Chappellet and Rivers-Marie Chardonnay at Vintij Grand Blvd

Chappellet and Rivers-Marie Chardonnay at Vintij Grand Blvd 

Traveling to Destin, FL, visiting The Cove, our vacation rental home, we were joined by fellow Pour Boy Bill C, and Beth for a get away get-together. We introduced them to several of our favorite food and wine venues including lunch at Vin’Tij Food & Wine, Grand Blvd Destin. 

We’ve featured Vin’Tij often in these pages, in blogposts such as these - 

Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin

David Arthur Chardonnay at Vintij Grand Blvd

Delightful wine lunch at Vintij Grand Boulevard

We dined al fresco on the patio, enjoying the Florida autumn sunshine! 

Beth ordered the MARYLAND LUMP CRAB CAKE, Charred Corn-Black Bean Salsa & Lemon Caper Butter.

Bill ordered the Shrimp and Grits, House Made Andouille, Plum Tomatoes, Parmesan Basil Grits & Lemon Caper Butter.

Linda ordered her regular favorite, the SEARED TUNA, Marinated Cucumber Salad, Sriracha Kewpie Mayonnaise, Chili Oil & Ponzu.

I was a bit under the weather and went with the zesty soup, and then the WARM BLEU CHEESE & GRAPE TART - Red Wine Crust, Roasted Grapes, Roasted Red Peppers, Candied Walnuts & Balsamic Reduction.

We paired with our food a couple of hearty Chardonnays from the Vin’tij retail wine shop.

Chappellet Napa Valley Sangiacomo Vineyard, Carneros Chardonnay 2021

We all visited the Chappellet estate vineyards and winery, high atop Pritchett Hill, Napa Valley during our Wine Experiences back in 2009 and 2013. 

We’re big fans of Chappellet Cabernet wines but had never experienced any of their Chardonnay labels so this was a new discovery. 

Label from 2023

This 100% Chardonnay is sourced from the Sangiacomo Vineyard in Carneros AVA at the bottom of the conflucence of Napa and Sonoma Valleys.. 

The Sangiacomo family are master viticulturists and multigenerational winegrowers who have been farming since 1927. Their cool, windswept vineyard in Sonoma’s Carneros region is ideally located bordering San Pablo Bay, where the grapes slowly mature, developing intense varietal character, while retaining excellent acidity and finesse. 

Winemaker’s Growing Season & Harvest Notes - “The 2021 growing season began with one of the driest winters on record, followed by a mild spring and summer with no adverse heat events. Due to the lack of precipitation, canopy growth was limited and the vines produced very small berries and clusters. To ensure ideal ripening and flavor development we closely monitored vine water stress and applied a highly targeted irrigation strategy.’

“While the drought conditions yielded a small crop, the long, temperate growing season combined with ideal weather during harvest produced exceptional quality Chardonnay, with lovely structure and concentration, excellent underlying acidity and soaring varietal flavors.”

Wine Notes and Statistics

Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus

100% Chardonnay; Robert Young, Hyde and Catarina Clones

Harvested Sept. 6 – Sept. 16, 2021

100% Malolactic fermentation, aged in 100% French oak, 35% new

Bottled July 2022 - 1,020 cases were produced

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes - “ Made from this coveted fruit, this mouth-filling wine displays beautiful layers of  stone fruits and citrus, as well as French oak-inspired layers of vanilla and spice. This tantalizing Chardonnay displays lavish aromas of honeydew melon, lemon zest, white peach, nectarine and tropical flowers, with sophisticated hints of vanilla, nutmeg, clove and brioche from aging in French oak. While the palate is creamy and rich, with lovely depth and structure, enlivening natural acidity adds poise and energy to the juicy citrus and stone fruit flavors as they glide to a long, vibrant finish.”

This release was rated 95 points and “Cellar Selection” by Wine Enthusiast, 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck,93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Wine Spectator.

Golden straw colored, full bodied, full round complex, forward pear and peach fruits with nutty spices and brioche notes on a lengthy buttery finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4458839

https://chappellet.com/

Rivers-Marie Sonoma County Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2021

This limited release label is from up and coming superstar winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. He founded ​Rivers-Marie in 2002 with Genevieve Marie Welsh, a boutique winery in Calistoga, California, renowned for its single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They focus on minimal intervention and sustainable practices, seeking to showcase the unique character of each vineyard and vintage. 

In 2010, they acquired the notable Summa Vineyard, from which they produce highly acclaimed Pinot Noirs.

Since 2016/2017 they have produced six select vineyard designated Chardonnays from the Sonoma Coast and Sonoma County. 

The Sonoma Coast vineyards for our Chardonnay program are closer to each other than any other varietal they produce.

