Aged vintage wines for family birthday dinner

Aged vintage wines for family birthday dinner 

The family gathered at our house for a gala celebration dinner for my upcoming birthday. 

We grilled out cowboy tomahawk ribeye steaks and bbq baby back ribs, and scallops, accompanied by salad, baked beans, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and Mac-n-cheese (for the kids). 

The cooks, (above) Linda, master chef, and Ryan, griller and carver - naturally absent, missing from the family photo above, (as is Reid who was playing ball out in the yard with friends). 

Grilled scallops on herb buttered toast points 

For a wine accompaniment I pulled from the cellar a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay for the whites and two aged vintage big reds wines for the beef and ribs, and an aged vintage dessert wine (also a birthyear vintage). 

I also selected several younger Right Bank Bordeaux varietal wines, in the event we went through the open bottles, or needed a back-up if the first choice wines were not up to par, due to age or other conditions.  Almost regrettably, we didn’t open those wines which I was looking forward to trying, hence they’ll be available for another day. 

LaJota Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

La Jota Vineyards in Napa Valley date back to 1888 when winemaking pioneer W.S. Keyes planted some of the first vines on Howell Mountain. Ten years later his contemporary, Fredrick Hess, built a stone winery and established La Jota Vineyard Co., named for its location on the Mexican parcel Rancho La Jota. 

Both men won medals for their Howell Mountain wines in the Paris Exposition of 1900.

La Jota Vineyard Co. continues today as a boutique producer crafting small-production mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay, sourced from the winery’s estate and from nearby W.S. Keyes Vineyard.

Today, Howell Mountain is known for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa’s rugged northeastern hills with its volcanic ash soils deposited millenia ago by Mount Konocti. Howell Mountain itself is a weathered volcanic "knob" with two distinct soils: crumbly white decomposed volcanic ash known as rhyolitic tuff and red, iron-laden soils of clay and volcanic rock.

La Jota estate vines develop good root systems in these well-draining, porous, nutrient-lean soils, allowing them to self-regulate the amount of water they take in. And the nutrient lean soils force the vines to struggle to survive, forcing their energy to the fruit. The result is tiny berries and clusters with very high flavor concentration.

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was made famous by legendary wine maker Randy Dunn, who gained fame at Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. Turning his attention to Howell Mountain, it became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley in 1983. We visited the Dunn Vineyards estate up at Angwin on Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience back in 2008. We were hosted by Kristina Dunn that day but we had the privilege to meet winemaker, producer, patriarch and Napa Valley pioneer Randy Dunn.

The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands at the north end of the Vaca Mountain range that forms the eastern wall or Napa Valley. With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they sit above the fog line. The days on Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.

The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.

We tasted the recent release of La Jota Howel Mtn Cabernet at the SoWal (Southwest Walton Beaches) Wine Festival in Destin, (FL) last year was one of the highlights of that event and we acquired their current release of this label at that time - Pour Boys gather for SoWal Wine Festival weekend in Destin.

Notably, LaJota was acquired by and is now part of the vast portfolio of Jackson Family Wines, who amassed a vast Billion dollar wine empire that now comprises some of the most storied labels, such as this. It was being presented by Jackson Wines at the SoWal festival. 

I wrote about Jess Jackson and the building of the family wine empire in earlier blogposts in these pages - most recently last month - La Crema Coastal Chardonnay with Homemade Chicken Piccata, and earlier, Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2018.

And, we’ve featured other vintages of this label in other notable tastings -Boy's Night Out Cellar Tours Wine Tasting, and Dad's Day Father Son Tasting Birthyear Wines.

Today, La Jota’s winemaker is Chris Carpenter, a graduate from the University of Illinois with a BS in biology, who also earned an MBA in Chicago before working various roles in the food and beverages industry. During those years in Chicago he developed a love of food and wine, and a network of colleagues in the business.

After a visit to Napa Valley in 1993, he decided to pursue a career in wine and went on to earn a Masters in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis. 

In 1998 he found himself working as the Assistant Winemaker at Cardinale where he learned making wines from mountain terroir. In 2005 he became the Winemaker for La Jota.

Tonight we opened this vintage 1990 release,  a birthyear vintage wine of son Alec, celebrating my birthday, and he and wife Vivianna expecting (grand) baby number three. 

This release was rated 92 points by Robert Parker back in 1993, when he wrote, this wine should “reach its apogee by the turn of the century and last 20 or more years”. 

At 35 years, it has held up remarkably well, despite the tattered label, the fill level and cork were still in great condition, considering their age. 

The wine showed no signs of diminution from aging and still well within its drinking window, albeit not likely to continue aging beyond a few more years. 

Winemaker Notes - “Where rivers, creeks and property lines usually define an AVA, the Howell Mountain boundaries are defined by a 1,400 foot elevation contour line as the lowest point and the highest vineyards at 2,400 feet above sea level. The vines share the mountain with pines, oaks, madrone and the easternmost stand of the coastal redwoods.”

Opaque garnet/purple colored, medium to full bodied, rich, round concentrated black berry and black currant fruits with notes of minerals, cassis, and classic Howell Mtn spices, with firm but approachable tannins on the lingering, what Wine Spectator calls “fleshy” finish.  

