Showing posts with label lobster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lobster. Show all posts

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville 

Son Ryan and D-in-law Michelle treated us to dinner at Gordon Ramsey's RK Kitchen in downtown Naperville (IL). This was our first visit to the trendy restaurant that opened in our hometown last summer to much fanfare. 

Readers of these pages know I write often about dinesites and our food and wine restaurant experience. But, up until now I've not had a metricized qualitative or quantitative rating or review system against which to evaluate and compare such restaurants. Based on tonight's, and recent experiences, I felt such a evaluation method with criteria was required and after much thought devised a system to try. 

Using my new system, I evaluated tonight's dining experience. I then went back and retrospectively scored a half dozen recent restaurant experiences as a basis of comparison, evaluating the evaluation system, so to speak. 

Here are my criteria for evaluating a restaurant dining experience, and the associated weight applied to each:

Food - 35 - Selection, quality, creativity or ingenuity, presentation, course pairing, wine pairing

Wine - 35 - Breadth and depth of selection, range of options at various price points, suitability and applicable pairing with the dinner courses

Ambiance - 10| - atmosphere, vibe, comfort, stylishness, general aura

Service - 10 - delivery, attentiveness, professionalism, attitude, overall experience

Value - 10 - value for quality, service, atmosphere, experience

Wow Factor - Lastly, what I simply call the WOW Factor - additional scoring, weighting based on special consideration or  extra credit factors that contribute to the overall experience such that they warrant attention - food and wine pairing - site architecture, location, historical significance, specials ... other ... potential for +10 points

So, here we go, for tonight's experience - 

Food  - 31 - Food was superb in creativity, ingenuity, preparation, quality - downgraded the rating for the only thing lacking, bread or depth of selection choices - only the limited menu choice detracting from score.

Wine - 31 - Same as food, the minimalist winelist offered various options for each course, at multiple price points, but lacking depth and breadth of multiple choices for minimal options for effective wine pairing with each course.

Ambiance - 8 of 10 - chic, stylish, artful, warm, lively and vibrant but a bit noisy and boisterous for optimal comfort. 

 

Service - 9 of 10 - Starting with the host station, going the extra meal to seat us promptly, attending to checking our coats, superb food service, adequate wine service. 

Value - 5 - Expensive, especially taking into account the ala carte sides, and the somewhat limited number of options or alternatives. 

WOW Factor - 8 points extra credit for the up-beat, stylish, quality fixtures, furnishings, layout, design, artfully designed and implemented for a positive experience. 

Total - 92 points.


Our dinner - 

We started with a Wedge Salad which they conveniently served almost family style like a chopped salad making it easy and convenient to share around the table.

Wedge Salad- iceberg, blue cheese, glazed bacon, roasted tomatoes, pickled red onion, chives.

With the salad course we had from the WBTG offerings two sparkling wines - 

Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose'

Lanson Brut NV Champagne 

For our main source entree selections, we had to try the house specialty, Ramsey's signature dish, the Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellingto, potato purée, glazed baby root vegetables, red wine demi, served medium rare.

RK offers a Daily Special so in the spirit of trying out the gourmet chef's selections, Linda ordered the daily special - Lobster Pot Pie -butter-poached lobster, lobster bisque filling served aside for preparation at the table by the diner, pouring into the puff pastry.

We ordered two side dishes, Potato Puree with sour cream and chives, and the Roasted Heirloom Carrots with harissa yogurt, za’atar, brown butter, marcona almonds and mint.

For dessert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding -warm date cake, sweet cream ice cream and english toffee sauce.


Our wine accompaniment pairing with the dinner was a robust full bodied Red Blend. 

Ridge Lytton Springs Red Blend 2021

Once again, as happens often, we drank this same wine, from our cellar, about this same time, two years ago, almost to the day for another dinner tastings - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek ValleyZinfandel 2014. At that time, I wrote about the producer and wine in these pages, Ridge Vineyards  and Lytton Springs.  

We always keep a selection of big robust fruit forward wines for pizza and barbecue - Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Syrah varietals to name a few. We typically hold a half dozen different labels from the various offerings of Ridge Vineyards.

