Big Red Wine Flight for Big Red BBall Clincher

Big Red Wine Flight for Big Red BBall Clincher

Much of the family gathered on Saturday to watch Big Ten basketball, Indiana at UCLA. Indiana won a double overtime thiller. Never-the-less, it’s been a tumultuous rebuild year for IU basketball, unlike the miraculous turnaround of the IU CFB Champions football team, which we followed and featured in this earlier blogpost, Big Reds Celebrate Big Red Win. 

Tonight’s game was an exciting remembrance of their undefeated championship season, fifty years ago, when that win streak began with a win over then defending national champions UCLA in the season opener, that we attended in the Checkerdome in St Louis. 

Tonight, we ordered in pizza, pasta, mussels and Italian Sausage and Peppers from Angeli’s Italian, our neighborhood trattoria. 

With the hearty meal, we opened a wine flight of Big Red wines, and a crowd pleaser Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023

The Walt brand is from Hall Wines, named for Kathryn Walt Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt. Hall Wines produce an extensive portfolio of ultra-premium wines under the Hall brand, primarily sourced and produced in their two Napa Valley estate vineyards and wineries in St Helena and Rutherford. We’ve visited both, and most notably their magnificent Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate on numerous occasions, as featured in this earlier blogpost. 
 

The Walts were dedicated winegrowers who produced six different varietals that were sold to several great wineries. Kathryn, an accomplished attorney who also was US Ambassador to Vienna, actually managed the vineyard operations from 1982 until 1992. Walt has a dedicated winemaking team and its own state-of-the-art winemaking facility in Sonoma.

Walt wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, crafted to showcase the terroir, those specific qualities of the vineyards where they are grown. 

Initially, they produced wine only from their own grapes, so they could have total control over the vineyards. They eventually expanded to source grapes and make wine from the premier vineyards up and down the west coast from Santa Barbara to Oregon. In total they have 130 vineyards accounts for about 50 percent each of production from growers and owned estate vineyards. 

Walt vineyards are located in premier locations in Sonoma County, Anderson Valley and Central Coast, Napa County, and Willamette Valley in Oregon. 

They seek out vineyards in cool climates with low-vigor hillside sites that produce elegant, opulent, supple and silky wines. 

Walt employ hand sorting every berry; pressing Chardonnay as whole clusters; allowing native yeast fermentation; encouraging a long malolactic fermentation with weekly batonnage and topping off; barrel aging on lees to create more texture, richness, and complexity; and never fining or filtering. 

The 2023 Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is from the Sonoma Coast Appellation with its terroir of climate of heavy fog and strong winds tempered by bright afternoon sunshine, and sandy, well-draining soils that stress the vines into producing grapes of full varietal intensity. The fruit is sourced from Bob’s Ranch Estate Vineyard, with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean; Coastal breezes along with low rolling hills and morning fog define this cool climate site, and the legendary Sangiacomo Vineyard a low-yielding site, just outside the city of Sonoma, that is famous for many top Chardonnay labels.

Winemaker notes - “Our 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay reveals expressive aromas of Meyer lemon, chamomile, and a hint of beeswax. The palate is silky and precise, unfolding with layers of citrus curd, baked apple, and toasted almond. A vibrant thread of acidity carries through the finish, leaving a lasting impression of coastal minerality and finesse.”

This label was rated 93 points by Owen Bargreen and 91 points by Wine Spectator.

Pale golden colored fulled bodied, firmly structured, concentrated forward citrus and melon flavors with hints of mango and pineapple with a resounding bold expressive finish. This is not for the feint of heart, you either love or shun this hold expressive style. 

RM 91 points. 

Turning to the reds we opened two Big Reds from favorite producers.

Mollydooker Blue Eye’d Boy 2021

We’ve featured this producer and this label often in these pages as chronicled here - BBQ Ribs and Syrah, and recently here - Blue Eye’d Boy with Flank Steak.

As I’ve written in these blogposts, this is one of our favorite big bold Aussie Shiraz’s and whimsically shares the Blue Eye’d Boy moniker designation between the producer and us with our son Alec, hence this being one of our family signature wines we keep and have fun commemorating our son and enjoying on family gatherings.

I chronicled the Mollydooker brand and their portfolio of wines in this earlier blogpost. 

