Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach

Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach features BYOB Italian Labels

We joined friends and neighbors Richard and Victoria for a delightful dinner at Bosforo Steak and Seafood in Miramar Beach (FL). 

I ordered the Filet of Beef with Demi-glas mashed potatoes and aparagus. 

While Bosforo bills itself as a steak house, they were not familiar with my request for ‘Pittsburgh style’ preparation, and despite my explanation of and request for ‘hot pink center, and charred, but don’t fret if this is not achieveable’, they tried, and my steak ended up being close to well done, despite not even really being charred. Oh, well, c’est la vie! It was still delectable with the Demi-glace, accompaniments and the wine pairing. 

Linda ordered the grilled sea bass special. 

For starters, we had their fresh bread with olive oil and the ample Beet Salad with goat cheese, mascarpone, walnuts and honey lemon vinaigrette.

 I took BYOB from our home cellar this hearty Italian red which was a nice pairing with the steak. 

Marramiero Inferi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2019 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is one of the top three DOC wines produced in Italy. The region is on the eastern Abruzzo’s Apennine side facing the Adriatic Sea where the climate is milder than the area inland. Mountains, a 40-minute drive from the sea, help create a diurnal shift between day and night. Vineyard areas cover nearly ninety thousand acres, on mainly clay and calcareous soils, with annual production of approximately 3.8 million hectolitres.

Major varieties and styles produced in Abruzzo include Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Abruzzo Pecorino and Villamagna DOC.

Montepulciano is the main red grape variety in all of Abruzzo and represents over 80% of the total number of DOC wines produced in the region. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is considered by many as one of Italy’s greatest red varieties. 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ripens late with harvest usually between October 1-20. It’s delicious enjoyed young, especially if the wine is in the less-expensive category. Much of it is aged at length in oak barrels, then, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has the ability to be even more sophisticated and complex with layers of flavors and sensations.

The Montepulciano variety has been in Abruzzo since the mid-18th century according to historical documents. It was cultivated long ago in the province of L’Aquila and in the inland hills of Pescara. Since the 1950s, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC has been popular in the coastal hilly areas, largely due to technological advances and a heightened knowledge of viticultural techniques. There, vineyards are at an altitude of no more than 500 meters above sea level and vineyards with a southern exposure are allowed to plant the variety at no more than 600 meters. Regulations allow other red grape varieties from Abruzzo to be included in the blend, but no more than 15% of the total.

The Marramiero estate sits fifteen miles inland from the coastal town of Pescara between Rosciano and Ofena, between the sea and the mountains. The estate consists of 125 acres of vines planted to Montepulciano, Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Maiolica and Trebbiano. 

This "Inferi" Riserva label is comprised of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and is produced in limited quantities from selecting only the best grapes from the oldest vines to the long maturation period of over three years in stainless steel, oak casks and bottle.  

The Inferi spends 40 months at the winery before being released to market, aged first in stainless steel tanks before being transferred into new French oak barrique. 

Winemakers’ notes - This is a rich red, showing notes of bittersweet chocolate and dark cherry, with a pleasant hint of medicinal herbs that emerges on the finish.

It was bright ruby colored, medium to full bodied, expressive vibrant ripe black cherry and blackberry fruits with sweet baking spices, notes of vanilla and a touch of clove. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4733324

https://marramiero.it/en/home-2/

Richard brought BYOB from his cellar this rare, limited production single vineyard Marciano Abbona Pressenda Barolo from a case he acquired at the producer during a visit to the region last year. 

Marciano Abbona Pressenda Barolo 2016

This is produced by Marziano Abbona and his son Celso, and winemaker Giuseppe Caviola Celso Abbona was among the first of his generation to believe in the potential of Dogliani and its territory and to valorize the grape variety that its hills can fully express: Dolcetto. Together with his family, Celso planted the legendary vineyard Bricco Doriolo, located in Santa Lucia di Dogliani. 

The Marciano Abbona vineyard has a long family history and has become one of the most prestigious single vineyards of Dogliani. The winery’s flagship wine comes from this vineyard, named the Papà Celso in honor of the grandfather and founder. Upon the death of Celso in 1964, the winery was passed on to his sons, Marziano (named after his grandfather) and Enrico Abbona. The brothers transformed the traditional family farm into a winery. They began their first bottlings of Dolcetto under the name of the family and, in the footsteps of Celso, and continued to invest in the territory and vines of Dogliani. 

In the early 1980s, Marziano and Enrico extended their pursuits to the Langhe wine region. They selected plots historically considered the most prestigious: Ravera in Novello; Bricco Barone and Rinaldi in Monforte d’Alba. Later, Marziano Abbona also purchased land in Barolo where their selection of their wines grew and earned international recognition.

