Gruaud Larose BYOB at Entourage DG

Gruaud Larose BYOB at Entourage DG

Returning from our Destin (FL) vacation home, we dined at our newest favorite go-to eatery, Entourage in nearby Downers Grove (IL). Planning to select their fabulous meat loaf or beef stroganoff entree, I took BYOB from our cellar this vintage aged premium Bordeaux Blend. 

I ordered what has become one of my favorite dishes, Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

A mini horizontal tasting of sorts, following two other similar wines from this same vintage, I selected another 2005 vintage release of a premium label from the same appellation, region. 

I wrote about the other two labels in these two recent blogposts - Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff, and Sociando Mallet with grilled beefsteak.

Like the Clos du Marquis, this is also from the St Julien appellation, the Gruaud Larose estate sitting less than three kilometers (1.6 miles) away. 

And as we did with Leoville Las Cases, we also visited the Gruaud Larose estate during our visit to the area in 2019, as featured in my blogpost at the time - A Visit to Château Gruaud-Larose St Julie Beychevelle Bordeaux. 

It was one of the key visits on our trip to the St Julien Appellation (AOC) in Bordeaux was Château Gruaud-Larose, a 2ème Cru Classé or 'second growth', one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) as classified in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

During our spectacular week in St Julien, we visited Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, producers of the recently tasted Clos du Marquis featured in these pages, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, and Léoville-Poyferré, three other second growth St Julien producers, and Fourth Growth  producers Château Beychevelle and Château Branaire-Ducru. As with all the others, we hold or have consumed a selection of Gruaud Larose dating back several decades to the early eighties. 

This label is one of my favorite Bordeaux and key holdings in our cellar collection consisting of more than a dozen vintages spanning three decades dating back to 1980 including the birth year vintages of each of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1990. We hold many vintages in large format bottles including 3 liter double magnums which we served at daughter Erin's and son-in-law Johnny's wedding. 

This is a wine that demands, but then rewards holding for the long term and several years if not decades of cellaring. 

Château Gruaud Larose is one of the most historic estates in the Médoc dating back to 1725 when Abbot Gruaud bought just under 125 acres of land and planted vineyards. Since then, four families have succeeded one another at the head of Gruaud Larose: the Gruaud and Larose families, the Balguerie and Sarget families, the Cordier family and the Merlaut family.

In 1812, the property was sold to Pierre Balguerie, Baron Jean Auguste Sarget and David Verdonnet.

Shortly after the official 1855 Classification of the Medoc, control of the property was split further among their descendants, but remained intact until 1867 when it was split into Château Gruaud-Larose-Sarget (after the Baron Sarget) and Château Gruaud-Larose-Faure (after Adrien Faure, who married the heiress to a portion of the estate).

Baron Sarget constructed the château on the property in 1875. The other half of the original vineyard remained with the Bethmann descendants. The wines were bottled and sold as both Chateau Gruaud Larose Faure and Chateau Gruaud Larose-Bethmann at different times.

The two château were reunited by the Cordier family, who purchased the Sarget piece in 1917 and the Faure piece in 1935 and the château became a centerpiece of the Cordier properties along with Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey and Château Talbot.  

The Cordier family had been negotiants since 1886. They acquired the Bethmann family holding in 1935. This allowed the Cordier family to recreate the original estate and the wine was renamed Chateau Gruaud Larose.

In 1983 it was purchased by the Compagnie de Suez, and in 1993 it was sold to the French conglomerate, Alcastel Alstom. In 1997 it was sold to Jacques Merlaut who also owns a broad portfolio of Bordeaux properties including Chateau La Gurgue, Chateau Haut Bages Liberal, Chateau Citran, Chateau Ferriere and Chateau Chasse Spleen. 

The Gruaud Larose Chateau and estate sits just outside the village of St Julien-Beychevelle at the southern end of the appellation located on the plateau to the west of Château Beychevelle. on the opposite side of the D2 Route from Ducru Beaucaillou and Leoville Barton.

The vineyards of Gruaud Larose have the highest point of elevation on the Saint Julien plateau and has a distinctive 'tower' which serves visitors a vantage point to view the entire estate.

The 200 acres of vineyards are planted in the Bordeaux sanctioned varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (2%) with old vines averaging 40 years.The vineyards are adjacent to those of Chateau Talbot and Chateau Branaire Ducru which have smaller parcels. The property is divided into 110 parcels with the best terroir found in the 2 sections that surround the chateau and that adjacent to the park.

Chateau Gruaud Larose is known for wines that are concentrated, complex, full-bodied and long-lived, best consumed after several years of aging, typically at least 12 years or more, and often reach their peak maturity and optimal drinking window after 15 years and often last 35 years or more after the vintage release.

Chateau Gruaud Larose on average produces close to 18,000 cases of Saint Julien wine each year.

The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats, and aged in oak barrels for 20-22 months, renewed annually in thirds. 35% new oak.

Château Gruaud Larose St Julien Grand Cru Classé 2005  

This release was rated 98 points by Jane Anson, 95 by The Wine Independent, and 94 by Wine Enthusiast.

Pundits wrote, “You have really had to be patient for this wine, but it is utterly spellbinding, and starting to show its potential.” And, “This is one of the best wines from Gruaud-Larose for several years.”

With a similar sensation of the near perfect 100 point wine we drank recently, this is more notable for its lack of blockbuster boldness, that knocks you over with big forward fruits, or some other highlight, rather, it’s remarkable for it’s lack of excessive notes and it’s flawless, and seamless polish with it’s harmonic integration.

