Dueling reds, Left Bank vs Right Bank Bordeaux

Dueling reds, Left Bank vs Right Bank Bordeaux, mini-horizontal comparison with grilled beefsteaks

With me bach’ing it for the weekend, and d-in-law and g-daughter at special event, son Ryan invited me over to dinner for grilled eye of the ribeye beefsteaks. He was opening a 2009 Left Bank Bordeaux so I took a Right Bank label from the same vintage for a mini-horizontal comparison tasting.

Ryan pulled from his cellar this ultra-premium Pauillac, one of my favorite labels. We toured the ground of the Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron estates during our Bordeaux Wine Experience in 2019.

Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande 2009 

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was founded in 1689 by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan and gained its iconic family name through marriage in 1694. His daughter Thérèse received the land as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville, giving the estate its foundational name.

Pierre de Rauzan assembled the initial vineyard plots in Pauillac from 1689–1694. 

18th Century: The estate experienced a strong tradition of female management, run by influential women including Thérèse de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus, and Marie Branda de Terrefort. Baron Joseph (1760–1850): Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville managed the estate for roughly 70 years after taking over at age 19.

On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph split the property among his five children. The two sons received two-fifths (becoming Château Pichon Baron or Pichon Longueville Baron), while the three daughters received three-fifths. Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Countess de Lalande, and her two sisters inherited three-fifths of the vineyard. Joseph's daughter Virginie married the Comte de Lalande, taking control of her share, building the château, and naming the estate Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.

1855 Classification: Both resulting properties earned the status of Second Growth (Deuxième Cru Classé) in the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification. To this day, Pichon Lalande is considered one of the "Super Second" Growths and enjoys great prestige with its international reputation.

In 1925, with no family heirs remaining, the Miailhe family (Edouard and Louis) purchased the estate. 

In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, in turn inherited the property and devoted herself entirely to continuing the tradition and family legacy. She managed the property expanding the vineyards from 40 to 89 hectares and turned Pichon Lalande into a global benchmark with legendary vintages like the 1982.

In 2006/2007, the estate was sold to the Rouzaud family, owners of Champagne Louis Roederer, who continue to run the property with a focus on sustainable and biodynamic farming.

To this day, the two Pichon estates sit immediately across the road from each other on the D2, Rte de Château, as you leave St Julien and enter the Pauillac appellation, on the south outskirts of the village of Pauillac. They sit adjacent to the notably First Growth Chateau Latour on the Pauillac side, and Chateau Leoville Las Cases, on the southern, St Julien side of the appellation boundary. 

Pichon Baron

D2 Route, St Julien, Pauillac in distance.

Pichon Lalande Chateau.

Pichon Lalande modern winery. 

We toured the estate vineyards during our visit to the region in 2019. 

The Pichon Lalande estate is planted to a higher percentage of Merlot than average in Pauillac with a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, without any Cabernet Franc which it typical in the region. 

The 2009 vintage release of this label was awarded  97 points by The Wine Palate, 96 points by James Suckling, 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast which also gave gave it s ‘Cellar Selection’ designation, and 94 points by Vinous.

Winemaker's Tasting Note: “This beautiful vintage of Pichon Lalande is loaded with floral, cassis, boysenberry, earth, olive and tobacco notes. With a high percentage of CS, blended with 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, this powerful, graceful, sensuous, rich, fresh Bordeaux Wine is pure, refined and offers silky, velvet textures.” 

James Suckling wrote this “Reminds me of the legendary 1982.”

In 2022, Jeb Dunnuck wrote this release “has a good 20-25 years of cellaring potential left”. Wine Advocate “It is one of the great Pichon Lalandes of the last twenty years.”

This was deep garnet colored with deep purple-hue, medium to full-bodied, firm, structured, tight and closed, concentrated opulent and rich unctuos blackberry and black currants fruits with lead pencil graphite, cassis, tobacco, truffle, herbs and spice box notes with firm fine tannins on the firm full long finish. This was tightly wound and a bit closed, but try this again in five years, then ten, and beyond. 

