Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering
Visiting, The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we hosted our neighbors in what has become a rather regular gathering where we have great fun, food, wine and fellowship.
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| Some of the revelers … |
Linda prepared and set out an extensive selection of small plate offerings that included flank steak, potatoes, brussel sprouts, sourdough toast points, bacon-wrapped-figs, cheese and veggie plates, caprese pizza’s and homemade brownies and cheesecake.
Artisan cheese included aged gouda, havarti, honey infused goat cheese, and cinnamon cranberry infused goat cheese.
We set out a selection of beverages, artisan and craft beers, popular mixed drinks, and a medley of wines, white, red and dessert …
For those that followed the ‘wine flight’, served in order, white to red to dessert, lightest to boldest and biggest we served in the following order …
The White wines flight -
Schweiger Vineyards Sonoma Valley Uboldi Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023
Jermann "Where Dreams have no end ..." Bianca Venezia Giulia Chardonnay 2017
This is a fun label to serve. This whimsically named label was inspired and created by the song “Where the streets have no name” from the U2 rock group′s album “The Joshua Tree” produced in 1987. It is also the bottle that was featured in the movie “Parent Trap” during the romantic dinner at the opening scene. I wrote about this wine and producer in an earlier blogpost Jermann “Where Dreams have no end …”
This label is primarily Chardonnay with a small amount of blended white grapes from the local area of Dolegna del Collio
It was straw colored, medium bodied with what James Suckling writes eloquently about the wine .... "it offers charm and complexity, with aromas of rare elegance and refinement. Exotic hints of ripened fruit, melted butter, vanilla and pastry prevail. In the mouth it keeps all the promises made to the nose, follows through on them, and embellishes them with gentle flavours and aromatic nuances that are fresh and persistent."
James Suckling gave the wine 95 points.
We found this straw colored, medium bodied, notes of creamy pear, apple and citrus with hints of pineapple, moderate acidity and toasty spice notes.
RM 89 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3350235
The Red wines flight …
For the red flight, we started with a traditional French Burgundy (Bourgogne). This was gifted from neighbors Chuck and Debbie during an earlier gathering, and we never got around to opening it and saved it for tonight.
Domaine Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2021
This is from prolific well known producer, Domaine Faiveley who produce a broad portfolio of Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, from this basic label to the premium Grand Cru and ultra-premium Premiere Grand Cru.
The largest family domaine in Burgundy dates back seven generations to 1825. The sixth generation François Faiveley manages an estate of vineyards, fractured by French inheritance laws, that today covers 120 hectares across more appellations including Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise,in their entirety (monopoles) than any other domaine in Burgundy.
Today, François has been joined by seventh generation offspring siblings, brother and sister, Ewan and Eve Faiveley. Born and bred in the Burgundian sub-appellation of Nuits-Saint-Georges, they both left the region to gain worldly experiences, then returned to work together managing the family business domaine.
Erwan Faiveley took over running the family wine domaine fifteen years ago after spending time in Dijon, then Paris, and traveling a great deal during his studies.
He is joined by his sister Eva who spent time in Barcelona, then the US, before returning to Paris where she worked in the luxury cosmetics industry, before returning to the Domaine in 2014, joining her brother Erwan.
Clive Coates M.W. (Master of Wine) writes, "Faiveley’s wines are... supremely clean and elegant: definitive examples of Pinot Noir... above all they have richness and breed, the thumbprint of a master winemaker."
This wine is vinified from grapes grown in the Domaine’s vineyards as well as selected grapes and musts from its partner grower/producers. The wines was aged 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels and stainless steel vats before bottling.
Producer’s tasting notes - “Beautiful ruby color. This wine has pleasant, fresh, red-fruit aromas on the nose, which we also savor on the palate. It has rich and very ripe substance, with fine round tannins. It’s a very well structured and pleasant wine.”
The notable New York wine merchant Zachy’s writes: “A classic expression of Burgundy's Pinot Noir, Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 is a wine of exceptional quality. This wine boasts a harmonious blend of red fruit, spice, and earth, with a subtle minerality and a lingering finish.
Winemaker Notes - “Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a beautiful ruby color. This wine has pleasant, fresh, red-fruit aromas on the nose, which we also savor on the palate. It has a rich and very ripe substance, with fine round tannins. It’s a very well structured and pleasant wine.”
https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4519432
https://domaine-faiveley.com/en/#
Château La Clarière Côtes de Castillon Bordeaux 2022
Château La Clarière 2022 is a highly awarded, rich, and full-bodied Merlot-based red blend from the Côtes de Castillon appellation in Bordeaux, created by British wine merchant and producer Tony Laithwaite.
Since Tony Laithwaite first worked in Castillon in 1967, he has been a champion of the region. As Wine International wrote: “If it weren’t for the line dividing Castillon from Saint-Emilion, its wines would be twice the price. The hills are the same, the soil is the same, the exposure is the same.”
