Arrowood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Arrowood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

The deep freeze in Chicago continues and we remain shut in for winter and of course Covid. Having a deep and broad wine cellar reduces the dread of cabin fever and makes for enjoyable evenings dipping in to our collection. 

Tonight, Linda created a delicious medley of grilled steak, sweet potatoes and mushrooms. This was a wonderful pairing that suited this Sonoma County Cabernet perfectly. As I've written several times recently, an ideal food and wine pairing such as this accentuates the enjoyment of the whole experience, enhancing the wine and the food. 

We've visited or stopped by the Arrowood winery a couple times during visits to Sonoma, the winery sitting just north of town back off the highway. We hold a collection of this label dating back to 1991 of which we acquired a case upon release and still hold just a couple remaining bottles, along with a half dozen other vintages including this '04. 

My opinion and experience is that the Sonoma County Cabs tend to be lighter and softer (than Napa's) and therefore a bit more approachable and less challenging, more suitable to casual sipping and lighter or less complex food pairing. 

This is the craftwork of winemaker producer Richard Arrowood. Born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Rosa, he started his winemaking career in 1965 at Korbel Champagne Cellars just north of St Helena. He earned degrees in organic chemistry at California State Sacramento and graduate work in enology at California State, Fresno. He moved from Korbel to United Vintners, then Sonoma Vineyards. 

From 1974 through 1990, he was winemaker at Chateau St. Jean, where he developed some of the first vineyard-designate Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Sonoma County. His role there grew to be winemaker and Executive Vice President of Chateau St Jean.

He and his wife, Alis, founded Arrowood Winery with the 1985 vintage where they produced small-lot varietals and vineyard designates. In April 1990, after sixteen years at Chateau St. Jean, Richard set out to devote himself full-time to Arrowood where he was producer/winemaster. He originally planned to produce reserve quality Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon only, but his passion for making wine lead him to explore and develop unusual varietals that he believed had potential to produce exceptional fruit. The Arrowood portfolio expanded to include Merlot, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Late Harvest wines, Malbec, Syrah and a few special reserve wines.

Richard and Alis were successful building the Arrowood brand and portfolio which they sold to Robert Mondavi in 2000. Richard and Alis stayed on, but left after Constellation Brands purchased Mondavi in 2004 and subsequently sold Arrowood in 2005 to the (now bankrupt) Legacy Estate Group. 

Jackson Family Wines acquired Arrowood Vineyards & Winery through the bankruptcy court in September 2006. I wrote recently about the Jackson Family history upon reading the book, A Man and His Mountain, a chronicle about Jess Jackson. 

Richard continued as winemaster there until June 2010, when he founded and left to devote his energies full-time to Amapola Creek Vineyards and Winery. They sold Amapola in 2019 and set out to retire after 54 years in the wine business.  

Arrowood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

This release is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89.9%), Merlot (7.2%), Malbec and (1.6%), Petit Verdot (1.3%), all from Sonoma County.

Winemaker notes: "This 2004 Arrowood Caberent Sauvignon is a lovely, complex wine that exemplifies our distinctive style. Beginning with exceptional fruit from several Sonoma County vineyards, we selected and blended small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Each key component was aged for nearly two years in French and American oak. To retain maximum complexity, we chose not to fine or filter this wine, hence a small amount of harmless sedimentation may occur. Although delicious now, this rich and complex claret will develop well beyond the next decade.' 

"Our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is a complete wine. It is a testament to both vintage and the vineyards. The growing season opened with a heat wave in the first half of March triggering an early bloom. The remainder of the year was awash in warm days, cool nights and morning fog. All in all, we feel it was one of the finest Cabernet vintages of the last decade.'

"For vineyards, this Cabernet combines our favorite bench, hillside and mountain sites (many organically farmed) in Sonoma, Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys. By blending lots from a variety of sources Richard was able to capture the character of the vintage and the essence of Sonoma County Cabernet."

Back in 2016 I wrote about this release, "I have two left in the cellar and I wish I had more. At a dozen years old, it must be at the apex of its drinking window - it was delicious and a perfect compliment to the steak and to the anti pasta caprese salad.'

"We often turn to Sonoma County Cab's for more casual sipping as they are thought to be a bit lighter and softer than their Napa counterparts. There was nothing wimpy or second class to this Big Cab."

While the Arrowood winery and vineyards are located in Sonoma Valley just north of the town of Sonoma, they source the fruit for this label from three different Sonoma County AVA's - Knights Valley, Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley. We consider Arrowood to be a benchmark, representing the best of Sonoma Cabernet.

We have visited the Arrowood properties on several of our trips to Sonoma Valley. 

This wine represents great value, high QPR as Arrowood seem to have held the price on this label as similar Napa and Sonoma labels have risen by 30-40% over the decade.

At sixteen years, this was drinking very nicely, probably still at its apex, not likely to improve any further with aging, but not showing any signs of diminution whatsoever. The filled level was proper and the cork was in perfect condition.

Wine Enthusiast gave this release 93 points. 