RM 93 points, 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/873674

I took from our cellar this Right Bank St Emilion Grand Cru Classe label from the same vintage for a mini-horizontal (multiple bottles from the same vintage) comparison tasting. 

Château l'Arrosee St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2009

This is from Ch. l’Arrosée, that upon this release was a 23 acre vineyard in Saint-Emilion, situated next to Ch. Bélair-Monange and Ch. Angélus. The vineyards sit on a limestone hillock in the south-western end of the Saint-Emilion plateau, a prolongation of the Ausone slope, with the soil higher up on the plateau mainly clay and limestone, and the portion at the foot of the hillside more sandy..

Prior to 1956, Ch. l’Arrosée was bottled and labelled by the local co-operative. Following the sale of the estate to the Caille family in 2002, the reputation of the wine grew rapidly after they made serious investments in the vineyard.

In 2011, the fourth generation of the Dillon family, Domaine Clarence Dillon, owners of famous first growth Ch. Haut-Brion and Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Prince Robert de Luxemburg, branched out beyond the Graves region to buy Ch. Tertre Daugay in Saint-Emilion.  

In 2013, he acquired Château L'Arrosée, so the last vintage produced was 2012, when the property was sold to Domaine Clarence Dillon, and the label was subsequently merged with Ch. Tertre Daugay to create Ch. Quintus.

One notable UK wine merchant wrote, because of integration of Château L'Arrosée into Château Quintus,   older vintages like 2009 are collector items found mainly through fine wine merchants and secondary auction markets, with prices generally ranging from $120 to over $700 per bottle depending on the retailer and market availability.

In 2021, Domaine Clarence Dillon bought Ch. Grand Pontet, another 35 acres of top Saint-Emilion terroir to further expand the Quintus estate. With the viticulture and winemaking at Quintus all under the control of the talented Haut-Brion team, Quintus quickly gained its own following of collectors. 

Alongside the Grand Vin, a second wine Le Dragon de Quintus (first produced in 2011) and a third wine Saint-Emilion de Quintus (first produced in 2014) are made.  

This release was rated 92 points by James Suckling, and 91 points by Robert M. Parker, Jr. Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate wrote, “This outstanding l'Arrosee is consistent with the Burgundian style that this terroir routinely produces.”

This was more approachable and pleasant than the tightly wound Pichon which will likely soften and integrate with further aging for another decade or more.  

Bright ruby colored, full bodied, rich, round soft, smooth and polished ripe blackberry, raspberry and black cherry fruits with notes of  kirsch, cassis and spice box with soft and silky polished tannins on a pleasant lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?901211

Grilled beefsteak dinner with summer vegetables, fine wines

Grilled beefsteak dinner with summer vegetables and fine wines 

Enroute back from our Bloomington getaway weekend (Anniversary dinner at Truffles Bloomington), we stopped by Dr Dan’s in Northwest Indiana for a wonderful grilled beefsteak dinner. He prepared a delicious vegetable medley of squash, onions, peppers, artfully crafted roasted potatoes with a subtle hint of curry, and fresh picked Indiana sweet corn, which was as good as any I have ever tasted. 

We enjoyed a medley of fine wines before and with dinner.

The fine wine flight of ultra-premium wines included a sparkling white wine and a single vineyard Sonoma Chardonnay before dinner, and a Napa Cab for pairing with the food. 

Before dinner he served a special limited release label we tasted at his recent private wine producer tasting event - Joe Phelps Ovation Sparkling Wine. 

Joe Phelps Ovation Sparkling Wine 2019

Dan acquired this special limited release ultra-premium sparkling wine through the Phelps Wine Club. This wine was included in our producer private tasting at Dan’s earlier last month wherein wine ambassadors from Joe Phelps winery visited and curated a wine portfolio tasting - featured in these pages in this blogpost - Joseph Phelps Private Tasting.

