Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese with tangy homemade spaghetti

With Linda’s homemade spaghetti and tangy marinara bolognese sauce, I pulled from the cellar a premium Brunello di Montalcino for a wine accompaniment. Readers of these pages know this wine has become one of our favorite ‘go-to’ wines, especially for this particular food-wine pairing.  I’ve written in several of those posts what makes Brunello di Montalcino special. 

This is from the Spina family who in 1980 acquired the 110 acre estate Sesta di Sopra in Abate, located southwest of Montalcino and about four kilometers from Castelnuovo dell. 

Sesta di Sopra is located in an area ideally suited for viticulture, situated near the river Orcia, the calcareous soil and the microclimate are favourable for the vines to thrive. 

They set upon to renovate the property, first the main house, an old lookout tower, amidst a six acre area covered with olive trees. Vines were first planted on six adjoining acres and beyond in the  vineyards located in the upper part of the Sesta zone. 

Ettore Spina took great care planting and operating the vineyards according to the latest viticulture practices. The total of fifteen acres of vineyards were planted in the early 1990s with different clones of the Sangiovese grosso variety. The first vintage of aristocratic wine was pressed in 1999. While not highly productive, they produced very high-quality grapes reflecting their terroir.

In the planting and viticulture management, as well as the production of Brunello and Rosso, Ettore Spina was aided by the professional advice of his good friend Giancarlo Pacenti, until recently Vice President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. Today, owner Enrica Bandirola is assisted by Oenologist  Giancarlo Pacenti.

Over the next decade, Sesta di Sopra, while small and little-known became a leading Brunello producer who Vilnius says rates among the best. 

After they have been harvested, the grapes are placed in crates to protect them from damage. Arrived at the tiny winery, the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks according to traditional methods. The Brunello is aged in traditional Slavonian oak barrels with a capacity of 30 hectolitres. The Rosso is matured in French oak barrels.

The branding features labels with an Ethhruscan symbol of the sun found on the farm, a trademark along with the name of the country estate dating back to the 13th century. 

Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2013

This release was rated 95 points by Vinpous and Wine Enthusiast, 94 by James Suckling, and 93 by Wine Spectator. 

Annual production is approximately 7,000 bottles. 

Deep garnet red colored, medium full bodied, dense by refined and elegant, plum, raspberry and black cherry fruits with notes of licorice, leather, tobacco leaf, spice and hints of tar with firm but approachable tannins on the lingering spicy, underbrush aftertaste. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2129586

https://www.sestadisopra.it/

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red with Gia Mia Pizzas

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red Blend with Gia Mia Pizzas

Monday night is pizza night with special pricing at Gia Mia Restaurant in Naperville with their Southern Italian Neapolitan wood fired pizza, so we ordered individual personal pizzas. To pair with the pizza I pulled from the cellar a hearty robust fruit filled Big Red Blend ‘pizza wine’. 

My personal favorite GiaMia pizza is The Bruno - tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, Italian sausage and meatballs, pepperoni and spicy soppressato (which I usually exclude) (shown right), and Linda’s is their Margarita - tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, EVOO and parmesan with sea salt.  She typically enhances her’s with additional garden fresh basil and cheeses.

For a ‘pizza wine’ we opened a robust American Zinfandel based red blend. I recently picked up the latest release of this label at Binny’s Beverage Depot, our wine superstore, which served to replace this vintage of the label from a decade ago. As part of cellar inventory management, we opened the oldest vintage in our collection.

Bedrock Wine Company "Bedrock Vineyard - Heritage Wine" Sonoma Valley Red Blend 2013 

This is from Morgan Twain Peterson, son of Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Vineyards, a well known accomplished producer known for Zinfandel wines. 

Morgan grew up working harvests at the family Ravenswood winery before moving to Australia in 2005 where he worked Hardy’s facility of Tintara and with Drew Noon at Noon Wine Cellars. He then moved to Bordeaux for a time at Chateau Lynch Bages. 

Returning home, Morgan founded Bedrock Wine Co. in 2007, on the outskirts of  Sonoma, sourcing fruit from his family’s Bedrock Vineyard and Teldeschi Ranch, following in subsequent years with several other vineyards.

His Bedrock wines have been featured in the New York Times, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. The wines have made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List four times placing as high as number 9 and have received a score of 90 points or higher from them over a hundred times. 

In 2014, Morgan, alongside friend Tegan Passalacqua, was named the San Francisco Chronicle Co-Winemaker of the Year by Jon Bonné. 

In 2017, Morgan became a Master of Wine, making him one of a handful of winemakers in the United States to gain the heralded certification. 

In 2020, Bedrock was named Winery of the Year by Antonio Galloni.

Morgan produces a portfolio of interesting unique wines crafted from old vine sites throughout California. 

The range of wines incorporate extremely old vine fruit, and, in some cases, virtually unknown grapes, such as Aubun, Teredalgo, Trousseau Noir, Le Noir, Mission, Trousseau Gris, Grand Noir and Abouriou, as well as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignan, Alicante Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. 

