Calera Mt Hollister Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011

Calera Mt Hollister Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011 

We cleaned out the cheese drawer …. (Yes we have a whole drawer in the fridge devoted to cheese), and I pulled from the cellar a nice easy sipping wine to complement a selection of cheeses, biscuits and home-made cookies. 

We don’t do a lot of Pinot but this is one of our favorite producers with a storied history. 

Here are excerpts of earlier posts on this producer and this label of similar situations. 

Back in 2023, I wrote:

Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 

Following our selection of Pinot Noirs tasted over the last week and a half, we continued the hit parade with another Pinot from another favorite producer and label from our cellar collection.

As featured in these pages, we had the Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir at the Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, in Destin FL, then the Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir at Firefly Grill Effingham, IL, then the Belle Glos RRV Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir upon our return home. 

So, tonight I was eager to try another Pinot from our cellar collection to continue the comparison tastings of select Pinot Noirs. As I wrote in the earlier posts, in the midst of summer, its was a nice departure from the big bold hearty Syrah's/Shiraz's we enjoy, and the robust Bordeaux varietals to the finer, more refined, less bold and burdensome Pinot Noirs. Each of these tastings were delightful and frankly, exceeded our expectations for a ideal accompaniment to our various entrees. 

 For casual sipping and pairing with food, we started with a cheese plate with assorted crackers, fresh berries, honey and chocolate. 

Linda then prepared an imaginative cheese bread baked with fresh berry compote and fresh blueberries. The combination with the paired Pinot Noir was spectacular for an extraordinary, fabulous food and wine tasting experience.

I write often in the pages about the importance of pairing the food and wine, and how it can often multiply the enjoyment of both when done properly. 

Calera Mt. Harlan Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir

With a single designated Vineyard bearing the name of our eldest son, we typically reserve this wine for a family gathering or tasting when he is with us. But, tonight's tasting was special considering the odyssey we've been on the last two weeks, with the multitude of wine and food pairings. And this is a special signature wine we collect in light it being our son's namesake vineyard. 

I love telling the story about the discovery of this producer and wine. I have written that I initially learned about Josh Jenson and his legendary Calera Vineyards were featured in Marc Devillier's wonderful 1994 book - The Heartbreak Grape,  A California Winemakers Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir by Marc de Villiers, 1994, Harper Collins.

As featured in earlier posts in these pages:

The Calera story was chronicled in the book, "The Heart Break Grape" back in the early nineties, about the challenges and turmoils of growing the finicky grape varietal Pinot Noir. 

Producer Josh Jensen pioneered growing Pinot in the 'new world' starting with his search of the perfect place to grow his grapes. During college he took time off to work in the cellars in the great domaines of Burgundy and then came back to his home state California to apply what he had learned. At the time, prevailing view was that Pinot Noir could not be grown successfully in California. He set out to prove that notion wrong.

"The Heartbreak Grape: A California Winemaker's Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir" tells the tale of Josh's quest to grow the very finnicky Pinot Noir grape in California in the early days before Pinot was cultivated here. In pursuit of his dream to create authentic Burgundian style wines, he sought to find the place in California suitable to achieve that goal. 

Devillers tells of Jenson's quest and research to find the right terrior - all the attributes of the right location, soil, climate, drainage, and other nuances of 'place' that make up the character and personality of a wine from grapes of a particular site. Josh chose Mt. Harlan, an area not then know for grapes or winemaking. 

The rest, as they say, is history. While it is a human interest tale, it also provides a rich insight into the challenges and travails of setting up a winery, and a business, and achieving one's dream to make noteworthy wines. 

He returned from France in 1971 and spent two years searching throughout California to find suitable limestone soils. He settled on the site of an old magnificently preserved 30 foot tall masonry limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of Central California, purchasing the site in 1974, a high-elevation parcel with a limestone deposit of several million tons. Limestone had been commercially quarried there on the Jensen Mt. Harlan property a hundred years earlier. 

The Calera organically farmed Mt. Harlan vineyards are in the Gavilan Mountains, 25 miles east of Monterey Bay. The Ryan Vineyard, like Calera's others, has limestone soils, which are prized above any other soil type for growing Pinot Noir. Combined with the vineyard's average elevation of 2,200 feet--among the highest and coolest in California--the result is structured, intense Pinot.