Ridge Vineyards are a legendary producer of a broad portfolio of wines with an extensive line-up of Zinfandels, all from single vineyard designated label sites. 

Ridge has a rich history dating back to 1885 when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, he planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building remains to this day serving as the Ridge production facility.

Ridge have been producing Lytton Spring vineyard wines since 1972 with 100 plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Genache. The site has produced the quintessential example of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. 

The Lytton Springs site lies just north of the town of Healdsburg, just west of Highway 101 in the Dry Creek Valley. The topography consists of a benchland and gently rolling hills. The climate provides foggy mornings turning to warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. Soils are varied with a predominance of gravelly clay, which aids in moisture retention, ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. The Lytton Springs terrior with weathered, agronomically poor soils in the benchland have proven to be an ideal site for Zinfandel vines to produce classic Zinfandel varietal wines.

The Lytton Springs vineyards were part of land once owned by Captain William Litton, who during the last half of the nineteenth century developed the springs and built a hotel just east of the vineyard for San Franciscans who arrived by train to “take the waters.” 

According to the producer's website, Long after the death of Captain Litton, controversy continued in regards to the change from “i” to “y”, as the accepted spelling of the Litton property. According to the text of Once Upon a Time by Julius Myron Alexander, the spelling was changed “because it was proper”. Then, in a 1969 Press Democrat article, Healdsburg City Clerk and local historian, Edwin Langhart, offered a different opinion, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

Ridge Vineyards dates back to 1959 when three scientists from Stanford University's Research Institute (SRI) and their families formed a partnership and bought a property owned by Dr. Short up on Monte Bello Ridge high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of them, David Bennion, made a half barrel of cabernet from the ten year old vines. The partners re-bonded the winery and named it Ridge Vineyards in 1962. That year they produced their first Monte Bello vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ridge produced its first Zinfandel in 1964 from 19th century vines on the Pichetti Ranch near the base of the Monte Bello Ridge. Ridge produced it's first Sonoma County Geyserville Zinfandel in 1966, from vines planted in 1882. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year.

Paul Draper joined the partnership as winemaker in 1969. He was a Stanford graduate in philosophy, and a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge. He had recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range. He oversaw the restoration of the old Perrone winery and vineyards acquired the previous year. 

He first saw the Lytton Springs vineyard in 1972 and, based on its age with 80 years old vines, purchased grapes and produced Ridge’s first Lytton Springs bottling that year. In 1991, on the 20th anniversary of their first vintage, Ridge purchased the Lytton Springs winery and the old vines surrounding it, making it a true estate vineyard.

Paul Draper went on to become a legend with Ridge Vineyards. The Ridge brand grew to a broad portfolio of more than four dozen single vineyard designated label wines from more than two dozen different vineyards. They operate two wineries and hospitality sites, Lytton Springs in Healdsburg up in north Sonoma County and Monte Bello high in the Santz Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley. 

Paul Draper retired in 2016 at age 80, after 47 years as winemaker. Ridge continued on expanding with additional vineyard site purchases include the purchase that year of Whitton Ranch, a 36-acre parcel in the heart of Geyserville.

Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Red Blend 2021

This is a single vineyard designated label, sourced from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Northern Soboma County. The vineyard lies just north of Healdsburg on the benchland where the gently rolling hills separate Dry Creek from Alexander Valley. 

Lytton Springs is named after Captain William H. Litton and two naturally occurring springs that were located on the original property. Litton worked as a ship’s pilot in the San Francisco Bay in the mid nineteenth century before acquiring the large tract of land in 1860. The property straddled the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys that extended from the southernmost boundaries of Geyserville to the northern limits of the fledgling town of Healdsburg, with the Russian River serving as its eastern boundary. The property was originally part of the Rancho Sotoyome land grant of the 1840’s. By 1867, Captain Litton was considered the fourth largest property owner in Sonoma County. 

In 1872, the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad linked Healdsburg and points north with the Bay area. In an attempt to attract tourists, Captain Litton and three partners built a resort hotel on the site in 1875, known as “Litton Springs” for the popular soda springs that were located half a mile uphill from the original hotel site. The naturally carbonated seltzer, or sweetwater, springs were considered to have medicinal value for their mineral properties. The springs still exist today and their presence was one of the primary reasons that underground caves were never built underneath the winery.

