Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese with tangy homemade spaghetti

With Linda’s homemade spaghetti and tangy marinara bolognese sauce, I pulled from the cellar a premium Brunello di Montalcino for a wine accompaniment. Readers of these pages know this wine has become one of our favorite ‘go-to’ wines, especially for this particular food-wine pairing.  I’ve written in several of those posts what makes Brunello di Montalcino special. 

This is from the Spina family who in 1980 acquired the 110 acre estate Sesta di Sopra in Abate, located southwest of Montalcino and about four kilometers from Castelnuovo dell. 

Sesta di Sopra is located in an area ideally suited for viticulture, situated near the river Orcia, the calcareous soil and the microclimate are favourable for the vines to thrive. 

They set upon to renovate the property, first the main house, an old lookout tower, amidst a six acre area covered with olive trees. Vines were first planted on six adjoining acres and beyond in the  vineyards located in the upper part of the Sesta zone. 

Ettore Spina took great care planting and operating the vineyards according to the latest viticulture practices. The total of fifteen acres of vineyards were planted in the early 1990s with different clones of the Sangiovese grosso variety. The first vintage of aristocratic wine was pressed in 1999. While not highly productive, they produced very high-quality grapes reflecting their terroir.

In the planting and viticulture management, as well as the production of Brunello and Rosso, Ettore Spina was aided by the professional advice of his good friend Giancarlo Pacenti, until recently Vice President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. Today, owner Enrica Bandirola is assisted by Oenologist  Giancarlo Pacenti.

Over the next decade, Sesta di Sopra, while small and little-known became a leading Brunello producer who Vilnius says rates among the best. 

After they have been harvested, the grapes are placed in crates to protect them from damage. Arrived at the tiny winery, the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks according to traditional methods. The Brunello is aged in traditional Slavonian oak barrels with a capacity of 30 hectolitres. The Rosso is matured in French oak barrels.

The branding features labels with an Ethhruscan symbol of the sun found on the farm, a trademark along with the name of the country estate dating back to the 13th century. 

Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2013

This release was rated 95 points by Vinpous and Wine Enthusiast, 94 by James Suckling, and 93 by Wine Spectator. 

Annual production is approximately 7,000 bottles. 

Deep garnet red colored, medium full bodied, dense by refined and elegant, plum, raspberry and black cherry fruits with notes of licorice, leather, tobacco leaf, spice and hints of tar with firm but approachable tannins on the lingering spicy, underbrush aftertaste. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2129586

https://www.sestadisopra.it/

Montecappone Rosso Piceno Marche Italian Red Blend

Montecappone Rosso Piceno Marche Italian Red Blend 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RM 90 points.

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

https://www.montecapponevini.it/

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

Central Italy / Marche / Rosso Piceno

Piedlong CDP Red Blend with BBQ Ribs

Brunier Family “Piedlong” CDP Red Blend with BBQ Ribs

With the left over BBQ ribs from the other night, as noted at the time, the best ribs I’ve had in a long time, I opened a CDP (Châteauneuf-du-Pape) from Familie Brunier. We had these ribs the other night and they were spectacular, and enjoyable a couple days later to dust up the leftovers! 

I pulled this wine to take to son Alec’s last night but we arrived to find he had already opened a Big Red for pairing with our Pizza. So it was to open this for Sunday dinner with the remaining BBQ Ribs. 

This is from one of favorite Rhône producers that we visited at the Vieux Télégraphe estate during our CDP appellation tour back in 1998, and then again during our 2019 visit with Alec & Viviana with owner/producer Daniel Brunier at the Estate, which was a highlight of our visit to the Luberon and Southern Rhône that year.

Also notable, pertaining to Alec and Viv, we discovered this label during a visit to New York City to visit  when they were still living there. We discovered and enjoyed this label at Il Fiore Restaurant and Bar at the Langham Hotel in NYC back in 2018. 

Vignobles Brunier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Piedlong 2017

As I’ve written in these pages, Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe has been in the Brunier family since 1898,  it lies on the eastern edge of Châteauneuf du Pape and covers 150 acres of some of the finest terroir there on the famed “la Crau” plateau.

Famille Brunier embodies the group of holdings by the Brunier family, notably Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Domaine La Roquète, Domaine Les Pallières (along with Kermit), and other vineyards for wines under the Brunier label. 

Henri Brunier founded the estate back in 1891. Four generations later, at the very beginning of the 80s, Frédéric and Daniel Brunier took over the destiny of the family business in tandem to farm the land in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The brothers solidify the legacy left by their father, Henri, and their great-grandfather, Hippolyte. 

In 2015 and 2016, Nicolas son of Frédéric and Edouard, son of Daniel, entered the history of the Old Telegraph, fully integrating the company in key positions. Manon, daughter of Frédéric, joined them in 2018 now extending to the sixth generation stewardship of the family business. 

The Bruniers’ vineyards in the La Crau cru of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, most notably the flagship Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, are the most pedigreed of the appellation, producing wines of exceptional quality and longevity. Since purchasing Domaine La Roquète in 1986, the family has complemented their portfolio with additional wines, offering more affordable cuvées that showcase the diversity of terroirs within their holdings. The “Pigeoulet” and “Mégaphone” are fresh, rich in fruit, pleasantly representative of their terroir, and easy to appreciate young. 

This red Châteauneuf “Piedlong”, is sourced from the famed Piélong lieu-dit with some fruit from the Pignan vineyard as well, is a deeply mineral wine that balances elegance and purity with the muscle that is commonly found in wines from this great appellation.

The estate gets its name from the history of this site. Back in the 1800's , Claude Chappe, inventor of the optical telegraph, built a signal tower on the property due to its high elevation in the region, hence the property was given the name “Vieux Télégraphe”. 

When we met with owner/producer Daniel Brunier at the Estate, during our 2019 visit with Alec & Viviana, he asked, “what do you want to know about Vieux Telegraph?” I said, “we want to meet you, see the estate, and learn the essence of your wines and how they manifest the terroir of the estate”. He emphasized the care they use in gravity feeding the grapes with minimal intervention, how they have destemmed all their grapes since 1989 and how the wines see all native ferments, with no temperature control, and aging all in older foudre. The gravity feeding was a result of the recent completion of a new state of the art winery. 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "Piedlong" Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rhône Valley 2017 

This Piedlong label that was first released in 2011, it is a blend of 90% Genache Noir and 10% Mourvèdre. Comprised of but two varietals of the thirteen that are allowed in the AOC sanctioned blend, its a simpler less complex wine than the flagship label which under appellation rules can contain up to thirteen different varietals. 

