Sepia Michelin Star Restaurant Chicago

 Sepia Michelin Star Restaurant Chicago for a spectacular food and wine dining experience

Son Sean and D-in-law Michelle invited us to dinner at Michelin Star Sepia Restaurant in Chicago. For the occasion, I pulled from our home wine cellar this ultra-premium birthyear vintage wine for Sean’s birth year. We took this BYOB wine despite the fact we also did the Wine Pairing option with the Price Fixe dinner. 

Sepia in the trendy west loop neighborhood on Jefferson Street is recognized with the coveted Michelin Star. We were fortunate enough to be seated in one of the private dining alcoves off the main dining room, a stylish warm intimate setting with a heavy curtain wall, brick wall, and photo galley wall adorned with Sepia photographs. 

The exclusive price fixe menu offers four courses of four diner’s choice options each, plus additional optional caviar and/or cheese courses. 

The wine pairing serves a select wine for each course selection from their Best of Award Wine Spectator wine list. Even the starter course matched three different carefully and thoughtfully selected sparkling wines with our three different starter selections. 

Prior to the starter first course we were served a delectable amuse-bouche of tartare on brioche with a sweet jam spread.

The First Course selection offerings:

Kanpachi Crudo, toasted rye chili crisp, pickled ramp,smoked cream cheese,

Caramelized Onion Consommé, delice de Bourgogne, sourdough selected by Linda,

Steak tartare toad in a hole, horseradish, brioche, dill, and, chosen by Michelle,

Roasted Foie Gras, ginger consommé, peanut, snow pea selected by Sean and Me.

The wine pairings for this course selections were distinctively different, matching the food selections.

Paired with the Foie Gras was Le Quattro Terre Franciacorte Brut

This is from the Franciacorte appellation in the Lombardy wine region in northern Italy, the Italian ‘Champagne’ district. It is made in the methods champonaise French style from traditional grape varieties Chardonnay 65% and Pinot Noir 35%. 

This label is sourced from five Chardonnay vineyards located in the municipalities of Adro, Corte Franca, Passirano and Ome and one Pinot Noir vineyard located in the municipality of Cazzago San Martino.

https://www.quattroterre.it/en-us/

The pairing with Linda’s Consommé selection was Michel Arnould "Réserve" Grand Cru Verzenay Brut Champagne.

This is a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, entirely from estate vineyards in the Grand Cru of Verzenay. The hazelnut Pinot character, so unique to the village of Verzenay, is pronounced in this wine. The texture is full and the bead is refined. 

The Brut Reserve Grand Cru owes the strength of its aromas and its affirmed body to the Pinot Noir from Verzenay, and owes its delicacy to the Chardonnay.

Winemaker notes - Hints of soft fruits (peach, apricot, plum) accompanied by a sensation of exotic fruits. A sharp attack on the palate and then transpires an impression of harmony and stability. Once again we find these hints of soft fruits but no longer crystalised, to which we can add flavours of almonds and hazelnuts. 

The Second Course

Lightly Smoked Ocean Trout, kohlrabi, mussel emulsion, selected by Sean,

Gai Yang Chicken Wing Zampone, blood orange, cilantro, smoked chicken jus,

Crispy Ricotta Gnudi, celery root giardiniera, belper knolle, sunflower seed, selected by Michelle, and,

Roasted Scallop, green curry custard, finger lime, english pea, selected by Linda and me.

Sean loved and raved about the Smoked Trout, one of the highlights of the evening, and the best such dish he says he had ever tasted!

The trout was an ideally paired with this crisp white from the Vinho Verde appellation from the Minho River area, close to the Atlantic in Northern Portugal. Known for concentration and depth, both mouth-filling and refreshing, these wines have depth and textures that are both elegant and energetic. The nose carries an airy effervescence with blossoms and fresh ginger, while the mouthfeel is like juicy white-fleshed stone fruits with a long wash of grippy mineral sensations. The only Vinho Verde that could be 100% Alvarinho had to come from Quinta do Santiago's specific area of Menção e Melgaço.