Captain Litton sold the 2700 acre property, including the hotel in 1878. Over the next couple of decades, the resort property was bought and sold and subdivided into smaller parcels by various owners. 

 According to the producer's website, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

 The vineyards were first established on the property in 1901 with the hillside vineyard blocks on the eastern portion of Lytton Springs, followed by vineyard blocks on the flats in 1910. To this day, Lytton Springs is home to those 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Grenache.

 The site is ideal for Zinfandel with foggy mornings, warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. The agronomically poor soils are gravelly clay which holds moisture ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. 

This label was first produced in 1972.

I write regularly in these pages about the pairing of wine with food. This wine was too bold and rich for the Beef Wellington, which would've been better suited with a more balanced and finely integrated Red Blend. 

This vintage release is a red blend of 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut and 1% Counoise.

This label release was awarded 95+ Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, 94 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles and 94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 93 Points by Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com.

Winemaker Notes

"Rich blackberry and plum on the nose with notes of aniseed. Full-bodied with dark bramble fruit and well-coated tannins on the palate. The long finish reveals layers of black licorice and dried sage.'

"Lytton Springs has become synonymous with classic Dry Creek zinfandel. It shows potent, ripe boysenberry and blackberry, but also a pronounced rusticity and earthiness often attributed to its blending varietals; petite sirah and carignane. Acid and tannin are firm, yet not overwhelming; in youth, at least, fruit predominates. This balanced, powerful wine becomes more nuanced with age, and it often holds for more than a decade."

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, a cacophony of bright, vibrant expressive, full round ripe red and black brambly fruit flavors accented by sweet spices, clove and cinnamon, full tannins on the finish. May be better with some age to further integrate.

RM  92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4578675 

https://www.ridgewine.com/product/2021-lytton-springs/

https://www.ridgewine.com/

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen/menus/naperville

https://twitter.com/GRamsaysKitchen

@RidgeVineyards

Saturday, October 7, 2023

The James Geneva features wine friendly menu and fine wines

The James Restaurant Geneva (IL) features wine friendly menu and fine wine selection

Saturday afternoon lunch - a beautiful picture perfect Midwestern autumn day - we drove out to Geneva on the Fox River and dined at The James Restaurant, recently reopened under new ownership, formerly Fiore's which we've visited and featured previously in these pages.  

The James new restaurant and cocktail lounge, features a broad menu offering steaks from prime purveyor Allen Brothers, seafood and other assorted entrees and small plates ... and a Wine Spectator Award winning winelist, opened in May at 317 S. Third St., Geneva, the former location of Fiora’s, which closed in January.

The James is the creation of Geneva residents Chris and Gretchen Hupke who are leasing the space. Along with Gretchen's brother, Todd McWethy, they also own and operate McWethy’s Tavern at the Mistwood Golf Course in Romeoville, and McWethy’s Sports Bar in Bolingbrook. The James is partly named for their late father, James (Jim) McWethy, and partly too, for James Herrington, Geneva’s first settler, namesake to the nearby (James) Herrington Inn & Spa which we have also featured in these pages

The James occupies the quaint historic building on trendy bustling Third Street, Geneva, with a collection of stylishly decorated multi-colored dining rooms, the brightly lit sun-porch overlooking the patio outdoor seating area, a classic vintage library bar with pressed- tin-ceiling and marble top tables, and the wine cellar dining room on the lower level which is an operating wine cellar and has seating for up to 20 for wine themed special dinners. 


We were able to secure a table on the sun-drenched sun porch room, whose floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlook the 140-seat outdoor patio. 


The James' imaginative varied menu features creations from chef Steven Blackburn who previously headed up a sushi bar in West Hollywood. The meat menu selections offer beef sourced from premier purveyor Allen Brothers in Chicago, from an eight-ounce bavette and filet mignon to a hearty 24-ounce porterhouse, classic chicken Vesuvio, pork schnitzel, and a 16-ounce pork chop. The entree and small plate selections offer seafood selections such as grilled swordfish, Japanese style salmon sashimi, and shrimp shakshuka.