This single vineyard designated label is distinctive, sourced from the Bearwallow Vineyard, from a small 1.5 acre block deep in Anderson Valley. Thomas says of this label, “The epitome of meticulous farming is what always comes to mind first when I think of Bearwallow. This deep end Anderson Valley site has been a part of our program since 2016 and we enjoy its different nature from all the tiny clustered Sonoma Coast vineyards that make up the majority of our program. This bottling always has a distinctive yellow fruited character complemented by a saline and roasted nut character. Our little 1.5 acre Wente clone block has matured into one of the unique coastal Chardonnays we taste every year.”

This release was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 91 points by Vinous

Deep golden colored, full bodied, full round, rich concentrated and forward yellow apple, pear with notes of nuts and mineral and hints of apricot, herbs and floral with a sharp focused finish.  

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4503440

https://www.riversmarie.com/wines/chardonnay/

https://vintij.com/

Seafood and David Arthur Chardonnay BYOB at Waterway Cafe in Palm Beach Gardens

Seafood and David Arthur Chardonnay BYOB at Waterway Cafe in Palm Beach Gardens (FL)

Vacationing with friends in Singer Island, Florida, we dined at the trendy, chic, picturesque Waterway Cafe waterfront restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. 

The iconic Waterway Restaurant is on the Inter-Coastal waterway transformed in 1986 on the former Waterway Marina site. The extraordinary and amazing restaurant consists of a main contemporary skylighted dining room, cozy lounge area wtih a fireplace, waterfront/waterside dining areas including a Tiki Bar, Florida’s only floating bar, boat-up dockage Boat Bar for boaters, waterfront terraces, and flexible private dining spaces.

The main dining room skylight bar …

And cozy fireside lounge and dining room … 

The Tiki Bar and waterview dining terraces  ...

And the fabulous, iconic floating bar and adjacent moorings are a signature highlight, refreshed to match the new main bar/dining room designs …

All this provides an unbeatable,  memorable, on-the-water and waterway experience in a fabulous setting with spectacular views, and the entertaining coastal waterway boat traffic. 

The menu features fresh imaginative seafood entrees, steak, pizzas, the usual salads and some amazing desserts. 

Our entree selections included a pizza shared by our friends …

Linda ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Roasted Corn Salsa / Key Lime Mustard Sauce. She loved it, especially the Roasted Corn Salsa relish! 

I had the Pistachio Crusted Grouper with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables and Honey Basil Lime Vinaigrette, with a side of Au Gratin potatoes … both were delicious! 

We took BYOB a special favorite Napa Chardonnay from one of our favorite producers that we enjoyed recently from a different vintage, featured in this blogpost - David Arthur Chardonnay at Vintij Grand Blvd. This provided a comparison tasting of two near vintages of this label. 

David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021

A highlight and targeted visit of our Napa Wine Experience 2013 was our visit to David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery. I wrote about that day in this blogpost - David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery.

We written in earlier posts, we've been collecting and enjoying David Arthur wines since the late nineties since the 1997 vintage but have been pacing our consumption as we watch this wine age and achieve its true potential. The property is situated up at the end of Long Ranch Road up atop Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Mountain range. The drive up offers some spectacular vineyard views and vistas of the Napa Valley below. The adjoining vineyards represent some of the premier producers of Napa Valley wines - Brand, Bryant, Colgin, Continuum, Montagna, the new Del Dotto property Villa Del Lago, and Ovid. Not (yet) designated an appellation, never-the-less, it is fast becoming one of the premiere wine growing areas of Napa Valley.

David Arthur wines represent the unique terroir of the mountain with its rough rocky terrain. They have 21 acres on their Pritchard Hill estate (left) planted in the Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, as well as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo which go into their unique Meritaggio.

We first discovered this wine when we purchased a case back of the 1997 vintage release and still hold about half of those bottles, but we quickly turned and became fans of their Cabernet Sauvignon and their flagship wine Elevation 1147, creatively names for the vineyard site situated 1200 feet above the valley floor. All are crafted 100% from estate grown grapes. This visit offered us the opportunity to experience (and acquire) their latest vintage releases as well as their new Three Acre and Old Vines labels Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignons and a new release bottling of David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Franc.

David Arthur, named for the grandfather of the owner/producer, is a family affair consisting of three generations of the Long family, who over the years acquired the mountain land to raise cattle. Today it is operated by brothers David and Bob along with Joye Long, all are co-owners, with David acting as General Manager and his daughter Laura running the office and daily operations.

A point of interest and fun part of this trip was the fact that Linda (nee) Long and Pat (nee) Long, daughters of Indiana farmer Ned Long were with us. Wife Linda and I were joined on this Napa trip by sister/sister-in-law Pat (Long), so it's only fitting we saved our David Arthur visit and this Long reunion for this trip together.