Michelle chose the Ricotta Gnudi for her second course.

It was paired with this Italian varietal Nebbiolo, native grape from the Italian Piedmont wine region. This was an ideal old world classic style with rich earthy notes of Piedmont soil, tar, savory herbs and Shittake mushroom with elegant, refined fruit. Written to be Ghemme at its best, elegant yet powerful. 

Linda and I both selected the Roasted Scallop.

The Scallop was minimally cooked and we both would have preferred pan seared, or, cooked slightly more. The highlight of the dish may have been the English pea, green curry custard with lime. 

The wine pairing with the scallop was a German Riesling Kabinett - Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett, Mönchhof 2021. 

This is produced from grapes harvested from the steepest vineyards along the Mosel River in northwest Germany. The Mönchhof estate has is known for expressing ripe stone fruit and slate flavors that represent the unique terroir of the area. We visited the Mosel River Valley during our trip back in the mid-1980’s. Our tastes in wines have evolved significantly from those days. 

Rather than a sweet full wine such as this, I would’ve preferred a more delicate crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Linda would’ve preferred a round buttery Chardonnay. In any event, part of the culinary journey is experiencing the Chef’s and Sommelier’s interpretation of the wine pairing. 

The third, main course:

Grilled short rib, morel mushroom crab rangoon, smoked béarnaise, crispy nori. This was selected by Linda, Sean and me.

Michelle selected the Lamb Loin, cauliflower, pistachio dukkah, curried jus, lamb belly doughnut,

The Chef’s, Sommelier’s wine pairing with the lamb was a Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon from Frog’s Leap Rutherford Vineyards from the historic 2020 vintage.

Frog's Leap "Estate" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 

This is from the iconic Frog's Leap winery estate in Rutherford that has been farmed by John Williams since 1981, now in concert with his son Rory.

Frog’s Leap were fortunate to release full production of their flagship wine during the chaotic vintage of 2020. After a very dry winter over 2019-2020 with only half normal rainfall, the deep-rooted vines compensated by naturally producing a light crop, about 25% below average. Major heat waves set in during harvest in mid-August and early September. Vineyard practices helped protect the vines during the high heat. 

The bulk of their Cabernet harvest was complete and ready to be picked when the tragic historic Glass fire broke out on September 28th, just six miles to the north. The remaining five blocks to be picked were harvested within the next two mornings. The fire’s smoke stayed to the north on the 28th and through the the 29th, as they finished picking. 

Unlike many Napa producers, Frog’s Leap 2020 Cabernet was unaffected by the fires. Due to smoke damage from the fires, many producers were not able to produce any crop, or were severely limited to what they were able to pick before the fires erupted. 

The fruit for this release was sourced from Frog’s Leap estate Rutherford vineyards - 34% Red Barn vineyard, Rutherford, 40% Chevez-Leeds vineyard, Rutherford, and 26% from the Williams-Rossi vineyard, Rutherford. It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.

It was aged 20 months in new to 5-year-old French oak barrels, 10% new.

Relieved and confident that they had produced a fine wine for the vintage, Rory said about this release, “I intend to be opening bottles of the 2020 vintage 40 years from now with my daughter Alma, who was born in 2020.”

This release was awarded 94 points by Decanter and 91 points by James Suckling.

Bright garnet colored, medium full-bodied with classic rustic Rutherford dusty tannins, brambly black currant, raspberry, and black cherry fruits with notes of tobacco, spices and black tea.

RM 91 points.  

The other entree course offerings were: 

Roasted Monkfish, little neck clams, white asparagus, horseradish-hidden valle, and,

Potato and Gruyère Agnolotti, lamb bacon, crispy potato, parmesan butter.

With the Short Rib, we had two fabulous wine pairings, the Chef’s and Sommelier’s selection, a Spanish Rioja Tempranillo Reserva ….

Señorío de P. Peciña Tinto Reserva is from the La Rioja designation of origin produced by Bodegas Hermanos Peciña. It is a blend predominantly made up of Tempranillo (95%), with a small amount of Graciano and Garnacha (5%).