We ordered a medley from the small plates menu, the Lobster Agnolotti, the Coffee Charred Steak along with the Lobster Bisque and Apple and Pear Salad. 

Apple and Pear Salad - green apple, red pear, candied pecans, mixed greens with bleu cheese vinaigrette
Crab Bisque with Chive
Lobster Agnolotti - lobster tail, saffron cream sauce, brown butter
Coffee Charred Steak - Allen Brothers, Chicago skewered Prime beef, plum BBQ sauce, pea shoot

Everything was wonderful - the bisque was especially delectable and the Charred Steak skewers with the plum BBQ sauce was spectacular, and a wonderful pairing with the red wine (s) (despite having note of spice heat, which normally I would degrade for offsetting the pallet and discrimination for the wine).

A draw for us was the James' imaginative and carefully selected wine list with 90 wines by the bottle, wines by the glass, and a collection of half bottles. Their wine list won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2023.

For our wine accompaniment to our lunch we ordered a half bottle of the Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We know this producer and wine well having visited the Chateau and Estate on a couple occasions.  

Our visit to the Vieux Télégraphe estate and meeting owner/winemaker Daniel Brunier (left) was a highlight of our Rhone Valley Wine Experience in 2019.

Notably, while the wine list features Domaine du Vieux 'Telegraph' Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone (their quotation emphasis, not mine). They actually served Domaine du Vieux Telegraph, 'Telegramme', Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This is their 'second' wine, sourced from younger vines and is generally about half the price of the flagship grand cru. 

We brought this to our server's attention and eventually to the proprietor/owner Chris Hupke (below). Upon researching this further, he realized that while they ordered the flagship Vieux Telegraph label, they actually received from the distributor the Telegramme label, which they were subsequently serving. They hadn't caught this difference until I brought it to their attention.

This sparked an extensive in-depth friendly and convival conversation with Chris about our shared interests and experiences in fine wines, culminating in a cellar tour and visit to the wine room downstairs. 

Our lively discussion about wine finds and preferences and restaurant wine lists covered our shared love of Howell Mountain Cabernet's and lead to Bordeaux varietal selections from Washington State.

In recompense for the winelist switch/snafu and shortcoming in our red wine selection, Chris brought out a glass of a Washington State Red Mountain Cabernet from Walls Vineyard and Winery.

Our original selection:

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme 2018 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe 'Telegramme', Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone 2018

As stated, we visited Vieux Télégraphe during our trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone River Valley back in 1998 and again in 2019. We hold Vieux Télégraphe wines dating back three decades to the early 1980's. 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe has been run by the Brunier family for five generations dating back to 1891. The estate’s vineyards average 60 years of age on the Plateau of La Crau, a site known for growing Châteauneuf-du-Pape grape varietals.

The estate is named for the telegraph towers that sat on the site dating back to the early visual signal towers that were invented and deployed as far back as 1792. Lines of relay towers were built within line-of-sight of each other at distances of 5–20 miles. Tower operators would watch adjacent towers through a spyglass for signals produced by mechanical shutter arms and would pass the message on to the next tower. These early systems were faster and less expensive than horse drawn riders. These lines were a precursor of the electrical telegraph which would replace them half a century later.

The estate wines are known for their distinctive terroir signature of predominant minerality from filtering through the thick layer of large pebbles left behind when the Alpine glaciers melted, long before the Rhône Valley formed.

Winemaker (s): Frédéric & Daniel Brunier 

The blend for this release is 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre and 4% Cinsault. 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Châteauneuf-du-Pape seriously dominated by Grenache, which confers very singular suppleness and roundness. Best savored young.

This is the second wine of Vieux Telegraphe. Mainly Grenache with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault from mostly young vines but it does include grapes from 45 year old vines at Château La Roquette.

This release was awarded 92-93 points by James Suckling and 90-92 points by Wine Advocate.

Dark Ruby colored, medium-full bodied, classic brambly red and black raspberry and plum fruits with notes of gariggue, floral and spice from the Grenache, with hints of pepper on the moderate long, rich, ripe tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3480040

http://www.vieux-telegraphe.fr/en/

Wall Vineyards 'Curiositas' Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Chris served us a glass of this big full bodied, fruit forward, flavorful Cabernet. We happen to know this brand and label and have a case of other vintages in our cellar collection.

