MR Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner

Michel Rolland Pedestal Merlot Tribute Remembrance Dinner 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

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

Long Shadows Vintners' Collection 

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

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

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

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Merlot 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RM 94 points.  

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

http://www.longshadows.com 

@LongShadowsWine

  

Fabulous Top Rated Wines for Filet Steak Dinner

Fabulous Top Rated Wines for Filet Steak Dinner

Just returned from Spring Break skiing in the Rockies, son Ryan and d-in-law Michelle invited us over for Saturday night dinner to watch her Alma Mater University of Illinois in the NCAA Final Four basketball tourney. 

Ryan prepared prime filets of beef steaks with balsamic rice and salad. Dessert consisted of cherry pie and ice cream. 

For wine accompaniment with the beefsteaks he pulled from his extensive cellar this ultra-premium single vineyard designated Cabernet from a producer we know well, Venge Vineyards’, Bone Ash Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon;

To pair and compare, I took from our cellar another ultra-premium single vineyard designated Big Red Napa Cab, Cakebread Dancing Bear Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon blend,

Venge Bone Ash Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

We have long enjoyed Venge Vineyards wines dating back to the elder Nils Venge, winemaker Kirk’s dad, and their Family estate vineyard in St Helena. 

We visited Nils at Saddleback and at other wineries, several times during the nineties. One of our more memorable days, featured in this blogpost, Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge, we toured Saddleback, then lunched together at Tre Vigne in St Helena, then we drove up to Calistoga to meet Kirk at the new Rossini Ranch location where they were developing the property and digging wine caves. 

Kirk has since gone on to earn great notoriety with his own highly acclaimed wines such as this which was rated 96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 91 points by James Suckling.

This Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard is from that 23-year-old Calistoga estate vineyard.

Calistoga’s earliest settlers arrived in the 1840’s and planted various field varieties of vineyards, some of which still stand today with vines that are 80 to 110 years old.

The old Rossini Winery in Bell Canyon, had a historic stone building that dated back to 1891. The Venge’s purchased this property in the mid 1990s and completely restored this old ‘ghost’ winery which had sat vacant from prohibition until their purchase. 

They produced their wines there until they sold the winery in 2008 to the Foley Wine Group, (although they kept the rights to the Venge brand and name). Nils sold that property to vintner William Foley and it is now home to Merus Vineyards. We had Robert Foley Napa Cabernet yesterday, wine the day before this tasting at a wine lunch featured in these pages - Lunch at The Cellar Door Bistro & Wine Shop DG.

After selling the Rossini property, Kirk acquired their Calistoga property including the Bone Ash Vineyards, as well as taking over the Venge Vineyards brand from Nils. They built a new winery that was completed two years later. In the fall of 2020, the winery survived a very close encounter with flames from the Glass Fire burning right onto the property and almost up to the winery itself. 

Calistoga is today its own AVA, bearing distinction for its climate, its aspect, and its soils. As the season wears on and the soil dries out, light plumes of volcanic ash will dust up, looking like the ashes of the bones of those early settlers. Hence, the name “Bone Ash Vineyard” on the Calistoga Estate, one of three estate vineyards Venge own and farm in Napa Valley. 

Winemaker’s Notes - “This wine begins with concentrated purple color and blue fruit aromatics. Black and blue berries, jelly jar jam notes fill the senses. As this wine opens, the background notes of French Oak vanillin and fresh earth come forth. A wonderful, pure Cabernet expression. Great fruit, mid-palate, body and streaming length, this wine has it all! The palate is polished and sophisticated. Cranberry, black currant, blackberry and black cherry are all intertwined. The acid and tannin balance promises a wine that will hold for well over a decade in proper cellaring conditions.”

Dark ruby inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated, round, oppulent but velvety smooth, pure and polished, black berry and black currant fruits accented by spice and hints of bitter dark mocha on the long lingering finish. 

This would be my WOTN - Wine of the Night in many tastings of several selections. It was a fabulous pairing with the steak and a fabulous tasting with the Cakebread. 

