Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale South Australia Syrah 2000

The Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah takes its name from the Oatley family homestead, built in 1852. The wine was first produced in 1989 initially under the Show Reserve banner but in 1992 it was renamed Balmoral and has become Rosemount's top red wine. 

Awarded Wine of the Year in Australia in 1998, the grapes for Balmoral Syrah are hand-picked from vines up to 100 years of age, yielding tiny quantities of exceptional fruit. The wine is known for consistently manifesting intense depth of varietal flavour and complex peppery nuances, balanced by a fine acidity and tannin structure. 

 

After fermentation it is racked off its skins and aged for two years, in a 60/40 blend of new French and American oak. Its inky purple colour is almost impenetrable. 

 

We hold a decade of vintages of this label dating back to the early nineties. 

 

Consistent with previously reported tasting notes from 2010 and 2012, this 2000 was dark inky purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, tangy black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.

 

RM 88 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/02/rosemount-balmoral-syrah-2000.html

Flinders Run Shiraz 2005

Favorite Aussie Shiraz - Flinders Run Shiraz 2005 Aging Gracefully

I raved about this wine when I discovered it several years ago and have featured it numerous times since in this blog. When I discovered this wine downstate in a local wineshop, I picked some up and tried it, then found and purchased more on-line. Then I convinced local mega-merchant Binny's to obtain some and we cleaned them out too.

This remains one of our go-to favorites for tasty, hearty sipping as we ration and savor the remaining bottles of our stash with slightly less than a case left. With BBQ ribs dinner, we opened this old favorite, Flinders Run Southern Flinders Ranges Shiraz 2005.

I featured this wine, the producer and estate in an earlier blogpost. I wrote about discovering this wine when it came on the scene with these two vintage releases and disappeared, not to be seen again. Producer Emanuel Skorpos saw my post and posted a reply in that blogpost. He wrote. "....we are still here in the Southern Flinders Ranges, still making great wines. Unfortunately our USA importer wasn't as honorable as he made himself out to be, none the less we are still focused on developing big opulant parcels of wines with a focus on producing wines that are both representative of the varietal but importantly very much value packed. Stay tuned we will be back in the USA with bigger and better wines, a replanting has seen us source far more superior clonal varieties of both Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, our research and initial trials has blown us away so much that we have planted 12 acres of new Cabernet and 20 acres of sgiraz this year that will be focused on delivering wines of distinction, again single estate grown wines big bold and fruit driven. Looking forward to getting back to the USA, In due course you will see a newly revamped website which will inform you of our new plantings and one which i am sure will draw a heap of attention once we publicly announce it. Stay tuned for the NEXT GENERATION of FLINDERS RUN Wines."

As of this posting, there is no update or notice of a re-emergence so we'll continue to ration our supply and be patient and vigilant for their return to distribution in Chicagoland, or in the on-line wine community.

Back on release of this label, according to the the Flinders Run website (http://www.flindersrun.com.au/), "We knew from the first trials of the 2001 and subsequent 2003 vintages that the Flinders Run wines were going to be something special, but nothing prepared us for the overwhelming success, we would experience with the release of the 2005 Vintage. Subsequent vintages have been crafted in the same careful manner exhibiting a consistency in flavour and style and most importantly capturing the elegance of region climate and above all varietal character."

The 2005 vintage got a raving 95 point review from legendary wine critic Robert Parker. He wrote,"Purple/black in color, the wine exhibits a big, brooding bouquet of pain grille, pepper, Asian spices, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a full-bodied (15.2% alcohol), super-rich, plush wine with layers of spicy black fruit flavors, excellent balance, and a long, pure finish. For a wine of this size, it is remarkably light on its feet. Give it 2-3 years to more fully evolve and drink it through 2020. This is quite a debut for Flinders Run!"

When I first discovered this label in a downstate wine shop, I don't recall having seen or knowing about their rating or rave reviews. When I saw Robert Parker's review and 95 point rating, I knew he shared our love of big bold Aussie Shiraz's, even if we did think his enthusiasm was at times 'over the top' and even exceeded ours.

Its hard to believe its been six years since I posted that earlier blogpost when I wrote, "Happily, we still hold and continue to enjoy this big bold fruit filled Shiraz. Holding more than several bottles into their ninth year, one rightfully wonders how is it aging and how long will it last?"

Parker's projected drinking window extending through 2020. Here we are in the new year which and his review still holds in this label's fifteenth year, "Purple/black in color, the wine exhibits a big, brooding bouquet of pain grille, pepper, Asian spices, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a full-bodied (15.2% alcohol), super-rich, plush wine with layers of spicy black fruit flavors, excellent balance, and a long, pure finish. For a wine of this size, it is remarkably light on its feet."