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color. medium to full bodied, that signature St Julien finesse, elegant, polished, finely balanced black currant, black and hints of red berry fruits with notes of herbs, dark black chocolate, cassis, black tea, truffle, hints of cedar and spice with a smooth layer of graphite and crushed rocks with firm, fine-grained tannins on a long finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/224096

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/

https://entouragerestaurant.com/downers-grove/

Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff

Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff 

Linda prepared beef stroganoff with beef Bourgogne sauce and a tenderloin of beef. As is custom, I sought a Bordeaux varietal blend as a wine accompaniments with the beef. I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Bordeaux. 

This is the same vintage as another Bordeaux blend we drank just the other evening, then with grilled beefsteak. As with that other 2005 bottle, I wrote in a blogpost at that time, “ At twenty years of age, this is in its ‘Goldilock’s zone’, old enough to be fully integrated to reveal its complexity, to my preference, but still young enough to show the full expression of its fruits, which Linda likes. The label, foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were in perfect condition. This is likely at the apex of its drinking profile and may age for another five or ten years before starting to diminish. 

This is what might be called the ‘second label’ of ‘Super Second’ Chateau Léoville Las Cases, considered one of the top producers in Bordeaux, arguably on par with the prestigious ‘First Growths’. 

Indeed, Las Cases, and our other favorite label, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, the other ‘super second’, abstain from participating in the UGCB, as they consider themselves worthy of the higher, highest classification. 

Producer Domaine de Léoville is one of the oldest estates in the Medoc dating back to the 17th Century. Historically owned by some of the wealthiest and most influential noble French families. The estate was split up between 1826 and 1840 as a result of the French Revolution as part of expropriation of emigrants’ property and subsequent egalitarian redistribution. 

Due to legacy birthright, the current Château Léoville Las Cases was created from 3/5 of the original estate including the heart of the domain. Pierre Jean, Adolphe and Gabriel de Las Cases were successive heirs to the property until 1900, when Théophile Skawinski purchased a share in the estate and became its manager, continuing control by the same family since the late 19th century to Today, represented by sole owner Jean-Hubert Delon. He also owns and is proprietor of Château Potensac in the Medoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.

We were honored, and thrilled, to be hosted for private personal tours of the Château Léoville Las Cases estate (as well as Château Ducru Beaucaillou), during our trip to St Julien appellation in 2019, absolute highlight (s) of our trip to the region. 

Clos du Marquis St Julien Bordeaux 2005

This second labels provides more affordable wine from the legendary and illustrious estate for ‘once a week’ drinking, as compared to the ‘once a month’, less often special occasion, one a year drinking for the prestigious grand vin. 

The name is named for the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases. The wine was created at the beginning of the 20th century when the vineyard was planted. Since then, Clos du Marquis has become a historical brand of Domaines Delon, sourced from the separate vineyard adjacent to the grand vin Leoville Las Cases since being first released in 1902.

Leoville Las Cases vineyard adjacent Chateaux
Latour and Pichon Lalande, Baron, Poyferre.

The Clos du Marquis is produced from top terroirs of the Saint-Julien Appellation that were not exclusively part of the old Domaine de Léoville cadastre. These terroirs are located slightly to the west and are surrounded by prestigious Classified Growths, particularly Seconds Crus Classés of Saint-Julien and Pauillac: Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Pichon Longueville Baron. 

Notably, the Leoville Las Cases estate straddles the small creek that is the border between St Julien and Paulliac, and the legendary first growth Chateau Latour (shown above right). 

Clos du Marquis offers a representation of the finest Saint-Julien character for a fraction of the price of the higher classified growth labels showing structure, complexity, harmony, distinction and ageing potential.

Typical of the appellation, this release is a blend of  Cabernet Sauvignon, 50%, Merlot, 37%, Cabernet Franc, 12%, and Petit Verdot, 1%.

This release was rated 94/100 by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 by Wine Spectator, 92 by Decanter, and 91 by Wine Advocate and Vinous. 

In 2024, Jeb Dunnuck wrote “It’s a beautiful, classic expression of the estate that will evolve for another two decades.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, rich, round, concentrated, structured but polished and balanced, blackberry and black currant and some red fruits with notes of tobacco, dark mocha, graphite. licorice with polished, integrated tannins on a long smooth finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224133

https://www.domaines-delon.com/en/clos_du_marquis-chateau_clos_du_marquis_vins.html 

Sociando Mallet with grilled beefsteak

Sociando Mallet with grilled beefsteak 

Linda prepared grilled filets of beef with sautéed spinach and baked potatoes. I pulled from the cellar for one of my favorite food and wine pairings.

There is great value in this second/third tier Cru Bourgeois from Château Sociando-Mallet located in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in the Haut-Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux overlooking the Gironde river Estuary.

We drove through the area of the estate, sitting just off the Gironde River, just to the north of the village of  St-Estèphe, near highly acclaimed Château Montrose during our visit to the Medoc in 2019. 

The vineyards are planted with the designated Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Petit Verdot (5%).  The wines are matured in oak barriques (70-90% new) for 12-15 months. They are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

“These are weighty, firm and well-structured clarets that are typically rich in fruit and have excellent ageing potential, said producer Jean Gautreau: "I have a superb terroir which I want to express in the wine. I try to make a classic Médoc for long keeping."

Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux 2005

Sociando-Mallet has been managed by Jean Gautreau and his family since 1969. Born in 1927, Jean Gautreau created his own négociant firm in 1957 serving customers in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Jean Gautreau discovered Sociando-Mallet in the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in 1969 when looking for a wine estate to buy on behalf of a Belgian client but acquired it for himself for 250,000 French francs. 

There were only 5 hectares of vines at the time. Jean Gautreau expanded the vineyard year after year by buying vines from his neighbours. He renovated the estate’s buildings, built a barrel cellar, and gradually improved the choice of grape varieties, matching the appropriate ones to each vineyard plot.

