Herman Story Tomboy Viognier BYOB at Beachwalk Cafe

Herman Story Tomboy Viognier BYOB at Beachwalk Cafe 

Hosting in-laws Pat & Rodger at The Cove, our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we dined at Henderson Park Inn Resort Beachwalk Cafe, on the deck watching the magnificent sunset over the waters of the Gulf (of America). 

I’ve written often in these pages about Beachwalk Cafe, one of our favorite dining spots on the Emerald Coast that we frequent each time we in town including these past dinner visits: 

Sunset dining at Beachwalk Cafe

Hope Cuvée at Beachwalk Cafe, Destin

Lewis Chardonnay BYOB at Henderson Beachwalk Cafe

Henderson Beachwalk Cafe Dinner with a view

Tonight, the ladies ordered and shared the signature Beachwalk Grouper Vince with Pecan Crusted, Crispy Potato Cake, Haricot Verts, Honey Worcestershire Sauce.

Both of the men ordered the Snapper topped with lump crab meat, with Corn Truffle Risotto, Madeira Mushrooms, Matchstick Truffle Fries in a Citrus Beurre Blanc sauce. 

I took from our remote Destin wine cellar, BYOB, this interesting aged, big, bold Rhône Valley varietal white blend from Santa Barbara County. 

Herman Story “Tomboy” Viognier 2011 

What a strange name for a wine label!?! Leave it to Paso Robles producer Herman Story, known for a whimsical, odd but creative branding strategy, with a broad portfolio of uniquely named labels such as Bolt Cutter, Casual Encounter, Milk & Honey and Nuts & Bolts, to release a label such as this. 

Proprietor, winemaker Russel From explains on each rear label the brand name inspiration - “Herman Story was a Rancher, Logger, Swapper, Banker, Philanthropist, a teller of tales, and my grandfather ….”

The Herman Story website describes Winemaker/Producer …. “Before he was a winemaker, a self-proclaimed black belt, and an internationally renowned runway model, Russell always had a borderline-concerning obsession with great food and wine. After graduating from Cal Poly with a few winery internships (and a bunch of noise complaints) under his belt, he started Herman Story in 2001 with seven humble barrels of Syrah stashed in his employer's cellar.’

“What started as an homage to his grandfather grew into a lineup of the most boisterous, buckle-up-and-hang-on, Rhône-inspired wines on the Central Coast. Today, after 20+ years and a bunch more noise complaints, Russell hasn't lost a shred of his passion for wine, people, and perfectly seasoned ground beef. Off the clock, you'll find him whipping up salsa verde, floating the Salinas River, or trying to break the world record for longest distance pulling a Learjet 45 by beard.”

Russel applies his grandfather’s ‘teller to tales’ to his wines, with a story behind every label, for example:

Russel’s story behind the Nuts & Bolts label  …. “Single vineyard wines are sort of like kids on the Ivy League track; you just have to make sure that you don’t do anything that throws them off and you’ll see them succeed. Blends like Nuts & Bolts are a bit more like me, it takes some well timed advice, a bit of hand wringing and a lot of love to see them come into their own; but when they do they always take the limelight.”

The winemaker/producer’s tasting notes for his “On the Road Grenache” tell the story explaining the label name: “Driving up and down the Central Coast throughout harvest has it’s perks, sure I now know more places to find legit burritos than I ever thought possible, but aside from that I get to spend countless hours mulling over the best way to blend my Grenache lots.” 

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describes Herman Story (winery and branding) - “Readers looking for super-concentrated, extroverted, exuberant, powerhouse wines from California's Central Coast need look no further than the Herman Story estate. For those who love the wild side of Rhone varietals pushed to the limit (but not over), these are highly recommended. Moreover, prices are exceptionally fair for this level of quality."

With it’s whimsical label, I’ve held this bottle in our cellar for over a decade, waiting for the right opportunity to open this label, taking the branding inspiration into account. I brought this bottle to Florida to perhaps open with Linda’s girlfriends during their visit last month, and finally, set an occasion with Linda and her sister, “farmer Ned Long’s daughters”, for tonight’s dinner. 

Russell’s Herman Story whimsical anecdotal story of this ‘Tomboy’ wine:

“I appreciate a sturdy woman, a lady who the wind isn’t gonna blow over. I also enjoy a woman with many layers; someone I need to take my time on to get to know properly. Once again, Tomboy floats my boat.” 

“You only know one person who can get bucked off her horse, break a few ribs, ride fifteen miles out of the hills, and show up in time to deliver a doozie of a closing argument. Brown sugar hair in a tight bun, cinnamon power suit, working the small-town jury box with candied peach logic and irrefutable grilled pineapple evidence, smooth as butter and spice. By the end, she’s got at least three in tears, and after the verdict comes out, she’s back in the saddle, because she’s not going to leave those cowboys shorthanded.”

This 2011 Tomboy is a blend of Rhône varietals - 83% Viognier and 17% Roussanne, sourced from the Larner, White Hawk, Denner & James Berry Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. 250 cases were produced. 

Our experience was summed up nearly perfectly by one reviewer who wrote - “Light gold color. Best Viognier I’ve ever had. Strong nectarine, honey, and buttered toast on the scent. Taste is tangy melon, followed by floral and earthy mineral notes, with a surprisingly spicy finish. So complicated.”

