Vine Cliff Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Vine Cliff Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Vine Cliff Winery was one of the earliest original Napa Valley operating wineries and vineyards dating back to the 1870's. Vine Cliff was one of the first producers to plant Bordeaux varietals in Napa Valley. The 500 acres nestled up against the eastern slope of the Vacas Range of Mountains that form the east boundary of Napa Valley was originally part of the George Yount estate, an early settler in the area and namesake of the village based on his name.

After falling on hard times during the early 20th Century, exacerbated by the challenges of Prohibition, the land sat dormant until it was purchased by Nell Sweeney for her family in 1985.

Today the hundred acre estate remains home to the Sweeney family, Nell Sweeney as Principle and Rob Sweeney as General Manager. The site houses Vine Cliff's winemaking facilities and guest center. The 25 acres planted in vines, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, cling to steep hillside terraces of flat rocky red soil, known as the “Oakville Bench” climbing to 400 feet above the valley floor.

The vineyards are planted and maintained for low yields, sacrificing quantity for quality. This approach gives Vine Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon that famous Oakville terroir character, powerful fruit flavor and low tannins, classic Napa Valley wines, approachable on release, but capable of developing exceptional complexity with bottle age.

When we visited neighboring Darioush Winery during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2003, when they were still building their magnificent winery visitor center and tasting rooms,. we did a private barrel tasting with wnemaker Steve Devitt, formerly wine maker of Vine Cliff. Looking back, it occurs to me this bottle may have been crafted by Steve during those earlier years.

Tonight this was a perfect accompaniment to grilled strip steaks, grilled onions and peas, with dark chocolate souffle dessert.

Dark garnet color, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of earth, tobacco, cedar, leather and smoke and hints of floral on an oaky tannin finish. The fruits may be diminished somewhat giving way to the non-fruit flavors due to age perhaps suggesting its past the prime of its drinking window.

RM 89 points.  I suspect this warranted a point or so higher earlier when a bit younger.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=49811

http://www.vinecliff.com/

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red Highlights Grilled Filet Steak Dinner

When #1 son Ryan invited us over for a gourmet dinner if I'd bring the wine, the deal was done. The menu selection was endive and radish salad in lemon dill dressing, scallops in a beet and parsnip purée with crispy bacon, filets of beef with balsamic and rosemary, potato and carrot mash, finishing with bananas foster.

I pulled from the cellar the following wine flight to accompany the dinner courses: Robert Craig Durell Vineyard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay 2005, Viader Proprietary Red Wine 1996, Chateau La Rose Lussac-St Emilion Bordeaux 1982, and to finish, Linden Cellars Late Harvest Vidal 2005.

Robert Craig Durell Vineyard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay 2005

We tasted and obtained this wine at one of several visits over the last decade at the winery up on Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2008, and later acquired an additional case at auction. 

Producers notes -  "Hand-crafted in very small quantities, this Chardonnay has the qualities of a fine white Burgundy in its balance and deep fruit, mineral character and clean, crisp acidity that are hallmarks of the Durell Vineyard and of this great old world-leaning estate."

Light butter colored, crisp, medium to full bodied but nicely balanced pear and tropical fruits, almond and mineral with finely balanced acidity on a long finish.  

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=294150

http://www.robertcraigwine.com

Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red 1996

We met proprietor winemaker Delia Viader at a tasting hosted by Binny's Chicago Lakeview back in 2005, and visited the property on lower Howell Mountain in 2008. Our collection of Viader dates back to the 1990 vintage so it was with interest to see how this vintage has held  up over the years to calibrate the lifespan of the other vintages. In the style of many Viader releases, this is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Cabernet Franc.

While sited on Howell Mountain, since Viader sits below 1200 feet elevation, their wines carry the Napa Valley rather than Howell Mountain Appellation. This is because the fog rise up to but sits below that level and thereby affects the micro-climate and growing conditions of the grapes - characteristics that help make up what is known as terroir.

Dark blackish garnet colored with a slight rust edge on the rim, medium to full bodied, while it certainly is beyond gaining advantage from further aging, it seems to be holding at eighteen years but is entering the last stage of its prime drinking window. Deep complex, tight yet balanced , the restrained black fruits are overshadowed a layer of tar, leather and tobacco flavors with tar/tobacco underpinning and hints of smoky spice and lead pencil finishing with firm, tongue-coating tannins.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8493


Chateau La Rose Lussac-St Emilion Bordeaux 1982

To commemorate our father-son wine tasting dinner, I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage release Bordeaux from Ryan's birthyear - a remnant of our horizontal collection of his birthyear wines. Being a lesser producer, despite this classic vintage, this was a gamble on whether or not it was still drinkable. Having most assuredly passed  its prime drinking window, tonight was as good a time as any to open this bottle.

