Showing posts with label v2021. Show all posts
Showing posts with label v2021. Show all posts

Thursday, December 12, 2024

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


Saturday, August 3, 2024

Italian wine duo for baked Lasagna dinner

Italian wine duo for baked Lasagna dinner

We were invited to neighbors Richard and Adessa’s for dinner of baked lasagna, salad and garlic bread. We took a cheese plate of artisan cheeses with fresh pear and from our cellar a duo of Italian wines, a white and a red.

I wrote recently about a red wine we acquired from the WSJ - Wall Street Journal wine club. This was the other wine included in that offer which I was eager to try. 

It’s always caveat emptor when sampling wines from one of these sources. Both of these labels exceeded our expectations offering wonderful wines at tremendous QPR - Quality Price Ratio value. 

With the cheese and fruit starter course we enjoyed a traditional Italian Piedmont Moscato - perfect for a hot summer evening. 

Albino Rocca Rosso di Rocca Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2021

This was a perfect pairing with the delicious baked lasagna - amplifying the enjoyment of both the food and the wine!

This is from the Albino Rocca Barbaresco vineyards and winery family owned and operated over four generations dating back to the 1940's, when Giacomo Rocca began bottling wine in demijohns. In the 1960's, his son, the proprietors’ grandfather, Albino, expanded the vineyard holdings, eventually operating by his son Angelo Rocca, father of the current generation.

The family has vines in some of the most prestigious Crus of Barbaresco: Ronchi, Ovello, Montersino and Cottà. Albino Rocco produce a dozen labels all sourced from their four estate vineyards located in the most noble areas of production of Barbaresco DOCG, which consist of Nebbiolo and also include Barbera, Dolcetto, Cortese, Chardonnay and Moscato.

They strive to produce the highest quality wines that express the characteristics, purity and elegance that are so recognizably linked with the terrior of their estate.

While their winemaking activities started in the 1940’s, they had previous experience in viticulture starting from the nineteenth century. The family’s vineyard area is almost 50 acres, located in three out of the four productive communes; Barbaresco, Neive, and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio (Alba) as well as various cultivated vines: primarily Nebbiolo, then Barbera, Dolcetto, Cortese, Moscato, and Chardonnay.

This label is sourced from a vineyard in Magliano Alfieri, a municipality on the left side of the river Tanaro, which gave birth to this new version of Nebbiolo, acquired by the family in 2016, with current production wines planted between 1967 and 2002. 

Nebbiolo is the native varietal synonymous with and originated in Piedmont in Italy, where it remains the region's most important red grape. Its name comes from the Italian word nebbia, which means fog, a feature of the hills where the grape traditionally grows. Nebbiolo is thick-skinned, early-budding and late-ripening; it needs long periods of sunshine to ripen fully and is often planted on south- or southwest-facing hillsides for maximum exposure. The best examples come from calcareous marl vineyards, with some planted in sandy soils.

The result was a highly fragrant red wine, with young fruit and flower aromas, fresh flavors that are ready to enjoy.

This is a blend of  Nebbiolo (97%) augmented with a slight bit of Cabernet Franc (3%) which adds some color, structure and flavors of spice. 

Average annual production is about 9000 bottles.

Bright ruby red colored, light-medium bodied, vibrant aromas and flavors of juicy ripe red berry, cherry and pomegranate fruits with floral and subtle earth tones, balanced by vibrant acidity and ultra-fine tannins, with a refreshing lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

Friday, April 26, 2024

Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner

Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner with broad flight of white wines

On Friday evening of our gala SoWal (South Walton Beaches) Wine Festival weekend with our Pour Boys Wine Group at The Cove Vacation Rental in Destin (FL), we prepared John’s Famous Crab Cakes from John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin.

What fun that this week, Taylor Swift released her latest double album to massive fanfare, which we listened to on Satellite Radar on our drive down, and she mentions DESTIN in one of her songs, FLORIDA.