Mara Abbona, daughter of Marziano, entered the business in 1999, the year of the passing of Enrico Abbona.

In 2007, the winery celebrated 30 years from the first vintage of Papà Celso. The following year, Chiara, the youngest daughter of Marziano Abbona, entered the business where they continue to apply modern technology.

Today, the Abbona vineyard holdings cover 128 acres of some of the best-positioned territories in Dogliani, Monforte d’Alba and Novello, and include some of the most renowned crus in the Langhe. Many of the vineyards are cultivated with old-growth vines up to 60 years of age. 

The vineyards are cultivated and harvested by hand following methods passed down for generations.

This Pressenda label is a single vineyard designated release, 100% Nebbiolo in accordance with the Barolo DOCG regulations. It is sourced from the Pressenda Castelletto 9 and 3/4 acre estate vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, overlooking the Castle of Serralunga d'Alba, in the cru Castelletto of Monforte d'Alba. The average age of of the vines is 44 years.

Crushing-destemming is followed by maceration in contact with skins for 24 hours. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in contact with its skins follows, in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 20 days using indigenous yeasts; daily pumpovers. When this process is done, submerged cap maceration is carried out for 40 days and then dry racking, decantation, and transfer to barrels. 

Wines are aged in 500 liter barrels for the first 12 months, then transferred to oak barrels of 50 hectoliters for the next 24 months, at the end of which is assemblage and bottling. They then rest in the bottle for six months before release. 1,150 cases are produced annually.

Winemaker notes. - “The grapes from which this Barolo is obtained give great structure, aromatic finesse, and an average alcohol percentage of 15%. Just a bit fresher and more immediate than our Pressenda and Ravera labels, this can already be enjoyed in its first years in the bottle. Serve at 18° C (64° F) after bringing it to room temperature for at least 24 hours."

This release was rated 93 points by James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, firm structured, concentrated layered red and black fruits with notes of black cherry, anise, black tea and clove spice with tight, chewy fine tannins on the finish. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3783456

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3783456

https://www.abbona.com/en/

After dinner, with desserts, we tasted a unique special Bosforo offering, “A hundred years of port” - a tasting flight 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old tawny ports from producer Maynard Port. What fun in this interesting and novel feature!  

This was a wonderful tasting and a fine accompaniment to the flowerless chocolate cake dessert and a side of berry sorbet. 

Maynard Port is produced by the Van Zeller family, owners of Barão de Vilar, who can trace its origins back to the Netherlands, to the 13th century. Maynard’s Port is the flagship brand of Fernando and Alvaro Van Zeller’s Vinihold’s company. Named after the first established English Port wine shipper in Oporto, the Maynard’s brand honors the history of the late Walter Maynard. Born in 1652, this illustrious ancestor of the van Zeller family through his marriage to Dorothea Augusta Kopke, he was recorded as one of the first traders to ever export Port wine to England. 

Walter Maynard was appointed Consul in Oporto by his brother Thomas, who was English Council in Lisbon, by order of King Charles II in 1659. The 1st family link with the van Zellers come through marriage of Dorothea Ignacia Wittingham with Johan Moring, which her mother-in-law was Marianna van Zeller, married with Jacome Moring. Later, her great-granddaughter Dorothea Augusta Kopke who was Walter Maynard's 5th generation of descendants, married with Roberto van Zeller. Three centuries later, Mariana van Zeller represents the 15th generation of the family, today engaged as export manager to the US market.

We hold an extensive collection of port wines in our cellar spanning five decades and I must admit, this was my first introduction to this historic brand, until I later learned they have been owners of Quinta do Noval, a label we know and hold in our cellar.  

Winemaker Notes for the Ten Year Tawny - “This wine has a deep brick colour with amber rim, with lovely aromas of dried fruits, a delicate nuttiness, honey and a hint of toffee, combined with ripe berry fruit and subtle mellow notes of chocolate, butterscotch and fine oak wood. On the palate is silky and full of ripe figgy, jammy flavours and has a long and clean finish.”

It was rated 95 points by Decanter and 91 points Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.

Savoury notes on the nose and palate, with notes of fig, dates and spics, fruit-forward with a nutty and dried fruit complexity, with notes of molasses and caramel with a rich and long syrupy finish. 

The 20 year was rated 94 points by Decanter, 91 by Wine Spectator and 90 by Wine Advocate. 

Well-integrated and harmonious, with a rich, creamy Christmas cake complexity on the nose and palate, building to a long, satisfying finish.