I wrote about Mollydooker and the Blue Eye’d Boy label in more detail last year in the blogpost - Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020. 

We hold more than a half dozen vintages of this label and this is the newest, latest release which we're trying here for the first time, since we customarily will open the oldest vintage in our cellar as part of cellar inventory management. 

Winemaker Notes - Black crimson in color, this wine leaps from the glass with powerful aromatics of blueberries, fresh plum, licorice and nuances of chocolate biscuit. The seamless texture is laced with fresh berry fruit, coffee, vanilla cream and warm spice, giving us a full-bodied Shiraz with an endless depth of flavor and great length.

This was rated 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote an interesting observation about this label; "Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020 ..."

The key here is comparisons of this same label from vintage to vintage, and contrasting the resulting impact from a warm vintage vs a cool vintage. Such distinctions are best revealed through comparison tastings of one vintage alongside another or others - what is referred to as a 'vertical' tasting (as opposed to 'horizontal tasting' which would be various wines from the same vintage). 

This was dark inky colored, full bodied, powerful concentrated, full throttle big round black and blue fruits accented by spice, black tea, notes of licorice and hints of bitter dark mocha chocolate with a long full finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4404716

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Family Brunier/Kermit Lynch Les Pallieres ‘Les Racines’ Gigondas Red Blend 2016

As noted above, this is one of our favorite producers that we know well from visits to the estates and our extensive collection of their wines dating back several decades. This is a special label for opening with the kids, since we all visited the Domaine toegether. We discovered and were first introduced to this label during that visit to the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Papewinery estate during our Rhone Wine Experience back in 2018. 

This  Domaine Les Pallières, label is a collaborative partnership between the Brunier Family of Château Vieux Telegraphe with the noted merchant exporter (importer to America) Kermit Lynch, in the nearby commune and appellation of Gigondas. 

Tasting this wine with producer Daniel Brunier
at the estate

 
Brunier Lynch Domaine les Pallieres "Les Racines" Gigondas 2016

As noted above, we discovered and were first introduced to this label while visiting the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Papewinery estate during our Rhone Wine Experience back in 2018. 

This  Domaine Les Pallières, label is a collaborative partnership between the Brunier Family of Château Vieux Telegraphe with the noted merchant exporter (importer to America) Kermit Lynch, in the nearby commune and appellation of Gigondas. 

This was rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 94-96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 94 points by Vinous.

This is 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah – Cinsault (co-planted) and 5% Clairette made from the oldest 75-year-old vines of the estate located around the domaine in Gigonda, the appellation to the north and east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

We visited the Gigondas appellation during our Rhone Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.

The area sits about 200-400 feet in elevation, higher than the lower appellation sites lying closer to the Rhone River in the valley,  with soils that are a mix of broken limestone and clay. The resulting wines are invariably darker black with more dense and concentrated fruits, more akin to the typically more prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.  

Dark blackish purple garnet colored, full bodied, complex layered spice-accented black currant, black raspberry and notes of blueberry, baking spices, olive tapanade, herbs, black tea with gripping but smooth polished tannins on the long finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2841670

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

This was rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 94-96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 94 points by Vinous.

This is 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah – Cinsault (co-planted) and 5% Clairette made from the oldest 75-year-old vines of the estate located around the domaine in Gigonda, the appellation to the north and east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

We visited the Gigondas appellation during our Rhone Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.

The area sits about 200-400 feet in elevation, higher than the lower appellation sites lying closer to the Rhone River in the valley,  with soils that are a mix of broken limestone and clay. The resulting wines are invariably darker black with more dense and concentrated fruits, more akin to the typically more prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.  

Dark blackish purple garnet colored, full bodied, complex layered spice-accented black currant, black raspberry and notes of blueberry, baking spices, olive tapanade, herbs, black tea with gripping but smooth polished tannins on the long finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2841670

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

Tensely Santa Barbara Shiraz 2021

Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach

Dinner at Bosforo Miramar Beach features BYOB Italian Labels

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

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

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

Linda ordered the grilled sea bass special. 