Today, the property is comprised of 83 hectares producing nearly 450,000 bottles a year of Château Sociando-Mallet and the second wine, Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet. Jean Gautreau sold his négociant business in 2000 to focuse solely on producing wines. 

Château Sociando-Mallet dates back to 1633. Owner Guillaume de Brochon was arrested during the French Revolution in 1793 and the estate was impounded and sold at auction to his father-in-law, Jean Lamothe.

In 1831, Marie-Elisabeth Alaret, Lamothe's niece and owner of Sociando, married Achille Mallet, adding his name to the estate, the château was thereafter known as Sociando-Mallet.

The Alaret family sold the property in 1878 to Léon Simon. Between then and the arrival of Jean Gautreau, the château belonged to the wine merchant firm of Delor, Louis Roullet (Mayor of Saint-Seurin), and then Emile Tereygeol, who also owned Pontoise-Cabarrus at that time.

Jean Gautreau passed in 2019, leaving the property to his daughter Sylvie who had been managing since 2015, and has continued following in her father’s footsteps.

This aged vintage Bordeaux is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. 

This was a perfect pairing for our dinner, the complexity of the wine complementing the beef, and is balanced by the blend, the forward structured Cabernet Sauvignon moderated by the softer more approachable Merlot, and accented by highlights of the spice and sprites of the Cabernet Franc.

I often say, the French have been perfecting these blends for five hundred years, while we Americans for fifty years, and are now just beginning to appreciate the wisdom and experience of the French! 

At twenty years of age, this is in its ‘Goldilock’s zone’, old enough to be fully integrated to reveal its complexity, to my preference, but still young enough to show the full expression of its fruits, which Linda likes. The label, foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were in perfect condition. This is likely at the apex of its drinking profile and may age for another five or ten years before starting to diminish.
The 2005 vintage was considered by some as one of the top ten Bordeaux vintages in history sitting alongside 1961, 1982, 1990 & 2009.

Jeb Dunnuck wrote in 2024,  “This killer bottle of wine has another 2-3 decades of overall longevity. You should buy it if you see it and count yourself lucky if you have bottles in the cellar.”

 

This release was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Advocate.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, smooth, polished and balanced black berry and black currant fruits are accented by notes of earth, herbs, tobacco, cedar and subtle floral and a hint of truffle with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?224168

https://www.sociandomallet.com/en

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

Kevin D Celebration of Life Gathering Dinner

With extended family in town for Celebration of Life Ceremonies for in-law Kevin D, we hosted a dinner at our house on the eve of the weekend. 

Linda prepared beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and haricot verts and Caesar salad. I pulled from the cellar a couple middle aged Bordeaux varietal blends, a ten year old and a twenty year old, for a wine accompaniment to the dinner. 

Chappellet "Mountain Cuvée" Napa Valley Red Blend 2015 

This is their standard bearer cuvée (blend) at a more affordable prime point than their signature and ultra-premium labels. We visited the Chappellet Estate Winery and Vineyards up on Altas Peak during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2009. It was then that we acquired a large format magnum of their Signature label from our anniversary vintage year 1974from their library, that we served at our 50th anniversary celebration dinner last autumn as featured in these pages - Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN.

I wrote about Chappellett in an earlier blogpost - Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas Smith, Sommellier and wine staffer at K&L wine store in Redwood City writes of this label - “I get a lot of customers who come into the store looking for a bottle of Napa Cab for a dinner they are on their way to. At $30 Napa Cab can be really hit and miss, but this Bordeaux blend is an absolute home run. This wine has tons of intensive fruit, is totally upfront an accessible, and an exceptionally balanced bottle that will wow the table from the moment it is opened. I can't stress enough the quality here, but anyone who loves full-bodied reds from Napa should really consider this a house wine whenever having guests for dinner. If you're looking to wow someone with a bottle, this is a total bullseye.”

“Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals. Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides. Nearly a half century later, their 2015 Mountain Cuvée still includes fruit from the winery’s coveted Estate Vineyard, and was expertly composed by renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who’s been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years.” 

Chappellet is famous for Bordeaux varietals, with It's high elevation terroir on the Eastern side high above and overlooking Napa, on Pritchard Hill. There the grapes achieve maximum ripeness, basking in the long exposure to sunlight on the Vaca mountain range. 

This 2015 Mountain Cuvee’ is a blend of  all five of the Bordeaux varietals - 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux producers have been experimenting with the blend composition for more than five centuries. We American;’s in our half century of producing such wines can learn from their experience. 

Merlot predominates on the Right Bank (of the Gironde River) while Cabernet Sauvignon rules on the ‘Laft Bank’. In each case, they add Malbec into the mix for enhanced body, Petit Verdot adds depth, structure, body and deep color, while Cabernet Franc adds breadth and spiciness. 

I love both for their complexity, breadth and depth with beef and hearty dishes - favoring Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon based on desire for more or less intensity as Merlot tends to be softer and more velvety to moderate or balance the firmer and more structured Cabernet.   

Winemaker notes - “The Wine Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietors Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when youre looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.”

Tasting Notes - This inviting wine offers a complex array of elegant aromas that include spicy red fruit, black cherry, sage, anise, clove and cocoa powder. The palate is silky and balanced, with a plush, mouth coating texture that makes the wine immediately approachable and delicious. Flavors of red currant and cassis are underscored by hints of smoke and vanilla, while seamlessly integrated tannins add length and structure to this complex blend of Bordeaux varietals.

This was much better than I remember it upon release and at ten years, it has clearly benefited from some cellar aging and is probably at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further, but available for enjoyable drinking for several more years. 

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, complex and concentrated, full and round but nicely integrated and polished, black and blue berry and plum fruits with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, black cherries, and hints of smoky tobacco leaf with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2630305

https://chappellet.com/
https://twitter.com/Chappellet_wine 
@Chappellet_wine

Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

In consideration of Kevin’s Irish heritage and fondness for all things ‘green’, I pulled from the cellar a Red Winemaker from a producer with similar roots. 