RM 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2476591

https://vengevineyards.com/our-wines/bone-ash-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon/

Cakebread Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

We tasted and acquired this bottle at the winery during an estate vineyard visit and tasted back in 2018 - Cakebread Cellars Reserve Tasting during our 2018 Napa Valley Wine Experience..

https://www.cakebread.com/2013-dancing-bear-ranch-cabernet-sauvignon-howell-mountain-napa-valley.html

Like the Venge Bone Ash above, this wine is also a single vineyard designated bottling, and was also rated 96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and it got 92 points by Decanter.

Unlike the 100% Cabernet Venge label, this 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch was a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot.

This release was aged 22 months in about 50% new French oak.

Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

In 1998, Cakebread purchased 200 acres on Howell Mountain and commenced development of these hillside vineyards into what becomes Dancing Bear Ranch. The property got its name from Black Bears the roamed the site and 'danced' amonge the vines tearing them up during the night. The first vintage of Dancing Bear Ranch is released in 2002.

Dancing Bear Ranch is located on the upper slopes of Howell Mountain in the Northeastern Napa Valley at upper elevations ranging from 1450’ to over 1600’ above sea level and a near 360 degree exposure. The mountainous site spans 194 acres of which only 29 are planted. The varietals planted there are all Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The vines there are stressed, being rooted in shallow, rocky soils, ideal growing conditions for wine grapes. With its isolated mountainous locations, the site is home to a wide range of wildlife, including: turkeys, mountain lions, bobcats and of course, bear. 

This vintage release is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot.

As noted, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave this wine 96 points.

Dense ruby/inky black purple color, full bodied, rich thick concentrated but nicely polished and integrated  flavors of blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of cassis, hints of tar, dark mocha and a touch of cinnamon spice on the lingering tongue coating finish.

RM 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2822548

https://www.cakebread.com/2013-dancing-bear-ranch-cabernet-sauvignon-howell-mountain-napa-valley.html

Amuse Bouche Premiere Napa Valley at Polo Grill, Tulsa

Amuse Bouche Premiere Napa Valley at Polo Grill, Tulsa

Traveling to/through Tulsa, OK, we dined at Polo Grill in the Utica Square Shopping Center.

Polo Grill was founded in 1983 by chef/proprietor Robert Merrifield with a view to offer the finest cuisine and service to guests. Early success allowed for expansion in 1996 adding a combination wine cellar / private dining room (shown below) and an expanded bar area. Further expansion provided growth to a total of five private dining rooms, plus patio dining and an expanded Polo Lounge. 

Polo Grill has become one of Oklahoma’s best restaurants winning many industry awards including Wine Spectator Magazine’s Best of Award for its wine cellar/ list, since 2000. The restaurant wine collection grew to 4,250 bottles and was expanded again in 1998 to a wine inventory of 10,000 bottles with over 1,000 selections. It is since grown to an impressive wine selection/collection with over 1,100 labels and 17,000 bottles. They offer a diverse range of both vertical and horizontal choices, along with half bottles and large format bottles. Also, their Wine by the Glass program features a wide range of 40 rotating options across wine types and budgets.

Polo Grill has also been recognized as the only DiRoNA and AAA Four Diamond restaurant in Oklahoma. 

The wine cellar has been reported to now house 25,000 bottles showcasing ‘1,478 vintages’ featuring extensive selections from California, Burgundy, Champagne, France, Washington and Oregon.

One of the interesting notable key strengths of the wine collection is distinctive offerings from several wine auctions including Premier Napa Valley barrel auction wines with 276 PNV selections of Napa Valley Premiere labels, and Sonoma AVA’s offerings from the SoCo Barrel Auction (barrelauction.sonomawine.com), and boutique wines from Reveal Walla Walla barrel auctions (revealwallawalla.com), and the Willamette Valley (willamettewines.auction) regional selections.

The famous annual PNV is hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), a week-long celebration of Napa Valley wine and community and provides a first look for the wine trade of each year’s highly anticipated vintage. 