The 90% Grenache for the Piedlong section and 10% Mourvedre from the Pignan section, are both old-vine parcels. 

The predominant Grenache grapes are sourced from 70 year old vines on the Vieux Telegraph 27 acre site on the stony Piedlong Plateau which is in the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC area. 

Piedlong is north of the village at the highest point of the appellation. The Mourvèdre fruit is sourced from 50 year old vines on the 22 acre Pignan lieu-dit, east of Piedlong.

This release was awarded 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Spectator, 93-94 by Vinous, 92-94 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 93 by James Suckling and 92 by DC

Whether a Grenache blend from Châteauneuf–du-Pape, a Bandol Mourvédre or a rosé from Pic Saint-Loup, classic wines from the Southern Rhône, Provence or Languedoc are often described as having notes of garrigue. 

In wine, the term garrigue suggests distinctly herbaceous, peppery or smoky tones reminiscent of the low-lying vegetation that grows wild in sun-scorched limestone soils along the Mediterranean, particularly the South of France.

Rather than a single plant or scent, garrigue refers to a variety of aromatic, resinous herbs like rosemary, sage, bay leaves and thyme. It also includes shrubs like juniper and artemisia as well as lavender and mint. 

The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong  was an ideal pairing with the tangy BBQ. I note often in these pages the importance of an effective pairing between food and wine, and how it amplifies the enjoyment of both. 

This was  dark ruby colored, medium to full-bodied, round, layered with core of ripe raspberry, red currant, cherry and plum fruits accented by herbes de Provence, roses, dried spices, licorice, with that signature garrigue and with minerality on the long smooth polished finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3187675  

https://www.vieux-telegraphe.fr/en/

Beau Vigne Old Rutherford Napa Cab

Beau Vigne Old Rutherford Napa Cab with Calogero’s Pizza 

Son Alec and D-in-law Viviana dined in the city at Juno Sushi in Lincoln Park, so we were called to grandparent babysitter duty. Alec arranged for pizza pick-up at Calogero’s Pizza, Naperville, their neighborhood pizza shop. He also set out a nice Napa Cab from his cellar for a wine pairing.

Calogero’s has become a regular dining experience when we serve at Alec & Viv’s. They take pride in their mission to create the highest quality food using only the best and freshest ingredients possible - certified imported Italian products and local fresh produce. All their meat comes from farm-fed, humanely raised cattle, toppings are 100% organic and arrive fresh daily. All of their cheeses are made from organic goat, sheep, cow and water buffalo milk, and the flour used to make their pizzas, breads and sweets are organic & imported from Italy.

The pizza and wine were wonderful - a perfect, delicious pairing with the arugula salad, bruschetta and the sausage and cheese pizza; ‘Bruschette al Pomodoro’ - wood fire bread with cherry tomatoes, basil, oregano, and evoo; ‘Salsiccia Pizze Rosse’ - Italian plum tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella, fennel italian sausage, pecorino romano.

Beau Vigne “Old Rutherford” Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This is a producer we know well as we hold a half dozen of their labels in our cellar (s) dating back nearly a decade. I featured this producer in detail in a blogpost last summer when we took their wine along on holiday - Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red.

Ironically, we just ordered a half case of Beau Vigne wine earlier in the day from their just published winter releases.

As the producer exclaimed, “This is 100% Cabernet from a 100 Point Winery, a rare single vineyard designated label”. Old Rutherford is the sourced from the highly acclaimed Missouri Hopper Vineyard (known for year-over-year 96-99 point ratings). 

The producer writes, “The utmost rarity because you can’t always get this fruit (it’s an outright bidding war), and is reserved for some of the most expensive wines in Napa Valley.”

I wrote in a recent blogpost about getting ‘invested’ in a wine from a producer that doesn’t own or control their vineyard source (s). This is another such case, as the producer admits. 

While they call this wine “Old Rutherford”, the vineyard source is actually in the Napa Valley Oakville AVA. It is part of the iconic Beckstoffer Vineyard holdings. 

Located north of the town of Yountville in the Oakville AVA, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper was originally part of a large piece of land owned by George C. Yount, from whom the town of Yountville takes its name. It is name for Charles Hopper who purchased it and gave it to his daughter Missouri in 1877. The land was planted to wine grapes, prunes and walnuts. 

In 1960, the land was purchased by Bruce Kelham as part of the historic Vine Hill Ranch and subsequently purchased by Beckstoffer Vineyards from the Kelham family in 1996. As noted in the release notes, the vineyard is today planted with multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2002, the property was placed under a land conservation easement that forever prohibits non-agricultural development.

The total vineyard site is 46 acres of which 36 acres are planted to vines. 

Producer Notes - “The Old Rutherford project is a clonal micro-terroir look at different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford Appellation. Our 2020 is a 50/50 blend of Clones 4 & 6. The fascinating thing is, this wine tastes young, with 10-15 years of aging potential. The integration is likely to become more apparent with 3 years of cellaring.”

Winemaker notes - “The 2020 Old Rutherford Cabernet displays an intense array of wild blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry jam and dark chocolate aromas. Its inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of dusty Rutherford and beautifully balanced French oak frame the dark berry flavors, with notes of graphite, cracked pepper, caramel, and blackberry adding depth to a long finish.”

Robert Parker’s assessment of Beau Vigne: “this winery is currently on a qualitative roll”, “wine that even eclipses the other fabulous wines in the Beau Vigne portfolio.’

This was delicious and exceeded my expectations. 

Dark ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant expressive sweet blackberry and boysenberry fruits accented by clove spice, graphite chalk from that famous ‘Rutherford Dust’, hints of bitter mocha dark chocolate and sweet oak on a smooth polished refined finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4591751

http://www.beauvigne.com/

Clarendon Hills Romas Vineyard Grenache 2007

Clarendon Hills McLaren Vale Clarendon Romas Vineyard Grenache 2007

Friday night dinner, Linda prepared BBQ ribs with roasted potatoes and carrots, one of my favorite meals for pairing with full bodied, bold expressive wines. 

