, and 95 by Wine Enthusiast who also noted it a ‘Cellar Selection’, and 92 by Vinous.

Deep inky purple-black colored, full bodied, concentrated rich opulent and expressive, complex, but polished and elegant, round sweet ripe raspberry, plum and currant fruits with spice-box, mocha chocolate, crème de cassis notes and accents licorice of cedar and pencil graphite finishing with full but smooth fine-grained silky tannins.

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2636415

https://www.odetteestate.com/

Prior to and with the dinner course Bill opened a couple of Napa Cabernet’s, a well known producer and label from Napa Oakville, and one sourced from Howell Mountain. 

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This is a producer we know well from Bill’s extensive collection of labels having been in their wine club for more than two decades. We’ve had many memorable tastings of this producer’s artwork together including several visits to the estate and winery in Napa Valley. We last tasted this wine together back in 2017 as featured in these pages in this blogpost - https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/10/freemark-abbey-napa-valley-cabernet.html.

In 2009 Bill and Beth and Linda and I visited the winery and toured the library and acquired vintage bottles from the library collection for special occasions including 1974 and 1978 vintage labels for an anniversary celebration dinner that night across the road at the CIA - Culinary Institute of America, Napa.

 

This is the standard Napa Valley signature label, one of their largest production labels with 24,332 cases produced of the 2013 vintage. 

Winemaker Notes for this release - “Opaque, dark ruby color introduces this wine that expresses dark fruit aroma and flavors. With spicy sweet oak complexity, the wine exudes dark fruit such as blackberry, black currant, blueberry and dark cherry. There are nuances of dark chocolate, chocolate berry truffle dusted with cocoa powder, cola, aromatic cedar, cinnamon, clove, graham crackers and a hint of tobacco. The body is very full with a soft entry, coupled with dark cherry/berry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture and mouth feel, this cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent. In one word …. delicious.”

This is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It was aged nearly 26 months in oak. 

This was rated 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling. 

We last tasted this wine 

Opaque purple colored, medium full-bodied, concentrated, structured rich blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with notes of leather and tobacco leaf with hints of spice and mocha chocolate with moderate tannins on a flavorful lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2274933

https://cellartracker.com/w?2274933

http://www.freemarkabbey.com/

While the ladies enjoyed the more approachable fruit forward Odette, Bill and I dove into this aged vintage Bordeaux Blend for pairing with the grilled beefsteak.

Château Calon-Ségur St-Estèphe Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux 1995

This was a special vintge wine, ideal for such as tasting, from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. 

Linda and I visited the Château Calon-Ségur estate and vineyards just outside the village of St-Estèphe during our Left Bank Bordeaux tour in 2019. We hold the remains of a case we acquired on release and were interested to see how this is aging. We enjoy gifting this wine for weddings, anniversaries and special occasions with the heart on the label. 

Son Ryan brought this label to one of our Pour Boy’s wine dinners back on its tenth anniversary in 2016 featured in these pages in this blogpost - Mouton, Dominus, Insignia Highlight Big Red Wine Dinner.

This release was rated 97 points by James Suckling, 95 by Wine Spectator who rated it ‘Ranked #6 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 1998’, 94 by Wine Advocate, 93 by John Gilman, and 91 by International Wine Cellar. 

James Suckling wrote,.” It's one of the best Calons ever.” Robert Parker lauded this Calon-Ségur as one of the stars of the vintage. 

At 30 years of age, it shows no signs of diminution of age or reaching the end of the plateau of its drinking window, while it will not likely improve with further aging it should remain fine several more years. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, complex but nicely balanced, black cherry and black berry fruits with notes of leather, black olive, cassis, cigar box with smooth soft fine tannins and nice acidity on the moderate finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1577

https://www.calon-segur.fr/en/

Sequoia Grove Henry Brothers Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Bill also opened this big red Napa Cabernet from a well known producer, but little known vineyard source. 

Historic Sequoia Grove Winery estate sits on 22 acres in the Rutherford sub-appellation located in a renovated old barn just off of Highway 29, one mile north of the landmark Oakville Grocery. The winery takes its name from the two large Sequoia trees outside the main entrance and a small stand of additional trees that were planted in 1908. 

Sequoia Grove Winery was founded in 1978 by James and Barbara Allen who purchased the property in 1980 the same year as their first vintage. James’ brother Steve managed the vineyard at the time. James was also a founding partner of Domaine Carneros and was instrumental in creating the Rutherford sub appellation.