This Methode Champonaise (traditional production method) white wine is a blend of 79% Chardonnay and 21% Pinot Noir. It is 100% estate sourced from the Phelps Pastorale vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA in western Sonoma County. It was bottle aged fifty-eight months ‘en tirage’, meaning it was aged in the bottle in contact with spent yeast cells after secondary fermentation which us what creates the bubbles to become a sparkling wine. This aging method rests the bottle horizontally in cool cellars as the yeast cells slowly break down. The results is adds rich, creamy textures and complex aromas like brioche, toast, and nuts to the white wine.

Winemaker’s harvest notes - “The 2019 harvest began one to two weeks later than usual, shaped by heavy February rains particularly in the Sonoma Coast and Russian River areas. A wet spring with precipitation during flowering resulted in lower crop yields, while the cool growing season provided an extended ripening period that allowed grapes to develop full flavors with naturally fresh acidity and superb balance. The overall Chardonnay fruit quality was exceptional, and since sparkling wine grapes are harvested early in the season, our Chardonnay blocks offered pristine fruit for production.’

“The 2019 Sonoma Coast Ovation Sparkling Wine opens with vibrant aromas of Meyer lemon, ripe pear, apricot and freshly baked brioche, complemented by delicate notes of white flowers. On the palate, this wine displays elegant textural complexity with silky layers of golden apple, nectarine, lemon curd and toasted almond, finished with a subtle mineral edge. The 2019 showcases bright, refreshing acidity and excellent structure, with the potential to develop further complexity and depth through extended bottle aging.”

I brought from our home cellar a premium Sonoma County Chardonnay from the same area. 

Wayfarer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2019

Wayfarer is the project of legendary Napa Valley wine producer Jayson Pahlmeyer, and his daughter Cleo Pahlmeyer.

Jayson Pahlmeyer crafted his first wine in 1986. Working with viticulture professors at the University of Bordeaux, Jayson obtained and planted French vine cuttings in Napa Valley in 1981. Working with another legendary winemaker, Helen Turley, they produced the award winning Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red.

Helen Turley discovered the Wayfarer Sonoma Coast estate for sale in 1998, which she shared with Jayson who sensed it had the essential elements to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Jayson acquired the property and recruited renowned vineyard developer David Abreu to plant Wayfarer, which he completed in 2002. For several years, Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were blended with fruit from Russian River vineyards and bottled under the Pahlmeyer branding.

In 2012, Jayson's daughter Cleo Pahlmeyer, who had been working by his side since 2008, founded Wayfarer and released the first Wayfarer estate wines in 2014. 

In 2017, Cleo was appointed President of Pahlmeyer wines. She led the sale of Pahlmeyer Winery in 2019 to focus entirely on Wayfarer, which she heads and manages to this day. 

Wayfarer Winemaker is Todd Kohn who grew up in Northern California and graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, He worked at Napa sparkling white wine producer Schramsberg,  then gained further experience in the vineyard, lab and cellar, gaining knowledge of winegrowing and winemaking working at several premiere Napa Valley wine producers including Opus One. He then worked at Moorooduc Estate on the Mornington Peninsula region of Australia, where he gained insight into growing and crafting world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Todd joined Wayfarer in 2013 as Assistant Winemaker working with the Consulting Winemaker and took over as Winemaker in 2017.

The Wayfarer vineyard spans 30 undulating acres on a remote reach of the Sonoma Coast. This distant landscape tucked in between redwoods gets the Pacific fog which cools the grapes at night extending the growing season, ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Producer photo of Wayfarer Vineyard

“Winemakers vintage and production notes, “We hand-picked each block and delivered firm, cool clusters to the winery before sunrise. After gentle pressing, the wine settled for 24 hours, followed by a carefully monitored racking to French oak barrels, 63% new. Native yeasts slowly guided alcoholic fermentation, with careful batonnage until malolactic fermentation was complete. The wine aged in barrel for 15 months, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.’

“2019 began with several months of heavy rainfall. Total rainfall for the year was 78 inches, second only to record-setting rainfall in 2017. With a warm April, shoot growth advanced quickly, and energy was plentiful in the soil after heavy rainfall in May. Flowering was also a week later than normal, but aligned wonderfully with a change in the weather, as rain clouds gave way to beautiful sunshine in June. The summer of 2019 was full of sunshine, yet temperatures were moderate to cool. The average high temperature through July and August was 81oF, perfect for gradually ripening the Chardonnay. By the time veraison began on August 4th, the vines were tracking only three days later than normal. 40 days later, we picked our first Chardonnay on September 13th, and concluded harvest on October 5th.”