Blend: 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.2% Merlot, 1.6% Malbec, 1.3% Petit Verdot

 

Back in 2016 I wrote, Dark blackish garnet color, medium-full bodied, the berry fruit aromas filled the room on opening, bold expressive black cherry accented by a layer of leather, mocha and hint of cedar and spice on the long smooth soft tanning finish.

Tonight this was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex yet nicely integrated and balanced rich elegant dark berry fruits with floral notes turning to cassis, hints of black tea and oak with smooth soft tannins and balanced acid on a lingering finish. 

 

RM 91 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=436318

http://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/

 

https://www.amapolacreek.com/

 

 

Kinsella Dry Creek Valley Cabernet 2017

Kinsella Dry Creek Valley Spencer Vineyard Cabernet 2017

Son Alec and wife Viv arrived from NYC as part of their journey to relocate to the midwest from Manhatten. Part of the campaign includes moving his wine cellar holdings to our cellar for interim storage. His collection includes a portfolio of exciting new labels we hope to be introduced to and explore in the time ahead. The exposition began with him opening this premium label Sonoma County Cabernet. 

This is the label of Kevin Kinsella who founded Kinsella Estates in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley in 2007. Kevin bought a 12-acre vineyard in the foothills of the western edge of Dry Creek Valley and hired legendary winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to lead his project.

Kinsella is founder of the private venture capital fund, Avalon Ventures, which funded the first big data company, multiple billion dollar pharmaceutical companies, the first touch screen for the Apple iPhone, the first mega social gaming company and the radically new stealth vessel for the Navy SEALS. Avalon has participated in and helped develop more than 120 different companies. As a consultant to the Peruvian government, Kinsella developed the first international marketing plan for the remarkable Andean grain, quinoa. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Kinsella is also a Tony Award winner as he gained further fame and fortune as the largest individual investor in the musical Jersey Boys, which became a worldwide smash hit becoming the 12th longest running musical in the history of Broadway playing to nearly 23 million people worldwide in five locations worldwide over a decade. 

The musical Jersey Boys not only provided resources to pursue his passion for wine but also was the impetus for the name of one of the three vineyards on the estate named after the musical.

Kinsella Estates is situated in a private valley in the foothills of the western edge of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, situated at an elevation of 500 feet above the Russian River. The valley provides a warm climate that seldom sees a winter frost, some hills even grow citrus trees. The valley runs east-west and is planted with 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines on steep eastern hillsides made of loamy, metamorphic soil.

The estate has three vineyard blocks; the six acre Jersey Boys Vineyard, Spencer Vineyard is four acres, and two acre Heirloom Vineyard (formerly Tamara Vineyard), a steep sloping 17-year-old parcel wedged between an arroyo and a knoll of Spanish oaks, 

The Kinsella Estate property is a bit unique spot because the Dry Creek AVA is known primarily for the predominant varietal Zinfandel and not much Cabernet. This vineyard however gets plenty of sunshine to provide appropriate terroir for the Bordeaux varietal. 

The Heirloom Vineyard was planted in 2001 with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Jersey Boys Vineyard was replanted in 2008, utilizing four Cabernet Sauvignon clones, with two thirds of an acre planted to Wente clone Zinfandel and eight rows to Petit Verdot. 

With the purchase of the the 12-acre vineyard estate, his business instincts took over. "Part of the philosophy of venture capital is to go with the best people you can," explains Kinsella, who hired talented winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker in 2007. Prior to Kinsella, since 2000, Brown had crafted 37 individual bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon for Schrader Cellars. Twenty of those releases earned ratings of 95 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, including a pair of 100-point 2007s. Ninety-one is the lowest score in the bunch.

Working with Thomas Rivers Brown are viticulturist Kelly Maher and Josh Clark of Clark Vineyard Management. Josh is the son of Tom Clark of the family wine label Clark-Claudon. Josh says he started in this business at age 12, when he would spend the day with “the vineyard as his playground", and where he “practically grew up on a tractor.” Josh took over the family business in 2003 that Tom Clark, started in 1978 so that Tom could focus on the Clark-Claudon label. Notably, we hold twenty vintages of the Clark-Claudon label in our cellar collection dating back to the inaugural vintage 1994.

Kinsella Estates is the only vineyard property Josh farms in Sonoma County with the rest of his clients being in Napa County. Josh says Kinsella vineyards receive even sunlight throughout the day and the soils are well drained to accommodate Cabernet.    

 

The Kinsella team quickly set their sights on making the best-tasting Cabernet from Dry Creek, an area better known for Zinfandel. Success came swiftly with their very first vintage, the 2008, scoring 95 points at Wine Spectator.

Kinsella Estates produces 2,000 cases annually and has no plans to expand outside of what the vineyard has to offer, as Kinsella prefers to remain a single estate production. "Buying grapes to supplement a label would be considered absurd in Burgundy or Bordeaux," he says. Instead, he wants the Kinsella story to be about a single estate. "I have no need for other varietals," Kinsella says. "No need to amp up production. I'd be very happy just to do this perfectly." 