We were drawn to Polo Grill because of its culinary reputation coupled with its extensive wine list selection. They bill themselves as “Tulsa’s Best Steakhouse” and their menu selections also include lamb, chicken and seafood specialties, and all the customary starters and side dishes. 

For starters we shared a wedge salad and an order of the cheese bread with olives and olive oil. 

For my entree, I order the filet of beef, prepared ‘Pittsburgh’ style, with a side of mashed potatoes. As one would expect in a top steakhouse, they understood my ‘Pittsburgh’ (charred with hot pink center) request and prepared it perfectly, although it was served less than ideal warm rather hot. 

Linda ordered the shrimp and grits with a petit filet of beef accompaniment. The shrimp was a bit slightly undercooked and the plate, like mine, was warm rather than hot. 

We were served by Parker, who is billed himself as Director of Wine. On Parker’s suggestion, we ordered from the extensive wine list a Napa Valley Premiere auction limited release vintage selection, to meet my request for a red blend to accompany the steak. He provided attentive service including impeccable handling and serving of our wine, extracting and presenting the cork, dutifully and carefully decanting the bottle, and offering a taste. Despite the attention to detail, and representations of their extensive cellar, the wine was served at room temperature, as opposed to the preferred cellar temperature, or cooler.   

At fifteen years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were nearly perfect, although the cork was a bit dry and separated upon extraction with a traditional corkscrew. 

Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Premiere Merlot 2011

This special limited release bottling was produced exclusively for the Premiere Napa Valley auction from a quarter barrel. It is a’ Pomerol-style’ (predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Franc) blend crafted by owner and legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett.

In 2002, Heidi partnered with longtime friend John Schwartz to create Amuse Bouche, a Pomerol-inspired Merlot from Napa Valley. “Recognizing that the cult-wine phenomenon had created an ‘almost aspirational class structure among collectors’, the partners set out to make this limited-edition wine available to a much broader consumer base.”

This special label offering is a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, sourced from estate vineyards, specially selected and blended, aged in Gamba and Taranasaud barrels, resulting in a wine that the producer describes as ‘rich in cassis, red licorice and mocha flavors’.

This special label was from the 2013 Napa Premiere Auction 17, Lot Number 36, featuring the 2011 vintage Amuse Bouche Winery Napa Valley Merlot. Only five cases were produced. The special (below) label shows this being bottle number 25 of the 60 produced and is initialed by Heidi Barrett. 

Many of the top wine producers support the Premier Napa Valley auction with special limited release bottlings. Our visit to our local Total Wine beverage superstore featured several PNV labels in their Reserve Wine locker. 

Winemaker, co-owner Heidi Barrett grew up in the Napa Valley in a winemaking family and has become one of California's leading winemakers.

After graduating from UC Davis in 1980 with a B.S. Degree in Fermentation Science, she went to work for Justin Meyer at Franciscan Vineyards and Silver Oak. After working ‘crush’ jobs at both Lindeman's Wines in Australia and Rutherford Hill, Heidi Barrett became assistant winemaker to Jerry Luper at Bouchaine Vineyards. In 1983, at age 25, she became winemaker at Buehler Vineyards where she first attracted critical acclaim by greatly improving the wine quality and taking the production from 6,000 cases to 20,000 cases. 

Her bio on the Amuse Bouche website writes: “In 1988, she left Buehler to become an independent winemaker (freelance), making wine for a number of small wineries. Within a week she was hired by Gustav Dalla Valle and was winemaker at Dalla Valle Vineyards until spring 1996. It was there that she took her abilities to the next level creating some powerful yet elegant Cabernets, including the famous "Maya" cult wine, a proprietary Cabernet blend that received two perfect 100 point scores from Robert Parker ( the '92 and '93) as well as record breaking bids at the Napa Valley Wine Auction. She started making wine for Screaming Eagle in 1992, which has also received two perfect 100 pt scores (the '92 and recent '97). A 6-liter bottle of '92 SE set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction selling for $500,000. A vertical offering of this cult wine went for $650,000 at the 2001 NVWA.”