Many of these sites are heritage terroirs from the ancient past which, until Peterson's arrival, were largely ignored or were co-mingled into some innocuous industrial blend, hence the “Heritage” label in their branding. 

The vineyards were often planted in a "field blend" of which Zinfandel comprises a large portion, but sometimes not as much as the 75% required to label the wine for the varietal. Morgan typically choses to include all 22 varietals into his estate field blend, often taking the extra effort to specifically identify all 22 cultivars selected from the historic 120-year-old Bedrock vineyard. 

On the other hand, Ravenswood notable Zinfandel labels, such as the select bottling from their Old Hill vineyard, have to be picked with great care to select 75% Zinfandel grapes for the bottlings that will be varietal designated labels. 

The 2013 Bedrock Heritage comes from the Peterson family’s estate old vines that were planted as far back as between 1888 and 1895. Amazingly, there are over 22 different varieties of grapes interplanted across their vineyards.

It is labeled a ‘field blend’, containing just about every variety out there, sourced from Bedrock estate vineyards, since it only contains 55% Zinfandel, then 30% Carignane, with the remaining 15% composed of the other 20 varietals. 

Vinous says “The 2013 Bedrock Heritage Wine is one of the most intriguing wines in the range. This is by far the most polished and refined wine I have tasted from the Bedrock Vineyard, where the wines have often been much riper and bigger.“

Somehow, the winemaker manages to avoid the disjointed cacophony of flavors from such a complex and diverse blend, producing a wine that is balanced and approachable for pleasant drinking. 

Zinfandel is known to be America’s varietal grape that is uniquely American. Its big full round robust profile is ideally suited for hearty bbq or pizza so I like to keep a collection of such wines for occasions such as this. 

There were just nine barrels or 750 cases of this wine produced. 

This release was awarded 93-95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points by Vinous, 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and 91 points from Wine Spectator.

Dark ruby/purple colored, full bodied, complex, firmly structured, broad, intense and expansive with dense blackberry, plum and black raspberries, accented by herbs, pepper and notes of smoke, cedar, and tobacco with firm tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1891673

https://www.bedrockwineco.com/

Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir

Calera Mount Harlan Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir with Cheese, Berries and Chocolates

Following our selection of Pinot Noirs tasted over the last week and a half, we continued the hit parade with another Pinot from another favorite producer and label from our cellar collection.

As featured in these pages, we had the Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir at the Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, in Destin FL, then the Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir at Firefly Grill Effingham, IL, then the Belle Glos RRV Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir upon our return home. 

So, tonight I was eager to try another Pinot from our cellar collection to continue the comparison tastings of select Pinot Noirs. As I wrote in the earlier posts, in the midst of summer, its was a nice departure from the big bold hearty Syrah's/Shiraz's we enjoy, and the robust Bordeaux varietals to the finer, more refined, less bold and burdensome Pinot Noirs. Each of these tastings were delightful and frankly, exceeded our expectations for a ideal accompaniment to our various entrees. 

 For casual sipping and pairing with food, we started with a cheese plate with assorted crackers, fresh berries, honey and chocolate. 

Linda then prepared an imaginative cheese bread baked with fresh berry compote and fresh blueberries. The combination with the paired Pinot Noir was spectacular for an extraordinary, fabulous food and wine tasting experience.

I write often in the pages about the importance of pairing the food and wine, and how it can often multiply the enjoyment of both when done properly. 

Calera Mt. Harlan Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013

With a single designated Vineyard bearing the name of our eldest son, we typically reserve this wine for a family gathering or tasting when he is with us. But, tonight's tasting was special considering the odyssey we've been on the last two weeks, with the multitude of wine and food pairings. And this is a special signature wine we collect in light it being our son's namesake vineyard.

I love telling the story about the discovery of this producer and wine. 

As featured in earlier posts in these pages:

The Calera story was chronicled in the book, "The Heart Break Grape" back in the early nineties, about the challenges and turmoils of growing the finicky grape varietal Pinot Noir. Producer Josh Jensen pioneered growing Pinot in the 'new world' starting with his search of the perfect place to grow his grapes. During college he took time off to work in the cellars in the great domaines of Burgundy and then came back to his home state California to apply what he had learned. At the time, prevailing view was that Pinot Noir could not be grown successfully in California. He set out to prove that notion wrong.

He started with the search for the perfect place starting with limestone soil, and other elements of terroir to produce wines in the style of the greatest Pinots, the Burgundy wines of France. Josh Jensen's winemaker mentors in Burgundy emphasized the importance of limestone-rich soils, as present in the Côtes d’Or, to make great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay based wines. 

He returned from France in 1971 and spent two years searching throughout California to find suitable limestone soils. He settled on the site of an old magnificently preserved 30 foot tall masonry limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of Central California, purchasing the site in 1974, a high-elevation parcel with a limestone deposit of several million tons. Limestone had been commercially quarried there on the Jensen Mt. Harlan property a hundred years earlier. 