On the softer side, with enticing date, cinnamon and toasted peanut notes backed by caramel and praline flavors on the slightly rounded finish. Drink now. 25 cases made, 10 cases imported.
The 20 Years Old Tawny Port (Maynard's) comes in at 109 grams per liter of residual sugar. A nice step up on the 10 Year Old Maynard's, also reviewed, this adds some weight, but more importantly, concentration of flavor--those old, classic Tawny nuances. Very pleasing, yet easy to drink, this is a charming 20 that should be available at a nice price. This is the new release, bottled in 2015.

Well-integrated and harmonious, with a rich, creamy Christmas cake complexity on the nose and palate, building to a long, satisfying finish.

The 40 year old barrel-aged Port was harvested by hand and then crushed by foot. After a quick fermentation, brandy was added to stop the yeast and leave a rich, dark, sweet wine. Then into barrels for extensive aging. 

Winemaker Alvaro Van Zeller created this blend, drawing from some barrels as young as 30 and others as old at 50 years or more, with the resulting blend roughly 40 years old. This grand wine is packaged in a stunning stylish decanter-style bottle and then framed that in a handsome, single-bottle, wood case. 

The complex, concentrated, smooth and balanced aromas and flavors show a toasted hickory and caramelized pecan with undertones of dried apricot and raisin fruit, richly textured and very caramelized on the mid-palate, finishing with dry and long, with generous notes of caramel and pecan.

Website: http://vinihold.com

https://bosforoseafoodandsteakrestaurant.com/#

Spring Valley Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Spring Valley Vineyards secret reveal Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Linda grilled steaks with roasted potatoes and haricot verts with grilled onions. I pulled from the cellar this negociant remarketed Napa Cabernet from the Sping Mountain District.  

This follows the enjoyable Fantesca Spring Mountain District Napa Cabernet we had just the other night.

I’ve written about this premium label that was sold in the secondary market through the private label negociant brand in previous blogposts, revisited, excerpted below. 

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 150 Spring Mountain Cabernet 

This write-up of this label is a repeat of an earlier post where I wrote about Ninety Plus Cellars and their Negociant model of wine marketing. They buy surplus juice or bulk wine or bottled product, and then private-label it with their branding featuring an anonymized 'Lot' reference number tied to the source of the wine. Such arrangements are typically done under a non-disclosure agreement to shield the original brand/producer. In this case, Ninety Plus Cellars, Lot 150, is a Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This case is especially interesting in that when one pulls the cork of these bottles, the cork reveals the true source of the wine, Spring Mountain Vineyards. Apparently, in this case, the wine was already bottled but not yet labeled for distribution. It was then acquired by Ninety Plus Cellars who packaged it for retail sale under their negociant general brand that masks the supplier. The packaging, however, reveals the original branding of the producer on the original cork in the bottle. According to the Ninety+ Cellars website, the "Source Label Price" for this wine was: $79.99, hence the need or practice of anonymity or not disclosing the original source of the wine. The Ninety+ price is about half of that - high QPR (quality-price-ratio) indeed.  

For the Lot 150 release, the rear label of the Ninety Plus packaging speaks to Spring Mountain District as the source for the product, without attribution to a particular grower or producer.

When I purchased the first original bottle, I imagined who the source of this wine might be, thinking about the different Spring Mountain District suppliers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Spring Mountain Vineyards was one of those potential suppliers that I considered, but I presumed it would never be revealed or confirmed as the source. But, imagine my surprise when, upon pulling the cork, they were revealed to be the producer. 

In this case, Ninety Plus Cellars apparently bought what they call “sparklers” - bottled wines that have not yet been labeled. Producers will bottle their wines, but hold off applying the labels until release so as not to risk the labels being soiled during aging, thereby reducing their market value. Apparently Spring Mountain Vineyards sold the bottled, unlabeled produce in the after market for resale in the rebranded private label. 

Typically, producers desire remaining anonymous so as not to diminish the price point of their wines, by selling them through a rebranding reseller such as this. In this case, that approach was undermined by already having processed the bottles with brand identifying corks, revealing their true identity/source. Alas, a great value find for the consumer, obtaining this premium brand at the secondary private label market price!  

This is not the first occurrence of this happening as I recall at least one other occasion where the product was bottled and the cork revealed the original producer source of the wine. On at least one other occasion, the source was pretty much revealed or confirmed based upon the published detailed percentages of the blend of the wine.

I've written much in these pages about Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101 which I enjoyed immensely, and lamented often the mis-fortune of not knowing the source so as to be able to purchase more product in subsequent vintage releases of the label. Since, in my experience, Ninety + tend to have more misses than hits to suit my personal taste, I tend to buy a bottle and try it before I load up on any label. Here is another case where I went back and bought more, and then did so again. 

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 150 Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot aged 22 months in French Oak. 

Back in 2020 I wrote, “Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm structured backbone, complex concentrated blackberry and black currant fruits with layers of firm bone dry tannins with notes of oak, spice, hints of dark mocha, anise, leather and dust.’