Kinsella Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley Spencer Vineyard Cabernet 2017

The premium label comes packaged in an extra heavy bottle (as heavy as I have ever seen in a standard 750ml!) forged to hold an embossed coin emblem with the Kinsella moniker and motto, "Su Una Stretta Di Mano" which is also on the rear label.

"Su Una Stretta Di Mano" (on a handshake) is a line from the Broadway show, Jersey Boys, but expresses perfectly the enduring bond forged among us, the sun, rain and soil, our excellent winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, our dedicated vineyard team... and our customers, who by buying and enjoying our wine - our passion - have joined that circle of friendship.'

Our wines let the fruit speak for itself - an expression of the terroir, the exceptional clones and the seasonal variation of sun and water in our vineyard. Kinsella Estates wines showcase beautiful expressions of the vineyard blocks from which they are made. Characteristics of the wines include expressive floral and dried herb aromas combined with bright fruit flavors and seductively smooth tannins.

Kinsella Estates Spencer Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. Production was 508 cases.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intense concentrated forward black fruits accented by notes of menthol, cedar, cinnamon and clove spices with hints of cassis and leather on a bright acidic finish. Give it some time to settle and become a bit more approachable.

RM 91 points. 

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Spencer Vineyard was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate in 2016.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3542037

https://www.kinsellawines.com/

 

Covid Breakout - Engagement Celebration Dinner

Covid Breakout - Dual Engagement Family Celebration Dinner

With son Alec and fiance Vivianna visiting from Manhatten, we met son Sean and his fiance Michelle for dinner at Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. This  was our first dinner out since the opening restaurants for outdoor dining only in Illinois as the Covid lock-down is relaxed. For Alec and Viv this was their first dinner out since NYC is still shut down.

This was our first time getting together since both Alec and Sean got engaged so it was also a special celebration dinner. Alec and Viv were due to get married next weekend but due to the Covid disruptions, their event has been postponed. Sean and Michelle's is slated for September but the outcome remains to be seen due to the uncertainties of the Illinois handling of the crisis and associated regulations.

For the celebration we took a Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne.

Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Rosé NV

We served this last month at a Bridesmaid's Luncheon for Michelle. 

This got 91 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points from John Gilman and earlier from Wine Spectator.

This is a a blend of 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier.

Rustic orange color, crisp, full-bodied, complex and zesty, lively red currant, red berry and citrus fruits with a good core, fine acidity, crisp texture, chalky minerality and hint of apple, smoke and spice with a long, vibrant finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27316





For the dinner entree's I took BYOB from our home cellar this Piazza Del Dotto Petit Verdot. Below is from my posting of this label from a BYOB dinner tasting on Linda's birthday earlier this year.

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

We tasted and acquired this wine as part of  our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience Tasting at the winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018. 

Readers of these posts know we can be over-indulgent, even obsessive, we have fun with wine. Part of the fun is serving wines with 'V' when dining or tasting with Vivianna. Popular labels are from Venge or Viader for such occasions. Tonight, on a different twist, we served a Petit Verdot. 

This was a big hit for our dinner tonight, everyone loved this wine. 
 
Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinate to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics we love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 92-93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting below.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/del-dotto-piazza-petit-verdot-2014.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza



We also ordered from the wine list a white wine to accompany dinner, a Jordan Sonoma County Chardonnay.

Jordan Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016

This is a popular widely available label from a long time iconic Sonoma County producer.

The winemaker's notes for this label, "Mirroring the classic elements of a grand cru Chablis, this is a rare expression of Chardonnay that shyly but exquisitely excites the senses. Pretty aromas of citrus blossom and passion fruit spring from the glass. Its elegant palate reveals flavors of lemon, Asian pear and kumquat with a beautiful weight and roundness—all supported by an attractive, crisp backbone of acidity. A lingering finish laced in succulent citrus begs you to take another sip.“

"There’s a beautiful balance to this wine. The opportunity to work with such delicately spiced fruit with such lively acidity was especially fun, offering so many aromas and flavors to employ on our vintage canvas. Similar to 2015, the 2016 Jordan Chardonnay will be remembered as very Chablis-like upon release. Expect this wine to take on more Puligny-Montrachet qualities with another 1-2 years of bottle age.” —Winemaker Rob Davis

https://www.jordanwinery.com/wines/russian-river-chardonnay/vintages/2016

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2901151

Stonestreet Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Stonestreet Sonoma County Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015 with French Morbier

I opened this simple, pleasurable light drinking wine before dinner for sipping out on the deck over the course of a delightful spring evening.  

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the purest most natural easy sipping wines which we try to keep on hand for such occasions.

I later opened it to try with some artisan cheeses Linda brought home from the cheese department at the local Mariannos. It proved to be a nice pairing with a French Morbier. 

Morbier-style cheese comes from the highest part of the Jura Mountains in a small farm village in the Franche-Comté region. It dates back to the 19th century when producers of Comté cheese decided to make a smaller cheese from the day's leftover curd for their own consumption.

Morbier has an ivory colour and is soft and fairly elastic. It is immediately identifiable because of its black layer of tasteless ash, which separates horizontally in the middle. The Soot is thrown on top in order to prevent a rind from occurring.  