Bob and Gloria brought a selection of artisan cheeses that we served with mixed salad and white wines prior to dinner. 

Destin is called “the world’s luckiest fishing village” due to its historic reputation as a destination for gulf coastal and deep sea fishing. 

Destin’s immediate history is attributed to a fisherman, Leonard Destin, who moved down from New London, Conn., and settled in Northwest Florida about 1845. For decades, he and his descendants fished and navigated the only channel passage to the Gulf of Mexico between Panama City and Pensacola, known as Destin’s East Pass.

Destin is a place where highest quality freshest seafood is readily accessible - direct off the many charter and commercial fishing boats in Destin Harbor, through numerous fresh seafood markets, and of course, at a myriad of daily fresh catch seafood restaurants. 

One of many seafood markets is Sea Market. own and operated by John, a commercial fisherman in his own right. At the Sea Market he sources fresh catch seafood through exclusive arrangements with a dozen local fishing boats - wherein he guarantees to take 100% of their daily catch, and hence has assurance of supply to service his retail and wholesale customers. 


In addition to the fresh local daily catch that regularly includes Grouper, Mahi Mahi, Pompano, Snapper, Cobia and Sea Bass, he also offers shellfish such as Stone Crab and Wild Caught Scottish Salmon which is flown in fresh from Scotland, and prime and exotic meats.

John prepares John and Araya’s Seafood Gumbo, and Chowder, and they are especially known for his “John’s Famous Crab Cakes”. His wife Anaya produces a collection of sauces including Araya’s Seafood Sauce, Tuna Dip, Araya’s Thai Steak Sauce, and John’s Roumalade, for pairing with the seafood. 

On this day, they had already sold out of the Gumbo and Chowder and Crab Cakes but John prepared a new batch of crab cakes for us. 

Pairing with the Crab Cakes we opened a flight of white wines that also featured a medley of premium Chardonnays. When our Pour Boys wine group meets, we have many shared wine experiences so its fun to not only taste fine wines with food, but invariably, it’s a chance to re-live many memorable shared experiences of winery estate visits and previous tastings.   

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2016

This is the Sonoma County project of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. We visited the magnificent Joseph Phelps winery and tasting facility overlooking Phelp's vineyards nestled in its own Spring Valley above St Helena on the western facing foothills of the Vaca range that form the eastern face of Napa Valley. It was a highlight of our Pour Boys 2017 Sonoma/Napa Wine Experience.

This is a more recent vintage of this label that we have shared together and which I wrote about and featured in these pages in an earlier blogpost, excerpted below.

While Phelps produced Napa Valley and Carneros Chardonnays from 1974, they sought a site more suited to Chardonnay. They explored sites across Sonoma County finally settling in the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where, in the late 1990’s, few vineyards existed.

In 1999 they purchased land in Freestone when the area was primarily comprised of cattle, pasture and forest land. The area - just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean - was socked in by fog that lingered into the early afternoon on most summer days. The climate and Goldridge soils were thought to provide a terrior suitable for Burgundy varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 2000, the Pastorale Vineyard, a former dairy farm, was planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2007, the Freestone Winery was built by the Hensel Phelps Construction Company, the company originally founded by Joseph Phelp's father and managed by Joe for decades until he sold the business in the mid-eighties to focus solely on winemaking. Joe Phelps stepped down as Chairman of Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 2005.

Winemakers notes for this release: “The 2016 Chardonnay has a fragrant bouquet mix of honeysuckle, green apple and lemon peel with richly layered baked apple, stone fruit and a light toasty oak influence. A bright and focused wine with a pleasing mouthfeel and a delicate tropical touch to the finish.”

This release was rated 95 points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Light straw colored, medium to full bodied, with crisp tangy acidity, flavorful green apple with creamy tones of minerality and hints of Meyer lemon and lime with a lingering savory finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2683432

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021

This is another producer with which we have a long history going back decades. Bill and I both hold deep vertical collections of this producer and enjoy sharing and comparing them when we get together. Bill and Beth and we toured the winery and obtained wines from their library for a special celebration dinner at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2008.

