Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2004

Perfect complement to Friday night dinner lobster tails. Ideal drinking window for this is five to ten years. At sixteen, this is  past its apex and showing its age turning from golden straw colored to honey brown, and the fruits are starting to take on notes of smoke. This was delightful none-the-less, but time to drink.

This is clearly crafted in the California versus the classic Burgundian style with layers of big rich oak, straw color turning dark to honey, medium bodied, note of of creamy vanilla, otes of nut taking on hints of smoke, nice acidic balance for crisp pleasurable drinking. Its density calls for drinking with food and was perfect with our buttery lobster.

RM 88 points.

Downgraded from 90 points at last tasting to 88 points due to signs of aging diminution.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=1072448

https://www.lewiscellars.com/ 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/06/lewis-sonoma-rrv-chardonnay-2004.html

Pinon Vouvray at Amandas Hoboken

Damien Pinon 'Tuffo' Vouvray at Amandas Hoboken 

For a midweek team business dinner, we met in Hoboken at Amanda's Restaurant, one of our
favorite eateries in town that we discovered and enjoyed when son Alec lived a few blocks away a few years back. Colleague Tom O'R, a 'local' knew Amanda's well and called it a well known long time dining institution in the area.

Tonight, Amanda's was quiet, although I was reminded it was Yom Kippur which may have been a factor. 

For our dinner entrees, I chose the daily special, Oven Roasted Maine Lobster with cognac citrus butter and puree' potatoes, while colleague Tom O' had the Tagliatelle with mussels, clams, shrimp and scallops in arrabbiatta sauce.

Colleague Vivek is a vegetarian so it was nice to be able to accommodate him with Amanda's special menu offering, Vegan Cauliflower Korma with rice pilaf, raisins, red onions, curry cauliflower sauce.

To accompany our dinner, we ordered from the winelist this Loire Valley Vouvray Chenin Blanc.

Notably, as oenophiles (wine lovers) know, it is customary that French wines (and 'old world' wines in general) are named for the region and sub-region or appellation from where the wine is produced.

On the other hand, in American (and the 'new world' in general), we name our wines for the grape varietal predominant in the bottle.

Hence, parsing the wine label, this is from producer Damian Pinon, from the village and appellation of Vouvray, in the Loire Valley wine region in west-central France. This label offering is named 'Tuffo' by the producer.

Damien Pinon ‘Tuffo’ Vouvray Loire Valley 2017

This is the 'flagship' wine of producer Damien Pinon. From the clay-limestone soil of Vouvray, the dominance of limestone produces a dry, crisp, moderately fruity expressive wine, showing notes of lychee, green apple and stone fruit with a soft and smooth mineral finish. This is 100% Chenin Blanc.

RM 89 points.

Fellow Cellartracker collector WineShlub from Long Island loves this wine and gave it 94 points, writing in his tasting note: "Aroma of stone fruit with a bit of beeswax. Complex mix of flavors includes elements of stone fruit, lanolin, lichee. Rich lichee and apricot finish. Fresh, vibrant, complex, firm backbone, great staying power. Archetypal Vouvray, excellent QPR."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3187013

I arrived early and tasted a couple of their wines-by-the-glass (WBTG) offerings as part of their happy hour special features.

Peter Yealands 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, Marlborough, New Zealand

Butter colored, light bodied, crisp clean pleasant easy drinking, green apples, lychee and stone fruit with a smooth clean finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3118040

https://www.yealands.co.nz/


Château La Fleur Plaisance 2016 Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France


Chateau La Fleur Plaisance is a quaint, family owned estate nestled on 29 acres located just north of the village of Saint-Emilion. Vineyard management and wine making is a joint venture between the Eresue family and notable Bordeaux winemaker Benoit Calvet.

There is a saying, 'you don't get Dom Perignon by the glass'! Hence, caveat emptor when ordering any wine by the glass since it may have been opened for a while and storing opened wine is a challenge for more than just a day or two unless the proper facilities are in place.

Tasted BTG (By-the-Glass), I sense this WBTG offering perhaps had been opened too long or not stored appropriately and was beyond its suitable serving/drinking state. Hence, take my tasting experience with a note of caution since it may not be a fair appraisal of this label. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, smoke and earth notes overtake the black berry fruits with tones of anise, leather and hint of cedar.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=3429195

Walt Sonoma Coast Grgich Blue Beret Chardonnays

Walt Sonoma Coast, Grgich Blue Beret Chardonnays BYOB for Longboard's Lobster Fest

Passing through Orange County on my west coast roadshow, I stayed with Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill in Huntington Beach. We went downtown where they were holding their Tuesday evening festival.