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

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

Marramiero Inferi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2019 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marciano Abbona Pressenda Barolo 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://vinihold.com

https://bosforoseafoodandsteakrestaurant.com/#

Massolino Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar, Destin

Massolino Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar, Destin

For the second year in a row, during the same week, during our getaway at The Cove, our vacation home getaway in Destin (FL), we attended the Price Fixe “Massolino Wine Dinner”, at The Wine Bar in Destin, featuring the world-renowned wines of Massolino, guided by fourth generation producer Franco Massolino, visiting from the heart of Italy’s Langhe region. This was the same format as the "Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin that we attended that last fall.

This is the same restaurant where we held our Pour Boys Wine Group wine dinner last spring as we gathered in Destin (FL) for the gala SoWal (South Walton Beaches) Wine Festival weekend. 
Last year, that Saturday evening following the SoWal Wine Festival Activities, we dined at The Chef’s Table Wine Room in The Wine Cellar Room at the Wine Bar Restaurant in Destin. We featured that dinner in this blogpost in these pages - Chef’s Table Dinner at Wine Bar Destin.

This “Massolino Wine Dinner” evening was kicked off by owner Chan Cox, Founder of Wine World Destin, who spoke of his wine travels to Europe and Italy where he discovered and developed a lasting friendship with Massolino family and their wines. He introduced and turned the evening over to be curated by featured producer Franco Massolino.

Franco along with his brothers Roberto and Paola, represent the fourth generation of the Massolino family estate that dates back to 1896. Franco spoke of the founder, great-grandfather Giovanni and his son, Grandfather Giuseppe, the historic earlier patriarch of the business.

The renowned Massolino family estate is in Serralunga d'Alba, located in Langhe of Italy’s Piedmont region, the home

Franco joined the family business in 1994 alongside his brother Roberto. Together, they have expanded the estate’s reputation, acquiring prized vineyards and modernizing winemaking practices while honoring their deep-rooted legacy. Under Franco’s guidance, Massolino has earned international acclaim for its range of wines, including Barolo DOCG, Chardonnay, Moscato d'Asti, and single-cru Barolos like Vigna Rionda.

Frankco’s grandfather, Giuseppe, was instrumental in founding the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe, Dogliani, the wine cooperative consortium that was the beginning of selling a small amount of bottled wine in 1956.

In 1957 the Massolino family inherited some vineyards in the Serralunga d’Alba area from aunt Matilde Ornato, which was consolidated into the estate. This began expansion of Crus (vineyards) that would become the Crown Jewels, with the first, Parafada in 1967, and later the Marguerite vineyard, source of the vineyard designated label we tasted tonight. (In my research and exploration of the event, I learned there was a follow on tasting dinner at another restaurant, Gallions, in the 30A region. They served the Parafada vineyard designated Barolo in place of tonight’s Margheria at that dinner).

Grandfather Giuseppe fell in love with Vigna Rionda and acquires the parcel through and exchange that requires Giuseppe has to give up a plot twice the size. The gamble paid off with the release of Vigna Rionda in 1982, followed by the first Barolo DOCG Vigna Rionda Riserva.

The estate was run by the third generation of the family after Giovanni and his son Giuseppe - Renato, Giovanni and Camilla with further expansion in 1986.

Massolino purchased the last parcel in Vigna Rionda, the most important acquisition in 1990, as it becomes one of the most famous areas of the entire Barolo production zone.

Franco along with his brothers Roberto and Paola, represent the fourth generation of the Massolino family, took over the reins in the 1990s. They purchased the Parussi Cru which completed the Barolo portfolio of Massolino Vigna Rionda, extending production beyond the borders of Serralunga d’Alba.

In 2015, a new cellar was built in front of the historic family home in the centre of Serralunga d’Alba, including a new tasting and hospitality center. 

In 2019, a new chapter in the family’s story began with the acquisition in the prestigious hills of Barbaresco, which added two new labels of the most important wines the territory.

Just like last year, tonight’s tasting featured wines from each of the vineyard sources of the brand. The dinner showcased a curated flight of carefully selected Massolino wines, each paired with a gourmet dinner course, from Barolo to Barbera, crafted to complement their elegance and depth to enhance and complement that courses distinct characteristics. 

 

The Wine Flight - 

    2022 Massolino Chardonnay

    2022 Massolino Barbera d'Alba

    2022 Massolino Barbaresco 

    2020 Massolino Barolo Margheria 

    2023 Massolino Moscato d'Asti

As I’ve exclaimed often in these pages, the proper pairing matching food with the ideal wine greatly amplifies the enjoyment of both. Tonight was such an experience.