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?771991

https://www.lajotavineyardco.com/

Château du Domaine de l'Eglise Pomerol 1989

Château du Domaine de l'Eglise is a renowned producer of Right Bank Bordeaux wine, located in the commune of Pomerol, in the shadow of the church tower, and less than two kilometres, within walking distance, of notable producers Château Clinet (300m) and Château Petrus (900m). 

The Pomerol AOC (Appellation Originale Controllee) is located in the Libourne region on the Right Bank of the Dordogne River, just upstream from its confluence with the Isle. The town of Libourne, has a port that was used for exporting wines as far back as 1269. 

In the 1900s, winegrowers got together and made joint purchases. Working together, they set up a winegrowers’ and farmers’ union to improve their wine and protect the Pomerol appellation. The AOC area was defined in 1928, recognised in 1936 and revised in 2011.

Today, the Pomerol AOC is renowned for its great wines such as Pétrus, Trotanoy, Clinet, Petit Village and Gazin. The Pomerol appellation comprises around 800 hectares with 140 producers with an average of 6 hectares, producing 31,000 hectolitres of red wine a year.

The origins of the Château du Domaine de l’Église vineyard can be traced back to 1589, at the beginning of the reign of the Good King Henri (Henri IV). The estate was seized by authorities during the French Revolution and in 1793 it was sold to the Bertin family though a national property sale.

In 1893, the Bertin family produced ten barrels of wine, rising to twenty barrels by 1949. Simon Landard, Laure Bertin’s nephew, ran the estate a few years later. The estate was acquired in 1973 by Émile Castéja, 

Château du Domaine de l’Eglise was owned by Philippe Castéja and his sister, Chantal Castéja Prében-Hansen. Philippe ran the estate and improved the quality of the wine over the years. The wine from Château du Domaine de l’Eglise is considered a Grand Vin. Today the estate is run by the firm of Borie-Manoux.

The 7-hectare vineyard of Château du Domaine de l’Église is mainly planted with Merlot (95%), with a touch of Cabernet Franc (5%). The vines have an average age of 40 years.  The vineyard is situated on a plateau with classic Pomerol terroir, characterized by gravelly soil and clay subsoil, which imparts a distinct minerality to the wine. 

At thirty six years, this wine was holding up remarkably well and still very much in its drinking window, but certainly not likely to improve with any further aging, and best to be consumed in the next couple years. The label and foil and most importantly the fill level was top of neck and the cork was still intact despite being partly saturated, it was holding its integrity. It was carefully extracted using an ‘Ahso’ two pronged cork puller (shown). It likely would have collapsed in the bottle if pressed by a traditional cork screw. I always use this method, especially with older wines (except for synthetic corks).  

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Advocate in 1993. 

This was even better the following day, being more balanced and settled, after decades of aging in the cellar.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium to full bodied, deep rich round ripe balanced blackberry, cherry and plum fruits with herbs and vibrant spice notes with soft fine tannins on a long sensuous finish. 

RM 90 points, better, 91 points the following day. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?186048

https://www.domainedeleglise.com/en/

We also opened a birthyear vintage aged sweet dessert wine which paired perfectly with the scallops as well as the salad and later, the dessert. I wrote about this in a follow on blogpost - Clos Fontindoule Monbazillac Dessert Wine.

 https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/05/clos-fontindoule-monbazillac-1982-as.html

Family Easter and Birthday Celebration Dinner features ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines

Family Easter and Birthday Celebration Dinner features ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines

We hosted the family for Easter featuring an Easter Egg hunt for the (grand) kids followed by a gala dinner that also recognized son Alec's birthday. Alec and Linda prepared grilled Salmon and NY Strip Steaks. 

I pulled from the cellar two ultra-premium birth-year vintage wines for the occasion, from son Alec's birth-year who also had a birthday this week. 

At thirty-two years, this was a study in longevity and age-worthiness of two top labels, one from Bordeaux and one from Napa Valley. Amazingly, they were very similar and equivalent in all respects, with similar character and tasting profiles, fill levels, foils, labels, and importantly the corks were all in ideal condition, for their age. The Ducru cork was a bit soft and spongy and starting to erode, but was still intact. The Diamond Creek cork was remarkably tight and well preserved.

This is another testament to the conditions in our wine cellar for aging fine wines. Both had been in our cellar for decades.

Both had good color and body and, while showing their age and perhaps past their prime, were still very much within their approachable drinking window.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St. Julien, Bordeaux 1990

Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Robert Parker's Wine Advocated tasted this at the Chateau in August 2020 and gave it a drinking window of 2020 - 2028. 

We hold a vertical collection of this label dating back four decades, including birth-year vintages for each of our kids, and many of our grand-kids, several of which we served at their weddings in large format bottles. 

We had the privilege and honor to visit the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate during our trip to the St Julien appellation of Bordeaux in 2019.

Château Ducru Beaucaillou is named for the "beautiful pebbles", stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir of the Gironde River estuary. The estate sits on an promontory site with views of the river in the center of a hundred-year-old park. 