To this day, the kiln on the site is the centerpiece of Calera branding, featured prominently on the lables, the name “Calera” being the Spanish world for “limekiln,”

Mt Harlan is near the town of Hollister, about ninety miles south of San Fransisco, twenty five miles inland from Monterey Bay on the Pacific Coast. Mt Harlan gained the distinction of its own AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1990, in response to the petition to the Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau by Josh Jensen and the Calera Wine Company, the only commercial winery in the appellation. The appellation, the legally defined and protected geographical boundaries, also stipulates what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors that apply before the appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The Mt Harlan AVA is 7700 acres of which just 100 are planted in vines. 

Josh planted his first 24 acres of pinot noir in 1975 in three separate parcels. In the Burgundian tradition, he named each parcel individually to recognize the terroir of each, that each would produce a distinct wine. 

Calera Pinot Noirs are single vineyard designated meaning they are each named for and produced from fruit sourced from one vineyard each. Their five vineyards planted in Pinot Noir are named for Josh's father (Jenson), Mills, a neighbor who mentored Josh in his early years, Reed, for one of Josh's dear friends and early investors, and in this case Selleck, for a family friend whom Josh attributes to introducing him to wine.

The original vineyard designations remain to this day, the Selleck Vineyard (5 acres), Reed Vineyard (5 acres), and Jensen Vineyard (14 acres). These vineyards produced their initial tiny crop in 1978.The Ryan Vineyards, named after Jim Ryan, longtime vineyard manager were added later.  (Upper - 9.4 acres and Lower – 3.7 acres)

 Josh made Calera's first wine in 1975, 1000 cases of zinfandel, produced from purchased grapes. During his first two years as a winemaker, he made the Calera wines in a rented space in a larger nearby winery.   

Josh purchased property to build the winery in 1977, a 100 acre site on Cienega Road halfway between the vineyard and the town of Hollister. Located 1000 feet lower in elevation than the vineyard, this property had the benefits of development improvements such as a paved road,  telephone and electrical service (services which still to this day are unavailable on Mt. Harlan).

Three decades later, Calera have earned the distinction of the pioneer of American Pinot Noir. The legendary wine critic Robert Parker  has stated that: "Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth."   

We first discovered Calera in the eighties, exploring wines from those earliest vintages. Decades later, we enjoy collecting Calera wines from the Ryan and Reed vineyards, as somewhat namesake signature wines for Son Ryan and his Reid. 

The Calera vineyards are enumerated and featured on the rear bottle label of the bottles as shown here. They are perhaps the most comprehensive and informative labels one will find anywhere on a bottle of wine. They spell out the information on the vineyard, geography, altitude, plantings, vines, the vintage and the bottling. The rear label itself makes for interesting reading, and insightful comparisons across the vineyards or vintages if one happens to have such bottles.

The Calera branding features the historic massive 30 foot tall limestone kiln that sits on the property from earlier days quarrying and processing limestone. Noting limestone in the soils of the legendary French Burgundy region, Jenson scoured the US seeking similar terroir to site his vineyards to produce Pinot Noir. He found such terroir and thoughtfully chose the property in the Central Coast region of California. The name Calera translates to 'limekiln' in in Spanish.

Gary Farrell RRV Pinot Noir with Baked Brie

Gary Farrell Sonoma Coast Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with Baked Brie

Quiet evening in, watching episodes of the Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix, Linda prepared some Baked Brie Cheese with croissant dough crust filled with berry compote and topped with baked apples. 

For pairing and casual sipping I pulled from the cellar an aged vintage Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. 

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2015

We visited the picturesque and stylish Gary Farrell Estate Winery and Hospitality Center that lies west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork. They were so hospitable and inviting, we’ve enjoyed their wines ever since. 

Gary Farrell "Russian River Selection" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2015

Winemakers’ Notes - “Finesse and elegance are hallmarks of this delightful appellation blend. Vibrant notes of wild strawberries, raspberry preserves, and pomegranate fill the glass. Delicate aromas of rose petals and violets intertwine with a backdrop of cinnamon, grated nutmeg, pink peppercorn, and dried cloves. Medium bright upon entry, flavors of cherry cola and Ceylon black tea coat the palate and are balanced with traces of vanilla and blonde toast.”

This was a nice pairing with the baked Brie and baked apples.

This Russian River Selection label is a blend of several vineyard sources throughout the Russian River Valley, including Hallberg and Galante in the cooler Green Valley AVA, the top rated Rochioli as well as Toboni, Floodgate, Martaella, Hop Kiln, Nonella and Pratt-Lakeview.

Blended from some of the region’s top vineyards, introduces a range of terroir and flavors, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. The Hop Kiln, Rochioli and Bacigalupi vineyards are located in the Middle Reach subdivision, where close proximity to the river awards foggy mornings, warm and sunny days, and cool nights – the perfect balance that characterizes the Russian River Valley. 