This retains all the nuances and character it exhibited in its youth - nicely balanced, polished, and flavorful. Big, bold, dense, complex layers of blue and black berry fruits, accented by licorice, hints of black pepper, and tones of black tea and what Parker refers to as 'pain grillé' which is the French word for 'toast'.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=421985

http://www.flindersrun.com.au/

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/10/favorite-aussie-shiraz-flinders-2005.html

Hazyblur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

HazyBlur South Australia Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

"The vines so drenched with sunlight, they appeared to be radiating rays themselves. A magical sight to experience; - a hallowed blurry haze." 

From the rear label of HazyBlur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003 and hence how it derives its name, hazyblur! 

We pulled this vintage South Australian Barossa Valley Shiraz for serious sipping with some artisan cheeses and soup. Living out the Coronavirus enforced exhile!

South Australia is the nation’s most important wine region. South Australia is to Australia what California is to the U.S. with about half of Australia’s wine produced there including many of the country’s most acclaimed producers. 

The prestigious Barossa Valley is located in central South Australia, and is akin to California's Napa Valley with scenic picturesque topography covered in grape vines. 

First farmed by 19th century German-speakers who immigrated from what is now Poland, the Barossa Valley is the crown jewel of the region. 

Like Northern California, South Australia has widely varying climates, from very hot, dry areas to cooler, high altitude areas. The region has more than 150,000 acres planted in vineyards, more than three times that of Napa Valley with just less than 50,000. (Compare that to 300,000 in Bordeaux!) Shiraz is king, the primary varietal of the region however it also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Chardonnay and Semillon. 

The Barossa was founded by Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, who named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. 

HazyBlur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

The Barossa is comprised primarily of two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and Barossa Valley which is the warmer valley floor at 270m. The warm Mediterranean climate has hot dry summers with relatively low rainfall moderated by cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent, much like the southern end of Napa Valley. Like the southern Rhone river valley, hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate leading to vine stress. Like Napa and the Rhone, older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is being used more extensively. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands.

We hold a half dozen vintages and labels of Hazyblur Shiraz from their sites in Barossa Valley, Baroota, Kangaroo Island, Adelaide Plains, McLaren Vale and the broader South Australia region. This bottle from 2003 was selected as it is the oldest in our collection, as part of practical cellar management.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this vintage release 94 points.  Wine Spectator gave it 93 points and Vinous 90 points. 

This label if sourced from 40-year-old vines resulting in extraordinary, super-intense fruit. 

Dark purple colored, big, full bodied, forward intense super ripe and concentrated black and more subtle blue fruits, almost raisin and fig notes, are accented by creme de cassis, creosote, smoke and oak. 

Linda actually likes this heady, super ripe, rich and intense style more than I do. This is holding its own at seventeen years but will most likely not improve, but start to diminish with further age, so its time to drink. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=53696

 

Pour Boys Pre-OTBN Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Pre-OTBN Wine Dinner

Fellow 'Pour Boy' Bill came back to town to attend our annual OTBN Wine Dinner tomorrow night to be hosted this year by Dr Dan, who joined us for a pre-OTBN wine dinner.

Linda served barbecue ribs and salmon with baked potatoes, baked beans and salad. Before dinner we had a selection of artisan cheeses, fresh salsa and fruits.

Our wine flight included:

Del Dotto Cinghale Vineyard Sonoma Chardonnay 2017

Rubissow Napa Valley Mt Veeder Syrah 2013

Elderton 'Command' Barossa Single Vineyard Shiraz 2002

Marquis Philips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Del Dotto Cinghale Vineyard Fort Ross Seaview Sonoma Chardonnay 2015

Dan brought this from his cellar. This was a fitting selection since we were all together when we tasted and he acquired this label during our Del Dotto Cave Tour and Barrel Tasting at the Rutherford Estate during our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience 2017.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2743597

Rubissow Napa Valley Mt Veeder Syrah 2013

Bill chose this from our cellar. He wanted to try this as he recently acquired some Mt Veeder Syrah from Lagier Meredith whom we visited together during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience 2011. We discovered and tasted this wine when we visited the Rubissow estate high atop Mt Veeder during that trip. 

With George Rubissow at the Rubissow vineyards
and estate atop Mt Veeder

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2586621 

https://www.rubissowwines.com/

Elderton 'Command' Barossa Single Vineyard Shiraz 2002

We acquired several bottles of this label more than a decade ago shortly after release and realize like many wines, we consumed them too soon or too early in their drinking window. In several of those tasting experiences, this wine was tight and closed. 

Tonight, this was much more vibrant and expressive, exotic but perhaps past its prime as it was taking on the raisin prune notes taking the place of the fruit.

My tasting and associated note in 2015 perhaps captured this wine at the apex of its tasting window when I wrote, "My last tasting of this was back in 2006 when I wrote "this wine was more approachable than the first time we tried it - but it still needs some time to meld and reveal its complex fruit". Well nine years later, it is smoother and more polished and is certainly approachable with its delicious melange of black and blue fruits.'