The Ducru Beaucaillou Chateau is a majestic, Victorian-style castle, which is one of the great symbols of the Médoc, and residence to the owners to this day. 

The original winery and cellars are in the lower level underneath the residence. A new extensive expanded facility was built in recent years.

For 300 years, six families of owners have owned and managed the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate. which today is managed by the company Jean Eugène Borie SA, which is owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno Eugène, CEO since 2003, the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate.

This wine is a traditional left bank Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged for around 12 months in two-thirds new oak.

Dark garnet brick colored, medium-full bodied, complex and rich blackberry and plum fruits with notes of earth, tree bark, tobacco, tapenade, black tea and leather on a lingering moderate tannin acidic finish. 

RM 91 points. 

This was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker 's Wine Advocate.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=10531

 

https://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/en

 

@DucruB 

Diamond Creek Vineyards "Gravelly Meadow" Vineyard, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

A trip to Napa Valley Diamond Mountain by the serious wine enthusiast or collector would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Diamond Creek Vineyards. 

Diamond Creek was founded in 1968 by the late Al Brounstein, and wife 'Boots' (pictured below), a visionary pioneer who defied conventions of the time by planting Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Range at the north remote end of Napa Valley.

Diamond Creek is a case study in terroir - the estate is segregated into four distinct vineyards, each with its own micro-climate, soil type and geography that are revealed in their single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines named for the four distinctly different origination vineyards. 

The vineyards of Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon are Gravelly Meadow (5 acres - center left), Red Rock Terrace (7 acres front), Volcanic Hill (8 acres opposite), and Lake (¾ acre). There is also one acre planted to Petit Verdot. 

This is another producer of whom we hold a vertical collection spanning more than two decades. Our collection includes all of the vineyards, many in horizontal collections of the three primary vineyards from a vintage.

The vineyards,  pictured here, are amazingly co-located close to each other yet have distinctive individual characteristics that are revealed in their wines, based on their proximity to the slope approaching the creek that cascades down the mountain, dividing the property. The chateau and tasting room offer a magnificent setting and view of the vineyards on the slope and meadow below and of the opposing hillside.

We visited the estate in 2017 for the Diamond Creek Open House and 2015 Vintage Release Tasting, shown here with Matriarch, proprietor and founder Boots Brownstein. 

We also visited the estate and did a private food and wine pairing tasting back in 2011 as part of our Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards visit and tasting.

In 2020, 52 years after its founding, Diamond Creek was acquired by the Rouzaud family of world-renowned Maison Louis Roederer, whose roots in wine date to the 1700s. The relationship between the Rouzaud and Brounstein families stretched back three decades, with an admiration and mutual respect for one another born of a common love for wine and its role in history, culture and life.  

Like the 1990 vintage Bordeaux above, this too was in ideal condition, with no obvious signs of diminution from age. The fill level, foil, label and cork were as good as to be expected at three decades. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, concentrated, rich, complex yet elegant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of deep, perfumed, herbaceousness with concentrated currant, cedar and flavors of tea, leather and tobacco on a long, smooth finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=38034

https://diamondcreekvineyards.com/

Far Niente Napa Valley Chardonnay 2011

For the grilled salmon, we also served this hearty robust Napa Valley Chardonnay from a legendary producer. 

The Far Niente estate sits along St Helena Highway in the heart of Oakville. Far Niente's history dates back to 1885 when the estate was first established by pioneer John Benson a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired notable architect Hamden McIntyre to design the historic winery in western Oakville which today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored to its original prestige by the Nickel family in 1979.

Far Niente prospered up until the onset of Prohibition in 1919 when it was closed and sat neglected for 60 years until 1980, when Gil Nickel bought and restored the winery and neighboring vineyard over three years. He preserved the Far Niente name which in Italian translates to ‘without a care.’ 

 

Far Niente constructed wine caves, the first to be constructed in North America since the turn of the century, spawning a whole new standard in California wine country. Over the next 20 years, the winery conducted four more expansions of the caves, bringing the total area to 40,000 square feet.

Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Far Niente Estate Bottled Napa Valley Chardonnay is crafted in a blend sourced from superb vineyards, many of which are located in Coombsville, the cool growing region in the rolling hills east of Napa that they've been growing for over 40 years. The climate there is similar to the other source site in the popular Chardonnay appellation of Carneros in south west Napa Valley, but with less wind and deeper, well-drained gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils. The winery states, "the combination of these spectacular vineyards results in the subtle, tropical flavors, complex aromas and uncommon richness that we have long associated with Far Niente Chardonnay."

Winemaker Notes: The 2011 Far Niente Chardonnay opens with delicate aromas of citrus blossom, honeydew melon, pear, flint and toasted almonds. The entry is silky with pear and citrus flavors. Refreshing acidity leads to a juicy finish, layered with toasted oak.

Butter colored, medium bodied, bold full but nicely balanced flavors of citrus, pear and melon with notes of floral and almond on a pleasantly dry moderately acid finish. 

 

RM 92 points.  

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1347669

https://farniente.com/

 

@farnientewinery

 

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Old and New big reds for family celebration party

Alec and Vivianna hosted a gala first birthday party for Marylin. They served a broad selection of foods including Salmon and beef tenderloin, along with salads, shrimp, and a broad selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie and dips.