The Toboni and Nonella vineyards are located in the Santa Rosa Plain, a distinctly cooler and foggier sub-region, and the Hallberg and Dutton sites within the Green Valley sub-appellation exhibit even more extreme and cooler conditions. A beautiful expression of the varietal and of the appellation’s unique terroir, this Pinot Noir blend captures the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks.

The 2015 Pinot Noir crop was modest in size but the quality was exceptional across the board. A mild winter, with sunny, spring-like weather beginning in February, led to early bud break, followed by an early, yet extended bloom. Cooler weather in the spring contributed to variable crop size and the production of petite Pinot Noir clusters.

Warm, dry weather in the summer provided optimal conditions for flavor, tannin and color development. The small clusters, berries and stems provided nearly impeccable material for creating great wines with tremendous natural acidity and abundant aromatics. High temperatures in August and early September accelerated maturity and precipitated the intense, compacted picking season. 

The wine was racked into 40% new French oak barrels (light and medium toast François Frères, Ana Selection, Remond and Tonnellerie O) for 10 months of barrel aging on primary lees.

Winemaker Tasting Notes - “This beautiful Pinot Noir displays the qualities of an exceptional, yet small vintage, expressing purity of place, boasting aromas of ripe Bing cherry, juicy raspberry and tangerine zest, with hints of underbrush and dried herbs from the whole-cluster inclusion. Flavors of wild berry, rosemary, black tea and rose petal unfold on the palate, followed by hints of cedar box that accentuate the rich fruit flavors. The fine-grained, slightly firm tannins develop into a soft, velvety finish, complemented by mouthwatering, vibrant acidity.

It got 94 points from Wine Enthusiast and 92 points from Wilfred Wong of Wine.com and 91 points by Jeb Dunnuck.

At eleven years of age, this may be perhaps at the end of its prime drinking profile - still tasting nicely but not likely to improve with further aging. The fruits might be slightly subdued from last tasting this release several years ago - reduced my earlier rating by a point from 92 to 91. 

Ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth, nicely balanced, polished, dusty rose with fruits of black berry, black cherries, raspberries, smoky, earthy, black tea and floral notes with crisp acidity, youthful tannins and oak. 

RM 91 points.

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2609748

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap, and Everyday Pinot Noir   

First night in town for our winter retreat to The Cove, our vacation rental home getaway in Destin (FL)*, we dined at this neighborhood restaurant that is easy walking distance from (our second) ‘home’. Even though it’s a short walk, we hadn’t yet dined there yet, during  our exploration of the broad selection of restaurants in the area.

Jackacuda’s has a cozy relaxed neighborhood feel, not too big, with somewhat limited seating at and adjacent the bar, and the adjoining dining room, and affable banter between patrons, known and unknown - nice for a casual friendly meal. 

Jackacuda’s history is intertwined with the lore of Destin which is branded the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

Part of the allure of fish and fishing in the area is due to the Tenaco 80 that was dropped back in the mid-1980’s to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly became the spot to catch monster amberjacks.

As the story goes, one day local legendary Destin Charter Boat Captain Dale Beebe set out to catch the celebrated monster amberjacks, only to catch that summer day barracuda. Barracuda have a way of putting on a spectacle and the fish jumped in and out of the water delivering a show for all that were on the boat. On his way back from the trip, surrounding local Captains jumped on the radio to see how Captain Beebe fared and his response was “All I caught today were Jackacudas!” From that day forward the Teneco 80 spot was reborn as the Jackacudas Spot! And the Jackacudas moniker was born along with the founding of the popular local restaurant Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi.

The original restaurant was located on the legendary HarborWalk Village downtown Destin, but relocated when it was merged into another existing restaurant after an extensive renovation in 2017, also owned by Jackacuda's owners Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis, down the road on Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98), just outside the gate of our community.

They also are partnered with these other restaurants in the area: 

• Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer
• Eastpass Seafood & Oyster House
• Coastal Kitchen Catering & Events

The Jackudas menu highlights ‘All You Can Eat Sushi - Traditional Rolls, Signature Rolls and Deep Fried Rolls,’ and their ‘All You Can Eat Snow Crab’ as their “Specials”. Their Happy Hour Specials features a selection of FlatBreads, Seared Tuna, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw, Ginger Dressing, Savory Glaze and Sesame Seeds, and Meatballs with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and crostini. 

