Constant Diamond Mountain Claret Horizontal Highlights Beef Tenderloin Dinner
For an impromptu beef tenderloin dinner party, I suggested opening Napa Valley Cabernets from the mid-nineties so Bill brought
Constant Diamond Mountain Claret 96 and 97 and I added a 95 to round out a mini-horizontal. Lyle brought a
Guimaraens Vintage Port for dessert which I complemented with a 95
Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina for a comparison tasting.
Prior to the dinner flight we opened a
Ravines Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc 2010 and a
Reasons 'The One' Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Lyle shared with us his memories from growing up in the Finger Lakes region near Keuka Lake and swimming right near the Ravines' site.
Linda prepared a butternut squash lobster bisque which we served with a
Chateau St Jean Reserve Chardonnay 2007.
Afterwards, we compared Lyle's Guimaerens 1995 Vintage Port with a
Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995 Oporto over chocolate truffles, pumpkin and key lime pies.
Chateau St Jean Sonoma County Reserve Chardonnay 2007
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| Chateau St Jean in Sonoma |
Chateau St Jean is one of the classiest producers and wineries in Sonoma Valley with its expansive grounds of stylish gardens and old world style Chateau and accompanying buildings - one of the most authentic old world style sites in the region. Its one of our favorite producers in Sonoma that we've visited on numerous occasions including during our
Sonoma Wine Experience 2009.
They consistently produce a selection of quality ageable reds and respectable whites in prices ranging from entry level to moderate to premium. This is a quality Reserve Chardonnay at a fraction of the price of similar labels from other notable producers.
Straw colored, medium bodied, balanced, crisp and lively, a bit buttery and slightly oaky with a solid structure and creamy texture. with aromas and flavors of lemon,
pear and mandarin orange with hints of nut, vanilla and clove.
RM 88 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1034421
http://www.chateaustjean.com/
Ravines Wine Cellars Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc 2010
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| Keuka Lake from Ravines Wine Cellars |
Being one of the very few Finger Lakes region wines distributed in the Chicago market attracted us to make sure we visited the winery during our
visit to the Finger Lakes Keuka Lake wine region last year. Being three quarters of the clockwise drive around Keuka Lake, we arrived just about closing time and were grateful we were able to convince the staff to bear with us since it was the sole target producer of our trip. We would not be passing by this area again, due to the expanse of the wine trails that envelop three of the five elongated finger like lakes in south central New York state.
Too many of the Finger Lake producers produced a large selection of labels from a large number of varietals. I believe all would be better served if they would stick to the one or two varietals best suited to the region terrior - climate, terrain, soil, drainage etc. For lack of doing so, we tasted too many lackluster disappointing wines during our tour - moreso than standout highlight wines.
Like many of the Finger Lakes produces we visited, Ravines offered no less than nine different labels. I believe if, like most wine producing regions in the world, if they focused on what was best suited to their area, they would produce higher quality from their selectivity. It defies conventional logic that the region is best suited to produce a dozen different varieties of grapes, each with their own suitability to climate, soil, etc.
While I wouldn't expect Cabernet Franc to thrive in this region, this Cabernet Franc is an example of a bold flavorful varietal that gets the most out of the number of sun and degree days available in the climate - pushing the limits of the grape. This Cab Franc overachieves and exceeds expectations, however the bar is set rather low compared to warmer climate locales more suited to the varietal. I expected and think the Rieslings were best suited to the region and offered a better sense of terrior or place.
This Cabernet Franc is opaque purple colored, medium to light bodied, presenting modest black cherry fruits offset by black olive, dark mushroom and earthy spice tones on the modest tannin finish.
The saving grace is that unlike $30 or $40 California or French Cab Francs, this modest price point of $18, or the $16 in Chicagoland stores, renders a decent QPR - quality price ratio.
RM 87 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1326506
http://ravineswine.com/
Reasons "The One" Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
The guys at Wine Discount Center love this wine and give it 93 points. Wine Enthusiast ranked its 2008 as one of the top 100 wines of the vintage. I don't feel it lives up to its billing or its expensive packaging of a oversize weighty bottle, however, it isn't priced like a premium Cabernet so it ends up being a decent value with reasonable QPR (quality price ratio).
From the Horse Heaven Hills area of Washington's Columbia River Valley, t
he 2009 Reasons "The One" is medium bodied but a bit lean lacking polish and balance, but bursting with aromas of berry fruits upon opening, giving way to dark fruit flavors of black
cherry, black plum, blackberry and cassis with hints of tobacco, leather and mushroom.
RM 88 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1627667
http://www.reasonswine.com/
Mini horizontal tasting of Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons - 1995-96-97
We
visited Constant Diamond Mountain vineyards high atop Diamond Mountain during our Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Wine Experience 2011. Freddie Constant's property sitting at the summit overlooking Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west is one of but a select few vineyards that span both. The property is one of the oldest, longest continuous production vineyards in the Napa Sonoma region. Tonight's mini horizontal tasting revealed three diverse vintages with different effects yet clung to a common sense of place or terrior that bound the three together.