Since 2002, the winery has been owned by the Kopf family who own Kopbrand, the New York based wine distributor founded in 1944. They also own St. Francis Winery in Sonoma County and 50% of Domaine Carneros in partnership with France based Taittinger. 

The property has a long history with numerous owners dating back to 1895 and owner Dennis Downey from Ireland, who moved to Napa Valley in 1858 and purchased his 119 acre ranch in 1863. He had 45 acres planted to corn and 60 acres to vineyards of which much of 40 acres were overtaken by phylloxera.

The estate vineyards are planted with Bordeaux varietal grapes. Sequoia Grove also sources grapes from select vineyards around Napa Valley. Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon,  a 100% varietal comes from the estate as well as several premium vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford including the well known highly acclaimed Morisoli and a Beckstoffer owned property. 

Besides the estate vineyards adjacent the property, Sequoia Grove produce wines from a number of vineyards ranging from the southern part of the valley (cooler) to the warmer northern reaches in Calistoga. Many of these are offered as ultra-premium single vineyard designated labels. 

In addition to this Howell Mountain Perry Brothers Vineyard, they also source fruit from the tiny 4-acre Christian vineyard in Coombsville, the Tonella Vineyard, the well known legendary Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak, the Cambium vineyard, Lamoreaux Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District. 

In 2023 Sequoia Grove purchased over 100 acres on Mt. Veeder that used to be owned by Donald Hess, the founder of Hess Collection. About 75% of the site is forested with the remaining acres are planted to red Bordeaux varieties. We visited the Hess property back in the early ‘90’s and have driven by it many times on our visits to the mountain. The first vintage produced from this property by Sequoia Grove was in 2023.

For several years Sequoia Grove was known as ‘the three ‘M’s’ for Morisoli Vineyard and their winemakers Mike Trujillo & Molly Hill. Molly Hill was a graduate of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program. She traveled the globe, working and studying in Chile and New Zealand, as well as her native California, before settling in at Sequoia Grove to work with well-respected winemaker Michael Trujillo. They worked with viticulturist Jake Terrell on the Rutherford estate vineyards as well as a selection of growers on the Rutherford Bench, Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain and the foothills of St. Helena, Yountville, and Oak Knoll.

Neither are with Sequoia Grove any longer and today’s Winemaker is Jesse Fox.

Winemaker notes - “The Sequoia Grove Howell Mountain Henry Brothers 2018 is a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon showcasing rich flavors of dark fruit, black cherry, and hints of oak, reflecting the unique terroir of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. This region is known for its elevated vineyards and volcanic soils, contributing to the wine's balanced acidity and robust tannins.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, while complex, this was not as concentrated or as expressive as many Howell Mountain Cabs, and was overshadowed by the huge Stag’s Leap Odette. Never-the-less, it showed smooth, polished blackberry and black plum fruits with notes of spice, dark chocolate and hints of pepper and pencil graphite with structured but approachable moderate tannins on the finished. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4045368

Previous Pour Boys OTBN Events

OTBN 2022 Charleston

 Covid forced Virtual OTBN for 2021 
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/03/covid-forces-virtual-otbn-for-2021.html

OTBN 2020 ~ Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2019 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2018 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2016 - Open That Bottle Night 

Pour Boys OTBN 2015 - Open That Bottle Night -  Bordeaux Anchors OTBN 2015

Pour Boys OTBN - Open That Bottle Night 2014

Pour Boys OTBN 2013 - Open That Bottle Night 2013 

Pour Boys OTBN 2012 - Open That Bottle Night

Pour Boys OTBN 2011 - Open That Bottle Night.

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap, and Everyday Pinot Noir   

First night in town for our winter retreat to The Cove, our vacation rental home getaway in Destin (FL)*, we dined at this neighborhood restaurant that is easy walking distance from (our second) ‘home’. Even though it’s a short walk, we hadn’t yet dined there yet, during  our exploration of the broad selection of restaurants in the area.

Jackacuda’s has a cozy relaxed neighborhood feel, not too big, with somewhat limited seating at and adjacent the bar, and the adjoining dining room, and affable banter between patrons, known and unknown - nice for a casual friendly meal. 

Jackacuda’s history is intertwined with the lore of Destin which is branded the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

Part of the allure of fish and fishing in the area is due to the Tenaco 80 that was dropped back in the mid-1980’s to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly became the spot to catch monster amberjacks.