"Reiterating my initial tasting note when I wrote this was "huge, powerful, dense, richly complex, dark", tonight it was big, dense, rich and complex, but now is smooth and approachable with full forward fruits of ripe plum, candied cherry, black raspberry, and blueberry fruits with tones of black pepper, hints of anise and dark chocolate punched by firm intense tannins on a smooth and long finish."

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=46692

Marquis Philips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002

To compare with the Elderton Command above, we pulled another 2002 South Central Australian Shiraz for a mini horizontal comparison tasting of the vintage. 

We hold nearly a decade of this label dating back to its earliest days. This vintage is the oldest and this is the last of our holdings of this release. 

This release got 96 points from Robert Parker and 91 from Wine Spectator. 

Dark inky purple color, full bodied, big nose of dark fruits with a layer of iodine accented by anise, notes of expresso on the long finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2461

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Bill brought the 2008 vintage release of this label which was spectacular. For a 'mini-vertical' comparison I pulled from the cellar this 2006. We consumed the 2008 first which overshadowed this '06. Had we opened and consumed this first, it would've shown better and been more enjoyable.

This release was awarded 92 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant ripe red and black currant fruits with hints of dark mocha and expresso. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=571785

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

As noted above, we opened this vintage first and was more complex, integrated, balanced and harmonious, overshadowing the lesser '06 that followed. In retrospect it would've been better had we done them in reverse order. Normally, we open older vintages first but we couldn't have imagines the degree of difference in just two years.

This got the same 91 point rating by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate as the '06 but it showed much more elegantly. 

Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, dense, complex, elegant, nicely balanced and integrated black berry and black currant fruits highlighted by dark mocha, floral, anise and hints of cedar and oak on a polished lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

This was a Bordeaux blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1069536

Mollydooker 'Velvet Glove' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013

Mollydooker 'Velvet Glove' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Ryan brought this Velvet Glove Shiraz. This is the ultra-premium label of the broad portfolio of Mollydooker of South Central Australia McLaren Vale. We hold a dozen vintages of the range of Shiraz from Mollydooker dating back to their founding years and before when they were bottling under the previous brand Marquis Philips in partnership with their American producer.

Before dinner, for the salad course, shrimp cocktail and a selection of cheeses, I served a special Limited Edition bottling of Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV Champagne  from Limited Edition Red Magnum bottles. 

The name "Velvet Glove" refers to "the wine that wraps your entire palate in a ‘Velvet Glove’ of amazing fruit flavours that last forever", according to the producer. It is packaged in a non-standard shaped bottle that comes in a drawstring velvet cloth bag with the Velvet Glove logo embroidered in shiny silver.

The winemaker's notes for this vintage release: "An epic wine of amazing depth, complexity and precise balance. The 2013 Velvet Glove possesses all the flavours in the spectrum, with cherry and plum to the fore, then blackberry and mocha and finally liquorice and allspice. Only at the final moments on the palate does the fruit give way to finely poised tannins which ensure the wine has elegance as well as depth. Vibrant and rich, the Velvet Glove in 2013 creates Wow by combining opulence with finesse." ~ MattWalker-Brown ~

Lisa Perrotti-Brown of www.erobertparker.com Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this release a score of 97 points. Legendary Harvey Steiman, publisher and critic for www.winespectator.com ~ Wine Spectator gave it 96 points.

I wrote recently in these pages about lofty ratings for two other ultra-premium Shiraz' from two other Shiraz growing regions, the Northern Rhone and Chile.  

This was dark blackish inky purple colored, full bodied, rich, viscous multi-layered concentrated but seamlessly integrated and perfectly balanced raspberry, blackberry and plum fruits with hints of blue fruits, tones of expresso, spice and hints of menthol with cassis and mocha notes on the long structured firm but smooth fine tannin laced finish.

RM 95 points.

The grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale, barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak and 100% new.
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1986244

https://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/default.aspx 

D'Arenberg Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002

D'Arenberg Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002

For a midweek evening pop and pour sipper with artisan cheeses and fresh fruits I pulled this vintage distinctive label Aussie Shiraz from the cellar. The label 'Dead Arm' is named for the vines that survived a grape vine disease that afflicted the vineyard back at the turn of the last century. Typically a grower would pull out and replace the afflicted vines with new plantings. D'Arenberg kept the vineyard intact and found that one half, or an ‘arm’ of the vines slowly died leaving the surviving remaining half of the vine. The resulting vine produced rich intense fruit due to the vibrant roots delivering nutrients to but half the vine with the resulting low yielding fruit achieving amazing  amplified intensity.

d’Arenberg is one of the most significant wineries in McLaren Vale South Australia. It dates back to 1912 when Joseph Osborn, a teetotaller and director of Thomas Hardy and Sons, purchased 25 hectares (54 acres) of well established Milton Vineyards in the hills just north of the townships of Gloucester and Bellevue, (now known as McLaren Vale). Joseph’s son Frank Osborn left medical school, trading in scalpel for pruning shears to manage the property. He increased the vineyards to 78 hectares. Fruit was initially sold to local wineries until the construction of a winery and cellars was completed in 1928.

