Sterling Three Palms Merlot with Rib-eye Steak

Sterling Vineyards 'Three Palms' Merlot Compliments Rib-eye Steak 

The fifteen year old single vineyard designated Napa Merlot I took BYOB to dinner at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria, was the perfect pairing with the dinner special, boneless rib-eye in a red wine reduction with rosemary sauce with roasted red potatoes and steamed asparagus. Linda had the other dinner special, sea scallops.

Sterling Vineyards was one of the first large commercial wineries in Napa Valley, formed in 1964. We visited Sterling Winery, up in north Napa Valley on the main trail just south of Calistoga, with its amusement park aerial tram that takes visitors up to the visitors center, on our first trip to Napa Valley back in the early eighties.

We're big fans of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, our favorite wine, but we have always associated Sterling with the other Bordeaux varietal, Merlot.

Sterling released the first vintage dated Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux varietals in 1969. Previously, Merlot was primarily considered a blending wine. The first Three Palms Vineyard single vineyard designated select Merlot was released in 1985.

At fifteen years of age, this was still vibrant and expressive, most likely at the apex of its drinking window, but certainly not likely to improve from further aging.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex but well balanced, intense firm core of plum and black cherry, with tones of toasty oak and spice, hints of cedar and vanilla yielding to firm tannins on the tangy spicy finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=72207

http://www.sterlingvineyards.com

http://www.angeliscatering.com/

Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with Hemingway's Oak Park French Fare

Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with Hemingway's Oak Park French Fare

For a dinner outing with friends Bob & Gloria we introduced them to Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park for French influenced fare. I took along a CDP and a Bordeaux from which to choose to accompany my entree selection.

Bob and Linda chose the Halibut special with a roasted red pepper sauce while Gloria chose the Sea Scallops, all served on a bed a risotto, so we selected a Sancerre Domaine Villaudiere from the wine-list for them.

I chose the New York strip au Poivre with cream spinach and pomme au gratin and had them open my Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé which I brought BYOB.

For starters, we had the Butternut Squash Bisque, French Onion soup, and I enjoyed the Trio Beet Salad and the superb Foie Gras du jour with raspberry coulee which was a perfect pairing with the La Couspaude.

Hemingway's atmosphere is very cordial and relaxing, the service attentive and professional making for an enjoyable dining experience. Its has the elegance of causal fine dining, is easy to access, just off the Ike midway between the city and the western suburbs, and lacks the crowds, bustle, noise and hassles of parking. And being close to the Frank Lloyd Wright 'district' allows for some historic architectural sight-seeing enroute or afterwards.

Domaine de la Villaudière Sancerre 2011

Straw colored, light bodied, bright, crisp, clean with high acidity, aromas and flavors of green apples predominate with tones of wet limestone, chalk and minerality and hint of citrus.

RM 87 points.

http://www.sancerre-lavillaudiere.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1346511 








Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

This is the flagship wine of the Aubert Family portfolio who have been producers in the St. Emilion appellation for almost two centuries. The family operation consists of three Aubert brothers, Alain, Daniel and Jean-Claude, along with their children, Vanessa, Heloïse and Yohann. The family operates several estates spread along the Right Bank in Bordeaux from St. Emilion all the way up to Cotes de Castillon.

The Chateau La Couspaude 7 hectare (14 acre) property with its unique terroir sitting on the limestone plateau on the outskirts of the village of Saint-Emilion is planted in 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The vineyard has been in place for close to 300 years! Today, the vines are planted to a density of 6,500 vines per hectare with the average age of the vines is about thirty years.

They family has worked to upgrade the property over the last several decades and Chateau La Couspaude was promoted to Grand Cru Classé distinction in the new classification of wines of Saint-Emilion in 1996.

Traditionally, the wines tended to show much new oak in the style their Bordeaux wine. Starting with 2006, the Aubert’s reduced the amount of new oak, changed the type of oak and further reduced the amount of oak in the 2011 vintage which allows the wine of La Couspaude to express more complexities. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new 100% new, French oak barrels. the wine is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for between 18 and 20 months.