As the story goes, one day local legendary Destin Charter Boat Captain Dale Beebe set out to catch the celebrated monster amberjacks, only to catch that summer day barracuda. Barracuda have a way of putting on a spectacle and the fish jumped in and out of the water delivering a show for all that were on the boat. On his way back from the trip, surrounding local Captains jumped on the radio to see how Captain Beebe fared and his response was “All I caught today were Jackacudas!” From that day forward the Teneco 80 spot was reborn as the Jackacudas Spot! And the Jackacudas moniker was born along with the founding of the popular local restaurant Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi.

The original restaurant was located on the legendary HarborWalk Village downtown Destin, but relocated when it was merged into another existing restaurant after an extensive renovation in 2017, also owned by Jackacuda's owners Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis, down the road on Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98), just outside the gate of our community.

They also are partnered with these other restaurants in the area: 

• Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer
• Eastpass Seafood & Oyster House
• Coastal Kitchen Catering & Events

The Jackudas menu highlights ‘All You Can Eat Sushi - Traditional Rolls, Signature Rolls and Deep Fried Rolls,’ and their ‘All You Can Eat Snow Crab’ as their “Specials”. Their Happy Hour Specials features a selection of FlatBreads, Seared Tuna, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw, Ginger Dressing, Savory Glaze and Sesame Seeds, and Meatballs with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and crostini. 

The entrees menu features several Sushi courses, with Shrimp, Tuna, and or Salmon, New and Traditional Rolls and Poke Bowls. They offer a selection of specialities including Angus Beef Burger, Local Catch Fish of the Day Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Blackened Snapper, Shrimp & Grits, Teryaki Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, their Specialty Steamed Snow Crab, and their award winning** Mac-n-Cheese. They also offer traditional appetizers, salads and desserts. 

** Jackudas participate in the Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held at the Destin Commons retail center just across the highway which raised $60,000 in support of local club kids. “The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the south’s favorite comfort food while local restaurants competed for the best mac and cheese in town.” Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi entry won the People's Choice Award of the entries submitted.

We’re not sushi aficionados, so we have a difficult time judging the menu at Jackudas. It feels like they have a bit of an identity crisis, determining and then executing on their branding and mission - Seafood and Sushi. The seafood selection is limited, lacking the usual offerings including the highlight daily fresh catch, common along the coast. And, the sushi isn’t apparent, hidden away in the kitchen, unlike Sushi Bars where it is prominently displayed and visibly produced.

 

In any event we had a delightful meal - Linda ordered a burger and I had the Teryaki Bistro Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Asparagu and Teriyaki Glaze. I love Mashed Potatoes and found them delectable, a highlight of the meal, loaded with shallots, cheese and bacon bits.

They serve a selection of beers, including my typical request/choice, an Amber, and on tap! This deserves high marks in of itself. 

Forgive me as I digress here, and pontificate, perhaps on a tirade, about beer, despite this being a ‘wine’ blog. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to order an ‘amber’ beer in restaurants and bars - Dos XXX Amber, Fat Tire, Samual Adams, and what has emerged as one of my favorites, Shiner Bock, my staple at home - from Shiner, Texas. (Gone is the old Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and others.) 

My actual quest is for a traditional English Bitter which is not to be found this side of the ‘pond’. A hundred plus trips to the UK, I grew to love their traditional brew, and searched for it long and far on our shores, to no avail. (Several stories here, for another time.)

In my search for a ‘bitter’ I came to ask for an amber, still with an amazing and frustrating amount of difficulty. Then, on a trip to Texas, I found Shiner Bock, called “American-style amber lager” by brewer Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, a small town (population 2127, roughly equidistant between San Antonio (90 miles east), Austin (87 miles south), and Houston (125 miles west)).

Shiner Bock is brewed with rich roasted barley malt and German specialty hops. But, notably, it is not overly hopped. I find too many American brews are hyper hopped - akin to mustard on a hot dog … it’s a condiment, not the main course! (My kids all tire of this tirade, until they too traveled to the UK and discovered English Bitter. At least now, they understand, but still think I’m tyrannically obsessive on this subject (as witnessed here)).

Founded by German and Czech immigrants in 1909, they found a local brewmaster, Kosmo Spoetzl, classically trained in Bavarian, who brought his old world recipe that had been in the family for generations, which he first brewed for them in 1913. Shiner Bock was originally a seasonal favorite, but patrons demanded it year-round, hence, which it has been offered since 1973.

Brewers tasting notes of Shiner Bock - “Bock has a tan, dense head with a crystal-clear amber color and a sweet aroma with a subtle roasted maltiness on the notes. The taste is slightly sweet with notes of roasted nuts and caramel. Lightly hopped, this amber lager goes down smooth.” 