In 1943 Frank’s son Francis d’Arenberg Osborn, universally known as “d’Arry”, returned from school at age 16 to help his ill father run the business. He took over management responsibility in 1957. In 1959 d’Arry launched the d’Arenberg label, named in honour of his mother, Frances Helena d’Arenberg.

d'Arenberg wines gained cult status when the 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1969 Royal Melbourne Wine Show and the 1967 Red Burgundy (Grenache based) was awarded 7 trophies and 29 gold medals in Australian capital city wine shows.

By the 1970’s d’Arenberg wines had gained a significant national and international profile. The fourth generation, d’Arry’s son Chester d’Arenberg Osborn continued his family’s winemaking tradition. having grown up helping his father in both the vineyards and the cellar.

After graduating from College and touring Australian and European wine regions, Chester took over as Chief Winemaker in 1984, continuing the family best practices of minimal inputs, no fertilization, cultivation and irrigation wherever possible, thereby achieving natural soil flavours with very low yields.

d'Arenberg was named Winery of the Year in 2003. In June 2004 Chester’s father, d’Arry was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his contributions to the wine industry and to the McLaren Vale region. After more than 65 consecutive vintages, d’Arry continues to create an internationally recognized wine brand commonly known as the ‘Red Stripe’ due to the distinctive diagonal red stripe that adorns the label.

We first discovered d'Arenberg Dead Arm back in the early nineties and have collected vintages ever since. I still remember my first tasting of an early 90's release and being blown away by the blue fruit highlights. We still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1995. Bottle shown is a 375ml 'split' which we also hold, the bottle consumed was a standard size 750.

d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia 2002

This release was awarded 94 points by James Halliday, 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points Wine Spectator and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

At sixteen years, this is probably at its peak and not likely to improve any with further aging. 

Consistent with earlier tasting notes from back in 2013, "typically a big fruit forward complex wine, the 2002 was a bit more subdued and muted than its normal big forwardness but what was an off-tone of minerality. Lacking that uber ripe almost raisin-fig with a layer of cedar predominating, this still held that complex black berry fruits with tones of pepper, spice, and cassis and hint of vanilla with a big long bold finish that has a slight tone of tangy cherry."

Tonight this showed some of that classic Dead Arm with its dark garnet color, medium full body with concentrated rich black berry fruits with notes of blue berry with notes of menthol, cassis, creosote, smoke and spices with hints of black pepper and mocha on the finish.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27221

http://mcnees.org/winesite/labels/labels_australia/lbl_AU_d-Arenberg_Dead_Arm_Shiraz_2002_375_remc.jpg 

BBQ Ribs and Syrah Syrah

BBQ Ribs and Syrah Syrah - Clarendon Hills Piggott Range and Marquis Philips '9'

The family gathered for son Ryan's birthday and Linda served Salmon and BBQ Ribs with buttered potatoes, asparagus and baked beans. Ryan and I went down in the cellar and he picked out two wines he wanted to try as an accompaniment.

With the BBQ ribs, son Ryan chose from our cellar two Australian Mclaren Vale Shiraz' - a Clarendon Hills Piggott Range and a Marquis Phillips '9' - both from the 2004 vintage.

Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Shiraz 2004

As written in my earlier tasting, this luscious Australian Syrah was given a 96 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "A superstar effort, it reveals off-the-chart richness, complexity and intensity. Floral-scented, exhibiting a distinctive minerality along with wonderful blackberry and cassis fruit, and a hint of wood. The mid-palate and finish are both long, textured and intense. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for a minimum of 2 decades."

This winery Clarendon Hills is the namesake of the town and area around Clarendon which was established in 1845. Many of the vineyards surrounding the winery are over seventy years old; the gnarly and twisted bush vines are dry farmed and the grapes are hand picked. The soil profiles of each vineyard are very different with the Piggott Range known for the rock and shale. This is a hillside vineyard planted in the 1960's adjacent to the Onkaparinga Valley. The soil there is notable by it's absence rather predominant with solid rock and shale torturing the vine roots to reach deep for nutrients to survive. Low yields rarely exceeding two tonnes/acre produce deeply rich fruit with firm structure and tannins. 

 
Consistent with earlier notes, this exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. However, the fruit was more subdued and a bit leaner than the full throttle profile of previous experience a few years ago.

This exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish.

It seems with this latest tasting of this label, the fruit seems more ripe or extracted so as to be a bit more raisiny with a subtle tone of graphite or a metallic note - perhaps or most likely attributable to aging at this stage of life - fifteen years of age. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=153424

http://www.clarendonhills.com.au/

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2012/08/clarendon-hills-clarendon-piggott-range.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/10/cityscape-syrah-zin-bbq-ribs-wine.html

Marquis Phillips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Our Cellartracker records show we still hold almost four cases of this label from seven different vintages.