This fruity, creamy Livradois is produced from cow's milk, French Morbier cheese matures for 6 weeks before it is ready for sale.

Stonestreet Sonoma County Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015
 

The Winemaker writes about this label, "This Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of several blocks planted at 900 ft. elevation. It displays everything one would expect from Sauvignon Blanc grown at altitude in rock-driven soils: exotic fruit character grounded by serious textural and structural components." 

The rear label states this was sourced from the Couger Ridge blocks in the Alexander Valley, Sonoma County. It says this was grown, produced and bottled by Stonestreet in Healdsburg. Labeled as Estate means the grapes were sourced from the producer's own vineyards.

Wine Enthusiast wrote, "Stonestreet consistently delivers complex, refreshing renditions of Sauvignon Blanc. Grassy on the nose, with an exotic tease of pea shoot, it seemingly vibrates on the palate with lemon, grapefruit and apricot flavors."

Straw colored, light medium bodied, this was bright notes of pineapple, peach with accents of grapefruit and green apple, hints of passion fruit and pear on the tangy finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2547428

Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range 2002

Double Diamond (Schrader) "Mayacamas Range" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

For Sunday night casual dinner, Linda prepared a homemade grilled pizza and to go along, we pulled from the cellar this Schrader Double Diamond Cabernet. 

Fred Schrader has been producing critically acclaimed premium Schrader Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet since 1998. In 2001, he created Double Diamond to produce Napa Valley wines in the Schrader tradition of excellence and to make it available to a broader audience of wine lovers. 

We sourced this wine through auction from WineBid who writes of this label: "Fred Schrader founded Schrader Cellars in Calistoga in 1998 after making wine for six years with Ann Colgin, who was then his wife. Colgin-Schrader Cellars launched in 1992... Schrader and his wife parted ways and he started Schrader Cellars, where his Cabernet Sauvignons have earned outstanding reviews. His grapes come from two of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards, the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford. Schrader's current winemaker is Thomas Rivers Brown, one of California's star winemakers. Robert M. Parker Jr. admires Schrader’s wines, and called the 2006 Schrader CCS Cabernet Sauvignon “utter perfection.” Parker rated it at 100 pts. Like other limited production Cult Cab producers in Napa Valley, Schrader Cellars wines generally sell out through its mailing list."

Double Diamond is Schrader's 'second' label, a more moderately priced brand of Fred Schrader Cellars. While the flagship Schrader brand sources fruit from the legendary Beckstoffer To-Kalon and other notable Napa Valley vineyards, Double Diamond is sourced from other vineyard sources in Napa and Sonoma. While the Shrader flagship wines sell for $200-$270, Double Diamond sells for closer to $50, more approachable for the rest of us.

Schrader writes of the Double Diamond label. "Over the years, we have sourced our grapes from prime vineyards on the mountaintops, hillside slopes, and gentle floor of the Napa Valley. In each situation, we find the ideal sweet spot of the vineyard that produces the most elegant, character-driven Cabernet possible. Dense and concentrated, with exceptional character and flavor."

Like the benchmark Schrader Cellars Cabernets, Double Diamond is also crafted by acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and his team. They strive to produce a "neighborly expression of Napa Valley Cabernet to enjoy every day." 

"Throughout the years, Double Diamond, crafted by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, has been sourced from a complement of prime vineyard estates in and around Napa Valley. From rocky, high-elevation soils to the warm, rich valley floor, each incredible vineyard contributes its unique character to this enticing and eminently satisfying Napa Cabernet."

We hold a half dozen vintages of Double Diamond labels sourced from several different vineyards including this from the Mayacamas Range in Sonoma County. All are small limited production releases.

As with much of our wine collecting, we have fun with this label as another whimsical play on names as our daughter-in-law hails from the Diamond family.

Double Diamond (Schrader) "Mayacamas Range" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 

This 2002 Mayacamas Range release Double Diamond Cabernet got 89-91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Our last tasting note for this label was back in 2011 when I wrote, "Medium bodied,  - dark berry fruits, blackberry, black raspberry and currant with hints of mocha and cassis with a subdued spicy, moderate tannin finish." Tonight this was similar although the sprites of sweet mocha have given way to more of the notes of smoke and creosote, but this is still enjoyable and holding its own at eighteen years.  

This was ideal with Sunday evening homemade pizza!

Ruby colored, medium bodied, concentrated bright berry and cherry fruits are accented by notes of smoke, creosote, cassis, and spices with firm tangy acidity and a moderate lingering tannin finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14836 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2011/05/schrader-double-diamond-mayacamas-range.html

https://www.schradercellars.com/double-diamond/

@schradercellars

Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2004

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

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

RM 88 points.

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

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

https://www.lewiscellars.com/ 

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

Thanksgiving feast and wine flight

Thanksgiving feast and wine flight

We gathered for customary Thanksgiving dinner feast with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, cranberry salad and fresh baked crescent dinner roles. We served an accompanying wine flight.