Ironically, or notably, we also knew this producer and label well, having visited the winery in Walla Walla during our Walla Walla Wine Experience back in 2018, where we discovered this label and acquired a case of it from the 2015 vintage. 

Our visit the winery was one of the highlights of that appellation visit. It was great fun to share, and educate our host about this label, the brand and its background and history of the producer, the estate and the vineyards.

Walls Curiositas Red Mountain Cabernet

Walls Winery Curiositas Columbia Valley Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

With Mike Martin, Owner Walls Vineyards
We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the producer during our recent Walla Walla Wine Experience. It was our favorite of the portfolio of wines tasted with Mike Martin, owner/producer Walls Vineyards and Winery.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA in central Washington.

As I wrote in an earlier blogpost almost four years ago to the day, this was my favorite of the flight that we tasted at the winery. Of course I tend to favor Bordeaux varietals and found this especially appealing.

The fruit for this is sourced from the Obelisco Vineyard on the higher slopes of the Red Mountain AVA. The vines get increased exposure to the sun and are planted in higher density to further stress the grapes. The result is a wine of great complexity but one that is elegant and lush, yet subtle with tones the winemaker describes as possessing 'freshness that evokes a Margaux-styled fragrant' Cabernet'.

From our Walls Winery producer visit report when we tasted and acquired the 2015 vintage release.

The Walls Curiositas Red Mountain Cabernet 2015

2015 Curiositas is an elegant, complex and lush, yet subtle, wine. Its tone of freshness evokes a Margaux-styled fragrant Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sourced from the Obelisco Vineyard, high in the Red Mountain AVA where the vines get full exposure to all the elements.

“It is beautifully situated, with more vines doing less work, and planted with higher density,” says winemaker Ali. “It lends itself to complexity so how could we not take advantage of that?”

Chris served us the 2018 release of this label. It was bigger, more vibrant and expressive than the 2015 vintage we hold in our cellar that we are accustomed to.

Bright purple garnet colored, it was medium-full bodied with a firm gripping backbone structure with glycerine legs clinging to the glass, the polished elegant tannins were smooth and silky that it made for enticing casual sipping - bright red and black fruits accented by bright expressive notes of menthol, spice and creme de cassis, with notes of tobacco leaf and subtle vanilla and oak. 
 
Jeb Dunnuck gave this 97 points and like Robert Parker's Wine Advocate talks about this label's 'well-integrated tannins, solid grip, coupled with a swath of fresh acidity that delivers muscular structure' but then talks about it being 'light footed through the long finish'.

RM 93 points.

Jeb Dunnuck, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this  “Editor’s Choice" and rated it "Extraordinary (95-100 pts.) "

331 Cases were produced.
 
We enjoyed The James so much we've already signed up for their upcoming winemaker producer dinner next week.  

https://thejamesgeneva.com/

@PassionatePour1

Bar
James Photo of the Bar

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Right Bank Bordeaux Blends and South African Chardonnay with surf and turf dinner

Right Bank Style Bordeaux Blends and South African Chardonnay with surf and turf dinner of lobster and grilled ribeye beefsteaks 

 We hosted neighbors Rich and Edessa for a casual Sunday evening dinner and Linda grilled ribeye beefsteaks and lobster tail medallions for a surf and turf dinner al dante on the deck, taking advantage of a delightfully perfect autumn evening. 

Son Alec dropped in and joined us and helped select, and enjoy, the wine (s).

De Wetshof Limestone Vineyard Robertson Valley Chardonnay 2021

Prior to dinner with artisan cheeses, and then with ramikans of lobster medallions with butter baked croutons, I served this interesting Chardonnay from South Africa.

We picked this up at Wine Discount Center downtown (Chicago) during a getaway weekend to the City last year. They do a great job finding good QPR (quality price ratio) wines from around the world. Regretably, they closed their Naperville retail outlet a while back but still offer the means to shop on-line and pick-up wines at a convenient location nearby. We've bought many wines this way however it involves several steps in the process including being able to pick up your purchase at a specific time on a specific day. In any event, its an avenue to acquire some interesting selections of wine-finds.