The grapes come from various selected vineyards in the San Vicente de la Sonsierra region. The soils there are predominantly clay-limestone, and the planting density is high to produce rich concentrated wines. 

It was aged for 36 months in American oak barrels with an average age of four to five years, then it was aged another year and a half in the bottle before release.

Luis Gutierrez of RobertParker.com gave this 93 Points.

Bright garnet colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant full concentrated ripe spicy fruits, with notes of earth, leather and vanilla and a touch of smoke and dusty rose, with polished chalky tannins. 

RM 93 points. 

And of course, our BYOB special birth year vintage bottle from our home cellar, 1985 Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases, St-Julien, Bordeaux. The classic wine from the legendary producer is considered a crown jewel of the St Julien appellation. Many consider it on par with the iconic first growths, it is known as one of the ‘super seconds.’

The estate is the largest and highest regarded of the three Léovilles, the greatest in quality and, in the opinion of many, it should be among the first growths. 

This is one of my absolute favorite, revered wines. Our visit to the Chateau was one of the highlights of our trip to St Julien Bordeaux back in 2019. We acquired a case of this wine upon release back in the mid-eighties and have still hold a couple bottles.

At going on forty years, the fill level was high neck, the foil and label were pristine, and the cork was intact but a bit soft and spongy. 

In 2020, Jeff Leve of The Wine Cellar Insider wrote, “One of the stars of the vintage, this is drinking perfectly today.” In March 2022 Robert Parker wrote, “My favorite vintage from this château to drink today is the 1985 Léoville Las Cases. More giving than the brooding 1986, and more complex than the 1982, the 1985 is in its prime today.”

Tonight’s tasting was consistent with my last review in 2019 when I wrote:

Deep garnet colored, medium-full bodied, elegant, complex but nicely integrated dark berry and black cherry fruits with notes of floral violets, tobacco, oak and hints of graphite, cigar box and leather on a tangy black cherry lingering finish of supple smooth, polished tannins. Over the course of the evening, it opened more to reveal layers of floral and fruits and accents.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/07/chateau-leoville-las-cases-1985.html

This release was awarded 98 points Vinous and 98 points by Wine Spectator, and 95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Decanter and the Wine Cellar Insider. 

In their 98 point review, Vinous wrote, “The 1985 Léoville–Las Cases is not just one of the finest vintages from this Second Growth, but one of the high points for the entirety of Bordeaux in this decade. Here it eclipses the 1985 Lafite-Rothschild with ease. A perfect marriage of structure and a degree of elegance that maybe the property has not matched before or since.”

This is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4819

We then chose the optional additional cheese course.

Tête de Moine, corn financier, huckleberry chutney, thyme.

This was an incredible, imaginative artful creation, the thinly and delicately sliced cheese was amazingly formed to resemble a flower.

The pairing was this Italian Moscato d’Asti from Lombardy.

Stefano Perrone is one of the region's large producers. Souring grapes from north-facing sites, limiting yields, annd strict grape selection, he makes wines delicate and balanced.

We then turned to the dessert course. 

I chose the Cannelé de Bordeaux, buttered rum diplomat cream, roasted pineapple sherbet, tarragon, a burst of flavors!

Cloud Cake, frozen sheep’s milk yogurt, rhubarb, chamomile was Michelle’s selection.

Sweet Pea Pavlova, white chocolate, coriander, meyer lemon sorbet was Sean’s selection.

And finally, Linda chose the Manjari Chocolate Torte, buckwheat, caramelized banana, coffee cocoa nib ice cream.