Afterwards we had two birthday cakes, a white cake and a chocolate cake, also to celebrate Linda's birthday. 

The occasion was an opportunity for all the family to gather, along with many of their friends and families. 

On the eve of the NBA All-Star game, and the day our Indiana Hoosiers, and rival fellow Hoosier Purdue Boilermakers are the only Big Ten teams nationally ranked, the day also called for a serious pop-a-shot tournament, first by the kids, and then the adults. 

I brought from our cellar an aged Napa Cabernet Reserve from Alec's birthyear vintage, a fitting tribute to the occasion. Alec served a selection of reds, a white and Rose' from his cellar. 

Flora Springs Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1990

We collect many wines in our cellar that are family affairs, such that we favor them with family outings such as this. 

One family winery who's wines we collect is Flora Springs and their Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s family have acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyards. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes who bought the property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They may be best known for their label, Trilogy which is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. This label is a Reserve bottling of their single varietal Cabernet.

 They started producing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1989 reaching production of 700 cases. Their 1991 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator and was called 'stunning' by Robert Parker. 

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.At thirty-three years, this was holding up amazingly well, still within its drinking window and only beginning to show diminution from age with slight discoloration and haziness. Never-the-less the fruit was vibrant and after decanting and settling for an hour, it was very tasty and pleasant drinking. 

The fill level, foil, label and importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition, considering their age. The cork was pristine and held together well when extracted using an Ahso two pronged cork puller.

Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish gray hue started to set in showing its age, medium bodied, complex, concentrated blackberry and plum fruits with layers of currant, mocha, anise, leather, sage herbs and hints of eucalyptus. on a long finish of bright acidity and ripe tannins. Time to drink and we caught this just in time. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=151440

https://www.florasprings.com/

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

 

Alec then pulled from his cellar a recent acquisition, this premium single vineyard designated Big Red from Napa Valley Stags Leap District. 

Mira Schweizer Vineyard Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

 

This is the handicraft of Co-Founder/Winemaker Gustavo A. Gonzalez and co-founder Jim “Bear” Dyke, Jr., consultant and lobbyist. A chance meeting at the Off The Record bar in Washington, D.C., lead to their joint pursuit of the dream of creating a world class winery. In 2009, the duo sourced their first grapes and in 2012 Mira went to market. 

They are joined by Ed Thralls who came to Mira with 25 years of experience in both wine and financial technology industries. Having studied winemaking at UC Davis and earning a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), he has served as General Manager for a Sonoma premier producer. Ed had his own winery, Thralls Family Cellars, producing premium Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley, Syrah and Chardonnay. Prior to that, he served as the director at Flowers Vineyards & Winery and Huneeus Vintners.

Mira Winery is named for the Latin root of “miracle” and Greek for “destiny”. It is a family owned, 16-acre estate in the heart of the Napa Valley, farming historic vineyards that were first planted to grapes in 1885. 

Gustavo A Gonzalez has been practicing his craft in the Napa Valley and around the world to critical acclaim for over 20 years, in California, Italy, France, Argentina, and Brazil. He brings local knowledge and global perspective, experience and creativity to Mira’s vineyard practices and winemaking techniques.

Gustavo’s grew up in California’s Central Valley, surrounded by family with longstanding ties to agriculture and an appreciation for wine. His appreciation for winemaking took him to the Napa Valley where he joined the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1995 working in the fields towards a career in winemaking. For 17 years at Robert Mondavi Winery, Gustavo worked his way up to Head Red Winemaker where he established Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the leading Napa Valley Cabernets, consistently receiving Wine Spectator ratings of 95 or higher. 

There he also produced some of the best Sauternes style wine of the new world and raised the Pinot Noir program to cult status. During this time, he also worked with other notable wineries around the world including Tenuta dell’Ornellaia where he was responsible for the 2001 “Masseto” Toscana which received 100 points from Wine Spector and was described by James Suckling as, “possibly the best Tuscan red ever.”

Gustavo’s strong relationships with leading Napa Valley grape growers brought Mira unique access to some of the finest blocks of grapes in some of the Napa Valley’s premier vineyards including Hyde Vineyard in the Carneros AVA and Schweizer Vineyard in the heart of the Stags Leap AVA.

Gustavo has established Mira as one of the top producers of small production single vineyard wines from the Napa Valley. At a blind tasting commemorating the historic Judgement of Paris featuring eight of the world’s top wines from Bordeaux and the Napa Valley, the 2012 Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard took the top slot for Napa Valley Cabernet besting Screaming Eagle, Schrader To Kalon, and Shafer Hillside Select.

Mira produce a dozen premium labels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varietal red and white blends sourced from leading Napa growers.  