The pairings this evening were wonderfully matched for each course. 

To Start: 

2022 Massolino Chardonnay

Smoked tomato arancini with truffle aioli, Roast leg of quail brushed with Rosemary oil, and Focaccia crostini, prosciutto, gorgonzola cream and fig

1st Course

2022 Massolino Barbera d'Alba 

Beef carpaccio with fresh arugula, shaved pecorino cheese, capers and truffle oil

2nd Course

2022 Massolino Barbaresco 

Roast lamb rack, saffron/ green pea polenta, haricot vert and fresh pesto sauce.

3rd Course

2020 Massolino Barolo Margheria 

Porcini mushroom risotto, braised leg of rabbit and Taleggio cheese.

4th Course

2023 Massolino Moscato d'Asti

Tiramisu panna cotta with fresh berries and hazelnut glazed lady fingers.

New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner

New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner

Son Sean and Michelle and the daughters/grand-daughters treated us to New Year’s Eve dinner. We dined at one of our favorite eateries, Hemingway’s Bistro in Oak Park (IL). We’ve enjoyed and hosted many dinners at Hemingway’s including our Pour Boys wine group, family and anniversary celebrations. 

Hemingway’s was booked for the entire evening and decorated festively for the holiday (s). 

We dined early to beat the crowds and allow for the children’s schedule. 

Hemingway’s offered a price fixe holiday dinner but we each ordered from the traditional menu, opting for our regular favorites from a menu we know well. 

From the limited but focused wine list, we started with Champagne to enjoy with our starter course (s).

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosém NV

This Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé French sparkling wine is from Alsace in the northeast corner of France on the German border. It is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes using the traditional method.

Lucien Albrecht (pronounced Lu-Shen All-Bresht), one of the most distinguished producers of white wines in Alsace was founded in 1698 by Balthazar Albrecht in Orschwihr, a small village surrounded by by rolling hills and very complex and deep chalky soils with a high percentage of clay and sandstone screes, benefiting from South or Southeast exposure. ideally situated for grape-growing. 

The Crémant d’Alsace Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) was created in 1976 to distinguish the wines obtained by the sparkling champagne method. The term “crémant” comes originally from Champagne but is seldom used, in recognition of the efforts made by several Alsatian winemakers, including the Maison Lucien Albrecht.

Lucien Albrecht was a pioneer in the Crémant d’Alsace, which it began producing in 1971. Today the winery produces still and sparkling wines, all produced with fruit sourced exclusively from estate vineyards, including the Grand Cru Pfingstberg and Grand Cru Spiegel. 

The winemaking team is led by Jérôme Keller. Winemaker Notes - The flavors display nice strawberry and wild cherry fruit, with a touch of richness on the mid palate. It is balanced with dry, crisp acidity and complimented with a creamy texture and long finish. 

This NV label was rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast and 88 points by James Suckling.

This modest priced wine provides high QPR. - quality price ratio. Dust orange colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced strawberry with apple and pear notes with hints of orange, lemon and pain grille with fine bubbles on the dry finish

https://www.lucien-albrecht.com/our-wines/cremants-alsace-lucien-albrecht/ 

We ordered several selections for our starter courses:

Blue Point Oysters - six piece, cocktail sauce

Chicken Liver Pate - Dijon Mustard | Cornichons | Toasted Crostini

Foie Gras du Jour - Caramelized Fruit, Pear Slices, Candy Onions, Parsnip Puree, Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the entree course: 

Linda the Roasted Stripe Bass A'la Piperade - pepper relish, golden raisins and cassoulet beans.

Michelle ordered the Grilled Steak Frites - Pommes Frites | Herb Stuffed Baked Tomato | Beurre Maitre d'Hotel.

Sean ordered the Duo of Magret Duck - parsnip puree, shitake caps, blood orange demi.

I ordered the New York Steak au Poivre - Cream Spinach | Pommes Au Gratin | Green Peppercorn Sauce

I took BYOB from our cellar for the occasion a vintage St Julien Bordeaux from one of our favorite producers for a perfect food wine pairing with the French cuisine.