For pairing with my Teriyaki Steak, I tried the amber beer which they had on tap. While close to what I sought/seek, perhaps crave, it was a bit over hopped. After all that, in the end, I opted for some red wine, to accentuate the teriyaki glaze and the steak!

From their limited wine list, I ordered this California red blend. 

Meiomi ‘California’ (not Sonoma or Santa Barbara or Monterey County) Pinot Noir 2022

I first featured Meiomi in these pages back in 2015 in this blogpost about their Chardonnay - Meiomi California Chardonnay 2013, excerpted here.

Meiomi gets its name from the native American Indian word for “coast” from the Wappo and Yuki tribes who lived along the central/northern California coasts in the early days. The Meiomi wine label began in 2002 with their release of Pinot Noir, in a quest to deliver reasonably priced good QPR (quality price ratio) easy drinking wines that are approachable and ready to drink while young. I've written often and regularly in this blog about the challenges of finding such a Pinot Noir. I've tasted the label several times but have never been moved to write of the experience, until now (circa 2015).

Meiomi is the handiwork of fifth generation offspring from the legendary Napa Valley winemaking family. Founder and winemaker Joseph Wagner is the son of Chuck Wagner, winemaker of Caymus Vineyards, who is the son and co-founder with principles Charlie Wagner and Lorna Wagner who started Caymus Vineyards in the early seventies.

Joe's first wine enterprise was Belle Glos, named for Chuck Wagner's great-grandmother who first acquired the Napa Valley estate, followed by this label, Meiomi.

From the Meiomi website - “All of Meiomi's vineyards can be found in California’s sought-after, cool-climate coastal appellations of Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties, which have proven ideal for producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé. By blending fruit from these three regions together, they create richly layered wines of bold character and exceptional balance, every vintage. These wines are always rich and ripe, yet elegantly expressive, with depth and complexity”

“California provides the perfect combination of earth and elements, contributing to each Meiomi wine, representing the best the Golden State has to offer. By combining California's exemplary qualities into a single wine, Meiomi achieves unforgettable balance, complexity, and richness of flavor.”

Meiomi wines are the handicraft of Winemaker Jason Becker, who has an extensive and impressive background at some of California's top wineries. Jason approaches his role as a regular exercise in balancing the best fruit that California has to offer. He strives in his blends of cool-climate grapes to produce wines with bold character and harmony – ripe and rich, with expressive depth and taste.

Meiomi California Chardonnay, and this Pinot Noir, are blends from “reputable vineyard sites in three different California regions - Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties”. Such a blend, lacking a sense of terrior or place, without predominance from one site or another, therefor warrants the 'California' designation for its origin, which they now use in their branding. This versus a more granular specificity such as Sonoma County, or even an appellation specific Russian River Valley, or Santa Rita Hills. Or, an even greater specific designation of a particular vineyard selection, which one often finds highlighted in these pages. The source designation on the label indicates the origin of at least 75% of the fruit represented in the bottle. 

I’ve written before in these pages, that while providing affordable every day drinking, these wines lack ‘terroir’, or the essence of any particular site, since the blend is from a myriad of sites, from diverse regions, topographies and climates, and that will change from vintage to vintage. The practice that provides a supply of quality bulk wine at a reasonable price, loses the selectivity of the finest fruit and consistency of place from one vintage to the next. That difference separates a $20 bottle from a $40 bottle - an appropriate wine for the price point and the occasion.  

This mass market affordable QPR concept was popularized by Jess Jackson which is brilliantly chronicled in the book, featured in this post - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

I wrote back at that time that was our first tasting of this label which was the second vintage release of Meiomi Chardonnay. That was surprisingly flavorful showing the essence of the Chardonnay descriptors of creamy and buttery in a nicely balanced pleasant drinking wine at a good QPR affordable pricepoint; this also applies to this Pinot Noir - casual easy sipping, at a affordable every day price. This was a nice complement to tangy Teryaki and beefsteak, and great QPR.

Winemaker Notes - “The wine owes much of its complexity to its varied upbringing, unifying grapes from California's most notable winegrowing regions. Meiomi Pinot Noir brings you structure and depth seldom seen in a Pinot Noir wine, thanks to its unique and meticulous aging process. Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this California red wine's juicy strawberry flavor and notes of dark berries and toasted mocha add complexity and depth on the palate.” 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, straight forward, while the winemaker stresses complexity, due to its blending from several sites, I call it a cacophony of flavors, competing for primacy, lacking balance and a bit too sweet. Ripe raspberry, currant and strawberry fruits with earthy spice, clove and vanilla notes with moderate tannins on the finish. 