Mira Cabernet Sauvignon Schweizer Vineyard 2016 

This is from Schweizer Vineyard, one of the oldest in Napa Valley, that has been producing grapes for premier wines for over 100 years and has been owned by the Schweizer family since 1956. The historic 42-acre vineyard in the heart of Stags Leap District has ideal terroir for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. It combines excellent draining Perkins Gravelly Loam soil with a microclimate of great afternoon sun due to its position on the east side of the valley and ideal hot days and cool nights. As a result, Schweizer Vineyard is among the world’s top locations to grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
 

Winemaker notes: "A level of refinement on the nose that defies easy description, evoking the best of the “Grand Cru” tradition. Smooth despite tremendous structure, on the palate the wine’s essential fruit character underlies layers of earthy, forest floor notes. Already extremely complex, this wine is destined for a profound journey in the cellar."

This release was awarded 97 Points in the Sunset International Wine Competition, 95 Points by Wine Enthusiast, 92 Points by James Suckling, and 91 Points by Wine Spectator.  

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, concentrated ripe blackberry and currant fruits, earth, tobacco, dark bitter mocha chocolate, vanilla and spice notes with hints of cedar and on a long expressive acid tinged finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4093038

https://miranapa.com/

https://twitter.com/mirawinery

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Son Alec and d-in-law Viviana hosted a festive holiday open house so I brought from our cellar two special bottles - birthyear vintage wines of Silver Oak, labels. Tonight was a fitting occasion for a birthyear vintage bottle for Alec and Viv since this is their first holiday in their new home and as a family with their baby daughter. 

Every wine lover, and even casual wine folks know Silver Oak. I'd call it a cult wine since it has such a large devoted following but it has such broad appeal that I don't think cult does it justice. 

Ray Duncan founded Silver Oak with Justin Meyer in 1972, it’s now owned and operated by Ray’s sons, David and Tim. Silver Oak is famous for their Napa and Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons that aged in oak before release introducing many to the effect and impact it has on a quality California Cabernet. Silver Oak have large 40000 case production and do a remarkable job managing their signature Oak profile, much like Caymus and some others. 

Silver Oak became notable for aging their wines exclusively in American oak, determining that it is best suited and most applicable to achieving the flavor profile that has become synonymous with the brand. Silver Oak have a reputation for producing exceptional, food-friendly wines that are both drinkable upon release and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.

We had the unique pleasure of visiting and touring the Cooper's Oak Winery and OAK Cooperage, source of their distinctive American Oak barrels during our Missouri Wine Experience last year.  

Silver Oak's flagship winery and vineyards are in the center of Napa Valley. They also operate vineyard properties, winemaking facilities, tasting rooms and s cooperage in Sonoma County, Alexander Valley.

Silver Oak are unique among most large production Napa and Sonoma producers in that they focus primarily on the production of just one wine from each appellation: Silver Oak Napa Valley and Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.

Robert Parker writes in Wine Advocate: "One of America's favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Silver Oak Cellars produces over 40,000 cases of their Alexander Valley and Napa Valley cuvees. As I have said so many times in the past, it is hard to dislike a Silver Oak Cabernet as they are ripe, deliciously well-oaked, soft, plump, multi-layered, and silky."

We served Silver Oak birthyear vintage bottles at their gala Covid restricted minimized wedding celebration dinner.I featured that festive celebration dinner and wine flight in these pages in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration.

We then served Alec's birthyear vintage Silver Oak special single vineyard select Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet from a large format six-liter bottle at their wedding celebration weekend a year later, featured in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration. 

We served a special large format (six liter Imperials) birthyear bottle of Silver Oak (Bonny's Vineyard) for that gala event. We also served Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard from the 1982 vintage at our eldest son Ryan's wedding, as well as several other birthyear special wines.  The single vineyard designated label is very rare given the exclusivity of small production from the 2 acre vineyard. 

This has become the custom in our family celebrations, we served a couple of large format six liter bottles of wine from our kids' birthyear vintage from our cellar. We did so at each of their weddings

I've written often about our cellar and our collection of verticals, horizontals, big large format bottles and birthyear vintages. And I've written about 'signature' producers featured in that collection - Silver Oak is one of those signature producers. Our affinity and reverence for this producer and their wines spans decades, and memorable family events and celebrations. According to our Cellartracker records, our Silver Oak cellar holdings still consists of 49 bottles and 2 pending in 23 spanning different vintages/labels) wines, including large format magnums of each of the four kids' birthyears, and another remaining six liter bottle of Bonny's vineyard like the one we served at their wedding welcome reception.

Alec and Viv served up a broad selection of cheeses, charcuterie, bruschetta, shrimp cocktail and dips - a great showcase accompaniment to these aged wines. They also served a selection of sparkling wine, white and red wines including Stag's Leap Artemis, Orin Swift Saldo. 

Tonight, these wines actually showed better than that earlier tasting, likely due to bottle variations or provenance of aging over two decades since they were acquired at auction over that period of time.

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 Alexander Valley 1991

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Both of these aged bottles, at 31 and 32 years were well preserved with perfect labels, foils, and importantly, ideal fill levels half way in the neck, reduced less about 3/8 inches from being perfect fill, and near perfect corks. 