Today, Chateau La Couspaude is known for fleshy, flashy, low acid, sensuous, but oaky, early drinking style of St. Emilion wine. Production of Chateau La Couspaude ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 cases at the St. Emilion estate per vintage. They also produce a second wine, Junior de la Couspaude.

The  Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005 exhibits dark inky blackish garnet/purple with medium to full body. The firm, rather tight complex concentrated black berry fruits are over taken by mouthful of tea, tobacco, kirsch, tones of pain grille, smoky creosote and hints of sweet oak/spice notes with lingering big but fine tannins. This was a perfect complement to the grilled New York Steak as well as the foie gras. 

 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=235727

http://www.aubert-vignobles.com/lacouspaude.php?specid=1&langid=2#!home-english/c1l8o

http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/ 

K Vintners River Rock Walla Walla Valley Syrah 2011

K Vintners River Rock Walla Walla Valley Syrah 2011

The inaugural release of this single vineyard Syrah from Rock River Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley from the team of legendary Charles Smith, teamed up with Andrew Latta and Brennon Leighton.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium to full bodied, opens with forward firm tannins and earthy smoky cedar/camphor tones with a layer of leather predominating over the complex blackish fruits, with a full forest floral and subtle tone of white pepper that fills the mouth and lingers for a long finish. 

RM 88 points.

Robert Parker gave this a 95 while WS gave it a 93.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1818454

http://www.kvintners.com/

B Side Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

B Side Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

B Side wines are the product of Don Sebastiani & Sons, that claims it's heritage as part of the Sonoma Winemaking Family that dates back to 1904. Fourth generation producer Donny Sebastiani is the great–grandson of Samuele, the Sebastiani patriarch. In 2001, Don Sebastiani and his two sons, Donny and August, established Don Sebastiani & Sons, with a goal of building a new wine company in the negociant style of the early Sebastiani winemakers.

They source grapes from vineyards all over California’s appellations and beyond, claiming this enables them to be free to explore the best quality fruit that each vintage has to offer. As I've written here time and again over the last year, the negociant supply model provides the opportunity for imaginative, high QPR wines. But on the flipside, (no pun intended here), since they don't own or control the source of the fruit, they can be prone to 'one-hit wonders' (pun intended) with a blockbuster release one year, but when its gone it may be done, with no chance for a repeat. Since the wine could be sourced from different places each year, it's potentially the opposite of terroir, the association of wine to a particular place, and all the elements of soil, micro-climate, elevation, sun exposure and so on that give that site an identity reflected in its produce.

I've written much about branding here recently. The branding concept here is based on the old vinyl records that were the means to release and distribute music from the early 1950s through the '70's. Popular records were the two-sided '45'. The "A" side contained the featured hit song of the release, while the "B" side was sometimes 'filler', or an additional release to fill out the record. But once in a while, the 'B' side was as much a hit as the leader, often the real find, frequently revealing an undiscovered gem.

B Side wines play on this metaphor or concept and likens the A Side to the  A-list world of Napa Valley wines from the prominent prestigious properties on main street Napa Valley, along mainstream Highway 29 and Silverado Trail. B Side writes, "Hailing from Napa's "flip" side, B Side reds are crafted with grapes sourced from the slightly-off-the-beaten-track vineyards along the valley's eastern hillsides. They're authentic originals: a little experimental and unexpected, crafted and perfected behind-the-scenes for those with a penchant for discovery."

"The grapes comprising our two B Side offerings come from the "flip" side of Napa: vineyards tucked into the benchlands, slopes and hillsides of eastern Napa Valley near the scenic Silverado Trail."

They claim the majority of this blend comes from "selected vineyards in Oak Knoll, Calistoga and Yountville. Due to the warmer weather in Calistoga and Yountville, the fruit picked here adds impressive depth and flavors to the wine. The Oak Knoll district is ideally situated near Los Carneros, allowing for early morning fog, cool nights and extended hang time, all of which play a major role in developing smoothness and concentrated color. The vines are nearing 20 years of age in most of these blocks and have provided for a near perfect harvest of Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon this vintage."