From the cellar I pulled a classic Champagne, then a white Bordeaux blend, a California Zinfandel, then friend Jared stopped by and opened a Barbaresco Nebbiolo. Jared Gelband is wine director at the legendary Italian Village restaurant. When he stops by, we can often count on him to bring an interesting label to share and compare.

Bertrand Senecourt Beau Joie Special Cuvee 'Sugar King' Demi-Sec NV Champagne

A blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, & 20% Pinot Meunier for the sweetest of champagnes.

This Beau Joie Champagne is distinctive in it's packaging with the bottle 'wrapped' in a basket-like shroud of 100% copper — Triple Black Limited-Edition Bottle. The 'Suit of Armor' is inspired by the Armor worn by the knights that protected the Kingdom.

From their website:

The copper scrap in transformed into artwork – In order to avoid the unnecessary waste of valuable copper, Beau's encasing is uniquely created from 100% second-generation copper scrap and turned into a functional piece of artwork.

Functionality – Beau's innovation-driven, functional design was specifically designed for the hospitality industry. No one knows more about serving the finest products and creating an experience than the industry itself.

Beau’s suit of armor keeps the champagne colder longer, reducing the amount of energy required to bring the bottle to serving temperature and eliminating the need for ice bucket storage during consumption. It also provides improved grip when opening and serving, while the bottle’s rubber punt ensures enhanced stability when pouring.

The bottle’s patented design also allows for decorative enhancements such as flowers or plumes to complement the distinct design aesthetic of individual venues.

Light golden straw colored, light, refreshing, clean, crisp, flavorful, nicely integrated and balanced fruits. Delicious.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=1762719

http://www.beaujoiechampagne.com/

Château Picque Caillou Blanc, Pessac Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux 2011

We recently pulled from the cellar this white Bordeaux and took it BYOB to local seafood eatery Chinn's 34th Street Fishery in Lisle (IL). As I wrote that night, we hold a half dozen bottles of this White Bordeaux Blanc, too oft overlooked in the cellar, passed over for something more exiting as we're Red Bordeaux drinkers. That night, we pulled this to try and actually brought a back-up wine in case it wasn't up to the call. The gals liked it a lot.

This was a nice accompaniment to turkey, dressing and the potatoes and veggies.

Golden colored with slight brownish hues, nose of citrus and stone, notes of mineral melon with a layer of slightly grassy undertones, yet pleasant with nice balance and acidity. A nice match for the seafood entrees.
Time to drink.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1372699

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/chinns-34th-street-fishery.html

Carlisle Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014

They say Zinfandel is ideal with turkey, the balanced forward full bodied fruit goes well with the dry white meat. It sounds awkward when it is also ideal for BBQ, but it seems to be so. This zinfandel is supplemented with 11% Petite Sirah.

This wine was highly rated getting 92-94 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, 93 points from Wine Spectator, and 92 points from Wine Enthusiast. I don't necessarily share their enthusiasm although it was tasty, easy drinking and a nice compliment to our holiday dinner. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright, expressive forward complex black berry and black raspberry fruits, notes of anise, pepper, hints of vanilla and oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2291450


Friend and wine buddy Jared stopped by and brought this Barbaresco Nebbiolo to share. Readers of this blog will know Jared Gelband as the Wine Director at Italian Village, whom we visit often for wine dinners.

Pertinace (Cantina Vignaioli) Barbaresco Vigneto Marcarini Nebbiolo 2013

This producer Cantina Pertinace is a winegrowers' cooperative which identifies with its territory, the region and DOCG appellation of Barbaresco. The label is named after a great historic local personality, Elvio Pertinace, who was born in Alba, in the hamlet in which the winery is located.

 The winery is located in Pertinace in Treiso, Piedmont, one of the four villages in the Langhe famous for the production of Barbaresco DOCG. The coop and Vignaioli winery was founded in 1973 and is comprised of thirteen members. They all shared a tie with the Langhe hills and the same objective, to build a business and brand based on the best wines possible, produced from the Nebbiolo grape from Barbaresco.

The started to bottle their wine the late 70's, expanded their facilities in the 80's, upgrading to the latest state-of-the-art technologies, and added their own bottling in 1990.

Today, the coop consists of fifteen members including the original historic founders, the winery producing 700.000 kg of grapes, totaling around 450 thousand bottles in the name of Barbaresco. Their distribution now reaches globally with presence in the United States, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Poland, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The wine, 100% Nebbiolo spends 18 months in Slavonian oak casks.

Bright Ruby red color, medium-full bodied, bright black cherry and red berry fruits with notes of plum, prune and black tea with hints of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon with round velvety tannins on a fruit filled finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2456929

https://www.pertinace.com/en/

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

For a business dinner at The Clubhouse Restaurant in Oak Brook, IL, my colleague selected from the winelist this Simi Alexander Cabernet. It should be noted this is from Simi Winery and is not to be confused with Simi Valley which is down in southern California north of LA. Simi is located in the northern Alexander Valley in Sonoma County at the northern edge of the town of Healdsburg.