Adding to the Long legend and heritage on Pritchard Hill, adjacent to the David Arthur vineyards are Long Family Vineyards owned by Napa Valley legends Bob and Zelma Long, who gained notoriety in the 70s as chief enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery. Divorced from Bob, today, Zelma and husband Phillip produce wines in Germany and South Africa under their Zelphi label..

David Arthur Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021 

Like the 2019 vintage of this label from that recent tasting, the grapes for this vibrant and expressive wine are grown in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley at the southern end of the valley floor. The close proximity to San Pablo Bay provides a cooler climate for which these vines thrive. Morning fog and cool off-shore breezes allow the fruit extended hang time resulting in lower sugars and higher acidity.

Winemaker Notes - “A golden straw color with tints of green offers aromas of ripe Bartlett pear and Fuji apple. There is a freshness to the fruit as well as notes of lemon rind, pineapple and white fig. The oak spice is subtle with vanilla bean crème brulee notes. The palate is broad and expansive yet a mineral acidity balances the texture while flavors of white peach, green apple skin and kiwi carry the length of the palate.”

This release was rated 95 points by James Suckling.

Golden colored, full-boded, rich round, creamy textured and balanced, notes of apple, pear and accents of almond and hints of caramel and whisper of butterscotch with a long expressive finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5167578

https://www.davidarthur.com/

For dessert, we had the outrageous decadent Waterway signature Snickers Explosion - Layers of chocolate cake, Snickers, and Reese’s pieces ice cream, blended with Butterfinger pieces, for four. 

Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah 2021

Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah 2021

Watching the Netflix Series “Homeland”, we opened a Big Shiraz to enjoy with a selection of artisan cheeses and crackers. I pulled from the cellar one of our favorite labels for such a food wine pairing and one of the currently best drinking wines our cellar.

We’ve written often in these pages about this producer and this highly acclaimed label, which I replay here. 

Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah 2021

We discovered this producer and label and acquired earlier vintages of this and several other Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines, that I wrote about here, and replay below, during our Santa Barbara County Wine Experience. This was the standout of that tasting and best represents the style that we love.

We discovered Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines during that Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley Wine Experience while driving the Foxen Canyonwine trail. One of the producer's we visited recommended we check out Tensley Wines, which was near that estate we were visiting. 

We drove by the Tensley vineyards on Alisos Canyon Road, (shown left) which was closed, so we stopped in the Tensley tasting room in downtown Los Olivos (below).

I was not aware of this brand prior to this trip. It was a top discovery and revelation and may certainly be one of our go-to boutique labels going forward. We joined their wine club to obtain a supply of their labels from those tasted and going forward.  

As I have written in earlier posts, Tensley was one of the great surprises of our Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley wine experience was the revelation of Syrah being one of the lead varietals in the area. 

We were expecting to see Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are predominant taking advantage of the cool climate being close to the coastal maritime eftects. The cool coastal breezes run up the valleys of the mountains that run perpendicular to the coast. 

We were delighted to find several producers featuring or even specializing in Syrah, Tensley included. At the Tensley tasting room, we were able to taste a flight of their Rhône varietals centered on their Syrahs.  

Colson Canyon Vineyard | Santa Ynez Mountains 

Since joining their wineclub, we have acquired a half dozen labels from this producer, but this single vineyard designated label remains our favorite. Sourced from Colson Canyon Vineyard, high up in the Santa Ynez Mountains north of Los Olivos, it has been providing exceptional Syrah fruit to Joey Tensley since 2000. It is this fruit that helped Tensley become the one of most sought after Syrah's on the coast with consistent high ratings, one vintage flirting with Robert Parker perfection at 99 points.

Joey Tensley launched Tensley Wines in 1998, producing 100 cases, while serving as the assistant winemaker at Beckmen Vineyards, where he was given space to launch his own label.

Three years later, in 2001, he relocated to Buellton, CA to open his own winery, producing 750 cases of wines that immediately appeared on some of the country's top wine lists. That same year, Matt Kramer added two of Tensley's 2001 Syrah wines to the Wine Spectator's Top Ten Wines in the World list. followed by 90-95 point scores from Robert Parker for Tensley's 2001-2004 vintages. 

Tensley released his first vineyard-designate Syrah from Colson Canyon in 2001 and the wine press took notice. That year Matt Kramer of the Wine Spectator named two of Tensley’s 2001 Syrah’s to his list of the Top Ten Wines in the World. Robert Parker, Jr. scored all the ‘01’s in the high 90’s, calling them “serious, hand-crafted efforts.”