Russel describe an earlier vintage release of this label this way: “The 2009 vintage is a sturdy showing, indeed; a white wine that probably makes more sense to a red wine drinker than most red wines do. And multi-faceted is an understatement. This wine is so densely layered, it’s more likely to be recognized by MENSA than I ever am. It smells like crushed honeysuckle, wool shirts, lime zest, coconut, butterscotch, wood fire and pain perdue. It tastes like all of those things plus lychee, nectarine, white tea, thyme, orange marmalade and saltwater taffy. Actually, I stopped writing down what this wine tastes and smells like after an hour because my hand got tired. But mostly because I wanted to give it my full attention.”

Tonight, at fourteen years, the fill level was fine but the cork was dry and came apart upon opening using a traditional waiter’s cork screw. I delicately managed to extract the bottom remaining 1/4 of the cork. 

Deep golden colored, medium bodied, rich, concentrated, sharp and forward, zesty melon, lychee, pineapple and blood orange fruits, accented by a layer almost approaching butterscotch and buttery pain grille, with notes of coconut, spice, and hints of vanilla on the mineral laden tangy flavorful finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1528146

https://hermanstorywines.com/about-us/meet-russel/

https://hermanstorywines.com/

https://www.hendersonparkinn.com/

Gala Family Celebration Dinner Welcomes new grand-daughter Ryleigh

Gala Family Celebration Dinner Welcomes new grand-daughter Ryleigh

We gathered the family together to welcome Alec and Vivianna’s new baby, our newest grand-daughter, Ryleigh, to the family. We ordered carry out Italian cuisine from Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. 

Dinner consisted of Angeli’s signature dishes, Mussels in White Wine sauce, Butternut Gnocchi, Peppers and Sausage, and Lasagna, with garlic bread and salad. 

Prior to dinner we had a medley of artisan cheeses with crackers and fresh fruits and olives. 

For the occasion, I opened a flight of wines, white, red, sparkling, and dessert, several aged vintage wines from our cellar collection of birthyear vintage wines, in this case for Alec’s birthyear. 

We celebrated and I wrote about the extraordinary, exceptional 1990 vintage, Alec’s birthyear often in these pages including - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

Opening multiple bottles of the same vintage is called a ‘horizontal’, (as opposed to a ‘vertical’, which is multiple vintages of the same bottle/label). A horizontal tasting is often revealing in comparing how one region, varietal, appellation and producer ages relative to others. 

Charles Heidseick Brut Vintage Champagne 1990

This is one of several Heidseick Champagne houses, named for founder Charles Heidsieck, nephew of the famous uncle of the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne House. Charles Heidsieck was born in 1822 and married into the Piper family. 

Charles grew up in the vineyards and gained experience at his uncle’s business, but left to pursue his ambitions based on his own winemaking philosophy and founded his own Champagne House, Charles Heidsieck in Reims in 1851. 

After success in the Europe marketplace, Charles set out for America to sell his wares in the US and was one of the first to introduce Champagne successfully to the country. He gained notoriety and popularity with his outgoing gregarious personality and he famously became known as ‘Champagne Charlie’. 

Charlie had an eventful few years in America, including being imprisoned in Louisiana on suspicion of being a spy during the Civil War. He was eventually freed by President Lincoln himself and then returned to settle in Champagne.

Unlike his peers, Charles viewed himself as a blender and not a grower and , instead of purchasing land, he spent most of his money investing in forty-seven underground chalk cellars dating back to the 11th century. He began buying grapes from trusted grower families with expertise in perfecting the care of their vines going back generations. 

Today, Charles Heidsieck Champagne sources grapes from 60 separate sites, encompassing a variety of different Crus, some of these plots are cultivated by the fourth or fifth generation of the same family.

Charles Heidsieck is a hand-crafted champagne. The intricacies of its complex make-up have been perfected over the years by one of the most celebrated winemaking teams in Champagne. Between three winemakers they have been awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge twelve times, an award no other house has won more than twice!

The flagship cuvée, Brut Réserve, is the house’s flagship masterpiece. Many years in the making, the wine is a blend of 60 of the best vineyards and harvests going back more than 15 years. It is aged in the House’s Roman chalk cellars under Reims, which provide an ideal environment to age the wine with its unique combination of constant temperature, high humidity levels and no sound, light or vibration to disturb the wines. 

Since 2011, the company has been owned by the Descours family continuing the legacy ensuring the company remains family-run with a long-term vision for the future. In early 2015, Cyril Brun took over as Cellar Master, having been assistant winemaker for many years at Veuve Clicquot.

I’ve written often in these pages about the incredible 1990 vintage that enjoyed success globally, from Bordeaux in France, to Napa Valley in American, to Australia. Indeed, Wine Spectators Wine of the Year featured 1990 vintage releases for three years to follow.

The 1990 vintage in Champagne was also extraordinary. Despite severe frosts in the spring, the vineyards enjoyed hot weather throughout the growing cycle. Not since 1950 had the sun been so strong; grapes had never experienced so much sunlight. There was, however, no drought like in 1976 or 1959. Just at the perfect moment, as the situation became dire, it would rain.As a result, the vine stocks, deeply rooted in the chalky soil’s water reserves, did not suffer. The heat hindered the development of disease and parasites, leading to perfectly healthy grapes at harvest.

This release was a traditional blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay.