“Needs a bit more time to settle and not for the feint of heart with the rock hard tannins but if you like that style (which I do) then this is a great find at a good QPR (quality price ratio) value.”

Tonight five years later, at a dozen years, the important fill level and cork were still pristine, the hard tannins were indeed relaxed, but the fruits had also integrated and matured and seemed much sweeter than earlier, surprisingly, almost excessively so.  
 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2793688

https://store.ninetypluscellars.com/lot-150-cabernet-sauvignon-spring-mountain-district-napa-valley-california-2013-p419.aspx

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes with Homemade Pizza 

Sunday night dinner, Linda prepared a home cooked from scratch pizza with peppers, sausage, multiple cheeses and garden fresh basil spice.

I pulled from the cellar this ‘pizza wine’, low cost, simple easy drinking pleasant big red.

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes 2020

This is from Domaine Lafage in the Côtes du Roussillon appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the furthest southeast corner of France. The appellation of Côtes du Roussillon was created in 1977 and covers the eastern half of the Pyrénées-Orientales (the eastern side of the Pyrenees Mountains) and lower lands of Roussillon along the Mediterranean coast.

Domaine Lafage is owned by the Lafage family who have been winegrowers for seven generations over two centuries.

Current producer Jean-Marc Lafage had been working in the vineyards since a young boy and got his first involvement as a winemaker in the 80’s when his father Guy Lafage gave him the sole responsibility of a batch of some of his finest Maury grapes.

A few years later, Jean-Marc met his wife Eliane during their wine studies, and they went on to share experiences with the harvest and wine-making seasons in South America, the United States (California), South Africa and Australia. They returned to settle back in France and took over the family estate in 2001. The domain consisted of nearly ninety acres of family land around Perpignan, Canet and Maury. The added the acquisition of Mas Miraflors in 2006.

Their children have joined in the operations of the property with daughter Léa has become an agricultural engineer, and son Nicolas works summers in the cellar and at the shop.

Today, the Lafages farm nearly 400 acres of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan, the southernmost city of Metropolitan France, in the center of the Roussillon plain.

Some of his family’s vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean in the commune of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet, while others can be found further inland in the foothills of the Pyrenees near the village of his birth, Maury.

The range and diversity of sites allows them to make both refreshing whites, rich, concentrated reds, and fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate grows primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old.

The soil along the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist.

Harvesting is done by hand and winemaking is basically straightforward and uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites and mainly concrete tanks for the reds with a judicious amount of large French oak barrels for aging.

Although it is a region predominantly recognized for fortified, vins doux naturels (a type of sweet wine), Roussillon is also ideal for the production of dry red, white and rose wines.

Côtes du Roussillon includes complex soils of schist, limestone, gneiss and granite and climatic conditions that support many grape varieties.

Côtes du Roussillon red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and smaller amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut. Rosé wines come from the same varieties, as well as may include Grenache Gris and Macabeo. White wines from Côtes du Roussillon are Grenache Blanc and Macabeo with small amounts of Marsanne, Roussanne and Rolle (aka Vermentino).

Domaine Lafage produce a portfolio of a dozen red wines, a half dozen whites, as well as several each rose’s, sparkling and dessert wines. Their wines have earned 30 CGA gold medals over the last 5 years, and no less than 70 wines have been rated 90 Points and more by the Robert Parker guide.

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes 2020

Bastide Miraflors is a custom cuvée produced for European Cellars through a joint project between Jean-Marc Lafage and leading wine importer distributor Eric Solomon. 

Since 1990, Eric Solomon has championed unheralded wine growing regions and promoted young, innovative winemakers, initially focused on the Rhône, Languedoc, and Roussillon regions of France through his US import distribution company, European Cellars.

Eric’s European Cellars portfolio has grown to over 90 producers/properties and he has been recognized as one of the finest wine importers in the US having been named Wine Personality of the Year, Best Importer of the Year, and James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Spirits. Influential critic Robert Parker has lauded European Cellar’s wines, particularly from France and Spain.

This label is is a cuvée created primarily of Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%), crafted from old vine Grenache grown in the commune of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet with terroir of schist and granite soils in terroir that always ripens late in the year, and Syrah from gravelly soils near the Mediterranean. 

This release was rated 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. An earlier vintage was rated 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck.

Deep ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, notes of blackberry, plum and mullberry fruits with notes of tobacco, black tea, dark mocha and hints of mint, turning to supple, soft tannins on the moderate finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4262043

https://domaine-lafage.com/en/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/domaine-lafage/

https://www.europeancellars.com/

Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel with BBQ Ribs

Ridge Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017 with BBQ Ribs

Friday night finds us babysitting for kids/grandkids for the evening. Linda prepared BBQ ribs with baked potatoes and sweet potatoes to take for dinner. I pulled from the cellar a Big Red Blend for an ideal accompaniment. 