The entrees menu features several Sushi courses, with Shrimp, Tuna, and or Salmon, New and Traditional Rolls and Poke Bowls. They offer a selection of specialities including Angus Beef Burger, Local Catch Fish of the Day Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Blackened Snapper, Shrimp & Grits, Teryaki Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, their Specialty Steamed Snow Crab, and their award winning** Mac-n-Cheese. They also offer traditional appetizers, salads and desserts. 

** Jackudas participate in the Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held at the Destin Commons retail center just across the highway which raised $60,000 in support of local club kids. “The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the south’s favorite comfort food while local restaurants competed for the best mac and cheese in town.” Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi entry won the People's Choice Award of the entries submitted.

We’re not sushi aficionados, so we have a difficult time judging the menu at Jackudas. It feels like they have a bit of an identity crisis, determining and then executing on their branding and mission - Seafood and Sushi. The seafood selection is limited, lacking the usual offerings including the highlight daily fresh catch, common along the coast. And, the sushi isn’t apparent, hidden away in the kitchen, unlike Sushi Bars where it is prominently displayed and visibly produced.

 

In any event we had a delightful meal - Linda ordered a burger and I had the Teryaki Bistro Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Asparagu and Teriyaki Glaze. I love Mashed Potatoes and found them delectable, a highlight of the meal, loaded with shallots, cheese and bacon bits.

They serve a selection of beers, including my typical request/choice, an Amber, and on tap! This deserves high marks in of itself. 

Forgive me as I digress here, and pontificate, perhaps on a tirade, about beer, despite this being a ‘wine’ blog. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to order an ‘amber’ beer in restaurants and bars - Dos XXX Amber, Fat Tire, Samual Adams, and what has emerged as one of my favorites, Shiner Bock, my staple at home - from Shiner, Texas. (Gone is the old Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and others.) 

My actual quest is for a traditional English Bitter which is not to be found this side of the ‘pond’. A hundred plus trips to the UK, I grew to love their traditional brew, and searched for it long and far on our shores, to no avail. (Several stories here, for another time.)

In my search for a ‘bitter’ I came to ask for an amber, still with an amazing and frustrating amount of difficulty. Then, on a trip to Texas, I found Shiner Bock, called “American-style amber lager” by brewer Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, a small town (population 2127, roughly equidistant between San Antonio (90 miles east), Austin (87 miles south), and Houston (125 miles west)).

Shiner Bock is brewed with rich roasted barley malt and German specialty hops. But, notably, it is not overly hopped. I find too many American brews are hyper hopped - akin to mustard on a hot dog … it’s a condiment, not the main course! (My kids all tire of this tirade, until they too traveled to the UK and discovered English Bitter. At least now, they understand, but still think I’m tyrannically obsessive on this subject (as witnessed here)).

Founded by German and Czech immigrants in 1909, they found a local brewmaster, Kosmo Spoetzl, classically trained in Bavarian, who brought his old world recipe that had been in the family for generations, which he first brewed for them in 1913. Shiner Bock was originally a seasonal favorite, but patrons demanded it year-round, hence, which it has been offered since 1973.

Brewers tasting notes of Shiner Bock - “Bock has a tan, dense head with a crystal-clear amber color and a sweet aroma with a subtle roasted maltiness on the notes. The taste is slightly sweet with notes of roasted nuts and caramel. Lightly hopped, this amber lager goes down smooth.” 

For pairing with my Teriyaki Steak, I tried the amber beer which they had on tap. While close to what I sought/seek, perhaps crave, it was a bit over hopped. After all that, in the end, I opted for some red wine, to accentuate the teriyaki glaze and the steak!

From their limited wine list, I ordered this California red blend. 

Meiomi ‘California’ (not Sonoma or Santa Barbara or Monterey County) Pinot Noir 2022

I first featured Meiomi in these pages back in 2015 in this blogpost about their Chardonnay - Meiomi California Chardonnay 2013, excerpted here.

Meiomi gets its name from the native American Indian word for “coast” from the Wappo and Yuki tribes who lived along the central/northern California coasts in the early days. The Meiomi wine label began in 2002 with their release of Pinot Noir, in a quest to deliver reasonably priced good QPR (quality price ratio) easy drinking wines that are approachable and ready to drink while young. I've written often and regularly in this blog about the challenges of finding such a Pinot Noir. I've tasted the label several times but have never been moved to write of the experience, until now (circa 2015).