Therein lies the negociant's challenge. Do they have rights to the follow on vintage (s) of this wine? Can we expect a release next year? Or is this a one hit wonder? And when will we know? So don't get too invested in this and treat as a single release, and stay tuned for what happens next. In fairness, this is their third release of B Side Napa Cab, but its not clear if they're all from the same source, or not. In any event, enjoy a good value, high QPR interesting release Napa cab while it lasts.

This B-Side Cellars Cabernet  contains 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot to round out the blend to add complexity and aromatic intrigue. The wine was aged in 80% French oak for 14 months before bottling.

From the winery: "Our beautifully crafted 2012 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon is pure, rich and deep, featuring aromas of blackberry, sweet tobacco leaf and notes of warm caramel. This wine is marked by a distinctively complex and subtle mix of black currant, toasted almond and anise, with a supple core of cherry and dark chocolate flavors. Full-bodied and mouth filling, the wine shows tremendous dimension with a seamless finish that lingers throughout the palate." They say this 2012 bottling has yet to be professionally reviewed, but the 2011 vintage garnered 90 points and an "Editors' Choice" designation by Wine Enthusiast.

The flagship B Side Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark inky garnet colored, full-bodied with black berry and black raspberry fruit flavors with tones of graphite and tobacco with a hint of mocha on a finish of moderate lingering tannins.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1793906

http://bsidewines.com/

Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Red Blend 2012

Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Red Blend 2012

While we don't drink a lot Zinfandel, its a must have in every cellar for every day pizza wine as well as for occasions of hearty pasta or Bar-B-Q. It's also a bold expressive fruit filled wine that will appeal to and resonate with novice or less sophisticated wine drinkers. Also, Zinfandels typically offer early gratification and are ready to drink upon or soon after release. While some are ageworthy, they typically can be consumed when young and don't need aging to evolve and reveal their greatness or true character potential. Lastly, Zinfandel tends to offer perhaps the most bang for the buck or QPR - Quality-to-Price ratios than most other American varietals. I say American varietals because Zinfandel is perhaps more indigenous to American than perhaps any other grape.

Only recently with the emergence of and maturation of the development of South American wines from Chile and Argentina made from Malbec, and more recently from Bordeaux varietals, has there such a range of moderate priced big reds for every day drinking, a place long held by Zinfandel.

But, not all Zinfandels are simple and unsophisticated. A few producers specialize in Zins and have made them an artform in their own right. Ridge is probably the best known and most widely distributed of the Zin zealots. This Lytton Springs release, while marketed as a Zinfandel, is actually a complex blend of Rhone and South American varietals.

Ridge is one of the more prolific Zinfandel producers with a portfolio of almost a dozen premium, single vineyard designated and imaginative Zinfandel based blends that date back to 1964 when they released their first Zin. The history of Ridge Vineyards actually dates back before the turn of the last century, in 1885, when Osea Perrone, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge down in the southern range of Santa Cruz Mountains that separate south San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean at the top of Monterey Bay,  producing the first vintage under that name in 1892.

The first Zinfandel was made in 1964, followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville Zinfandel. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year, and in 1969, Paul Draper came on as winemaker. Today, Zinfandel and Cabernet account for most of the production with lesser quantities of Syrah, Grenache, Carignane, and Petite Sirah used primarily as part of the blends.

The first release of Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel from the property in the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, was released in 1972. The property lies just north of Healdsburg on the benchland that separates Dry Creek from Alexander Valley. The Zinfandel vines at Lytton Springs date back 100 plus-years and are interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, a small amount of Mataro (aka Mourvèdre), and Grenache for blending. Hence Ridge Lytton Springs is a complex blend with the prime core being Zinfandel.

The 2012 release of Ridge Lytton Springs is a blend of 70% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane, and 3% Mataro or Mourvèdre. 

Like many big Zinfandels, this begs for being consumed with food. Dark blackish purple colored, full bodied, it exudes complex dense black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of vanilla, bramble, anise, black olive, green pepper and spice with moderate lingering tannins.

RM 90 points. 


