Neighborhood Wine Tasting and Small Bites Gathering

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. 

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. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5037569

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 2019

This 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.

RM 88 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4918118

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 clients. 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

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/1106031

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. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wineFamily/1407573

Marina Cafe Wine Dinner

Fabulous Seafood and Wine dinner at Marina Cafe , Destin (FL)

Visiting, The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we dined with neighbors Richard and Victoria at the  Marina Cafe, downtown Destin on Harbor Boulevard on the waterfront overlooking the Destin marina and harbor. 

We arrived shortly before 5PM opening to find a long line of people waiting to get in, an indication of the immense popularity of this local institution, promoted as “the most awarded restaurant in Destin”.. 

Marina Cafe is an upscale steakhouse with an extensive menu offering the local fresh catch seafood, pasta, sushi, wood-fired pizzas, and dishes with Creole, Mediterranean, and Pan-Asian influences, and an extensive wine list.

They offer a variety of dining options, the entire dinning room offers marina/harbor views through the wall of allow to ceiling windows, outdoor seating on the waterside patio, and a wildly popular trendy lounge with full bar. 

During the right season, there are also breathtaking sunset views as well.

Tonight, Thursday, was their “Little Black Dress” night featuring life music in the lounge with classical jazz saxophonist Ike Barkley and vocalist. The line of folks waiting outside streamed in as the doors opened to secure seats. 

From the menu we ordered several seafood selections - The Redfish special, Seared Grouper and the Seabass. 

I ordered the Seared Grouper with oven roasted purple Peruvian potatoes, pineapple rum cream sauce, mango papaya salsa. I have to say it was among the best dinners ever in Destin! 

The others ordered the Pan Seared Red Snapper - blackened red snapper, dirty rice, corn maque choux, creole crawfish cream sauce (above), and the Seared Sea Bass with garlic risotto, garlic braised spinach, lemon burre blanc (below). All the entrees were delicious.  

We took advantage of the BYOB policy and brought our own wine - a red and a white. 

Richard brought this vintage aged St Emilion Grand Cru. 

Château Clos des Prince Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux 2014 

Clos des Prince produce this classic Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from their small 7 1/2 acre vineyard located 25 km east of Saint-Émilion, from vines with an average age of 48 years planted to roughly 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Annual production averages about 12,000 bottles.

Winemaking: The winery uses organic and biodynamic practices. The wine is aged in a mix of new (70%) and one-year-old (30%) barrels. 

This represents the classic style and profile of Saint-Émilion wines with notes of sweet berries and currants transitioning into floral hints. Some profiles highlight more complex undertones of stones, dark fruits, and tangier citrus notes like tangerine.

 

The 2014 Clos des Prince Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a classic Right Bank red Bordeaux blend, typically 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

The 2014 vintage received a score of 88/100 from James Suckling.

Producer/Distributor’s Tasting Notes: “Notes of sweet berries and currants transitioning into floral hints. Some profiles highlight more complex undertones of stones, dark fruits, and tangier citrus notes like tangerine.’

“Palate: Described as having a solid core of fruit supported by superpolished, medium tannins. It generally presents a medium to full body with a focused, delineated structure.”

The 2014 vintage in Saint-Émilion was generally considered a solid, classic year, particularly good for Merlot on the Right Bank. 

At a dozen years, this was likely at the apex of its drinking window, having had an ideal few years to soften and integrate after release, 

Pleasant drinking, dark garnet colored medium full bodied, structured but smooth soft polished sweet dark berry currant fruits with notes of stone minerality, leather, black tea and floral notes with polished structured tannins.

RM 91 points

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/2162596

Venge Vineyards Brown Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019

We brought from our home cellar one of our favorite Chardonnay’s currently at the apex of its drinking profile, from one of our favorite producers. We’ve written often in these pages how we have fun with this “V” label, that we serve with our daughter-in-law Vivianna. Tonight, we brought this to serve with our friend Victoria! 

We’ve featured this label in numerous blogposts, excerpted here. 