Meiomi is the handiwork of fifth generation offspring from the legendary Napa Valley winemaking family. Founder and winemaker Joseph Wagner is the son of Chuck Wagner, winemaker of Caymus Vineyards, who is the son and co-founder with principles Charlie Wagner and Lorna Wagner who started Caymus Vineyards in the early seventies.

Joe's first wine enterprise was Belle Glos, named for Chuck Wagner's great-grandmother who first acquired the Napa Valley estate, followed by this label, Meiomi.

From the Meiomi website - “All of Meiomi's vineyards can be found in California’s sought-after, cool-climate coastal appellations of Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties, which have proven ideal for producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé. By blending fruit from these three regions together, they create richly layered wines of bold character and exceptional balance, every vintage. These wines are always rich and ripe, yet elegantly expressive, with depth and complexity”

“California provides the perfect combination of earth and elements, contributing to each Meiomi wine, representing the best the Golden State has to offer. By combining California's exemplary qualities into a single wine, Meiomi achieves unforgettable balance, complexity, and richness of flavor.”

Meiomi wines are the handicraft of Winemaker Jason Becker, who has an extensive and impressive background at some of California's top wineries. Jason approaches his role as a regular exercise in balancing the best fruit that California has to offer. He strives in his blends of cool-climate grapes to produce wines with bold character and harmony – ripe and rich, with expressive depth and taste.

Meiomi California Chardonnay, and this Pinot Noir, are blends from “reputable vineyard sites in three different California regions - Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties”. Such a blend, lacking a sense of terrior or place, without predominance from one site or another, therefor warrants the 'California' designation for its origin, which they now use in their branding. This versus a more granular specificity such as Sonoma County, or even an appellation specific Russian River Valley, or Santa Rita Hills. Or, an even greater specific designation of a particular vineyard selection, which one often finds highlighted in these pages. The source designation on the label indicates the origin of at least 75% of the fruit represented in the bottle. 

I’ve written before in these pages, that while providing affordable every day drinking, these wines lack ‘terroir’, or the essence of any particular site, since the blend is from a myriad of sites, from diverse regions, topographies and climates, and that will change from vintage to vintage. The practice that provides a supply of quality bulk wine at a reasonable price, loses the selectivity of the finest fruit and consistency of place from one vintage to the next. That difference separates a $20 bottle from a $40 bottle - an appropriate wine for the price point and the occasion.  

This mass market affordable QPR concept was popularized by Jess Jackson which is brilliantly chronicled in the book, featured in this post - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

I wrote back at that time that was our first tasting of this label which was the second vintage release of Meiomi Chardonnay. That was surprisingly flavorful showing the essence of the Chardonnay descriptors of creamy and buttery in a nicely balanced pleasant drinking wine at a good QPR affordable pricepoint; this also applies to this Pinot Noir - casual easy sipping, at a affordable every day price. This was a nice complement to tangy Teryaki and beefsteak, and great QPR.

Winemaker Notes - “The wine owes much of its complexity to its varied upbringing, unifying grapes from California's most notable winegrowing regions. Meiomi Pinot Noir brings you structure and depth seldom seen in a Pinot Noir wine, thanks to its unique and meticulous aging process. Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this California red wine's juicy strawberry flavor and notes of dark berries and toasted mocha add complexity and depth on the palate.” 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, straight forward, while the winemaker stresses complexity, due to its blending from several sites, I call it a cacophony of flavors, competing for primacy, lacking balance and a bit too sweet. Ripe raspberry, currant and strawberry fruits with earthy spice, clove and vanilla notes with moderate tannins on the finish. 

The overt sweetness was moderated and tamed by the tangy teriyaki glass resulting in a nice enjoyable pairing. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4317908

https://meiomi.com/

https://x.com/MeiomiWines

https://www.jackacudas.com/

*PS - Anyone that might think our primary residence is a potential target while we are traveling should note it has significant physical security monitoring, but more importantly, is occupied by house-sitter when we are gone. 

Aged Vintage Napa Cab anchors diverse flight Anniversary Celebration

Aged Vintage Napa Cabernet anchors broad diverse flight for Anniversary Celebration dinner

Following our gala 50th Graduation and Wedding Anniversary celebration dinner, wherein we opened some aged vintage wines, we still had another 50 year old Napa Cabernet being held for the occasion to open. 

Looking back fifty years, one might think that if any producer would produce a wine worthy of such aging the list would include Beaulieu Vineyards with their top of the line premium Founder’s label Georges de Latour. 

The family gathered for a follow on dinner to our anniversary celebration to dine with my sister Jan visiting from California. 

