Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

Rosemount Estate Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

For casual sipping by the fire on a cold winter evening, I pulled a classic Aussie Shiraz (aka Syrah) - a single vineyard designated bottling from a well known high volume producer. Rosemount Balmoral Syrah is made from grapes grown in 50-100 year old vineyards. We hold nearly a dozen vintages of this label and still hold six-pack cases from several vintages including this 2000 obtained upon release.

I note regularly in these pages that a key of having a wine cellar collection is to drink a wine over a period of years to witness how that wine ages. This is a testament to that process, for a wine that has longevity and has evolved gracefully over a dozen years or so.

This is a classic Syrah that interestingly is aged two years in American Oak. The winemaker's notes say it should cellar for fifteen or more years. My tasting notes back in 2010 spoke to the full aromatics and flavorful ripe black raspberry, raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar and cedar flavors that turn to an aftertaste of currant and a hint of plum." At ten years of age I noted it was "starting to show age a bit. Drink over next year or so."

In 2012, at twelve years of age, I wrote consistent notes that spoke to revealing the aging effects of this wine... "Dark inky purple color. Medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry, raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco that turns to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered. While I gave it a 92 initially on opening, by the end of the night I gave it a 90."

Now, at fifteen years of age, this reveals the same tasting and aging profile, consistent with earlier notes. Bright aromatics fill the room upon opening, the same dark inky purple color and medium body persists.

The notes from 2012 reflect tonight's tasting as this wine seems frozen in time at this stage of its life, still holding its own and showing no further diminution of aging.

This is consistent with other Cellartracker members' where on 1/7/2012 - monkeylug wrote, "drinking well now even though at the end of its window." and then as late as just recently on 11/24/2005 - rkorchid wrote, "there are still slightly dry tannins, so there is plaenty (sic) of life left in this."

At fifteen, this wine is aging gracefully and still holding its own, aging consistent with earlier notes back in 2010 and 2012 ...

Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14749

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay for gala Birthday Celebration Brunch

For a gala family Sunday Brunch to celebrate daughter Erin's birthday, wife Linda prepared Erin's special favorite lobster bisque, complete with medallions of lobster tail. She also prepared crepes with fresh cherries, sausage egg strada, and a plate of fresh berries and fruits. Barb brought baked apple strudel and Michelle brought fresh baked cinnamon buns. To accompany the selection of fruit juices, I opened one of Linda's favorites, Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay.

We tasted this wine at the historic winery high atop Mt Veeder at the south end of the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma valleys during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011 and have kept each vintage in our cellar ever since.

The original historic Mayacamas winery (left) was originally built in 1889 by John Henry Fisher, a German immigrant. The property was acquired by Jack Taylor and his Californian wife in 1941 who re-christened the estate Mayacamas Vineyards and planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varietals. 

In the very early 1950’s, the Taylors terraced a steep, south-facing hillside 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley and planted Chardonnay. This vineyard, had a view of San Pablo Bay to the south with occasional views of the San Francisco skyline through the fog. This vineyard was named 'The Terraces' and for the next 60 years provided some of the finest Chardonnay grapes in the Napa Valley.

The property was taken over in 1968 by Robert Travers who had worked at Heitz Cellars. He and his wife Elinor continued to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay striving to make wines of great character, depth, complexity, and longevity.

In July 2013, Mayacamas was purchased by Charles and Ali Banks in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son, Joey. Andy Erickson took over the Estate’s winemaking duties, and Phil Coturri took over farming and vineyard development.

The old vines of the Terraces vineyard had been deteriorating, so after a long and productive life, they were retired with the 2013 Harvest being their last. 

The 2013 harvest was small but was of exceptional quality, character, and intensity – a stand-out special release. That is being bottled as a special designated one time bottling for the 2013 vintage year. 

Hence, this 2012 vintage release will be the second to last of the Mayacamas Estate Chardonnay from the old historic vineyards as they have been replanted. 

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Mt Veeder Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the historic old winery and vineyards and tasted this wine at the winery and it was a standout as one of our favorites from that trip.