Since 1988 she has developed an impressive client list of ultra-premium wineries. In addition to her own wines from La Sirena, she is currently the winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Lamborn, Kenzo Estate, Revana, Au Sommet, Vin Perdu, and Fantesca, many labels we hold in our cellar (highlighted) Past winemaking clients include Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Jones Family, Grace Family, Vineyard 29, David Arthur, Barbour Vineyards, and Showket. 

In 1994, Heidi started making her own wine, La Sirena (Spanish and Italian for ‘Mermaid’), starting with a tiny production of Sangiovese, and her first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1996, and in 2000, the first Syrah.

She was winemaker of the year, made Robert Parker's list of wine personalities of the year 1994,1995 and is on Parker's wine heroines list of 1998 (one of two from the US). Parker has dubbed her the "first lady of wine".

Her Winemaking Philosophy:”Balanced, less is more”.

She founded Amuse Bouche with longtime friend John Schwartz in 2002. Their wines consistently gain high marks from wine reviewers. Their general release bottlings are an artist series featuring unique artwork on each label. 

The general production bottling of the Amuse Bouche 2011 was their 10th vintage, a blend of 96% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. The Amuse Bouche website describes that vintage release - “Harvested on October 24 and aged in a combination of Taranssaud, Radoux and Gamba cooperage, and bottled in March 2013. Heidi described this wine as boasting flavors of sweet black cherries and ripe plums with underlying aromas of chocolate, coffee bean, red licorice and exotic spice box.” 560 cases were produced compared to just 5 of the special PNV bottling. 

The general release of this vintage got 92 points from Steven Tanzer and Int'l Wine Cellar.

This wine/food pairing was a perfect compliment/accompaniment to the grilled beefsteak, which increases the enjoyment of both. 

Bright ruby-red colored, medium full bodied, balanced, bright expressive, concentrated fruit forward ripe sweet black raspberry and currant fruits accents of with accents of spice, smoke, herbs and floral, with tangy acidity and smooth tannins on a lingering finish. Some might be taken aback by the forward full sweetness of this wine. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.winespectator.com/restaurants/316/polo-grill

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1812223

https://www.amusebouchewine.com/

https://pologrill.com/

Birthday celebration dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse Naperville

Birthday celebration dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse Naperville

Last week we had a birthday celebration dinner with two of our kids and spouses, featured in these pages in this blogpost - Birthday dinner celebration at Petit Vie Western Springs.

 

Tonight, we had another birthday celebration dinner with son Ryan and his family, dining at Morton’s Steakhouse, Naperville for a festive dinner. 

Naturally we ordered steaks, all prepared and presented perfectly, including my special “‘Pittsburgh style’, hot pink center, charred”.

For starters each couple share a wedge salad. 

For sides we ordered the Mashed Potato’s and the spinach and Brussels sprouts. 

I brought BYOB from our home cellar a couple special bottles from which to choose for pairing with dinner. We opted for this premium Washington State Columbia Valley Right Bank Bordeaux Blend. 

Force Majeure Épinette Red Mountain Red Blend 2015

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label while visiting the producer during our Walla Walla Wine Experience in 2018, which we featured in this blogpost - Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting.

Épinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to the locale's in Washington state.

Bordeaux blend in the 'Right Bank' style meaning it is primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

The 2015 is blended in a Pomerol style, 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in the lower areas of the Red Mountain vineyard with its  deep, well-drained soils.

The Red Mountain Right-bank Bordeaux inspired blend, “Épinette,” spent 22 months in 75% new French oak after a long maceration and fermentation in both concrete and stainless steel vats. 

The blend changes each vintage, either being dominated by Merlot or Cabernet Franc, but in 2015 it is driven by Merlot grown in deep, loamy soils found in the heart of our vineyard. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Force Majeure Épinette was the perfect complement to our aged prime steak dinner, perfectly prepared 'Pittsburgh' style, served with mashed potatoes. 