I used the occasion to open this other 50th year vintage bottle, having opened another one at our earlier dinner.- a 1974 Chappellet Napa Cabernet. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin filets of beef with salmon, grilled vegetables, sweet corn, au-gratin  potatoes and salad. 

 Commemorating our anniversary, I opened from our cellar this fifty year old anniversary year vintage Napa Cabernet. 

Beaulieu Vineyards Private Reserve Georges De Latour Estate Founder’s Wine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974

Like the earlier bottle, this too had an excellent fill level and amazingly near perfect cork, considering their age. Similarly, the foil and label were in ideal condition. 

Unlike the 1974 Chappellet, which was served from a magnum, the BV de Latour was a standard size 750 and had not held up so well, having lost its lustre and appeal, past it’s acceptable drinking window, drinkable for memorable tasting, not not pleasurable sipping. 

This was pale opaque brownish rust brick colored, medium bodied with a subdued nose and flavors of slightly tart astringent berries, smokey ash, leather and tea - drinkable for adventurous tasting but not for savoring. 

RM 84 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?35343

Naturally, we opened several other wines, white and red,  to round out the dinner flight. 

Linda and sister Jan prepared some Brie cheese with honey, crushed berry compote and fresh nuts, fresh salsa and a garden salad for starters - with which we opened a Napa Valley Sparkling (methode traditionelle) white wine. 

Chandon California Brut Methode Traditionelle Sparkling Wine 

For starters we opened this bubbly for casual sipping before dinner. 

We followed the white with one of our favorite producers’ labels …

Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay 2018

We write often in these pages how we have fun with the alphabet labels, “V” from various producers for Vivianna, and the “L” labels from Lewis Cellars, and others, for Linda, Lucy, Lavender and Lilac. 

We also pay respects to our Indiana heritage and the legacy of founder/producer Randy Lewis, former Indianapolis 500 racer. So it was fitting to open this for a family occasion, especially with sister Jan visiting from California, ‘back home again in Indiana’. 

We wrote about our visit to Lewis Cellars Napa Chateau and our private Tasting back in 2017 in this blogpost. 

We have an extensive cellar collection of Lewis Cellars’ wines including this Chardonnay label, their Cabernet Sauvignons, Mason’s Blend, Ethan’s Syrah and one of our signature favorite wines since it happens to be the namesake of our son and the Lewis’ first grandson, Alec’s Blend. 

We’ll likely scale back our collecting Lewis wines since the family has sold the business and brand to a major consolidated producer. In 2021 Lewis Cellars was acquired by Justin Vineyards & Winery of Paso Robles and its owner, the Wonderful Company.

As a $5bn privately-held group founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the Wonderful Company also owns Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma County and JNSQ rosé wine, as well as the Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful brands.

Since this blog is also partially about branding and strategy, I’d be remiss to not mention the self-inflicted branding fiasco Fiji brought on themselves a few years back - memorialized in these posts - enough said… 

https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/biz2/0701/gallery.101dumbest_2007/20.html

https://www.cleveland19.com/story/34514441/is-bottled-water-better-than-clevelands-tap-water-not-really/

https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-cities-tout-municipal-tap-water-as-better-than-bottled.html

Lewis Cellars makes around 9,000 cases of wine per year and is known for high-end wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Justin Vineyards said Lewis Cellars will continue to be led and run by the existing team, including Randy Lewis and his stepson, Dennis Bell.

The strategy is to leverage the larger group’s marketing, strategy and sales teams to reach new audiences, such as via wine clubs or restaurants.

This 2018 release of Lewis Chardonnay was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and 92 points by Connoisseurs' Guide and Wilford Wong of Wine.com

Winemaker Notes - Like a silk robe or satin sheets the 2018 Napa Chardonnay seduces with thrilling texture. Creamy pear, crème brulee, white nectarine and gardenia blossom sprinkled with vanilla spice, it is simply delicious and irresistible. Finely structured yet opulent to the core, it is graced with a long, luscious finish.

Golden colored, full, round and structured medium body with rich flavors of ripe pear and apple fruits with creamy toasty notes on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3390102 

Ryan brought from his cellar a duo of Cliff Lede Fels brand Sonoma wines - a white Chardonnay and a red Pinot Noir. The Fel’s brand is named for Cliff Lede’s mother Florence Elsie Lede who the producer attributes as the inspiration for his love of wine. Both wines are sourced from the Lede Savoy Vineyard in the Sonoma County Anderson Valley. 