Straw colored, medium bodied, bracing acidity punctuated by sharp citrus with tones of pear, wet stone and hint of lime.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1960854

http://www.mayacamas.com/

Vintage St Julien trio highlight Hemmingway's Bistro Dinner

Vintage St Julien trio - Château Beychevelle and Gruaud Larose highlight Hemmingway's Bistro Dinner

For a Saturday night dinner at Hemmingway's Bistro in Oak Park, a French inspired cuisine, the site of several of our wine dinners including our gala wine dinner last fall.

I took BYOB three vintage left bank Bordeaux from the St Julien appellation. The combination of two bottles from one producer and two bottles from one vintage, provided the chance for a mini-horizontal and mini-vertical comparison tasting in one.

I pulled two bottles from the 1988 vintage since I feel its less age-worthy and starting to enter the latter stages of its drinking profile, while the 1986 is known for long life so I was less concerned about consuming those bottles soon. All three showed well this evening demonstrating the longevity of quality Bordeaux in a good vintage.

These and some other St Julien wines are some of our favorite holdings in our wine cellar collection. We hold more than a dozen vintages of the Château Gruaud Larose label going back to the eighties. We have enjoyed meeting David Launay, winemaker, during his visits to Chicago as part of the Union Grand Cru Producers of Bordeaux' (UGCB) North American release tour in 2013 and again in 2014. We had the privilege of pouring both of these wine at some of those events when their representatives were detained in New York by snowstorms last year and the year before.

With the UGCB tasting event coming up again in two weeks, we look forward to hosting the producers in Chicago again and tasting their 2013 release. Having had two grand-children in that year, I'll be paying special attention towards acquiring birth-year wines for the grandkids.

These wines were the perfect accompaniment to the Pan Seared Foie Gras with grilled onion and pear (shown left).

It is said that the French are masters at pairing wine with food. This would be a great benchmark as the complement between all these wines and this starter was spectacular.

The wines were also great when paired with the peppercorn crusted beef tenderloin au pouvre and the duck confit with sweet potato gnochi in a brown sauce (shown below) courses with the au gratin potatoes and the creamed spinach.

As would be expected, all there wines evolved over the course of the evening, especially during the first thirty, sixty and ninety minutes. None were opened prior to the meal nor decanted.

While they were basically pop and poured, tonight was a realistic evaluation of these wines' state and provided a meaningful comparison and enjoyable tasting experience.



Château Beychevelle 1986

Amazingly, at thirty years of age, this is probably at the apex of its drinking window - such was the longevity of the 1986 vintage. We still hold a couple cases of various Bordeaux from this vintage that we've been holding as we consume lesser (ageworthy) vintages, which is most.

Like the other two, the cork was slightly saturated and the bottom half crumbled on opening. This one was the most stable and consistent from opening through the course of the evening. 

Bright garnet colored, medium bodied, this was complex bright cherry, dark berry fruits with layers of cigar box, tobacco leaf, earthy forest floor and herbal tones, turning to tongue coating tannins on the lingering tangy finish.

RM 89 points.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8369

Château Beychevelle 1988

I bought this case of this wine upon release back at the time. This is the fifth of the last remaining bottles. This blew me away as I was concerned it would be further diminished from age from the previous tasting when it was starting to show diminution ... it was still drinking well.

This was the showing its age more than the other two, but still holding showing consistency with my last published tasting note back in 11/2010.

"Medium bodied, slighly brickish color, nicely balanced soft earthy leather and tobacco tones predominating over the black cherry fruit on moderate, smooth tannin finish. Time to drink." Tonight this was showing a bit of barnyard funkiness on opening that burned off over the course of an hour, but still showing tangy tongue coating notes on the cherry fruit.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19132

http://www.beychevelle.com/

Château Gruaud Larose 1988

At close to thirty years of age, this is holding up the best of several other St Julien Bordeaux that I hold from this vintage.

Tonight, this cork was slightly partially saturated on the bottom third which separated from the top half on opening.

As written in this blog, tonight's tasting was consistent with my last tasting two years ago when I published this tasting note.

Medium - "full bodied, dark garnet colored, lively acidity with firm core of black berry fruits accented by tobacco, leather and hints of cassis with moderate tannins on the finish."

The bright cherry fruit and a layer of earthy black truffle and smoky meats were offset by the bright floral tones on the tangy lingering smooth tannin finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3883

http://www.gruaud-larose.com/ 

With the dessert course of Mango Grand Marnier Souffles and Creme Brulee, Dan selected from the wine list the Taylor Fladgate Twenty Year Old Tawny Port.