Following the trend of this week, for the third time I pulled from the cellar a 2007 vintage release wine to compare the relative aging of that vintage, albeit across different wine varietals and regions. 

One of our favorite varietals with BBQ is the Syrah grape from the Rhône Valley in France, Australia and parts of California. Syrah is one of a trio of grapes often paired together in blends, along with Grenache and Mourvèdre - together referred to as GSM’s. 

Generally we have favored Syrah over Grenache, but tonight, this single vineyard designated label exceeded our most lofty expectations. 

I featured this same label vintage release in an earlier blogpost in which I also featured this iconic producer in detail -  October, 2020 - Trio of Clarendon Hills labels - Astralis, Bakers Gully and Romas , excerpted below.

Clarendon Hills winery was founded in 1990 by Roman Bratasiuk in Clarendon, a town 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Adelaide, part of the McLaren Vale Wine Region in South Australia. Bratasiuk, a viticulturalist as much as a winemaker, selected Clarendon as a base because of the significant number of old vine vineyards that were planted there, vineyards of 50 to 90 years. 

The township of Clarendon was established in 1880 by European migrants, who brought with them pre-clonal, original French vine cuttings that they planted and propagated across the surrounding hilltops. Clarendon is home to hugely varied terrain with sandy, clay based soils in the lower elevated regions and contrasted with shattered shale and ironstone rich, quartz ridden soils in the highest areas. It is ideal growing conditions for traditional French Rhone varietals - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre as well as Bordeaux varietals Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Clarendon Hills vineyards sources lie within the Clarendon, Blewitt Springs and Kangarilla districts. Using single vineyard designated fruits, Clarendon Hills seeks to express terroir driven varietal expression in its wines.

Today, there are many single vineyard wines in Australia, but when Roman started in 1990, he was a pioneer in this approach. In the early 1990s, Roman started becoming known for his Grenache, but today he has an extensive portfolio of premium and ultra premium quality wines across 19 single vineyard cuvee labels.

With the release of the 1994 vintage. Roman hired his first employee and rebranded his $30 Clarendon Hills Shiraz as 1994 Clarendon Hills Astralis. It was the first bottle in Australia to be priced at $100. It sold out and became his signature flagship label which remains to this day.

Robert Parker has written that "Clarendon Hills is one of the world’s elite wine estates". In 1996, Parker tasted the 1994 Astralis and wrote in his newsletter, Wine Advocate issue 110: "This is the hottest wine in Australian wine circles, as it came out ahead of two great vintages of Henschke and Penfolds’ Grange in a recent tasting. If readers can believe it, it is a bigger denser, more concentrated wine than the Grange," and in issue 108 (1996) he named Roman wine producer of the year. Thereafter, Astralis became a cult wine.

Two vintages of Astralis (1996 and 1994) were recently included within the 'Greatest 1000 Wines of all time 1727-2006" as a result of 15 international MW's collaborating with Scandinavian publisher FINE.

Clarendon Hills was awarded New World Winery of the Year in 2006 by Wine Enthusiast. To date, Astralis is either the highest or equivocally scored as the best Australian Shiraz/Syrah based wine every year according to US publications Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate.

Today, Clarendon Hills produces broad portfolio of nineteen labels; eight Syrah, six Grenache, three Cabernet Sauvignon and one Merlot and Mourvedre wine. Roman exclusively produces single vineyard wines, all single vineyard, single varietal wines, produced from low yielding, dry grown old vines which are hand pruned, hand picked. All wines are aged in high quality French oak barriques.

One of Australia's iconic producers, Clarendon Hills marches confidently to its own drum, crafting deeply flavoured, profoundly structured and often rather savoury and Old Worldly reds from shiraz and grenache from a variety of sites in the higher Clarendon subregion of McLaren Vale. Each are made and bottled separately, so a new vintage tasting of Clarendon Hills wine will take more than half an hour! 

It's also home to some steadily improving cabernet sauvignons and some slightly idiosyncratic Mourvedre and Merlot. The winery's two top red wines, the Astralis Syrah and the Romas Grenache, easily justify their 5-Star status. The Domaine Clarendon Syrah is an exciting and relatively new project that should gain more standing and status as the vineyard matures. I love the ambition and attitude behind Clarendon Hills. It's pushing the envelopes of style and quality, and it's spectacular when it succeeds.

Clarendon Hills "Romas" Grenache 2007 South Australia

This is Clarendon Hill's top Grenache, single vineyard designated, sourced from the Romas Vineyard Block, in the Clarendon hills, in the tenderloin/best part of the more famous Blewitt Springs Vineyard, located just north-east of McLaren Vale, to the south of Adelaide, Australia

The vineyard was planted in 1920 and the 1940's with the 'Romas Grenache' the steepest, most elevated section. What makes this site special is its elevation of almost 1000 ft and its proximity to the ocean, which sits only a few miles away. The hillside site in some places reaches above a +40˚ slope gradient where the old vines struggle to survive on a steep rock hill face with yields a microscopic 1.2 ton to the acre.

The elevation and slope combined with the proximity to the ocean results in a cooler-climate site and not prone to producing the ‘jammy’, ‘porty’ styles of Aussie Grenache so popular from the broader area, rather, this wine is more like wines from the north side of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.

Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. In those cases, Appellation rules require it to be included along with Syrah and Mourvèdre to be at least 70% of the blend, which can include up to thirteen specified varietals. 

Grenache is also grown on the Italian island of Sardinia where they produce bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). It is also grown in California, Washington and Australia who have all achieved found success with Grenache, both stand along single varietal bottlings and in blends.

We held several labels of Clarendon Hills in our cellar going back two and half decades, and several vintages of this one. I selected the oldest vintage, as part of cellar/inventory management, and as a continuing fun comparison of this particular vintage release this week - Garric Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and another, in a post coming soon. 

As I write often in these pages, the optimal pairing of a wine with food will greatly amplify and enhance the enjoyment of both! 

Tonight, these was extraordinary with the delicious BBQ ribs, roasted potatoes and carrots and was perhaps the best showing of a Grenache that I can remember. 