We dined at the legendary Longboard bar where they are featuring Lobster Feast '18 for the fall. We picked up some Chardonnay up the street to take BYOB, Walt Sonoma Coast, and Grgich Blue Beret Napa, 2016's.

The Walt wine brand is from Hall Wines in Napa, named for Kathryn Hall's maiden name and her parents, Bob and Dolores Walt who were dedicated winegrowers. The Walt family produced six different varietals that they sold to several notable wineries.

We tasted a Walt Pinot Noir at the recent Kathryn Hall regional release tour in Chicago. That was a vineyard designated select label from Bob's Ranch vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. While this Chardonnay is designated Sonoma Coast, the rear label cites Bob's Ranch Vineyard as one of the sources for this bottling, a blend from numerous sources from the area.

Hall Vineyards Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2016

The winemaker notes: "Our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sources from cool climate vineyards located near the influence of coastal breezes within the Sonoma wind gap. Notes of lush tropical fruit and vanilla lead to a palate of stone fruit and citrus, bolstered by lively acidity and underscored by toasty oak."

This was bright lively and full bodied, ideal for pleasurable sipping, and perfect for the lobster fest dinner accompaniment.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2852784

https://www.waltwines.com/ 

Our second wine for the dinner, this was lighter and less complex than the Walt. It might have been fine for the dinner but after drinking the Walt, it was diminished by comparison.

Grgich Hills Estate "Blue Beret" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

Miljenko “Mike” Grgich is a legend in the wine world and Napa Valley. He gained international recognition at the celebrated 'Paris Tasting of 1976' known as the Judgement of Paris, the historic blind tasting by a panel of eminent French judges did a comparison tasted of notable French wines opposite selections from upstart California Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked to learn they had chosen the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich,  as the finest white wine in the world. The results stunned the international wine establishment and immediately earned Mike a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world. The story chronicled in the book 'Judgement of Paris' and is told in a fantastic pop culture movie 'Bottle Shock'.

Thirty two years later, in 2008, 93 year Mike Grgich was was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame in honor of his many contributions to the wine industry. He hallmark is a sporting blue beret. Hence, this whimsical 'Blue Beret' label designated Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Curiously, I find no reference to this label on the Grgich wines website, nor even on Cellartracker with its five million labels, only several postings from restaurant winelists. Perhaps its too early in its release cycle but wouldn't you think the producer would at least feature it? Its invisible in web postings to date. All I can think is that they consider this their 'generic' Napa Estate Chardonnay, but the Blue Beret is prominently featured on the label in a branding effort, that is clearly falling short in promotion and execution.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2717448

https://www.grgich.com/

Afterwards, we picked up some artisan chocolates and took home to enjoy with an after dinner big red wine.

Lewis Sonoma RRV Chardonnay 2004

Lewis Sonoma RRV Chardonnay 2004

We're huge fans of Lewis Cellars' Cabernets and picked up a selection of these RRV (Sonoma County Russian River Valley) Chardonnays from auction - someone no doubt worried they're late in their drinking window and need to 'thin' their cellar holdings. Our private tasting at the Lewis Napa Chateau was one of the highlights of our Napa trip last summer.

We opened this and it was a perfect complement to grilled lobster tails served on a ramekin of buttered croutons.

Cellartracker's tasting notes give this thirteen year old mixed reviews - some saying its drinking well and others saying its past its prime. This could be bottle variations, cellaring variations, or differences in preferred style and taste. In any event, this was holding its own and drinking very nicely.

This is clearly crafted in the California versus the classic Burgundian style with layers of big rich oak, straw colored, medium bodied, note of of creamy vanilla, green apple, hints of nut and stone, nice acidic balance for crisp pleasurable drinking. Its density calls for drinking with food and was perfect with our buttery lobster.

RM 90 points. Connoisseur's Guide gave this one 93 pts.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1072448

http://www.lewiscellars.com

Trefethan Napa Valley Oak Knoll Chardonnay

Trefethan Vineyards Napa Valley Oak Knoll District Chardonnay 2014

Enjoying a quiet afternoon at home in front of a movie, Linda prepared succulent lobster tails and lobster bisque. We planned to accompany this with a buttery, silky smooth Chardonnay, so I pulled from the cellar a Trefethan Vineyards Napa Valley Oak Knoll District Chardonnay. 

We visited Trefethen Vineyards and Estate in southwest Napa Valley during our Napa Wine
Experience in 2013. Trefethen's success with Napa Valley Chardonnay dates back more than thirty years when in 1979, their Trefethen 1976 Chardonnay was named “Best Chardonnay in the World” at the Gault Millau World Wine Olympics in France.