This release was rated 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, and  90 points by Wine Spectator 

Silky tannin' 'Legs' of Force Majeure Epinette

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant forward black berry, ripe black raspberry and black current fruits with notes of cigar box, mocha chocolate, hints of leather, anise, graphite and spicy oak with gripping but approachable silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4507644

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

https://www.mortons.com/location/mortons-the-steakhouse-naperville-il/#menus

Tonight tasting was consistent with another tasting recently of this same label that we took BYOB at another steak dinner, featured in detail and replayed below. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/08/vintij-sandestin-food-and-wine-dinner.html

Vin’Tij SanDestin Food and Wine Dinner 

After a fun-filled afternoon of wine paired with foods at Vin’Tij Food & Wine, we booked a table for a follow-on Saturday night dinner. I wrote about that wine tasting in this blogpost - Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin.

The plan was to drink BYOB one of the ultra-premium bottles we purchased in the Vin’Tij Wine Boutique for the occasion.

I write often in these pages about the price charged by restaurants for their wines, often expressed as a function of the retail price of the wine. It is customary that a restaurant charges 2 times the retail price of a wine. Often the restaurant price is 2.5 times or more. 

Establishments that combine a restaurant with a wine retailer provide the best and most economical scenario for the consumer whereby the restaurant price equals near the retail price - a 1:1 ratio. In this scenario, the restaurant is relying solely on the gross margin uplift between the wholesale price paid and the retail price charged the diner. 

Two such establishments exist in Destin, Vin’Tij and also Chan’s Wine World that is connected to and associated with the adjoining Wine Bar restaurants. Diners seeking a food and wine experience can leverage these policies for great value dining. And, they can take the opportunity to upgrade their wine choices with higher premium or ultra-premium wines they otherwise not be able to afford or justify for wine experimentation or appreciation!   

For our Saturday Night Vint’Tij dinner, we were joined by Richard and Victoria, friends and neighbors in our Destin residential community. 

Planning to order grilled beefsteaks for our entrees, I took BYOB a Washington State Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend from Force Majeure. 

This is from Force Majeure Vineyards, originally called Grand Reve, founded in Woodinville, near Seattle, in 2004, a collaboration between businessman Paul McBride and vineyard manager Ryan Johnson who spent a decade managing vineyards in Eastern Washington’s prestigious Red Mountain AVA. 

McBride and his wife Susan then changed the winery name to Force Majeure, and hired winemaker Todd Alexander to oversee winemaking. Alexander was previously winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard in Napa Valley. 

Jeb Dunnick of Wine Advocate has called Force Majeure “One of my favorite estates in Washington…”

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting back in 2018 as featured in these pages, and excerpted below.

One of the inspirations for and objectives of that Walla Walla Wine Experience 2018 was to visit Force Majeure vineyards. We first met Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander and marketing, distribution and branding exec Carrie Alexander during the Chicago stop of their promotion tour in 2016 when we hosted them at Italian Village in Chicago. Since then we've acquired a respectable collection of Force Majeure wines, hence, they were one of our shortlist priority visits when we planned our Washington State, Columbia Valley wine trip.

Force Majeure Carrie Alexander and Linda

Following our Woodinville (Washington) tasting experience where we tasted several fabulous  Red Mountain AVA wines, we were targeting there for our first Washington State wine appellation visit. Carrie convinced us to visit Walla Walla and we followed her guidance and were amply rewarded as it was a spectacular wine travel experience. Our Walla Walla AVA visit provided the opportunity to visit a vibrant wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and still experience the best of Red Mountain appellation wines as well!

Force Majeure have vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA where they grow Rhone varietals on the upper slopes and Bordeaux varietals on the lower blocks of the site. According to Carrie, the varietal blocks are based on the selection and matching of the grape varieties to the appropriate soil composition in the eight different soil types on the site.

The Red Mountain site was the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Developing the Red Mountain estate vineyards involved carefully matching varietal and clonal selections and vineyard trellising and irrigation to the eight distinct soil types in the vineyard.