Simi has been producing Sonoma County wines since Guiseppe Simi arrived from Tuscany to develop the vineyards and winery. The property was in the Simi family until Isabelle Simi retired and sold the winery to Alexander Valley grape grower, Russell Green in 1970. Notable winemaker Zelma Long joined SIMI in 1979 and direct major renovation of the winery's fermentation and barrel rooms.

Today winemaking is overseen by Melissa Stackhouse from UC Davis, Meiomi, J Vineyards & Winery, and La Crema, and Lisa Evich who worked previously at Pine Ridge.

Since the 80's Simi has expanded vineyard ownership acquiring the Landslide Vineyard in Sonoma County and 100 acres in the Russian River Valley which they developed into Goldfields Vineyard with Chardonnay.

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Decent for the modest price-point of this entry level Cabernet. Simi also offer three other premium vineyard designated select and a reserve Cabernets.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, a bit flabby, slightly astringent cherry fruits accented by cinnamon spice and hints of cedar on a modest tannin finish. Tasted from winelist at Clubhouse in Oak Brook, IL.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3164749

https://www.simiwinery.com/ 

Arrowood Sonoma Chardonnay and Goldeneye Pinot Noir

Arrowood Sonoma Chardonnay and Goldeneye Pinot Noir for Mile's First Birthday Dinner

For grandson Miles' first birthday, Erin and Johnnie hosted a gala birthday dinner that included pasta, chicken marsala, italian beef and peppers and, of course, birthday cake! I brought from the cellar an easy sipping white, Arrowood Sonoma Chardonnay, and a red, Goldeneye Pinot Noir.

We're big fans of Arrowood, mostly known for Cabernets from across Sonoma County.  This Chardonnay is like their Cabernet labels from the broader appellation of Sonoma County, offering good value QPR (quality-price-ratio). The Arrowood Estate Chateau and winery in lower Sonoma Valley just above the town of Sonoma is a favorite stop during our visits to the area.

Arrowood Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014

This is a broad appellation blend of select Chardonnay from across Sonoma County, released in certain years with large excess production yields of suffcient quality, this being the last release of this label. 

The fruit is sourced from the Russian River Valley (40%), Sonoma-Los Carneros (35%), Sonoma Coast (20%), and Sonoma Valley (5%). The Sonoma County and the Sonoma Coast growing regions are known for warm days tempered by morning fog and afternoon breezes coming from the Pacific Ocean. This climate is well suited to the more delicate, early-ripening variety Chardonnay allowing the fruit to develop slowly and consistently, resulting in wines of full flavor, complexity, and character.

This Chardonnay presented dark golden color, bright crisp acid, balanced round fruits of apple, peach, orange and tangerine with hints of vanilla and honey and a touch of oak. This is an excellent QPR value with a release price around $30 but found at the wine super stores for near $20.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2222963

https://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/



Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2006 

For easy sipping with dinner, I pulled this Anderson Valley Pinot Noir from the cellar from the anniversary year of Erin and Johnnie to commemorate Miles' birthday. 

Goldeneye is one of the broad portfolio of brands of the well known Duckhorn of Napa Valley. Goldeneye Winery was founded in 1996, years before the Pinot Noir boom that emerged on the scene over the next decade in California. Goldeneye was founded 1990, when, after fifteen years making Bordeaux-varietal wines, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn embarked on producing a Pinot Noir that would reflect the true terroir expression of California Pinot Noir, one that might rival their acclaimed Merlots produced at Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley. To produce such a Pinot Noir, they turned to the cool-climate environs of Anderson Valley in Sonoma County running from the west, only a few miles from the cool Pacific Ocean, eastward twenty miles to the town of Boonville.  

Goldeneye is crafted predominantly from estate vineyards to embody the unique terroir of Anderson Valley reflecting what they refer to as the wind, water and fog of remote Sonoma County. The vineyards span a range of eight miles and embody a combination of warm sunny days and cool foggy nights and mornings that allow the grapes to mature slowly and to develop to their native varietal character.

The 2006 vintage was the 10th harvest of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, currant and dark cherry fruits with notes of cedar, anise and hints of cinnamon spice and herbs.

RM 89 points. 

Wine Enthusiast gave this 91 points, Wine Spectator 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=571682

https://www.goldeneyewinery.com/ 

Domaine Des Chirats Rockpile Vineyard Syrah 2013

Domaine Des Chirats Sonoma County Rockpile Vineyard Syrah 2013

This is produced by Jeff Cohn, former winemaker at Rosenblum Cellars in collaboration with Yves Cuilleron from the Northern Rhône, third generation proprietor of Cave Cuilleron founeded by his grandfather Claude Cuilleron in 1920. Yves took over in 1987 from his Uncle. The 150 acre estate produces over 430,000 bottles of wine annually. Jeff Cohn and Yes Cuilleron teamed up in 2013 to produce this wine in the historic Northern Rhône style from fruit sourced from Cohn's Rockpile vineyard. Through their collaboration they have crafted this wine in the style of a Northern Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie.