Trefethen attribute much of their success to their Estate vineyards (shown left) in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley with well-drained, loamy soils, and the marine-influenced climate with soft breezes and gentle fog that roll into southwest Napa Valley off of the San Pablo Bay, helping develop Chardonnay grapes with rich, balanced flavors. 

The 2014 vintage in southern Napa Valley was exceptional. Setting aside the severe drought early in the year and the significant earthquake that struck Napa just as harvest began, the 2014 weather during the growing season was close to absolute perfection. This allowed growers to time harvesting the grapes at their optimum peak ripeness which yielded an extraordinary wine. It was  ideal for casual sipping and as an accompaniment to our afternoon dinner.

This was butter colored, medium bodied, buttery and smooth with what the producer describes as "A classic Trefethen Chardonnay, .... with enticing aromas of Granny Smith apple, clover honey, honeysuckle and nutmeg. Clean and bright flavors of tropical fruits, peach and crisp citrus envelop your taste buds".

This is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Estate Main Ranch Vineyard (shown above) there in the Oak Knoll District Appellation of Napa Valley that is adjoining and across the road from the winery and estate, on Hwy 29 as you enter Napa central valley just north of the town of Napa.



RM 90 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=2239413

http://www.trefethen.com/

Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997

Gala Christmas Surf and Turf Dinners Features Pride Mountain Cabernet Del Dotto Cab Franc 1997 David Arthur Chardonnay John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Linda prepared surf and turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tails. I pulled from the cellar two 1997 Napa Cabernets - a magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and a Del Dotto Vineyards Cabernet Franc. For the lobster course I pulled a David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay and a John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc.

John Anthony Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013 

Tony Truchard practiced medicine in Reno, Nevada before moving his family to Napa Valley where he purchased and developed 180 acres of property in the Carneros region. His sons John Anthony and Michael learned the business from the ground up working the vineyards. Today they own and operate the John Anthony brand sourcing fruit from vineyards they developed on leased land. Their wines feature small vineyard sites from the Oak Knoll District, Carneros and Coombsville regions of Napa.

This Sauvignon Blanc was a great starter with the shrimp cocktail and artisan cheese and meats course leading to the lobster course. This is butter/straw colored, light bodied, crisp balance of fruits and acidity - aromas and flavors of ripe green apples, ripe melon and hints of zesty citrus with a slight layer of smoke on the opening.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1788034

http://www.johnanthonyvineyards.com/

David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the David Arthur estate Vineyards and Winery high atop Atlas Peak during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013. While known for Napa Cabernets, they also produce this Chardonnay, another wine sourced from Napa growers from vineyards. This wine presents a big bold Napa style. The Chardonnay fruit is sourced from from independent growers' sites in the Oak Knoll District and Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa Valley.

A great complement to the lobster medallions in drawn butter, light pale straw color with greenish hues, full bodied with crisp acidity and buttery full firm flavors of apple, pear, figs, and stone fruits with tones of pineapple, guava, and lightly toasted oak and minerality on a full firm long finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1607206

https://davidarthur.com/assets/2012-dav-chardonnay.pdf

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We discovered Pride and acquired this magnum of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon at the winery during our Napa Valley trip in 1999.

I wrote recently about the 1997 Napa vintage and how it is now coming of age. This Pride is likely at the peak of its drinking window.

Served from magnum. Blackish purple/garnet, full bodied, firm, tight, complex concentrated black berry and black currant fruits with tones of spice and cedar with hints of smoke, anise and mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

RM 92 points
94 points Wine Spectator
91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
92 points Wine Enthusiast
91 points Connoisseurs Guide

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

We acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties. This bottle better resembles earlier tasting results than some recent bottles that were somewhat diminished from aging.

Tonight's tasting was more consistent with notes from a few years ago, dark ruby color, medium to full body, spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this nineteen year old, accented by tones of earthy leather, cedar and tobacco with hints of anise on the smooth tannin finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Birthyear Pichon Lalande Jaeger Merlot anchor Easter dinner

Classic Birthyear Pichon Lalande Bordeaux, Jaeger Merlot anchor Easter Surf & Turf dinner

For a gala family Easter dinner Linda prepared surf and turf - grilled lobster tails and sirloin beef steaks.

Celebrating the family gathering with daughter Erin and son Ryan and their families, we pulled a selection of wines to pair with the dinner.

In consideration of the family gathering, with 1981 being a more modest, less ageworthy vintage (than say Ryan's '82), Ryan chose from the cellar for Erin's birth year a classic Bordeaux to pair with the sirloin beef steaks, the 1981 vintage Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.