The dessert course wine pairings …

The Sepia team … professional, attentive, accomplished, and in the pursuit of perfection.

executive chef andrew zimmerman

chef de cuisine kyle cottle

sous chef brian daley & jayme cannava

pastry chef erin kobler

pastry sous chef melissa santiago

sommelier alex ring

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4819

https://www.sepiachicago.com/

@SepiaChicago

Ferrari Sparkling and Spring Valley Uriah with Valentine's Day Filet of Beef Surf & Turf Dinner

Ferrari Sparkling and Spring Valley Uriah with Valentine's Day Filet of Beef Surf & Turf Dinner

For a quiet intimate relaxing Valentine’s dinner, Linda prepared surf & turf, Filet of Beef and Lobster Tails in ramekins of buttered bread crumbs with braised roasted potatoes. 

We opened a Ferrari Rose Champagne style sparkling wine for the chopped salad starter and lobster tail course, followed by one of our favorite Right Bank Bordeaux varietal red blends. 

Ferrari Rose Champagne NV

While seen on the winner's podium as the official toast of Formula 1® races, Ferrari Trento bears no relation to the car manufacturer, but plays up on the name, and provides the celebratory bubbly sprayed by and upon the auto racing victors.

Giulio Ferrari, a Trentino native, started his venerable sparkling wine house in 1902, after studying winemaking in France. Convinced that his native region’s terroir was ideal for growing Chardonnay, he produced three of his now best-known cuvées – Ferrari Brut, Perlé and Giulio Ferrari – as blanc de blancs. 

Ferrari wines consistently receive some of Italy’s top accolades, including being awarded Tre Bicchieri 22 years in a row.

With its mountain viticulture (the Dolomites), Trentino is an area well-suited to the production of sparkling wines of great elegance and complexity. Ferrari represents the largest estate in the Trentino region with 300 acres of vineyards. 

In 1952, Giulio Ferrari, having no children of his own, chose friend and local merchant Bruno Lunelli as successor for his business. Today, the third generation of the Lunelli family, with Bruno Lunelli's sons, Franco, Gino and Mauro. They have established Ferrari as the market leader in Italy and the nation’s celebratory wine par excellence with chief winemaker Marcello Lunelli. 

This Ferrari Rose is a premium blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes vinified as a rosé. 

Winemaker Notes:
Ferrari Brut Rose is salmon pink in color. The bouquet is distinct and very refined, with the fresh fragrance of hawthorne flowers, red currants and wild strawberries. The taste is Dry, clean and elegant, with a delicate finish of sweet almonds.

 

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling, 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Tasting Panel, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

 

Pale salmon color; smooth balanced with bright acidity, delicate rosé red berry flavors bright raspberry, hints of pomegranate, blood orange and a hint of hazelnut and toasted almond. 

 

RM 90 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=467910

 

 

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2014

For the main course of filet of beef we opened this Right Bank Bordeaux varietal blend from one of our favorite producers. We've written often in these pages about Spring Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla Washington and their portfolio of wines named for members of the family. 

We've written a dozen tasting notes about this label, but surprisingly, this is the first one for this 2014 vintage release.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is Merlot based like those from the northeastern or right bank of the Gironde River, (as opposed to. Spring Valley Frederick, their Left Bank Bordeaux Blend in the style of wines from the left bank or from the south west of the river based primarily on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.) 

I've featured in these pages often about the portfolio of Spring Valley wines with each label featuring a member of three generations of the Corkrum family reaching back to first generation founding producers Uriah and wife Nina Lee.

We tasted and acquired this wines during our visit to the tasting room and vineyards during our Spring Valley Vineyards Tasting and Vineyard Visit as part of our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in 2018. 

During our visit to the area, we drove out northeast of town to see the Spring Valley Vineyards. 

There we had the privilege of meeting Dean Derby, husband of Sharilee Corkrum Derby, who is daughter of Frederick and grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum who is featured on this label. 

Tonight, with dinner,  Linda also served a chopped salad, a selection of artisan cheeses and medley of Greek olives. The black Greek olives were an amazing pairing with this wines.

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2014

We've been collecting this label for two decades and typically hold close to a decade of vintages in our cellar. When the 2010 vintage received a Top 100 #27 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 ranking for the year, it suddenly disappeared from merchant stocks. We acquire it regularly as part of our wine club shipments allocation.