Venge Brown Ranch Chardonnay and Venge Vineyards Napa Valley Brown Ranch Carneros Chardonnay 2019

The name Venge has been synonymous with Napa Valley wines for as long as I have been of drinking age since the '70's, but the Venge family wine affiliation actually goes back much earlier, to when Knud Venge emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the early 1900’s. Knud's son, Per Venge, entered in the wine and spirits business and started Vencom Imports, focusing on importing Western European wines and spirits. Per's son, Nils Venge, started in, then left the family business in the 1960's to study viticulture at UC Davis and set the family name in the California winegrowing community.

The Venge family planted viticultural roots in 1976 with the purchase of a 17-acre estate in the Oakville District that was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, establishing them among the winemaking pioneers of Napa Valley.

Buddy, AJ with Nils and Kirk Venge

We met Nils and Dianna Venge on numerous occasions at Napa events and visiting the Venge Vineyards in Oakville during the nineties. We first met their son, Kirk Venge, who engaged in winemaking from an early age while they were developing the Rossini Ranch Vineyards, Winery and caves up in Calistoga. We visited Nils at the Penny Lane Family Reserve Vineyard in Oakville, then drove up to meet Kirk at the Rossini Ranch site in the eastern foothills of Palisade Mountain near Calistoga back in 2002. 

Kirk took over Venge Vineyards in 2008 and has established himself as a talented winemaker making wines in his own style. Kirk has continued the Napa Valley heritage crafting wines from select vineyard sites across Napa and Sonoma Counties worthy of bearing the Venge family name.

We've been collecting Venge wines since their earliest days. We now have fun collecting them with their notable "V" branding to enjoy with our daughter-in-law, Vivianna, as her 'signature' wines, and tonight with friend Victoria. .  

This is a single vineyard designated label sourced from the 30 acre Brown Ranch Vineyard in Carneros, named for the previous cattle rancher owner Nadine Brown. The vineyard is bordered by HdV’s Hyde Vineyard and Beaulieu’s Vineyard No.9 on Old Sonoma Road in the Carneros district, straddling the rolling hills in the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the nearby San Pablo Bay, combined with the abundant midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing elegant wines that combine power and finesse, with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.

The property, formerly associated with Saintsbury Winery, was purchased in 2012 by the Renterias. 

The Brown Ranch’s hillside alluvial soils, with Dijon Clone 76 set into the pre-existing rootstock, produces this rich full round Chardonnay, worthy of the iconic Venge name.

Winemaker's notes: The Dijon Clones are modern strains of Chardonnay carefully isolated from grapevine nursery blocks in France. These strains are selected for their incredible ability to produce the best of what the varietal has to offer and therefore have become quite popular with cool climate growers today. The cool and often foggy climate of the Brown Ranch Vineyard, located in central Carneros, Napa, allows for a slow growing season and optimal ripening. This climate aids in the balancing of acidity and lifting tropical aromas in the fruit and thus, in the finished wine. The vines were carefully hand harvested and delivered cool to the winery.

 

Winemaker's Notes: "This wine is stylish and freshly balanced, featuring a light, pale straw presence in the glass with a bouquet of fresh orange citrus, toasted pine nuts, mild allspice, rocky flints, and toasted oak. Crisp, savory pineapple, sweet delicious apple, savory stone fruit, and ripe pear lead into mouthwatering deliciousness. 

The grapes are blended into used French Oak barrels according to a Burgundian style of winemaking, light handed on the usage of new French Oak keeping it to an average of 45%.

This is one of our favorite chardonnays in our cellar right now, produced by Kirk Venge, son of Napa historic and legendary winemaker, Nils Venge. We met Kirk during a visit to Venge Vineyards back in 2005. He has since taken over the family business and developed his own portfolio and brands sourced from several properties across Napa and Sonoma Counties. 

I wrote in more detail about Kirk in a post "Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge" back in 2021.