To this day, the kiln on the site is the centerpiece of Calera branding, featured prominently on the lables, the name “Calera” being the Spanish world for “limekiln,”

Mt Harlan is near the town of Hollister, about ninety miles south of San Fransisco, twenty five miles inland from Monterey Bay on the Pacific Coast. Mt Harlan gained the distinction of its own AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1990, in response to the petition to the Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau by Josh Jensen and the Calera Wine Company, the only commercial winery in the appellation. The appellation, the legally defined and protected geographical boundaries, also stipulates what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors that apply before the appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The Mt Harlan AVA is 7700 acres of which just 100 are planted in vines.

Josh planted his first 24 acres of pinot noir in 1975 in three separate parcels. In the Burgundian tradition, he named each parcel individually to recognize the terroir of each, that each would produce a distinct wine. The original vineyard designations remain to this day, the Selleck Vineyard (5 acres), Reed Vineyard (5 acres), and Jensen Vineyard (14 acres). These vineyards produced their initial tiny crop in 1978. The Ryan Vineyards, named after Jim Ryan, longtime vineyard manager were added later.  (Upper - 9.4 acres and Lower – 3.7 acres)

 Josh made Calera's first wine in 1975, 1000 cases of zinfandel, produced from purchased grapes. During his first two years as a winemaker, he made the Calera wines in a rented space in a larger nearby winery.  

Josh purchased property to build the winery in 1977, a 100 acre site on Cienega Road halfway between the vineyard and the town of Hollister. Located 1000 feet lower in elevation than the vineyard, this property had the benefits of development improvements such as a paved road,  telephone and electrical service (services which still to this day are unavailable on Mt. Harlan).

Three decades later, Calera have earned the distinction of the pioneer of American Pinot Noir. The legendary wine critic Robert Parker  has stated that: "Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth."  

We first discovered Calera in the eighties, exploring wines from those earliest vintages. Decades later, we enjoy collecting Calera wines from the Ryan and Reed vineyards, as somewhat namesake signature wines for Son Ryan and his Reid. 

The Calera vineyards are enumerated and featured on the rear bottle label of the bottles as shown here. They are perhaps the most comprehensive and informative labels one will find anywhere on a bottle of wine. They spell out the information on the vineyard, geography, altitude, plantings, vines, the vintage and the bottling. The rear label itself makes for interesting reading, and insightful comparisons across the vineyards or vintages if one happens to have such bottles.

The Calera branding features the historic massive 30 foot tall limestone kiln that sits on the property from earlier days quarrying and processing limestone. Noting limestone in the soils of the legendary French Burgundy region, Jenson scoured the US seeking similar terroir to site his vineyards to produce Pinot Noir. He found such terroir and thoughtfully chose the property in the Central Coast region of California. The name Calera translates to 'limekiln' in in Spanish.

 So it was that we pick up releases of Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir whenever we can, and selected one for our intimate tasting this evening. 

This may be the best release of this label I have tasted, being by far the most vibrant and expressive forward fruits I can remember.

This is not a wimpy wine but powerful, yet smooth and polished, a symphony of concentrated dark berry fruit flavors with layers of black raspberry, black cherry, hints of cranberry, graphite and tones of tobacco leaf, spices of thyme, bay leaf and floral violets with a long lingering tightly wound fine grained tannins on the finish.

RM 92 points

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous both gave this 95 points Vinous; Wine Enthusiast gave it 92 points and a Cellar Selection

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2041534

http://www.calerawine.com/

The Heartbreak Grape,  A California Winemakers Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir by Marc de Villiers, 1994, Harper Collins

Calera’s Mt. Harlan Vineyards are located in the Gavilan Mountains 25 miles east of the Monterey Bay. The site was chosen for its limestone soils and ideal climate. At an average elevation of 2,200 feet it is among the highest and coolest vineyard sites in California. 

 

Winemaker Notes -Wafting aromas of bright strawberry and blueberry interweave with a deep, intense, earthy, enchanting palate of black cherry, sassafras and limestone minerality. This wine is big and taut and begs for bold cuisine. The generous tannins are firm yet smooth and continue into a provocative and long finish.

 

Production Notes - In 2013 we saw decreasing yields due to the second year of a drought with only 6.5 inches of rain for the entire season. Warm spring temperatures brought on an early bud break, but fortunately remained warm with no threats of frost. The summer months were fairly mild with abundant sunshine allowing us to pick the grapes with high acid and mature flavors. We picked the Ryan vineyard in three separate passes from September 4th to September 21st. Each lot was pressed 14 days after harvest, racked by gravity to French oak barrels, then aged without racking in those barrels, 30% new, for nineteen months. The lots were then combined and the resultant wine was bottled without filtration, as always.

Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red

Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red for elegant refined casual sipping on holiday

For our getway week at our Destiny East Cove vacation rental in Destin, FL, we took several wines from our cellar, along with some artisan cheeses, to enjoy during our week away including this Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red.

We acquired this wine directly from the producer as it is not available in distribution in our hometown Chicagoland marketplace. It is available, however at Total Wine the super merchant stores on the east coast from Florida, including the nearest store in Pensacola, to Connecticut, as well as various Midwest cities including Indianapolis.