From previous tastings of this release I wrote: "This is huge full bodied, deep dark inky color. Almost overpowering forward over ripe black berry, raisin, blue berry fruits, hints of caramel, vanilla, glycerin and cedar. Firm, full chewy unctuous tongue coating tannins that reveal more blueberry, vanilla, mocha on a long alcohol finish. Begs for bar-b-que or like food."

Similar to the 2004 Piggott Range Shiraz above, this too is starting to show its age and lose some of the vibrancy of its fruit. At fifteen years of age this is starting to show a bit of heat from the alcohol as this starts to wane and pass its prime drinking window.



RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=144787

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/05/marquis-philips-mclaren-vale-shiraz-2004.html

Parents-Son Dinner features Birth Year Wine of the Year

Parents-Son Dinner features Birth Year Wine of the Year

Visiting son Alec and his fiance' Vivianna in New York City for the weekend, we took a couple of very special wines from Alec's birth year. We drank the first bottle, Château Calon-Ségur that we took BYOB to Bobo French Wine Dine Experience on Friday night.

Tonight, Alec and Viv were preparing dinner and to celebrate their engagement and the occasion, we took from our home cellar a very special bottle that I acquired upon release for his birth year. The 1990 vintage was a very unique year in the release of vintage wines in that three times, the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year was from that vintage year.

In 1993, the WS Wine of the Year was Caymus Special Select, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1990. In 1994, the WS Wine of the Year was Chateau Gran Vin Latour Pauillac Bordeaux, from the 1990 vintage. In 1995, the ‘Red Wine of the Year’ by Wine Spectator magazine was Penfold's Grange, 1990. 

This is testimony to the fact that 1990 was a blockbuster vintage in all three hemispheres' top wine regions - US Napa Valley, France Bordeaux and Australia. Someone want to collect a birthyear vintage wine for a given year has several options from which to select. For this year, any one of these three regions offered top rated wines!

Tonight's bottle was part of an OWC - Original Wood Case of the 1990 Penfold's Grange that I picked up on release back in 1993. I actually purchased it a Berry Brothers & Ruud in London during one of my very frequent monthly trips there. In those days, they had a wine shop in Terminal Three at London Heathrow Airport. I purchased and hand carried the case of wine on the plane enroute home, and have stored it in our home cellar ever since.

For dinner, Alec and Viv prepared ribeye steak with wine reduction mushroom sauce, grilled diver sea scallops, asparagus and pomme frites.

For the starter wine, they opened a Orin Swift Abstract California Red Wine 2016

Penfolds Grange Shiraz 1990

For the main beef entree course, I served the Penfolds Grange. Readers of this blog know we drink a lot of Australian Shiraz' and that we like them big and bold. This Aussie Shiraz was a totally different profile than the usual shiraz we encounter. Naturally, this is an extraordinary wine that is in a totally different class, with a totally different profile than the once a week, once-a-month, or even the once-a-year wines that we drink. This is one of those very special occasion, or even once in a lifetime wines. Of course, this wine sells for more than $500, a price-point higher than we normally spend on once a year, once a month or other wines.

Grange is arguably the most prestigious and most historic, famous wine from Australia, first released back with the experimental vintage release in 1951. For its first four decades, the label was called Penfold's Hermitage Grange. With this 1990 release, the Hermitage moniker was removed and thereafter it is simply known as Grange.

The fruit for Grange is sourced from south central Australia Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. The 1990 is one of the top Granges ever produced. The vintage year was an ideal completely trouble-free growing season that enabled the grapes to ripen perfectly and to be harvested at the perfect time under ideal conditions. The producer says the 1990 Penfolds Grange is one of the best ever, with the potential to eventually rival the classic vintages of 1955, 1962 and 1971. It should be aged carefully for a minimum of ten years and preferably for 25 to thirty years.

The blend of the 1990 vintage is 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged 18 months in new American oak hogsheads.

The fill level was proper and appropriate for its age, the cork was perfect, and of course the foil and label were perfect as it was still packaged in the original tissue and OWC - original wood case. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, flawless, elegant, polished, harmonious, perfectly balanced, silky smooth flavors of concentrated black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of vanilla, licorice, spice, black truffles and oak with hints of spice and cedar turning to fine grained tongue puckering tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 95 points.

Wine Spectator gave this 98 points, James Halliday 97 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95 points, and Jancis Robinson gave it 18 out of her twenty point scale. 

James Halliday said it was 'destined to be one of the greatest Granges'. Wine Spectator called it  'magnificent, exotic, a veritable cascade of opulent flavors'. The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004) called it Outstanding and projected its Drinking Window from now to 2040. Southcorp Wines said, 'The 1990 vintage was the kind that winemakers only expect to see once or twice in an entire career'.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6295

https://www.penfolds.com/

https://twitter.com/penfolds

@penfolds


La Fine du Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape 1988

After dinner, Alec opened this special extremely limited release Chateau La Nerthe La Fine 1988.