Taylor Fladgate Twenty Year Old Tawny Port NV

This was great with the creme brulee as well as the souffle dessert course.

Essence of sweet Cognac accented by a layer of dried sweet figs, dates, tones of smoky nuts with raisiny fruits and a layer of carmelized nuts on the finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6778








After dinner, back at our house with fresh fruits, select cheeses and dried fruits we opened this zesty tasty Tokaji (below). 

Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú Eszencia 2000

Great for a soothing nightcap.

Amber orange colored, thick chewy full bodied, zesty unctuous apricot and hint of tangerine fruits accented by and give way to smoky tobacco laced caramelized almond, walnut with hints of fig and toast on a slightly tangy acidic sweet citrus finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=247123

More to come.

 

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Giovannis Tuscan Reserve 1997

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Giovannis Tuscan Reserve 1997

Our exploration of the 1997 Napa Valley vintage continues. We followed the horizontal flight of 1997 Napa Cabernets at the gala New Year's Eve dinner, with a '97 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc we tasted last evening with artisan cheeses and fresh fruit, and roast beef for a casual dinner. So when we went out to dine at Angeli's Italian, our favorite local trattoria, we took BYOB this Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Giovannis Tuscan Reserve from the same vintage.

I've written in these pages often that we don't collect Italian wines in our cellar. The need to focus on a finite number of varietals and regions to develop knowledge and remain current, coupled with the realities of budget and space dictate setting some limits. So, while we don't keep a collection of Italian varietals and labels, this Napa Valley blend based on the Italian varietal Sangiovese is our placeholder and selection when we go out for Italian dining. We've tasted this label at this restaurant numerous times - a good pairing with several menu selections including tonight's Portabella Mushroom Ravioli in brown sauce. 

For another festive Holiday dinner, last month, we did a tasting of several aged Napa Cabernets (shown left) that included a Sangiovese as part of the horizontal comparison (tasting of several wines from the same vintage). The Sangiovese stood out and was a surprise of the tasting with it ending up being the biggest and firmest wine of the evening. So, I was interested to do this comparison against the recent flights of Cabernets from the same vintage. 

I've written often that one of the joy's we get from our cellar is being able to conduct comparison tastings such as this, multiple wines from the same vintage (a horizontal tasting) or the same wine across a range of vintages (a vertical tasting). Another joy is tasting the same wine over time to see how it evolves. To effectively track this requires tasting notes, hence this vehicle to record and track my tasting experiences. I keep a comprehensive log of all my tasting notes which is linked here and above.

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Giovannis Tuscan Reserve 1997

This is one of the last bottles of a case we obtained on release back in the late nineties. 

Just last quarter we tasted this wine when I wrote:

Consistent with earlier tasting notes ... medium bodied - dark blackish ruby color starting to take on a slightly brownish rust color at the rim; aromatics of black berry and woody cedar with a tone of creosote/tar and a slight earthy funkiness showing its age, eventually giving way to slightly tart black cherry fruit with tones of leather and hints of anise and spice turning to moderate silky tannins on a lingering finish of soft oak.

Like the '97 Napa Cab Franc tasted the other night, this too is showing its age and is clearly in the last chapter of its life, still showing fruit and a shadow of it true character, but it is time to drink up.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35492

Rick, Linda and Dave Del Dotto - a long time ago

As written often in these pages, Del Dotto are one of our favorite producers whom we've featured several times at our wine producer dinners and have visited them at their various Napa Valley locations over the years. Del Dotto events and winery visits have been the highlight of many of our Napa Experiences and should be on one's shortlist for a Napa Valley trip. 

The Del Dotto Winery and Tasting Cave facility is on Highway 29 at Zinfandel Lane on the south end of St Helena on the edge of the Rutherford Appellation. 

www.deldottovineyards.com

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

Following the horizontal flight of 1997 Napa Cabernets at the gala New Year's Eve dinner, I pulled from the cellar this 1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc to taste with artisan cheeses and fresh fruit, and roast beef for a casual dinner.

The other night we tasted four 1997 vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons that were still remarkably vibrant and full of life. Tonight I pulled this '97 Cabernet Franc to continue the tasting comparison.