Producer’s vintage notes - “TO THE EYE: A golden robe with glints of copper sparkling withdelicate phemeral bubbles. ON THE NOSE: The wine expresses maturity as it opens with notesof oxidation: spices, roasting coffee, jellied fruit sweets andcandied melon. There is also a touch of cocoa. This complex noseoffers toasted, roasted notes with citrus fruit, bergamot, lemonand orange zest. The structure develops, but contributes to thearomatic complexity without overpowering it. ON THE PALATE: The palate is characterised by nuts – walnuts andhazelnuts – but also cocoa, coffee and raisins. The wine demonstrates great elegance and freshness thanks to its citrus fruit notes accompanied by apricot and mirabelle plum. The finish is saltyand chalky.”

We acquired several bottles of this birthyear vintage designated Champagne years ago and served it at special occasions, most notably, Alec and Vivianna’s wedding celebration five years ago and at other family celebrations, since. 

We still hold several bottles of this label and need to consume them soon. At thirty five years, this had lost its effervescence, yet was still tasty and pleasant interesting drinking. 

Back in 2021 I wrote - Amazing, impressive life left in this 31 year old vintage Champagne. 

The color was dark gold colored with intense, complex, dry, finely integrated layers of zesty citrus fruits accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and pineapple with a long bright vibrant finish.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/fathers-day-grilled-steak-wine-dinner.html

Tonight, this was tea colored, light medium bodied, dry, subtle layers of citrus fruit accented by notes of roasted almonds and paine grille with hints of fresh dough, smoke, and tones of coffee on the moderate finish. With the zest gone, it’s time to drink up the remaining bottles. 

RM 88 points for now. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?39790

Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Monbazillac Cuvée Abbaye 1990

We opened this vintage dessert wine which went well with the salad, the cheeses, the sausage, as well as the desserts. This sweet dessert wine is from the appellation of Monbazillac, the third most esteemed region in Bordeaux for sweet wines, behind Sauternes and Loupiac. 

Early in the 20th century the wines of Monbazillac were considered equally with and fetched the same prices as the more famous, higher chateaux of Sauternes. With its exceptional terroir and microclimate suitable for the production of late harvest wines, this region is re-emerging the “new” sauternes. 

The wines of Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure are considered among the best in the region. The Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure is situated in Colombier, in the southwest of France, in the Périgord region, in the South of Bergerac, on the appellation Bergerac and Monbazillac.  

The estate covers 125 acres, 80 of which are planted with white grape varieties and 17 with red grape varieties. The grape varieties selected and vinified for the dry and sweet wines are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, and Chenin and Ondenc which are ‘accessory’ grape varieties permitted in the appellation, with a limited percentage in the blend. The grape varieties selected for the red and rosé wines include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec.

Christian Roche has managed the winery since 1984. He rebuilt the wine cellar in 1989 in the his endeavors to improve the quality of the wines.

This is a blend of traditional Monbazillac varietal grapes: 80% botrysized Semillon and 20% Muscadelle. A is customary for dessert wines, the grapes are harvested in multiple passes through the vineyards with only those affected by noble rot making their way into the cuvee. This wine was aged 24 months in oak barrel.

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and more importantly the cork and fill level were in ideal condition for their age. The color was deep dark brownish golden tea colored. When released this wine was straw colored, then darkened with aging, turning golden, then increasingly deeper brown. 

Producers’ notes - “Here the Monbazillac is adorned with gold, as it should. While not explosive, the bouquet is a beautiful complexity candied fruit, but also notes of quince, acacia, lemon … On the palate, the sugar-acid balance is remarkable. It is both rich, powerful, bold and fresh. The wood (twenty-six months in the barrel) is perfectly allowed to express the fruit. In a word, harmonious.”

“Luscious deep gold, honeyed and fat with peachy botrytis tones, gingerbread, hazelnuts, fresh mint and eucalyptus on the palate. The Ancienne Cure is mini Mon-bee, marzipan, orange peel and spices.”

Showing its age, gone were bright sprites of apricot, oranges and quince, the fruits were subdued and turned to notes of smoky and espresso accenting the sweet honeyed citrus, yet this was very interesting and enjoyable drinking, especially nicely paired with various courses of the meal.  

RM 90 points at this stage. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=167954

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/167954

https://www.domaine-anciennecure.fr/gb/

This mini-horizontal tasting of two Bordeaux varietal wines from the same vintage was illuminating, comparing the Bordeaux to the Alexander Valley Cabernet. 

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

We then opened this well known popular label from Alec’s birthyear vintage. This is the same label we served at his and Vivianna’s wedding celebration five years ago. We also still hold several bottles of the Napa Valley variant of this label. Believing it will age longer than the Alexander Valley version, we opened this one, as part of cellar inventory management. 

We wrote about this label and this birthyear release in more detail in this earlier blogpost - Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House, and Birthyear vintage labels and large format bottles.

We hold over four cases of this label across a vertical collection of sixteen vintages dating back to the birthyears of each of our kids. 

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and more importantly the cork and fill level were in remarkably ideal condition for their age. 

Winemaker Notes for this release - “The 1990 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a stable and lively translucent, ruby red color. It offers aromas of bergamot, vanilla, and hints of black cherry. This wine has an impressive lively and bright, yet elegant, attack and mid-palate with hints of red pepper flavor. The 1990 still shows exuberance and structured tannins on the lengthy finish. Decanting suggested. “

This was rated 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

After decanting and breathing for two and a half hours, this was still approachable, albeit showing its age with a slight bit of funkiness, leather and wood setting in, offsetting the blackberry fruits. The color was still dark garnet colored with the slightest bit of cloudiness appearing. 