We discovered, tasted, and Alec acquired this wine during our visit to the Château La Nerthe estate this summer.

La Fine de Château La Nerthe comes exclusively from the distillation of white wine in bottles of the Château. White wine is aged in bottles in the cellars before being tasted and distilled.

Château La Nerthe perform a triple distillation to obtain the finest and delicate aromas possible. They seek the spirit of their old white wines that make the reputation of Château La Nerthe. By its origin, its extraction, its requirement and its refinement of 10 years minimum in oak casks, the Fine of the Castle La Nerthe is the expression of the exceptional finest spirit of their wines.


Château La Nerthe have been producing these fine wines in the true tradition of fine wine distillation in Châteauneuf du Pape since this, their first vintage, 1988.

Tea honey colored, full bodied, delicious, smooth, harmonious, nicely balanced.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3330760

http://www.chateaulanerthe.fr/

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz 2012

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz 2012

One might say this is one of our signature wines for our son Alec, along with 'Alec's Blend from Napa Lewis Cellars. We pulled this from the cellar for sipping with cheese, fruit and chocolate with a Saturday night movie as we prepare to go visit in Alec in NYC this week.

This is a full throttle powerful high octane Shiraz. If you think that is over the top with the superlatives, try this wine. It's actually over the top for my liking and I like big bold style wine. Linda actually likes this style. some Cellartrackers talked about using the Mollydooker Shake on this wine. No wonder the producer introduced the Mollydooker 'shake' where they actually prescribe shaking the bottle before opening to awaken or to settle the fruit! We own and drink a lot of their wine and I have never gotten into the habit of doing so, perhaps tonight we should have!

Reading up on the Mollydooker Shake, it is prescribed only for still red wines of two years of age or less. It is to release the nitrogen in the bottle that they use instead of the normal sulphites commonly used to preserve wines.  Sulphites can cause an allergic asthma type reaction in some people and Mollydooker realise a lot of people are sensitive to them. So, wherever they can, they use nitrogen to protect the wine so that they can reduce the amount of sulphites.

We served an earlier vintage release of this wine at a graduation celebration for Alec back in his college apartment.

This was dark blackish inky purple, full bodied, powerful, rich forward fruit of super ripe savoury extracted raisin, notes of expresso coffee, soy and anise, with a bit of heat with almost a medicinal or metallic layer. I wonder if this is indicative of this vintage or if perhaps we held it a bit too long, or perhaps this is an aberrant bottle. We have some more of this vintage and will watch it carefully.

The pundits and Cellartracker collectors give this 92 points. I give it 88.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1762926

https://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/default.aspx

Terlato Chapoutier - St Michelle Cab - Lalande-Borie

Terlato & Chapoutier - St Michelle 50th Anniversary Cab - Lalande-Borie for BBQ Dinner

We were invited to Sean and Michelle's for a gala dinner of BBQ ribs and tenderloin. They also served grilled asparagus, brussel sprouts and baked potatoes. The tenderloin was in a marsala sauce and with a horseradish sour creme sauce on the side.

For the occasion we took a couple wines to match with the dinner. For the barbecue ribs I took this Australian Shiraz from a Southern Rhone producer, in partnership with a Chicago distributor, producer importer. For the grilled tenderloin I took a California Cabernet and a Bordeaux from our recent trip there.

Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz Lieu dit Malakoff 2013

Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier is a partnership between Anthony Terlato, founder of importer and marketer Terlato Wines International and Napa Valley vintner, and Michel Chapoutier, the esteemed Rhône grower and vintner whose wines are highly acclaimed and recognized by critics around the world.
 The origin of the Terlato & Chapoutier partnership in Australia dates back to 1998, when Chapoutier told Terlato about a top vineyard site that was available in Australia. The 500 acre site was in the Pyrenees Hills in western Central Victoria. It contained the 50 acre Malakoff Vineyard located on the southern edge of an eastern-facing slope with soils destined to produce “great wines,” according to Chapoutier. The soil profile of the Malakoff vineyard is remarkably similar to that of France's northern Rhône Valley where he produced world class Shiraz/Syrahs and the climate is ideal for growing superior quality Shiraz.

Terlato could not say 'no' to the legendary Michel Chapoutier. They formed a partnership in the Malakoff Vineyard to produce estate wines from the 'lieu dit Malakoff' from Shiraz planted there. The spectacular Malakoff fruit was grown and tended to produce low-yielding (less than 1 ton per acre), high-concentration Shiraz. The wine was made in the Chapoutier tradition and style: unfiltered and unfined and represented what Australian Shiraz can be when made by one of the great winemakers of Syrah.

When wine critic Robert M. Parker tasted the first release, the 2004 vintage, he called it a “lusty Australian blockbuster,” and awarded it 90-92 points. 

The wine was awarded 95 points from Jeff Dunnuck, 92 points by James Suckling, 91 points and a "Cellar Selection" by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits.