This single vineyard designated label is from the 30 acre Brown Ranch (formerly associated with Saintsbury Winery and formerly a cattle grazing ranch taking its name from the former owner, Nadine Brown). The vineyard is bordered by two well known storied vineyards, HdV’s Hyde Vineyard and Beaulieu’s Vineyard No.9 on Old Sonoma Road. 

Sitting down in the Los Carneros region at the bottom of Napa Valley where it converges with the bottom of Sonoma Valley, near the confluence of San Pablo Bay. The cool and often foggy climate effects of the Bay allows for a slow growing season and optimal ripening. This climate aids in the balancing of acidity and lifting tropical aromas in the fruit and the resulting finished wine. 

The property was purchased in 2012 by the Renterias when many of the twenty nine acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines were afflicted with a fungi disease, Eutypa (otherwise known as the Dead-arm Dieback) causing trunks or arms of the vines to essentially rot and die. Rather than pulling all of these vines out, their vineyard management team decided to keep the rootstock, cut off the trunk just above the soil and allow a bud from the varietal to grow, training it into a new trunk and then trellising it when it became of size. The Brown Ranch’s hillside alluvial soils, with Dijon Clone 76 set atop pre-existing rootstock, make a Chardonnay that is worthy of producing under the Venge name.

Similarly, this Brown's Ranch chardonnay produced from uniquely afflicted vines is rich, full, round and forward yet stylish and balanced.

Winemakers notes: "A light, pale straw presence in the glass with a bouquet of fresh orange citrus, toasted pine nuts, mild allspice, rocky flints, and toasted oak. Crisp, savory pineapple, sweet delicious apple, savory stone fruit, and ripe pear lead into mouthwatering deliciousness."
 
The Dijon Clones are modern strains of Chardonnay carefully isolated from grapevine nursery blocks in France. These strains are selected for their incredible ability to produce the best of what the varietal has to offer and therefore have become quite popular with cool climate growers today.  

The wine is produced according to a Burgundian practice of winemaking wherein the grapes are traditionally whole cluster pressed and allowed to cold settle prior to filling once used French Oak barrels. Venge says their 'light handed usage of new French Oak, keeping it to an average of 45% of their Chardonnay, with gentle stirring of the lees in the early stages of ageing, further develops refined richness and length of body, while keeping the wine clean and fresh'. The wine is aged for 15 months. 65% native malolactic fermentation to build complexity and body, without compromising the structural integrity of the wine.

Bottled unfiltered, 395 cases were produced.

Consistent with our tasting note published back in 2022; This is one of our favorite chardonnays in our cellar that is drinking very well right now. Golden straw colored, medium full bodied, rich, round flavorful apple and pear fruits with layers of notes of caramel crème brûlée, mineral and citrus mineral and citrus with spicy oak grapefruit, ginger and a touch of peach and almond nut cream, with bright acidity, depth and balance on a full long finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3884491

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/07/venge-vineyards-napa-valley-brown-ranch.html

https://www.vengevineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/VengeVineyards

@VengeVineyards 

https://marinacafe.com/

Delightful wine lunch at Vintij Grand Boulevard

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental home, we had a delightful wine lunch at Vintij Wine Bar at Grand Boulevard shopping center in Sandestin, one of favorite outings we try to take in every trip. 

We had a delightful lunch sitting outside on the patio at Vin’tij Wine Bar in the tony Grand Boulevard shopping center, where you can purchase a bottle and enjoy with small bites, lunch or dinner. 

I wrote about Vin’tij and their extensive wine shop selection in this blogpost last autumn - Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin.

Before lunch we had the delicious Bread Basket with olive oil, Roasted Garlic, Marinated Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Fresh Basil and Parmesan Cheese.

For lunch, Linda order the Seared Ahi Tuna with marinated cucumber Marinated Cucumber Salad, Sriracha Kewpie Mayonnaise, Chili Oil & Ponzu.

I order the Mango Ginger Salmon with stir fried vegetable cous-cous. It was delicious, as good as any salmon entree I’ve ever encountered. 