Dunham Cellars is a family owned winery located in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington. Eric Dunham discovered wine sampling from his parent’s cellar collection. Then during several years serving in the Navy, stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area, Eric continued to pursue his passion trekking up to the Napa Valley as often as time permitted. 

After the Navy, seeking to pursue wine in earnest, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington. He then hired on as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. 

By 1999, he set up to devote his full attention to his wines and together with his parents, Mike and Joanne, they opened the winery at Walla Walla Regional Airport. They were joined a couple years later by David and Cheryll Blair.

Dunham Cellars sought out and selected the finest fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. Working in collaboration between its growers and winemaker, they strive to capture and showcase the select fruit from these vineyards with their combination of climate, soil and geography.

We drove by the winery situated in a remodeled World War II era airplane hangar on the north edge of Walla Walla (Washington) during our Walla Walla AVA Wine Experience visit to the region back in 2018,  as we exited town on our way out of town to see the Spring Valley vineyards northeast of town.

In addition to winemaking duties, Eric Dunham is also an accomplished chef and artist painter. While unpretentious and modest on the outside, Dunham boasts a good-sized hospitality center in the large room known as the Hangar Lounge. The eclectic space, decorated with some of Eric Dunham’s personal original artwork on the walls. Some of Eric’s artwork also appears on certain Dunham Cellars wine labels.

Since Dunham’s inaugural release of the 1995 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “I”, Eric has served as winemaker for Dunham Cellars from the beginning. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Dan Wampfler joined Dunham Cellars as winemaker and now Eric took on broader duties as Director of Wine.

Today, Dunham produce a half dozen reds, Bordeaux varietals and a Syrah, and a couple of whites. I particularly enjoy their Bordeaux Blend, Trutina, which I find provides very good QPR - Quality Price Ratio, in a moderately priced sophisticated blend that encompasses all five of the Bordeaux varietals, sourced from fruit across the Columbia Valley. Their 2021 Trutina was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Owen Bargreen 92 by Wine Enthusiast and International Wine Repor, and 90 by Jeb Dunnuck and Sean Sullivan.

This 2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “XI” is the eleventh edition of Dunham's signature Columbia Valley Cabernet that they distinguish with a Roman Numeral designating the release edition, hence this bears a ‘XI’ prominently on the label. 

While over the years, we accumulated close to a decade of vintages of this wine, we didn’t keep up with it and consume bottles, checking their maturation, managing our collection in a timely manner. As a result, at twenty years, this wine has lapsed beyond the apex of its drinking window, starting to decline and show diminution of fruit, begging to be consumed soon before it’s too far gone to be enjoyable. 

Never-the-less, brother-in-law to Kevin, Dr. Ken, enjoyed this and preferred it over the younger more vibrant Napa blend. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight murky cloudiness beginning to set in, tight, blackberry and black cherry fruits are starting to give way to leather, tobacco and leafy black tea flavors with notes of smoke and tar with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?520923

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/

Robert Craig Affinity and Beef Bourguignon - A Perfect Pairing

Beef Bourguignon and Robert Craig Affinity for a Delicious Perfect Food and Wine Pairing

Following our dinner the other night featuring Beef Bourguignon and a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend, we did a repeat with leftovers and another similarly situated wine selection. Tonight we pulled from the cellar a Robert Craig Affinity, his Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend. This turned out to a perfect 100 point wine and food pairing.

I've written often that Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets are one of the largest holdings in our cellar dating back to the inaugural release vintage back in 1993 and 1994. Affinity is the basic Bordeaux Blend aside several appellation specific Cabernet Sauvignons in the Robert Craig portfolio. I've written how Robert intimated that he was most proud of this label and went to lengths to keep the price affordable so it could used as an entry point introduction to the brand and portfolio.

I could not imagine a wine that would be better suited for tonight's spectacular delicious dinner. This evening we had the beef over buttery cheese mashed potatoes rather than the linguini noodles.

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux Blend 2005

This is a classic example of the optimal pairing of wine with food accentuates and amplifies the enjoyment of both! We've had at least of dozen vintages of this label over the years and I don't recall any one that I enjoyed more. 

This vintage release is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Winemaker Notes - "Expansive ripe black cherry and currant aromas, with spice, black tea and violet notes. Bright and abundant dark fruit flavors and black currant liqueur are intertwined with sweet spice box, licorice and violets. Opulent black cherry drives the lively, long-lived finish. A rich, multi-layered Cabernet that balances power with finesse.'

"The 2005 Affinity marries the power and richness of Napa Valley hillside Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for a complex, supple and stylish Bordeaux-blend, backed by silky, ripe tannins. Luscious fruit flavors of great depth and purity are hallmarks of Affinity together with integrated tannin structure for long-term aging."

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Advocate and 89 points by Wine Spectator. Robert Parker called it a "elegant Margaux-like stylish, graceful wine".

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, well-balanced, full round rich intense flavors of black currant and black cherry fruits with notes of cinnamon spice, sweet cassis, toasty oak, graphite, and hints of cedar. 

RM 93 points.

At eighteen years the fill level was ideal as was the foil, the label was slightly torn, and most importantly, the cork was slightly saturated and a bit soft from some past seepage, but still intact.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=442936

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine 

PEO Social Wine Tasting

PEO Social Wine Tasting

Wife Linda's service organization had a social gathering with a wine tasting hosted by Julie, and I was delighted to comply with the invitation to curate the wine flight for them. 

Julie prepared an extensive food course with which to pair a flight of wines - a selection of artisan cheeses from brie to manchego, followed by turkey breast followed by a beef tenderloin with a coffee rub preparation which gave it a charred taste that I love. Along the way were fresh grapes and apple slices with crackers to cleanse and reset the pallet through the courses.