This 2013 release is bright ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth easy drinking, somewhat sweet black berry, sweet cherry with hints of blue berry fruits with some moderate astringency, hints of tea, anise, mocha, notes of  leather, and pepper with a long finish of modest tannins and acidity.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2438567

https://www.chapoutier.com/en/shop/lieu-dit-malakoff/2014/52

The second wine I opened was this whimsical tribute to Michelle in this St Michelle anniversary special bottling label Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chateau Ste. Michelle "50th Anniversary Edition" Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 

This received 93 points from Decanter Magazine. 

This is a complex Bordeaux style blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Syrah, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot crafted from fruit sourced from Columbia Valley vineyards in eastern Washington including the Cold Creek, Canoe Ridge Estate, and Indian Wells vineyards.


Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, rich extracted complex concentrated black and red berry fruits, tightly would with a firm structure that is accessible style and approachable with moderate smooth tannins on a lingering finish. A great complement to the beef tenderloin with brown marsala sauce or the horseradish creme sauce.

RM 88 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/07/chateau-ste-michelle-50th-ann-special.html


Lalande-Borie St Julien Bordeaux 2016

We tasted the 2014 release of this second label wine while at the magnificent Ducru Beaucaillou estate in St Julien Bordeaux last month. We also tasted barrel samples of the 2016 Grand Vin along with some of the other top rated Chateau and the Saint-Julien 2016 vintage promises to be spectacular.

This second label from Bruno Borie and Ducru Beaucaillou is a blend is 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 30% new French oak sourced from vineyards further inland from the Gironde estuary and the estate vineyards adjacent to the Chateau. While tight and closed, it needs a couple years to settle and open, it should prove to also be a wonderful wine with great value (QPR - Quality Price Ratio) in time.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, intense, concentrated, tightly structured, blackberries, black-currant and black raspberry fruits are accented by a graphite stony edge, notes of black tea, bramble, tobacco leaf and hints of spicy clove and cassis with silky fine grained tannins.

RM 91 points. 

James Suckling Wine Spectator gave this 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast 92 points, and 91 points from Decanter and Vinous.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2656190

Big Red Wine Flight for Family Super Hero Birthday

Big Red Wine Flight for Gala Family Super Hero Birthday

We had a gala family gathering for Son Ryan and Michelle celebrating son/grandson Reid's birthday, my namesake to the next generation, and the next. For the superhero celebration, Ryan pulled from his cellar a flight of big reds to enjoy with his signature legendary smoked beef brisket.

The flight:

Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Rotie Cellars Washington State Southern Blend GSM 2013

El Nido Clio Jumilla Red Blend 2016

Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz 2010

Cliff Lede Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Cliff Lefe is one of our favorite producers and a visit to the Napa Valley Stag's Leap District estate has been a highlight of several of Napa Valley excursions.

In certain vintages this is our favorite Sauvignon Blanc with its bright expressive fruits - pear, lychee, passion fruit and peach with hints of grapefruit and notes of lemon citrus. This 2017 is one of those vintages - butter colored, medium bodied, crisp clean, full flavorful fruits with nicely balanced acidity.

RM 92 points.
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2942346

https://cliffledevineyards.com/








Rotie Cellars Washington State Southern Blend GSM 2013

We tasted this wine at the producer in Walla Walla during our private tasting visit there opening our Walla Walla Wine Experience 2018. The 2016 vintage tasted then showed much better than this 2013 release tasted tonight.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, very green notes of bell pepper predominated over the cherry fruits spice and tobacco notes leaving an unfortunate barnyard funkiness and a bit of alcohol heat; hopefully a bottle variation and not indicative of the vintage and general release but I fear not?

A "GSM" blend of 75 % Grenache, 15 % Syrah and 10 % Mourvèdre.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2046400



Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio Red Blend 2016

This is the one Spanish wine in our cellar that we collect annually for a vertical collection that we hold for BBQ, bold cheeses and occasionally for tangy pasta. The grapes for this wine are made from 29.65 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and 79 acres of very old Monastrell with a very low yield.

They harvest the grape with small baskets to prevent bruising and then hand select only the best grapes on triage tables. The juice is then held 24 months in French and American new oak barrels for integration, complexity and oak infusion. The result is a bold concentrated extracted fruitiness and complexity that we enjoy in a big red wine.
 
Winemaker notes - The wine exhibits a glass-coating opaque purple color with an expressive nose of pain grille, underbrush, brier, mineral, blueberry,  and  blackberry  fruit  leading  to  a  plush,  opulent  wine with great density, savory flavors, and a lengthy finish.

This is a blend of 70% Monastrell (akin to French Rhone Mourvedre) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.


This was dark garnet colored, full bodied, concentrated, complex, bold black and blue berry fruits with notes of pain grille, brier and mineral, with a moderate tannin laced tangy acidic finish. This vintage lacks the polish and integration of some years where it is more harmonious.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=3126734

 http://bodegaselnido.com/en/


Killikanoon Oracle Clare Valley South Australia Shiraz 2010

One of favorite Shiraz's, the 2014 vintage release was awarded the 'Best Shiraz in the World' by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in the UK.