To round out the tasting, for a mini-horizontal 1981 vintage tasting, I pulled another 1981, a Jaeger Napa Valley Merlot, which matches a large format 6 liter Imperial of the same wine that we served at Erin and son-in-law Johnny's wedding. The large format set is pictured here.

To complete the dinner flight, to pair with the lobster, I pulled a full bodied chardonnay - Morgan Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay 2009.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Bordeaux 1981

This is the second to last bottle of this label from our 1981 horizontal collection commemorating daughter Erin's birth-year. The fill level, bottle, foil and cork were almost like new - a testament to the integrity of our wine cellar. The cork was starting to soften a bit at the end but was still holding its seal and pulled cleanly from the bottle using an ahso two prong puller. The remaining bottle also appears perfect and we already agreed we can/will wait another five years for her fortieth to open it.

This is also, a testament to the amazing longevity of this classic Bordeaux, this was still showing life left at thirty-five years old, especially considering this was a modest vintage year.

Incredible aromas of berry fruit, cigar box and classic Bordeaux earthy floral tones, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, the only sign of diminution from age was that the dark berry fruit flavors have given way to predominant cigar box and earthy floral flavors with tones of leather, tobacco leaf and hints of cedar, with lively, nicely balanced, polished, smooth tangy, lingering tannins on the finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=18274

Horizontal collection of 1981 Bordeaux

Jaeger Inglewood Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot 1981

Part of the fun of collecting wine over an extended period of time is the stories and memories that accumulate related to certain bottles, vintages and labels. As mentioned above, this 1981 Merlot is part of a horizontal collection we hold for our daughter's birth year. It was acquired as part of a vertical collection of this wine that we hold commemorating the birth years of each of our kids, and their spouses. This particular vintage was served out of this large format six liter bottle at Erin's wedding, one of several large format bottles opened for that occasion.

The Jaeger family have a long rich heritage in Napa Valley and are known for Bordeaux varietal wines that they market under several family owned labels, and under several well known producers' who source fruit from Jaeger vineyards.

I met Jeff Jaeger, second generation proprietor of Jaeger Family Napa wine enterprises at a wine tasting at Binny's Beverage Depot in Naperville (or it may have been Standard Liquors at the time, predecessor to Binny's on Ogden). I can date the event by the fact that Jeff was pouring Freemark Abbey Cabernet, and had a bottle set aside from under the table from which we was pouring, the 1992 vintage of Bosche Vineyard single vineyard selection. From that tasting I acquired a case of the 1992 vintage Bosche. We have continued to acquire and enjoy Freemark cabs including the Estate, Bosche and other special selections ever since.

Over the course of the evening, I mentioned to Jeff my selection of large format bottles commemorating the birth years of our kids. Indeed, this collection was the basis of our feature in the Collector section of Wine Spectator Magazine back in June of 2001.

Large format 1981 wines served at daughter's wedding

We received the shipment of our 1992 Bosche, and a couple of weeks later, arrived this six liter Imperial of Jaeger Inglewood Vineyard Merlot, 1981, for daughter Erin's birth year. We served this bottle, along with several other large format bottles at her wedding, including a six liter Imperial of  Rutherford Hill, another Jaeger property, that I acquired separately.

I called Jaeger to pay for the Imperial and they didn't take credit cards, nor did they know how to charge me for the bottle. Jeff was away in France at the time. I called a couple more times over the ensuing months, and years, inquiring how much I owed for the special bottle so I could settle my account. In the end, I don't recall every being charged, or paying for that bottle. Thank you, Jeff and co. I still look forward to settling our account!

In any event, we still hold single bottles from this collection, including this 1981 Jaeger Merlot served today.

Although its not on par with the Pichon Lalande, like the Pichon, this Inglewood Vineyard Merlot also showed amazing longevity, resilience and vibrancy, at thirty five years of age. If the Pichon exceeded expectations, so too, even moreso, did the Jaeger.

The Jaeger showed dark garnet ruby color with a bit of brown setting in, medium body, still vibrant tangy black cherry fruits, accented by tones of leather, cedar, spice and clove, showing its age, turning to a bit of a funky layer of smoke, creosote and damp earth on the tangy lingering tannin finish.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=542092

http://www.jaegervineyards.com/

A history of the Jaeger Inglewood Vineyard and Jaeger ventures and accomplishments in the Napa wine scene.