Château Gruaud-Larose St Julien-Beychevelle Bordeaux 2010

We enjoyed A Visit to Château Gruaud-Larose which was one of the key highlights on our 2019 trip to the St Julien Appellation (AOC) in Bordeaux. Château Gruaud-Larose, a 2ème Cru Classé or 'second growth', one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) as classified in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

This label is one of the key holdings in our cellar collection consisting of more than a dozen vintages spanning three decades dating back to 1980 including the birth year vintages of each of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1990. We hold many vintages in large format bottles including 3 liter double magnums which we served at daughter Erin's and son-in-law Johnny's wedding.

Tonight, I selected a vintage release that I presumed to be in the ‘Goldilock’s zone’, not too old, and not too young, but just right, at the apex of its prime drinking window. I was not disappointed, this actually exceeded my highest hopes and expectations and was absolutely delicious, a perfect pairing with the dinner - especially the Foie Gras. As I have written often in these pages, an optimal food-wine pairing amplifies and ameliorates the enjoyment of both! Such was the case tonight. 

This release was rated 97 points by Decanter, 96 points by James Suckling, 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and Jane Anson, 94 points by Vinous, and 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Wine Enthusiast wrote, “For anybody looking for classic Bordeaux, this is the bottle to seek.” They advise to “ Keep for many years,” but this will be difficult as it is temptingly so good! Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate writes, “ … blockbuster wine, which has been built for the long haul. This is one 2010 where patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.” Thankfully I have nearly a case so will enjoy watching this age gracefully. 

The producers notes about the vintage season - “Ideal ripening of all the varieties overall thanks to exceptionally dry August and September without excessive heat. Ideal harvest from first to last day allowing picking of each variety at optimum oenological maturity.”

This released was aged in 50% new oak.

Dark garnet/plum/purple colored, full bodied, full tannins and dense but balanced, smooth, polished and elegant, ripe dark raspberry, red and black currant and blueberry fruits with “loads of spice, earth, underbrush, licorice, and a hint of Provencal garrigue”, with silky tannins and a beautifully integrated tannin structure on a long and ‘very’ refined tannic structure.

RM 95 points.  

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/1123336

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/

https://hemmingwaysbistro.com/

https://hemmingwaysbistro.com/our-menu/

Happy New Year and Cheers in the year ahead! 

Christmas Celebration & Dinner

 We hosted the family for a gala Christmas celebration, exchanging of gifts, followed by dinner and an accompaniment of wine pairings. 

At grandson Jessie’s request, Linda prepared Beef Wellington, with roasted vegetables and potatoes and pasta.

Prior to dinner we served an extensive selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, shrimp cocktail, fresh fruits, salad and sweets with holiday punch bowl. 

We served a broad flight of wines beginning with Champagne, vintage Bordeaux and ultra-premium Napa Valley Reds. 

We started with two Brut Champagnes, both from special release festive Christmas bottles, one in large format Magnum.

G. H. Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Rose’ NV

We bought a case of this special bottling for the holidays and it has been extremely popular and well received over several dinners and holiday gatherings. I wrote about this producer and label in this blogpost about one of those events - Festive wine for Christmas Social Gathering.

Piper Heidesieck Cuvee’ Brut Champagne

There’s always room for Champagne, and always a crowd pleaser! 

I opened for the occasion this large format magnum special limited edition bottle of Piper Heidseick Brut NV Champaign.  This festive red bottle was released a couple years ago over the Christmas holidays and I bought a couple cases of the picturesque festive bottles for the holidays and for special occasions such as this. 

I also opened several of these large format bottles for son Alec and Viviana's wedding celebration dinner as featured in this blogpost at the time - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

This is a traditional blend of primarily Pinot Noir (for structure) and Pinot Meunier (for fruit), with Chardonnay (for elegance). This is sourced from over 100 Crus (vineyard plots) throughout the Champagne region which provides consistency from vintage to vintage as well we as complexity and depth.

This perennial favorite was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling.

Pale golden colored, medium bodied, creamy, fruity, fine, persistent bubbles highlight notes of fresh pear, apple, almond, hazelnut, brioche, and a touch of spice and lemon citrus with a smooth, balanced finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1279843

Château Figeac St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 1990

I pulled from the cellar another large format magnum of this birthyear vintage right bank Bordeaux, from one of our favorite producers. We’ve served this wine at many special occasions including birthyear vintages for the kids’ wedding and anniversary celebrations. I wrote about this producer in this blogpost following one such occasion - Birthyear vintage Silver Oak Bonny's, Figeac for father-son dinner.