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes, “Aromas of star jasmine, white peach, lemon zest and meringue emerge from the glass, along with roasted almond, coconut and baking spice. Graceful and subtle in its richness, this wine has plenty to offer. The dense palate is beautifully balanced with fresh acidity and salinity. An elegant chalky texture lingers on the finish, indicating great aging potential.’

This release was awarded 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 95 points by Erin Brooks of Wine Advocate, and 93 points by Antonio Galloni, Vinous and Kim Markus of Wine Spectator.

Dunnuck wrote, “This is just about as good as it gets in 2019 with regards to Chardonnay.”

Golden straw colored, full bodied, Burgundian styled with smooth polished, layered but perfectly balanced, creamy notes of peach, honeycomb, nutty almond and touches of citrus, green apple, flint  and chalky minerality, with pleasant integrated acidity on the very long finish.

RM 95 points. 

https://www.wayfarervineyard.com/wines/wayfarer/wayfarer-vineyard-chardonnay/2019

For the dinner course Dan offered a selection of different ultra-premium labels from his cellar collection including Shoup Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Chateau Palmer Margaux 2015 and this California Cab 2008. As part of proper cellar inventory management, I selected the oldest vintage, the California Cabernet, which was likely at the apex of its drinking window, and not likely to improve from further aging, vs the other’s that have a decade or decades of life yet, and likley to mature and improve further. 

Stag’s Leap Cellars “SLV” Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

We tasted the recent release of this label at the producer’s dinner recently featured in this blogpost Italian Village Wine Dinner.

This Italian Village “Crown Jewel of Napa - Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars” Wine Dinner hosted at Italian Village, Chicago celebrated the classic legacy of historic Italian and now American wine producer Marchesi Antinori, and their acquisition of legendary American Napa Valley producer, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. 

We were joined by fellow Pour Boy, Lyle and Terry, along with Dan and Linda,.

This is from the legendary “S.L.V”. Vineyard, also known as Stag’s Leap Vineyard, the winery’s first vineyard, planted in 1970. The vineyard is home to 35 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5 acres of Cabernet Franc, and is composed of predominantly volcanic soils with healthy drainage. 

This vineyard achieved global fame when the 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon triumphed over Bordeaux’s First- and Second-Growth Chateaux in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting. This historic Stags Leap District vineyard continues to produce wines with complex black fruit and berry character, spicy intensity and excellent structure. Wines from S.L.V. are craft to be enjoyed upon release, but also promise long life and an exceptional ability to age.

Producer’s notes, “The majority of the 1970s-era vines have aged past their grape-producing prime and have been gradually replanted, perpetuating the life of this historic vineyard. Yes, the notable vineyard, S.L.V. Block 4, planted in 1972, still sourced grapes for this blend. This block on the eastern side of S.L.V. is composed of rugged volcanic soils gives this wine its structure and notes of minerality along with concentrated dark fruit fl avors and ripe, elegant tannins. Vines in alluvial soils in the western part of the vineyard add accent notes of vibrant fruit fl avors and heady aromatics.”

Each lot was vinified and aged separately in small French oak barrels for 24 months.

Producer’s vintage notes - “The 2008 growing season was like a scary movie with a happy ending. A hard frost in April and a heat spike in May during bloom greatly reduced vineyard yields. Another heat spike in the first week of September caused concern, yet a reprieve of a cool, calm harvest the rest of the way. Although yields were lower than normal due to poor bloom and set, the concentration and flavor development in the grapes was outstanding, resulting in a beautiful wines despite the challenges.”

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate wrote, “It is one of the better and more complete of the 2008s“

Winemaker Notes, “The 2008 S.L.V. is the 35th vintage since the 1973 S.L.V. won the Paris Tasting in 1976. This rich and generous Cabernet Sauvignon opens with crushed blackberry and ripe plum aromas, accented by notes of anise, fennel and cedar. Full-bodied and supple, the wine flows smoothly across the palate. The wine's texture is reminiscent of enjoying a dark chocolate covered caramel with sea salt. Dark fruit and spice linger on the finish.”