I pulled a white and two red wines to accompany their foods from our cellar collection. I selected aged vintage wines in that 'Goldilocks window', not too old and not too young, so as to hopefully best represent the wines, and as part of proper cellar inventory management. In the end, the wine selections nicely complemented the foods for a wonderful tasting experience that was enjoyed by all.

The opening wine was from Andretti Cellars, a fun commemoration of one of the diner member's enthusiasm, legacy and career in the auto industry with wine from the legendary International race car driver Mario Andretti. 

The wine I selected for their opening course was Villa Andretti Napa Valley Moscato 2019. 

 

We discovered and acquired this wine at the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2019.

Andretti Winery strive to create wines that are both fruit-forward and food-friendly, wines that can be thoroughly enjoyed with a meal today or tucked away in the cellar for additional complexity. 

This is sourced from various California vineyards. Most Andretti wine are sourced from the Andretti Winery estate vineyard in the Oak Knoll appellation AVA of the Napa Valley, a 42-acre estate vineyard, planted with Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. The Oak Knoll location is blessed with a climate is cooler than the upper reaches of the Napa Valley, yet warmer than the Carneros region to the south, making it especially conducive to growing diverse varietals such as Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. This unique climate, combined with quick-draining soils, yields small but intensely flavored grapes, just the sort of fruit that produces the very best wines.

This was ideal with the selection of cheeses and as a pivot to the turkey breast. 

Winemaker's notes - Lovely aromas of Bartlett pear syrup, honeysuckle, lavender and orange zest practically jump out of the glass.  There is a wonderful balance between acid and sugar on the palate for someone that likes a lightly sweet wine and a finish that lasts forever with hint of Meyer lemon and limoncello.

 https://andrettiwinery.com/andretti-wines/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3297286  

The next wine was a Burgundian Pinot Noir to complement the turkey breast and serve as a pivot to the beef tenderloin.

Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin "Champerrier" Vieilles Vignes Côte de Nuits 2005 

We acquired several bottles of this label back in 2011 and last tasted it in 2021 when I wrote about the producer and estate in detail in this blogpost- Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier Vieilles Vignes.

Vieilles Vignes meaning “old wines” in French, the label actually indicates that the grapes used to make this bottle comes from older aged vines. In Burgundy, this generally means the vines are at least twenty-five years of age or older. 

I wrote in that tasting note - "Its hard to believe but its been almost ten years since I last tasted this label from our cellar. Back then, on 12/26/2011 - I wrote: "Very open and expressive - bright berry, strawberry, mulberry, spice and wood with long moderate tannin finish."

"Consistent with my tasting ten years ago too, this had similar tasting profile and the I blindly gave it the same rating. It showed no diminution of aging whatsoever and it likely still at its apex of its drinking profile.'

"This was garnet colored, medium bodied, bright, concentrated ripe red and blue berry fruits with earthy minerality and violet notes, smooth silky texture with firm but approachable tannins."

Two years later, tonight, at fifteen years of age, the fill level, label, foil, and most importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition. This wine remains in its prime drinking window, albeit approaching the end and will start to diminish with age in the next few years.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/01/domaine-tortochot-gevrey-chambertin.html

Another Cellartracker review wrote: Very open and expressive - bright berry, strawberry, mulberry, spice and wood with long moderate tannin finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=537162

Our hostess, Julie, was so enthused by this wine, she went down and selected from her cellar a favored Pinot Noir to try as a tasting comparison with the Burgundian Pinot. Indeed, this is the fun of a tasting with several others, the ability to share and compare several wines. 

Gary Farrell Sonoma Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2019

We know this producer and wine well having visited the winery and estate during our Napa/Sonoma Wine Experience back in 2017. I wrote about this producer and our visit there in this earlier blogpost.

This provided a wonderful contrast in profiles and characteristics of two wines of the same varietal at different stages of their aging window.  The Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier was bigger, bolder, brighter and actually a bit obtuse when compared with the smoother and softer Farrell Sonoma RRV, which was more 'behaved' and approachable for enjoyable drinking. In the end, both were delightful and paired with the foods well, each favoring a cheese and meat that had the more complementary profile. 

Farrell produces a extensive profile of ultra-premium single vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. This is their standard bottling blended from numerous vineyard sources.

This Russian River Selection bottling is classic Russian River Valley profile sourced and blended from several of the region’s top vineyards, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. 

Grapes in this release are sourced from the following vineyards Hallberg, Rochioli, Toboni, Martaella, Bacigalupi, Nonella and
Pratt-Lakeview. 

The Rochioli and Bacigalupi vineyards are located in the Middle Reach subdivision, where close proximity to the river awards foggy mornings, warm and sunny days, and cool nights – the perfect balance that characterizes the Russian River Valley. The Toboni and Nonella vineyards are located in the Santa Rosa Plain, a distinctly cooler and foggier sub-region, and the Hallberg and Dutton sites within the Green Valley sub-appellation exhibit even more extreme and cooler conditions. A beautiful expression of the varietal and of the appellation’s
unique terroir, this Pinot Noir blend captures the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks.

This release was aged 10 months in 30% new French oak.

Winemakers' notes - "Raspberries, red currant and strawberry conserve dominate the nose with underlying
tones of tobacco and forest fl oor. Hints of cola, summer jasmine, honeysuckle, and rose petals further the intrigue. The palate presents a striking brightness and purity, coupled with a generous mouthfeel that delivers fl avors of fresh cherries, garden herbs, and sweet baking spice."

This was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4157367

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Red Bordeaux Blend 2010 

This is one of our favorite go-to wines when we want a sophisticated, more complex Bordeaux Blend, rather than a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. 