Historically, we not huge fans of Grenache, much less desired than our more favored Syrah varietal. Moreover, in the earlier blogpost review of this specific label, I gave it very low lackluster marks. 

Clarendon Hills McLaren Vale Clarendon Romas Vineyard Grenache 2007

While usually we’re not huge fans of Grenache, tonight, this showed extraordinarily well, enhanced by the ideal food pairing. I believe that the extra couple years aging in the bottle allowed this to settle further as it showed great balance and harmony. 

This label release was awarded 91 points by both Wine Enthusiast and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 

It was matured for 18 months in 1-5 year old tightly grained French Oak.

This may have been my best tasting experience in memory for a Grenache varietal wine. 

Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied, bold and expressive, textured but balanced black berry, black currant and plum fruits were accented by savory rustic, meaty and spice tones of black tea and tobacco leaf with firm but fine approachable tannins on a long gripping finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=933956

https://clarendonhills.com.au/

Garric Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Garric Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I wrote in a recent blogpost about wines/labels from producers who purchase grapes and have hired winemakers produce their wines. And how this practice has lead to the proliferation in the number of producers and labels. While it may produce some interesting wines, these are not wines to get ‘invested’ in since many may prove to be ‘one hit wonders’, so to speak. 

This may be another such label, two enthusiasts who dip into the wine business, buying grapes and having a hired winemaker to produce their own label. Dare I call this a ‘vanity’ label? It is a name formed from the names of the co-proprietors. 

"The name 'Garric' combines the first names of co-proprietors and Chicago physicians Gary Ochwat, a foot surgeon, and Ricardo Cajulis, a pathologist. The two began dreaming of owning their own Cabernet label after their many trips to Napa Valley, and bought a home in Calistoga in 2002. The next year, they purchased grapes from two different vineyard sites to make their inaugural wine, a 2003, crafted by winemaker Pam Starr." 

MaryAnn Worobiec wrote in the November 2007 Wine Spectator, "20 Exciting New Cabernet Labels to Watch". I don’t subscribe to this hype and think Wine Spectator was short sighted to do so. Notable wine producers purchase vineyards and invest in building a brand promulgated on the terroir of the site. Indeed the great iconic brands cross multiple generations of family owned estates. 

That said, in any event, such labels can provide some great wines, but only time will tell if they last across multiple vintages so that they allow for comparisons from one year to the next. I’ve written in these pages about an earlier similarly situated Wine Spectator article about new producers that emerged with the 1994 vintage - Twenty New Producers, Hot New Labels to Watch, which formed our Napa wine discovery and pursuit and collecting for decades to follow! In retrospect, they all were founded on or ended up with estate wines from vineyard holdings. 

Garric first appeared in 2003, seemed to hit their stride with this 2007 and near vintages, but disappeared from the scene in 2016. 

CellarTracker, with its vast number of collectors’ inventory of millions of bottles is a valid testament of a producer’s and label’s presence. The CellarTracker mentions of Garric Cellar wines shows 23 labels across five wines from 2002 to 2014. A couple were only produced in one or three vintage years, with this Garric Cabernet (their ‘flagship’) label showing a dozen continuous vintages. (From CellarTracker - “CellarTracker is the leading cellar management tool with hundreds of thousands of collectors tracking more than 158 million bottles. CellarTracker has also grown to become the largest database of community tasting notes with 10 million such notes as of early 2023.”) 

My CellarTracker record shows I purchased this 2007 vintage release from Binny’s Beverage Depot, the Chicagoland big box wine superstore, in 2010, so they had a sufficient distribution presence. Published records indicate they produced 545 cases of this release. 

The Garric Cellars website and domain name are dark, hence the brand has for intents and purposes disappeared completely.

Garric Cellars GRX Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

At seventeen years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were in pristine condition. This wine had another decade of life remaining in its prime drinking window. 

Never-the-less, this was enjoyable drinking for the evening. From the winemaker: "2007 gave us a beautifully concentrated wine with soft velvety tannins. Bright purple black color. The nose shows off layered complexity, loaded with aromas of sweet blueberries, currants and black cherries with a hint of caramel and vanilla. In the mouth, the wine reveals flavors layered with sweet blueberries, cassis, plums and black cherries. The wine is chewy and has great balance with a long luscious finish. The wine can be approached early with decanting, yet will age effortlessly for 15+ years. This is undoubtedly the most profound Garric to date!"

545 cases were produced

We enjoyed this with winter comfort food chili dinner and a selection of artisan cheeses.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium to full bodied, full round bright vibrant concentrated black berry plum and black currant fruits were accented with sprites of spice, cassis and tobacco leaf with chewy grainy tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?862654

www.GarricCellars.com

Juslyn Napa Valley Perry’s Blend Cabernet

Juslyn Napa Valley Perry’s Blend Cabernet 2002

With delicious grilled tenderloin beefsteaks and avocado sandwiches I pulled from the cellar this two decade old aged Napa red blend. 

This is from Juslyn Vineyards, founded and developed by Perry and Carolyn Butler back in 1997 when their dream became a reality and they sold their Silicon Valley tech business and purchased and moved to the Spring Mountain estate. 

The British ex-pats had moved from the UK to California to start the IT company in the mid-1980's. During weekend trips to Napa Valley they developed a passion for wine and the wine country lifestyle that Napa Valley offered.

They bought a picturesque 42-acre property located slightly above historic Spring Mountain Vineyard winery. The land was once a small parcel of the 540 acres that California wine pioneer Charles Krug originally acquired as the dowry of Caroline Bale, who he married in 1860. 

The site sits near another one of our favorite producers, Fantesca Vineyards and Winery, near the bottom of Spring Mountain, just above the town of St Helena. 

The Butlers set about having a villa and gardens built, along with a winery facility, which Butler named Juslyn, for daughter Justine and wife Carolyn. 

Butlers were IT (information technology) people with no expertise in the wine business other than Butler trained as a chef in England. They turned to Renteria Vineyard Management, led by Salvador and Oscar Renteria, who produced outstanding grapes for many prestigious Napa Valley vineyards to select the most appropriate varieties for the vineyards and develop them to produce the highest quality fruit.