Medium bodied, the blackberry and black cherry fruits were hanging on with notes of leather, cigar box, cassis, spice and forest floor with a still balanced lingering finish. 

RM 89 points at this stage.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?10085

This was an interesting comparison to the same vintage Bordeaux below; see comments that follow. 

Chateau La Louviere Passaic Leognan Bordeaux 1990

We hold nearly three cases of a vertical collection of this label spread across a dozen vintages dating back to this birthyear release. 

At thirty five years, the label and foil, and the import fill level were in good condition for their age. (We still hold five more bottles of this release and we selected the one with the worst condition soiled label.) The cork was saturated and starting to soften and started to recede into the bottle when pressed with the two pronged cork puller. With care and a more than a bit of experienced skill, it was extracted intact, but proceed with caution opening more bottles. 

The cork was saturated and starting to soften and started to recede into the bottle when pressed with the two pronged cork puller. With care and a more than a bit of experienced skill, it was extracted intact, but proceed with caution opening more bottles. 

This was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Advocate, back in 2000 and 1997 respectively. .

Wine Advocate wrote, “One of the finest of the lesser known Graves chateaux, La Louviere has been making terrific wine since the late eighties.” 

Wine Spectator wrote’ “ One of the best wines ever from this estate.”

Compared to the Silver Oak, Alexander, this was showing more diminution from aging, with slight rust brownish color hues on the rim, slight clouding, and showing a bit less remaining structure and body.

Slight foggy dark garnet colored, medium bodied, dark berry and cherry fruits were a bit muted but still hanging on, accented still by that classic Graves tobacco, smoke, leather and cassis, with slight remaining grainy texture on the short finish. 

This was still holding on surprisingly well, and approachable, mostly so as part of this horizontal comparison, but it’s time to drink up in the near term. 

RM 87 points at this stage. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?10446

Our great fun with wine such as this gala family celebration continues. 

Italian Dining at Bacchanalia Little Italy Chicago

Italian Dining at Bacchanalia Little Italy Chicago

We dined at Bacchanalia Italian Restaurant in Little Italy, Chicago, named after the Roman God Bacchus. This follows our wonderful, memorable Sunday afternoon alfresco dinner at another neighborhood restaurant a couple weeks ago featured in this blogpost - Wine & Dinner at Bruna’s in Chicago’s Little Italy.

The Oakley Street barricades are gone as autumn wanes so we dined inside in the small intimate dining room in the rear of the small neighborhood trattoria. 

Since its founding in 1979, Bacchanalia has been continuously family owned and operated by The Pieri Family from Pisa, Italy (Tuscany). It purports to be the longest single-family owned Italian Restaurant in the Heart of Chicago's Heart of Italy area on famous South Oakley Avenue.

Belfonte and wife Noemi Pieri moved to the US in 1958 to pursue their lifetime dream opening their own Italian Restaurant. 

Using recipes they brought from their families in Tuscany, they opened Bacchanalia in 1979, just blocks away from their home. The Pieri’s remained fulltime in the business until 2000 when their daughter and son, Paula & Dante, took over the business. 

Pieri continued to develop new recipes until he passed away in 2006. Today, Noemi still contributes in the kitchen hand making the ravioli.

Entering through the quaint cozy bar, the intimate old fashioned dining room is in the rear, with white table cloth covered tables.

For our dinners we both selected ‘signature dishes’, Linda ordering the baked clams and I had the signature Veal Lombardo.

The Veal Piccata Lombardo is represented as ‘Veal medallions sauteed in a lemon, wine Sauce with Capers and topped with Mozzarella Cheese’, but somehow they forgot the capers. 

Had I ordered the basic Veal Medallions sauteed in a light Lemon Brown Gravy, it might have been more complete and tasty. 

When I questioned the preparation and presentation, they brought me a ramekin of fresh capers, which I added to my now cold entree! Presumably, these are normally cooked in for a more tasty sauce.

Linda’s Baked Clams stuffed with Homemade Filling were okay. 

Perhaps the highlight of the mean was the dessert course. The dessert menu is presented in a quaint colorful booklet with photos of each of the selections. 

I had the Tiramisu which came in a large portion, while Linda had the cannoli. 

Both desserts were delectable. 

From the minimalist wine list we ordered a basic Chianti Classico Reserva. 

Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserva 2021

This over-achieving label is the base entry of the Ruffino family and represents high QPR in this release at retail prices - not so much at tonight’s restaurant price at nearly 3x retail. 

Ruffino apply their century-long Tuscan traditions with new state-of-the-art cellar technology and modern winemaking, operating seven prominent estates in Tuscany, all situated within the major DOCG production regions including Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti and Chianti Classico. 

Founded in 1877 by Illario and Leopoldo Ruffino, their winery in Pontassieve is just outside of Florence. In 1913, the Folonari family purchased Ruffino and started a nearly century-long pursuit to develop and consolidate a collection of estates in Tuscany. Producing wines according to a strict quality standards and  rigorous technical research, Ruffino have became an international symbol of the Chianti region having won numerous awards including the prestigious gold medal at the Bordeaux Wine Fair in 1895.

Winemaker’s notes - “Intense ruby red. This complex wine is characterized by cherry and violet notes with delicate hints of tobacco, white pepper, and a touch of flint. This complex wine is characterized by cherry and violet notes with delicate hints of tobacco, white pepper, and a touch of flint”.