Fruit for this label is sourced from the Rockpile vineyard in the Rockpile appellation in Sonoma. Cohn calls it "a special place for Syrah". Sitting at 2010 ft. elevation, Syrah 20 plus year-old vines are grown above the fog line allowing for plenty of sun to reach full ripeness. The vineyard gets its name from the rocky soil that stresses the grapes resulting in richness and concentration. Jeff began working with the Rockpile Vineyard over fourteen years ago.

While working at Rosenblum Cellars, Jeff Cohn began his own Jeff Cohn Cellars label in 1996. His first vintage was but 75 cases in of 1996 Rhodes Vineyard Zinfandel. Production at Jeff Cohn Cellars slowly increased to over 5,000 cases annually.  In 2006 Jeff parted ways with Rosenblum to focus exclusively on his own winery, but not before crafting the 2003 Rockpile Road Zinfandel, which placed 3rd on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list that year. This was a milestone accomplishment not only for Jeff, but the entire California winemaking industry, the first Zinfandel to appear so high on the list, the first time for a Zinfandel from California to reach the top ten.

Jeff strives to achieve the aspects of terroir and minerality found in France's legendary historic winemaking regions in wines sourced from California fruit. He has traveled across California, from Santa Barbara to Mendocino, searching for the finest fruit and the best vineyards. Among Jeff's most important discoveries was the Rockpile region in Sonoma where he began sourcing Syrah grapes for a portfolio of wines including this label. He strives for elegant and complex wines and he believes the craggy soil of the aptly named Rockpile produces some of the most complex and distinctive minerality in all of California.

The 2014 vintage of this wine was rated 95 Points by Robert Parker.

Dark purple garnet colored, full bodied, complex and concentrated but polished and elegant, blueberry and blackberry fruits with notes of floral, anise, meaty bacon fat and spice, crisp acidity with firm but approachable tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2320444

https://www.jeffcohncellars.com/

Lewis Sonoma RRV Chardonnay 2004

Lewis Sonoma RRV Chardonnay 2004

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.lewiscellars.com

Porter Creek Timbervine Ranch RRV Syrah 2014

Porter Creek Timbervine Ranch Russian River Valley Sonoma County Syrah 2014

For mid week wine and cheese tasting, we opened this Sonoma County RRV Syrah. We discovered and acquired this small production label during a drive-by drop-in visit to the winery and vineyards during our travels through the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County last summer. This was the first bottle we've opened from the mixed case we acquired at the Estate.

Dark garnet-blackish colored, medium bodied, black berr, black plum and black cherry fruits punctuated by black pepper, graphite, cassis and hints of floral and smoke with moderate acidity and lingering tannin finish. Linda likes this style more than I do. I prefer more fruit emphasis and less graphite and pepper notes.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2603970

https://portercreekvineyards.com/

 

Château Montrose Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cab

Christmas dinner features two vintage wines - Château Montrose and Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cab

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Linda prepared her classic beef tenderloin and ramekins of broiled lobster tails on buttered bread crumbs, with corn casserole, haricot verts, and mashed potatoes. I opened two vintage red wines, Château Montrose  1986 and Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet 1997. For the lobster course I served Porter Creek Russian River Valley Chardonnay.

Trolling the cellar for appropriate wine selections, I was looking at vintage Bordeaux to accompany the beef tenderloin. I recall when it was released, Robert Parker wrote of the 1986 vintage how long lived many of these wines would be so I tucked many of them away for long (er) term cellaring. I'm not sure I intended to keep them this long, but in this case was rewarded here for doing so.

For the lobster course we served Porter Creek Russian River Valley Chardonnay. This is a single vineyard designated wine from old vines from the George's Hill Vineyard.

Porter Creek Russian River Valley George's Hill Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014

We discovered this producer, and tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery during our winery visit on our trip to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County this summer.

Straw colored and medium bodied, initially this was buttery but after opening for a while the citrus notes came through and gave way to a layer of passion fruit with hints of nutmeg on the crisp acidity finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2519866


Château Montrose St. Estephe Bordeaux 1986

Notes on aging wine - long term cellaring, corks and fill levels ...

Fill level

When I opened this thirty-one year old Château Montrose, the bottom half of the cork was mushy and fill level of the bottle was at the lower neck. Aged wines are measured by the fill level, or the level of the remaining wine in the bottle. Over time a certain amount of wine will inevitably evaporate from the bottle. The effect of such evaporation is that the remaining void left from the departed wine is taken up by 'foreign' air from the outside which can 'contaminate' the wine. Hopefully, when this occurs very slowly over a long extended period of time, the deleterious effect is minimized.
saturated so it was certainly time to open this bottle as it would soon start to be undermined by the failing cork thereby exposing the wine to outside air. To date, though, it had held up and the wine was still fine. At thirty-one years, the

Hence it is important when cellaring and aging wines for an extended period, that effective humidity levels be maintained in the cellar, so as not to be humidifying the room with wine sucked out of the bottles. Also, minimizing variations in temperature is essential since such variations will result in air being sucked into and pushed out of the bottle as the wine expands and contracts from the changes in temperature. So, the stability of the temperature is as important as maintaining the appropriate temperature for aging. Opinions vary on the appropriate cellaring temperature, from 55 to 63 degrees is recommended. The cooler the temperature the more moderate the effects of aging. We tend to keep our cellar cooler than 'normal', closer to 55 degrees than 63, which is more suitable for and allowing for more subtle, longer term aging.

