Bogle Phantom Red Blend

Bogle Vineyards "Phantom" Red Wine Blend 2009 

Every year I take on a personal challenge to select the right wine for the Thanksgiving dinner table - a Champagne, a hearty fruity red and a crisp clean white. With a full cellar downstairs I invariably have a list of candidates in mind. I rediscovered this when I stopped in at the Saturday afternoon tasting at Main Street Liquors in Lagrange, IL. They were serving it because it was the highlight of an earlier tasting they conducted. I was looking for a Zinfandel or Rhone style blend for our Thanksgiving feast and this appeared. I look forward to serving this with our family dinner. This is a unique blend of Zinfandel and Rhone varietals sourced from the California central valley and Sierra foothills - 52% Zinfandel from Lodi, 46% Petite Sirah from Clarksburg, and 2% Mourvedre from Amador County. This is a lot of wine for the money rendering a high QPR - Quality to Price Ratio for this wine that is available between $15 and $20. .

This is dark garnet colored, full-bodied mid palate with a firm finish, the winemaker's notes say this wine showcases the best of these three unique varietals. While it lacks the backbone and tannic structure of a Cabernet, that is why it is approachable easy drinking and suitable for a Thanksgiving dinner offering with Turkey, dressing and so on. We'll see how this plays out.

Full forward fruits of blackberry, black  raspberry and briary boysenberries give way to mocha, hints of pomegranate, juniper and cedar finish with a touch of black pepper on a zesty finish.   

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1288036

http://www.boglewinery.com/

 

 

Steak Night Red Wine Flight

Steak Night Flight ranges from Right Bank Bordeaux to Napa Valley and Mountain to Central Coast

For a summer late night grilled steak dinner poolside with Mark and Shirley, we selected a flight of wines starting with floral elegance of a right bank Bordeaux St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, a classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon followed by a big bold Napa Howell Mountain mountain fruit Petite Sirah, and closing with a bold spicy Central California Cabernet Franc.

Antipasta featured Shirley's bruschetta with prosciutto, pancetta, and roasted red peppers (below), artisan cheeses with fresh bread and fruits. The main dinner course featured Allen Brothers aged steaks, sweet corn on the cob, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus. 

Shirley prepared a fruit compote with fresh whipped cream for desert.



The wines:

• Château Larmande St Emilion Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2005 
• Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
• Opolo Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2005
• Outpost "The Other" Howell Mountain Petite Sirah 2005

 Château Larmande St Emilion Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2005

Château Larmande produces about 9000 cases per year and is known for consistent quality and generally a good value. The estate is planted predominantly in Merlot covering 60% of the vineyard, with 30% Cabernet Franc and just 5% Cabernet Sauvignon making up the balance. The 2005 vintage was above average and produced a wine that is already approachable but should last another ten to fifteen years. Bottles are recognizable by the unique lavender colored foil

Medium bodied, full aromas of floral perfume, moderately complex flavors of red berry and plum fruits accented by subtle spice and hints of cherry-cranberry, nice texture and smooth moderate tannins round out the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693

www.chateau-larmande.com


Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Heaven on earth - the garden at TraVigne

We first discovered this wine during our Napa Wine Experiences in the mid-nineties, sitting out in the garden of TraVinge (left) in St Helena, selecting bottles from the Cantina wine shop on the premises. We have a half dozen of Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vintages from that era through to this one. This is our first tasting of the '04 release.

Oakville Ranch located is located above the Silverado Trail up on the eastern slope overlooking Napa Valley.

The Oakville Ranch property was purchased in 1989 by Bob and Mary Miner. The 350-acre ranch is planted in 55 acres of vineyards of Chardonnay and Bordeaux varietals − Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The vines have been tended.in small vineyards and managed to produce small yields of few bunches per vine.to maximize the quality of the fruit to be derived from the shallow red volcanic soil on the rocky mountain slopes.


The 2004 Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Estate's vineyards - 100% Oakville Ranch: 84% Vista, 9% Terrace and 7% Plateau blocks.

The juice was aged 18 months in 100% french oak barrels, 67% new.

725 cases, plus 8 cases of magnums were produced

The wine is medium to full bodied, dark ruby in color. Aromas of floral, red raspberry and cherry fruits give way to soft oak. Dense full flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry fruits are accented by tones of spice, cassis and soft sweet oak and a hint of black pepper on a long lingering silky tannin finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=495121

http://www.oakvilleranch.com/


Outpost "The Other" Howell Mountain Petite Sirah 2005

We discovered Outpost wines when we visited their mountaintop vineyards high atop Howell Mountain 2,200 feet above upper Napa Valley, beyond the town of Angwin, across from Lamborn and midway up the dead end road to Robert Craig's mountaintop winery. The volcanic, rocky red soil, high altitude, gentle cooling breezes and sunny western exposure produce fruit of incredible complexity and richness. Outpost creates world-class Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah from their hand-cultivated, organically farmed 42 acre estate vineyards. The Other is named for this 'second' or 'Other' label, made  from Petite Sirah "H" clone grown on Outpost Wines' Howell Mountain estate.