The overt sweetness was moderated and tamed by the tangy teriyaki glass resulting in a nice enjoyable pairing. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4317908

https://meiomi.com/

https://x.com/MeiomiWines

https://www.jackacudas.com/

*PS - Anyone that might think our primary residence is a potential target while we are traveling should note it has significant physical security monitoring, but more importantly, is occupied by house-sitter when we are gone. 

Red and White for Surf and Turf

Red and white wines for surf and turf dinner - Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc and Pirouette Red Blend

Mid-week dinner, we grilled on the deck, T-bone steaks with medallions of lobster. I pulled from the wine cooler a half bottle Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc to pair with the lobster, and from our cellar, this premium Bordeaux Blend to complement the steaks.

Both the lobster tails and the beef steaks were sourced from local grocer Mariano’s and were unfortunately disappointing. (We are spoiled from having had a family owned farm raising beef cattle from which, for decades, we would regularly get a quarter from a carefully selected cow to be butchered to our specifications.) 

Before dinner we had caprese salad with home grown basil and garden tomatoes. 

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

I opened this Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc from a small format 375ml half bottle.  This is from Matanzas Creek Winery who for four decades have “focused on creating site-expressive wines”, the technical notes show this is sourced from no less than four vineyard sites spread across the wide Sonoma County appellation. 

This is from the vast portfolio of Jackson Wines, dating back to when Jess Jackson & Barbara Banke acquired the historic property and brand back in 2000. 

Matanzas Creek Winery has a storied history dating back to its founding in 1977 by socialite Sandra MacIver, the daughter of a scion of the historic Sears Roebuck and Company, and husband Bill, with Merry Edwards as the founding winemaker.

The first Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc was produced in 1980. 

In 1984, in a prescient move, they planted what became known as the the Jackson Park Vineyard, with 90 acres of the iconic Pétrus Merlot clone. 

In 1989, the notable David Ramey was appointed winemaker who went on to establish ‘pedigree of outstanding 90+ point wines’. 

In 1996, Wine Spectator named founder Sandra MacIver one of the 20 most influential people in the modern wine industry. 

Current winemaker Marcia Torres-Forno was appointed in 2011. 

Today, Matanzas Creek Winery produces a dozen labels from modest entry level to premium offerings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir as well as a Rose and sparkling wine, part of the broad Jackson portfolio of estates and brands. Their wines are “derived from nine different vineyards whose fruit has been individually harvested, fermented, and evaluated to create a shining example of what Sonoma County has to offer.”

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Crafted by winemaker Marcia Torres Forno, this Sauvignon Blanc is an interesting blend of 86.2% Sauvignon Blanc 9.5 % Sauvignon Musque and 4.3% Semillon. It is sourced from several vineyard sites across the Sonoma County appellation region: 56% Knights Valley, 25% Alexander Valley, 12% Dry Creek and 7% from Bennett Valley. 

Winemaker notes: Pale Straw colored, aromas of: fresh pineapple, white peach skin, white lily, jasmine, Oroblanco grapefruit, passion fruit. Flavors: guava, honeydew melon, shinko pear, jasmine, citrus blossom. Palate of light but flavor dense, this wine dances across the palate prompting salivation and a desire to take another sip.

This has a nice QPR - Quality Price Ratio in this casual pleasant sipper which should be readily available with 22,100 cases produced.

This release was rated 91 points by Wine Advocate.

I found this was surprisingly bright and vibrant with texture and buttery notes more like a Chardonnay.

Pale straw colored,  light to medium-bodied, Wine Advocate calls it “gregarious and energetic” - lacking polish and balance, round and bright, flavorful notes of buttery stone fruits, white and yellow peaches, quince, wet stone and hints of pineapple and citrus and subtle layer of spice with tangy acidity on a lingering mineral finish. 

RM 88 points. 

This was nicely paired with the caprese salad and stood up well to the rich flavorful buttery lobster. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3370763

https://www.matanzascreek.com/wines

With the steak course, I opened this premium Bordeaux Blend. I love a more complex blend such as this to complement a hearty steak which we served with baked potato and sweet potato. .  

Long Shadows, Vintners' Series, “Pirouette” Columbia Valley Red Wine 2015 

Label from 2016

We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Long Shadows tasting room in Woodinville during our Washington State Woodinville Wine Experience in 2018. 

In accordance with the Long Shadows Vintner Collection program, this was produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus, Sr., “who teamed to combine the traditions of old world winemaking, the advancements of new world technology, and small lots from Washington State’s finest vineyards to craft this enticing red blend”, as noted on the rear label.