• 1976: Rutherford Hill Winery founded. RHW becomes a leader and pioneer in the cultivation of Merlot grapes andproducer of world-class Merlot wine.
• 1979: Jaeger Inglewood Winery is founded.
• 1982: Jeff Jaeger becomes managing partner of Demptos Cooperage in Napa.
• 1989: Jeff founds Barrel Associates International and becomes managing partner of RHW.
• 1990: Chicago Herald Tribune names Bill, “The Godfather of Merlot in the Napa Valley.”
• 1992-1996: Jeff becomes a founding board member of Family Winemakers of California.
• 1993: Jeff is the chairman of the largest charity wine auction in the United States: The Napa Valley Wine Auction.
• 2000-2007: Jeff establishes, operates and sells Coopersmill, an American Oak Stave Mill in Southern Indiana.

Jeff - If/when you're back in Chicagoland, please look us up to settle our account, and to share come classic fine wine!


Morgan Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay 2009

To accompany the lobster course, as well as the salad ...

Straw colored, medium bodied, tones of mineral, wet stone and hints of pear, citrus and oak on the tangy finish.

RM 88 points.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1118044
 

 http://www.morganwinery.com/

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay for gala Birthday Celebration Brunch

For a gala family Sunday Brunch to celebrate daughter Erin's birthday, wife Linda prepared Erin's special favorite lobster bisque, complete with medallions of lobster tail. She also prepared crepes with fresh cherries, sausage egg strada, and a plate of fresh berries and fruits. Barb brought baked apple strudel and Michelle brought fresh baked cinnamon buns. To accompany the selection of fruit juices, I opened one of Linda's favorites, Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay.

We tasted this wine at the historic winery high atop Mt Veeder at the south end of the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma valleys during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011 and have kept each vintage in our cellar ever since.

The original historic Mayacamas winery (left) was originally built in 1889 by John Henry Fisher, a German immigrant. The property was acquired by Jack Taylor and his Californian wife in 1941 who re-christened the estate Mayacamas Vineyards and planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varietals. 

In the very early 1950’s, the Taylors terraced a steep, south-facing hillside 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley and planted Chardonnay. This vineyard, had a view of San Pablo Bay to the south with occasional views of the San Francisco skyline through the fog. This vineyard was named 'The Terraces' and for the next 60 years provided some of the finest Chardonnay grapes in the Napa Valley.

The property was taken over in 1968 by Robert Travers who had worked at Heitz Cellars. He and his wife Elinor continued to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay striving to make wines of great character, depth, complexity, and longevity.

In July 2013, Mayacamas was purchased by Charles and Ali Banks in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son, Joey. Andy Erickson took over the Estate’s winemaking duties, and Phil Coturri took over farming and vineyard development.

The old vines of the Terraces vineyard had been deteriorating, so after a long and productive life, they were retired with the 2013 Harvest being their last. 

The 2013 harvest was small but was of exceptional quality, character, and intensity – a stand-out special release. That is being bottled as a special designated one time bottling for the 2013 vintage year. 

Hence, this 2012 vintage release will be the second to last of the Mayacamas Estate Chardonnay from the old historic vineyards as they have been replanted. 

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Mt Veeder Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the historic old winery and vineyards and tasted this wine at the winery and it was a standout as one of our favorites from that trip.

Straw colored, medium bodied, bracing acidity punctuated by sharp citrus with tones of pear, wet stone and hint of lime.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1960854

http://www.mayacamas.com/

Ridge Monte Bello, Clos du Marquis, Darioush Chardonnay highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

Ridge Monte Bello, Clos du Marquis, Darioush Chardonnay highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

L prepared grilled rib-eye steaks and lobster medallions for a wonderful surf and turf dinner. We pulled from the cellar Ridge Monte Bello Bordeaux Blend and Bill brought a Clos du Marquis. For the lobster medallions we tasted Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Ridge Vineyards are mostly known for their broad selection of single vineyard select Zinfandels from a dozen vineyards across Northern California Napa and Sonoma Counties, but their flagship premier label is this Bordeaux blend from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA (Agricultural Viticultural Area - aka appellation).

 The Monte Bello estate and vineyard sit high above Silicon Valley in the range that separates south San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The historic estate is the site of the legendary vineyard, and an old stone winery built by Dr. Osea Perrone back in 1892, the year of the first vintage release from the property. Today, it houses the production facility and includes a tasting room. The property was purchased in 1959 by four Stanford Research scientists who released their first Ridge Monte Bello label in 1962.  Paul Draper, winemaker to this day, joined Ridge in 1969, took over production of red wines the next year, and became winemaker in 1971.