Big, bold, full bodied, dark inky purple with a garnet colored rim, a nose of mineral, this wine packs dense concentrated sweet fruit of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry with hints of mineral, dark chocolate and nuances of molasses.Bright acidity is brought into focus with fine-grained tannins and a hint of toasty oak on the lingering finish.

100% Petite Sirah, estate grown, 50% new French oak barrels, 50% 1 year-old French oak barrels.

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=438620

http://www.outpostwines.com/

Opolo Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2005

Still work in progress - stay tuned.... 

Shirley's Bruschetta

 

Venge Scouts Honor and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Blends

Ribs and Zinfandel March Madness Wine Tasting - Venge Scouts Honor and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Blends Against HazyBlur Shiraz

What to drink when watching March Madness b-ball? Not a dilemma here - Zinfandel with bar-b-que ribs, of course, a favorite combination. For a gourmand approach, try Zinfandel blends, a more complex wine for a more enriching wine tasting experience. The other wine that fits here is our usual favorite, South Australian Shiraz, so we compared a Hazyblur Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2004, a perfect match to the flight, brought by Bill and Beth for the occasion.

For our bracket busting dinner and tasting we opened two Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor Napa Valley Family Reserve Zinfandels - 1998 and 2001. We matched against the Venge's Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2009. 

Before dinner, we paired the hearty Zins with a selection of artisan cheeses, (shown left). The cheese selection included Aged cheddar, Assiago, Blue, Manchego, a Carr Valley Winter Solstice Wisconsin Cheddar and a Parmigiana.

The 2001 Venge is another wine we purchased during our Venge Winery visit and lunch tasting with winemaker Nils Venge as part of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2002.


Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor Napa Valley Family Reserve Zinfandel 1998

This vintage selection was showing its age - from the brownish-orange rust hue rimming the glass to the earthy leather bramble taste that may have taken over for some of the fruit. Never-the-less the medium body was full of black raspberry and black cherry fruits accented by smoke and hints of creosote. This resembles my recollection of the 1996 vintage more than the 2001 as shown below.

85% Zinfandel, 15% Charbono
14.7%alcohol.

RM 87 points, but Bill C preferred this over the 2001!

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=48135

Charbono? It is a grape variety with origins in the Savoie region of France where it is also known as Corbeau, Douce Noire, or Charbonneau. It is the second most commonly grown variety in Argentina, where it is known as Bonarda, which is not the same as the Bonarda Piemontese varietal, and is probably not related to Dolcetto of the Piedmont. Some believe that this variety is actually the Dolcetto Nero grape of Italy, or the minor French variety Charbonneau, because an Italian synonym for Dolcetto is "Dolce Nero" which translates to "sweet black," as does the French name "Douce Noire" for Charbono.


It is produced in small acreage on California’s North Coast, mainly in the Napa Valley. This grape produces very dark, acidic, red wines, with high tannin levels and wild berry aromas. Charbono rarely receives much attention, but some producers continue to grow the grape once produced by the storied Inglenook. Currently, producers such as Turley, Pacific Star, Villa Helena, August Briggs, Robert Foley, OnThEdge and Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon have extended the life of this grape. Venge uses the grape to add structure, backbone, color, complexity and character to its Zinfandel, which while big and bold might otherwise be less interesting. 
 

Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor Napa Valley Family Reserve Zinfandel 2001 

The surprise of the evening, this was a bold sweet fruit bomb. Medium to full bodied, dark ruby red color, bright full aromas and flavors of full rich ripe sweet black raspberry and ripe spicy plum with a hint of bramble, leather and smoke. It was amazingly sweet with bright forward fruit - its hard to imagine this not being at its prime right now. Surprisingly soft, smooth and easy drinking given its high 15%alcohol content. This shows Scout's Honor Zinfandel Blend at its finest, and shows reason to go get more and try other vintage releases! May be too sweet for many folks but that's why it makes a perfect complement to the bar-b-que ribs and the white cheeses.