This is from Ridge Vineyards known for single-vineyard designated labels sourced from exceptional vineyards across Northern California with distinctive terroir - climate, soil, and ideally matched varietals. 

I wrote about Ridge Vineyards and other single vineyard designated releases including Zinfandels often in these pages such as these blogposts - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014, and, Ridge Lytton Springs at Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville, and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Red Blend 2012.

Ridge Vineyards produce a broad portfolio of single vineyard designated Zinfandel labels. They are also known for their ultra-premium flagship Monte Bello red blend produced from their estate vineyard of the same name, first released in 1962. Two years later they released their first Zinfandel label. 

Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017

This Zinfandel based blend is made from the Pagani vineyard on the western side of Sonoma Valley. The majority of the vineyard was planted ninety to one hundred and twenty years ago; portions of it were replanted between 2013—2018. Ridge first released this label in 1991.

The vineyard has been continuously tended by a quality-conscious family for four generations having been planted by Felice Pagani who began planting vines in Sonoma Valley in the late 1890s. 

The site was maintained and therefore survived the thirteen years of Prohibition, and the Great Depression indicating proof of its merit.

Today, the site is tended by fourth-generation family members planted to Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and Mataro, in addition to the main varietal, Zinfandel.

This release is a unique blend of 84% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Alicante Bouschet, and 2% Mataro.

In my last blogpost I wrote about the Aglianico Italian grape varietal and I wondered if there was any connection with this Alicante Bouschet varietal. There is not, but it opens the door for the exploration here of another historic and previously unknown grape. 

Alicante Bouschet is a red grape with red flesh and red pulp that is a cross of Petit Bouschet and Grenache grape varietals. It was developed by French Viticulturalist Henri Bouschet in 1866. The Petit Bouschet grape was created by his father Louis Bouschet who gave it his name. 

The resulting grape had high quality concentrated fruit with deep dense color, produced high yields, ripened early and was easy to grow and maintain. Its deep colour made it useful for blending to enhance light French table wines and to extend American wines.

Alicante Bouschet delivered rich, concentrated dark fruit flavors of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and blackcurrant with notes of pepper and fresh tobacco.

It was planted heavily during Prohibition in California as the intense red color was useful for stretching wine and was capable for export to the East Coast. The grape's thick skin allowed it to survive the long railway transportation from California to New York City which had an auction where the grapes were sold.

At the turn of the 21st century, Alicante Bouschet was the 12th most planted red wine grape in France with sizable plantings in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire Valley the Languedoc, Provence and Cognac regions and Alentejo, Portugal.

The Matero grape is also known as the popular French Mourvèdre and the popular Spanish Monastrell varietals.

This release of Ridge Pagini Ranch Zinfandel was awarded 96 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles, 94 Points by Jeff Cox of Decanter, 94 Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media, Jeb Dunnuck of JebDunnuck.com and Erin Brooks of The Wine Advocate, and 93 Points by James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com and Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.

Winemaker Notes - “Focused jammy blueberry fruit and pepper on the nose. On the palate, fresh cherry, mineral, firm acidity, balanced structure and long lingering finish.”

Dark inky garnet purple color, full bodied, complex, round, ripe plum and brambly blackberry and blueberry fruits, notes of peppercorn, garrigue, smokey cresosote, spice box and leather with hints of mocha turning to sweet grainy tannins on a layered lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

ttps://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3333655

https://www.ridgewine.com/

@RidgeVineyards

Kinsella Estate Dry Creek Valley Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet

Kinsella Estate Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet 2018

Son Alec and wife Viv hosted Philippe, friend from Provence, who we’ve known since he stayed with us as a foreign exchange student when they were in high school, so we met up together for a reunion with pizza and wine. 

We visited Philippe in Aix-en-Provence in 2019, a trip we chronicled in these pages in several posts. 

Four days in Provence - Aix - Meyrargues 

La Presqu'Ile Restaurant à Bédarrides Vaucluse France 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape 

A visit to Château La Nerthe

Alec wanted to showcase an example of American wine for our French friend so he pulled from his cellar this limited production boutique label from Sonoma County. He shared an earlier vintage of this label a while back and I wrote about it and its interesting producer at that time, excerpted below.  

This is the label of Kevin Kinsella who founded Kinsella Estates in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valleyin 2007. Kevin bought a 12-acre vineyard in the foothills of the western edge of Dry Creek Valley and hired legendary winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to lead his project.