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1873710

http://www.ridgewine.com/

Lidio Carraro Grande Vindima Quorum 2006

Lidio Carraro Grande Vindima Quorum 2006

An interesting selection By-the-Glass at DOC in Yorktown, Lombard. From the Vale dos Vinhedos region in Brazil, the first recognized and certified Brazilian wine region with Geographical Indication or what we would call AVA in America.

Lidio Carraro Vineyards is one of the oldest and most established producers in the region, descendants of Italian immigrants from the Italian Veneto wine growing region who first settled in Brazil in 1875.

Since the ‘70s, Lidio Carraro has been a pioneer grower in the Serra Gaucha region, focusing on developing the French Bordeaux varietals with emphasis on Merlot, crafting the ideal clones best suited to the terroir - climate, soil, to produce the best wines achievable from the area.

In 2001, the Lidio Carraro family acquired 200 acres in Encruzilhada do Sul in the southeast region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul which has emerged as the most recognized and prestigious wine region in Brazil. The first vintage harvest was in 2002 with the first label released to market in 2004 and its first exports were in 2005.

Grande Vindima could be translated as Great Classic. It is a premium label in the broad portfolio range from Lidio Carraro winery. They say, "It has Lidio Carraro family tradition of viticulture and passion for wine as inspiration and represents the excellence of a great classic, crafted only in the best years."


The Bordeaux style blend is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Tannat.


Garnet colored, medium to full bodied, this was bright, vibrant and expressive with forward cherry and black raspberry flavors accented by tones of spice, coffee, hints of anise and cedar finishing with firm tannins.

RM 87 points.

http://www.lidiocarraro.com/en/inicio

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1281304

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011 

We had this wine with fruits, cheese and chocolates watching a Netflix feature. The next day, we enjoyed it will grilled steak Sunday dinner. 

I wrote in this blog back in March about how difficult it is to find a high QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Pinot Noir under $20. Called the 'heartbreak grape' (see my review of The Heartbreak Grape,  A California Winemakers Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir by Marc de Villiers, 1994, Harper Collins)  for its finicky difficulty to cultivate, it took decades for California producers to get this varietal to come around. Here is a rare California Pinot Noir that offers enjoyable sophisticated Pinot Noir at every day prices. I bought some, drank it, bought some more, and I am going back for more. Hopefully my blog post doesn't empty the shelves before I restock.' 

We are still enjoying this wine obtained back then. I feature it again because it is still available in quantity at Binny's the Illinois/Chicagoland mega-merchant, and I am tempted to buy more whilst it is still available. 

As featured earlier, "sourced from fruit from GUADAGNI FAMILY WINES, a small family run business that according  to records is managed by Donald, Joseph, Mary, William and Breanna at their location on Yokim Bridge Road in Healdsburg. They're reported to produce about 1000 cases a year but views of the property show large tracts of young vines and new plantings so we might expect to see much more of them in the coming vintages.'

They say their label name "Black Diamond" refers to the 'boldness and courage' of their wines. 'awe inspiring to look at from the rim and personally satisfying in the finish.... with both strength and elegance' symbolic of Black Diamond wines.

The grapes are selected from the Russian River appellation, renowned specifically for the cool-climate conducive to growing great Pinot Noir. The vineyards for this wine are along the Russian River and within walking distance of the Coastal Mountain Range. Influenced by the marine layer that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean with its moderating effect on morning and later afternoon temperatures, sending cool air through the gorge cut by the river. They cite moderate daytime temperatures as key to retaining the delicate and unique characters of the grapes, while the cool nights encourage the vine to retain acidity through to the harvest. Whatever the cause, the effects are a sophisticated yet pleasant, easy drinking wine that are available at a good value price.

The winemaker's comments sum it up well - "Classic aromas of fresh turned soil, cola, and red cherries. Black raspberry, pink peppercorn spice and caramel add depth. Light in body with creamy, vanilla infused raspberry and baking spice. Balanced, silky tannins for a long smooth finish."