The site was formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity resulting in many small “micro-blocks,” each uniquely suited to specific grape varietals. The rocky upper-slope with shallow soil is well suited to the cultivation of Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils, where Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.

This Force Majeure Épinette Right Bank Bordeaux style blend was a perfect complement to our aged prime steak dinner, including my perfectly prepared 'Pittsburgh' style, served with mashed potatoes, haricot verts and mushroom Bordelaise sauce. 

Force Majeure Épinette Columbia Valley Red Mountain Red Blend 2015

Épinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to the locale's in Washington state.

Épinette is a Bordeaux blend in the 'Right Bank' style meaning it is primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

The blend for this 2014 vintage was 58%  Merlot,  22%  Cabernet Franc 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remaining 5% Petit Verdot.

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in the lower areas of the Red Mountain vineyard with its  deep, well-drained soils. The wine was aged for approximately 22 months in mostly new French oak.

It was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93-95 points by The Wine Advocate, 92 by Stephen Tanzer and 90 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant forward dense black berry, ripe black raspberry and black current fruits with notes of cigar box, earthy leather, anise, graphite and spicy oak and hints of dark mocha chocolate with gripping but approachable silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4507644

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

https://vintij.com/

Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach

Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach features BYOB Italian Labels

We joined friends and neighbors Richard and Victoria for a delightful dinner at Bosforo Steak and Seafood in Miramar Beach (FL). 

I ordered the Filet of Beef with Demi-glas mashed potatoes and aparagus. 

While Bosforo bills itself as a steak house, they were not familiar with my request for ‘Pittsburgh style’ preparation, and despite my explanation of and request for ‘hot pink center, and charred, but don’t fret if this is not achieveable’, they tried, and my steak ended up being close to well done, despite not even really being charred. Oh, well, c’est la vie! It was still delectable with the Demi-glace, accompaniments and the wine pairing. 

Linda ordered the grilled sea bass special. 

For starters, we had their fresh bread with olive oil and the ample Beet Salad with goat cheese, mascarpone, walnuts and honey lemon vinaigrette.

 I took BYOB from our home cellar this hearty Italian red which was a nice pairing with the steak. 

Marramiero Inferi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2019 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is one of the top three DOC wines produced in Italy. The region is on the eastern Abruzzo’s Apennine side facing the Adriatic Sea where the climate is milder than the area inland. Mountains, a 40-minute drive from the sea, help create a diurnal shift between day and night. Vineyard areas cover nearly ninety thousand acres, on mainly clay and calcareous soils, with annual production of approximately 3.8 million hectolitres.

Major varieties and styles produced in Abruzzo include Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Abruzzo Pecorino and Villamagna DOC.

Montepulciano is the main red grape variety in all of Abruzzo and represents over 80% of the total number of DOC wines produced in the region. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is considered by many as one of Italy’s greatest red varieties. 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ripens late with harvest usually between October 1-20. It’s delicious enjoyed young, especially if the wine is in the less-expensive category. Much of it is aged at length in oak barrels, then, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has the ability to be even more sophisticated and complex with layers of flavors and sensations.

The Montepulciano variety has been in Abruzzo since the mid-18th century according to historical documents. It was cultivated long ago in the province of L’Aquila and in the inland hills of Pescara. Since the 1950s, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC has been popular in the coastal hilly areas, largely due to technological advances and a heightened knowledge of viticultural techniques. There, vineyards are at an altitude of no more than 500 meters above sea level and vineyards with a southern exposure are allowed to plant the variety at no more than 600 meters. Regulations allow other red grape varieties from Abruzzo to be included in the blend, but no more than 15% of the total.

The Marramiero estate sits fifteen miles inland from the coastal town of Pescara between Rosciano and Ofena, between the sea and the mountains. The estate consists of 125 acres of vines planted to Montepulciano, Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Maiolica and Trebbiano. 