Producer's notes on this release: "The 1990 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep tawny color at its core with light rust edges. The fading coconut characteristic is complemented by molasses and freshly sawn redwood and rose petals. It has a light entry but is soft and inviting with medium depth and cedar flavors on the mid-palate. It has a focused and somewhat tapering finish of raspberry, proving to be an elegant and balanced wine with solid back-end structure. Decanting may be necessary due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has an intense ruby-red color and has the classic Silver Oak nose of cassis, blackberry jam, violets, chocolate, roasted coffee and ginger. This wine is full and rich in the mouth with a very long, slightly tannic finish."

Robert Parker gave this release 93 points writing in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate back in 1994, "The 1990 Napa Cabernet exhibits a Graves-like bouquet of tobacco, cassis, minerals, and spice. Chewy and full-bodied, with stunning extraction of fruit, this velvety wine should drink well for 12-15 years."

While past its prime, apex of its drinking window, this will not improve any further with aging, but is holding its own and will likely remain at this level of its drinking window for a couple more years.

Consistent with previous tasting of this label back in June of '19. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this had bright ruby garnet color, very slight bricking at the rim, with the black cherry and black berry fruits having given way to the predominant signature nose and flavor of infused sweet oak layer for which the brand is known and famous.

The black cherry and black berry fruit was subdued, somewhat Bordeaux like with accent by notes of spice, black tea and tobacco leaf with tangy acidity and soft moderate tannins on the lingering tangy finish.

This was more complex and concentrated but more subdued than the bright more tangy acidic bright expressive 1991.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=20741

https://www.silveroak.com/

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Producer note; "The 1991 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense, rich, crimson hue with slight bricking. The aromatics are complex and very interesting with notes of sandalwood, caramel, black pepper, cedar and strawberry fruit. It has a moderate entry, with espresso bean flavors and a finish buttressed by fresh acidity. On the finish, leather and Roquefort linger on the palate. Decanting recommended due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The 1991 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a youthful glow, with an opaque crimson hue and no signs of bricking. It offers aromas of blackberry compote and sandalwood. It is a full-bodied wine upon entry, but is dominated by ample acidity and coffee flavors on the mid-palate. The finish has moderate length, lively tannins and flavors consistent with the mid-palate. Decanting suggested."

This label release was awarded 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Wine Spectator, one of  their *Highly Recommended, Top 100 Wines of 1995*.

This bottle was pleasantly dramatically different than that last tasting in 2019 of this label release, when it showed diminution from aging, past its prime and nearing the end of its drinking window. Tonight, this exceeded expectations, showing life remaining in its drinking window with little if any diminution from aging.

Dark ruby color, medium full bodied, bright full expressive tangy dark plum, cherry and black currant fruits with herbs, spics and notes of sweet oak on the acidic long finish.

 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=25548 

https://silveroak.com/  

@SilverOak

Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration

Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration

For son Alec and wife Vivianna's (re) wedding celebration festivities, we hosted a welcome reception for out of town guests and celebrants. We hosted the evening reception at the Boathouse Restaurant at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, Conneticut, with an evening of small bites and light drinks. 

As has become the custom in our family celebrations, we served a couple of large format six liter bottles of wine from the groom's birthyear vintage from our cellar. 

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 

Silver Oak has become a legendary cult brand, known for its focus and bold vision: focus on one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, aged exclusively in American oak and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.

Silver Oak Cellars was founded by Bonny and Justin Meyer, together with their financial partner, Ray Duncan in 1972. Founder Ray Twomey Duncan, a Colorado entrepreneur, began investing in California vineyards in the late 1960s. Justin Meyer was a Christian Brothers-trained winemaker. They co-founded Silver Oak out of a Napa Valley dairy barn in 1972, producing only 1,000 cases of their inaugural vintage. 

Over the ensuing decades, Silver Oak gained immense popularity as their Napa Valley and Alexander Valley Cabernets sold quickly upon their release from the winery and became a highly sought-after staple on restaurant wine lists nationwide. 

Justin continued as winemaker until selecting Daniel Baron to succeed him in 1994, when he then retired, selling his share of Silver Oak to the Duncan family in 2001. Ray’s sons, David and Tim Duncan, own and operate the winery to this day which consists of more than 400 acres of vines in Napa Valley and Alexander Valley.

When Justin told his wife in 1974 that he was ripping out the three acres of clover in front of their Oakville home to plant a vineyard, Bonny Meyer suggested that she’d like to make it her own personal project.

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard was planted by Silver Oak founders Bonny and Justin Meyer in 1974 on a gravelly, four-acre plot in the Oakville district of Napa Valley adjacent to the family home.

When the first fruit came off the vines four years later, it was clear that this little, unusually gravelly patch of Napa Valley was something special. Instead of putting it into Silver Oak’s Napa Cabernet, Justin Meyer decided to bottle it separately in 1979, making it one of Napa’s first vineyard-designated wines. It became one of Napa Valley's legendary places, one of a few legendary vineyard names: To Kalon. Beckstoffer. Eisele. Martha’s Vineyard, and of course, Bonny’s.

The Christmas before the first vintage wine was to be released, Meyer surprised his wife with a hand-carved wooden sign, proclaiming it from that point forward, that little patch of vineyard in their front yard would forever be known as Bonny’s Vineyard.