This is 80% Sangiovese augmented with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This was rated 93 Points by Wine Spectator and 92 Points by James Suckling.

Bright ruby red, medium bodied, a bit disjointed, yet, expressive plum, cherry and boysenberry fruits with notes of tobacco, forest floor, thyme and baking spices, with juicy acidity and a tangy texture on the lingering finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5096899

http://www.bacchanaliainchicago.com/home2.html

Gia-Mia Carry-out with duo of Big Reds

Gia-Mia Carry-out with medley of red wines 

We visited kids and new grandbaby and took carry out dinner from Gia-Mia Restaurant (Naperville). 

For wine pairing with the hearty zesty Italian fare I brought from our home cellar a robust red wine from Venge Vineyards. I’ve written regularly in these pages the fun we have with this label and their prominent “V” branding, a signature brand for our daughter-in-law Vivianna. 

Tonight, we took Venge Scout’s Honor, their unique big red Zinfandel based blend. As part of proper cellar inventory management, I took the oldest vintage release of this label from the half dozen vintages we hold and maintain for such occasions. We wrote about the producer and this label as part of previous tastings of this label from earlier vintages in these blogposts -  

Venge Vineyard "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 2017

Venge Vineyard "Scout's Honor" Napa Red 2015.

Venge Vineyards Scouts Honor Red Blend 2018

First produced in 1996, this wine is dedicated in memory of the Venge family beloved, yellow Labrador Retriever, Scout. Rescued in 1989 from the Napa County Animal Adoption Center, he welcomed visitors to the winery for seven years. I recall the vineyard dog Scout from our earliest visits to the winery and estate vineyards. 

This unique Zinfandel-dominated Proprietary Red Blend is 63% Zinfandel, 16% Charbono, 12% Petite Sirah, and the remaining 9% Syrah. 

This is sourced from many old vine vineyard sites across Napa Valley and Sonoma County, that are managed by families who have been farming for over 100 years and who own and work the vineyards themselves.

The Vineyard sources included: 

    Signal Fire Vineyard, Venge’s Calistoga Estate, Napa Valley (Old Vines | 70+ Years)

    Frediani Vineyards, Calistoga, Napa Valley (Old Vines | 100+ Years)

    Luvisi Vineyard, Calistoga, Napa Valley (Old Vines | 100+ Years)

    Moss Creek Vineyard, Capell Valley, Napa Valley (Old Vines | 50+ Years)

    Korte Ranch Vineyard, Saint Helena, Napa Valley (Old Vines |70+ Years)

    Monte Rosso Vineyard, Moon Mountain, Sonoma County (Old Vines |100+ Years)

    Grist Vineyard, Bradford Mountain, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County (Old Vines | 50+ Years),

    Kick Ranch Vineyard, Rincon Valley, Fountain Grove, Sonoma County

The unique dual AVA (Napa Valley plus Sonoma County) listing of this wine allows Venge to continue to produce a high-quality red blend in volume from year to year. Napa Valley, old-vine vineyards are becoming very scarce commodities as they are being replanted to Bordeaux varieties or purchased by competing interests. 

So, Venge have ended up including Sonoma County fruit sources from their sister winery, in Russian River Valley, where delicious, old-vine crops are abundant and contribute complexity and expressive, concentrated flavors in the resulting wine.  

Note it is labeled ‘Napa Valley’ which means the majority, more than 75%, to be precise, of the contents are sourced from Napa Valley. 

Winemaker Notes - “The small, individual lots of fruit were destemmed into a combination of stainless steel tanks and open top fermenters, where whole-berry fermentation took place for an average of 20 days. The wine was barrel aged for 14 months in 50% new American Oak and the balance in once used tight grain French Oak. No conventional pumps were used in the making of this wine. Only diaphragm air pumps, forced air pressure movement, or bulldogging, and transfers by gravity were employed to preserve the pure fruit integrity in the wine.”

This release was rated 92 points (and ‘Editors’ Choice’) by Wine Enthusiast, and Jeb Dunnuck, and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Consistent with earlier tasting (s) …  Deep garnet-purple color, full-bodied, rich, forward, bright vibrant expressive ripe plum, jammy blackberry and cherry fruits with cedar, spice, cigar box and earthy balsamic notes with vanilla and oak turning to soft tannins on the round finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3525137

http://www.vengevineyards.com/

@VengeVineyards 

Alec then pulled from his cellar this rare limited release big red Napa Cabernet. 

Scarlet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

I have the 2013 release of this label in our cellar which I wrote about in this blogpost back in 2016, McGah Family Vineyards Scarlet (excerpted below), so I was eager to try another release from this producer. 

McGah Family Vineyards Scarlet

We first discovered this McGah Family Vineyards Scarlet when it was a highlight of a Vin Chicago Naperville Weekly Wine Tasting where we tasted and acquired an earlier release of this wine.

Vin Chicago is a City (Chicago) wine merchant who back in 2016, had a Naperville and some other suburban locations (since closed), who would host a weekly wine tasting at their local store (s). They regularly featured premium and ultra-premium wines such as this one. While the store only had one case of this premium McGah Family Vineyards Scarlett, yet, they still opened it for tasting from which I acquired the last remaining couple of bottles. That 2013 release was awarded 95 points by Wine Advocate. 

Having loved that release, I was excited and eager to try this more recent release of this limited production boutique label. Alec acquired this as an after market auction purchase. 