Later, this weekend at the Wine Festival, we met representatives from Freemark Abbey, (now part of the extensive Jackson Wines portfolio), and tasted some of their premium recent releases. Bill mentioned his long relationship with the brand, and many meetings with wine manager Barry Dodds, so the rep texted Barry a picture of all of us together to which Barry immediately responded citing fondness for Bill and remembrance of many times together. 



According to the producer, “Our 2021 Napa Valley Chardonnay is intended to be the best of both worlds stylistically. The nose opens with rich and layered aromas of pear, mandarine, tuberose, vanilla and oak spice. The palate is met with flavors of brioche, apple pie, lemon curd and fresh pineapple. It has a creamy texture reminiscent of creme brulee with a finish that is bright and complex with incredible length.”

This is sourced from the Ahmann Vineyard in Carneros (38%), the Rancho Sarco Vineuyard on the north east border of the town of Napa, and The Huichica Vineyard located off of Duhig Road in the Napa Carneros subregion, AVA.

The Ahmann Vineyard is located near the Huichica Creek and has that Carneros attributes of a cool growing season complemented which provides long slow ripening that tend to create flavors of apple and citrus.

The Rancho Sarco Vineyard has gravelly clay loam soil that supports Chardonnay ripening to produce flavors of pineapple, apple and peach.

Golden straw colored, medium body, full round flavors of apple and hints of pineapple, peach and lemon citrus with creamy buttery spice and oak on the long finish. 

RM 91 points. 


Gary Farrell Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021

This is another producer that we have visited together and have a history and relationship with since we toured there together as part of our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

I wrote about the Gary Farrell portfolio of Chardonnays in this blogpost about a year ago based on another wine dinner with Pour Boy Dr. Dan, excerpts below.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/05/pour-boys-coq-au-vin-and-wine-dinner.html

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard.

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County.

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. 

Label from 2017

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. 

Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork.

Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014

Visitors to Napa Valley can’t miss the iconic winery estate and Chateau on the highway just north of St Helena. No winery or vineyard embodies more the timeless appeal and seductive flavor of Napa Valley than Beringer Vineyards, Napa's benchmark producer since the establishment of the vineyard in 1876.

Now in its third century of crafting classic wines from Napa's finest appellations and vineyards, Beringer today is guided by the partnership of legendary Winemaster Emeritus Ed Sbragia and Winemaker Laurie Hook. Together, they craft Napa Valley wines that showcase the rich heritage of the Beringer Vineyard, while offering cutting-edge quality and contemporary elegance. Beringer Vineyards’ wines display the dedication and excellence instilled by its founder, Jacob Beringer.

This is the flagship Chardonnay from one of the most storied producers in Napa Valley. Beringer dates back 1868, when Jacob Beringer, emigrated from Germany, and settled in Napa Valley 1869 where the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor resembled that of vineyards back home in Germany. He became cellar foreman for Charles Krug, one of the first commercial winemakers in Napa Valley. In 1875, he and his brother Jacob purchased 215 acres adjacent to Charles Krug in St. Helena for $14,500. The Beringer Brothers' first harvest and crush followed in 1876 producing nearly 40,000 gallons of wine, or 18,000 cases, that first year.

The Beringer Cabernet was named #1 Wine of the Year for the 1986 Cabernet by Wine Spectator (1990 edition). Six years later, Wine Spectator named the 1994 Chardonnay #1 Wine of the Year(1996 edition) - this is special because not only is it the first time a white wine has ever garnered that top spot, but Beringer was the first and only winery to ever have both a red and a white wine in that top slot.

Former Chief Winemakers Myron Nightingale and Ed Sbragia created the Private Reserve program in 1977 as the flagship labels of the portfolio. The Private Reserve Chardonnay was introduced with the 1978 vintage, and together these wines have earned three decades of extraordinary accolades, including two "Wine of the Year" awards.