This release was rated 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant and refined ripe blackberry, dark plum and black cherry fruits with notes of cassis, new oak, smoke and tar turning to sweet tannins on the finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.stagsleapwinecellars.com/

BV Tapestry Reserve with Steaks

Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve with Steaks 

Twice in the last week we’ve grilled out steaks and opened this Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend which proved to be a perfect accompaniment. 

Last Thursday night we had an impromptu dinner with kids and grandkids, Linda grilled a flank steak served with baked potatoes, asparagus and tossed salad. I pulled from the cellar this aged Napa Bordeaux Red Blend as an accompaniment. 

This was a perfect food-wine pairing and as I write often in these pages, an optimal pairing enhanced the enjoyment of both. 

We hold a dozen and half vintages of this wine dating back three decades. I find it a good QPR (quality-price-ratio) red blend to have on hand for such occasions. 

On last Thursday evening, we opened the Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve 2003.

We enjoyed this same label as featured in these earlier blogposts - 2012 BV Tapestry Reserve Vertical and Constant Red Blend Tasting, and, 2020 BV Tapestry 2001 With Artisan Cheese, excerpted here … 

This iconic label Tapestry Reserve is from the iconic historic Napa Valley producer Beaulieu Vineyards, that dates back to 1900. French founder Georges de Latour initially bought a small, four-acre property in the town of Rutherford as a surprise for his wife. The land eventually became the foundation for Beaulieu Vineyards. The producer survived Prohibition by having one of a handful of contracts to supply churches with sacramental wine. After Prohibition the winery grew and continued to thrive, experimenting with varietals, blends and aging. Under the direction of the legendary André Tchelistcheff, the winery became one of California's preeminent producers.

Tchelistcheff, trained as a wine master in France, shaped the character of BV’s wines during the 1950s and 1960s. Today the winery is famous the breadth and depth of its portfolio, anchored by its flagship, BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve, but also includes, besides Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.

The landmark Beaulieu Vineyards estate winery sits prominently on Napa Valley Highway 29 in Rutherford. It has grown to one of the pre-eminent Napa Valley producers, through acquisition of vineyards in other parts of Napa Valley, the winery owns 1,029 acres and produces a total of 750,000 bottles a year.

I’ve written about Beaulieu Vineyards and the Tapestry Reserve label often in these pages, notably in this more detailed feature back in 2023 - BV Tapestry with Beef bourguignon.

We hold nearly two dozen vintages of this popular label going back to a few remaining bottles of a full case acquired from the highly acclaimed 1997 vintage. Interesting that that vintage was uniquely packaged in a premium heavier, slightly larger bottle than all the others. It consistently offers sophisticated drinking for a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, often rivaling the much more expensive flagship label. We strive to keep this label in stock, replenishing consumed bottles with current vintage releases for reliable, quality, sophisticated wine to pair with grilled beefsteak, or enjoyable sipping such as this. 

This label dates back to its inaugural release in 1990, Tapestry Reserve is a tribute to the producer’s French heritage and the classic world renowned Bordeaux blends and Clarets. It is sourced from a selection of specific vineyard blocks of top-quality grapes that give Tapestry “the combined attributes of terroir expression and a round, approachable tannin structure”.

About half of the Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the western benchland of the Rutherford American Viticultural Area (AVA), and the balance from the Calistoga, Howell Mountain and St Helena AVAs.

It also contains in the traditional Bordeaux Blend, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, all sourced exclusively from BV estate vineyards in Calistoga, Knights Valley, Rutherford and Yountville. Also, Cabernet Franc, added to lend complexity, depth and “intrigue”, comes from Howell Mountain.

At twenty-four years, this label, foil, and most importantly the cork and fill level were still pristine. I selected this older vintage as part of cellar inventory management, drinking an older vintage before it wanes from diminution of aging past its prime drinking window. It was a pleasant surprise that this turned out to be a Goldilocks bottle, not too young, not too old, still at the apex of its drinking window/profile.