Our CellarTracker records indicate we have more than a decade of vintages of this label dating back to and including our kids’ birthyear vintages, 1981, 1982, 1985 and this 1990 release, many in large format bottles. 

This right bank blend is roughly one-third each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It was aged in 100% new oak.

This release was rated 96 points by Decanter, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Wine Spectator and Jeb Dunnuck.

Winemaker Notes - “With its pedigree style, Château Figeac epitomises the elegance of the great wines of Bordeaux. Its unique style gradually shows through and develops over time. This great wine displays a distinctive rich nose that has wonderful aromatic complexity. On the palate, the Cabernet Sauvignon reveals lovely floral aromas in the first year then, as the wine ages, great structure on the palate. The Cabernet Franc brings lots of freshness in the tannins, and the Merlot contributes roundness and flesh. The attack on the palate is clean, the texture is silky, and the complexity elegant. The characteristic freshness of Figeac is underpinned by great length of flavor. With its long aging potential, the wine goes on in time to reveal hints of forest floor, leather, cigar-box and licorice – always with its hallmark elegance.”

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, writing about tasting this release as part of a vertical tasting at the Château Figeac property in June 2015 said, “The 1990 Figeac was drinking gloriously and this is perhaps the best bottle that I have tasted. It is noticeably deep in color, deeper and more lucid than many vintages from the 1980s. There is something still "old school" about this Figeac, but it certainly would be my pick from this era.”

At thirty-five years, the label, foil and most importantly, the fill level were ideal for the age. The cork was partially saturated but still intact and in decent condition. 

Deep garnet colored with an ever so slight rust hue showing age, medium-bodied to full bodied, black earthy currant, berry and plum fruits with notes of black olive and black tea, tobacco leaf and hints of black truffle and smoke with with chewy tannins on a tangy lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/179893

Ryan brought from his home cellar this limited release highly allocated ultra-premium Napa Cabernet. 

Seven Apart “Shale” Napa Valley Stags Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 

Seven Apart is from proprietor/producer Don Dady who purchased the Stags Ridge Vineyard in 2018. The property sits up on Pritchard Hill at the southern end of the Vaca Mountain range that forms the eastern wall of Napa Valley. 

At 1,400 feet, the vineyard faces the Pritchard Gap, looking to the south with a view to San Francisco Bay. At an elevation above the fog line, the site gets generous sun exposure with afternoon breezes that blow in from the San Francisco Bay to cool down the vineyard. The breeze is said to help balance the sugar levels and acidity of the grapes. 

The rocky mountain site is covered with giant rocks that winemaker Andy Erickson says “The soil is more like a cobblestone street. Scattered throughout, some of the rock are so large that we couldn’t install trellising into the ground!” According to him, the soil contributes big, round tannins and concentration to the Seven Apart Shale wine. 

The site was developed in 1999, when the volcanic rocks, some the size of small cars, were excavated, and the land was finally cleared and planted with grapevines. The resulting vineyard was named Stags Ridge.

Acclaimed winemaker Andy Erickson produces four distinct estate Seven Apart Cabernet Sauvignon wines: Seven Apart Expedition, Seven Apart Shale, Seven Apart Basalt, and Seven Apart Summit. 

“While it may seem odd to craft three Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vineyard, that’s also the challenge for me. Even within one vineyard, you might have one section that gives you one unique element and another section that gives you something completely different. I view it as my mission to create unique expressions of our dramatic vineyard site on Atlas Peak,” says Andy.

This label Seven Apart ‘Shale’ is named for the shale rock, fine-grained, laminated soil and rock in the Stags Ridge vineyard. The name refers to the ‘soft finely stratified sedimentary rock formed from consolidated mud or clay and can be split easily into fragile plates.’ As the name suggests, the “Shale” label represents the finer, more detailed side of Seven Apart winemaking. 

Winemaker notes - “Seven Apart Shale is beautifully layered,” opens Andy. “It is simultaneously hard, yet also easily pliable rock. This dichotomy of texture is really what we want the namesake wine to capture. It’s layered, but in a soft, gentle way that means you can dig into it easily.”