Tonight, this 2014 vintage is the oldest release we hold in our cellar of this wine so we pulled it as part of cellar management, drinking the oldest vintage as we cycle through the half dozen vintage releases in our cellar, replacing the oldest with the newest.

Being a blend of five Bordeaux varietals, this was more complex than the 'simpler' Frederick with only three. I often compare the profile of blended wines to their width and depth - imagine a bar chart with five bars vs one with three.

This 2014 release of Uriah is a blend of 56% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec

This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and James Suckling, 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Winemaker's notes - "Winemaker Notes A blend focused on elegance and finesse. Herbal nose with hints of cassis and cherry. Lightly spiced, the texture is rich with velvety tannins and an ultra-long finish."

Interesting that back on release, Wine Spectator wrote to "Drink now through 2023". At ten years of age, I would say this was at the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve with further aging,

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, concentrated,  complex, a bit tightly wound but balanced, dark berry, cherry and plum fruits with notes of herbs, black tea, dark mocha chocolate with hints of creosote with nicely textured and integrated acidity. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2296582

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Some other Uriah reviews going back a dozen years ... 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/05/spring-valley-2013-blends-uriah-vs.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/02/uriah-spring-valley-red-blend-2015.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/03/uriah-spring-valley-vineyard-red-wine.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/uriah-spring-valley-vineyards-walla.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/12/spring-valley-vineyard-uriah-red.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/07/uriah-spring-valley-red-blend-2002.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/02/del-dotto-gio-tuscan-reserve-spring.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/groth-reserve-napa-cabernet-2010-on-eve.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/12/spring-valley-vineyard-uriah-walla_19.html

St Emilion duo for Tomahawk beefsteak dinner

St Emilion duo for Tomahawk beefsteak dinner 

Dr Dan and Linda joined us for Saturday night dinner - (my) Linda prepared grilled Tomahawk ribeye steaks with mashed potatoes and haricut verts. Dan brought from his cellar a 1er Grand Cru Classe Chateau Canon St. Emilion so I pulled another St Emilion Grand Cru Classe' for a comparison tasting. 

Prior to dinner we had a special select Domaine Carneros sparkling wine brought by Dan that we tasted with a broad selection of artisan cheeses.

We finished the evening with a duo of chocolates, Linda's homemade chocolate brownies alongside a chocolate cake brought by Dan and Linda. With the chocolate flight we sipped a Warre's Vintage Port.

 
Taittinger Domane Carneros Le Rêve Sparkling Wine 2011

This is from the famous French Champagne house Taittinger, whose US presence dates back to when Claude Taittinger of the noble family began searching for a worthy U.S. counterpart in the late 1970s. In 1987 he selected a 138-acre parcel in the heart of Carneros, down at the bottom of Napa Valley near where the Napa and Sonoma valleys intersect. There he established the California sparkling wine house, Domaine Carneros, capable of producing a luxury blanc de blancs in the style of Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne in France. He hired Eileen Crane as founding CEO and winemaker to oversee the development of the winery and vineyards and to produce a quintessential California expression of the Taittinger style in Carneros. Of course, authentic Champagne is only produced in the Champagne region in northern France, all others are simply 'sparkling wines', even those produced in the méthode traditionnelle champagne method and style.

Their first California cuvée, appropriately named Le Rêve (the dream), was this blanc de blancs, crafted of 100 percent estate-grown Chardonnay. 

The Domaine Carneros château is a California wine country landmark along the Sonoma highway connecting Napa and Sonoma valley, completed in 1989. It's architecture was inspired by the classic 18th century Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France - home of Champagne Taittinger.

In 2020, after a successful career spanning 42 years, Crane passed the torch to a new CEO, Remi Cohen, who now carries on the Taittinger tradition of visionary female leadership. Ushering in a new era of Domaine Carneros, Cohen brings two decades of experience in all facets of the wine industry to the château. Crane also passed the torch as head sparkling winemaker to new sparkling winemaker, Zak Miller, who worked for over a decade with Eileen as a member of the winemaking team.