I remember taking a bottle of this label from this same case to a Holiday party when it was young and it was the absolute hit of the evening, showing extraordinary depth and breadth, beyond any of the other wines on offer that evening. We still have close to half of this case we obtained on release during that period.

Del Dotto Wine Caves at old Napa site

The '97 Napa Cab Franc is showing its age and is clearly in the last chapter of its life, still showing fruit and a shadow of it true character, but it is time to drink up.

As written often in these pages, Del Dotto are one of our favorite producers whom we've featured several times at our wine producer dinners and have visited them at their various Napa Valley locations over the years.

Del Dotto events and winery visits have been the highlight of many of our Napa Experiences and should be on one's shortlist for a Napa Valley trip.

The Del Dotto Winery and Tasting Cave facility is on Highway 29 at Zinfandel Lane on the south end of St Helena on the edge of the Rutherford Appellation.

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997 

Dark garnet colored, starting to take on a slight brownish hue reflecting its age, medium bodied, the cherry fruit is giving way to black cherry and black berry fruits turning to non-fruit earthy dusty leather, tobacco and tea tones with hints of cedar on the moderate tangy tannin finish.

RM 87 points.

From 2009 to 2013 I published three tasting notes on this wine, one at 92 points, then two at 90 points. My previous tasting notes revealed this diminution of the fruit as this evolves in the last chapter of its tasting window.

On 4/17/2014 I wrote:

"I acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties but tonight's bottle had been purchased at auction. I mention this as the cork broke in half while opening, and then the wine had a slight discoloration and a slight barnyard funkiness upon opening. These may be indicators of less than appropriate or imperfect provenance, or signs of aging. I lasted tasted this from the cellar a year ago and prior to that it was almost three years to the day back in 2011. I'll pay special attention next time I open an original vintage bottle from my collection. That 2011 tasting note stated, "The Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997 was opaque garnet colored, medium bodied and opened with a earthy leather revealing its age, turning to black cherry, spice and a hint of tobacco (RM 90)." Perhaps tonight's experience was a continuation of that aging as this approaches the end of its (prime) drinking window. If that is the case then its time to drink up.

My tasting notes from a year ago though cites the same dark ruby color, medium to full body, but emphasizes the spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this sixteen year old, accented by tones of cedar and tobacco with hints of anise and leather on the smooth tannin finish. Same tasting profile other than the apparent effects of aging, or poor handling. In any event, tonight's diminution of fruit and slight funkiness rendered a reduced score of 86 points."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Freemark Abbey Cabernets 1997 Vintage Horizontal Tasting Dinner

Freemark Abbey Cabernets 1997 Vintage Horizontal Tasting Highlights Festive Holiday Celebration Dinner

The 1997 vintage was the theme for festive New Year's Eve dinner hosted by friends and fellow 'pour boy' Bill and Beth C, with Freemark Abbey being the headliner. Bill dipped in to his vertical collection to pull 1997 vintage bottles of Freemark Abbey Bosché and Sycamore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignons. From our cellar I brought the Estate from the same vintage. And, to round out the horizontal tasting, I also brought a 1997 vintage Cornerstone Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The results were an amazing tasting experience.

Beth prepared a wonderful delicious dinner of beef tenderloin, cream spinach and onions, wild rice pilaf and corn pudding.

At this point, I should ask forgiveness for my obsessiveness in this analysis of these tasting results. This is what makes wine tasting fun for geeks like me (us), and perhaps so mysterious or annoying for the 'un' or less interested pedestrian bystander. This leads to, and is fed by deep and long experience in tasting these wines over a period of, and of wines from, literally, decades of time and vintages.

We've visited the Freemark Abbey winery and met the winemaker and owners on numerous occasions. Tonight's tasting will add another chapter in our many memorable experiences and stories of tasting Freemark Abbey wines.


The results of our tasting were so consistent, I had to check my palate discrimination to see if perhaps I was impaired from medications I am taking from recent oral surgery.

Remarkably, all four Cabs exhibited a similar tasting flavor profile and signature, aligned serially in a gradation of weight and firmness along the same plane.

Also, interestingly, all four wines exhibited the same aging state or condition relative to the effects of their aging, being from the same vintage, and having had the same provenance. Indeed, upon opening, all four of the corks showed identical near perfection in their condition - still moist, firm, and clear of any diminution or seepage whatsoever - a testament to Bill's and our cellars and handling!