Always one of the best white wines for the money out of California, Beringer Private Reserve Chard is a big, lush wine that showcases the best of Napa Valley terroir and the vintage. Often a single-vineyard Chardonnay this 2014 was primarily sourced from the Gamble Ranch, located near the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA, this wine highlights the richness and complexity of this varietal and has been a benchmark Chardonnay since its first vintage in 1978. 

Some of the fruit for this vintage release is also sourced from the Home Vineyard on the Beringer estate just on the outskirts of St. Helena. This vineyard was part of the original 215 acres Jacob Beringer purchased in 1875. The Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the sloped sedimentary soil of this 48-acre vineyard has been a key component of our Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon since 1982.Winemaker Notes - “Aromas of grilled pineapple, ripe pear, lemon oil, hazelnut and toasted brioche. A bright fruit core is accentuated by a silky texture and flavors of yellow apple, Asian pear, meyer lemon and a lush, continuous finish.”

This release was awarded 95points by Decanter and James Suckling, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by Vinous. 

This Private Reserve is almost all Gamble fruit and saw about 75-80% new French oak. In 2014, the Private Reserve is a touch restrained, but it is quite attractive just the same. 

Winemaker's tasting notes: "A richly layered wine with aromas of crème brulee and rich citrus and fruit flavors."

Deep golden colored, showing its decade of age, this is nearing the end of its prime drinking window and ready to drink, full bodied, dense, complex, full round flavors of apple with notes of apricot and peach, toasted oak, smoke and toffee and hints of lime on a long finish.

RM 91 points. 



Benziger Family Vineyards Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2021 

This is another producer we know well, that we have visited with fellow Pour Boys. We became acquainted with Benziger Family Sonoma Valley wines when we met Erinn Benziger of Benziger Family Winerywhen she visited Chicago and presented at Binny's Beverage Depot Midwest Wine Expo. We all then visited Benziger Family Estate Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma Valley in the Autumn of 2009 during our Sonoma Wine Experience. Today over a dozen different family members are active in the extended family wine business that prides itself on the extent of its 'green' initiatives - certified sustainable, organic or Biodynamic© wines. A visit to their Sonoma Family Estate is a study in the practice with their numerous exhibits and self guided and formal tours of the property.

Bill and Beth find their premium Sauvignon Blanc as one of their favorite Benziger releases. I found their limited production release cabernet blends to be their most memorable such as their 'Tribute' and 'Signaterra' blends which were the highlight of their Binny's Expo tasting, along with the Sauvignon Blanc. 

Winemaker Notes “Fresh and elegant, this Sauvignon Blanc invites you in with aromas of bright lemon, fresh grass, grapefruit and melon. Enticing citrus flavors are followed by complex minerality. The wine’s acid is both balanced and integrated, giving it a textured mid-palate and an elegant softness.”

Pleasant casual easy sipping nice starter wine to kick off the evening with salad and artisan cheese course. 



Greywacke New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2021 

Lyle brought from his home cellar this spectacular Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, one of our favorites, and at the end of the night/weekend, we hadn’t gotten to it and it was still in the wine cooler. We’ll hold this for a future tasting when we meet again!

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

https://www.destinvacation.com/blog/2016/6/2867/best-seafood-markets-in-destin

Several other great places to buy seafood in Destin are Sexton’s, Blalock, Where Y’At, Joe Patti’s, Harbor Docks, Destin Ice, and Willing

Sexton’s Seafood Market is among the oldest and best seafood markets in Destin, Florida. It’s been around since 1978 on Harbor Boulevard. Their best seller is fresh shrimp, but they also offer other seafood and shellfish such as crab, oyster, tuna, snapper, cobia, and grouper.

Blalock Seafood Market is family-owned and located on the street across Big Kahuna’s Water Park. 