While best enjoyed with a grilled beefsteak, this was fabulous casual sipping with a selection of artisan cheeses. 

We first wrote about this wine when we received our shipment from the producer last fall in this featured blogpost - Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine.

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine 2013

This producer first caught my attention when buddy Bob brought it to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite. Bob picked up the bottle at his local Total Wine beverage superstore in Boca Raton Town Center. I saw the label when there and also at the new Total Wine in Indy.

So, when son Ryan got their wine club promotional mailing and shared it I was eager to pick up a mixed case of their Signature Series Bordeaux varietals including this aged vintage release from their library close-out. My shipment just arrived and I was eager to try this. It did not disappoint.

Beau Vigne (pronounced bo-veenya), was founded by Ed and Trish Snider with their first vintage release in 2002. Translated from French it means beautiful vineyard in French.

Ed’s family has a long history in Napa Valley dating back to his Swiss Italian grandfather Martin Garzoli who arrived in Napa in 1913. He grew up on a ranch in Carneros and worked on farms in Napa and Sonoma. Martin made his own wines at home in the evenings. His son John Garzoli played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 and went on to coach football at St. Helena High School in the center of Napa Valley where children of many vintners attended school. A number of Ed’s former students are now in the wine industry.

In 2018, they sold Beau Vigne to Don Dady and Jason Kyle from Arizona. Jason was a former NFL football player, a long snapper for five different teams including the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to his wine interests, Jason is co-owner of Press Coffee Roasters with locations in Arizona.  Partner Dady is co-founder of Annexus, a financial company in Scottsdale and also owns Seven Apart Winery in Napa Valley just north of the city of Napa. 

Beau Vigne sourced fruit for their estate wines from their 10 acre Stags Ridge Vineyard at the top of Soda Canyon Road on the slopes of Atlas Peak at about 1650 feet elevation. The site was planted to 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Ed sold the vineyard and it is now a part of Seven Apart Winery’s estate. Beau Vigne continues to source grapes from there and other premium vineyards in Napa Valley.

Since 2019, Beau Vigne has partnered with Appellation Trading Company to distribute Beau Vigne as part of their portfolio of brands. 

Over the years, Beau Vigne has been crafted by several highly regarded Napa Valley winemakers. Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney who went on to develop several successful brands, most notably, Orin Swift Cellars and the Prisoner portfolio of wines. One of our favorite winemakers, Kirk Venge of Venge Vineyards has also crafted Beau Vigne wines. Today the winemaker is Julien Fayard.

Originally from France, Julien began his career as a winemaker producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at legendary Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite in Bordeaux before relocating to Napa Valley where he was Philippe Melka’s director of winemaking for a few years before setting out on his own.

Julien earned his Master in Agri-Business from ESA France and his Master in Winemaking from Toulouse France. In 2011, he received his MBA from UC Davis. 

Recently, Beau Vigne became part of a select collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. They showcase wines from an elite group of premier Napa Valley producers who do not have their own tasting rooms. Select bottlings and vintages of Beau Vigne are available for tasting and purchased there. 

Beau Vigne bottles wines under three different brands; the Legacy Series, the Signature Series and the Discovery Series.

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2013

This 2013 is a Blend of Bordeaux varietals, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. The producer cited it amongst the best wines Beau Vigne had made to date. That says a lot since Robert Parker awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. He also awarded the Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet from this vintage a stellar perfect 100 points.

Winemaker notes: "When tasted, it was still locked and loaded. Dense and dark, with notes of soil incense, violets, black cherry and black raspberry elements are also still present. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, with great vigor and delineation. This is a sensational example what happens after nine years in the bottle."

The Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from this vintage, the same fruit that forms the foundation for this blend, was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. 

Parker wrote about that wine: "Profound, with a stunning aromatic display of blue and black fruits, charcoal, graphite, and spring flowers. The wine has a flawless entry and mouthfeel, with a full-bodied density, opulence and an incredible finish of close to a minute."

He also awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate . That wine too contains the same Cabernet Sauvignon as in this blend. That blend contained 98:2% while this one is 70:30. Parker wrote of that wine: "Similarly styled is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Cult, which is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The biggest cuvée of any of these wines, the color is blackish/purple as a moonless night. It offers fabulous fruit and incredible density and richness, with lots of camphor, blackberry and cassis fruit, hints of espresso bean and chocolate as well as some background oak. This is a big, full-throttle, savory style of wine that should age effortlessly for 20-25+ years (RP)."