They set about to develop vineyards in the rocky soils of the Spring Mountain estate replanting old abandoned vineyards with Bordeaux varietals - 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Upon moving to Napa Valley, the Butler’s met Art Finklestein (the founder of Judd’s Hill Winery). He made several home vintages for them. Still several years away from the maturation of their estate vineyard, in 1998 and for several years following, they purchased grapes for their early vintages until their first commercial release in 1998. 

Long time Napa winemaker, Craig MacLean was their founding winemaker. They eventually hired Brian Kosi as winemaker. A graduate of the University of California-Davis, Kosi’s career includes positions at Acacia Vineyard, Opus One, Plumpjack Winery, Beaulieu Vineyard and Freemark Abbey. 

The first wine produced under their ownership from their property was in 2000. Their first Estate Cabernet release in 2000 was a mere 80 cases, increased in 2001 to 170 cases, a wine that displayed elegance in the style of premier cru Bordeaux. Each Estate vintage increased production and improved, growing over the following two decades to about 3 tons/acre from the 8-acre hillside vineyard. 

Located in the Spring Mountain District AVA, one of the very best growing regions in the Napa Valley, grapes produced in this AVA are sold at a premium price. Average grape price in Napa Valley is around $7,000/ton; in 2017 the Juslyn owners were offered $20,000 per ton for their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Stephanie DeMasi joined their small team in 2003 and worked with the Butlers as General Manager  until 2019. She answered an ad that Perry and Carolyn had placed for a General Manager. Her prior local wine experience involved working with Cathy Corison (well-regarded Corison Winery) and helping launch the Bounty Hunter Wine Shop in the city of Napa. She progressed to also become a partner in the brand.

The Juslyn Vineyards Perry’s Blend was sourced from both their Spring Mountain estate vineyards and some of the most highly regarded vineyards in Napa Valley. The Butler’s met Andy Beckstoffer owner of several legendary vineyards in the early years during their visits to Napa, and arranged to source fruit for this wine from some of Beckstoffer’s heritage vineyards including To Kalon, Dr. Crane and Georges III. 

Initially they simply called the wine, “Napa Blend”. During a visit to the property, wine pundit Robert Parker advised that he thought this name was too generic. Despite the fact that they had already submitted the wine to the TTB for approval, Parker wrote about it in his Wine Advocate newsletter and referred to it as “Perry’s Blend”. Calls immediately came into the winery asking for that wine and the name stuck … notably a tribute to both Mr. Parker and Perry. In later years, the wine was sourced entirely from their Spring Mountain estate fruit.

The Justyn estate was in recent years listed for sale. It was represented as “40 + acres - 6 acres planted to very high quality vines which, due to their close spacing, produce very high quailty yields that are more like 16 acres; plus an additional 4 acres that can be planted”.

The Juslyn Vineyards Wine business at the time held approximately $7.0M in inventory (2 vintages of casked wine and current vintage wine in bottle) plus about $1m plus hanging on the vines for the then current 2021 vintage.

I both hate it and love it that while trolling down in our wine cellar for a nice red blend to enjoy with grilled tenderloin beefsteaks, I come across this vintage aged wine. 

Juslyn Perry's Blend Napa Valley Red Wine 2002

This release was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

The 2002 Perry’s Blend was 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

At 22 years of age, the label and foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork were in pristine condition. 

Dark ruby colored with a slight grayish brownish hue settling in showing a slight diminution from aging, past its prime but sill enjoyable and should remain in drinking window for a couple more years; medium to full bodied, the black raspberry and black currant fruits were offset with notes of wood, leather, black tea and hints of cedar with moderate tannins on the lingering tangy acidic finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://juslynvineyards.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=274387

https://juslyn.com/

Frisson Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Frisson Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

We were invited to son Alec and Vivianna’s for dinner on their return from their holiday with the in-laws in Naples. With pizza, to watch our Alma Mater Indiana demolish our perennial rival Purdue in what may be called the Route 66 Game (IU 66 - PU-0), Alec opened from his cellar this Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet that he picked up at one of the on-line retailers. 

This is from Frisson, a producer I’ve never heard of, which is not surprising given the proliferation of producers and labels over the last several years - from 300 to over 500. Of course with the finite amount of vineyards lands, and strict restrictions on development, there are many dollars chasing the limited supply of wine grapes from the now seventeen different Napa Valley Appellations, and non-designated sites. 

Naturally most vineyard land owners and contract growers have established distribution in place for their brands and product. Many of these new producers lack their own vineyard sources so they end up buying excess or available fruit in the marketplace. I’ve written in the past about the dynamics of getting ‘invested’ in such brands. These are not for collectors who relish in vertical collections, comparing wines from a single site across multiple vintages. This may not be possible if the producer has limited access to a site source, or purchased a one-of or limited duration supply of fruit. 

Also, caveat emptor, that a vineyard owner will want to maximize production in a stellar vintage, holding as much fruit as possible to leverage their brands, and established distribution. Where as, in a lesser vintage, they may choose to liquidate (*) their inventory to other producers, so as not to dilute (* - puns intended) their own brand with substandard, marginal, or less than stellar fruit. 

This is not to say that some fabulous wines are not available from such producers. And, many well known labels and brands rely on contract growers for their fruit, through long term established supplier agreements - Lewis Cellars, and Freemark Abbey with their Bosche’ Vineyard label as prime examples.     

With that said, this producer, Terry Davis, writes, “Frisson is a French word meaning a moment of intense excitement, a thrill; a word which aptly describes our story and philosophy.’

“One evening we met a winemaker who shared our philosophy and vision – to make truly fine wines that exemplify the energy of the New World, honed with the sophistication of the Old World approach. Our Frisson began!’

“After purchasing a prized allocation of 2007 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon grapes our journey as vintners came to life.”

This is another collaboration of entrepreneur/investor and winemaker. (See my most recent blogpost of similarly situated collaboration on a Washington State premium label). 

The Frisson website continues, excerpted here; - “Like about everyone else who has come to Napa Valley, Terry Davis dreamed for years about becoming a part of the Napa Valley world of wine.”

“He met Wayne Donaldson, winemaker, (who) told him of his desire to make a great Cabernet. Terry said if he came across the right grapes he would give him a call.”