By 2008, Food and Wine Magazine named the Colson Canyon Syrah “Top Syrah in America Over $20.” Two years later, Robert Parker gave the 2008 Anniversary Series Colson Canyon Syrah 99 points, and Wine Spectator Magazine named the 2008 Colson Canyon Syrah "#17 of its Top 100 Wines in the World". The 2007 Colson Canyon Syrah was ranked #22 the year before. Since then, the string of high scores has been consistent. 

Tensley and his wife Jennifer, purchased the Colson Canyon property about five years ago, ensuring that they would always be able to tap the most distinctive site. 

 

Today, Tensley produces 3,300 cases a year. Taking advantage of the numerous micro-climates in the Santa Barbara mountain ranges, Joey also produces a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in areas closer to the ocean, while growing his Rhone varietals--Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier--further inland.  

 

Winemaker Notes: "Everything we farm in house is something very special to us. This site is one of the most unique and special places in the world of wine. High (1400 elevation) in the hills north of the Santa Maria Valley with some of the most iron-laced soils I have seen in Santa Barbara County."

Perched high up at an elevation of 1,400 feet, from a site located in the hills above Los Olivos, the Colson Canyon Vineyard benefits from the combination of warm days and cool nights that produce dense, fruit-forward wines with opulent jamminess. The site covers 115 acres but has only 16 acres of grapes because the elevation and rugged terrain make so much of the site untamable. Tensley believes that only three more acres have the potential to be planted.

Even though we received this label as part of our wineclub allocation shipment directly from the producer, we enjoy this particular label so much we arranged to pickup several bottles from big box wine merchant super store Total Wine during a recent trip to Indianapolis. This wine is not available in our marketplace as they have no distribution in our state of Illinois. 

Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Ynez Mountains Santa Barbara County Syrah 2021

Winemaker notes for this 2021 Colson Canyon label:"Coming from one of the coolest vintage in a decade the wine has a serious freshness. With that said the extremely low yields of 1.7 ton per acre the texture is what the wine is all about. When you put your nose in the glass think of cracked pepper, black currant and raspberry with a touch of vanilla on the finish. The finish will last a long time from the high level of acid and tannin. Drink now, but probably best to wait a few years and for those who like aged wines don’t touch for 15-20 years!"

https://tensleywines.com/product/2021-colson-canyon-syrah/ 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate writes, "This hedonistic Syrah could use another 5+ years in bottle to unwind and will be long-lived in the cellar. Best After 2024."

Despite guidance to wait at least five years before diving into this full throttle Syrah, we were eager to try it and we weren't disappointed.   

This release was awarded 97 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who called it "a perfumed powerhouse!", 94-96 by Vinous, and 93-95+ by Jeb Dunnuck. Vinous says, "The 2021 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard is one of the highlights among the 2021s I tasted from Joey Tensley." 

Ruby and inky purple colored, full-bodied, dense, powerful, ripe, concentrated black and blue fruits, with accented by notes of menthol, bitter dark chocolate, tar, black pepper and hints of vanilla, floral and lavender, with full tannins and bright vibrant acidity on a long perfumed finish. 

 

This might benefit from a few years further aging to settle a bit. 

 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4404852
 

Earlier reviews of this label: 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/01/family-celebration-dinner-smoked-ribs.html

Earlier, last fall I wrote about the previous vintage of this label: "Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, thick concentrated unctuous juicy black and blue fruits with layers of cassis and chocolate nuances with notes of oak, leather and tobacco on a tongue coating lingering finish." 

RM 94 Points

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/tensley-colson-canyon-vineyard-syrah.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4090797

https://twitter.com/tensleywine

https://tensleywines.com/ 

@tensleywine

Zuccardi Poliganos Malbec with pizza

 Zuccardi Poliganos Malbec with pizza 

Linda prepared a delicious homemade pizza with bacon, onion, chives, basil, honey cooked tomatoes and Parmesan. Following a delightful Malbec we had at lunch the other day, I pulled this Argentine Malbec for an accompaniment. As I have written often in these pages, an ideal food and wine pairing, such as this, accentuates and amplifies the enjoyment of both! 

Zuccardi San Pablo Poliganos Malbec 2021

Malbec is one of the five sanctioned Bordeaux varietals. It has found a home in Argentina where it has gained wide adoption and popularity as being ideally suited to the terroir there and is the number one grape varietal in the emerging burgeoning wine market.

We did a Malbec wine tasting with Linda’s woman’s social group last year wherein I wrote about the producer of this label, Zuccardi - Woman’s Social Group Argentine Wine Tasting.

One of those labels, like this one, was from the Zuccardi Family Winery in Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina. Today it is run by winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi whose grandfather planted the first grapevines in 1963 and has grown to become a leader in Argentine wine production.