There are 83.5 acres of vineyards on the property consisting of thirty-three different parcels sitting between 1400 and 2700 feet in elevation, which come as close as fifteen miles from the Pacific Coast, and is therefore one of the coolest Cabernet Sauvignon sites in California. The grapes here typically set, turn color, ripen and are harvested three weeks later than typical Cabernet sites in the hotter Napa, and to a slightly lesser degree, Sonoma counties.

Back in the early eighties, we lived in Silicon Valley and our house was up against the foothills in the tony town of Saratoga, down in the corner of Silicon Valley, below the Santa Cruz viticultural area on the Bay side of the range. Our home sat on what at one time were vineyards, and moreso, apricot orchards, which eventually gave way to the sprawl of development in the bustling high tech region of suburban San Jose.

Monte Bello has been called an American 'first growth' and is known for bold, complex, long lived Bordeaux style wines. While 1998 was considered an 'off' year in Napa and Sonoma Counties, the Santa Cruz AVA, ninety miles to the south was not so afflicted. This was our second to last bottle from a case we purchased on release and based on this tasting, we need not be in a hurry to consume the final bottle.

At seventeen years, this showed no diminution from age and may be at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve any with further aging, but no need to rush to consume remaining bottle (s).

Dark purple garnet colored, medium to full bodied, initially a bit obtuse and acidic, but softened and opened after decanting and sitting for an hour, full, moderately expressive black berry and plum fruits, complex, nicely polished, accented by subtle tones of  pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, violets, and hints of bell pepper and anise with moderate smooth silky tannins on the finish. It would be overstated to characterize it as 'earthy' but there is a layer of complexity that reflects the storied terroir and reveals the care of 47%  selection and the rigorous thinning that results in extremely selective, low yields of less than 1 1/2 tons per acre. In the classic left bank Bordeaux style, the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 24%, Petit Verdot 5%, and Cabernet Franc 1%.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3557

http://www.ridgewine.com/Vineyards/Monte%20Bello


Clos du Marquis 2004

This is the second wine of the classic Leoville Las Cases St Julien, Bordeaux, one of my absolute favorite Bordeaux and overall wines.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, moderate black currant/berry and black cherry fruits accented by floral tones give way to tones of leather, tobacco, hints of dried herbs and re-emergence of black cherry with moderate tannins on the finish. Not a fair fight perhaps as it was overshadowed against the more complex and bigger Monte Bello.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=92447

http://www.domaines-delon.com/en/leoville-chateau_leoville_las_cases_histoire.html 




Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay 2008

For the lobster medallion accompaniment I pulled this Chardonnay from the cellar. We first discovered Darioush when Bill and Beth hosted us at a wine dinner at Cress Creek Country Club a dozen years ago and we had the Darioush Cabernet. That was the beginning of our extraordinary wine friendship.

Darioush has since been the feature of several wine dinners, a special winery visit with barrel tasting, and a spectacular winemaker dinner at Everest Restaurant in Chicago. So I favored this Darioush selection for our dinner tonight. I normally don't get excited about a white wine but this was one of the highlights of our surf and turf dinner - a perfect accompaniment to lobster medallions and the salad.

We visited the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2003. Their fabulous winery and tasting facility on Silverado Trail in southern Napa Valley was not yet open but was well under construction at that time. 

We attended the gala Darioush - Domaine de Chevalier Gala Wine Dinner, a fabulous private dinner hosted by Darius & Shaptar Kaledi of Darioush Winery and Bernard Laborie of Domaine de Chevalier at Everest restaurant in Chicago in the summer of 2004.

The Darioush was butter colored, medium bodied, crisp and clean, initially slightly forward overtly acidic with tones of oak, but after an hour it settled down and was smooth, polished and balanced with pleasant  layers of fruit - subtle pear, lychee, melon and slight hint of citrus and vanilla with just the right accent of soft smooth oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1081544

https://www.darioush.com/

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

For Christmas dinner Linda and Alec prepared surf and turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tails, which we paired with Mayacamas Chardonnay.  We tasted and obtained this wine at the winery during our Mt Veeder Appellation trip Napa Valley Wine Experience 2011. It was Linda's favorite Chardonnay of the trip and this is the last bottle acquired then. With their rather limited production, when we do see this wine in distribution it doesn't last long. The current 2012 release is currently available here around Chicago at Binny's, the wine mega merchant superstore so we've been able to replenish our cellar stock of this wine.

The medium bodied Mayacamas was clean and crisp and displayed an interesting vanilla like sweet cashew nut tone, the producer calls it almond, and fig, with nice balance and acidity ... both the producer and K&L refer to melon or cantaloupe, with a tone of stoniness and subtle French oak.

RM 88 points.