Kinsella is founder of the private venture capital fund, Avalon Ventures, which funded the first big data company, multiple billion dollar pharmaceutical companies, the first touch screen for the Apple iPhone, the first mega social gaming company and the radically new stealth vessel for the Navy SEALS. Avalon has participated in and helped develop more than 120 different companies. As a consultant to the Peruvian government, Kinsella developed the first international marketing plan for the remarkable Andean grain, quinoa. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Kinsella is also a Tony Award winner as he gained further fame and fortune as the largest individual investor in the musical Jersey Boys, which became a worldwide smash hit becoming the 12th longest running musical in the history of Broadway playing to nearly 23 million people worldwide in five locations worldwide over a decade. 

The musical Jersey Boys not only provided resources to pursue his passion for wine but also was the impetus for the name of one of the three vineyards on the estate named after the musical. 

Kinsella Estates is situated in a private valley in the foothills of the western edge of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, situated at an elevation of 500 feet above the Russian River. The valley provides a warm climate that seldom sees a winter frost, some hills even grow citrus trees. The valley runs east-west and is planted with 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines on steep eastern hillsides made of loamy, metamorphic soil.

The estate has three vineyard blocks; the six acre Jersey Boys Vineyard, Spencer Vineyard is four acres, and two acre Heirloom Vineyard (formerly Tamara Vineyard), a steep sloping 17-year-old parcel wedged between an arroyo and a knoll of Spanish oaks, 

The Kinsella Estate property is a bit unique spot because the Dry Creek AVA is known primarily for the predominant varietal Zinfandel and not much Cabernet. This vineyard however gets plenty of sunshine to provide appropriate terroir for the Bordeaux varietal. 

The Heirloom Vineyard was planted in 2001 with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Jersey Boys Vineyard was replanted in 2008, utilizing four Cabernet Sauvignon clones, with two thirds of an acre planted to Wente clone Zinfandel and eight rows to Petit Verdot. 

With the purchase of the the 12-acre vineyard estate, his business instincts took over. "Part of the philosophy of venture capital is to go with the best people you can," explains Kinsella, who hired talented winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker in 2007. Prior to Kinsella, since 2000, Brown had crafted 37 individual bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon for Schrader Cellars. Twenty of those releases earned ratings of 95 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, including a pair of 100-point 2007s. Ninety-one is the lowest score in the bunch.

Working with Thomas Rivers Brown are viticulturist Kelly Maher and Josh Clark of Clark Vineyard Management. Josh is the son of Tom Clark of the family wine label Clark-Claudon. Josh says he started in this business at age 12, when he would spend the day with “the vineyard as his playground", and where he “practically grew up on a tractor.” Josh took over the family business in 2003 that Tom Clark, started in 1978 so that Tom could focus on the Clark-Claudon label. Notably, we hold twenty vintages of the Clark-Claudon label in our cellar collection dating back to the inaugural vintage 1994.

Kinsella Estates is the only vineyard property Josh farms in Sonoma County with the rest of his clients being in Napa County. Josh says Kinsella vineyards receive even sunlight throughout the day and the soils are well drained to accommodate Cabernet.    

 

The Kinsella team quickly set their sights on making the best-tasting Cabernet from Dry Creek, an area better known for Zinfandel. Success came swiftly with their very first vintage, the 2008, scoring 95 points at Wine Spectator.

Kinsella Estates produces 2,000 cases annually and has no plans to expand outside of what the vineyard has to offer, as Kinsella prefers to remain a single estate production. "Buying grapes to supplement a label would be considered absurd in Burgundy or Bordeaux," he says. Instead, he wants the Kinsella story to be about a single estate. "I have no need for other varietals," Kinsella says. "No need to amp up production. I'd be very happy just to do this perfectly." 

Kinsella Estates Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The premium label comes packaged in an extra heavy bottle (as heavy as I have ever seen in a standard 750ml!) forged to hold an embossed coin emblem with the Kinsella moniker and motto, "Su Una Stretta Di Mano" which is also on the rear label. 

"Su Una Stretta Di Mano" (on a handshake) is a line from the Broadway show, Jersey Boys, but expresses perfectly the enduring bond forged among us, the sun, rain and soil, our excellent winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, our dedicated vineyard team... and our customers, who by buying and enjoying our wine - our passion - have joined that circle of friendship.'

“Our wines let the fruit speak for itself - an expression of the terroir, the exceptional clones and the seasonal variation of sun and water in our vineyard. Kinsella Estates wines showcase beautiful expressions of the vineyard blocks from which they are made. Characteristics of the wines include expressive floral and dried herb aromas combined with bright fruit flavors and seductively smooth tannins.”