From his father, José Alberto Zuccardi, Sebastián inherited the determination and desire to constantly strive for excellence.

Sebastián, third generation of the family, follows his father, José Alberto Zuccardi, leading a team of agricultural engineers and enologists, in producing some of the the highest quality wines in the Uco Valley.

The winery has had a research and development area since 2008, dedicated to studying the terroir and the diverse variables that affect wine quality. The goal, in Sebastián’s own words, is “not to strive for perfect wines, but wines that express the place, the region.”

The Zuccardi family have been exploring and experimenting with the potential of Malbec in the winery with new fermentation and aging vessels, and in the vineyard by challenging the accepted wisdom of the limits of viticulture and have moved their vines (and winery) closer to the Andes.

Poliganos is a family of Zuccardi wines, six white and six red from several sites across the Uco Valley representing a selection that expresses the particular characteristics of different terroirs within the Valley. 

The wines and the selection of vineyards account for the differences in altitude, soil and climate that characterize the subregions of San Pablo, Paraje Altamira and Tupungato. 

According to the rear label, the name “Poliganos refers to the many sides of a vineyard. Sebastián Zuccardi explores those many sides with grape selections from the micro regions of Mendoza, discovering how they impact the wines in their unique ways.”

Zuccardi Poligonos del Valle de Uco San Pablo Malbec 2021

This is 100% Malbec grapes from estate vineyards in the San Pablo Geographic Indication (GI), Tunuyán, Valle de Uco, Mendoza at 1,400m – one of the coolest regions in the Uco Valley.  Of all the Malbecs in the Polígonos range, the 2021 Polígonos San Pablo Malbec is the lighter and lowest in alcohol, coming from the cooler place, it is always the last Malbec to be harvested. A new addition to the Aluvional series is the 2021 Aluvional San Pablo, derived from vines planted in 2013 and entirely destemmed.

Located between 1,200 and 1,700 meters above sea level, and only 600 meters away from the mountain front, San Pablo has a cold and extreme climate, with very low minimum temperatures. Trees and streams abound in its landscape, configuring a true oasis in the foothills. Its alluvial soils originated in the Las Tunas River and present a layer of medium-sized gravel covered with calcareous material at approximately one meter deep. 

The whole Polígonos range represents very good value, all from owned vineyards that are worked organically but not certified. It is fermented with native yeasts in concrete vessels and aged in concrete.

This release was rated 95 by James Suckling and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 pts by Decanter and 93 pts by Vinous.

Winemaker Notes - “2021 was a great harvest. With cool and humid weather, the grape clusters had the necessary time to reach maturity with a perfect balance of sugar and acidity, and a strong tannin structure. Our meticulous work of separating plots and soil types for harvesting (which has been ongoing for over a decade) allowed us to harvest every corner of our vineyards at the perfect moment and thus showcase the great diversity that characterizes the Uco Valley.’

“Red in color with violet hues, the 2021 San Pablo Malbec expresses a great herbal character with notes of fresh red fruits. Lively acidity and subtlety of tannins in the mouth.”

This wine provides high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, being from Argentina, and being a Malbec, the least known varietal of the Bordeaux grapes. 

Deep inky garnet colored, full bodied, dense, rich, concentrated black berry and blue berry fruits accented by savory notes of black tea, herbs and tobacco leaf on a lively acidic tannin laced finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4533211

https://zuccardiwines.com/en/ 

Grill on Main Providence Village, Huntsville

The Grill on Main Street Providence Village, Huntsville

Enroute to our Cove vacation home in Destin, FL, we overnighted near Huntsville, AL We discovered a delightful neighborhood, community, Providence Village Town Center, just north of Huntsville city center. 

The tony area features numerous eateries and shops including The Grill on Main Street. 

The Grille on Main is in a landmark building on Main Street at Providence Village city center across from a park and adjacent a large patio courtyard, which tonight featured a street musician (shown below).  

There is a large interior dining room, a dining room adjacent the bar, and two outside patio courtyard dining areas. 

They serve American cuisine pf Chef James Boyce’s menu of ‘southern classics with a modern twist’ - steaks and numerous seafood entrees. 

As usual, whenever it is available, I opted for the Flounder which was stuffed with crab and served with balsamic rice and haricot verts. 

Linda ordered the redfish served with cheese grits. 

Both entrees were delicious. For a wine pairing we ordered from the carefully prepared wine list a moderately priced French Chardonnay. Also available were some of our favorite standby selections, Jordan and Far Niente from Sonoma and Napa respectively 

Domaine Albert Bichot Verre Classe’ 2021

This is from Albert Bichot, prolific well known Burgundy producer whose family ancestors have been residing in Burgundy since the 14th century and producing wine since 1831. Six generations have continued the rich heritage and legacy of the brand led today by Albéric Bichot. 