The Anderson Valley sits north of Sonoma County in Mendocino County, two hours north of San Francisco up Hwy 101. Located just off the coastal region of Mendocino County, Anderson Valley and the adjacent Mendocino Ridge are in a sparsely populated area near the small town of Boonville, population 700. The 15 mile long Anderson Valley was formed by the Navarro River watershed and is surrounded by steep, forested slopes as well as rolling hills dotted with picturesque vineyards, farms and orchards and  is one of California’s most picturesque appellations. 

Savoy Vineyard, long recognized as a benchmark vineyard in Anderson Valley, is located in the “Deep End” of the valley, west of the town of Philo. 

During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines. 

The Anderson Valley is best suited and known for these cool climate varietals Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay.

Fels Sonoma County Anderson Valley Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay 2018

Fels produce an estate blend and two single vineyard Chardonnays from Savoy Vineyard and Ferrington Vineyard from Anderson Valley. Their signature is bright fruit and fresh flavors due to the absence of new oak or malolactic fermentation showing a crisp clean vibrant taste profile. 

FEL Anderson Valley Chardonnays are made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Winemakers notes - “Lifted floral aromatics waft from the glass of this citrus-driven Chardonnay. Notes of lemon zest, white grapefruit, and Key lime, are complemented by hints of juniper, struck flint, and melon. The blend of citrus flavors continues in the mouth with an abundance of fresh lemon and orange zest. The juicy finish is carried by notes of lemon balm with zippy acidity.”

Golden colored, medium full bodied, crisp fresh, vibrant flavors of crisp apple, ripe pear and a touch of pineapple and subtle hints of baking spice on the clean finish. 

RM 91 points. Wine Enthusiast gave this 92 Points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3780208

Fels Sonoma County Anderson Valley Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

Winemaker notes - “Savoy Vineyard, the archetypal expression of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, is always layered and intensely complex. Loaded with enticing aromatics of black cherry, wild brambleberries, and Santa Rosa plum, the nose is furthered with hints of mint, sage, and redwood needles. Simultaneously intense and elegant in the mouth, flavors of black fruit mingle with hints of baking spices, wild herbs, and savory notes of cocoa and black pepper. The palate finishes with a delicate balance of bright acidity and fine-grained tannins.”

“Loaded with enticing aromatics of black cherry, wild brambleberries, and Santa Rosa plum, the nose is furthered with hints of mint, sage, and redwood needles. Simultaneously intense and elegant in the mouth, flavors of black fruit mingle with hints of baking spices, wild herbs, and savory notes of cocoa and black pepper. The palate finishes with a delicate balance of bright acidity and fine-grained tannins.”

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3780212

https://shop.cliffledevineyards.com/product/2018-FEL-Pinot-Noir-Savoy-Vineyard-3L

With the dinner entrees and the dessert course Ryan trolled our cellar and pulled an adventurous duo of Cabernet Franc varietals.

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1996

Mindful of cellar management, to avoid opening an older bottle late, approaching, or even past it's drinking window, lest it deteriorate or diminish for future enjoyment, we pulled this 1996 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc from Paradigm. 

We tasted and acquired this wine during a visit to the Paradigm Estate and vineyards with proprietors Ren and Marilyn Harris during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. At twenty eight years it was holding its own, showing no signs of diminution from age - the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition. 

This tasting experience was similar to another Bordeaux varietal from the same vintage from this producer we consumed relatively recently in 2019, as featured in these pages here as excerpted below.

Producer Ren Harris, Linda 
and Rick.
back in 1999

Ren and Marilyn had owned and operated various properties in Napa Valley since 1964 and purchased the Paradigm property in 1975. The '91 release was the inaugural vintage for Paradigm.

The fifty-five acre property lies in the Oakville appellation and consists of fifty acres of vineyards planted in Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the beginning, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot being added a few years later.

We still hold nearly a case of the Paradigm Cabernets we acquired at that time, and since as we replenish consumed bottled with current vintages. We held a mini vertical (series of vintages of the same label) spanning vintages from 1991 up to 2004. We've consumed all our vintages from 1991 thru 1994 but still hold nearly a decade of vintages.

Paradigm wines are all Estate bottled, meaning all the grapes are sourced from their fifty acres of vineyards there on the property. The Paradigm winemaker is the legendary Heidi Barrett who has been there since the beginning. 

Tonight, we opted for this Cabernet Franc for some adventurous tasting with the grilled beef tenderloins which was an ideal pairing combination. 

Producing a standalone label bottling of Cabernet Franc was unique and somewhat progressive back in the day, as it is customarily used as a blending wine in a Bordeaux Blend to add structure, color and an element of vibrancy and spiciness. Hence it a fun wine to consume at 100% of the blend.