Having low expectations, we weren't disappointed since it was drinakable despite lacking any redeeming characteristics. Brownish garnet in color, medium bodied, remnants of berry and black cherry fruit flavors hid beneath the layer of smoky creosote, tar, wet wood and leather with moderate lingering tannins. It was a tasting adventure in perserverance on the agabilty of Bordeaux wines suitable for a tasting experience but not as an accompaniment to food or standalone as a drink. It wasn't flawed, rather passed its suitable drinking window. Surprisingly, it was still approachable.


RM 81 points. 



Linden Vineyards Vidal Late Harvest 2005

For a period of several years, I was commuting to and working in Washington DC. During this time Linda and I toured the Virginia wine country and discovered Linden Vineyards. At a visit to the vineyards and winery, we discovered impressive well crafted wines including this late harvest Vidal dessert wine which we tasted in the winery cellar with owner/winemaker Jim Law.

Light butter colored, full bodied thick tongue coating almost syrupy, sweet - subtle aromas of dried apricot, lychee, and hint of mango - flavors of tangy persimmon, lychee, hint of apricot.

RM 91 points.

http://cellartracker.com/w?567768

 

Ryan's scallops in a beet and parsnip purée with crispy bacon

Conundrum California Red Wine 2011

Conundrum California Red Wine 2011

Imagine my confusion when the wife called and said she and our daughter were tasting a glass of Conundrum Red. Of course everyone knows Conundrum is a label from the Wagner family known for their legendary Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet. Since 1989 they've produced a unique white wine blend. But, alas, she was (drinking Red Conundrum). Chuck Wagner II, fifth generation Wagner winemaker, named for his grandfather, is the winemaker for this third release of this label that debuted in 2009.

Since the wife and daughter liked it I picked up a bottle during my 'weekly' visit to the local wine shop. There it was, in the red blend aisle, down towards the lower priced bottles in the moderate-low price realm. I usually walk past this section and hang out down at the far end at the high (er) priced offerings. We opened it for tasting with a grilled steak and it was a good pairing. Realistically priced at around twenty dollars, this offers pretty good QPR - (quality-price-ratio).

This is not a wimpy wine! The first hint is the aromatics that fill the room upon opening. Dark ruby colored, medium-full bodied, it punches you in the mouth with big concentrated expressive black and red berry fruit flavors and a rush of 'heat' as if from alcohol but seemingly from a layer of acidic tones that are somewhere between pine, light mint and camphor, before giving way to a medley of sweet anise, kirsch and hints of caramel vanilla flavors.

The next day, the 'heat' had burned off and the wine settled considerably but the result came across a slight bit 'flabby', which perhaps was masked by the initial frontal attack. But then, hey, this is a sub twenty dollar wine, not to be confused with Caymus Cabernet at around $60 plus.

Notably, this is not a Napa Valley blend, but rather a 'California' blend, such that the fruit is sourced from distributed sites around the state, each with its own unique characteristic terroir. As the name implies, Conundrum Red is a 'puzzling blend of varietals'. As I've written on other similar such wines, they tend to lack polish and balance due to the disparity of their individual profiles. Never-the-less, this is a big bold flavorful fruit forward drinker that would go well with hearty foods or bold cheeses or dark chocolate. Wife and daughter liked it, but a bit over the top for my preference.

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1636890

http://www.conundrumwines.com/

Ghost Pines Red Blend 2011 - the 'un-terroir' wine

Ghost Pines Red Blend 2011 - the 'un-terroir' wine

This is an eclectic blend from a variety of grapes from a diversity of locations across California. By design, the philosophy for Ghost Pine's wines is to allow the winemaker to "enjoy (s) the freedom to choose the best grapes he can find, regardless of AVA. Inspired by the free-form character of its namesake tree, Ghost Pines embodies the progressive spirit of California winemaking – “excellence has no boundaries.”'

This is the opposite of the concept of terroir, that sense of place associated with the grapes from a particular vineyard and its distinctive combination of climate, micro-climate, soil, terrain, sun, drainage - all the elements that contribute to the character of grapes from specific place. In fact it takes that sense of place and multiplies it times three, four, five or more. And then take all of that times four or five different grape varietals that are in the composition for this wine. The result is a big complex flavorful wine.