From their property in Beaune, six estate vineyards covering 247 acres produce an extensive portfolio of classic Burgundian reds and whites. This label, named for the family’s Cote d’Or vineyards in the sub-region appellation Viré-Clessé.

While an entry level offering, this label is known for high QPR - Quality Price Ratio. 

One major retailer writes, “ Viré-Clessé is one of our essential white Burgundies—a bottle that provides quality and value like very few others in the world. Each offer leaves a froth of four- and five-star member-reviews in its wake, containing praise like “bargain of the century” and “one of the buys of the year for me.”’

The Viré-Clessé appellation, located between Tournus and Mâcon, is the most recent of the Mâconnais region’s village appellations (1999). The wines are exclusively made from Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards, for the most part, are planted on hillsides, where a local type of soil derived from white limestone called “cray” can be found. 

Inhabiting the best of the upper half of the Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé, created from the delineation of the two top Mâcon Villages, produces lively, charming and full-bodied whites. 

“Viré-Classé in notable, not just from the Mâconnais region but from the whole of Burgundy for wines with a mix of fine definition and brisk acidity while maintaining a signature rounded texture and sunshine-infused fruit. Inching towards Premier Cru quality, this is one of our favorite expressions of that distinctive southern identity.”

The village of Viré was first planted by the monks of Cluny in the 1500s, and its slopes are perfect for grapegrowing. Well-draining and strewn with chunks of white limestone, they looked much like the Premier Cru and Grand Cru holdings of Meursault and Montrachet.

The Viré-Clessé appellation, located between Tournus and Mâcon, is the most recent of the Mâconnais region’s village appellations (1999). The vineyards, for the most part, are planted on hillsides, where a local type of soil derived from white limestone called “cray” can be found. 

The wine is exclusively made from Chardonnay grapes.  

The 2021was a classic vintage with bottlings Wine Advocate acclaimed as “classically proportioned, pure and fine-boned”—that much more exciting. The growing season that year started off with widespread frost, slashing yields and distressing growers across Burgundy. But the summer was cool, allowing for a late harvest and citrusy, bright, minerally wines. 

Winemaker notes.- “Very sophisticated nose that combines notes of exotic and citrus fruits with subtle floral aromas (rose). On the palate, this wine presents balanced structure along with pleasing minerality. A touch of sucrosity on the finish gives length to the palate.”

“The aromatic intensity of Viré-Clessé with predominant aromas of fine, intense fruit, the nose reveals a touch of lemon, mango and subtle floral notes (rose). The palate boasts well-balanced structure and beautiful minerality, which gives way to a certain touch of sweetness on the finish, giving pleasing length”. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4624906

https://www.albert-bichot.com/

http://grilleonmainhsv.com/

Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with St Pat’s Dinner

Son Alec, D-in-Law Viv and their kids came over after church for traditional St Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Alec brought along this bold Napa Cabernet to share for a wine accompaniment. 

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021  

This label is from Faust Winery, a part of the Huneeus Vintners portfolio lead by wine luminaries Agustin and Valeria Huneeus, both natives of Chile. The portfolio also includes other notable producers Quintessa, Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Illumination, and Leviathan. We visited the picturesque Quintessa estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2003. 

Agustin Huneeus has dedicated his entire professional life to the wine industry from his beginning in 1960 as CEO of Chilean producer Concha y Toro which under his leadership grew from a small winery into Chile’s largest. Augustin and Valeria left Chile for the US in 1971 in light of Chile’s difficult political climate. Moving to NY, Augustin went on to lead global spirits leader Seagram’s worldwide operations, responsible for wineries in seven countries.

In 1977, the Huneeus’ moved to California to pursue careers in the wine business, building a growing portfolio including Concannon in the Livermore valley and taking an interest in Franciscan estates in 1985. In 1999, they founded Huneeus Vintners dedicated to fine wine properties. In 1996, Agustin was awarded the distinguished service award by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Valeria Huneeus, also born in Chile, was a PH.D, Microbiologist and initially intended to study medicine, but also pursued interests in viticulture and enology. When Valeria and Agustin moved to New York and began a family, Valeria gained a PH.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University and spent ten years doing medical research.

Seeking to work more closely with her husband in the wine business, Valeria transitioned into vineyard development at Quintessa Vineyards Rutherford property which the Huneeus’ purchased in 1990 as their portfolio continue to grow.