We purchased in the wineshop this Napa Valley Chardonnay from a favored producer we know well. 

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023 

Pride Mountain Vineyards sits high atop Spring Mountain, above St Helena at 2,100 feet, at the mountain summit above the town of St Helena in the Mayacamas Range that forms the western wall of Napa Valley. 

Pride is one of two Napa/Sonoma Valley producers whose vineyards span the summit which is the border between Napa and Sonoma Valleys. 

While this wine is sourced from Napa Valley and therefore labeled as such, some Pride labels are designated Napa/Sonoma Valley. The other producer is Constant Vineyards, high atop Diamond Mountain, at the north end of the Mayacamas range.

We own several vintages of Pride Napa Valley wines, mostly reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

We visited the Pride Mountain Vineyards high atop Spring Mountain back in 1999 and 2000 when we tasted and acquired a case of their wines.

The vineyards and wine production date back to 1869 according to archived records. The original structure was destroyed by fire after Prohibition. Pride Mountain Vineyards built the current building as part of a complete renovation of their estate in 1997.

Due to the property's unique location at the summit, atop the mountain straddling Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west, the winery is required to maintain two separate facilities, one in Napa and the other in Sonoma. The property line is divided down the center of the crush pad.

As mentioned above, Pride Mountain Vineyards labels may be designated Napa Valley, Sonoma County or both, depending on the source of the blend. Pride Mountain Vineyards brands their estate, "One Ranch, Two Counties."

Pride Mountain Vineyards consists of three vineyards totaling 235 acres on Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range that separates the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Their distinctive terroir with their high elevation includes soil of volcanic rocks, gravel loam and stones along with some clay. There they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay and Viognier in 40 different blocks produced in fifty lots of wines that varies from vintage to vintage.

This wine is 100% Chardonnay, sourced from multiple vineyard sites, produced mainly from purchased fruit, primarily from Carneros, 30% of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation. It was aged in 90% Neutral Oak and 10% New French Oak. Production of this release was 2617 cases.

James Suckling on JamesSuckling.com rating this release 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 92 points, Antonio Galloni of Vinous rated it 91, and Jeb Dunnuck gave it 90 points. 

Winemaker notes - “The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay is a beautiful, generous expression of Napa Valley fruit at its freshest and finest. The 2023 growing season was long and even, which layered in profound complexity to this wine. Overflowing with aromas of juicy pear and nectarines, the first sip is dominated by mouthwatering minerality, balanced by a delightful salinity, and accented by an intriguing touch of lime zest. While this wine is perfect for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner or fresh Dungeness crab, it will equally captivate you when enjoying a glass or two on its own.”

Pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, nice ‘balance between power and finesse’, bright, ‘focused and quite steely’, notes of citrus fruits with hints of pear and orange blossom, white flowers and bit of cinnamon with bright acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5146159

https://www.pridewines.com/wine/our-wines/pride-chardonnay/2023-chardonnay/

https://www.pridewines.com/

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s

Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin/Miramar Beach

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental, we dined at Captain Dave’s, a favorite, a local institution, and a short walk down the beach from our house. 

Captain Dave’s On The Gulf is the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, (FL), family owned and operated since 1968. It offers beach front views from the spacious high ceiling dining room overlooking the gulf. 

Before dinner we sat on the deck overlooking the beach to watch the sunset with a Captain Dave’s Rum Punch. 

Tonight was a replay of a previous visit to this restaurant from last fall, when we even ordered the same entrees as tonight - Nickel & Nickle Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin.

We each ordered our favorite entrees - Linda the Coconut crusted shrimp …. 

… I ordered the Captain Daves signature Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi. 

We took BYOB this Chardonnay from Sta Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County that we just picked up at Wine World in Destin. It proved to be a huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio value for easy sipping Chardonnay. We liked it so much, we went back and picked up a couple more bottles.  

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to produce wines that reflect the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of California’s Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County.