Silver Oak’s inaugural vintage was crushed that fall after Justin and Bonny returned from their honeymoon. In the early years Bonny managed Silver Oak business and sales while Justin oversaw winemaking and managed burgeoning Franciscan Vineyards, purchased by the partners in 1975. A couple of years after the partners sold Franciscan, Justin left and took over primary management duties at Silver Oak. Always part of the management team, Bonny focused on PR, marketing, and package and facility design. The original Silver Oak and Meyer Family Port labels both won design awards, as did the Oakville Silver Oak winery when it was completed in 1982. 

 

Today Bonny is a partner in Meyer Cellars, a family business, and continues to focus on marketing and investing as a Principal of Meyer Family Enterprises, and her interest as a philanthropist and a community activist.

 

Silver Oak produced a Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet from 1979 until 1991, when they discontinued the label. From its very first vintage, it washighly regarded and recognized by both consumers and critics. Son Matt Meyer, recalls, “I can remember my dad saying after one of their annual August release parties where the Bonny’s sold out in a matter of hours, ‘We’ve got more than a thousand cases of Alexander Valley and Napa Valley Cabernet left, and not a single one of Bonny’s.'" Realizing they were disappointing more people than they were making happy, Silver Oak decided to stop making a separate Bonny’s Vineyard release and started blending the fruit into their Napa Valley bottling.

When Justin Meyer retired in 2000, he sold his share of Silver Oak to his longtime partner, Ray Duncan. While there were discussions of Meyer hanging on to a few of the vineyards, ultimately, all the vineyards were included in the deal, except for one, Bonny's, because it was simply the front yard of the family home.

Bonny’s Vineyard was replanted in 1999 and began producing viable fruit in 2002, when sadly, only a month before harvest Justin Meyer died of a heart attack. That year’s harvest proved a somber one for the family, and the single barrel of Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet they produced under the new Meyer Family Cellars label was not and never will be sold.

It was a much-heralded bottling for Silver Oak over the course of the next two decades, then discontinued as a single vineyard designated label for a dozen years. The vineyard is now bottled under its own label by the Meyers.  

 

 In 2003, twelve years after the name Bonny’s Vineyard last appeared on a wine label, the Meyer family released its first commercially available Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet, which they have produced every year since. The family believes the fruit from the roughly 1.5 acres of the vineyard surrounding the homestead, represents the best of what the site has to offer. 

This bottle was a one of only sixty such bottles produced in the second to last 1990 vintage of Silver Oak “Bonny’s Vineyard” Cabernet. We served it out of the original wood case engraved with the wine vintage and marked with the serial number of the particular bottle.

Winemaker Notes: "The 1990 Napa Valley Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark ruby-red color. It has a nose of black cherries, red peppers and bay leaves. This wine has full body and a tart, long finish with a slight tannic grip."

This release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Still showing well at 31 years, the fill level, label, foil and cork were near perfect. Of course storage in a six liter large format bottle ages better than a standard bottle. 

Never-the-less, dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, dense concentrated black berry and black currant fruits accented by graphite, cigar box, leather and notes of cassis and spicy oak on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=37498

https://silveroak.com/ 

Newton Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

The Newton Estate consists of a square mile of hillside that was acquired by Dr Su Hua and Peter Newton in 1977. The Newton Vineyards Spring Mountain property sits above the town of St Helena on the steep slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain range, which separates Napa Valley from Sonoma County. The site boasts expansive vistas of Napa Valley with steep sun drenched slopes by day and the cooling valley at night. The terraced mountain estate has less than one-fifth of its total 490 acres planted to vines at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,600 feet above sea level. The non-farmed acreage remains in its native forested state providing natural habitat for indigenous wildlife.

Newton Vineyard was one of the first wineries in the Spring Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) in Napa Valley. The Newton estate consists of 112 parcels or lots, all planted to specific varieties, including Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and Chardonnay, with an emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon. All 112 parcels are vinified separately, so to provide the winemaking team plenty of options for crafting the final blend before bottling. In 1990, Newton was the first winery to produce and sell an unfiltered Chardonnayin the US, making it a pioneer in the Napa wine industry. While Chardonnay tends to be Newton's most well-known and popular wine, it also produces powerful red wines that have become renowned cross the world.

The winery was designed and built to blend into the mountain and includes elements of the founders’ native lands interwoven with the California environment — roses, a pagoda, a Japanese red gate, lanterns, a London phone booth and French gardens.

In addition to the estate property, Newton also has holdings in Yountville, Mount Veeder, and Carneros, which the company uses for blends.

In 2001, part of Newton was sold to luxury group LVMH, and it continues to be one of the internationally known producers in Napa Valley. The founders previously founded Sterling Vineyards, also in Napa Valley, but sold it to Coca Cola in the 1970s.

I served from our cellar a six liter bottle of Newton Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Alec's birthyear vintage, 1990, that we have been holding for more than a decade for such an occastion.

Newton Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990  

At thirty-one years of age, the bottle had a wax capsule that was cracked and showed some signs of seepage and a resulting slightly reduced fill level at the bottom of the neck. The cork was completely saturated but the label was still unmarred. 

The wine lived up to loftiest expectations showing little or no sign of diminution from aging or from the dispacement of a small portion of the wine. 