McGah Family Vineyards "Scarlett" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

The McGah Family own and operated 64 acres of vineyards in the storied Rutherford appellation on the east side of the central valley near Silverado Trail, where the proprietors reside to this day. 

For four generations, the McGah Family have sold fruit to other producers, and also produce Scarlett Wines under this rebranded label which was named after the producer/founder's daughter. 

The McGah Family were most notably known for co-founding the Bay Area Oakland Raiders NFL team.  Sherratt Reicher was grandson of E.J. McGah, former Boston Red Sox player and second generation Oakland Raiders owner. 

Following a sports career as defensive assistant and scout for the Raiders, he formed the Hudson Companies in 2002 that included Scarlett Wines and McGah Family Vineyards in its portfolio. The McGah family maintained its ownership in the Raiders until 2005. 

Scarlett "McGah Family Vineyards" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 

This is estate sourced, 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. It was barrel aged in 85% new French oak consisting of Darnajou, Taransaud, Marcel Cadet, Remond, Trueil, and Sylvain barrels.

Winemaker notes - “The 2018 McGah Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a brooding, complex, and beautiful Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon that can only be made in this storied appellation. The uplifting aromatics showcase multiple layers of black cassis, red fruits, and earthy components known for this terroir. The mid palate is perfectly balanced with abundant blue, red and black fruits, followed by a full-bodied mouthfeel that hovers across the spectrum of the palate. Perfectly integrated structure and polished tannins lead to a detailed and long finish that carries the signature Rutherford dust component that our wines are known for. A blend from five of our Cabernet Sauvignon blocks on the estate, this wine showcases the unparalleled terroir of the McGah Vineyard. Allow 2-3 years for the tannins and fruit to come together or enjoy it in its prime 5-10 years out.” - Mike Smith, Winemaker

This 2018 release was rated 93 points by International Wine Review and Jeb Dunnuck, 

Dark inky, blackish purple colored, full bodied, dense rich and concentrated yet smooth and polished, complex core of sweet black raspberry and black currant fruits accented by cassis, mocha, graphite, touch of vanilla and sweet spicy oak with smooth polished tannins and mouthfeel on the lingering finish.  

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3286306

http://www.scarlettwines.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

Long Shadows Sequel Shiraz with BBQ Ribs

Long Shadows Sequel Columbia Valley Shiraz with BBQ Ribs

Quiet relaxing night at home, watching this week’s episode of “The Voice”, Linda prepared BBQ ribs with baked potatoes, texas toast and salad. I pulled from the cellar this classic Columbia Valley Shiraz from legendary Australian producer John Duval, for one of our favorite food and wine pairing combinations.

I wrote about this label, the winemaker, and the Long Shadows Vintners program upon release and receipt of our wine club allocation shipment back in 2020 which I featured in these pages, excerpted here.  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/long-shadows-sequel-syrah-2017.html

From March 16, 2020

Long Shadows “Sequel” Syrah 2017

We just received our Vault Key Club release allocation shipment of Long Shadows Vintners Series which included this Sequel Syrah 2017. We discovered and signed up for this during our Washington Wine Experience when we visited the winery tasting room in Woodinville last fall.

This is a selection of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, a portfolio of seven ultra-premium wines showcasing the viticulture of the Washington State Columbia Valley growing region and the artwork and expertise of internationally acclaimed winemakers who crafted them.

Long Shadows was founded in 2003 by Washington State wine legend Allen Shoup, former Chairman and CEO of Chateau St Michelle, one of the premiere wine producers in the State. There he evangelized Washington Wines and championed collaboration with notable winemakers from around the world. 

Upon retiring, he started Long Shadows with a vision to produce the best, art of the possible wines showcasing/featuring the region's grapes, each produced by a world renowned winemaker reputed for producing grapes of that varietal. Each vintner had access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery outfitted to accommodate their exacting cellar specifications. The idea was a resounding success as the wines have received critical acclaim that has grown with each vintage. The Long Shadow collection went on to win numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

The winemaker for Sequal Syrah is notable legendary Shiraz/Syrah winemaker John Duval, best known for his work with Penfolds’ Grange, the gold standard for Australian Shiraz. Few winemakers are as synonymous with the iconic wines of a country as John Duval and this label, arguably the most famous and well known label from Australia.

John joined Penfolds winery in 1974 after completing his studies in agriculture and winemaking. In 1986 John was appointed Chief Winemaker, following the winemaking greats Max Schubert and Don Ditter. During his time as Chief Winemaker, John helped establish Penfolds as one of the world’s great wine brands.

While his honors and awards are too numerous to list, some of the highlights include the Robert Mondavi Trophy for Winemaker of the Year in 1989 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London; two-time recipient of the Red Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine Challenge in London, first in 1991 and then again in 2000; and Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” award in 1995 for the 1990 vintage of Penfolds Grange. We collect and hold that wine as one of the signature wines for our son Alec as part of his birth-year wines horizontal collection. Hence, our affinity for and special interest in this label - appropriately named, “Sequel”.

After 28 years, John stepped down from the company in 2002 to establish John Duval Wines, debuting with the 2003 vintage and producer today of four wines under his John Duval Wines label, all Rhone varietals, a white from Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and three reds; one a "GSM" (Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvedre), and two Shiraz'.

In addition to making his own wine, John also has a joint venture project with Ventisquero in the Apalta Valley, Chile.