Comparable to much more expensive, sophisticated Bordeaux Blends, this is a fraction of the cost, Pirouette, is a tribute to the Long Shadows project, and provides a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio value afforded to Columbia Valley wines.

This vintage release is a Bordeaux Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. It was fermented in barrel and aged 22 months in 75% new oak.

This received 95 points from reviewer Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said of this wine - “Of all the Long Shadow’s wines -- Michel Rolland's included -- this would be the most at home in contemporary Napa Valley.”

“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.”

Dark purple garnet color, medium-full body, round and flavorful black currant and black raspberry fruits accented with blue fruit notes, bitter dark mocha chocolate and cassis with hints of clove spices, tobacco and graphite with firm but approachable tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2777748

This showed consistently as a tasting earlier this year of this label.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/long-shadows-duo-showcase-katy-business.html  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3107408

https://longshadows.com/ 

BV Tapestry Reserve with Tenderloin Filet of Beef

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 1997 with Tenderloin Filet of Beef

Linda bought a full tenderloin of beef and trimmed it and cut it up to craft a couple of filets of beef for dinner. She does this often to get a better cut of beef and have the chance to cut her own beef steaks from the side. She grilled the beefsteaks on the gas grill and served them with Caesar salad and escalloped potatoes. 

We both felt it proved to be a great pairing, and showed even better with the dessert, tuxedo chocolate cake with fresh berries and whipped cream! 

I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux varietal blend from Napa Valley as an accompaniment to pair with the grilled beefsteaks. Normally, I would seek a ‘Goldilock’s’ Vintage bottle, one not to young and not too old for our respective taste preferences. Tonight, I took a chance and pulled a 1997 vintage Napa Bordeaux Blend.

I’ve written often in these pages about the Napa Valley 1997 vintage Cabernet Sauvignons - how it was a highly rated vintage, following a lackluster off-vintage in 1998, resulting in high expectations (and prices) back in the day. And, over the ensuing years, the 1997 seemed to under-achieve, being closed and less than inspiring. Meanwhile, the panned 1998 vintage was vibrant and enjoyable, and a great bargain in the decade that followed release. 

This bottle, Beaulieu Vineyards "Tapestry Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend, was one of a full case that I acquired upon release, and still hold several bottles. 

We hold a dozen and half vintages of this label, a Bordeaux varietal blend, that I love to taste for such occasions. Interesting that of the three dozen bottles, from fifteen different vintages we hold of this label, according to our CellarTracker records, the 1997 is the only one that was packaged in a heavy over-size ultra-premium bottle. 

Based on our experience with this vintage over the years, I was half expecting this to be lackluster, and perhaps even past its prime drinking window, on the downslope of its drinking curve, and certainly beyond suitable drinking for Linda, who prefers younger, less aged wines. 

In fact, tonight, this bottles was a pleasant surprise, meeting lofty expectations for the vintage release, and still showing much fruit to suit Linda’s expectations as well as my own. 

At twenty-seven years, the foil, label, and most importantly the fill level, and more importantly, the cork, were in pristine condition, not showing any diminution from aging whatsoever. 

I opened and double decanted the bottle before serving, and when I tapped it, bright fruit aromas filled the room. It showed no diminution from aging and held up well, appearing to still be at the apex of its drinking window. Of course, for the first decade, perhaps two, after release, these bottles seemed closed and not yet ready to present themselves in their best light. Hence, I avoided, or at least tread lightly in opening 1997 Napa Cabernet the last several years, and if this bottle is an indication, it’s time! My published tasting notes archive in these pages show twelve previous tasting of this vintage/label. 

My records and tasting notes indicate I opened at least ten of those bottles in the first decade following release. Tonight’s tasting showed this bottle being better than one opened and written about back in 2016, shown below. 

Beaulieu Vineyards "Tapestry Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend 1997

BV - Beaulieu Vineyards is one of the most storied estates, producers and vineyards in Napa Valley, dating back more than a hundred years. The Tapestry bottling is BV’s lower priced homage to Clarets and Old-World Bordeaux blends. Half of the fruit comes from the Rutherford AVA, rounded out with grapes from Coombsville, Oakville, and Calistoga. The label tends to provide a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, for a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux varietal blend, especially when compared with their flagship Georges de Latour label, another Napa Cab Bordeaux blend, that sells for as much as three to four times the price! 

This release was given 94 points by Wine Spectator and 92 points by Wine Enthusiast. Wine Spectator gave it a “Top 100 of 2000” and a Spectator Selection, in 2000. 