“While it may seem odd to craft three Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vineyard, that’s also the challenge for me. Even within one vineyard, you might have one section that gives you one unique element and another section that gives you something completely different. I view it as my mission to create unique expressions of our dramatic vineyard site on Atlas Peak,” says Andy.

Seven Apart Shale is more delicate. Andy describes the Seven Apart Shale as being crafted with softer tannins and a subtler aromatic profile.

When they harvest the grapes and collect the individual components from the different vineyard blocks,  they let them age for a year separately before they start crafting the blending. The winemaking team taste for specific components that have the elegance and finesse best suited to the Seven Apart Shale style and start forming a blend. Once the envisioned Seven Apart Shale blend is composed, the wine is aged 24 months in the finest French oak.

 

For the 2018 Seven Apart Shale, Andy and the Seven Apart team selected only 9 barrels to be ‘worthy of this final bottling’. Described as graceful yet powerful, the latest 2018 vintage was produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Ridge vineyard. 

Winemaker notes - “At first sight, it shows a notable black-purple hue and great density. On the nose are intense aromas of black licorice and cassis, along with savory tones of teak oil, sage, baked bread, and chaparral. The wine brims with intense berry flavors, as well as soy, thyme, and orange blossoms. Along with the voluminous palate impression, the tannins are highly polished, making for a long, velvety finish.”

This label release was rated 94 points by Vinous, 93 pints by James Suckling,

Dark purple/ruby colored, full bodied, deep rich, round, powerful, expressive concentrated but finely integrated bright vibrant ripe blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruits accent by clove spice, graphite, mint, cedar, rose petals and cassis licorice with firm but silky polished tannins on the lingering finish.  

RM 95 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3905517

https://sevenapart.com/behind-the-bottle-1-seven-apart-shale-cabernet-sauvignon/

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3975575  

We dove back into our cellar to find a suitable pairing with the Seven Apart and pulled this 100 point Napa Valley Bordeaux varietal blend from the same vintage. 

Continuum Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2018

Like the Seven Apart, this is 100% estate grown and made, sourced from a single vineyard, the Continuum Sage Mountain Vineyard, high up on Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Range along the eastern ridge high above the town of Oakville. 

The Continuum estate is on the backside of Pritchard Hill, over the hill opposite the David Arthur estate and vineyards that we visited during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013, as featured in this blogpost - David Arthur Napa Valley Estate Vineyards and Winery.

We also visited Pritchard Hill and the Chappellet Vineyards estate down the road back in 2009. Within sight of the Continuum estate, Pritchard hill is the home to illustrious neighbors, iconic cult wine producers including Bryant, Colgin and Dalla Valle.

Continuum is from the iconic Mondavi Family who founded this brand after selling the historic Robert Mondavi to Constellation Brands. Continuum was set up in 2005, a partnership between Tim Mondavi, his father Robert, and sister Marcia, (who lives in New York). 

Initially, they produced a Bordeaux blend with grapes sourced from the famous To Kalon vineyard. Meanwhile, after an extensive search, they found the site 70 acre vineyard on Pritchard Hill, about half, 41 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, a third to Cabernet Franc, and the smaller remainder to Merlot and Petit Verdot

After years of searching hillside estates, in 2008 and 2009, the family acquired contiguous parcels on the slopes of Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge of Napa Valley, now known as Sage Mountain Vineyard, the core of Continuum Estate. 

The Continuum estate Sage Mountain Vineyard sitting high on Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge above Oakville, overlooks Napa Valley with views in the distance of the San Francisco Bay.

In total, the vineyard is comprised of 38 distinct vineyard blocks planted to Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The vineyards sit above the fog line at an elevation of 1300 to 1600 feet facing to the western and south with some blocks with slight northern and eastern views. Continuum credits this diversity of plantings in the volcanic soils with the complexity of the estate bottled wines. The rocky, volcanic soils of the site force the vine’s energy to produce low yields that contribute to the fruit’s depth and complexity.

The first three vintages (2005–2007) of Continuum were not from today’s estate vineyard but were sourced primarily from Marjorie’s Vineyard within the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, plus some fruit from Stags Leap District.

The first three vintages of Continuum, from 2005 to 2007, were sourced primarily from Marjorie’s Vineyard within the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, located on the valley floor near the Robert Mondavi estate, representing the family’s past, plus some fruit from Stags Leap District.