There is also a commentary here on the 1997 vintage and its ageability - all the wines showed 2015 as beyond or nearing the end of their drinking window. Yet, none of the wines were beyond their prime and were well within their drinking window, albeit none will likely improve with further aging at this stage of their life. The much heralded, arguably over-rated vintage is still drinking well at eighteen years, and may just now be revealing its true and native character.

The tasting profile for all four Cabs was remarkably consistent - firm, tight concentrated black currant fruit predominating accented with tones of black raspberry, tea and graphite highlights. Only the Estate Cabernet deviated with tones of bright cherry and red fruit competing with the black currant layer. None of the wines showed any diminution or adverse effects from their eighteen years in bottle aging.

All four Cabernets were concentrated, firm, tightly wound with bright focused fruits with gradations along the plane in terms of firmness, tightness and smoothness or polish. The order from low to high in relative weighting were: Estate, Sycamore, Bosché, then Cornerstone.

Perhaps what is even more remarkable is the fact that while three of the Cabs are from the same producer and label, two are from specific vineyards, the only common element being the vintage. It is possible that some of the same fruit from Bosche and Sycamore are blended into the Estate, but not likely much between the two. But, there is no explanation aside common vintage for the similarity between the Cornerstone and Freemark Abbey offerings.

All that said, paradoxical to the tasting observations was the lack of consistency in the color of the four wines, which was very diverse indeed, from ruby colored to dark garnet to inky black - yet with the same taste profiles as noted, across the range.

As always, I write these notes and set these conclusions based on memory, and our shared perceptions or interpretations expressed during the tasting session, but with no forethought, bias or influence from third party ratings or rankings. Only after I produce this commentary do I go back and review and compare other notes on the wines. Remarkably, my conclusions here are bolstered by and consistent with the community of contributors to Cellartracker and beyond.

The Cabernet flight:

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Medium bodied, deep ruby colored, bright vibrant expressive cherry fruit highlighted by tones of black currant and black raspberry, hints of black tea, tobacco, graphite and notes of anise and oak on the lingering moderate tannin finish.
RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2231

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Medium to full bodied, dark garnet colored, tightly wound and firm yet nicely balanced, smooth and polished, concentrated black currant and black raspberry fruits highlighted by tones of black tea, tobacco, kirsch, graphite and notes of cola, anise and oak on the lingering moderate tannin finish.
RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1411584

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Medium to full bodied, black ink colored, complex, tightly wound, firm and concentrated yet nicely balanced, expressive black berry, black raspberry and currant fruits highlighted by tones of black tea, tobacco, graphite and notes of cola, kirsch, anise and oak with hints of mocha on the lingering moderate tannin finish.
RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=10205

Cornerstone Cellars Cornerstone Vineyard Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

The biggest of the flight, medium to full bodied, dark garnet colored, complex, tightly wound, firm and concentrated yet nicely balanced, expressive black berry, black raspberry and currant fruits highlighted by tones of black tea, tobacco, graphite and notes of anise and oak on the lingering firm tannin finish.
RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1416835

There was some interesting confusion regarding this bottle. Based on my cellar records that showed this as Cornerstone Howell Mountain Cabernet 1997, I had advised Bill that was what I would bring to dinner. My records also showed that I had already consumed Cornerstone Vineyard Oakville Cabernet 1997 as well as bottle (s) of Cornerstone Cellars Beatty Ranch Vineyard Cabernet 1997. Since the bottle was wrapped in original packaging tissue paper, I didn't see the actual label until its unveiling at dinner tonight when it turned out to be this Cornerstone Vineyard variant. I have some other Cornerstone 1997 Cabernet (s) in the cellar, also wrapped in tissue. I now wonder which variant they are. 

Leading up to dinner, Bill served two releases, variations of 2012 Sea Smoke Sea Spray Santa Rita Hills Pinot Blend Sparkling Wine - 'standard' label and a follow on LD - 'late disgorged' label. Starter courses included shrimp cocktail and a medley of three artisan cheeses with crackers and biscuits. 

What an interesting comparison in two release variations of this label, revealing much greater diversity than one might expect. Bill's notes on the two offerings. 

Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc De Noir L. D. (Late Disgorged) Santa Rita Hills Pinot Blend Sparkling Wine 2012 

"Drank this along side last years original 2012 Sea Spray and the difference was a huge surprise. The LD was drier, more polished and complex, building on the fruit and brightness of the original 2012. Definitely my preferred style."

WC 92 points. 



Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc De Noir Santa Rita Hills Pinot Blend Sparkling Wine 2012

"Consistent with earlier notes, this opens with light strawberry and cherry on thepalate with a bit of toast on the finish. What was interesting is that we drank side by side with the newly arrived Sea Spray 2012 Late Disgorged. Surprisingly there was a noticeable difference with the LD showing more polish and complexity. The LD was drier for a start and had an additional yeasty layer that I believe, created the polish. The LD was definitely my preferred style and I was quite surprised by the difference."
WC 89 points. 

Bill is more discerning and discriminating in reviewing these wines. While the difference was certainly discernible, my rating for the standard label would have been only a point, maybe two, less than the LD follow on.

Following dinner, Beth served chocolate cake and chocolate pecan pie. With the dessert course, Lyle brought and served Two Hands Lily's Garden Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2012, a great accompaniment to the course. We love this style of wine and with its full bodied, rich, concentrated thick tongue coating fruit, it can be a meal all in of itself! I would have loved to have tasted this opposite the cheese course and salad, to focus on the intense fruits. But the Sea Smoke was great there too. A wealth of riches tonight in our selection on offer.

 Two Hands Lily's Garden McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012

To say these wines are big is such an understatement, but hyperbole doesn't due justice to this big bruiser with its 16.5% alcohol. From the Two Hands super-premium, single vineyard collection, this classic McLaren Shiraz is named after producer co-owner Michael Welftree's daughter Lily born in August 2001. With our affinity for, and appreciation for such devotion and family orientation, I'll cast a different lens on this label in the future.

Big, full bodied, dark inky purple color, plush, rich, concentrated thick tongue coating, black and blue berry fruit compote and coulis accented by a layer of spice, gravelly mineral, tones of mocha and black pepper with oak on the chewy tannin laced lingering finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1795068

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1996

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1996

Took this bottle to friends Bob and Gloria's for New Years Eve, Eve dinner party. Many threads here. I tasted this wine and this vintage at the Chateau during my Rhone/Provence/CDP trip back in '99. The elegant, picturesque and historic Chateau (below) was one of the highlights of a memorable week there.

Château La Nerthe sits on the brow of the hill on the outskirts of the village of  Châteauneuf-du-Pape surrounded by 225 acres of vineyards overlooking the small country road that heads down to the city of Avignon.

The cave cellars under the Chateau were occupied by the German Nazis during WWII as their command center for the southern Rhone Valley.

The Chateau, vineyards, country lane and cellars are shown on my travelogue page.

Adjacent to the property is the equally picturesque and historic Les Caves du Château Des Fines Roche, winery, hotel and fine dining restaurant situated in a classic old castle resplendent with turrets and all (shown left). One of the castle tower turrets was my guest bedroom when we stayed there. We walked down the rustic lane over to Château La Nerthe for our tasting appointment there.

I took a bottle of this vintage to Bob's and Gloria's for a celebration dinner for Bob's father, George's birthday, back around that time. George raved about this wine and it was a memorable evening. George passed on since and just recently Bob's mother passed on as well. So, tonight was a bit of a tribute and remembrance to them as we close out the year.

This La Nerthe overachieved and exceeded expectations tonight. Coming upon twenty years of age, I was expecting it to show its age and be in the last chapter of its aging profile.

We still hold and have served several bottles of '96 Chateau Beaucastel which also came from that trip, and it's fruit is quite suppressed and is showing its age a bit, hence, I used it as a barometer of what to expect.

When I opened the bottle, there was a slight bit of cloudiness and grey tinge to the color that I feared did not bode well for what was to come. Despite that, the fruit was vibrant, the body well composed and balanced and overall, it presented itself remarkably well, indeed.