In the profile of a true Bordeaux Blend, Tapestry is a blend of the all classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

We had a bottle of this label just last week when I featured it in more detail in these pages - BV Tapestry with beef bourgogne, when it was a fabulous complementary pairing with the beef. Tonight, this was an ideal pairing with the beef tenderloin - especially with the coffee rub preparation that gave it more complexity which I love.

I wrote about Tapestry a while back in a blogpost when we tasted this label at a Chicago restaurant for a team dinner; "Tapestry is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux Blend. I consider it a go-to wine, readily available and a safe reliable choice for easy drinking or special occasions, approachable when young but capable for aging. If your overwhelmed or intimidated by the plethora of wines available and not sure what to choose or take to or serve, Tapestry is a safe choice.'

"Our Cellartracker records indicate we hold more than a dozen vintages of this label dating back to the mid-nineties.  This is a classic Napa Valley label that provides high QPR - Quality Price Ratio for a Bordeaux Blend. Its another one of those high production label that I believe does a remarkable job achieving and maintaining the level of quality in high volumes and is approachable when young but also has significant aging capability for cellaring. James Suckling says this is "A wine that harkens back to its traditions.”

The predominant Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the historic BV Ranches No.1 and No. 2 Napa Valley vineyards in Rutherford, selected from specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of rich character and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. To complement the Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is added from Beaulieu’s vineyard in the Los Carneros region and the remaining grapes in the Blend from various Napa Valley vineyards. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1668974

https://www.bvwines.com/

Ladera Howell Mtn Cabernet with Beef Roast

Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon with Beef Roast Dinner

Linda prepared a beef roast with roasted potatoes and haricot verts, and I pulled from the cellar this Howell Mountain Cabernet for an ideal food and wine pairing.

As posted in these pages earlier when I wrote about this producer and their other label, we discovered this wine and purchased it following our visit to the Ladera Vineyards estate and winery up on Howell Mountain in 2006 and then again during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008. 

Owners Pat and Anne Stotesbery farmed two vineyards, one at either end of Napa Valley, the Lone Canyon vineyard on Mount Veeder and another on Howell Mountain, an estate vineyard that was most recently Chateau Woltner, but has a history dating back to the Brun & Chaix Winery in 1886.

The Howell Mountain vineyard was considered from the very beginning to be a little piece of France, and was named Nouveau Medoc Vineyard by the men who founded it. Jean Brun, a native of Bordeaux, and W.J. Chaix, whom he met in Napa, first planted 20 acres of Medoc grapes on Howell Mountain in 1877— among the first to plant vineyards up on Howell Mountain instead of down on the Napa Valley floor.

We'd driven past the historic formerly Chateau Woltner property many times over the years on our treks up Howell Mountain. 

The estate vineyards atop Howell Mountain are nestled around the ruins of the ancient stone winery with it’s 30-inch-thick walls, restored into the main winery building at Ladera. The fabulous historic building consists of production and barrel storage below and a rustic tasting room upstairs. It is surrounded by spectacular gardens, beds of lavender, and of course the vineyards. The structure was built entirely of hard, durable stone, three stories in height, roofed with shingles, and was partly dug into the side of the sloping hill to provide access by wagons or teams to all three floors.

Ladera means “hillside” or “slope” in Spanish, and in this single word you will find captured the essence of Ladera’s wines. The word “ladera” describes and unites both of these sites, characterized as they are by the steep slopes and dynamic micro-climates that make mountainside vineyards so special.

Each of their mountain vineyards were tucked in folds and creases of the mountains accessible only by the by tormenting winding roads far from the valley’s main highway corridor. The mountain winegrowing regions of Napa find cooler breezes and longer sun exposure days with restrained soils and well drained slopes that result in rich concentrated fruit.

Rick with Ladera owner/producer
Anne Stotesbery

The seeds for Ladera were planted in the early 1970s, when Pat and Anne Stotesbery fell in love while attending university in Northern California. Among their many shared interests, they discovered a passion for wine, and were soon taking wine classes together, and traveling to wine country for tastings.

The next two decades took them to Minnesota and Montana, where they ran a 3,200-acre ranch with 750 head of cattle, during which time, their interest in wine continued to grow.

With deep agricultural roots on both sides of their family, Pat and Anne Stotesbery acquired their first Napa Valley mountain vineyard in 1996. Their original vineyard was on Mount Veeder, the following year they purchased their second mountain vineyard, Lone Canyon.

In 1998, Pat and Anne made their first non-commercial vintage of 100 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon.

They moved their family to Napa Valley, and in 2000, they acquired a historic Howell Mountain property featuring an 82-acre vineyard. For the next 16 years, this property served as the home for Ladera.

Ladera primarily focused on Cabernet Sauvignon of which we still hold a several cases of four different labels across three vintages from this era. We also acquired some of their Pinot Noir which was sourced from Sonoma County, as well as their Malbec grown from estate fruit, of which we still hold a half case in our cellar.

The Stotesberys hired winemaker Karen Culler (formerly of Vichon winery, and her own label Culler Wines), and along with their vineyard manager Gabriel Reyes practice the sort of winegrowing and winemaking you might expect of a small family-run operation that makes about 12,000 cases of wine each year.

Around 2008, their son Dan visited us while on a wine promotion trip and we took him around to several of the local wine merchants in the area. 

In 2016, following the earlier sales of the Lone Canyon and the Mount Veeder properties, with their children grown and pursuing careers of their own, Pat and Anne sold their land on Howell Mountain.

Rustic Ladera tasting area in the historic
chai and barrel building back in 2006.

Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

This bottle from our cellar is from the Howell Mountain vineyard located at an elevation of 1600 to 1800 feet, high above the Napa Valley floor, with gently rolling terrain. The soils are iron-rich, red, clay loam soils with an abundance of gravel for excellent drainage. At this elevation, the climate is very different from the valley floor. 