This producer, De Wetshof is known for the production of fine wines in South Africa since the 1970’s and were the first registered wine estate in the Robertson Wine Valley. De Wetshof specialize and focus on Chardonnay and become known internationally as South Africa’s eminent Chardonnay House due to the pioneering role they have played in producing the noble Burgundian grape to the country.

Proprietor's Danie De Wet's family were early growers in the Robertson Valley and can trace their Cape winemaking heritage back to the 1700s when the De Wet family first arrived in 1694 and made their mark on the South African wine industry.

Today, De Wetshof is one of the few third generation wine estates in South Africa managed by Johann de Wet, CEO who oversees the De Wetshof’s vineyards, while brother Peter runs finances and logistics. Both are also actively involved in winemaking and strategy along with their father Danie.

About 80% of the estate is planted to Chardonnay, with various clones matched to specific sites on the property aimed at optimal expression of terroir. This label is the standard entry level to a portfolio of a half dozen Chardonnays which also includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, a "Lilya Dry Rosé", "Nature in Concert Pinot Noir" and a Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a a "Edeloes" Noble Late Harvest aged dessert wine.

Winemaker Notes for the Limestone Vineyard Chardonnay - "Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow this Chardonnay to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. An un-wooded wine, Limestone Hill has notes of grapefruit and nuts, with the complexity balanced by a nuanced elegance ending with a delicate ripeness."

This label was awarded 91 points by Wine & Spirits, and 90 points by both James Suckling and Wine Spectator.

This De Wetshof’s unoaked Chardonnay is grayish green and gold colored, medium bodied with crisp pear and apple flavors with notes of lemon, apricot and crushed stones on the nose with tangy acidity and a mineral on the pleasant zesty finish. 

RM 90 points. 

 https://dewetshof.com/

For the main course with the grilled rib-eye beefsteaks, I pulled from the cellar a couple aged "Right Bank" Bordeaux varietal blends, one from Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards and Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah. 

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards "Right Bank" Napa Valley Red Blend 2006

We served an earlier vintage release of this label and wrote about the producer and this label in an earlier blogpost in the spring of last year - Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2004.

Just like that night when we prepared Tomahawk Ribeye beefsteaks, I was eager to serve the optimal food wine pairing, which as I state often in these pages, results in heightened enjoyment of both.

I pulled from the cellar this aged Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, aptly named "Right Bank" by the producer in light of its Merlot predominance in the Blend, accented by another Bordeaux varietal Cabernet Franc.

Tonight's 2006 release is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and provided a delightful sipping smooth polished Merlot centric red wine with a tangy spicy edge provided by the Cabernet Franc, ideal for pairing with the grilled beefsteak. 

As I highlighted in that earlier blogpost, Oenophiles and Bordeaux enthusiasts know that a Bordeaux Blend will comprise the classic specified Bordeaux varietal grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and perhaps Malbec, or some combination thereof. 

Those wines produced on the 'Right Bank' of the Gironde River, to the north and east of the slightly diagonally running river, will be predominantly Merlot based, complemented by the remaining varietal (s) in the mix. 

Meanwhile, those wines from the 'Left Bank', to the - south and west of the river, will be predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with lesser amounts of some combination of the remaining Bordeaux varietals in the Blend.

Hence, at 77% Merlot, this is considered a 'Right Bank' Bordeaux (Blend). Indeed, the rear label cites they produce this wine from the two Bordeaux varietals to be complimentary of those from the most famous Right Bank appellation, St Emilion.

This is from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards, a family owned and operated producer founded in 1983, who released their first vintage in 1987. This is not to be confused with Conn Creek Napa Valley labels and brand from St Helena that go back to the 1980's. 

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards produce estate Bordeaux varietal based wines from their 40-acre estate located south of Howell Mountain in Conn Valley, just over the first lower slope of the Vaca Range that makes up the eastern wall of Napa Valley. Take Howell Mountain Road to Conn Valley Road which snakes through the valley parallel to the ridgeline above Silverado Trail, above Joseph Phelps and Hall Rutherford estates and vineyards.

They promote that they are just 3 miles or 10 minutes east of downtown St. Helena to invite visitors to their tours. 