As a blend of the same fruit as those wines, it has a similar profile. Dark blackish purple colored, full bodied, dense, rich concentrated black fruits accented by a layer of camphor that initially may be a bit unnerving to some, with notes of cassis, expresso and dark bitter mocha with some graphite and oak on the full lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2010086

www.beauvigne.com

https://www.destinvacation.com/rentals/unit/the-cove

Beau Vigne Proprietary Red BYOB at Herrington Inn Atwaters Restaurant Geneva

Beau Vigne Proprietary Red BYOB and Inniskillin Icewine at Herrington Inn & Spa Atwaters Restaurant Geneva

We met with friends John and Kathy McM for dinner at a mutually convenient halfway point, in Geneva, IL. We dined at Atwaters Restaurant in the chic Herrington Inn & Spa that looks over the scenic Fox River at the bridge in downtown Geneva.

John and Kath are from Scotland and I love the English or Scottish feel of Atwater's elegant intimate dining room, so fitting for the occasion, with its stone fireplace, dark wood beamed ceilings and surround glass windows, and rich warm tapestry high backed chairs.

The only drawback might be the room is a bit tight, full of tables that are minimal in size so to be a bit crowded, yet its is amazingly quiet and still has a cozy intimate feel. 

Atwater crafts farm-to-table American cuisine with a broad selection of three courses of beef, seafood, pork, duck and vegetarian selections, assortment of soups, salads and deserts. Prime steaks are cut in-house and only wild-caught seafood is served. Seasonal menus include locally sourced produce and product when available, and from the chefs garden! All desserts are handmade.

We had the butternut squash and the tomato basil bisque soups - both delicious. 

 We also shared the Atwaters salad (1/2 shown above) with tomato basel soup, which was also delicious. 

For our entree courses, we covered all the bases with the Faroe Island Salmon, the Duck Breast, the Filet of Beef and the Risotto Venison Sausage. All were delectable.

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast Butternut Squash Puree,
Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage,
Blood Orange and Sarsaparilla Reduction

I often order Duck Breast when in fine dining restaurants since it is something I won't get at home or at moderate restaurants. Tonight's Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Blood Orange and Sarsaparilla Reduction (shown above) was spectacular, delicious, and perhaps the best Duck sauce accompaniment I've ever had!

Grilled Filet Mignon White Truffle Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes,
Grilled  Asparagus, Green Peppercorn Demi-Glace,
Horseradish Parmesan Crisp

Venison Sausage Risotto with Rapini, Roasted Garlic,
Caramelized Cipollini Onions, Charred Red Peppers,
Grated Pecorino Romano, Arrabiata Sauce Grilled Baguette

Faroe Island Salmon Plum Glazed with Ginger Kimchi Jasmine Rice,
Cucumber Wakame Salad, Miso Broth,
Charred Snow Peas, Sweet Chile Reduction

While the winelist was not posted on-line, I was not able to plan ahead our potential selections, so, I brought BYOB a couple of wines to pair with our dinner. The Atwater winelist was largely American, imaginative and extensive, broad and deep and with several choice labels across all the wine groups to pair with every menu selection - sparkling, red, white, aperitif and after-dinner selections, all at reasonable prices - averaging 2x retail price, with several lower for good values. 

Several unique labels that caught my attention were McGaw Scarlett and several labels from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, Cliff Lede and more.

Executive Chef Kevin Gillespie leads the culinary team with 25 years of culinary experience in the area. He is joined by Sous Chef Gianfranco Aniello who earned a culinary arts degree at local College of DuPage and trained under numerous great chefs. 

https://www.herringtoninn.com/

https://twitter.com/herringtoninn

Our server Val provided excellent, friendly, professional service and graceously served my BYOB wine selection. 

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2013

Beau Vigne, (pronounced bo-veenya), translated from French means beautiful vineyard, is the same wine I received just last week from the producer and I was eager to share it as a perfect accompaniment to our diverse dinner. 

I wrote about this wine and producer in detail the other day upon receipt of this wine. This producer first caught my attention when buddy Bob brought it to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite.

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2013

This 2013 is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. The producer cited it amongst the best wines Beau Vigne had made to date. That says a lot since Robert Parker awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. He also awarded the Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet from this vintage a stellar perfect 100 points.

Parker wrote about that wine: "Profound, with a stunning aromatic display of blue and black fruits, charcoal, graphite, and spring flowers. The wine has a flawless entry and mouthfeel, with a full-bodied density, opulence and an incredible finish of close to a minute."

He also awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate . That wine too contains the same Cabernet Sauvignon as in this blend. That blend contained 98:2% while this one is 70:30. Parker wrote of that wine: "Similarly styled is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Cult, which is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The biggest cuvée of any of these wines, the color is blackish/purple as a moonless night. It offers fabulous fruit and incredible density and richness, with lots of camphor, blackberry and cassis fruit, hints of espresso bean and chocolate as well as some background oak. This is a big, full-throttle, savory style of wine that should age effortlessly for 20-25+ years (RP)."

As a blend of the same fruit as those wines, it has a similar profile. Dark blackish purple colored, full bodied, dense, rich concentrated black fruits accented by a layer of camphor that initially may be a bit unnerving to some, with notes of cassis, expresso and dark bitter mocha with some graphite and oak on the full lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2010086

www.beauvigne.com

After dinner we had the Chocolate Gateaux and I ordered from the winelist a glass of sweet dessert wine. 