We've been fans of BV Tapestry for a long time with our collection dating back a dozen vintages to the mid-nineties. Tapestry as it's name so aptly states, is a blend of classic Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and accent portions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The predominant Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the historic BV Ranches No.1 and No. 2 vineyards in Rutherford, selected from specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of rich character and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. To complement the Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is added from Beaulieu’s vineyard in the Los Carneros region and the remaining grapes in the Blend from various Napa Valley vineyards.

Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve wines are handcrafted from the finest grapes of the vintage, focusing on premier estates in Rutherford, Carneros and other Napa Valley appellations. For more than 100 years, Beaulieu Vineyard has set the benchmark for rich, classic Napa Valley wines. Their legacy honors the marriage between state-of-the-art technology and gentle, traditional winemaking methods, a combination that enhances the expression of their remarkable vineyard terroir.

Georges and Fernande de Latour bought their first four acres in Napa Valley’s Rutherford region in 1900. Steadily, they increased their property, purchasing 127 acres in 1903, what’s now called BV Ranch No. 1, with BV Ranch No. 2 following in 1907. From the start, they imported vines from Europe that were resistant to phylloxera, a pest that destroys the roots and leaves of grape vines. These performed beautifully in the area’s Mediterranean climate. Always aspiring to lift the quality of Napa Valley as a whole, Georges offered them to fellow growers as well.

Since its inception in 1990, our Tapestry Reserve has always been a tribute to our French heritage and a nod to the classic Bordeaux blends and Clarets that are world-renowned. We always source from a selection of specific vineyard blocks of top-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of terroir expression and a round, approachable tannin structure. Roughly half of the Cabernet Sauvignon was grown on the famous western benchland of the Rutherford American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the balance from the Calistoga, Howell Mountain and St Helena AVAs. The Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec are sourced exclusively from our estate vineyards in Calistoga, Knights Valley, Rutherford and Yountville. The Cabernet Franc lends complexity, depth and intrigue, coming from Howell Mountain.

Beaulieu Vineyard "Tapestry Reserve" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2003 

That release was rated 90 points by Wine Advocate and wrote this about this tasting, “This 2003 Beaulieu Vineyard "Tapestry Reserve" exhibits a more complex nose than its more famous and expensive sibling, the Georges de Latour. I enjoyed it slightly more because of its nuances and additional complexity.”

This release is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Winemaker Notes - “Nearly opaque black-ruby in color, the 2003 Tapestry Reserve strongly showcases the concentration that came from this late-ripening vintage. Exotic aromas of black olive, dark cherry, vanilla-rosemary oak spice and dark cocoa with anise lead to rich, medium-full-bodied flavors of cedar, tobacco, dark currant and olives. The tannins are rich but not harsh.” 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?187546

Then, a week later, last night, we opened the Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 2008. I opened this to go with rib-eye steak left over from the other night, served as steak sandwiches with avocado. This was another deliciously perfect pairing - enhancing the enjoyment of both the food and the wine. 

This release was awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Connoisseurs’ Guide. 

Winemaker Notes - “Weaving together five classic varietals, our 2008 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry begins with deep, briary blackberry and cassis character from Cabernet Sauvignon. Velvety black-cherry character comes from a generous blending of Merlot, while Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot add violet, licorice, forest loam and graphite nuances, as well as deep hues and texture. Tapestry elegantly demonstrates the art of blending varietals to create a wine that combines multilayered flavors with supple, graceful tannin structure.”

Like the other vintage releases this is a blend of designated Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

At eighteen years of age, this is at the apex of its drinking window and while it won’t improve with any further aging, it should drink well for another five years or more. 

The foil and label, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still pristine - evidence of the ideal conditions for aging in our cellar. 