Anderson's is run by Todd Anderson who graduated from University of Pacific in Stockton, CA with a degree in Geology before working for a small tech firm in seismic oil and gas exploration. Todd soon joined up with his parents in starting a “small vineyard” in the creation of Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards.

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 'Right Bank' Cuvee Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2006

Anderson produces a portfolio of Napa Valley sourced wines, Bordeaux varietals and blends as well as a Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc whites. 

Conn Valley’s Cabernets are made from 100% Estate grown grapes from the vineyards located at the winery site in Conn Valley - from their estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a Reserve, a Cabernet Franc, this Right Bank blend and their flagship super premium Eloge blend label. Their website library notes go back to the 2007 or 08 vintages, post dating this 2006 vintage release. 

Prior to blending and bottling, their wines are aged in the hillside caves located on the Conn Valley Estate.

According to the rear label, winemaker for this release was Mac Sawyer, winemaker since 2000, he sadly passed away in 2012.  Owner, founding winemaker Todd Anderson brought Mac on when they created the ultra-exclusive Ghost Horse Label.

Mac had interned at iconic Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, one of the most famous top rated estates' labels in the world. No doubt that experience formed the inspiration from the wines of Saint-Émilion and at Cheval Blanc, that Todd Anderson and Mac sought to recreate with this Right Bank Cuvee, crafted in the style of Cheval Blanc from Napa Valley fruit. 

The first vintage release of Right Bank Cuvee was in 2001 and was intended to be produced only for the the annual Napa Valley charity fundraising auction Napa Premier.  

The story goes that legendary wine reviewer Robert Parker was on his annual visit to Anderson’s Conn Valley when Todd Anderson agreed to let Parker taste the Right Bank 2001 on the condition that he agreed not to publish any tasting notes. Impressed with the wine, somehow, Parker unintentionally published glowing tasting notes in the Wine Advocate. The ensuing demand for the Right Bank label was so great that Todd agreed to make it part of Anderson’s Conn Valley’s annual portfolio. 

My records show we've had a half dozen vintages of this label that included a mini-vertical dating back to the 2003 release, including at least one vintage in large format magnum. 

Tonight, this release was better than earlier tastings of earlier vintages of this label. 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated the 2004 release 94 points and described it, "Their Napa Valley Cheval Blanc look-alike is called Right Bank, usually a blend of two-thirds Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, although it can change somewhat depending on the vintage. This is a thrilling wine that comes as close as just about any wine in Napa to mimicking a great Right Bank Bordeaux."

He rated the 2006 release 95 points back in 2009. (RP Wine Advocate, 12/2009) and wrote, "The 2006 Right Bank (70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a dark plum/purple hue along with gamy, cedary, black cherry, black currant, plum, toffee, and caramel aromas. Deep, rich, and youthful with significant tannin as well as impressive concentration and length, this is a stunning, complex Napa Valley red. (RP) (12/2009)"

Like the 2004 two years ago at eighteen years, the 2006', at seventeen years fill level, label, foil and most importantly the cork were all in nearly ideal condition. The cork, shown, exhibited slight evidence of past seepage and the label was soiled from excessive humidity in the cellar at some point over the last decade. 

Unlike the 2004 in the previous tasting, (https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=274955), when it seemed to be "waning on the back side of its peak drinking window signaling it may be time to drink as it will likely start or continue to decline from here going forward", this was still at the apex of its drinking window, albeit not likely to improve any further with age. 

This was delicious, dark garnet colored with purple hues, medium full bodied and complex, yet smooth and polished black berry, black currant and plum fruits accented by notes of sweet toffee and caramel with hints of cinnamon clove spice, anise and cedar on a long silky tannin laced finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=596492

https://www.connvalleyvineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/ConnValley  

As we neared the end of the bottle of "Right Bank", I elected to fetch another similar style wine for a comparison tasting. After discussion on our options, Alec and I went to the cellar to pull the follow on selection for our tasting flight. We went back and forth on the vintage selection and ended up bringing up two vintages. 

Uriah Spring Valley Vineyard Red Blend 2013 and 2015

This provided an interesting comparison in a mini-vertical tasting, showing a disparate contrast in two vintages of the same label. 