Inniskillin Vidal Niagara Peninsula Ontario Icewine 2019

This is a classic authentic Icewine from the Niagara Peninsula appellation which lies on the peninsula formed between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario between Buffalo, NY and Toronto, ON. 

 

We visited the Inniskillen Winery and estate vineyards back in 2016 where we met Don Zeraldo, founder and former owner/producer. We toured the estate including the cellars and wine library and did an extensive tasting of the Inniskillen portfolio.

Inniskillin has a storied history putting the Niagara Peninsula Appelation on the map, and bringing global notoriety to their classic Icewines. Winemaker, Karl Kaiser harvested the first Icewine in 1984, from Vidal grapes frozen naturally on the vine at the winery site (Brae Burn Vineyard).

Inniskillin Icewine went on to become “ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT WINES” as featured and coined by the title of a book published in the 1990’s that featured Inniskillin Icewine. The first attempt to make Icewine was actually in 1983 but the birds ate all the grapes from the vines that were not netted for protection.

In 1991, Inniskillin received the most prestigious award in the wine world at Vin Expo, France - the Grand Prix d'Honneur for Karl’s 1989 Vidal Icewine.  This was the major turning point thrusting Inniskillin into the international limelight clearly establishing major credibility as a serious wine producer as well as lifting the profile of Canadian wines at the same time.

 

Inniskillin produce a portfolio of Icewines from several grape varietals, Vidal, Cabernet Franc and Riesling, in still and sparkling, white and Rose variations. 

Vidal is a hybrid grape varietal, produced from Ugni Blanc and Seibel varietals, that has a thick skin suitable for harvesting late in the season. It is the most popular Icewine grape grown in Ontario. It’s noted for good natural acidity that gives great structure to the lusciousness of its tropical aromas and flavors of mango and lychee.  Inniskillin produces Vidal Icewine in two distinct styles, one without oak aging to highlight the fresh fruit emphasis, and with oak aging for added complexity.

Winemaker Notes - "This popular Inniskillin Icewine boasts a variety of tropical fruit including orange, mango, and lemons. Flavors of peach and apricot are balanced by a fresh, crisp and lively acidity. Pairs beautifully with aged cheddar, peach tart, and baked cheesecake with a peach compote."

This 2019 vintage release was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points by Wine Enthusiast.

 

Pearl straw colored, medium full bodied, unctuous, intensely flavored with signature notes of peach, mango and hints of apricots, with classic residual sugar and honey sweetness, and nuances of pineapple and citrus. 

 

RM 91 points. 

 

https://www.inniskillin.com/

http://twitter.com/InniskillinWine

 

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Red Blend

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Columbia River Red Blend 2013

Following the Columbia Valley Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Bordeaux Blend 2013 earlier this week, I pulled from the cellar another label from the region from the same vintage for a comparison tasting. Tonight I selected this Mark Ryan Red Mountain Red Blend, another Right Bank Bordeaux Blend. 

We discovered and acquired Mark Ryan wines when we visited their tasting room in Woodinville, WA during our Seattle Woodinville Culinary Wine Experience back in 2018.

(Son) Ryan and Linda - Woodinville, 2018

Mark Ryan McNeilly founded Mark Ryan Winery in 1999 with the goal to produce the quality wines achievable from Washington State vineyard sources. Largely self-taught, Mark learned winemaking through study and mentorship from some of the area's most experienced producers. 

Mark Ryan produces a broad portfolio of wines that can be found in distribution and are served from their tasting room in Woodinville, an epicenter of more than a hundred tasting rooms of Washington State producers, since most of the vineyards are located hours away in remote locations of Central Washington State. 

This label, Long Haul was one of his first vintage releases, produced crushed and pressed in garages of friends and family, barrel in warehouses in the Seattle area. He opened the Woodinville, WA facility in 2003.  

Like many of the Woodinville and region's producers, Mark Ryan sources its fruit from growers of the large established vineyards. Many of these are long established relationships under contracts for specific rows of a vineyard or blocks. While not Estate wines, where the grapes are sourced from producer owned sites, it offers the next best thing. This consistent sourcing is important and essential if one is to reflect Terroir, the unique essence of climate, soil, site, as it manifests itself in the wine, consistently over time, from vintage to vintage.  

The Long Haul label is a 'Right Bank' blends of Bordeaux varietals, meaning it is predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc making up the majority of the blend. The 2013 Long Haul is sourced from vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA in the Yakima River Valley, a Columbia River tributary in Central Washington, the smallest appellation in the state.

Despite what its name suggests, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead, the name is derived due to the cheatgrass which is prolific and covers the area in springtime, which has a reddish color, hence the area the name, "Red" Mountain. 

The appellation sits on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes and is a notable source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers.

Red Mountain fruit produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington. This is due to its terroir with a climate that is one of the hottest in the region with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. This results in a low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries. This combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.