Bill C's notes on this wine from our tasting last Spring - "Medium, golden, straw color. Light nose of pear and a hint of citrus. A really delicious, nicely balanced but somewhat unconventional Chardonnay. We struggled a bit to identify the flavor profile, ultimately settling on notes of pecan or maybe cashew. Certainly there was some fruit as well, a bit of apple or pear. Really enjoyed this and tasted side by side with a 2007 Brewer Clifton Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills. Another somewhat unconventional Chardonnay with citrus overtones.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=863799

2001 Vintage Napa Cab Comparison Reveals Contrasts in Terroir

2001 Vintage Napa Cab Comparison Reveals Contrasts in Terroir

Bach'ing it for the weekend, we invited Bill and son Ryan over for a grilled steak dinner and impromptu wine tasting. Following our tasting of the blockbuster 2001 Cliff Lede Cabernet recently, I suggested we try '01 Cabs as the theme for a comparison tasting. Bill brought from his cellar a HaLo, the flagship wine of Trefethen Vineyards which we visited together during out Napa Wine Experience 2013. We scoured our cellar for a similar wine to compare. While I had several '01 Napa Cabs from which to select, most were from mountain appellations reflecting our penchant for that style. Seeking the closest geographical source for a comparison tasting, we pulled from the cellar a 2001 Snowden estate bottled cab. Snowden is from the lower southern end of Oakville district in the foothills about 700 feet elevation. Halo is from the Oak Knoll District at the lower end of Napa Valley nestled up against the base of Mt Veeder. The two wines ended up being in stark contrast in terroir and style - both well suited to the grilled strip steaks.


Trefethen Halo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Befitting the flagship brand name, HaLo is named for the producer's children, Hailey and Loren, who grew up in the middle of the Hillspring Vineyard, source for the wine. Hillspring is located in the foothills tucked up against the base of Mt Veeder in the lower Mayacamas range on the western edge of Napa Valley. The estate vineyard sits west of the winery and tasting room at the entrance to Napa Valley just north of the town of Napa. The historic building on the property suffered extensive damage in last week's earthquake.

The '01 Halo was smooth, polished and elegant, a symphony of layers of fruit flavors - berry, black cherry and nuances of soft oak and delicate floral. While complex, it was sophisticated and almost soft, lacking any pretense of muscular structure or backbone on the layer of silky tannins.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=621303

http://www.trefethen.com/


Snowden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

We discovered Snowden shortly after their inaugural release in the early nineties and still hold several vintages dating back to then. We met Scott and Randy Snowden during our early Napa Wine Experience events from that era.

The '01 was dark garnet colored with a subtle rust on the rim, full bodied, firm and a bit tight, forward black cherry, black currant and black cherry fruits, accented by tones of black tea, black olive, herb, cedar and spice, finishing with a gripping tannins.  A layer of funky earth, leather, and musty wet wood hung over the fruits and didn't dissipate until late into the night.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=244995






Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2010

I picked this up today and wanted to try it against a couple benchmark cabs to see if I wanted to buy more. We hold numerous vintages of this wine going back to the 1991 vintage. It used to be a perennial favorite. This 2010 vintage release is as good as any in my recollection and definitely warrants being included in a cellar collection. I will most certainly go back and buy more. This release is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. It has the best of both worlds, all the positives of a nicely crafted, balanced Bordeaux varietal blend, with the new world 'instant gratification of a full forward rich concentrated Napa Valley fruits. 

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated rich black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by complex layers of cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate mocha, hints of caramel and soft sweet oak on the smooth silky tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 92 points Wine Enthusiast, 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455817

http://www.florasprings.com/ 

Fog Dog Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2012

Prior to dinner, Linda broiled two lobster tails to serve lobster medallions with drawn butter that we served with Fog Dog Chardonnay.

FogDog is the label of Sonoma Coast wines from famed Napa producer Joseph Phelps. FogDog is the whimsical name for the expression used when there is a slight break in a fog bank, and clear skies can be seen.

This release is 100% Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sourced from the Phelps owned Freestone estate vineyards and the Dutton Ranch Mill Station Vineyard.
 

Light straw colored, light bodied, bright, crisp, nicely balanced acidity, tangy citrus, stone fruit giving way to green apple tones with hints of pineapple and tangy lemon on a smooth lingering finish.

RM 90 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1916269

http://www.josephphelps.com/2012-fogdog-chardonnay

Vintage Cal Cab Flight - Signaterra Chardonnay

Vintage Cal Cabs, Signaterra Chardonnay, Taittinger Highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

Post holiday surf and turf dinner features a trio of vintage California Cabernets - Vinyard 29, David Arthur, and BV (Beaulieu Vineyard) Tapestry. Reuniting with friends Bill and Beth C after the holidays, Bill and Beth prepared steak Diane served with rice pilaf and green beans.