I reviewed this wine in an earlier blogpost in these pages - Spring Valley 2013 Blends - Uriah vs Frederick, a comparison tasting between two different Spring Valley wines, their Right Bank, Uriah, and their Left Bank Frederich.

Spring Valley Vineyard 2013 Walla Walla Valley Red Wine Bordeaux Blends - Uriah vs Frederick 

Tonight, this pair of two red wine blends of the same style and blend as our other selection, from different vintages of the same wine provided a comparative tasting in a mini-vertical tasting, as well as a ideal comparison tasting flight.

We visited Spring Valley during our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, namesake for this label. 

Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021. 

All of the Spring Valley wines are named for one of the ancestral or current family members. Spring Valley Vineyard wines are all produced from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington.

The complete lineup of Spring Valley wines featuring the family member labels is featured in a boxed set. Shown is our set commemorating the 2013 vintage releases.

Washington State and regional powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the winery and the brand from the Derby family recently, but they continue to own and operate the vineyards.

This label, Uriah, is named for the Spring Valley Vineyards founder Uriah Corkrum, grandfather of matriarch Shari Corkrum Derby. 

Born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866, he began successfully farming on his own during the 1880s. Unusual summer rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and, in 1897, acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley that is the site of the vineyards today. Uriah is featured on the flagship label Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend. This is our favorite label from the Spring Valley portfolio. 

The Uriah label from Spring Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is Merlot based like those from the northeastern or right bank of the Gironde River.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2013
 
We hold nearly a decade of vintages of this label but pulled two of the oldest, both of which we had multiple bottles.

The 2013 release of Uriah is 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec.

Being a blend of five Bordeaux varietals, this was more complex than the 'simpler' Right Bank that only contained two. I often compare the profile of blended wines to their width and depth - imagine a bar chart with five bars vs one with three. 

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator,  92 points Vinous and Wine Enthusiast. 

Vinous in their review also mentioned both labels in their review,  "Incidentally, this wine and the Frederick are Spring Valley's most important bottlings, with about 3,000 cases of each produced.

The Merlot base exudes smoothness while the Cabernet Franc spiciness shines through. This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, Wine Spectator called it 'broad and expressive', black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by pepper, spice, black olive and notes of black olive, expresso and green herbs turning to fine grained tannins on a lingering finish. 

This was not a smooth, elegant or polished as the Right Bank, which was noticed by everyone at the table. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2296582

We then moved to the 2015 vintage release of this label, which was featured in earlier tasting posts in these pages - Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend 2015

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2015

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2015

The Spring Valley Vineyards adjacent to the
farmstead site

These are 100% sourced from Spring Valley Vineyards in the wind-shaped Palouse Hills 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. 

The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a southern hillside facing southwest. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields.

The 2015 vintage was one of the warmest growing seasons on record in Washington. Warm temperatures continued through the spring and summer, moderating slightly into fall and extending an early harvest. Overall, 2015 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing optimal ripening across varieties and yielding outstanding wines throughout the region.

This 2015 release is a blend or Bordeaux varietals, 43% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 100% French oak, 40% new.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: “Our most terroir driven blend, mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A rich wine coming from one of the warmest harvests. The tannins are velvety and the finish is long and soft.”
~ Serge Laville, Winemaker.

This was rated 93 Points by Wine & Spirits, 92 Points by James Suckling, 91 Points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Sean Sullivan of Wine Advocate. 

We hold half dozen vintages of this label and pulled two of the oldest vintage as part of effective cellar management rotation. 

At eight years this is probably at or near its peak, the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to age gracefully for another decade if you're patient enough to keep it that long. 

This was bright garnet colored, medium bodied, elegant polished, rich but approachable for pleasant but sophisticated drinking, its right-bank style blend shows vibrant black berry and dark plum fruits with notes of cassis, spice, floral and hints of balsamic and herbs with dusty minerality with polished soft tannins on the lingering finish.

It was consensus of the entire group that this was better than the 2013 vintage release, but still not as polished, elegant or delightful as the first Right Bank bottle in our flight.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2648699

Linked referenced in this blog:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/spring-valley-vineyards-tasting-and.html

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/