Mark Ryan 'Long Haul' Red Mountain Columbia River Red Blend 2013

 

This label is comprised of fruit from three of most prolific well-known vineyards in the region. This release is composed primarily of Merlot from the legendary Ciel du Cheval Vineyard planted on calcium-rich clay beds that give the wine a rich, delicate texture and feminine aromatics. 

 

Combined in the blend are grapes from the equally renowned Force Majeure Vineyard, a relatively younger, high elevation site, which provides rich fruit with bold structure. 

 

The other vineyard source is Yakima Valley’s Red Willow Vineyard that contributes aromatics and depth and complexity to the blend. 

 

The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities

The blend for this release is 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 62% new, 38% once used French Château Ferré in barrels for 21 months. A total production of 1,130 cases were released. 

Winemaker Notes: "The Long Haul offers plum, cassis, and savory aromatic probles on the nose that morphs into a lush entrance of black fruit, caramel, tea, and earth. Silky, velvety tannins combine with mid-palate structure and acidity that leads into a lengthy finish."

The 2013 Long Haul is ruby in color, darkening gradually toward the inside of the glass. Aromatically, the wine shows of brambly, wild blackberry and raspberry, along with sweet baking spices that surprises with bright cherry and darkens to a range of black fruits toward the end of the sip. Subtle minerals mingle
with the ne, dusty tannins bright acidity on the finish. 

This was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Dark purple colored, medium full bodied, tightly wound, structured black cherry and black plum fruits open with a layer of cinnamon spice with notes of black tea, earthy tobacco and hints of caramel on the lingering tannin finish. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2140079

www.markryanwinery.com

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/mark-ryan-columbia-valley-wine-tasting.html

https://twitter.com/MarkRyanWinery

Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick 2013

Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick 2013

For beginning of the week grilled beefsteak dinner with wedge salad and mashed potatoes, on the deck on a beautiful waning summer evening, I pulled from the cellar this Washington State Red wine from one of our favorite producers. 

We first discovered Spring Valley Vineyards (SVV) with their popular Uriah label, a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend wine a decade ago. 

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

There we had the privilege of meeting Dean Derby, husband of Sharilee Corkrum Derby, who is daughter of Frederick (subject of this label) and grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum who are featured on their labels. Dean passed on just a year ago this week.

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

Our visit to the SVV tasting room in Walla Walla, then going out to the estate and seeing the magnificent vineyards amongst the barren expansive central Washington landscapes was a highlight of our Walla Walla Wine Experience in 2018.

I've written in these pages about the SVV portfolio of labels, each named after a member of the historic and colorful Corkrum family dating back three generations to the turn of the last century. 

 

 

Spring Valley Vineyards Walla Walla Frederick 2013

This label Frederick, is the Left Bank Bordeaux Blend (meaning a blend of Bordeaux varietals with a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, as is the custom of producers on the southern, western side of the Bordeaux Gironde River estuary) of SVV estate sourced fruit. 

It is named for and is a tribute to Frederick Corkrum, son of founder Uriah, husband to Nina Lee, who graces the Nina Lee Syrah label, and father of Sherilee Corkrum Derby, daughter, grand-daughter, third generation current owner, matriarch, and subject of the Sherrilee SVV Petit Verdot label. 

As part of proper cellar management, I pulled the oldest vintage of this label from the half dozen that we hold in our cellar, this nine year old. 

This 2013 release of this label is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Spectator and 89 points each by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate. 

At nine years of age, the fill level, foil, label, and most importantly the cork, were all in pristine condition. 

Tonight's tasting experience was consistent with the last one in May of last year. 

Dark garnet color and medium full body, firm, bright expressive black berry and black currant fruits are accented by some red fruits, herb notes and hints of black olive tapenade on a lingering moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2318936

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

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/ 

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Wine 2013

This producer first caught my attention when buddy Bob brought it to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite. Bob picked up the bottle at his local Total Wine beverage superstore in Boca Raton Town Center. I saw the label when there and also at the new Total Wine in Indy.

So, when son Ryan got their wine club promotional mailing and shared it I was eager to pick up a mixed case of their Signature Series Bordeaux varietals including this aged vintage release from their library close-out. My shipment just arrived and I was eager to try this. It did not disappoint.

Beau Vigne (pronounced bo-veenya), was founded by Ed and Trish Snider with their first vintage release in 2002. Translated from French it means beautiful vineyard in French.

Ed’s family has a long history in Napa Valley dating back to his Swiss Italian grandfather Martin Garzoli who arrived in Napa in 1913. He grew up on a ranch in Carneros and worked on farms in Napa and Sonoma. Martin made his own wines at home in the evenings. His son John Garzoli played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 and went on to coach football at St. Helena High School in the center of Napa Valley where children of many vintners attended school. A number of Ed’s former students are now in the wine industry.

In 2018, they sold Beau Vigne to Don Dady and Jason Kyle from Arizona. Jason was a former NFL football player, a long snapper for five different teams including the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to his wine interests, Jason is co-owner of Press Coffee Roasters with locations in Arizona.  Partner Dady is co-founder of Annexus, a financial company in Scottsdale and also owns Seven Apart Winery in Napa Valley just north of the city of Napa. 