Folks often ask about where and how to store wines for aging. If determining a location for a rack or applicable storage space, opt for the basement or cellar for the obvious reasons of temperature moderation. One should also opt for a place near the sump pump pit where there is a natural consistent reservoir of water to address the humidity challenge, where such exists. This is most important in the dead of cold winter when temps drop and indoor relative humidity reaches dangerous low levels requiring external or supplemental humidification. A humidifier or baby nursery mister work and can help. In extreme (outside) weather, set up a bucket of water with a towel or rolled up newspaper to serve as a wick to help restore indoor relative humidity, anything to alleviate humidifying the air with wine through the corks!

Château Montrose St. Estephe Bordeaux 1986

Winemaker notes ... The wine reveals a dense ruby/purple color with only a hint of lightening at the edge. Fleshy, muscular and powerful, with aromas of red and black fruits, earth and spice, this medium to full-bodied, still tannic, brawny Montrose is not yet close to full maturity.

My notes: Opened and decanted for three hours before serving. This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced, slightly subdued blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented with notes of leather, earth and spice with gripping tannins on the moderate acidic lingering finish.

Cellartracker drinking window shows this through 2022 which this tasting supports showing vibrancy still and no signs of diminution or deterioration from age. 

RM 91 points. Wine Spectator gave this 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 points and Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20 points

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=511

Robert Craig Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet 1997

Adjacent to the Montrose we served this Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet from the highly acclaimed top rated 1997 vintage. We hold close to two dozen vintages of Robert Craig Napa Cabernets, probably more than we hold from any other producer. We've visited the estate and winery on several occasions during our Napa wine trips. We have heard Robert say this is his favorite Cabernet from his "four mountain and a valley offerings". 

There is still life left in this vintage label at twenty years of age, showing little to no diminution of fruits or flavor. This was ruby colored with bright, vibrant expressive fruit flavors, rich and concentrated black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of spice and cedar with hints of cassis, vanilla and dark mocha.

RM 92 points. Wine Spectator gave it 94 points,  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 points, and  Wine Enthusiast 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6532

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/

Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience 2017

Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience 2017

We just returned from a week touring the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. This year we broke from the tradition and routine we adopted years ago of focusing on one 'AVA' (American Viticultural Area) or appellation per trip. We adopted this approach years ago for several reasons: the immersion in one appellation provided a comparative tasting of producers' styles and terrior effects, it simplified and limited transit travel from one wine stop to the next, and, in retrospect, its much easier to recall specifics of a trip as we recount experiences from our trip that focused on 'Atlas Peak', 'Diamond Mtn',  'Howell Mtn', 'Mt Veeder', and/or 'Spring Mtn' appellations.

Notably, we started this model when we were focusing on 'mountain' appellations where travel is much more challenging in the remote mountain regions. We adopted an approach of starting at the top of the mountain and working our way down. This worked out well and allowed efficiency, enjoyment, and perspective on the whole wine and travel experience.

This trip was the first time for one of our travelers so we were showcasing certain favored producers. We were also visiting or revisiting select targeted favorite producers rather than selecting based on geography.

This was also our first trip to focus on exploring and discovering the more remote appellations of Sonoma County, as a discovery and learning trip, setting the stage for further in-depth immersive studies in the future. We stayed the first few days in the Pacific coastal town of Bodega Bay.

Sonoma County is vast, covering almost 60,000 acres of vineyards, with a broad diverse range of terrior and microclimates. Sonoma County, reaches all the way to the Pacific Coast from the west side of the Mayacamas Mountain range that forms the eastern boundary of the Sonoma Valley and separates Sonoma Valley from Napa Valley. Sonoma County consists of 16 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs, or appellations) – each with its own distinctive characteristics. There are more than 400 wineries in the region.

 

The western Sonoma County Sonoma Coast area is emerging as the source of 'cool climate' Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

 

This week we focused on, visited and toured the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Dry Creek Valley appellations, as well as Sonoma Valley. This set the stage, so watch for more immersive studies on these areas in the future, now that we have the big picture and understanding of navigating the region.

This trip targeted and featured several of our favorite and well known producers whose wines we hold and drink regularly as featured in this blog: Diamond Creek, Lewis Cellars, Joseph Phelps, Hall Rutherford Estate, Del Dotto, Darioush and Cliff Lede, and a few others.

We also discovered some new producers or producer's sites in the remote Sonoma areas - Gary Farrell and Porter Creek Vineyards and Winery. Lastly, we also visited Krug in Sonoma County, and  Chateau St Jean and Kunde in Sonoma Valley, and Trefethen in Napa.

Watch for and follow my winery visit reports and tasting notes and purchase and tasting 'Tweets' on @unwindwine on Twitter and in this blog in the coming days and weeks as I draft and publish my experiences and findings.