In 1998. the Huneeus’ founded Faust Winery specializing in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from their estate vineyard in the Coombsville area, Napa’s newest AVA. Located in the southern most part of Napa Valley, east of the town of Napa, close to San Pablo bay, their venture was considered a gamble by many who thought the very cool climate in this sub-region of Napa Valley  was too cold to consistently ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. In time, their risk paid off as this region is now home to some of the most prized vineyards in the valley, producing many serious, structured, and varietally specific wines with volcanic gravel soils and coarse loams, perfect for Cabernet. 

Ryan Woodhouse, wine buyer for Bay Area merchant K&L in Redwood City writes of the Combsville district, “On a personal note, my son plays Little League Baseball right next to this vineyard, so I've spent a lot of time down there, and the site is legitimately cold and windy! It's often 10 degrees cooler than my side of town juts a few miles north west. Fresh breezes come right off San Pablo Bay and morning fog is often particularly thick in this corridor up the eastern bench of the Vaca ranges.”

Faust writes that “Coombsville is not just Napa Valley’s newest AVA, but its southernmost growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled into the rocky ruins of an ancient caldera, its bowl-shaped depression perfectly positions it to collect and hold cool air and fog that’s funneled up from the San Pablo Bay. Volcanic soils, along with the marine breezes, combine to offer polish and structure alongside consistent Napa ripeness. Besides being the latest-to-ripen vines in Napa, the soil profiles are very different given it’s closer to the Vaca Mountain range, so there is a lot of eroded volcanic soil, which means, lots of minerals in the soil.

‘In Napa Valley you get more red fruit, more spice. The tannins can be a bit more rustic. Down in Coombsville you get more intense color, a blue-black fruit profile. A brighter acidity and minerality in the wines. Coombsville is just very unique.”

Winemaker notes on the 2021 Faust Napa Valley - “The wine combines the signature dark graphite and mulberry core of Coombsville Cab with more exotic, plush cassis fruit from Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford that make up the remainder of the blend. A modest use of French oak (only 20% new) but longer elevage in barrel (20 months) has allowed the tannins to become refined and tactile, but without blasting the fruit with over the top oak influence.’ 

“Cabernet's classic aromas and flavors, delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.”

This release was rated 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine Spectator and 93 by Wine Enthusiast, 92 by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 91 by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This was a pleasant surprise and  exceed my expectations, this label was a bit under the radar and deserves more attention as it fights above its weight class delivering good QPR (quality-price-ratio)  and has 50,000 cases available of Faust's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It showed  dark garnet color, was full bodied, complex, firmly structured but balanced and approachable, ripe blackcurrants and blackberries, notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, dark mocha, cedar and bark, with firm, polished tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4673339

https://faustwines.com/visit/

https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1688046

Christmas family dinner features La Sirena Chardonnay, lobster and pasta

Christmas family dinner features La Sirena Chardonnay, lobster and pasta 

Continuing our tour of the kid’s homes on Christmas Day, following our Christmas revelry ultra-premium wine flight at son Ryan’s, we proceeded to son Alec and Vivianna’s and ended staying for early dinner. Alec prepared his hearty Rigatoni with Lobster medallions and Vodka Cream Sauce. 

With dinner, Alec pulled from his cellar this limited production/release premium Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Chardonnay from a legendary producer. 

La Sirena Russian River Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay 2021

We’ve had several La Sirena wines over the yesrs, but never a white. Alec acquired this at auction. La Sirena is the personal brand and label of legendary winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett, one of the world’s most renowned and respected winemakers. 

Since the 1980s, she has created some of the Napa Valley’s most famous wines, including Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Paradigm, and many others. She started her own brand, La Sirena, in 1994, and began her collaboration brand, Barrett & Barrett, with her husband, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, in 2008.

For some great wine focused entertainment, and to learn about more about the legendary Judgement of Paris, and about Bo Barrett and Chateau Montelena, watch the movie “Bottle Shock” (Trailer),  (“Bottle Shock” You Tube Stream)! 

From her winesite, we learn, “Heidi got her start at a young age. Her father, Dick Peterson, is a scientist-winemaker, and her mother, Diane, an artist. She gravitated toward both fields, and found that the world of wine was an ideal place for her to explore and combine these passions. Growing up, she worked in numerous vineyards and wineries alongside her dad, and decided to pursue it as a career. She attended UC Davis for fermentation science and went on to several internships and positions in the industry. Her career took off in the late 80s when she began working for Dalla Valle as an “independent winemaker”’
.
She began to develop a tiny project called Screaming Eagle shortly afterwards, and from there, things escalated quickly. With 5 perfect 100-point scores for her wines in the span of just a few years, Heidi skyrocketed to international fame, setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine ($500,000 for a 6L of 1992 Screaming Eagle at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000).