Bestsellers are fresh-caught snow and king crab, oysters, lobsters, scallops, and shrimp. However, they also sell seasonings and sauces, freshly-baked bread, cheeses, local frozen pies, wines, Angus steaks, and Cajun products.

Where Y’At Seafood Market near the Harborwalk is among the unique seafood markets in Destin with its highlight food trailer.

Joe Patti’s, considered one of the best seafood markets in Destin for live seafood market, which can be ordered online. They ship only the freshest catch and guarantee the highest-quality seafood - on-demand fish from them such as lobsters, shrimps, crabs, clams, fillets, and calamari.

Harbor Docks is a restaurant and a seafood market with seafood that’s always fresh and never frozen -
hours may vary since they’re dependent on the fishermen selling their newly-caught fish.Destin Ice offers hghest quality seafood that’s either live, cooked, or ready-to-cook from its site on Harbor Boulevard alongside the other great seafood markets - offering Grouper, tuna, bass, cod, snapper, shrimp, crab, scallop, and salmon, and a meat section with quail, rabbit, duck, venison, steak, lamb, and pork.

Willingham Seafood was started by a fishing enthusiast who used to sell shrimp to Destin’s locals and is the only waterfront seafood market in Okaloosa (County), to both retail and wholesale.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville 

Son Ryan and D-in-law Michelle treated us to dinner at Gordon Ramsey's RK Kitchen in downtown Naperville (IL). This was our first visit to the trendy restaurant that opened in our hometown last summer to much fanfare. 

Readers of these pages know I write often about dinesites and our food and wine restaurant experience. But, up until now I've not had a metricized qualitative or quantitative rating or review system against which to evaluate and compare such restaurants. Based on tonight's, and recent experiences, I felt such a evaluation method with criteria was required and after much thought devised a system to try. 

Using my new system, I evaluated tonight's dining experience. I then went back and retrospectively scored a half dozen recent restaurant experiences as a basis of comparison, evaluating the evaluation system, so to speak. 

Here are my criteria for evaluating a restaurant dining experience, and the associated weight applied to each:

Food - 35 - Selection, quality, creativity or ingenuity, presentation, course pairing, wine pairing

Wine - 35 - Breadth and depth of selection, range of options at various price points, suitability and applicable pairing with the dinner courses

Ambiance - 10| - atmosphere, vibe, comfort, stylishness, general aura

Service - 10 - delivery, attentiveness, professionalism, attitude, overall experience

Value - 10 - value for quality, service, atmosphere, experience

Wow Factor - Lastly, what I simply call the WOW Factor - additional scoring, weighting based on special consideration or  extra credit factors that contribute to the overall experience such that they warrant attention - food and wine pairing - site architecture, location, historical significance, specials ... other ... potential for +10 points

So, here we go, for tonight's experience - 

Food  - 31 - Food was superb in creativity, ingenuity, preparation, quality - downgraded the rating for the only thing lacking, bread or depth of selection choices - only the limited menu choice detracting from score.

Wine - 31 - Same as food, the minimalist winelist offered various options for each course, at multiple price points, but lacking depth and breadth of multiple choices for minimal options for effective wine pairing with each course.

Ambiance - 8 of 10 - chic, stylish, artful, warm, lively and vibrant but a bit noisy and boisterous for optimal comfort. 

 

Service - 9 of 10 - Starting with the host station, going the extra meal to seat us promptly, attending to checking our coats, superb food service, adequate wine service. 

Value - 5 - Expensive, especially taking into account the ala carte sides, and the somewhat limited number of options or alternatives. 

WOW Factor - 8 points extra credit for the up-beat, stylish, quality fixtures, furnishings, layout, design, artfully designed and implemented for a positive experience. 

Total - 92 points.


Our dinner - 

We started with a Wedge Salad which they conveniently served almost family style like a chopped salad making it easy and convenient to share around the table.