I don't do a lot of Pinot Noir, and admit my 'vocabulary' of wine sensations and ability to articulate such, is not as developed and mature. Hence, I struggle a bit to characterize this wine.  It features a primary predominate flavor. The winemaker calls is cola and red cherries, or Bing cherries. I get the cola but keep coming back to dried cranberries as the lead fruit. In any event, despite being medium light bodied and therefor a bit opaque, it is is dark blackish garnet colored, it exhibits tones of cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and a layer of cedar giving way to a tones of anise and smoky spicy oak on a firm lingering acidic finish.
RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1804396

http://www.western-importers.com/california_wines/blackdiamond.htm

Favorite Aussie Shiraz - Flinders 2005 Aging Gracefully

Favorite Aussie Shiraz - Flinders 2005 Aging Gracefully

I raved about this wine when I discovered it several years ago and have featured it numerous times since in this blog. Like the recent experience where I discovered this wine downstate in a local wineshop, I then found and purchased more on-line. Then I convinced local mega-merchant Binny's to carry obtain some and we cleaned them out too. Happily, we still hold and continue to enjoy this big bold fruit filled Shiraz. Holding more than several bottles into their ninth year, one rightfully wonders how is it aging and how long will it last?

For a quiet causal evening at home, we opened an old favorite, Flinders Run Southern Flinders Ranges Shiraz 2005. Our Cellartracker inventory says we still hold about two cases of this vintage release, with a slightly lesser number of the '06 release remaining. I noted when we were opening this that it came on the scene with these two vintage releases and disappeared, not to be seen again. According to their website, it appears to still be in production, but its not to be found in distribution in Chicagoland, or in the on-line wine community.

Indeed, the Flinders Run website (http://www.flindersrun.com.au/) states, "We knew from the first trials of the 2001 and subsequent 2003 vintages that the Flinders Run wines were going to be something special, but nothing prepared us for the overwhelming success, we would experience with the release of the 2005 Vintage. Subsequent vintages have been crafted in the same careful manner exhibiting a consistency in flavour and style and most importantly capturing the elegance of region climate and above all varietal character."

Of course that 2005 vintage got a raving 95 point review from legendary wine critic Robert Parker. He wrote,"Purple/black in color, the wine exhibits a big, brooding bouquet of pain grille, pepper, Asian spices, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a full-bodied (15.2% alcohol), super-rich, plush wine with layers of spicy black fruit flavors, excellent balance, and a long, pure finish. For a wine of this size, it is remarkably light on its feet. Give it 2-3 years to more fully evolve and drink it through 2020. This is quite a debut for Flinders Run!"

I must admit, I do not recall knowing about this rating or having read his review. I did know he shared our love of big bold Aussie Shiraz's, even if we did think his enthusiasm was at times 'over the top' and even exceeded ours. That said, I am pleased to see his projected drinking window extending through 2020. That certainly seems to ring true with our experience tonight.

Flinders Run Southern Flinders Ranges Shiraz is the artwork of Emanuel Skorpos whose winemaking heritage goes back many generations to the Greek Island of Samos where his Grandfather Manoli Skorpos and his father attended to the olive grove and vineyard in the rugged mountainous region known as Morteri which they still farm to this day.

In 1991 Emanuel, after travelling to Samos to visit the Family Estate, set out to return to Australia to locate the perfect piece of land in which to establish the vineyard and olive grove in the Skorpos tradition. Emanual has been working in Viticulture/Horticulture  in the Riverland and Southern Flinders Ranges regions in South Australia since then. He worked with Ian Smith, Vineyard Manager and Vitticulturalist for Leasingham wines who identified the Southern Flinders Ranges as one of the best kept secrest in Australia’s wine industry. Emanuel manages the vineyards and olive grove and works closely with the Flinders Run winemaker to produce artisan boutique wines that emeplify the distinct  flavour and personality of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Emanuel’s wife, Laura manages the logistics and operations of winery business.

My recollection of these two vintages was that we liked the 2005 more than the 2006, being more approachable, more polished and balanced, while the '06 was bigger, more brooding and bold, but less polished or in no sense elegant. I selected the '05 tonight, dutifully to work off the older vintage, but also to test my recollection of it being my favored of the two, and to monitor its aging.