Sant Rita Hills has one of the coolest climates on the west coast, Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, with a long growing season, making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The unique topology where the valleys run perpendicular to the coast funnels the maritime influences through the hills to the small appellation that is filled with variations in soil, aspect and micro-climates to produce terroir ideal for those varietals. 

Greg Brewer also produces Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay which we have enjoyed in the recent past, another high QPR easy sipping Chardonnay. We wrote about it in these pages in this recent blogpost - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.

We visited the Brewer Clifton tasting room in the town of Los Olivos during our Santa Barbara Country wine experience back in 2023. 

Jeb Dunnuck gives their Sta Rita Hills estate Chardonnay 95 points and writes, “I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.”  That release was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 93 points by Wine Spectator.

This was pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, crisp, clean and pure with bright vibrant, intense Meyer Lemon citrus, accented by notes of pear and hint of green apple fruits, with tangy acidity, and expressive mineral on and a great lingering finish. So bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. 

It was so bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood, which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. It was great with our seafood entrees.

This release was aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels but any sense of oakiness is muted. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5299506

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/brewer-clifton

https://www.captdavesonthegulf.com/

Birthday celebration dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse Naperville

Birthday celebration dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse Naperville

Last week we had a birthday celebration dinner with two of our kids and spouses, featured in these pages in this blogpost - Birthday dinner celebration at Petit Vie Western Springs.

 

Tonight, we had another birthday celebration dinner with son Ryan and his family, dining at Morton’s Steakhouse, Naperville for a festive dinner. 

Naturally we ordered steaks, all prepared and presented perfectly, including my special “‘Pittsburgh style’, hot pink center, charred”.

For starters each couple share a wedge salad. 

For sides we ordered the Mashed Potato’s and the spinach and Brussels sprouts. 

I brought BYOB from our home cellar a couple special bottles from which to choose for pairing with dinner. We opted for this premium Washington State Columbia Valley Right Bank Bordeaux Blend. 

Force Majeure Épinette Red Mountain Red Blend 2015

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label while visiting the producer during our Walla Walla Wine Experience in 2018, which we featured in this blogpost - Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting.

Épinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to the locale's in Washington state.

Bordeaux blend in the 'Right Bank' style meaning it is primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

The 2015 is blended in a Pomerol style, 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in the lower areas of the Red Mountain vineyard with its  deep, well-drained soils.

The Red Mountain Right-bank Bordeaux inspired blend, “Épinette,” spent 22 months in 75% new French oak after a long maceration and fermentation in both concrete and stainless steel vats. 

The blend changes each vintage, either being dominated by Merlot or Cabernet Franc, but in 2015 it is driven by Merlot grown in deep, loamy soils found in the heart of our vineyard. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Force Majeure Épinette was the perfect complement to our aged prime steak dinner, perfectly prepared 'Pittsburgh' style, served with mashed potatoes. 

This release was rated 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, and  90 points by Wine Spectator 

Silky tannin' 'Legs' of Force Majeure Epinette

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant forward black berry, ripe black raspberry and black current fruits with notes of cigar box, mocha chocolate, hints of leather, anise, graphite and spicy oak with gripping but approachable silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4507644

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

https://www.mortons.com/location/mortons-the-steakhouse-naperville-il/#menus

Tonight tasting was consistent with another tasting recently of this same label that we took BYOB at another steak dinner, featured in detail and replayed below. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/08/vintij-sandestin-food-and-wine-dinner.html

Vin’Tij SanDestin Food and Wine Dinner 

After a fun-filled afternoon of wine paired with foods at Vin’Tij Food & Wine, we booked a table for a follow-on Saturday night dinner. I wrote about that wine tasting in this blogpost - Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin.

The plan was to drink BYOB one of the ultra-premium bottles we purchased in the Vin’Tij Wine Boutique for the occasion.

I write often in these pages about the price charged by restaurants for their wines, often expressed as a function of the retail price of the wine. It is customary that a restaurant charges 2 times the retail price of a wine. Often the restaurant price is 2.5 times or more. 