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1997
Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker - Deep indigo color. Full of fruit on the nose. Complex and layered on the
palate with classic Bordeaux style notes of leather, tobacco, jammy
dark fruit and seemingly typical of Constant, a bit of spice on the back
palate. This will still improve for another 3 to 5 years. Fared well
against the '95 and '96 Constant Claret though I felt the '95 at this
point was a bit more expressive. Could be the '97's still need more
time.
WCC 92 points.
True to the vintage ratings, this was the biggest, fullest and most complex of the three vintages - more resembling a left bank Bordeaux than a Napa Cabernet. Medium to full bodied, dark purple, earthy leather, tea and a layer of tobacco compete with the black berry fruits and hint of spice. This was the most stable of the three clinging to its core of fruit and tannin backbone on the finish.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36392
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1996
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Constant Vineyards magnifcent grounds high atop
Diamond Mountain |
Bill's post - This was good, but like many of the 96's we have tasted recently,
probably a bit past prime. Still some interesting characteristics.
Medium garnet in color, showing just a bit of orange at the rim. Limited
fruit on the nose. Was a bit thin on the palate with heavier notes of
black pepper and a bit of spice box. This might have rated higher if not
for tasting side by side with the Constant Claret from '95 and '97.
WCC 89 points.
I found this a bit austere and the leanest of the three vintages but nicely balanced and sufficiently focused that this was favored by some of the ladies.
RM 88 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36390
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1995
Cabernet Sauvignon 73%, Merlot 18%, Cabernet Franc 9%
Bill's post - Deep indigo color in the glass. A bit more full bodied than I
remembered. Deep flavors of dark berry...blueberry, dark cherry and
raspberry, with some minerality on the finish. Not surprising, given
this vintage was made in more of a Bordeaux blend style albeit a bit
Cabernet heavy at (73%). Smooth integrated tannins. A nice bottle
drinking at peak. Will last another couple of years but why wait?
WCC 90 points.
My notes - This is the third bottle from this vintage we've opened in recent years and this one was consistent with earlier notes from one. Dark purple color, medium to full bodied, full forward flavors of black
berry and black cherry fruits with traces of anise and hints of tobacco,
tea and leather on a lingering, moderate, soft tannin finish. Mid-evening tones of black pepper appeared but were short-lived. This is holding on but is showing its age and is nearing the end of its drinking window.
RM 89 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36373
http://www.constantwine.com/
Ports - Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995 and Guimaraens Vintage Port 1995
Guimaraens Vintage Port 1995
Bright dark ruby colored, full bodied, rich and chewy, concentrated and complex but nicely balanced and smooth with rich ripe black berry, black
raspberry, cassis with tones of expresso coffee and hint of spice.
RM 91 points.
From Fonseca: "In years when Fonseca does not
‘declare’ a classic vintage, it selects the finest grapes from its own
vineyards to yield a small quantity of this superb wine, which is
produced exactly as a declared Fonseca Vintage. Beautifully structured
and perfectly balanced, Guimaraens Vintage Ports show Fonseca’s superb
marriage of power and breed in a slightly lighter, earlier-maturing
style."
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1918
Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995
Not quite as complex and balanced with slightly more subdued fruits than the Guimaraens.
Dark
coffee color - full bodied, a bit of an edge of sweet black fruits,
layer of smokey creosote with hint of cedar and cassis and black cherry
on the finish. From a half bottle.
RM 89 points.
This was one of WINE SPECTATOR’S Top 10 Dessert Wines for 1998.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3721
http://www.warre.com/section.php?id=777
This is a Sangiovese based blend named after Giovanni Del Dotto, son of the Del Dottos. David and Yolanda Del Dotto were featured producers at several of winemaker dinners during our Napa Valley Wine Experiences including those 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003. Del Dotto was one of the Up and Coming Napa Producers featured back in "The Undiscovered Dozen" 1994 Wine Spectator article. We discovered them then and started collecting their flagship Napa Cabernet and eventually adding this Tuscan Reserve and their Cabernet Franc. We still collect and hold a vertical of Del Dotto Cabernets going back to their 1992 inaugural vintage. They continue to amaze and reward us with their aging longevity.
Dark inky color, big, firm and full bodied, rich thick tongue coating,
super ripe raisin fig fruits, hints of cedar, pepper, violets, and
blueberry. This is too ripe and raisiny for my tastes but the bride
likes it this way - and so does Wine Advocate who gives it a 91. 
Dark inky color, big, firm and full bodied, rich thick tongue coating,
super ripe raisin fig fruits, hints of cedar, pepper, violets, and
blueberry. This is too ripe and raisiny for my tastes but the bride
likes it this way - and so does Wine Advocate who gives it a 91. 