The story continues … “Next thing Terry knew, he and some friends had bought three tons of Diamond Mountain grapes. One of his partners said, “Let’s get this straight… you don’t know a damn thing about making wine, just met this guy and you want me to invest? Do you think I’m crazy? I’m in!”’

CellarTracker records show no less than fifty different labels from this producer dating back to the 2010 vintage. 

The Frisson website identifies no less than three winemakers; “Morrisey, a former student of New York University’s elite film school, spent ten years in show business as an electrician and cameraman before choosing to reinvent himself and try his hand at winemaking. While attending graduate school at the University of California, Davis, he secured a harvest internship at Château Pétrus in Bordeaux in 1997. He later worked under famed Napa Valley winemaker Tony Soter, founder of Etude Winery, who helped him refine his approach.”

Another, Winemaker Paul Colantuoni crafted the Frisson 2018 Yountville Label. He gained experience at Rocca Vineyards, where he crafts their Yountville wines.

Ryan Woodhouse, Wine Buyer for well regarded and established Bay Area Wine Retailer K&L wrote about the Frisson Rutherford label: “As it says on the back of this bottle: "Frisson - noun: a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill." Despite not knowing this word previously, it quite accurately described how I felt when I saw the vineyard sourcing for this wine...and the price! The 2019 Frisson Rutherford Cab is sourced 65% from Georges III Vineyard and the remaining 35% from Melrose Vineyard! A fabulous, rich, ripe, modern Cab from one of the most famed vineyards in all of Napa for this price!?”

This label we tried tonight is from Napa Valley Atlas Peak. If was awarded  91 points by The Wine Advocate, and 90 points by James Suckling.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, black berry and black cherry notes with nots of cedar, vanilla, spice and herbs turning to firm but approachable tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 90 points. .

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3845886

https://www.frissonwines.com/

Pio Cesare Barolo Nebbiolo with Italian Pasta

Pio Cesare Barolo Nebbiolo with Italian Pasta 

Following our dinner outing at Angeli’s Italian Restaurant, we enjoyed our pasta leftovers and opened a middle aged Italian Barolo wine for an Italian varietal / cuisine pairing. 

Pio Cesare Barolo 2018

Five generations of the Pio family have followed one another in succession producing Pio Cesare’s wines for 135 years in its ancient cellars in the center of the town of Alba.

Founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio, a successful entrepreneur he was inspired to produce a small and select quantity of wines from the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco for himself, his family, friends, and customers.

In 1940, Giuseppe Pio’s only child, Rosy, married Giuseppe Boffa, a young and well-known engineer from Alba, who managed a large company in Milan at the time. When Italy began to struggle during the Second World War, Giuseppe Boffa left his job in Milan to dedicate himself to the Pio Cesare winery.

Through his efforts, the Pio Cesare brand gained fame and prominence both domestically and internationally, becoming one of the most respected names among Italian wine producers, with a special focus on its renowned Barolo.

Rosy and Giuseppe Boffa named their youngest son Pio, in honor of his great-grandfather’s surname. Pio Boffa, the fourth generation, leads and directs the company today. In the early 1990’s Pio Boffa asked his cousin Augusto to join him in the company. 

In 2000, Pio’s sister’s son, Cesare Benvenuto, became the fifth generation, joined recently by Pio Boffa’s daughter, Federica Rosy, in working at Pio Cesare, representing the future of the Family.

Today, family members travel around the world, to more than 50 countries promoting Pio Cesare wines.

Pio Cesare own 170 acres of vineyards on prime hillside exposures located in multiple different communes of the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations.

As is customary with Barolo wines, this is 100% Nebbiolo, estate grown sourced from family-owned vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato, La Serra and Briccolina), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava and Garretti), La Morra (Roncaglie), Novello (Ravera) and, since the 2015 vintage, their recently acquired vineyard in Monforte (Mosconi). 

The new selection 'Pio' from Pio Cesare is a blend of the different MGAs of the estate. This is the classic “formula” used by the ancient Barolo Families to produce a wines that embraces and combines each of the unique characteristics of the different vineyards and terroirs of the Barolo area.

The wine is aged in large French oak “botti” for about 30 months; and a small amount in barriques as well.

Distributor notes - A classic style Barolo. Excellent structure, harmony and elegance. Soft tannins and balanced fruit. Approachable, but with a very long ageing potential. Barolo is a great wine, which should not be described as a “basic” or “regular” Barolo, simply because it does not have any additional indication on the label.

Winemaker Notes - “A classic style Barolo. Excellent structure, harmony and elegance. Soft tannins and balanced fruit. Approachable, but with a very long ageing potential. Barolo is a great wine, which should not be described as a “basic” or “regular” Barolo, simply because it does not have any additional indication on the label.”

This was rated 94 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Decanter and Wine Enthusiast. 

We found this a bit disappointing with the subdued fruit overtaken by non-fruit flavors, especially given its ultra-premium price. 

Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish/grey hue, medium bodied, spicy red cherry and plum fruits with notes of earthy tobacco and leather with hints creosote, truffle and camphor. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4217182

https://www.piocesare.it/en/vini/barolo/

BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville

BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville 

We dined with neighbors/friends Richard and Adessa at Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took from our cellar this middle-aged Brunello Di Montalcino, a Sangiovese that be become one of our favorite varietals, especially with tangy Italian faire. 

I ordered their signature comfort dish, Pasta and Peas - Ground Italian sausage simmered with sweet peas in a vodka cream sauce and tossed with rigatoni pasta. The ample portion provided a left over dinner the following night at which time this was even better! 

Linda order her favorite standby dish, Angeli’s Eggplant Parmigiana - Layers of lightly floured eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, baked in the oven, and topped with homemade marinara sauce (pictured below).

To accompany our meal, we brought BYOB from our home cellar this middle-aged Brunello di Montalcino. 

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2017  

I’ve written often in these pages about Brunello and what makes it so special. They are sourced from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. 

Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine.

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.

Altesino is located In the heart of southern Tuscany, forty kilometers south of the City of Siena amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino. The 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the estate. Built by the Tuscan family Tricerchi in 2002, Altesino has been owned by the Gnudi Angelini family with technical collaboration of Paolo Caciorgna, the company have involved the Brunello di Montalcino for forty years. 