This "Inferi" Riserva label is comprised of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and is produced in limited quantities from selecting only the best grapes from the oldest vines to the long maturation period of over three years in stainless steel, oak casks and bottle.  

The Inferi spends 40 months at the winery before being released to market, aged first in stainless steel tanks before being transferred into new French oak barrique. 

Winemakers’ notes - This is a rich red, showing notes of bittersweet chocolate and dark cherry, with a pleasant hint of medicinal herbs that emerges on the finish.

It was bright ruby colored, medium to full bodied, expressive vibrant ripe black cherry and blackberry fruits with sweet baking spices, notes of vanilla and a touch of clove. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4733324

https://marramiero.it/en/home-2/

Richard brought BYOB from his cellar this rare, limited production single vineyard Marciano Abbona Pressenda Barolo from a case he acquired at the producer during a visit to the region last year. 

Marciano Abbona Pressenda Barolo 2016

This is produced by Marziano Abbona and his son Celso, and winemaker Giuseppe Caviola Celso Abbona was among the first of his generation to believe in the potential of Dogliani and its territory and to valorize the grape variety that its hills can fully express: Dolcetto. Together with his family, Celso planted the legendary vineyard Bricco Doriolo, located in Santa Lucia di Dogliani. 

The Marciano Abbona vineyard has a long family history and has become one of the most prestigious single vineyards of Dogliani. The winery’s flagship wine comes from this vineyard, named the Papà Celso in honor of the grandfather and founder. Upon the death of Celso in 1964, the winery was passed on to his sons, Marziano (named after his grandfather) and Enrico Abbona. The brothers transformed the traditional family farm into a winery. They began their first bottlings of Dolcetto under the name of the family and, in the footsteps of Celso, and continued to invest in the territory and vines of Dogliani. 

In the early 1980s, Marziano and Enrico extended their pursuits to the Langhe wine region. They selected plots historically considered the most prestigious: Ravera in Novello; Bricco Barone and Rinaldi in Monforte d’Alba. Later, Marziano Abbona also purchased land in Barolo where their selection of their wines grew and earned international recognition.

Mara Abbona, daughter of Marziano, entered the business in 1999, the year of the passing of Enrico Abbona.

In 2007, the winery celebrated 30 years from the first vintage of Papà Celso. The following year, Chiara, the youngest daughter of Marziano Abbona, entered the business where they continue to apply modern technology.

Today, the Abbona vineyard holdings cover 128 acres of some of the best-positioned territories in Dogliani, Monforte d’Alba and Novello, and include some of the most renowned crus in the Langhe. Many of the vineyards are cultivated with old-growth vines up to 60 years of age. 

The vineyards are cultivated and harvested by hand following methods passed down for generations.

This Pressenda label is a single vineyard designated release, 100% Nebbiolo in accordance with the Barolo DOCG regulations. It is sourced from the Pressenda Castelletto 9 and 3/4 acre estate vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, overlooking the Castle of Serralunga d'Alba, in the cru Castelletto of Monforte d'Alba. The average age of of the vines is 44 years.

Crushing-destemming is followed by maceration in contact with skins for 24 hours. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in contact with its skins follows, in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 20 days using indigenous yeasts; daily pumpovers. When this process is done, submerged cap maceration is carried out for 40 days and then dry racking, decantation, and transfer to barrels. 

Wines are aged in 500 liter barrels for the first 12 months, then transferred to oak barrels of 50 hectoliters for the next 24 months, at the end of which is assemblage and bottling. They then rest in the bottle for six months before release. 1,150 cases are produced annually.

Winemaker notes. - “The grapes from which this Barolo is obtained give great structure, aromatic finesse, and an average alcohol percentage of 15%. Just a bit fresher and more immediate than our Pressenda and Ravera labels, this can already be enjoyed in its first years in the bottle. Serve at 18° C (64° F) after bringing it to room temperature for at least 24 hours."