In 2003, John traveled to the Washington State Columbia Valley at the invitation of Long Shadows Vintners’ founder Allen Shoup to make his first U.S. wine, Sequel, a name chosen in recognition of his life’s work with Syrah.

Never one to be far from great Shiraz, he currently resides in the Barossa Valley, home to some of Australia’s oldest vines.

Long Shadow's Vintners Series “Sequal” Shiraz 2017

Long Shadow's Vintners Series Sequal 2017 Shiraz is sourced from Yakima Valley's Boushey Vineyard for 1/3 of the fruit, to which the winemaker attributes 'bright and elgant character', one third is from Bacchus Vineyard Syrah, grown on a south-facing block planted in 1993, adds black fruit character and richness, and Red Mountain Syrah adds to the wine's dark, brooding character and backbone. Two thousand eighty five cases were produced. 

According to the producer's, the 2017 vintage was a 'classic' much like the 2012 and 2013, with moderate temperatures and extended hang times which enabled the grapes to achieve full maturity and color. This laid the foundation for vibrant dark fruit characteristics lifted by bright and well balanced acidity. 

This release was awarded 94 points by International Wine Review and James Suckling, and 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Vinous. 

Winemaker's notes: "Deep and inky color ... aromas and flavors of fresh blueberry, violet and a hint of cassis. Black olive tapenade and savory spice persist across the mid-palate. Multi-layered an well structured, the wine's refined texture and enticing viscosity lead to a long impressive finish. 

This was finished by aging 18 months in French oak barrels, with 60% of them being new. 

Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, bold and concentrated yet smooth, balanced and polished, flavors of black raspberry and blue fruits, notes of cassis, spice and what the winemaker called black olive tapenade are apparent, turning to a long flavorful finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3545970

In 2020 I wrote, “Give it some time to settle and integrate the fruits for more polish and balance.” That said, it was much more approachable, more smooth, balanced and polished, than the unctuous sweet fruit bomb Venge from the other evening (review coming), or the evening more intense, huge, Tensely Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022 (which I called “almost intense”) from earlier in the week. Vinous actually called it “Silky and seamless on entry“. Wine Advocate called it “beautifully balanced”. 

Tensely Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3545970

https://longshadows.com/

@LongShadowsWine 

Venge Stagecoach Vineyard Lot 1-4 Shiraz

Venge Napa Valley Stagecoach Vineyard Lot 1-4 Shiraz 2015

We visited our newest grand-daughter, Ryleigh, home from the hospital/delivery, and took from our cellar this big bold ‘sipping’ wine to enjoy with artisan cheeses, for the occasion. Shown below, proud grand-mothers and the new grand-baby.

We took one of our Venge Vineyards wines, with their signature “V” branding, that we have fun with daughter-in-law Viviana, now able to drink again after her maternity abstention. 

Venge Vineyards up in Calistoga, Napa Valley, is owned by Kirk Venge, son of legendary Nils Venge, whose family emigrated from Denmark four generations ago. Originally in wine and spirits importing, the family became winemakers in the 1960s, when Nils studied viticulture at the University of California at Davis. By the 1970s Nils was producing wine in the Oakville district of Napa Valley. He started Saddleback Cellars and became one of the valley’s leading winemakers. 

We visited Nils at Saddleback and at other wineries, several times during the nineties. One of our more memorable days, featured in this blogpost, Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge, we toured Saddleback, then lunched together at Tre Vigne in St Helena, then we drove up to Calistoga to meet Kirk at the new Rossini Ranch location where they were digging wine caves. 

The old Rossini Winery in Bell Canyon, had a historic stone building that dated back to 1891. The Venge’s purchased this property in the mid 1990s and completely restored this old ‘ghost’ winery which had sat vacant from prohibition until their purchase. 

They produced their wines there until they sold the winery in 2008 to the Foley Wine Group, (although they kept the rights to the Venge brand and name). Nils sold that property to vintner William Foley and it is now home to Merus Vineyards. 

After selling the Rossini property, Kirk acquired their Calistoga property including the Bone Ash Vineyards, as well as taking over the Venge Vineyards brand from Nils. They built a new winery that was completed two years later. In the fall of 2020, the winery survived a very close encounter with flames from the Glass Fire burning right onto the property and almost up to the winery itself. 

Venge wines are popular and highly allocated, the most premium labels exclusively to their wine club, appropriately titled “In Venge Veritas” and now is called the Wine Guild; it is limited to 1,000 members and is at capacity, subject to a waiting list. 

We hold numerous Venge labels spanning a dozen vintages, including a few dating back to the early days when Nil’s was still principle. We acquired a mixed case of several vintages, from 2013 through 2017, of this limited release label at auction. 

This vineyard and Lot specific designated label is sourced from the notably Stagecoach Vineyard that sits high in the Vaca range on the east side of Nape Valley, high above Oakville and St Helena, about eight miles up Soda Canyon Road sitting about 1,800 feet above the valley floor. This was considered some of the last frontier of the Napa Valley – a wilder, more rugged country, fragrant with wild herbs and dotted with rare native plants.

The Stagecoach site rugged terrain first made history when gentleman bandit Charles Earl Bowles, known as Black Bart, robbed the daily stagecoach that travelled over the hill from St. Helena to Monticello. The hills were planted to vinis vinifera (wine grape vines) by early German settlers in the late 1800’s. They were abandoned during Prohibition and the remote ground lay fallow until 1995 when Dr. Jan Krupp purchased the 1,100+ acres that stretches from the southern edge of Pritchard Hill overlooking Oakville to the westernmost regions of the Atlas Peak Appellation. 