Beau Vigne sourced fruit for their estate wines from their 10 acre Stags Ridge Vineyard at the top of Soda Canyon Road on the slopes of Atlas Peak at about 1650 feet elevation. The site was planted to 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Ed sold the vineyard and it is now a part of Seven Apart Winery’s estate. Beau Vigne continues to source grapes from there and other premium vineyards in Napa Valley.

Since 2019, Beau Vigne has partnered with Appellation Trading Company to distribute Beau Vigne as part of their portfolio of brands. 

Over the years, Beau Vigne has been crafted by several highly regarded Napa Valley winemakers. Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney who went on to develop several successful brands, most notably, Orin Swift Cellars and the Prisoner portfolio of wines. One of our favorite winemakers, Kirk Venge of Venge Vineyards has also crafted Beau Vigne wines. Today the winemaker is Julien Fayard.

Originally from France, Julien began his career as a winemaker producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at legendary Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite in Bordeaux before relocating to Napa Valley where he was Philippe Melka’s director of winemaking for a few years before setting out on his own.

Julien earned his Master in Agri-Business from ESA France and his Master in Winemaking from Toulouse France. In 2011, he received his MBA from UC Davis. 

Recently, Beau Vigne became part of a select collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. They showcase wines from an elite group of premier Napa Valley producers who do not have their own tasting rooms. Select bottlings and vintages of Beau Vigne are available for tasting and purchased there. 

Beau Vigne bottles wines under three different brands; the Legacy Series, the Signature Series and the Discovery Series.

Beau Vigne Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2013

This 2013 is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. The producer cited it amongst the best wines Beau Vigne had made to date. That says a lot since Robert Parker awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. He also awarded the Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet from this vintage a stellar perfect 100 points.

Winemaker notes: "When tasted, it was still locked and loaded. Dense and dark, with notes of soil incense, violets, black cherry and black raspberry elements are also still present. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, with great vigor and delineation. This is a sensational example what happens after nine years in the bottle."

The Beau Vigne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from this vintage, the same fruit that forms the foundation for this blend, was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. 

Parker wrote about that wine: "Profound, with a stunning aromatic display of blue and black fruits, charcoal, graphite, and spring flowers. The wine has a flawless entry and mouthfeel, with a full-bodied density, opulence and an incredible finish of close to a minute."

He also awarded the 2013 Beau Vigne "Cult" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 96 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate . That wine too contains the same Cabernet Sauvignon as in this blend. That blend contained 98:2% while this one is 70:30. Parker wrote of that wine: "Similarly styled is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Cult, which is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The biggest cuvée of any of these wines, the color is blackish/purple as a moonless night. It offers fabulous fruit and incredible density and richness, with lots of camphor, blackberry and cassis fruit, hints of espresso bean and chocolate as well as some background oak. This is a big, full-throttle, savory style of wine that should age effortlessly for 20-25+ years (RP)."

As a blend of the same fruit as those wines, it has a similar profile. Dark blackish purple colored, full bodied, dense, rich concentrated black fruits accented by a layer of camphor that initially may be a bit unnerving to some, with notes of cassis, expresso and dark bitter mocha with some graphite and oak on the full lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2010086

www.beauvigne.com

 

 

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011 - 13

This bottle had been set aside in the wine cooler adjacent our kitchen as a ready to drink wine. Even then it was overlooked and has been held several years longer than intended, or ideal. 

 

I wrote about this wine and its producer in a detailed blogpost back in 2014. Its hard to believe its been that long. In any event, we cleared out the wine cooler and pulled several bottles to consume, so, here we are. 

Linda prepared boiled ham and green beans and onions and I pulled this aged Russian River Pinot Noir as an accompaniment.

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011

At nearing a dozen years of age, this is past its prime drinking window but still approachable. The cork, label and fill level were all pristine.

The fruit flavors have been overtaken by what Linda described as aromas of a cardboard box, what I would liken to wet wood.

 

The non-fruit woody and earth flavors predominate over the cherry, raspberry and cinnamon flavors. Dark garnet purple colored, medium light bodied, the fruit tones give way to a layer of smoky spice and a tangy  lingering acidic finish.

RM 86 points - previously 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1804396

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/03/black-diamond-pinot-noir-russian-river.html

Lo and behold we also found and did a 2013. This was consistent with earlier tasting notes of this release.

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2013

I wrote about this release in an earlier blogpost back in 2015 when I wrote: "I discovered the 2011 release of this wine and thought it provided a good QPR - quality price ratio, a rare find in a sub $20 Pinot Noir, hence I picked up this follow on vintage. The '13 is not as smooth, polished or as flavorful as the '11 but has a similar tasting profile. Not bad for an every day Pinot but not a best buy selection."

Dark garnet colored, slightly opaque, medium light bodied, tones of bing cherry, raspberry, hints of cinnamon spice and vanilla with a slightly tangy oak on the lingering acidic finish.

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1957919

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/03/black-diamond-pinot-noir-2013.html