Today, Heidi maintains a stable of ultra-premium client wineries, including Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, Fantesca, and Mars Estate, as well as her own brands La Sirena, Barrett & Barrett, and Aviatrix. She and Bo live among their vineyards in Calistoga. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving, skiing, flying her helicopter, making art, and gardening.

She named her brand and label La Sirena, which means “the Mermaid” in Spanish and Italian. She chose it because she’s a loves the ocean and scuba diving and wanted a winery name that was fun & magical (like wine). The first vintage of La Sirena was 1994, with the first Cabernet Sauvignon made in 1996. The current portfolio consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Moscato Azul (dry Muscat Canelli), Rosato (rosé of Primitivo), Chardonnay, Malbec, Barrett Vineyard Syrah, and red blends, Studio Series and Pirate TreasuRed. Production is always small, focusing on fine wines of purity and excellence.

This wine is sourced from the original 1969 planting of the Rued clone of Chardonnay, known for its somewhat tropical aromatics (some even refer to it as the Muscat clone of Chardonnay), and blended with fruit from the Bacigalupi Paris Block, one of the sources for the Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting. 225 cases produced

Duane Hoff, proprietor of Fantesca told us when they hired Heidi as consulting winemaker, their Chardonnay was the first one she had ever crafted. Of this label, Heidi says, “I have made Chardonnay a number of times for my clients over the years, but I was not compelled to make my own until a special vineyard source became available in 2016 - the Rued family original vineyard planted in 1969. The offer was intriguing, so I went to have a look, and was immediately taken with the magnificent old vines and their large gnarled trunks & arms. For the first time this vintage, I also blended in some Chardonnay from the famous Bacigalupi Paris Block, one of the sources for the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting.”

Hence, this is 100% Chardonnay,  60% of this Chardonnay comes from Valdez Vineyard and 40% from Bacigalupi Paris Block. It was aged in French oak barrels 10% new for 10 months. Production was 225 cases.

Winemaker notes - “Brilliant light golden straw in color with gorgeous fruit aromas of crisp pear, pineapple, delicate melon, a whiff of green apple and citrus, with nice minerality and complementary notes of caramel, beeswax, and a kiss of vanilla. A very light touch of of toasty French oak enhances the aromatics and fruit flavors across the palate. The mouthfeel, texture and flavor profile is just delicious, with nicely balanced acidity and richness that lingers in an extraordinary finish.”

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, full, round textured vibrant peach, lemon and pineapple fruit tones with a rich crème brulee’ layer with a crisp silky smooth lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4915068

https://www.lasirenawine.com/

https://twitter.com/LaSirenaWinery

Montecappone Rosso Piceno Marche Italian Red Blend

Montecappone Rosso Piceno Marche Italian Red Blend 2021

Our exploration of Italian wines continues. With left over spaghetti, for an ideal wine-food pairing, we opened from the cellar this easy drinking enjoyable Italian Red Blend wine.

This is from the Montecappone estate, founded in the late 1960s in the village of Jesi in the Ancona region of Marche in Central Italy. 

In 1997 the property was acquired by the Bomprezzi-Mirizzi family, who are owners of the famous wine shop in Rome called Enoteca Tuscolana. They immediately began renovating and expanding the winery and replanting almost all of the vineyards.

The Montecappone property lies in the jurisdiction of the Rosso Piceno DOC, first established in 1968 and is the largest DOC in Marche. According to Vivino, there are 34 registered wineries producing over 500 wines This hilly region lies mostly in the provinces of Ancona, Macerata, and a limited area of Ascoli Piceno.

Today, the Montecappone property covers nearly 135 acres of vineyards and 30 acres of olive groves scattered amongst the hills and castles of Jesi. They are planted to Verdicchio, Sauvignon, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Syrah varietals.

The vineyards are managed for low yields with careful selection of grapes for optimal wine fruit production through the advise of consultants, agronomists, and wine experts. The winemaker for this release was Lorenzo Landi. The wine was vinified and bottled in Montecappone's modern updated winery.

In addition to this modest entry level Rosso Piceno DOC label, they also produce more premium labels - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC and Utopia Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Classico DOCG. 

This label is a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. The Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes are vinified separately in concrete tanks with a long maceration on the skins for each. The wines ages for about 4 months in the cellar and an additional 1 month in bottle before release, creating a young wine of great concentration. The wine does not see oak in the vinification or aging process.

This release was given 90 points by Vinous, one less than the 2020 vintage release, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth and balanced, expressive ripe plum and red fruit flavors with dusty chalk and stone character, spice and a touch of earth, leather and smoke on the tangy finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4524787

https://www.montecapponevini.it/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4524787

Central Italy / Marche / Rosso Piceno