Zinfandel 79%, Petit Syrah 14%, Charbono 7%

Alcohol 15%

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27799

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Dry Creek Sonoma Valley Zinfandel 2009

By far the biggest and most structured of the tasting. Firm and still a bit tight, with forward black fruits, plum, a layer of tar, licorice, smoke and notes of pepper. This needs a couple more years to unwind and open and probably has a long life ahead. We knew that going in but wanted to try it as a benchmark against the vintage selections above and also to determine if we should buy more since its currently available. While Parker loves this wine and gives it a 95 rating, I would favor the Scout's Honor if I were buying more.

The blend is 71% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah and 6% Carignane.
14.5% Alcohol

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1097930

Carignane? It's origin is a Spanish varietal of grape from Cariñena, Aragon. It was later transplanted to Sardinia, where it is still made into varietal wine, Carignano, and elsewhere in Italy, France, Algeria, and much of the New World. Italian immigrants to the US brought the vine to California in the late 1890's. Through the early and mid-20th century, Carignane was one of the most widely planted grape varietal in California. Acreage has diminished from a high of 27000 acres to about 3500 today. The grape is not often used to make varietal wines but a few producers such as Ravenswood, Cline and Mayo Family Winery still make notable varietals from old vines.

Carignane was generally associated with jug wines, it is appropriately used for blending into wines to add body, color, and character however it tends to have a characteristic harshness and astringency that diminishes with age. It is one of the 22 approved Rhône varietals and can be found in the notable Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is often blended with Cinsaut, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Merlot, and/or other grapes, especially in the Languedoc region of France. Ridge uses it as its best suited to add complexity, depth and character to a bold varietal such Zinfandel, which otherwise might be someone one dimensional, albeit big and flavorful.

Hazyblur South Australia Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2004

Typical dark purple color, medium to full bodied with full forward black and blue berry fruits accented by predominate black pepper and a layer of clove spice.

RM 89 points. .

Bill's notes: Garnet in color, fruit on the nose. Delicious, huge mouthfeel, lots of spice with predominant pepper notes. Also some cherry and a touch of clove. This has rounded out and become a bit more complex since my last bottle 2 years ago. A wonderful complement to summery barbecue rib and coleslaw dinner with Rick and Linda. 

WCC 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=246963

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2003

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2003

Label from 1997 vintage.

Don't be fooled by the 'petite' in the name, this is a big wine.

Dark color - full bodied - nose of black berry and floral, flavors of forward black berry fruits, spice, smoke, with a layer of floral and dill, accented by big firm gripping tannins that linger on the long finish.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=302653

These wines retail for $29 but are often available for less than $20. Its a good at value at those prices.

We learned from syrah/sirah specialist Carol Meredith during our visit to Lagier-Meredith Vineyards during our Mt Veeder Wine Experience 2010 that this is indeed related to the Australian Shiraz's. Perhaps it is the influence of the Napa Valley terroir or stylistic, in any event, my experiences show Napa Petite Sirahs to generally be firmer, with harder tannins and less pronounced and less lush fruits than the Aussie counterpart cousins as this wine shows.

See recent review of  Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petite Sirah 1997.

Girard Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2004

Girard Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2004

Dark inky color, huge, intense, full bodied - thick chewy tongue-coating black fruits - blackberry, cassis, black raspberry, ripe plum finishing with essence of blueberry, blackberry liquor, glycerin and touch of smoke. Became more approachable as it was opened longer and had time to soften and settle.

RM 90 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=214952

http://www.girardwinery.com/

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petite Sirah 1997

Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Petite Sirah 1997

Picked up a lot of Markham Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah during the nineties and early millennium. The 2001 and 2003 vintages of this are still holding and showing well. The '97 exhibits very dark plum purple; medium bodied, still holding on but a tone of mustiness, raisin, dill and asparagus with a rather high alcohol heat predominate over the muted black cherry fruit, overtaken by a big layer of leather turning to smokey dark chocolate mocha, anise and cedar on a firm tight hard tannin finish. Still approachable but most certainly past its prime? 

RM 84 points. 

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=23971 

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas Southern Rhone River Valley Blend - 1999 - Syrah from the New World and Old

Domaine du Pesquier Southern Rhone River Valley Gigondas 1999 - Syrah - new world and old

We discovered Gigondas ((jhee-gon-dahs) during our visit to the Southern Rhone River Valley region in 1998. Gigondas produces red wine grapes, the most predominant being Grenache and best known being Syrah along with the lesser known Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Carignane. Grenache is the main grape, making up to (but not to exceed) 80% of the wine, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault make up the remainder, although some other Cote-du-Rhone varietals may be found in small amounts. A small amount of dry spicy Rosé is produced but not seen much in the export market.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas regularly receives high marks from Wine Spectator and other reviewers. The 1999 received the highly acclaimed 'Spectator Selection' (SS) from Wine Spectator upon release and review. At a release price of $20 this represented high QPR - (Quality to Price ratio) and great value for such a rating and distinction. 