Tonight, this was most consistent with an earlier tasting in 2009 when I wrote - Subtle berry, dark cherry, slight earthy leather, licorice on the moderate tannin finish, and gave it 90 points.

Wine Spectator described it as “Big, bold, rich and polished, this is an immense and deeply concentrated Cabernet blend laden with ripe plum, currant, anise, green olive and cedar notes and finishing with gripping tannin.” 

As I have noted, I think the 1997 release was overhyped and over-rated at the time. 

Winemaker’s notes for this release - “Dark ruby-violet color. The deep character of the '97 vintage is revealed in the fine, vanilla-scented, allspice, clove, blackberry and cherry bouquet of this wine. The youthful flavors are very deep and full-bodied, showing ripe, mouth-filling, anise and black fruit character. Richly textured, with firm but ripe tannins, there is plenty of extract and flesh to balance the structure. Persistent minerality and spicy fruit in the finish add complexity and depth to this powerful wine, which should reach its peak in a decade, though it is opulent enough now to enjoy with rich meat dishes.”

 In 2016 I wrote, One of the remaining bottles of a case acquired upon release, my tasting journal index shows eleven previous tasting notes published for this wine.

Dark garnet colored, starting to show some rust orange hues and slight bricking on the edges showing some diminution from aging, medium-full bodied, an initial funkiness burned off soon after opening eventually showing and drinking fine, like when younger.

Black berry and black cherry fruits, slight earthy leather, licorice and a tone of bark on the moderate tannin finish. Opened further and softened more over the course of the evening.

Earlier tasting notes indicated further softening and enhanced fruit revealed a day later.

RM 89 points.

http://cellartracker.com/w?192928

https://www.bvwines.com/

Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet with flank steak

Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet with grilled flank steak 

Wife Linda had several lady friends over for a cookout to visit with a friend returning from Florida having relocated there. She prepared flank steak and salmon with grilled vegetables. I set out a Sonoma Chardonnay for the ladies, then I dined separately and snuck a plate and opened a Napa Cabernet for my dinner wine pairing.  

Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

This is from Mount Veeder Winery, named for the site of their estate and vineyards sitting at 1000 to 1600 feet elevation, high in the Mayacamas Mountains at the southern end of the range at the southwest corner of Napa Valley.

Owners and producers Michael and Arlene Bernstein were the first to plant grapevines on Mount Veeder in 1970. Encouraged by their friend and Napa legend Robert Mondavi, the Bernsteins established the first winery on Mount Veeder.

Back before the Mount Veeder AVA was established they were the first vintners in Napa Valley to plant Petit Verdot, and the first to plant all five of the classic Bordeaux varietals on the same property.

Mount Veeder Winery has three vineyard ranches and vineyards high up the Mayacamas Mountain where they produce powerful concentrated flavorful wines that express the mountain terroir. The mountain terroir microclimate is above the fog bank, exposed to the soft morning sun and protected from the afternoon heat by the surrounding mountains, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. Late in the autumn growing season, the mountain's cool days and warm nights mean extra hang time.

Mount Veeder Winery Winemaker is John Giannini learned his craft over 15 years collaborating on several 100-point bottlings working under the tutelage of renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.

 My CellarTracker records show that this is the last bottle of a six pack I bought upon release nearly a dozen years ago. This is the estate label, from a long time producer, entry level priced for offering good QPR - quality price ratio, for a Napa Cabernet. They also produce some ultra-premium labels including one with fruit from the famous legendary ToKalon Vineyard. 

At a dozen years of age, the fill level, foil, label and most importantly the cork were all in pristine condition, This wine is probably at the apex of its drinking profile, and won’t improve with further aging. It is most likely entering the end of its drinking window and will start diminishing from age going forward, but still has a couple years left of acceptable drinking. Wine Enthusiast advised to hold it till 2015 or 2016, but not beyond that. Robert Parker advised to hold it for a decade, or more. Wine Spectator advised to drink it through 2022. 

This is the estate label, from a long time producer, budget priced for basic every day consumption, offering good QPR - quality price ratio, for a Napa Cabernet. 

This release is a Bordeaux (varietals) blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and a small amount of Petit Verdot and Malbec.

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine & Spirits and Wine Advocate who also tagged it a ‘Cellar Selection’.