Before this acquisition, the property had been a conventionally farmed, rocky 70 acre vineyard that needed extensive work; Tim brought in former Mondavi colleagues to re-graft, replant, and convert it toward organic and biodynamic practices.

Following early vintages sourcing fruit from To Kalon and Stags Leap, the 2008 vintage was the first that included some fruit from the new estate site. From the 2012 vintage onward, Continuum has been sourced exclusively from Sage Mountain Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, making it a true single-estate wine rather than a blend of purchased valley-floor fruit.

Having developed and transformed the property and vineyard, they build winery facilities, completed in 2013, establishing the ability for the first time, the family were able to grow, produce, and bottle from a single estate the product of a singular site. The year 2013 also marked Tim Mondavi’s 40th year making wine as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert’s birth.

The 2018 Continuum has an average vine age of 20 years reflecting 38 acres of mature estate vineyard, planted in 1991 and 1996, with additional plantings in 2004 and 2010. 

This 2018 release is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot.

Winemakers notes - “The 2018 growing season was a winemaker’s dream given the overall cooler weather patterns paired with ample sunshine. The spring brought timely, abundant rainfall nourishing the earth and setting the stage for a healthy crop. Moderately cool temperatures post veraison allowed the fruit an extended hang time, retaining vibrancy and evolving character complexity. Berry size was smaller than average though berry count was up given the bountiful rain. Crop size was generous for the estate at 2.4 tons per acre-still quite small by any measure. Harvest began 135 days from bloom on September 27th, and continued at an unforced and purposeful pace, thanks to record cool weather in August and September. Harvest concluded on October 22nd.’

Wine Production - “Continuum is 100% estate grown, produced and bottled. All fruit is selectively hand-harvested at night. The fruit is then sorted before and after de-stemming, and gravity fed into French oak or concrete tanks. A three-day cold soak is followed by fermentation, receiving three to four pump overs daily, and délestage two to three times in total during the most active period. The wine remains on skins in tank for 20 to 40 days. All lots are then drained, basket pressed, and transferred with lees for malolactic fermentation and aging. In 2018, Continuum spent 22 months in barrel. 63 percent of French oak barrels were new and 35 percent were once used.A single concrete amphora was also used for aging.The wine clarified slowly and settled naturally in our cold barrel room, was racked sparingly and bottled without fining or filtration.Each vineyard lot was tasted and carefully considered many times to assemble the 2018 blend.”

Winemaker Notes - The 2018 Continuum shows energy and verve. The wine expresses purity and precision, with high tone aromatics of red and blue fruit, deep plum and rose oil. This vintage shows an approachable nerve of the land in the refined mineral quality on the palate. The surrounding native vegetation of bay and sage is evidenced in an earthy, savory profile. This is a shimmering, silky and harmoniously integrated wine with densely packed fine grain tannins.”

This was rated a perfect 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and James Suckling, 99 by Wine Independent, 98 points by Vinous, 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 94 points by Wine Spectator. 

Deep garnet-purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated, complex yet smooth, polished and elegant, integrated and balanced ripe red and black fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha, cassis, graphite, black tea and dusty rose with gentle silky smooth fine grained tannins in the long finish. 

RM 96 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3778487

https://www.continuumestate.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3975575 

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon  2018

We also opened this Hall Napa Valley Cabernet from the same vintage. We’ve visited the Hall Rutherford estate vineyard and winery on numerous trips to Napa Valley, one in 2017, and previously back in 2013, and hold an extensive collection of their wines spanning more than two decades.  

Winemaker Notes - “Hall 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet is deep ruby in the glass, and displays effusive aromas of crème de cassis, dark plum, anise, and dried herbs. The palate is lush and layered with fine-grained tannins supporting flavors of dark berry, cocoa, and a hint of freshly turned earth. The long and supple finish showcases the impeccable growing season that allowed us to coax the very best from each of our unique vineyard sites.”

This was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark garnet colored medium to full bodied, dense concentrated black berry and plum fruits with notes of cassis, dark licorice, tobacco leaf, black tea, black olive and pain grille’ with smooth polished tannins on the finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/3883343

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/04/hall-napa-valley-rutherford-estate.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/hall-rutherford-winery-estate.html