In this blogpost back in 2020, Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 2008, I wrote, “ We still hold three bottles of this release. This is aging very nicely as tonight's tasting eight years later was consistent with the last tasting note back in 9/14/2012 when I wrote: "Wow. Immediately I stated that this is the most expressive Tapestry I can remember with its vibrant full floral perfume. Dark ruby color with a slight purple hue, medium-full bodied, polished, smooth and nicely balanced - big bright vibrant expressive floral tones that are pervasive throughout accented by sweet ripe black currant and black berry fruits, a layer of vanilla, hint of cassis and tangy cinnamon spice and pleasant sweet oak with fine smooth polished tannins with that clinging long floral essence that holds for minutes.This was remarkably approachable for such a recent vintage. Barrel aged in 50% new oak."

Very enjoyable, this was pleasant, approachable sophisticated yet easy sipping. 

RM 91 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/beaulieu-vineyard-tapestry-reserve-2008.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198005

https://www.bvwines.com/

Robert Craig Affinity Duo with Grilled Beefsteaks

Robert Craig Affinity Duo Mini-Vertical with Grilled Beefsteaks

We were invited to son Alec’s and D-in-law Vivianna’s for midweek dinner of grilled beefsteaks, roasted potatoes and grilled onions - a chance to enjoy family including our grand-daughters. 

Prior to dinner, we enjoyed some artisan cheeses with crackers and fresh grapes, and Linda brought a mixed green Ceasar salad.

For pairing with the grilled beefsteaks, I pulled and brought from our home cellar an aged vintage Red Blend - Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

This label is the Bordeaux varietal blend from Robert Craig. We have a long history with this producer and their numerous Napa Valley Cabernets dating back to their inaugural release in 1993, and they represent one of the largest and longest holdings in our wine cellar collection. 

Notably, Alec had just received a recent release of this same label which allowed the opportunity to do a mini-vertical comparison tasting of the 2007 and 2022 releases. He shared, and I took home a bottle of this release extending my vertical collection to nearly two dozen vintages.  

We first tasted the 2007 vintage of this wine from a barrel sample, and acquired this label release during the Robert Craig Harvest Party, at the Winery and Vineyards estate high atop Howell Mountain back in 2009 as featured in this blogpost - Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party 2009. 

Linda, Robert and me

With Bill and Beth C and Rachel,
Robert Craig Hospitality Ambassador

I’ve written about Robert Craig and their Cabernet Sauvignon portfolio and this label numerous times in these pages, which are excerpted here - as last featured March 2, 2025 - Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007, and previously January 25, 2022 Robert Craig Affinity 2007.

We hold more than two decades of this label dating back to the inaugural release in 1993. This is part of a case we acquired of this label at the release party at the winery high atop Howell Mountain, so it is one we know well. 

I have written about Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in these pages many times including this detailed blogpost back in 2019, and again in 2021 in this post - Tomahawk Rib-eye Dinner features Robert Craig Affinity Duo, both partially excerpted below.

Robert Craig is one of our favorite Napa Valley producers and represents one of our largest holdings in our cellar. We've held many wine dinners with Robert and Lynn Craig and attended many events at the estate and winery. We have many fond memories of those dinners, lunches and other tasting events, and hearing Robert talk about this label. 

We visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times, as shown here with wine buddy Andy, sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill, and wine buddy Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the valley below shown below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet, Affinity and Robert Craig Zinfandel which they served at daughter Krista's wedding.

With Robert Craig at the estate high atop Howell Mtn 
back in 2008.

As mentioned above, we hold as many as two decades of Robert Craig’s portfolio of labels’ vintages dating back to the inaugural vintage release in 1993. This label, Affinity, represents the Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon based blend of Cabernet Sauvignons and other Bordeaux varietals sourced from the various Napa Valley appellations.

Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

Affinity is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio such that Robert always took immense pride in this label, as the entry level introduction to his 'three mountains and a valley' appellation select Napa Cabernets, referring to his appellation designated premium labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Spring Mountain. There were also bottlings from Atlas Peak and Mt George and in later years he would say ‘five mountains and a valley’. He took pride in this providing early gratification quality drinking at an early age, yet as shown tonight, it has some longevity for aging for a decade or more.  