They were a forerunner with the introduction of the “Cru” concept (Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli) concept in 1975, Altesino was the first winery to use barriques in 1979. In 1977, the first Grappa di Fattoria was created and produced by Altesino with the help of the master distiller Gioacchino Nannoni.

The Altesino estate covers 250 acres, half of which are planted vineyards consisting of six plots, each of which are distinguished and represented with single vineyard designated wines in their own right.

The six vineyards consisting of one parcel in the north – Altesino, one in the north east Macina, two in the north west - Cerbaia and Montosoli (first Cru in the history of Brunello di Montalcino and always famous for the production of wines of extreme elegance), one in the area of Sant’Angelo in colle – Pianezzine, and finally, one in Castelnuovo dell’Abate – Velona.

In addition to Sangiovese, which constitutes the majority of the plants (used for the production of Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and Palazzo Altesi), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are cultivated (which in blend with Sangiovese give the Alte d’Altesi and the Rosso di Toscana), the Trebbiano and the Malvasia (for Vin Santo), the Vermentino, the Chardonnay and the Viognier destined for the production of Bianco di Altesino.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Winemaker’s Notes - “Brunello di Montalcino is the ambassador of top quality Italian wines around the world, the first wine to receive the DOCG appellation. Brunello is a brilliant ruby red colour, tending towards garnet red with age. Its bouquet is intense, pure, pleasant and refined, reminiscent of sweet violet, tobacco, chocolate and pleasant hints of wild berries and vanilla. Its flavour fully confirms the above in a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with good tannins and a solid structure.’

For the 2017 vintage release - “Brilliant ruby-red color, this classic Rosso offers sumptuous aromas of ripened blackberries and dark cherries. On the palate, the wine is generously well-rounded and rich with fruit-forward notes complimented by hints of leather and mesquite.”

Tonight’s tasting of this label release was consistent with my earlier tasting note pasted last winter when I wrote: “Tasted from wine list at Italian Village Chicago for a fabulous, perfect food and wine pairing. Dark Ruby colored, medium-to full-bodied, full round balanced blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruits with savory baking and clove spices with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather with smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.”

RM 92 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2024/01/pour-boys-wine-dinner-at-italian.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4119676

http://www.altesino.it/en/altesino/

Angeli’s Eggplant Parmagana

Richard ordered another Angeli’s Signature dish, Shrimp Diavolo - Shrimp sautéed in a spicy red sauce with spinach and fresh tomatoes. 

Adessa had the Angeli’s Chicken Parmigiana -Breaded chicken breast smothered in marinara sauce, baked with mozzarella cheese, and served with pasta.

To accompany their shrimp and chicken entree’s, at my suggestion they ordered from the wine list this unique interesting Italian White Blend. This has become our go-to wine there, enjoyable, sophisticated great value, high QPR drinking - everyone loves it, as did Adessa and Richard. 

I’ve featured this wine many times in these pages, as excerpted below. 

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2020

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the Feudo Arancio Stemmari winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago.

This wine is from the historic Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "Grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent Grillo and 20 percent Viognier.

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil. 

Tonight they were serving the 2020 vintage release label. This is the forth vintage they've served this wine. This continues to be a sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio. We enjoyed this discovery such that we went out and special ordered some from a local merchant to have in our cellar for enjoyable casual sipping.

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Consistent with earlier releases and tastings. Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated floral and tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, mango and citrus with hints of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with bight acidity on a character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

https://www.feudoarancio.it

https://www.angeliscatering.com/

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah

Sunday evening dinner, we dined in and eagerly opened this just acquired highly regarded Columbia Valley Syrah. I admit I’d never heard of this producer or this highly acclaimed vineyard source, hence I was curious to try this highly rated label that I picked up at Binny’s, our ‘big box’ beverage superstore.

Arnaut Avenida Boushey Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah 2017

Avennia is the partnership project of entrepreneur Marty Taucher and winemaker Chris Peterson, founded in 2009 based on core principles; “a passionate commitment to signature vineyards and natural processes in the cellar - resulting in timeless, world class wines that are solely and undeniably Washington”. 

This approach and objective is similar to another high profile Washington State producer, Long Shadows, and their Vintners Collection Series of labels, which we love, and have collected as wine club members since discovering them on our trip to the region back in 2017. 

Interesting, that like Long Shadows, Avennia also sources their fruit from contract growers, and promotes their brand through three different tasting rooms in three of the major Washington State wine areas, Woodinville, Walla Walla, at their sole estate vineyard site in the Red Mountain appellation in Yakima Valley. We visited both the Woodinville and Walla Walla wine areas during trips to the region. 

In their first year of production, 2010, they acquired 16 tons of fruit that they transformed to wine that was ultimately released in 2012, Receiving much acclaim in that inaugural release, and affirming and building upon relationships in place with several of the state’s most legendary growers, the stage was set to secure the best fruit in the region for follow-on vintages. More than a decade later, the same core principles continue to guide the direction of the winery and the business.

Marty Taucher, Managing Partner, a native Oregonian, Marty graduated from Oregon State in 1977 and started at then upstart Microsoft in 1984. He went on to lead Public Relations and Event Marketing, then, spent his last five years as Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy for a consumer and online product group.

In 2009, Taucher signed on as a crush intern at DeLille Cellars where he met Chris Peterson and together they laid the plans for what is now Avennia.

Always inspired by new ideas and fresh thinking, Marty is an angel investor. He serves on numerous non-profit boards. When he’s not in the cellar, he’s an avid golfer, a world traveler, and a perfectly reliable

Chris Peterson, Winemaker/Partner was engaged in the Washington wine industry for more than a decade,  working to make some of the state’s most heralded and award-winning wines at DeLille Cellars. 

Together they founded Avennia with the quest to showcase Washington as a unique and compelling place for great wines, acquiring fruit from some of the finest vineyards in Washington, with a specific focus on the grape varieties used in Bordeaux and the Rhône, in light of their similar latitude to Washington, which makes them a natural fit to excel there.

In thoughtfully choosing vineyard sites to match their winemaking style and preferences, they chose not only the vineyard sources themselves, but down to our favorite vineyard blocks. There is an emphasis on older vines, and moderate climates, as these features tend to create wine with more depth and complexity—a balance between fruit and non-fruit characteristics. 