The fog line, at 1200 feet, is the demarcation point between what is designated as Napa Valley and Howell Mountain wines. Above the fog line in the summer, the grapes receive sun for a longer duration during the day and the temperatures are cooler in the day and warmer at night than the valley floor. The longer sun exposure and warmer nights allow Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen, resulting in wines that tend to be soft and elegant, with a finesse reminiscent of wines from Bordeaux.

We've had a dozen bottles of the mixed cases we acquired at the winery during our visits, and since, including the Napa Valley Cabernet and the Lone Canyon Cabernet. 

This is the first of this vintage Howell Mountain Cabernet we've tasted and it is by far the best, being fuller, more concentrated and rounded than the others. It was a perfect complement to the roast beef dinner.

At eighteen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve with further age, but should drink well for several more years to come. 

The fill level, label, foil, and most importantly, the cork, were pristine, having been harbored in our cellar since acquisition.

About 2000 cases of this wine were made.

Dark garnet colored, complex and concentrated blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, licorice, vanilla, bitter chocolate and cedar, turning to full dusty tannins on the long bold finish. 

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=484766

https://www.laderavineyards.com/

 

 

 

Marilyn Merlot with grilled beefsteak

Sunday Afternoon Family Cookout with Marilyn Merlot and grilled beefsteak

We were invited by son Alec and d-in-law Viviana over for a Sunday afternoon cookout. Our two son's Alec and Sean had spent the afternoon at their club pool with their daughters - a wonderful opportunity to spend a Sunday afternoon with two of our sons and their families. 

I took this aged Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot to pair with the grilled beefsteak, and as a fun tribute to their daughter, our grand-daughter Marylin.

I've written extensively in these pages about Marilyn Merlot and Norma Jean Wines - A Study in Branding  including a blogpost back in 2021 about the brand and our fun collecting the label, especially now that we have a similarly named grand-daughter!

Excerpts here from that 2021 blog featured the then latest 2018 vintage release of the label when I wrote as below.

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2018

As I have written in these pages before, wine geeks, aka oenophiles, often take their passion for wine way too seriously, or certainly so, to those not so compulsive or fixated, which is most folks. Its important to back it down and simply have fun with wine too.

This blog focuses on wine tasting and collecting. Another discussion thread is a study in wine branding and marketing. Several producers release an artist series with each label featuring a piece of artwork to adorn that vintage release. 

One unique approach to wine branding and marketing is Marilyn Wines, of the entity Nova Wines, who since 1985, have featured iconic imagines of Marilyn Monroe, captured by many of the most talented portrait photographers of her era, to grace the labels of their Marilyn Merlot and Norma Jeane wines. 

In addition to Marilyn Merlot, Norma Jean is a lesser label with 'younger' second label grapes. Continuing the whimsical play on names, Norma Jean features a photograph taken of the young actress in the years just before she captured the imagination of the American public as Marilyn Monroe.

They have created an entire franchise on one celebrity identification theme based on a play on words - Marilyn Merlot featuring the iconic starlet Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Wines holds an exclusive agreement with the estate of Marilyn Monroe for the use of the name and the images in their wine marketing and packaging.

The brand is the creation of Bob and Donna Holder of Rutherford in Napa Valley, who initially crafted a homemade Merlot back in 1983 using some purchased grapes and some grapes from the Holder property. They started selling their wine and created the brand.  In the early days, they purchased bulk wine, then, in 1997, they shifted from purchasing bulk wine to purchasing grapes. The wine is made at the Napa Wine Co. in Oakville, CA.

Marilyn Wines has extended the brand to a broad portfolio of labels based on Marilyn Monroe. The portfolio has expanded to also include Marilyn Meritage, Sauvignon Blond, Marilyn Cabernet, Red Dress and Blonde de Noirs, a sparkling wine. 

Grilled beefsteak, shrimp, peppers
& onions for fajitas

Building upon the collectables theme, they also produce an ultra premium Velvet Collection based upon a photo session on May 27, 1949 in Hollywood with photographer Tom Kelley. That two-hour photo shoot made history and established the aspiring but unknown actress, Marilyn Monroe as the ultimate sex symbol of the 20th century. The series features ten stunning photographs from the historic session, known as the "Red Velvet" series, each one a portrait of Marilyn Monroe posing on a red velvet drape. Each label of Velvet Collection of wine is covered with a protective vinyl overlay that, when removed, reveals the complete, original portrait.

Continuing the collectables theme, in many vintages, they also produce special process etched and painted bottles of Marilyn Merlot in limited production large format bottles, usually around 6 to 36 bottles of 1.5 Liter magnums and 2 to 10 bottles of 3 Liter double magnums. The bottles are placed in a sand carving cabinet where the artist utilizes instruments to hand carve out the design image on each of the bottles then to be hand painted. 

The brand has grown further with the release of Marilyn Merlot Rose and Marilyn Monroe Chardonnay.  For 2021, they also offer 2021 Marilyn Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley.

Of course the most famous or notable iconic collector series based on wine labels is the ultra-premium luxury French first Growth Chateau Mouton Rothschild. A study in wine branding and marketing at some point invites a discussion of art label series featuring original or reproductions of notable art or artists on the wine labels. No wine producer in the world captures the imagination or attention of wine collectors and wine art enthusiasts more than Mouton Rothschild with their annual artist series artist featured wine labels.

Each year a renowned artist is commissioned to do the artwork for that vintage. The featured artist is said to be paid ten cases of various vintages of the classic Chateau Mouton Rothschild for their work. Every collector dreams of collecting a 'vertical' collection (wines of multiple vintages of the same wine) of the classic premium First Growth Bordeaux to display the 'artwork' of Mouton.