While more subdued than the bigger '06, it retains all the nuances and character it exhibited in its youth - nicely balanced, polished, and flavorful. While the fruit is not as big and bold as its follow on vintage, the '05 still holds full, dense, complex layers of blue and black berry fruits, accented by licorice, hints of black pepper, and tones of black tea and what Parker refers to as 'pain grillé' which is the French word for 'toast'.

RM 93 points. 

Our original plan was to grill a beef steak but after the spectacular starter course that Linda prepared, a grilled tuna tartare (above), we enjoyed the rest of the bottle with a selection of cheese and chocolates.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=421985

http://www.flindersrun.com.au/

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101 Syrah 2009

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101 Syrah 2009 - A limited offer that continues to please

I wrote in this blog about Ninety Plus Cellars and their negotiant practice of buying excess grapes, bulk wine, or even bottled wine from growers or producers and selling it under their own 'private' label. And I've written several times herein about their Lot 101 Columbia Valley Washington Syrah. The following is an excerpt from an earlier blogpost.

As soon as I tasted this Syrah at the local wine merchant Malloy's store in Naperville, I knew they had a winner, substantiating their claims that they had landed a top rated Syrah and were able to sell it at a deeply discounted price. I probably should have bought as much as I could obtain. Well actually, I did clean them out, and then went back for more when their next shipment arrived the following week. But I did leave some for others. I may regret leaving it behind!

This is a 2009 Columbia Valley, Washington, Syrah that they market under the label Ninety Plus Cellars, Collectors Series, Lot 101. The label specifies simply '250 cases'. Interestingly it doesn't say produced. How many cases were sold under some other, perhaps well known, perhaps higher priced label?


So tonight, Linda and I opened a bottle of this label for a nice casual steak dinner at home. Since she is heading out of town for several days and it was our only evening together, I wanted to enjoy a special bottle, certainly one that I knew we would enjoy.

We opened this special limited offer bottling and enjoyed it immensely, as we have on several other occasions. After enjoying it (again) so much, I went back to the local Malloy's wine shop, not expecting to find this label since I cleaned them out, not once, but twice. Lo and behold, they had several more bottles which I promptly seized (again). The staff there and I both lamented that, no doubt, this will be the 'end' of this wine. Having added more to our holdings, it will extend our enjoyment for some time further.
 Consistent with earlier tasting notes, this was delicious again, only slightly short of a blockbuster high QPR release. 

Dark inky garnet colored, medium to full bodied, this full throttle Syrah reveals layers of blackberry and black currants fruits with tones of sweet vanilla, caramel and spice with hints of black pepper on a lingering smooth silky tannin finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1742790

http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/wines/lot-101-collectors-series-syrah

Conway Family Wines Deep Sea Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Conway Family Wines Deep Sea Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Consider this a Negociant wine since, according to the wine producer, it is sourced from a "number of the finest, well regarded vineyards within Napa AVA’s of Rutherford, Atlas Peak and Pritchard Hill, with each one contributing their unique characteristics to our blend".

According to the producer's release, "the dark fruit notes along with distinctive and pleasant chalky sagebrush notes greet your nose at first. This Cabernet has as plush an entry as we’ve seen in a lot of years. A round, soft, mouth filling wine that shows a smooth backbone of tannins and balanced acidity. The finish wraps up nicely with a lingering reminder of the mature dark fruits, ever so slight a hint of new oak, and the ever present palette of flavors that make Cabernet so sought after!"

This has incredible QPR - quality price ratio, at its price point below $20. The wine producer lists it at $39. 

Opened for casual wine sipping with cheese but its sophisticated enough to be worthy as a perfect compliment to grilled steak dinner. I left half the bottle and it was much better two days later when I took it to Erin and Johnny's for steak dinner.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, full fruit forward black raspberry and cherry fruits with a layer of spice and hints of graphite and tea, turning to tones of mocha with nice balance and smooth polished tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1517213

http://www.conwayfamilywines.com/