They strive to craft wine that is balanced and harmonious - the fruit, acid, tannin, perhaps oak. 

Avennia "Arnaut - Boushey Vineyard" Yakima Valley Syrah 2017 

The 2017 Syrah Arnaut Boushey Vineyard is 100% Syrah from Dick Boushey's highly regarded vineyard on the western side of the Yakima Valley AVA, considered one of the state's premier Syrah vineyards. 

This is a cooler site, that tends to instill Northern Rhone-like character in the fruit. Dick Boushey was the first grower with whom Avennia partnered. 

From the Boushey site they source three different varieties which go into the three flagship wines. Boushey is best known for Yakima Valley Syrah and Avennia is the only winery that uses both of the oldest blocks of his coveted fruit. The combination of these two Syrah blocks makes up this Arnaut, a wine we have made since our first vintage, 2010. 

The older, called Grand Côte (meaning "great hillside”), produces wine that is piercingly pure and focused, with meaty and mineral aromas backing up its deep blackberry and damson plum fruit flavors. Wines from the second block, Factory Road, show richer body and feature savory cured meat notes, along with orange peel, and a distinct iron note. 

This release was awarded 95 points by Decanter, 93 pints by Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, and 92 points by Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast, an Editor’s Choice. 

Aged 18 months in 15% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Case production was 354 caees

Winemaker's Tasting Notes - "This vintage brings an exceptional level of finesse to Arnaut, but no shortage of the wild, savory aspects we expect from this wine. The nose features, blueberry, salted blackberry, charcoal-grilled pork chop, asphalt, bittersweet chocolate, bee pollen, and a hint of grapefruit pith. Rich and beautifully textured on the palate, with pure Boushey notes of blueberry reduction, bacon fat, cacao nibs, charcoal embers, and grilled thyme. The elegance here hints at this wine drinking well on release, and it should age nicely for 8-12 years." - Chris Peterson, Winemaker

Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, black berry and black raspberry fruits are layered with intense almost obtuse notes of black pepper with accents of creosote, dark spices, black olive, black tea, garrigue, and cigar leaf.

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3277603

https://avennia.com/

Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Cabernet for meatloaf dinner

Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Cabernet for meatloaf dinner 

For an intimate dine-in Saturday night, Linda prepared one of my favorite comfort foods, meatloaf with carrots, onions and potatoes. For the occasion I pulled from the cellar an ultra-premium Napa Cabernet. 

Given the political ties of this producer, I’ve relegated our collection of their wines to when dining or tasting with my left leaning liberal minded friends. But, with the recent landslide election results, I felt a sense of celebration were in order and pulled this to enjoy on our own! 

At I wrote in earlier blogposts in these pages, this used to be one of our favorite producers until the producer became so terribly political and extremist radical in ideology - several listed and linked here. 

Plumpjack Reserve Napa Chardonnay at Entourage Restaurant Naperville

Plumpjack Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Plumpjack Founders Reserve Cabernet - Seasmoke Chardonnay - Paul Misset Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes

We still hold a collection spanning more than a two decades dating back to the earliest vintage releases of this label, 1996 and 1997. Back in the early days, our visits to the winery estate in Napa, and wine dinner (s) with their winemaker were highlights of our trips to the region. 

In any event, tonight this was fabulous, ideally paired with the beef meatloaf and sides. I opened a more recent vintage of this label to accommodate Linda, who prefers younger, more approachable wines, never-the-less, a twenty-one year old vintage release! 

Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

The simple summary of the history of the winery, as written in Wine Bid is that PlumpJack, in Oakville, was founded by Gordon Getty, fourth child of legendary oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, a San Francisco composer and philanthropist, and major benefactor financial support to Gavin Newsom, former San Francisco mayor and current Governor of California.

The entrepreneurs opened a wine shop in San Francisco in 1992 called PlumpJack, a reference to Shakespeare’s character Sir John Falstaff, who enjoyed food and wine. The partners founded the PlumpJack winery in 1997 when they acquired 53 acres of vineyards on Oakville Cross Road. The PlumpJack Group now also includes resorts, hotels, restaurants and spas. 

The winery specializes in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, though it also makes a Syrah. Robert M. Parker Jr. notes that all the PlumpJack wines “are fabulous, thanks to the brilliant efforts of winemaker Tony Biagi and consultant Nils Venge.”  

Of course, we’re huge fans of Nils going back to those days, and more recently, his son Kirk. Our cellar is full of Venge wines as witnessed by the number of mentions in these pages. 

A bit of wine world trivia: PlumpJack was the first Napa Valley producer to use screw caps.

This release was rated 95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Back in 2013, he wrote, “The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (finished with a screw cap) possesses a dense ruby/purple color as well as a stunningly pure nose of creme de cassis, graphite, licorice, forest floor and a hint of black truffles.’ 

“Full-bodied and velvety textured with stunning opulence that expresses this tenderloin sector of Napa Valley so brilliantly, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a blockbuster finish, this profound wine (14.8% natural alcohol) appears even superior to what I remember tasting in its infancy.” 

Back in 2013 Parker wrote, “At $68 a bottle, it-s a steal for a wine of such world-class quality! The finish lasts for 40-45 seconds. While it has reached its plateau of full maturity, there is no danger of it falling apart for at least another 15-20 years. Bravo!” Of course that price has doubled, even tripled in the decade to follow. 

Wine Enthusiast didn’t like it and gave it 86 points. A mystery, leading me to wonder if they had an ‘off’ or aberrant bottle, but then again, they would surely sort that out. They panned it saying, “Pickles and dill in the nose, with underlying cherries and blackberries. In the mouth, it enters brawny and rustic, and very tannic. The fruit is locked down. Seems sound, but disappointingly tough. Could develop, but it's a gamble. Tasted twice.”

Our bottle was traditional cork, not screw top which came along later. At twenty-one years, the critical fill level, cork, and the label and foil were pristine. Tonight this was delicious, dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex yet elegant, smooth polished, a symphony of black berry fruit flavors with bright vibrant sprites of spice, truffle, crème de cassis and bitter dark chocolate. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?152506