My Winesite Label Library lists the Mouton Rothschild Label Library Series Artists and associated works by the artists for reference or to aid in further exploration or research of the library and its history. Just last month I updated the library with the 2018 release label of the legendary wine. 

As with Mouton Rothschild, I've assembled a portfolio of Marilyn labels in my label library on my winesite. 

As of this writing, the latest release available in Chicagoland stores in the 2018 and 2019 vintage releases of Marilyn Merlot, the 35th and 36th vintages of the iconic brand. Also available is the 2018 Norma Jeane, the 23st vintage of the Norma Jeane brand.

 

The Nova Marilyn Wines website is offering on-line the 2021 Marilyn Merlot, 2021 Marilyn Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, and 2021 Norma Jeane and 2020 Marilyn Merlot.

Playing on the name of the famous cinema starlet, Marilyn Monroe, the marketers at Nova Wines have  built the brand on an annual release of moderate priced Merlot varietal featuring an authentic Marilyn Monroe photo on the label. Each year the new vintage and label is released on June 1, Marilyn Merlot's birthday! What might have started out as a whimsical or even corny idea has turned into a fun wine that has an almost cult following in some precincts of collectors. 

 

Some of our close to two dozen vintages of Marilyn Merlot

The producer tries to maintain a delicate balance and moderate the hype of the collectability of the wine and the valuation of bottles over time versus the novelty and fun of the wine. It appears they've earnestly worked to improve the pedigree and quality of the product to produce a wine more worthy of and capable of long (er) term cellaring by sourcing from notable vineyard sources and producing a Red Bordeaux varietal blend. As such, the release price of the wine has crept up in recent years as well. As it has been since the 2018 release, that year's release price is $40 and the 'street price' has followed accordingly. This year's current release (2021) and last years (2020) are currently $45 from the producer.

However, in secondary markets, the price can be elevated even above the release price.

The producer site says, "Each new vintage of Marilyn Monroe Merlot sells out quickly. While collectors have made Marilyn Monroe Merlot one of the fastest-appreciating wines on the market, it is wine enthusiasts with a sense of humor who have long enjoyed the playful spirit behind Marilyn Merlot wines that are now also seeking the Marilyn Monroe Merlot because of the emphasis on making a notable wine from prized Napa Valley grapes. While the concept and engaging label of these wines has given these bottles a degree of fame, it is the wine in the bottle that merits the enthusiasm of those who seek it out every year.'

"This wine is every bit as special as its package," says Donna Holder, one of the owners of Marilyn Wines. "It is a must for collectors, but is also a Napa Valley Merlot that stands beautifully on its own."

The producer promotes highly escalated prices for vintage bottles of the label asking high prices that far exceed the pedigree of the wine, explicable only due to the marketing/branding of the label collection. I know of one reputable wine shop in a mid-size midwestern city that a few years ago held a 1985 Marilyn Merlot that they were offering at $3500.

I've assembled a portfolio of Marilyn labels in my label library on my winesite. And, I admit I've collected a 'vertical' collection of the wine and am still holding what now spans more than fifteen vintages. Indeed, we drank a dozen year old 2006 recently and it was drinking quite nicely. We do have fun gifting these wines to friends for suitable occasions, great for those not into the wine so much, but taken by the clever packaging. The Marilyn Merlot label is now in its 35th  year.

Tonight we opened and drank the 2005 vintage release Marilyn Merlot.  

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2005

Producer's notes for the 2005 release. "Wine Collectors and connoisseurs alike have much to celebrate with the release of the 21st vintage of Marilyn Merlot. As always, the wine is released on Marilyn's birth date - June 1st - and the 2005 vintage will prove to be memorable, not only because it marks a "coming of age" for the Napa Valley icon, but also because it exemplifies the outstanding qualities of the 2005 vintage. For more than two decades, the annual release of Marilyn Merlot has been an event much anticipated by legions of its fans."

"Bil Marsano in Hemisphere Magazine said, "Marilyn Monroe is one of les granfdes eternales, and she lives on in Marilyn Merlot with its neatly turned pun and bottle-blonde.  it started 21 vintages ago in a wine climate far stuffier than ours now, so the humor was welcome as it was rare.  Marilyn Merlot is no laughing matter now...everyone is mad for them"

This release is still available directly from the producer with an on-line price of $160.00.  

"Every vintage sells out in just a few months," notes Bob Holder, President and one of the owners of Marilyn Wines. "We have seen 'celebrity' wines come and go, but there is only one Marilyn."

Wine Collectors and connoisseurs alike have much to celebrate with the release of the 21st vintage of Marilyn Merlot. As always, the wine is released on Marilyn's birth date - June 1st - and the 2005 vintage will prove to be memorable, not only because it marks a "coming of age" for the Napa Valley icon, but also because it exemplifies the outstanding qualities of the 2005 vintage. For more than two decades, the annual release of Marilyn Merlot has been an event much anticipated by legions of its fans.

In the early days, this was very mediocre wine, not necessarily ageworthy, inconsistent with a 'collectable' wine. In recent years, they've upgraded the wine, and as this experience attests, it is becoming more suitable for aging. At eighteen years, I was dubious, but, alas, this exceeded our expectations and was quite good. The fill level, cork and foil were in ideal condition.

Dark almost blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, intense concentrated black fruits, notes of creosote, hints of smoke and earth, but after about thirty minutes the black fruits emerged and were quite approachable and pleasant. A perfect pairing with our hearty grilled beefsteak fajitas. 

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=741422

Earlier tastings of Marilyn Merlot.

Marilyn Merlot 2016

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2018

Marilyn Merlot 2012 Label Unveiling / Release

Marilyn Merlot 2019

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2018

https://www.marilynwines.com/

https://www.marilynwines.com/WINES/MARILYN-MERLOT