Establishments that combine a restaurant with a wine retailer provide the best and most economical scenario for the consumer whereby the restaurant price equals near the retail price - a 1:1 ratio. In this scenario, the restaurant is relying solely on the gross margin uplift between the wholesale price paid and the retail price charged the diner. 

Two such establishments exist in Destin, Vin’Tij and also Chan’s Wine World that is connected to and associated with the adjoining Wine Bar restaurants. Diners seeking a food and wine experience can leverage these policies for great value dining. And, they can take the opportunity to upgrade their wine choices with higher premium or ultra-premium wines they otherwise not be able to afford or justify for wine experimentation or appreciation!   

For our Saturday Night Vint’Tij dinner, we were joined by Richard and Victoria, friends and neighbors in our Destin residential community. 

Planning to order grilled beefsteaks for our entrees, I took BYOB a Washington State Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend from Force Majeure. 

This is from Force Majeure Vineyards, originally called Grand Reve, founded in Woodinville, near Seattle, in 2004, a collaboration between businessman Paul McBride and vineyard manager Ryan Johnson who spent a decade managing vineyards in Eastern Washington’s prestigious Red Mountain AVA. 

McBride and his wife Susan then changed the winery name to Force Majeure, and hired winemaker Todd Alexander to oversee winemaking. Alexander was previously winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard in Napa Valley. 

Jeb Dunnick of Wine Advocate has called Force Majeure “One of my favorite estates in Washington…”

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting back in 2018 as featured in these pages, and excerpted below.

One of the inspirations for and objectives of that Walla Walla Wine Experience 2018 was to visit Force Majeure vineyards. We first met Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander and marketing, distribution and branding exec Carrie Alexander during the Chicago stop of their promotion tour in 2016 when we hosted them at Italian Village in Chicago. Since then we've acquired a respectable collection of Force Majeure wines, hence, they were one of our shortlist priority visits when we planned our Washington State, Columbia Valley wine trip.

Force Majeure Carrie Alexander and Linda

Following our Woodinville (Washington) tasting experience where we tasted several fabulous  Red Mountain AVA wines, we were targeting there for our first Washington State wine appellation visit. Carrie convinced us to visit Walla Walla and we followed her guidance and were amply rewarded as it was a spectacular wine travel experience. Our Walla Walla AVA visit provided the opportunity to visit a vibrant wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and still experience the best of Red Mountain appellation wines as well!

Force Majeure have vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA where they grow Rhone varietals on the upper slopes and Bordeaux varietals on the lower blocks of the site. According to Carrie, the varietal blocks are based on the selection and matching of the grape varieties to the appropriate soil composition in the eight different soil types on the site.

The Red Mountain site was the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Developing the Red Mountain estate vineyards involved carefully matching varietal and clonal selections and vineyard trellising and irrigation to the eight distinct soil types in the vineyard.

The site was formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity resulting in many small “micro-blocks,” each uniquely suited to specific grape varietals. The rocky upper-slope with shallow soil is well suited to the cultivation of Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils, where Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.

This Force Majeure Épinette Right Bank Bordeaux style blend was a perfect complement to our aged prime steak dinner, including my perfectly prepared 'Pittsburgh' style, served with mashed potatoes, haricot verts and mushroom Bordelaise sauce. 

Force Majeure Épinette Columbia Valley Red Mountain Red Blend 2015

Épinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to the locale's in Washington state.

Épinette is a Bordeaux blend in the 'Right Bank' style meaning it is primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

The blend for this 2014 vintage was 58%  Merlot,  22%  Cabernet Franc 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remaining 5% Petit Verdot.

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in the lower areas of the Red Mountain vineyard with its  deep, well-drained soils. The wine was aged for approximately 22 months in mostly new French oak.

It was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93-95 points by The Wine Advocate, 92 by Stephen Tanzer and 90 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant forward dense black berry, ripe black raspberry and black current fruits with notes of cigar box, earthy leather, anise, graphite and spicy oak and hints of dark mocha chocolate with gripping but approachable silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4507644

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

https://vintij.com/