Today, nearly 600 acres of the vast site are planted to various varieties, most notably stagecoach is Cabernet-focused however Syrah is planted in the highest elevations. Venge has a long-term contract on the I-4 Block, that sits on the highest peak of the vineyard, adjacent Pritchard Hill. It is considered one of the most ideal areas for growing mountain Syrah.

The property was acquired in 2016 by the E. & J. Gallo Winery. Today the 600+ acres of Stagecoach vineyard planted to vines, is the largest contiguous vineyard in the Napa Valley. The 1,300+ acres of rocky, volcanic terroir extends from the south-eastern of Pritchard Hill area overlooking Oakville and Yountville to the westernmost regions of the Atlas Peak appellation.

Over 80 Wineries source grapes from Stagecoach Vineyard, with over 30 wineries featuring the Stagecoach name on their labels, and over 25 produce vineyard designated labels specifying the  Stagecoach Vineyard. 

View Regional Map of Stagecoach VIneyard site, from the vineyard owner.

Venge Napa Valley, Atlas Peak, Stagecoach Vineyard “Block I-4” Syrah 2015

We hold a half dozen vintages of the Venge Single Vineyard designated labels. This particular vintage is from the year that the new parents, Alec and Vivianna first met. 

This single vineyard, select block designated label is 100% Syrah from the iconic vineyard high up in the Vaca range near Atlas Peak. 

Winemakers notes for this label - “Goodness, this is pure, volcanic mountain Syrah at its finest! This wine possesses a bold, deep, dark color that opens the door to an array of black fruit aromatics. Cassis, blackberry, warm toasted bread and French Oak vanillin all fill the glass with purpose. While still young and in development, the palate shows superior promise with minerals, tongue swirling acidity, cherry and black plum. The tannins are firm and support the back palate for several moments beyond the initial taste. If cellared correctly, this wine will continue to improve for over a decade. Limited production runs make this single-vineyard Syrah all the more precious”.

This was produced according to the “Method, Pellenc Destemmed Via Gravity to Open Top Fermenters, 5-Day Whole Berry Cold Soak, Slow Cellar Temp Fermentation Over 19 Days On Skins, 100% Carbonic Native Primary and Secondary Fermentation, Free Run and Press Fractions Combined to Build Structure and Durability”.

This was aged in 100% French Oak, 60% New Francois Frères, then bottled Unfiltered

Typical annual production for this label is about 400 Cases

Various releases of this label were rated 95 points by The Wine Independent and 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 from The Wine Enthusiast and 92 from Wine Spectator. Wine Advocate gave the 2011 release 96 points, while the 2010 got 94 points from The Wine Enthusiast.

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, rich, dense concentrated, super sweet ripe black berry and plum and blue fruits, with notes of cassis, bacon fat, clove spice, cigar box and tobacco leaf on the full round tannin lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3223878

https://www.stagecoachvineyard.com/map/index.php

View Regional Map of Stagecoach VIneyard site, from the vineyard owner. 

		327
	Cabernet Franc	332
	Cabernet Franc	628
	Cabernet Franc	Sanders
	Cabernet Sauvignon	2
	Cabernet Sauvignon	4
	Cabernet Sauvignon	7
	Cabernet Sauvignon	8
	Cabernet Sauvignon	15
	Cabernet Sauvignon	169
	Cabernet Sauvignon	191
	Cabernet Sauvignon	337
	Cabernet Sauvignon	341
	Cabernet Sauvignon	412
	Cabernet Sauvignon	685
	Cabernet Sauvignon	5197
	Cabernet Sauvignon	29 (Niebaum-Coppola)
	Cabernet Sauvignon	30 (See) + rootstock
	Cabernet Sauvignon	31 (Mondavi – To Kalon) + root stocks
	Cabernet Sauvignon	685/31
	Cabernet Sauvignon	See
	Cabernet Sauvignon	Weimer
	Chardonnay	15
	Chardonnay	17
	Chardonnay	Wente
	Grenache	Alban
	Malbec	8
	Malbec	9
	Malbec	19
	Malbec	595
	Malbec	596
	Malbec	598
	Marsanne	575
	Marsanne	Tablas Creek
	Merlot	3
	Merlot	6
	Merlot	181
	Merlot	314
	Merlot	343
	Merlot	347
	Petite Sirah	4
	Petit Verdot	2
	Petit Verdot	400
	Petit Verdot	1058
	Roussanne	468
	Sangiovese	PEPI
	Sauvignon Blanc	1
	Sauvignon Blanc	6
	Sauvignon Blanc	18
	Sauvignon Blanc	28
	Sauvignon Blanc	30
	Syrah	7
	Syrah	174
	Syrah	383
	Syrah	470
	Syrah	525
	Syrah	877
	Syrah	Alban
	Syrah	TC-A (99)
	Tempranillo	Pasquera
	Tempranillo	RD
	Viognier	1
	Viognier	642
Viognier Pride Zinfandel Aldo/Crane It is here that our founders excavated over a billion pounds of basalt, andesite, and tufa boulders to create a remarkable property – Stagecoach Vineyard. Over the past two decades, over 600 acres of vines have been planted in 204 unique blocks. We divide Stagecoach into four sections because of their distinct terroir: Pritchard Hill, Heart of the Vineyard, Bordeaux Region, and Atlas Peak Region.