“In 1980 Tony bought Château La Clarière and has been proving this point ever since, winning Golds and Trophies, and twice the coveted Paris’ Lauréat Prix d’Excellence. The team has led the field in innovation too and no expense is spared: low yields for intensity, rigorous sorting for quality, and ageing in the finest new French oak. This is the fine claret from Tony's family estate from a lovely ripe vintage.”
It offers ripe plum, blackberry, and spice notes with 16 months of French oak aging.
With four Trophies and 80+ Golds, Château La Clarière is clear proof that Castillon wines can surpass those of next-door Grand Cru St-Émilion. From the 5-Star 2022 vintage, this is a silky claret, with bright fruit intensity and velvety depth..
This is a classic Right Bank Bordeaux Blend - 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.
Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 90 points.
This is from the lesser appellation Côtes de Castillon, neighbor to the more prestigious highly acclaimed St Emilion, and as written above, carried its weight, exceeding expectations, meeting high standards of its more prestigious neighbor.
Garnet colored, medium full bodied, nicely structured and balanced black fruits are accented by lively clove spice, black tea and tobacco with soft polished acidity on the smooth finish.
RM 91 points.
The next wine served was a Bordeaux that we discovered, tasted and acquired during the Bordeaux wine dinner at the local Wine World back in January, 2024.
Château Godard Bellevue L'Etoile du Château Godard Bellevue 2019This Bordeaux red wine is from the small lesser appellation
Côtes de Bordeaux, the youngest AOC appellation in Bordeaux, created in 2009, created from the merging of four previously recognized communes, Cotes de Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux, Cotes de Castillon, and Cotes de Francs. The appellation consists of 12,653 hectares cultivated with vines.
Amazingly, the Cotes de Bordeaux appellation produces close to 14% of all Bordeaux wine with more than 1,500 growers actively making wine.
Over 95% of production is red wine, primarily comprised of Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Malbec. A small amount of white wines are also produced.
The vineyards are located on the hillsides ("côtes") on the Right Bank of the Dordogne/Garonne rivers and along the Gironde Estuary. They are characterized by clay-limestone and gravelly soils.
The region produces user-friendly, value-driven, and often "ready to drink" compared to more prestigious, heavily tannic Bordeaux wines. They generally are high QPR - Quality Price Ratio wines, due to their lesser prestige compared to the higher profile neighbors St. Emilion or Pomerol appellations, which command higher prices. The best terroirs of Cotes de Bordeaux are similar to St. Emilion or Pomerol, especially at the top estates.
The Sub-Appellations are:
Blaye – Côtes de Bordeaux: The largest, located on the right bank of the Gironde Estuary.
Cadillac – Côtes de Bordeaux: Located on the right bank of the Garonne river.
Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux: Situated east of Saint-Émilion.
Francs – Côtes de Bordeaux: The smallest and most easterly appellation.
Sainte-Foy – Côtes de Bordeaux: The newest addition to the group.
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This limited production wine is 100% Merlot with annual production of a mere 3000 bottles. It was aged 17 months in 100% new oak barrels.
Despite its small production and moderate price, this wine is packaged in a heavier oversized bottle.
Dark garnet colored, blackberry and black currant fruits with earthy notes, moderate tannins and medium acidity on a complex finish.
Miner Family Winery "The Oracle" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2019
This is another wine we have fun with since our son works for Oracle, the enterprise software giant. Also, Linda’s hometown, Delphi, Indiana high school mascot and sports teams were the Oracles.
Miner Family Winery was founded by Dave Miner with their first vintage in 1996. Dave was born in Chicago and then lived in Southern California for a number of years, graduating from the University of California, San Diego with degree in English and American Literature. It was during this time that he became interested in wine.
Dave was working for then upstart Oracle in software sales when his uncle Bob Miner, who happened to be one of the co-founders of Oracle, was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and passed away prematurely in 1994 at age 52. In his final days, Bob asked Dave to help him manage the operations at the family vineyards and winery Oakville Ranch, (predecessor to Oracle Family Winery). Dave quit his sales job and joined Oakville Ranch which at the time owned the property that is now Miner Family Winery. At the time they made a limited amount of wine and operated a custom crush facility. Miner Family Wines was one of their c
lients. We still hold several vintage labels of Oakville Ranch in our home cellar which we have featured in this blogposts such as this one - Oakville Ranch Vineyard Napa Cabernet.
In 1999 Dave and his wife Emily (who worked at Oakville Ranch) purchased the winery and accompanying 18 acres. They were not able to plant vineyards on their steep hillsides due to the county ordinance prohibiting new vineyards on slopes greater then 20%, they opted to install solar cells instead – some 1,750 panels. Miner Family only owns 1/2 acre of vineyards; a tiny vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in front of the winery. They source premium grapes for their wines from partner growers mainly in Napa Valley.