I recall many times, Robert speaking fondly of this label and the QPR - quality price ratio it provided, as he strived to hold the price point of this wine to provide excellent value and be a draw to the Robert Craig brand. The appellation designated labels sold for twenty to thirty percent more. I wrote recently about the discontinuation of the Mt Veeder label after two decades of being one of the flagship labels. This was especially poignant as this was Robert's favorite label of the portfolio, having started his career on Mt Veeder. 

Sadly, Robert passed away in 2019 and I wrote about him in a Tribute Blog at that time. I opened a 2007 vintage of his favorite label, Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon that evening. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

I wrote back in 2019 about Robert's passing in a Tribute to Robert Craig, when the business turned over to new leadership.

Robert never promoted or played up the fact this label was a carefully crafted  Bordeaux Blend comprising all the Bordeaux varietals, rather he focused on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points Wine Enthusiast.

As noted above, we first tasted this wine from a barrel sample and acquired this release during the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 back in 2009. 

Robert Parker wrote in 2009, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars."

Wine Enthusiast wrote of this release, 'Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s'.

This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 

Back in 2022 I wrote, “this exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. At fifteen years, this seems to reaching the apex of its drinking profile. Tonight, this 2007 release was as good as any Affinity I recall ever having - a perfect accompaniment to the grilled tenderloin beefsteaks. At eighteen years this was at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but available for pleasant drinking for several years yet to come.” 

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 vs 2022

Tonight, at eighteen years, the label, foil and most importantly, the cork and fill level of the 2007 were pristine, ideal for the age. However, the 2007 was starting to show its age, most notably in the color, which has started to take on a slight hazy brownish rust hue, when compared to the bright garnet color of the recent release (as shown 2022 on left, 2007 on right). 

Furthermore, while the two vintages showed amazing similarity in the overall tasting profile, the 2007 was starting to take on notes of dusty, earthy leather. The 2007 showed more depth, weight and concentration than the lighter and slightly more austere 2022. 

Historic notes for the 2007 release - Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish.

Tonight, based on these tasting results, I reduced my rating from RM 93 points to RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=802059

I rate the 2022 release at 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5119384

Other related Robert Craig postings … 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1798118

https://robertcraigwine.com/

Visits to Robert Craig Estate - 

Harvest Party 2009 -  
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa-09/napa-09-craig/napa_harvest_09_craig.htm

Howell Mountain Estate Visit - 2008 
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/napa_08_craig.htm

Historic past reviews of this 2007 Affinity label …. 

We bought a case of this upon release and still hold most of it of this label from this vintage - one of a dozen vintages we hold dating back two decades, all totaling more than four cases. I've blogged tasting notes of this label numerous times with similar results, five of which are summarized below:

 My Cellartracker record for this label shows a half dozen tasting notes for this release going back from 21 to 2010 as shown below. 

As posted: 4/8/2021 - This exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. Mini-vertical tasting alongside 2000. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish. 93 Points

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html 

6/28/2020 - Consistent with earlier tasting notes. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

2/10/2019 - Earlier tastings of this label cited this release being "a bit tight and slightly closed on opening, but after an hour opened up to show wonderful black and blue berry fruits".  92 Points

This week this was more approachable on opening and even appealing in the couple of following days, better than when young. It showed the same profile as earlier, garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex black berry and black currant fruits with slight hint of mocha - nicely balanced and polished with velvety well integrated smooth silky tannins on a nice lingering soft finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html
5/9/2013 -  90 Points 
A bit tight and slightly closed but after an hour opened up to show wonderful black and blue berry fruits, red currant and slight hint of mocha - complex, polished, velvety well integrated smooth silky tannins on a nice lingering soft finish.
3/27/2010 - 93 Points - Initially a bit tight and closed but after an hour opened up to show wonderful black and blue berry fruits, red currant and slight hint of mocha - complex, polished, velvety well integrated smooth silky tannins on a big long soft finish.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007  

In 2009, Robert Parker wrote, "I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars." 

Wine Enthusiast wrote about this release, "Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s." In 2010 they wrote, "Enjoy now or hold up to 20 years." 

In 2009, Parker wrote in another review, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

Vin’Tij SanDestin Food and Wine Dinner

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/