Dark dense black inky color, full bodied, concentrated, complex, vibrant full black and blue fruits with accents of dark mocha, spice and hints of expresso, smoke and pepper with a long lingering tangy acidic and smooth moderate tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=1652109

https://kilikanoon.com.au/

 @kilikanoonwines

Marquis Philips McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Marquis Philips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

As I wrote in my last review of this wine, last summer, this full-throttle intensely concentrated classic South Australian Shiraz burst on the scene in 2001 with direction from Robert Parker to 'run, don't walk' to your wineshop to buy this wine.  Marquis Philps was the result of a partnership between the highly respected South Australian viticulturists/winemakers, Sarah and Sparky Marquis and their importer, Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate. The Aussie - American partnership produced the whimsical Roogle character - half eagle and half kangaroo (shown on label left). The brand of Marquis Philips inexpensive wines immediately gained enormous success and a faithful following. Of course Sarah and Sparky Marquis went on to form the current follow-on brand/label Mollydooker.

While big, complex and concentrated, their '9' Shiraz has proven to be a wine to be consumed during its first 7-8 years of life as this eleven year old attests. This like others vintages held beyond ten years is showing its age as the intense fruit is giving way to a funkiness of non-fruit wood, leather and earth notes. My review back in 2004 noted the '03 was not as polished or delectable as the earlier vintage releases.

In their youth, they were big vibrant powerful wines with super rich, ripe luscious tongue-coating fruit. This release of  '9' was sourced from McLaren Vale (60%) and Padthaway (40%) in South Central Australia.


This is huge full bodied, deep dark inky color. Almost overpowering forward over ripe black berry, raisin, blue berry fruits, hints of caramel, vanilla, glycerin and cedar. Firm, full chewy unctuous tongue coating tannins that reveal more blueberry, vanilla, mocha on a long alcohol finish. Begs for bar-b-que or like food.

At fifteen years of age this is starting to show a bit of heat from the alcohol as this starts to wane and pass its prime drinking window.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=144787

Domaine Serene Grand Cheval Red Blend 2015

Domaine Serene Grand Cheval Red Blend 2015

During our getaway weekend to Charleston Seabrooke Island visiting friends and fellow 'Pour Boy' Bill and Beth, we dined on the Kiawah Island village green for their Friday night summer concert series. We had an ideally sited table at the 48 Wine Bar which offers a superb selection of fine wines by the pour or by the bottle.

48 Wine Bar on Kiawah Island and 64 Wine Bar here in our hometown Naperville, are of the same owners. Both offer a wide selection of wines from the old and new world - California, Washington, and Oregon, Australia,  Argentina and Italy. They provide the opportunity to taste the wines from the serving stations, or by the bottle, with a selection of wine appropriate foods - starters, salads, sandwiches, select entrees, a selection of cheeses and charcuterie, and desserts - in a casual, trendy wine-food setting. 

From the selection, we were tempted with several selections for our favorites, Alpha Omega, Lewis Cellars, Cade, Cakebread, Caymus, Duckhorn, Mondavi, Odette - numerous ultra premium selections from Bond, Opus and Chateau Margaux, and numerous imaginative offerings for experimentation and discovery. 

We opted for a discovery wine - a new as yet unknown label, from a known trusted favorite producer. We selected this Grand Cheval Red Blend from well known Domain Serene, who are mostly known for their Willamette Valley, Oregon Pinot Noirs. 

Grand Cheval is a signature wine dedicated to Founder Jim Evenstad's grandfather, Carl Michelson, a Norwegian immigrant, and named for his legendary grand work horse that he used to work the fields and pull the sleigh to make his livelihood on the family farm back in Northern Minnesota. 

Grand Cheval is a Red Blend, sourced from select fruit from the Domaine Serene premiere Dundee Hills vineyard and various Oregon Walla Walla Valley Vineyard sites. We visited the Walla Walla appellation last fall and gained great appreciation for their wines. 

As I have written in these pages, the Walla Walla AVA is America's newest and 'most distinct' appellation. Also, it traverses the Oregon and Washington State border, the only American AVA to span two states. 

Notably, the grapes selected for Grand Cheval are sourced from Oregon Walla Walla vineyards. The label is based on some component of Syrah and Pinot Noir varietal grapes. 

Domaine Serene Grand Cheval Oregon Proprietary Red Blend 2015

'Grand Cheval' is a unique proprietary blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir, which is sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla, as well as vineyards in the Dundee Hills. Pinot Noir is not generally considered a grape blending but the balance seems to work as neither grape dominates or overpowers the other. 

Garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated expressive black fruits of black berry, black cherries and plums with notes of cassis, coffee and a touch of charred wood and black tea, a bit of heat on the firm tannin laced finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3035724

https://www.fortyeightwinebar.com/

https://www.domaineserene.com/