Anti, prior to dinner courses included artisan cheeses with fresh berries, lobster medallions on a bed of clarified buttered cracker crumbs, and wedge salad with blue cheese.

The cheese flight included three perfect wine accompaniments, two of my favorites, aged cheddar and Bellavitano, and a spectacular full bodied, grainy, hearty aged white cheddar called Prairie Breeze from Iowa (!?).

To accompany the anti courses, Bill served Taittinger Nocturne NV Champagne followed by Benziger Sonoma County Carneros SanGiacomo Chardonnay.

 For after dinner dessert, Linda prepared a decadent double chocolate brownies with caramel sauce and butter roasted walnuts.

Taittinger Nocturne Sec Champagne NV. 

It's always time for Champagne! Enjoyed with fresh berries and the cheese course, this was refreshing, crisp and delightfully fruity with a modest tone of almond nut.

RM 88 points.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker - "Lovely blush color and moderately tight bubbles. Toasted almond and hazelnut on the palate with a hint of lemon. Certainly not equal to the Comte we celebrated with on News Year but a very nice accompaniment to artisan cheeses and crackers."

 WCC 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=232988





Benziger Sonoma County Carneros SanGiacomo Vineyard West Rows Chardonnay 2008 

We first discovered Benziger's Signaterra single vineyard designated select wines when we met producer family member Erinn Benziger when she attended Binny's grand expo tasting in the winter of 2008 that featured the Judgement of Paris recreation tasting.

We then visited Benziger Valley in central Sonoma during our Sonoma Wine Experience in the fall of 2009 where Bill picked up this limited release San Giacomo Vineyard West Rows Chardonnay.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Medium straw coloring the glass. Nose reveals some pear and a touch of oak. Was buttery on the palate, clean with notes of green pear. Not much acidity and thankfully not over oaked. Nicely complemented broiled lobster in clarified butter."

WCC 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=878073

http://www.benziger.com/ 

With the steak dinner ...

Vineyard 29 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1993

Vineyard 29 was featured in an earlier blogpost after a tasting of their 1995 vintage from Bill's cellar. 

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Medium garnet in the glass. Still some fruit left. Nicely balanced with flavors of raspberry, sour cherry, mocha and a hint of cedar. This was the consensus favorite at "Open That Bottle Night" one year ago. A year later, it is still very tasty but tannins are fading and is not as vibrant as it was last year."

WCC 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=72837


http://www.vineyard29.com/




David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

We chronicled our David Arthur estate visit in previous postings, one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2012.

Tonight, this took about ninety minutes to open and reveal its fruit which was more subdued and has fallen off from earlier tastings. While not flawed, this is losing its luster and not surprisingly perhaps starting to  show its age.

My notes from autumn of 2011 tasting - Dark inky garnet color. Medium-full bodied. Bight vibrant black raspberry and current fruit flavors highlighted by a layer of soft cedar turning to a hint of anise and eucalyptus with a smooth silky tannin finish. Very nice drinking in this thirteen year old - still has life left, no need to hurry - a very nice wine from a vintage that was given a bad rap as many of the 1998s turned out reasonably well, beyond expectations set by reviewers at the time.

REM 87 points. 

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6095

http://www.davidarthur.com/

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

This is another example showcasing the consistency and QPR (quality-price ratio) of this label. We continue to hold a vertical of this wine going back a dozen years and it continues to reward us. By the end of the evening, the Tapestry was standing tall showing off nicely polished fruits and silky tannins perhaps reveling in the apex of its drinking window.

Readers of this blog will notice our many recantations of our visits with the producer's of featured wines. Beaulieu Vineyards is an exception, having been the subject of our earliest visits to Napa Valley back in the eighties, long before we started chronicling such activities.

As one of the classic historical producers in Napa Valley, its classic facility on Route 29, mainstreet of Napa Valley, should be included on anyone's itinerary as a starting point for those exploring Napa wines and visiting the hallowed region.

My tasting notes from autumn of 2012 - Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a bit tight and closed initially, it took more than an hour for this to open up and fully reveal black berry fruits, a layer of anise and tones of cedar, black tea and smokey oak on a moderate tannin lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Tapestry almost never disappoints and this was no exception. Lesson learned from previous bottles, decanted for almost two hours before drinking. Medium garnet color, smooth, well integrated tannins. Slightly floral nose with cherry, mocha and a hint of oak on the finish."

WCC 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=410294

http://www.bvwines.com/

Still working ... more to come .. .check back ...