Wedge Salad- iceberg, blue cheese, glazed bacon, roasted tomatoes, pickled red onion, chives.

With the salad course we had from the WBTG offerings two sparkling wines - 

Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose'

Lanson Brut NV Champagne 

For our main source entree selections, we had to try the house specialty, Ramsey's signature dish, the Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellingto, potato purée, glazed baby root vegetables, red wine demi, served medium rare.

RK offers a Daily Special so in the spirit of trying out the gourmet chef's selections, Linda ordered the daily special - Lobster Pot Pie -butter-poached lobster, lobster bisque filling served aside for preparation at the table by the diner, pouring into the puff pastry.

We ordered two side dishes, Potato Puree with sour cream and chives, and the Roasted Heirloom Carrots with harissa yogurt, za’atar, brown butter, marcona almonds and mint.

For dessert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding -warm date cake, sweet cream ice cream and english toffee sauce.


Our wine accompaniment pairing with the dinner was a robust full bodied Red Blend. 

Ridge Lytton Springs Red Blend 2021

Once again, as happens often, we drank this same wine, from our cellar, about this same time, two years ago, almost to the day for another dinner tastings - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek ValleyZinfandel 2014. At that time, I wrote about the producer and wine in these pages, Ridge Vineyards  and Lytton Springs.  

We always keep a selection of big robust fruit forward wines for pizza and barbecue - Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Syrah varietals to name a few. We typically hold a half dozen different labels from the various offerings of Ridge Vineyards.

Ridge Vineyards are a legendary producer of a broad portfolio of wines with an extensive line-up of Zinfandels, all from single vineyard designated label sites. 

Ridge has a rich history dating back to 1885 when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, he planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building remains to this day serving as the Ridge production facility.

Ridge have been producing Lytton Spring vineyard wines since 1972 with 100 plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Genache. The site has produced the quintessential example of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. 

The Lytton Springs site lies just north of the town of Healdsburg, just west of Highway 101 in the Dry Creek Valley. The topography consists of a benchland and gently rolling hills. The climate provides foggy mornings turning to warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. Soils are varied with a predominance of gravelly clay, which aids in moisture retention, ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. The Lytton Springs terrior with weathered, agronomically poor soils in the benchland have proven to be an ideal site for Zinfandel vines to produce classic Zinfandel varietal wines.

The Lytton Springs vineyards were part of land once owned by Captain William Litton, who during the last half of the nineteenth century developed the springs and built a hotel just east of the vineyard for San Franciscans who arrived by train to “take the waters.” 

According to the producer's website, Long after the death of Captain Litton, controversy continued in regards to the change from “i” to “y”, as the accepted spelling of the Litton property. According to the text of Once Upon a Time by Julius Myron Alexander, the spelling was changed “because it was proper”. Then, in a 1969 Press Democrat article, Healdsburg City Clerk and local historian, Edwin Langhart, offered a different opinion, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

Ridge Vineyards dates back to 1959 when three scientists from Stanford University's Research Institute (SRI) and their families formed a partnership and bought a property owned by Dr. Short up on Monte Bello Ridge high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of them, David Bennion, made a half barrel of cabernet from the ten year old vines. The partners re-bonded the winery and named it Ridge Vineyards in 1962. That year they produced their first Monte Bello vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ridge produced its first Zinfandel in 1964 from 19th century vines on the Pichetti Ranch near the base of the Monte Bello Ridge. Ridge produced it's first Sonoma County Geyserville Zinfandel in 1966, from vines planted in 1882. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year.

Paul Draper joined the partnership as winemaker in 1969. He was a Stanford graduate in philosophy, and a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge. He had recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range. He oversaw the restoration of the old Perrone winery and vineyards acquired the previous year. 

He first saw the Lytton Springs vineyard in 1972 and, based on its age with 80 years old vines, purchased grapes and produced Ridge’s first Lytton Springs bottling that year. In 1991, on the 20th anniversary of their first vintage, Ridge purchased the Lytton Springs winery and the old vines surrounding it, making it a true estate vineyard.