The Jersey Boys Vineyard was replanted in 2008, utilizing four clones specifically chosen by Thomas Rivers Brown. This vineyard receives even sunlight throughout the day and the soils are well draining. All of the Kinsella vineyards are irrigated solely by their water reservoir, Spencer Lake

Producer’s Notes - “The 2018 Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep garnet hue as well as a smokey nose of red and black currants, toasted bread, spring flowers, spice box, and dried, cedary herbs. This bold, fruit forward Cabernet shows plenty of richness and depth on the palate, with velvety tannins and a nicely balanced mouthfeel. Rich flavors of chocolate, cloves, leather are complimented by hints of tobacco and leaves you with a fantastic finish. Enjoy this vintage of Jersey Boys after a hour long decant.”

Winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown’s Winemaker Notes: “The 2018 Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep garnet hue as well as a smokey nose of red and black currants, toasted bread, spring flowers, spice box, and dried, cedary herbs. This bold, fruit forward Cabernet shows plenty of richness and depth on the palate, with velvety tannins and a nicely balanced mouthfeel. Rich flavors of chocolate, cloves, leather are complimented by hints of tobacco and leaves you with a fantastic finish. Enjoy this vintage of Jersey Boys after a hour long decant.”

“Pure 100% cabernet Sauvignon, this vineyard continually astonishes. Loads of loamy soil notes followed by blue and black fruits give this cabernet massive depth and beautiful integrated tannins. Milk chocolate, crème de cassis and tobacco give this massive wine the depth you come to expect with Napa cabs, but it is all Sonoma County, all from our magnificent little private valley which sees sun all day! We buy no fruit; we sell no fruit.”

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intense, bold, concentrated rich forward black fruits accented by notes of menthol, cedar, cinnamon and clove spices with hints of cassis and leather on a bright acidic finish, the ‘legs’ cling to the glass. Almost a bit obtuse, give it some time for it to settle and become a bit more approachable. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/m/wines/3874859

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3542037

https://www.kinsellawines.com/

2018 Jersey Boys Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - https://kinsella-estates.obtainwine.com/collection/wines 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/kinsella-dry-creek-valley-cabernet-2017.html

Clos Fontindoule Monbazillac Dessert Wine

Clos Fontindoule Monbazillac 1982

As part of the festivities of the family birthday celebration dinner, with the salad, and most notably the grilled scallops, and dessert, we had this vintage aged dessert wine. This is from son Ryan’s birthyear, that we have held for a suitable occasion such as a family gathering like today.  

This is from Monbazillac, a small village a few kilometres south of Bergerac in the Dordogne River Valley, about 120km inland, east of Bordeaux in southwest France. Monbazillac is also a designated wine growing AOC or appellation for sweet wines made in an area in the wider region of Bergerac, in southwestern France.

Monbazzillac is home to France's original sweet white wine appellation, The Monbazillac subregion in the Guyenne wine region in southwest France extends over almost 3,600 hectares. Nearly ninety different producers  produce a portfolio of over eight hundred wines from the area. 

Not as famous nor as expensive as their neighbors from Sauternes, fifty miles to the west, the appellation in Bordeaux known for sweet dessert wines, Monbazillac wines are still some of the more widely known French sweet white wines. They are produced from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes affected by botrytis.

The vineyard area lies on the southern bank of the Dordogne river as it flows toward Bordeaux surrounding the town, defined to the south by the Gardonette river, a tributary of the Dordogne. The land between these two rivers rises from the Dordogne valley before sloping southward to the Gardonette. The best wines tend to come from the northern slopes in the valley.

The maritime climate is well suited to the development of sweet wines. Oceanic influences are funneled in along the river valley and the confluence of the rivers makes for high levels of humidity, usually in the form of mist or dew. This humidity burns off in the warm afternoons during the growing season, increasing the chances of the development of noble rot or botrytis, which results in the high sugar content in the grapes for making the sweet wines.

There are three distinct soil types in the area, most based on the limestone that is common in this part of France. Deep clay soils cover the ground at the bottom of the slopes, with thinner, washed-out soils mid-slope. Along the ridges, molasse soils are more often found, providing a well-drained environment with sufficient water storage for the vines to produce high-quality grapes.

Monbazillac's vineyards can be traced back to Benedictine monasteries in the 11th Century. The monks initially discarded the vines when finding them affected by noble rot, but not wanting to waste the harvest, they went ahead and made the wine, discovering that the rot had only improved the flavor.

Monbazillac received its AOC status in 1936, however, appellation rules surrounding grape yields and alcohol levels are not as stringent as those of Sauternes.

Only grapes that have reached their peak ripeness are selected by the grape-pickers who make several passes through the vineyard to pick the grapes ready for picking. There may be several different harvest passes on each row of vines. 

According to one blogger, Monbazillac Clos Fontindoule “is a  property formerly owned by monsieur Cros which had a vine density between 10 and 20000 vines ... nobody knew exactly as it was not exactly ranked aligned...) which could easily rival Yquem in my eyes ....”