Ghost Pines is named for a historic vineyard purchased in 1964 by Napa’s historic Louis M. Martini Winery. Ironically, they then go against all the heritage or sense of that vineyard and emphasize their approach to produces unique wines by giving Winemaker Michael Eddy 'the freedom to choose the best grapes he can find, regardless of AVA (appellation of designated place where grapes are grown with common characteristics).

Wine folks refer to 'old world' and 'new world' wines - the old world being wine regions that have been producing wines for centuries; France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, as compared to new world where wines have been produced for years ... or perhaps decades; Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Austrailia, New Zealand, .... America. Ghost Pines would be the epitomy of new world thinking.

While old world wines may be 'narrow' and perhaps uninspiring, those producers have become masters at getting the absolute most out of their particular 'patch' of ground that is their vineyard. This includes learning over time precisely which grapes (varietals) grow best in that place, and best reflect through their output that sense of place - terroir. As such, they'll also select grapes that compliment each other and go best together as in combination to provide the best results in the blend. One grape for depth, one for breadth, one for increased structure, and complementary flavors.

At the end of the day, lets never forget, its all grape juice!

Those with discriminating palates that have the experience and discernment to parse all the elements and characteristics of a wine so as to even detect that sense of terroir, or the nuances of the different grapes in the blend, let alone the effects of the particular vintage, appreciate comparing one vintage of an Estate wine to the next. Indeed, Estate bottled means that the grapes in that bottle were grown on the property of the producer as identifed on the label.

The French famously put on their labels (left) "Mis En Bouteille au Château", roughly translated as bottled at the Chateau or Estate or property. Adding the words "Appellation Original Controllee", (AOC) go further to certify that that wine conforms to rigorous controls over the grapes, their origin within the Appellation, and how the wine was produced. In Italy, the similarly equivalent references are DOC and DOCG (Denominazione di origine controllata - "Controlled designation of origin") that are the controls that enforce the quality of the wine in a particular area or appellation.


All this said, Ghost Pines is the result of free-form selection of grapes from many locales, from many varietals, blended together into their wines. This is the case in bulk wine, oft called 'jug wines', but in this case, they're striving for 'contemporary' quality wine from the same approach.


The result is not necessarily sophisticated, polished, harmonious or 'integrated', all words that might describe how well the different components of the blend complement each other, it is complex, perhaps to a fault. But then again, its a $15 wine, that no man's land between 'jug' wine and a Meritage (trademarked branding for a Bordeaux blend composition in a non-Bordeaux sourced wine - the Bordeaux varietals being Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) or Bordeaux or other AOC wine.

By their own pronouncements they profess, "When our winemakers think about how to make a great wine, they start in the vineyard. And that vineyard has no boundaries. It may begin in northern Napa and end on the hillsides of Sonoma. It might stretch across mountains and valleys to Lodi in San Joaquin or meander down the Pacific Coast to Monterey. When the barriers of traditional appellations are lifted, a progressive group of winemakers sees no limit to the kind of wine they can make. Those winemakers, led by Ghost  Pines Vintner Michael Eddy, are turning out remarkable wines that blend the best of California's diverse appellations." 

In addition to this Red Blend, Ghost Pines also produce a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and a Chardonnay.

You be the judge. Its all in the eye of the beholder. I think in the end, they produce a wine that provides high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, and perhaps that is what is most important to the consumer anyway. While not true to appellation conventions, look for Ghost Pines for imaginative, bold and interesting wines.

Even the producer speaks to a Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde combination in the blend of grapes used for this wine. "The Ghost Pines 2011 Red Blend showcases the complexity and balance that the right combination of the right grapes can achieve. The Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in this blend act as the stoic Dr. Jekyll, while the Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese are a classic Hyde: assertive, aggressive and maybe even a little disturbed."

The winemakers' notes for this wine describe, "Aromas of blueberry and blackberry pie are framed nicely by salted caramel, spice and truffle notes. Rich and full-bodied, this blend offers chewy tannins and a long, luscious finish."

I found this wine dark purple colored, full bodied, complex aromas and flavors of black and blue berry fruits, tones of cherry, graphite, spice and tea with a tight edge on the firm tannins lingering on the finish.

RM 87 points.

The blend is 48% Petite Sirah, 21% Zinfandel, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 9% Other.
The grapes are sourced from 56% Sonoma County, 23% San Joaquin County, and 21% from Napa County.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1591550

http://www.ghostpines.com/