As Wine Spectator gave this a 'SS' and a Rating of 94 I'll refer to their review. "Rich and ripe, a lovely and seductive Rhône red. Packed with wild herb, plum and blackberry complexity, it caresses the palate with its rich fruit and silky tannins. Full-bodied, with mineral, slight smoke, leather and game character on the finish." 

Ten years later, here is my review of this wine now. "Starting to show its age - a slight brownish grey tinge on the dark garnet color - leather, game, smoke,  and layers of herb and anise and a hint of earthy cedar taking over from the berry, black cherry and spice. - RM 88 points.  

Earlier Reviews - " RM Review - A bit awkward - bright berry, black cherry, subtle leather, pepper and herb."

"Intense chewy peppery blackberry and layer of anise." 

Gigondas is the appellation above and adjacent to the more famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone River valley wine region in southeast France. Gigondas is situated under the rugged, rocky range of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The vineyards of Gigondas are planted on hillsides at the foot of Mont Ventoux, directly north-east of the town of Orange. Venture up to the top of the mountain to the very picturesque village of Segurat overlooking the valley below. The region, once a Cotes-du-Rhone village, gained its own appellation in 1971.

Picturesque Le Ville Segurat overlooking the Gigondas
and Vacqueyras Appellations of the Southern Rhone

We toured Gigondas during our visit to the region in 1998. Gigondas produces red wine grapes, the most popular and best known being Syrah along with the lesser known Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Grenache, and Carignane. Grenache is the main grape, making up to (but not to exceed) 80% of the wine, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault make up the remainder, although some other Cote-du-Rhone varietals may be found in small amounts. A small amount of dry spicy Rosé is produced but not seen much in the export market.

Our hotel - Chateau Fine Roches Hotel and Winery
in Chateauneuf-du-Pape - a magnificent rustic
Chateau and starting off point.

Poor man's Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Gigondas wines tend to offer great values compared to the pricier higher profile Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CDP) wines which are more complex and sophisticated in that they are comprised of a blend of up to twelve different varietals authorized in that appellation.

Gigondas tend to be less polished, less complex and less ageworthy than CDP's as they tend to be big, bold and robust, fruit filled, forward spicy, leathery rustic edgy flavored wines that are not for the feint of heart. Gigondas' top quality reds sometimes rival its southwest neighbor, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Top Gigondas wines will age for up to 10 or 15 years, although they are able to be enjoyed young if you like robust wines. They will benefit from at least three years of cellaring. Many Gigondas are predominantly Grenache which is not recommended for extended aging. Some other popular Gigondas producers commonly found in the US are Chateau Saint Cosme, Guigal, Perrin et Fils, Raspail Ay, Montirius and Domaine des Espiers.

Visiting Domaine De Longue Toque
in Gigondas

Perhaps the best known and most popular varietal from the Southern Rhone Valley wines is Syrah which has become immensely popular in Australia where they produce big, bright, bold full flavored  fruit forward wines. Note Syrah is also known down under as Shiraz. We also now find Syrah being produced in limited quantities in California, mostly in Paso Robles area and some in appellations in northern California, including Napa Valley.

Lagier-Meredith Napa Valley
Mt Veeder Syrah is produced in
the Rhone Style

Stephen Lagier and Carole Meredith produce their Lagier-Meredith label Syrah based Rhone style wines from their mountain top estate high above Yountville on Mt Veeder in Napa Valley. As we are such huge fans of Syrah and Shiraz, I always wondered about the differences in the various Syrah/Shiraz varietals from the old world (France) and the new world (Australia and the US). I found the answer during our visit to Lagier-Meredith Vineyards in Napa Valley during our Mt Veeder tour this spring.

Stephen Lagier and
Carole Meredith

Carole Meredith was a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis where she conducted research in grape genetics. Her research group used DNA typing methods to discover the origins of some of the greatest old wine varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Syrah. Carol Meredith is a geneticist and has studied and specializes in the Syrah varietal. She attests the Syrahs from Australia and Napa are the same as their ancestors from the old world Rhone River valley where they have been grown since the 16th Century. Lagier-Meredith produce Syrah varietal wines that are true to their heritage as they strive to produce wines in the traditional Rhone style.