This vintage release was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

The 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon was the first Newton Cabernet to have an extended maceration of 25-35 days and to include an important percentage of Cabernet Franc in the final blend. 

Ruby colored, medium-full bodied, a firm dense core of firm blackcurrant and black cherry fruits was accented by notes of cigar box, black tea and cedar with hints of cassis and dark mocha chocolate with supple tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=44999

The Newton Website is currently offering the 1994 release of this label - 84 bottles are available to club members only on their website.

https://www.newtonvineyard.com/en-US/our-wines/members-only-wines/1030734.html

https://www.newtonvineyard.com/

 

Father's Day Grilled Steak Wine Dinner

 Early Father's Day Grilled Steak Wine Dinner 

Son Alec and Vivianna will be out of town this weekend so we were invited over for an early Father's Day dinner. 

Alec prepared grilled rib-eye steaks and sweet corn and Viv prepared fabulous sour mashed potatoes. Alec pulled from his cellar a Napa Bordeaux Blend for the occasion. 

To celebrate family events including Alec and Viv returning to Illinois from New York, and Father's Day, I brought an Alec birthyear vintage bottle of Champagne.


Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésimé Champagne 1990

It is a bit frustrating that I have no inventory record of this bottle in my cellar data, especially for a designated birthyear vintage collector's bottle (s). I have no less than six bottles of this label in the cellar and no record of acquiring them, or drinking any either. The bottles are not marked as having come from an auction. This does not happen often but indicates perhaps that my acquisition of these bottles predates my electronic record keeping. Indeed, they are 31 years old! 

Sharing and enjoying this bottle tonight with son Alec, was especially memorable as he was with us when we visited the Champagne wine region in northeast France back in 2006, shown adjacent, and below at Champagne house Moet Chandon.

This vintage release was awarded 97 points from Wine Spectator and 94 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

The last time I opened an aged vintage bottle of Champagne, it was a magnum of 1976 Moët & Chandon Dom Perignon Champagne. Regretably, the cork of that bottle had failed earlier and the bottle was corked, due to an aged and failing cork. 

Tonight, this was a delightful surprise showing and drinking well, meeting all my expectations for this bottle. I was a bit concerned when upon opening and releasing the cork under pressure, the seeming pressure and resulting 'pop' were less than expected. Never-the-less, as hoped, the foil, cork, label, fill level and resulting wine were all ideal, showing no signs of diminution from aging. 

Amazing, impressive life left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

The color was dark gold colored with intense, complex, dry, finely integrated layers of zesty citrus fruits accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and pineapple with a long bright vibrant finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2894

https://charlesheidsieck.com/en

@CHChampagne 

With the grilled steak dinner, Alec served this Napa Valley Red Blend. 

Hill Family Red Door Estate Napa Valley Red Wine 2017

This is a special limited release premium label available to Hill Family Diamond Club members that Alec acquired as part of his club allocation. Alec and Vivianna tasted and subsequently acquired this wine during their visit to the Hill Family estate winery and tasting room in downtown Yountville during their fire shortened honeymoon trip to Napa Valley. I wrote about their Hill Family visit and in an earlier blogpost.

This is the Hill Family premium label red blend comprised of Bordeaux, Rhone and Napa varietals from across the Napa Valley. 

It is a blend of  78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Petite Sirah and 2% Merlot. 

It is sourced from Hill Family Estate vineyards across the Napa Valley AVA:  Windy Flats, Baker, Apallas, Beau Terroir & Knubis Vineyards.

This label release was awarded 94 Points by Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.

The winemaker's notes for this label from an earlier vintage release: Winemaker’s Notes, "Red Door is a wine blended to take advantage of our best small lots that work together in the most rich and flavorful way, regardless of variety or appellation.'

 

"In 2013, Cabernet Sauvignon was once again rich and elegant, with the new Windy Flats vineyard pulling in the intense flavors, and Baker (vineyard) providing the mountain structure. But Apallas, Beau Terroir, and Knubis (vineyards) have wonderful individuality that would be lost in a big blend, so the Red Door can give them a place to show off. “Inky bluish/purple with notes of blueberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice and incense, this full-bodied opulent wine hits all the sweet spots on the palate, but is dry and full bodied with voluptuous texture, terrific palate presence and complexity.” - Winemaker Alison Doran

Robert Parker's Wine Advocated wrote, “The 2013 Proprietary Red Estate is another big-time winner, tipping the scales at 15.5% alcohol. This is the blockbuster of the entire portfolio and a sensational effort. Yes, it’s the most expensive, but is also the most promising for long-term development of, say 10-12 years. This is a beauty and another top-flight effort. The color is opaque purple and the wine is just explosive in the mouth with its richness.”

This was dark inky purple garnet colored, full bodied, bold, rich concentrated, bright, vibrant, ripe black berry and black raspberry fruits with sweet floral, notes of perfume and a layer of cassis on a lingering tongue puckering tangy acidity silky tannin laced finish. 

RM 93 points. 

A perfect complement to the grilled rib-eye beefsteak and grilled corn.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3611931

https://hillfamilyestate.com/

https://twitter.com/HFEWine

@HFEWine