The heart of Domaine Carneros has always been around sparkling wines, with distinctive styles ranging from the classic vintage-specific-dated Brut cuvée, to the luxury Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs. Domaine Carneros farms 6 vineyards in the Carneros AVA, four of them within 4 miles of the Chateau. The Estate Vineyards now total 400 acres, 225+acres devoted to Pinot noir and 125+ acres planted with Chardonnay.

Le Rêve is the ultra-premium flagship label, a highly respected tête de cuvée - Domaine Carneros' finest sparkling wine that has frequently been named America’s Best Sparkling. French for “the dream,” Le Rêve is crafted from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay, crafted from five organically grown estate clones of Chardonnay, produced using the traditional method of Champagne, and aged in the bottle for a remarkable, unheard of five to six years sur lie before release.

From the Winery: The 2011 growing season experienced frost in the vineyard and ended the season with a very cool summer, resulting in a reduced crop size resulting in rich concentrated fruit.

Golden colored, medium bodied, intensely flavorful with notes of lemon citrus, apple and pear with hints of lime, wet stone and spice and what Wine Spectator refers to a fresh ginger on a tangy lingering acidic finish. 

RM 91 points. This release was awarded 95 Points by Wine Enthusiast,  94 by Insider, and 93 Points by Wine Spectator.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2546107

https://www.domainecarneros.com/

https://twitter.com/domainecarneros

Château Canon 1er Grand Cru Classe' St-Emilion 2011

We tasted this label during the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) 2011 Vintage Release Tour Tasting in Chicago, back in 2014. This is one of our absolute favorites from the Bordeaux Right Bank appellation St Emilion. We've enjoyed this label dating back to the memorable 1983 vintage. The Chateau Canon property is owned by the proprietors of the haute couture house of Chanel.

 

This is a blend of 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, with 13.55% alcohol, aged in 70% new oak.  

 

This release was rated 93-95 points by Wine Enthusiast. 93 points by James Suckling, 90-92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, and  91 points by Wine Spectator.

 

Tonight's tasting was consistent with my tasting notes from that tasting back in 2014, but actually improved from a decade of aging. Wine Spectator cited for this label, best drinking through 2022. 

Château Canon - Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, floral aromas with firm, concentrated sweet red and black raspberry fruits accented with tones of kirsch and tobacco leaf with firm but silky soft tannins on the long smooth lingering finish.  

Tonight, RM 92Points, improved from 91 points for the release tasting. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1366531

Château Vignot St. Émilion Grand Cru Classe' 2007

To pair and compare with the Château Canon, I pulled from the cellar this St. Émilion from a near mid-term vintage. I thought and hoped I had a bottle of the Château Canon but I was mistaken.

This Grand Cru is a class lower than the 1er Grand Cru of the Canon and the rankings accurately fit their tasting profiles with it being less complex, less polished and smaller in its presence. It did improve further after being open for 60-90 minutes to more closely resemble the bigger rival, but it never reached its more lofty standing.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, slightly 'flat' or flabby in comparison to the Canon, notes of dusty floral, dark berry, notes of tobacco, leather, spice and subtle oak with moderate tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=528220

With the chocolate course we opened this twenty-five year old vintage port which was probably at the apex of its drinking window and profile. We hold this label going back to the kids' birthyear vintages in 1982, 1985 and 1990, so watch for further tastings of this label in future family dinners and celebrations.

Warre's Porto Vintage Quinta da Cavadinha 1995

We featured this wine during a tasting back in 2017. Consistent with that earlier tasting notes. 

Dark blackish garnet coffee colored - full bodied, a bit of an edge of sweet black fruits, layer of smokey creosote with hint of expresso, cedar and cassis and dark black cherry on the finish. 

RM 89 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/02/after-dinner-trio-el-nido-jumilla-clio.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3721

https://www.warre.com/home.php

Murray's Cheese - and wine too

Cheese, Murray's Cheese ... and some wine too ...