Tonight’s tasting was largely consistent with my posting back in 2013 when I wrote, “I like this wine”, and gave it 90 Points - “This is a complex wine that changed its focus and revealed itself differently from initial opening to an hour later and moreso the next day. Its bold but lacks smoothness or polish. Deep, dark inky purple and garnet colored, medium-full bodied. An initial layer of intense slightly tart black cherry and ripe black currant fruits give way to full forward flavors of ripe plum with hints of caramel and with tones of anise and mocha. The lingering finish boasts vibrant complex layers of sweet oak, and tobacco with a touch of black olive on a firm tannin backbone.” 

Ten years later, the fruit was a bit more subdued giving way to black tea, pepper and cedar notes. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1479432

https://mtveeder.com/

Groth Oakville Cabernet with Grilled BeefSteak

Groth Oakville Cabernet with Grilled BeefSteak

We watched four grandkids for the weekend, back and forth between our house and theirs’. For dinner on our deck we grilled out flank steak with scalloped potatoes, asparagus, cheese bread and Texas toast. To accompany the grilled beefsteak I pulled from our cellar a favorite Napa Valley Cabernet. 

This follows another Oakville Cabernet from the same appellation and vintage recently which, not surprisingly, had an almost identical profile and status. That earlier wine food pairing was featured in these pages in this blogpost - 

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 with Tomahawk Ribeye steak dinner

Groth Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

This is a remarkably similarly situated replay of an earlier previous tasting of this wine about three years ago, which, therefore, I’ll excerpt here. 

At twenty years, the fill level, foil and most importantly, the cork were in ideal condition. Amazingly, even this bottle has the same label conditions as the one opened back in 2021 with ripples of separation from the bottle. Obviously this batch of bottles had some issues with the labeling machine resulting in this separation a decade and half later, identically on multiple bottles of the same batch (as shown, tonight’s bottle here, and earlier bottle below). 

From blogpost - 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/05/groth-oakville-napa-cabernet-2004.html

Posted May 7, 2021

Groth Oakville Napa Cabernet 2004

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - ideal pairing with filet of beef

We feasted on the left over filets of beef from last evening and I pulled from the cellar this Groth Napa Cabernet - a perfect pairing. Indeed, the producer's menu suggestion for this wine: "A slab and a Cab", Dennis Groth recommends you drink his Cabernet Sauvignon with steak."

We visited the Groth estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. Groth gain notoriety and recognition when Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being California’s first perfect 100-point wine. 

Since then, Groth wines have been ranked on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines list eight times, most recently in 2019, when the 2016 Reserve Cabernet was No. 4. 

From the beginning, Groth has been a family business, managed today by second-generation family member Suzanne Groth. 

Groth Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Dennis and Judy Groth. Dennis gained his fame in fortune in Silicon Valley when he was CFO of early tech phenom Atari (remember 'Pong'). When it was acquired by Time Warner, Dennis went on to President of the Consumer Products Division and President of the International Division.

The Groths purchased the 121-acre vineyard parcel in Oakville, Napa Valley in 1981 and in '82 added a second vineyard of 44 acres located south of Yountville. The Groth estate vineyard was originally planted between 1972 and 1974 by Justin Meyer, who went on to achieve acclaim with Silver Oak.

Those two vineyards remain the primary source of grapes for the Groth portfolio which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 

Dennis and Judy moved to Napa Valley and have resided in Oakville since 1985. Today, Dennis is Chairman of the Board, and Judy plays an active role in the look and feel of the winery. Their daughter Susan now runs Groth Wines. After college and several years working various jobs in the wine business, she returned to the family business in 1998, working in sales, public relations and marketing. She took the reins as President and CEO in 2017. “It was only after selling other people’s wine that I was able to appreciate how very special Groth Vineyards was.”

The Groth Oakville Estate sits on the valley floor in the heart of the Napa Valley. The Groth family helped Oakville become recognized as one of the world’s preeminent wine regions. Today, the Oakville AVA is home to the largest concentration of the very best Napa Valley producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon wines are is renowned as full, lush and elegant.

 

Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004  

 

Winemaker notes on the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: "Big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in our area of the Oakville AVA. Patience during bottle aging will reward the "steward" with an outstanding bottle over the next 10 to 15 years." 

Indeed, at seventeen (now twenty) years, this is likely at its peak and should continue to drink well for another decade. Thankfully, we still hold a couple more bottles of this vintage of the half dozen vintages in our collection (which includes still a Alec birthyear vintage 1990). The fill level was perfect while the cork appearing perfect was a bit soft upon extraction using a 'ahso' two pronged cork puller.  

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, smooth, elegant, briary black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of cassis, dusty cedar and hints of dark chocolate, herbs and creamy oak turning to gripping tannin on a fruit filled finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=328095

https://grothwines.com/ 

@GrothWines