Domaine du Pesquier is operated by  3^th and 4^th generation at the domain owners Guy and his son Mathieu Boutière who has an education (BTS) from wine schools. The bottling at the domain started in 1969 and includes today 2/3 of the production. The domain covers 23 ha. of vineyards. 16 ha is Gigondas, the rest is Vacqueyras (1 ha.), Cotes du Rhone (1,2 ha) and Vin du Pays de Vaucluse (5 ha.). They produce wines in Gigondas, Vacqueryas, Cotes due Rhone and VDP.

Domaine du Pesquier Wines:

Gigondas - 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre.
Aged in foudres for 12-18 months.

Vacqueyras - 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. 80% is aged in foudres for 12-18 months.

Cotes du Rhone - 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan/Cinsault.

VDP - 45% Syrah, 45% Merlot and 10% Grenache.

 

If you travel to Gigondas and wish to visit
Domaine du Pesquier:

Address: Le Pesquier 84190 Gigondas
Tel. 490 65 86 16
Direct sale: Monday - Saturday 9.00-12.00 and 14.00-19.00
Email: domainedupesquier@free.fr  

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery

Our visit to Diamond Mountain reached the 'summit' with a visit to CONSTANT Diamond Mountain Vineyard and winery at the top of the mountain, sitting at over 2100 feet elevation. It also is among the oldest wineries in the valley with history dating back to the late 1800's.

We visited on a completely overcast day and it was spectacular - one can only imagine the incredible vistas on a 'normal' sunny day. It will be worth a return trip to find out. 

 

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon

Sitting at the top of the Mayacamas range, Freddy Constant grows Bordeaux varietals offered under his own Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label.  He also bottles Constant Diamond Mountain Queen of Diamonds Shiraz with grapes grown on the only Sonoma vineyard on Diamond Mountain.

Constant wines tasted:

• Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
• Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
• Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc 2006
• Constant Diamond Mountain Syrah 2006

 

 

 

Constant Diamond Mountain hillside vineyards
as seen from historic winery cottage.

Constant Diamond Mountain hilltop vista
with 'infinite' vineyard views

Freddie Constant telling the Constant
Diamond Mountain story.

 

 

 

Picturesque winter vineyard views
from tasting house

Constant mountaintop tasting house - cozy even
on an inclement day.

Coopers Hawk - Wine and Dine

Okay its not really a winery by many standards - Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant buy grapes or they buy grape juice from producers and then put it in bottles with their own label. All are non vintage selections. They serve a purpose educating many about wine - witnessed by the crowds in their popular eateries and wine bars. They provide a broad wine list all at reasonable modest prices with an extensive menu. For those (of us) that may be more discriminating and wish to bring our own wine to enjoy with their food - they are graciously accommodating and inviting with reasonable corkage fees. So you can have it both ways. We selected Coopers Hawk at Burr Ridge Village Center as it's a favorite of our kids who live nearby. They're also CH Wine Club members, and, for their Wine Cellar private dining room that provided a fabulous atmosphere for our gala family and friends multi, three birthday party celebration. Good food, good wine  - some our own BYOB - great selection of both at fair prices, decent service. They serve over forty different wines of all styles and varietals. They offer five different wine flights - for each type, and a Design Your Own Flight. Whats not to like? 

Coopers Hawk Petit Syrah - definitely consensus favorite of the group (of the Coopers Hawk selections) - great value at $26/bottle. RM 88 points - Medium-full bodied, dark inky color; flavors of black berry, black raspberry fruits - slight mocha and spicy oak - hint of cedar and earthiness on a smooth moderate tannin finish.

Coopers Hawk Shiraz - medium bodied - red and dark berry fruits, hint of sweet mocha. $26/bottle. RM 86 points.

Coopers Hawk Cabernet Sauvignon - The only selection they offer in large formats - all the way up to a nine liter Salmanazar (great fun for a special occasion - $219). Medium-full bodied - black cherry and black berry fruits, turning to subtle tone of vanilla on the lingering moderate tannin finish. $26/bottle. RM 85 points.

Coopers Hawk Merlot - Medium body - black cherry, spice and hint of cedar - a slightly tart edge detracts from the fruit - with a lingering modest tannin finish.  $25/bottle. RM 84 points.


Liparita Napa Valley Howell Mountain Merlot 1995 - BYOB from our cellar in magnum. Great benchmark wine against which to compare the CH wines - it was definitely a stand-out. Dark color - medium-full bodied - black cherry, black berry fruits still holding for this fifteen year old - perhaps aided by larger format magnum, tones of cedar, spicy oak, subtle leather and earth - moderate smooth well integrated tannins on a lingering finish. $66 at Dean & Deluca in Napa (upon release) RM 89 points. http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=219362  

 

Not pictured/taken by Will C.