The Minor winery is located just above the valley floor – high enough in elevation that one has panoramic views looking over the vines to the west and the Mayacamas mountain range.
Emily died in 2011 at age 41 from lung cancer despite having never smoked. The winery now produces Emily’s Cuvée with a portion of the sales of this wine benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Miner produce a range of Burgundian wines, several Chardonnays and some Pinot Noirs. They also produce some Rhone style wines based on Rhone varietals, and some other varietal wines, not typically produced in Napa Valley. These wines include Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, as well as the traditional Napa Valley Bordeaux varietals.
This is the flagship Oracle label, a Bordeaux blend produced from select premium Bordeaux varietals sourced from Napa Valley. The 2019 release is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, sourced from the legendary Stagecoach Vineyard and Volker Eisele Vineyard.
This released was rated 96 points by The Wine Independent. 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, 92 points by James Suckling.
This ultra-premium label was the WOTN - Wine of the Night for several of the folks, with the overachieving Château La Clarière being second.
Winemaker Notes - Miner Family's flagship wine, a full-bodied, red blend, grants a nod toward elegance. This Bordeaux-style blend is silky, reserved and supremely balanced. Lush aromatics of raspberry and dark cherry with a hint of eucalyptus, The Oracle is decadent, but with finesse. Earthiness and layers of dried flowers and cocoa integrate harmoniously into a finely balanced marriage between tannin and acid, providing the structure that ensures, like all impeccable beauties, this wine is sure to age gracefully.
Deep garnet-purple colored, full bodied, complex and concentrated, tightly structure yet elegant, nicely balanced and polished, black raspberry, blackberry and blueberry fruits accented by notes of cassis, dark chocolate, black tea and hints of leather and lavender, with firm, fine-grained tannins, on the long fragrant finish.
RM 93 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4255911
We finished with a couple dessert wines, a fun comparison of contrasting varietals and styles, from Austria and a French Sauterne.
Kracher Auslese Cuvee 2009
Alois Kracher Cuvee Auslese is a sweet dessert wine from the
Burgenland, Austria region, from their 50-acre estate in the town of Illmitz, Austria, in the eastern lake region along the border of Hungary.
Alois Kracher studied chemistry and took over the property developed decades earlier by his father, in 1981. Alois became known as Austria’s premier winemaker and the European wine industry’s unofficial ambassador of sweet white wines. He died at age 49 in 2007 from cancer.
Today the estate is run by Alois’ son Gerhard.
Kracher produces a range of wines, all dessert style, based on Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Scheurebe, Traminer and Muskat-Ottonel grapes, all made in the sweet “trockenbeerenauslee” (TBA) style.
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The wines are a product of the unique microclimate near Lake Neusiedl, which encourages ‘noble rot’ (botrytis cinerea) which allows the creation of the ultrasweet grapes used in producing dessert wines. Leaving the grapes to age on the vines, they become infected with Botrytis cinerea, causing them to shrivel on the vine, into raisin like berries resulting in concentrated sugars and acids.
This 2009 release is a ‘Cuvee’ or blend, composed primarily of Chardonnay, 60%, with the Austrian varietal Welschriesling, 40%. The union between Chardonnay and Welschriesling grapes, which are picked as late as possible, later than the other varietals allowing the grapes to ripen completely and take on the noble rot which results in the maximum sweetness in the grapes.
Tea colored, full bodied, lush, complex concentrated unctuous balanced notes of sweet pear, apricot, hints of honey, and citrus.
RM 89 points
Château Cantegril Barsac Bordeaux 2019
This is a highly-regarded, unclassified sweet dessert wine produced by the Dubourdieu family, owners of the winery since 1924. The Dubourdieu family also owns Chateau Doisy Daene a producer of Classified Sauternes.
Chateau Cantegril has a 22 hectare plot on the chalky plateau of the Haut Barsac. It is located where once a fortified castle of the same name stood back in the Middle Ages.
Barsac dessert wines tend to provide high QPR - quality price ratios, as more modest variations of the neighboring Sauternes, which tend to be slightly sweeter and richer, and far more expensive, due to the very small yield of the late harvested grapes ‘Botrytisized’ grapes.
It is a blend of primarily Sémillon, 65%, and Sauvignon Blanc, 35%, grapes grown in limestone-rich soils.
Fermentation takes place in barrels having separated each sorted pick of each individual plot. It is aged 12 months in french oak barrels.
Annual Production is 30 000 bottles
Golden colored, full bodied, thick unctuous, rich, sweet nutty caramel fruits, with notes of pear, white flowers, ginger and passionfruit, citrus, honey, and spice with balanced acidity.
RM 89 points.