Doing a Google wine search of this label, I find one of my tasting notes going back to 2010, prior to using CellarTracker wine app for such things. I took a bottle of this label to fellow Pour Boy wine buddy Bill and Beth C’s son Will’s wedding celebration for a birthyear vintage tribute. We drank it at reception at the Indian Hills CC in Kansas City. 

My notes as published from that tasting -

“Clos Fontindoule Dordogne Monbazillac 1982 - RM89 - Dark golden color of weak tea - smoke and tea tones predominate on the subdued fruit flavors of apricot, peach and lychie.’

“Tasted with Linda, Bill and Beth C, Rusty and Ann J. at Kate & Will's gala reception at Indian Hills CC - KC.”

Tonight, fifteen years later, at 43 years, this wine was remarkably vibrant, still holding its own. The label, foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork were still in pristine condition, taking into account their age. The cork was tight and intact and was extracted using an ‘Ahso’ two pronged cork puller.

The color had turned tea colored, which while darkened from aging, wasn’t as dark as I might expect for this age.

Tea colored, full bodied, thick unctuous sweet mango, apricot and lychee nectar fruit flavors punctuated by notes of honey, hint of espresso, some smoke and roasted nuts.

RM 89 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=197675 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?197675

My photo of that bottle of this label from that posting. At that time, it was more golden straw colored. 

Calera Mt Hollister Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011

Calera Mt Hollister Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011 

We cleaned out the cheese drawer …. (Yes we have a whole drawer in the fridge devoted to cheese), and I pulled from the cellar a nice easy sipping wine to complement a selection of cheeses, biscuits and home-made cookies. 

We don’t do a lot of Pinot but this is one of our favorite producers with a storied history. 

Here are excerpts of earlier posts on this producer and this label of similar situations. 

Back in 2023, I wrote:

Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calera Mt. Harlan Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

I love telling the story about the discovery of this producer and wine. I have written that I initially learned about Josh Jenson and his legendary Calera Vineyards were featured in Marc Devillier's wonderful 1994 book - The Heartbreak Grape,  A California Winemakers Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir by Marc de Villiers, 1994, Harper Collins.

As featured in earlier posts in these pages:

The Calera story was chronicled in the book, "The Heart Break Grape" back in the early nineties, about the challenges and turmoils of growing the finicky grape varietal Pinot Noir. 

Producer Josh Jensen pioneered growing Pinot in the 'new world' starting with his search of the perfect place to grow his grapes. During college he took time off to work in the cellars in the great domaines of Burgundy and then came back to his home state California to apply what he had learned. At the time, prevailing view was that Pinot Noir could not be grown successfully in California. He set out to prove that notion wrong.

"The Heartbreak Grape: A California Winemaker's Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir" tells the tale of Josh's quest to grow the very finnicky Pinot Noir grape in California in the early days before Pinot was cultivated here. In pursuit of his dream to create authentic Burgundian style wines, he sought to find the place in California suitable to achieve that goal. 

Devillers tells of Jenson's quest and research to find the right terrior - all the attributes of the right location, soil, climate, drainage, and other nuances of 'place' that make up the character and personality of a wine from grapes of a particular site. Josh chose Mt. Harlan, an area not then know for grapes or winemaking. 

The rest, as they say, is history. While it is a human interest tale, it also provides a rich insight into the challenges and travails of setting up a winery, and a business, and achieving one's dream to make noteworthy wines. 

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

The Calera organically farmed Mt. Harlan vineyards are in the Gavilan Mountains, 25 miles east of Monterey Bay. The Ryan Vineyard, like Calera's others, has limestone soils, which are prized above any other soil type for growing Pinot Noir. Combined with the vineyard's average elevation of 2,200 feet--among the highest and coolest in California--the result is structured, intense Pinot.

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

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

Josh planted his first 24 acres of pinot noir in 1975 in three separate parcels. In the Burgundian tradition, he named each parcel individually to recognize the terroir of each, that each would produce a distinct wine. 

Calera Pinot Noirs are single vineyard designated meaning they are each named for and produced from fruit sourced from one vineyard each. Their five vineyards planted in Pinot Noir are named for Josh's father (Jenson), Mills, a neighbor who mentored Josh in his early years, Reed, for one of Josh's dear friends and early investors, and in this case Selleck, for a family friend whom Josh attributes to introducing him to wine.

The original vineyard designations remain to this day, the Selleck Vineyard (5 acres), Reed Vineyard (5 acres), and Jensen Vineyard (14 acres). These vineyards produced their initial tiny crop in 1978.The Ryan Vineyards, named after Jim Ryan, longtime vineyard manager were added later.  (Upper - 9.4 acres and Lower – 3.7 acres)

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

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

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

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

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

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