Recent Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Merlot 1996 tasting… 

Like the Merlot we consumed a while back, this is still drinking nicely at twenty four years, only starting to show it age with only slight diminution, but past its prime and so time to starting consuming whats left in the cellar over the next couple of years. The cork was in fine condition but darkening to a tobacco color, there was ever-so-slight rust tinge color on the rim, and the fruits were starting to give way a bit to non-fruit tones of leather and tobacco. It was still very enjoyable and holding its own nicely.

Garnet colored with the slight rust hue, medium bodied, 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5876

Spring Valley Vineyards Katherine Cabernet Franc 2015

I wrote about Spring Valley and this label in several posts in these pages, excerpted here.

Spring Valley “Katherine” Cabernet Franc

We followed with another Cabernet Franc for a comparison tasting. This is another family oriented producer with family oriented branding which we enjoy serving for family occasions such as this.  

I pulled a Bordeaux varietal, a grape used to add structure and spice to the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A wine that is 100% single varietal with those characteristics isn't for the feint of heart, but fits the bill perfectly for our tastes. 

We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Spring Valley Vineyards tasting room in Walla Walla back in 2018 as covered in this blogpost - October 27, 2018 - Spring Valley Vineyards Tasting and Vineyard Visit.

We joined their wine club and as members receive regular quarterly shipments of their wines. We amassed a collection of the complete portfolio of wines including this label. Our Cellartracker records show we have 95 bottles of 35 different Spring Valley wines in our collection.

One of the great historic Walla Walla wineries, Spring Valley Vineyard lies 12 miles northeast of the town of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. The land that was originally used for farming dating back to the the 1880s.  

Founded by Uriah, Katherine, and continued by the next generation, Frederick, and Nina Lee Corkrum, Shari Corkrum Derby and her husband Dean Derby continued to operate the wheat fields, vineyard and winery. Shari and Dean Derby planted vines on the land from 1993 and made their first vintage in 1999. 

Today, Spring Valley have 110 acres of vines planted, all in the relatively cool micro-climate of Walla Walla Valley in the southeast corner of Washington State.

We had the pleasure of meeting Dean Derby on the property during our visit to the estate.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, founder and namesake for their Bordeaux Blend label, husband to Katherine, 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. 

We thought of him last week as his alma mater, University of Washington played in the NCAA national football championship, and next year join the Big Ten conference. I wrote about Dean playing on and being captain of that football team in my tribute blogpost.

The Derby's son Devin Corkrum Derby served as winemaker until his passing in 2004. Devin’s assistant and friend Serge Laville took over as winemaker and has been crafting wines since. Originally they focused on varietals from the Northern Rhone region in France, they expanded production to Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and this Cabernet Franc, and a Right Bank and a Left Bank style Bordeaux Blend. 

I've written often in these pages about Spring Valley Vineyards portfolio of wines named for members paying homage to the family and ancestors dating back to the first generation founders at the turn of the last century. We have several vintage releases of their annual case that features six of these labels - each one commemorating a different family member. This Cabernet Franc is named in honor of founder Uriah Corkrum’s wife Katherine, a native of Wales who immigrated to Walla Walla Territory in 1897. She and Uriah had four sons, including Frederick Corkrum.

We have a vertical collection of seven vintages of this wine. Normally, as part of cellar management, I would open the oldest, earliest vintage to drink, but, I pulled a bottle from the rack, not thinking that we have a couple older vintages in the decorative OWC - Original Wood Cases, each with a vertical collection that include this label. I'll need to 'break' those collections at some point and consume the older releases. 

Spring Valley Vineyards ‘Katherine Corkrum’ Walla Walla Cabernet Franc 2015   

This wine commemorates Katherine Williams Corkrum, born and raised in Wales, then came to America and settled in Walla Walla Washington to eventually marry Uriah Corkrum. Together they raised a family with three sons that would follow for three generations developing the property. 

This is 100% estate grown Cabernet Franc. 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.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes - “This Cabernet Franc has plenty of herbal notes with abundant flavors of raspberry and cassis and a touch of spice.” - ~ Winemaker Serge Laville 

100% Cabernet Franc, this was aged 18 months in 100% French Oak, 30% new

This was rated 91 points by Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, full round with a silky smooth texture, ripe dark blackberry fruits with notes of spice, cassis, mocha chocolate, herbs and tobacco with toasty oak on a lingering moderate tannin finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2767108

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2767108

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

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