This release was rated 93 points by James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, firm structured, concentrated layered red and black fruits with notes of black cherry, anise, black tea and clove spice with tight, chewy fine tannins on the finish. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3783456

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3783456

https://www.abbona.com/en/

After dinner, with desserts, we tasted a unique special Bosforo offering, “A hundred years of port” - a tasting flight 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old tawny ports from producer Maynard Port. What fun in this interesting and novel feature!  

This was a wonderful tasting and a fine accompaniment to the flowerless chocolate cake dessert and a side of berry sorbet. 

Maynard Port is produced by the Van Zeller family, owners of Barão de Vilar, who can trace its origins back to the Netherlands, to the 13th century. Maynard’s Port is the flagship brand of Fernando and Alvaro Van Zeller’s Vinihold’s company. Named after the first established English Port wine shipper in Oporto, the Maynard’s brand honors the history of the late Walter Maynard. Born in 1652, this illustrious ancestor of the van Zeller family through his marriage to Dorothea Augusta Kopke, he was recorded as one of the first traders to ever export Port wine to England. 

Walter Maynard was appointed Consul in Oporto by his brother Thomas, who was English Council in Lisbon, by order of King Charles II in 1659. The 1st family link with the van Zellers come through marriage of Dorothea Ignacia Wittingham with Johan Moring, which her mother-in-law was Marianna van Zeller, married with Jacome Moring. Later, her great-granddaughter Dorothea Augusta Kopke who was Walter Maynard's 5th generation of descendants, married with Roberto van Zeller. Three centuries later, Mariana van Zeller represents the 15th generation of the family, today engaged as export manager to the US market.

We hold an extensive collection of port wines in our cellar spanning five decades and I must admit, this was my first introduction to this historic brand, until I later learned they have been owners of Quinta do Noval, a label we know and hold in our cellar.  

Winemaker Notes for the Ten Year Tawny - “This wine has a deep brick colour with amber rim, with lovely aromas of dried fruits, a delicate nuttiness, honey and a hint of toffee, combined with ripe berry fruit and subtle mellow notes of chocolate, butterscotch and fine oak wood. On the palate is silky and full of ripe figgy, jammy flavours and has a long and clean finish.”

It was rated 95 points by Decanter and 91 points Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.

Savoury notes on the nose and palate, with notes of fig, dates and spics, fruit-forward with a nutty and dried fruit complexity, with notes of molasses and caramel with a rich and long syrupy finish. 

The 20 year was rated 94 points by Decanter, 91 by Wine Spectator and 90 by Wine Advocate. 

Well-integrated and harmonious, with a rich, creamy Christmas cake complexity on the nose and palate, building to a long, satisfying finish.

On the softer side, with enticing date, cinnamon and toasted peanut notes backed by caramel and praline flavors on the slightly rounded finish. Drink now. 25 cases made, 10 cases imported.
The 20 Years Old Tawny Port (Maynard's) comes in at 109 grams per liter of residual sugar. A nice step up on the 10 Year Old Maynard's, also reviewed, this adds some weight, but more importantly, concentration of flavor--those old, classic Tawny nuances. Very pleasing, yet easy to drink, this is a charming 20 that should be available at a nice price. This is the new release, bottled in 2015.

Well-integrated and harmonious, with a rich, creamy Christmas cake complexity on the nose and palate, building to a long, satisfying finish.

The 40 year old barrel-aged Port was harvested by hand and then crushed by foot. After a quick fermentation, brandy was added to stop the yeast and leave a rich, dark, sweet wine. Then into barrels for extensive aging. 

Winemaker Alvaro Van Zeller created this blend, drawing from some barrels as young as 30 and others as old at 50 years or more, with the resulting blend roughly 40 years old. This grand wine is packaged in a stunning stylish decanter-style bottle and then framed that in a handsome, single-bottle, wood case. 

The complex, concentrated, smooth and balanced aromas and flavors show a toasted hickory and caramelized pecan with undertones of dried apricot and raisin fruit, richly textured and very caramelized on the mid-palate, finishing with dry and long, with generous notes of caramel and pecan.

Website: http://vinihold.com

https://bosforoseafoodandsteakrestaurant.com/#