Paul Draper went on to become a legend with Ridge Vineyards. The Ridge brand grew to a broad portfolio of more than four dozen single vineyard designated label wines from more than two dozen different vineyards. They operate two wineries and hospitality sites, Lytton Springs in Healdsburg up in north Sonoma County and Monte Bello high in the Santz Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley. 

Paul Draper retired in 2016 at age 80, after 47 years as winemaker. Ridge continued on expanding with additional vineyard site purchases include the purchase that year of Whitton Ranch, a 36-acre parcel in the heart of Geyserville.

Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Red Blend 2021

This is a single vineyard designated label, sourced from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Northern Soboma County. The vineyard lies just north of Healdsburg on the benchland where the gently rolling hills separate Dry Creek from Alexander Valley. 

Lytton Springs is named after Captain William H. Litton and two naturally occurring springs that were located on the original property. Litton worked as a ship’s pilot in the San Francisco Bay in the mid nineteenth century before acquiring the large tract of land in 1860. The property straddled the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys that extended from the southernmost boundaries of Geyserville to the northern limits of the fledgling town of Healdsburg, with the Russian River serving as its eastern boundary. The property was originally part of the Rancho Sotoyome land grant of the 1840’s. By 1867, Captain Litton was considered the fourth largest property owner in Sonoma County. 

In 1872, the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad linked Healdsburg and points north with the Bay area. In an attempt to attract tourists, Captain Litton and three partners built a resort hotel on the site in 1875, known as “Litton Springs” for the popular soda springs that were located half a mile uphill from the original hotel site. The naturally carbonated seltzer, or sweetwater, springs were considered to have medicinal value for their mineral properties. The springs still exist today and their presence was one of the primary reasons that underground caves were never built underneath the winery.

Captain Litton sold the 2700 acre property, including the hotel in 1878. Over the next couple of decades, the resort property was bought and sold and subdivided into smaller parcels by various owners. 

 According to the producer's website, “It appears the name was changed in error by a draftsman or some other official, and it has stayed ‘Lytton’ ever since:’ Whatever the reason, records show that by 1896, most official documents had adopted the ‘Lytton’ spelling.

 The vineyards were first established on the property in 1901 with the hillside vineyard blocks on the eastern portion of Lytton Springs, followed by vineyard blocks on the flats in 1910. To this day, Lytton Springs is home to those 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Grenache.

 The site is ideal for Zinfandel with foggy mornings, warm, sunny afternoons and breezy late evenings. The agronomically poor soils are gravelly clay which holds moisture ensuring that the grapes ripen slowly. 

This label was first produced in 1972.

I write regularly in these pages about the pairing of wine with food. This wine was too bold and rich for the Beef Wellington, which would've been better suited with a more balanced and finely integrated Red Blend. 

This vintage release is a red blend of 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut and 1% Counoise.

This label release was awarded 95+ Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, 94 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles and 94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 93 Points by Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com.

Winemaker Notes

"Rich blackberry and plum on the nose with notes of aniseed. Full-bodied with dark bramble fruit and well-coated tannins on the palate. The long finish reveals layers of black licorice and dried sage.'

"Lytton Springs has become synonymous with classic Dry Creek zinfandel. It shows potent, ripe boysenberry and blackberry, but also a pronounced rusticity and earthiness often attributed to its blending varietals; petite sirah and carignane. Acid and tannin are firm, yet not overwhelming; in youth, at least, fruit predominates. This balanced, powerful wine becomes more nuanced with age, and it often holds for more than a decade."

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, a cacophony of bright, vibrant expressive, full round ripe red and black brambly fruit flavors accented by sweet spices, clove and cinnamon, full tannins on the finish. May be better with some age to further integrate.

RM  92 points.

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https://www.ridgewine.com/product/2021-lytton-springs/

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