Enjoying a get-away weekend with son Ryan and daughter-in-law Michelle, visiting son Alec in NYC, we dined at Murray's Cheese Bar in Greenwich Village, one of his favorite haunts. The eatery is a few doors down Bleecker Street, from the legendary cheese retailer and wholesaler. As in earlier adventures there, we left it to the 'Cheese Monger' to select our cheese flight - one of five and one of eight different cheeses or meats.

Each cheese meat combination is paired with a sauce, spread or associated delectable accompaniment such as a orange marmelaide or a pistachio paste, both shown below.

The presentation of the cheese plates by the Cheese Mavin servers was masterful, poetic, professional and informative, a performance deserving of more attention and respect and worthy of an ovation! Following the cheese meat plates came Mussels in white wine broth, grilled Kale sprouts, and Lamb meatballs in a tomato fennel sauce and feta cheese.

For pairing, we selected three wines from Murray's winelist, one white and two reds. For the white, there's always room for a bubbly, a sparkling wine, we selected Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant, a Chenin Blanc based wine from the Vouvray in the Loire Valley in Northern France.

Chenin Blanc is not normally associated with sparkling wine, the specialty and province of Champagne in France, rather the incredibly versatile grape is used across the range of dry whites, to semi-sweet to luscious sweet wines.

This version of sparkling wine is considerably less expensive than a Champagne of equivalent quality.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Cuvée Huet Brut 2010

This was light, straw colored, crisp and minerally with a bouquet and flavors of floral, peach, ripe pear and sweet spice giving way to almond and a layer of yeast that came across as a bit pasty that diminished the fruits.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1413192






Laurent Betton Saint-Joseph Syrah 2013, Rhone Valley, France

The tangy acid was a nice accompaniment to the hearty bold cheeses and meats.

Son Ryan favors and drinks a lot of these Northern Rhone Valley Syrahs. This was much lighter than those we are accustomed to drinking, from the Rhone Valley, or Syrahs we get from Australia or even California.

This was ruby colored, medium light bodied, crisp bright acidity with black berry fruits, tones of black pepper and a layer of graphite creosote with a tangy spicy finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2112330


La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2010, Tuscany, Italy 

This bigger bolder more complex and concentrated wine rounded out our flight with a different style and character that matched the boldest and most forward cheeses, and the meats in the tasting.

This was ideally paired with the Lamb meatballs in tomato fennel sauce. 

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium full bodied,  complex, concentrated layers of rather subdued dried blackberry and black cherry, tones of smoke, leather, tobacco and hints of cedar spicy oak and graphite on a smooth polished moderate tannin finish.

This was so good, we ordered a second bottle! 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2104005

http://www.murrayscheesebar.com/

A highlight of the weekend was seeing Alec's new apartment with its spectacular views from Midtown to the financial district, shown below.

Murray Cheese Selection

Mumm's Napa Valley Sparkling Wine highlights lunch overlooking Dana Point Beach

Mumm's Napa Valley Sparkling Wine highlights lunch overlooking Dana Point Beach

Rejoicing in our family gathering with son Alec, and V, in from NYC to So-Cal for a festive wedding weekend, we dined al fresco lunch at the Ritz Carlton Hotel overlooking Dana Point Beach. The 180 degree view of the Southern Orange County Pacific Coastline, perched high atop the cliff overlooking the surf befits the 180blũ named restaurant.

Basking in the So-Cal almost perpetual sunshine, we toasted on Mumm's Brut Prestige Napa Valley Sparkling Wine, the perfect complement to our lunch selections.

Of course this is deemed sparkling wine since Mumm Brut is from Carneros District at the bottom of Napa Valley where it meets Sonoma Valley. Brut is a blend of  58% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Meunier and 6% Pinot Gris, essentially the same as authentic French Champagne.

We drank this to re-live our visit to the affiliated G. H. Mumm sites in the real Champagne near Reims (shown left) with Alec during our Champagne wine region tour in 2006.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8751

https://www.mummnapa.com/

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/LagunaNiguel/Dining/180blu/Default.htm