Deep ruby colored with a bit of cloudiness and grayish hue, medium bodied, nice balance and soft finesse, floral highlights and the black cherry a red berry fruits were bright and vibrant, turning to tones of tapenade, baking spices, and hints of leather, with medium, soft tannins and decent medium acidity.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=9371

Brack Mountain Wine Co - Cyprus Sonoma County Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Brack Mountain Wine Company - Cyprus Sonoma County Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

At the local Binny's, the Chicagoland beverage mega merchant, this weekend, the distributor was promoting / introducing this moderate priced Cyprus Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The branding of this wine is interesting if not mind-boggling. According to their website, the producer is Brack Mountain Wine Company. They work with growers dedicated to sustainable practices, sourcing from Sonoma County, Napa Valley, Anderson Valley and Santa Lucia Highlands. Since their launch in 2008, they have introduced more than fifteen small production, fine wine brands.

I suspect this approach provides a value added opportunity to provide winemaking and marketing services as an accommodation to the growers to get higher value from their product allowing them to focus on growing/farming - a win-win for all parties. And, if it provides quality wines targeted at appropriate price-points with economies of scale, then it should result in high QPR - quality price ratio brands/labels for the consumer as well.
 They describe their approach saying - "Brack Mountain doesn’t follow the pack. We look at things differently, and we’re not afraid to break with convention. We challenge assumptions and turn constraints into solutions. We value hard work and intellectual nimbleness, and we love a challenge."

They profess to be "a thriving winery with more than fifteen fine wine brands", with a mission to "produce age-worthy, handcrafted wines — wines that we love to drink—at every price tier". They are "Three generations. Two growers. One winemaker. Three friends." This team that shares a passion for wine has assembled to build this collection of varied brands and labels, sourced from the varied numerous sites from their locale Sebastapol in the Russian River Valley. Their plethora of brands is based on the varied sources of the grapes used in the product (s) - each brand and label associated with the source or grower of the fruit. Some of their featured brands:

• Their most popular label, Bench wines are sourced from benchland vineyards.
• The L’Oliveto brand is sourced from legendary vineyards in the heart of Sonoma County.
• Barrique brand is sourced from select, low-yielding vineyard sites, these handcrafted, terroir-driven Sonoma County wines reflect the character of its cool-climate origins. Barrique Pinot Noir was featured in this blog earlier.
• The Boatman brand is from carefully selected vineyard sites.
• The Daniel brand "is an in-depth collaboration between winemaker and grower, each of these small production wines is carefully crafted to capture the nuanced character of these great vineyard sites. Each bottle bears the signature of the winemaker and the winegrower."
• The ENOS brand features four different Cabernet Sauvignon labels from Napa Valley, Knights Valley, an Estate bottling from Dry Creek Valley, and a premium label from Dry Creek Valley.
• The Fable label is "handcrafted, small production wines of rare and hard-to-find varieties sourced from passionate, devoted growers who strive to preserve the distinctive character of interesting wines".
• Matias brand is five different labels from the Santa Lucia Highlands - "focused, elegant wines showcasing signature low-yielding vineyards and sustainable micro-viticulture from California’s cool-coastal wine regions." 
• And this Cyprus brand provides "wines ... handcrafted in small lots from legendary vineyard sites especially designated for Cyprus wines". 

Brack Mountain offer five different varietal wines from under the Cyprus label from Alexander Valley, Knights Valley and the Russian River Valley.

This label and wine reminded me of Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with its same appellation, varietal and price point, and subsequent wine profile, which in good years can provide high QPR. 

Cyprus Sonoma County Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

The 2012 Cyprus Cabernet was dark garnet colored, medium bodied with bright tangy black berry, currant, and plum flavors with tones of cassis, cedar and graphite, turning to moderate tannins on the finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2048743

 The published price for this wine direct from the producer is $45. It is available through distribution at wine mega-merchants such as Binny's for $25, probably a more appropriate but reasonable value price for this wine.

Many folks purchase wines at the winery thinking they're getting a deal only to realize the winery sets the price to establish and support that price-point to establish a value point for their wine in the marketplace. Many, if not a majority of wines are typically available in distribution for less than the established published retail price, except for allocated wines, or wines that gain extraordinary ratings, both of which can command high demand for their finite supply.

As a student and practitioner in marketing and distribution, this is on one hand fascinating, on another mind-boggling. This team has done a remarkable job assembling this portfolio of wines, providing the means for growers to offer their own branding and labels for their product that otherwise might be sold in bulk or bottled anonymously, or under someone else' brand, or sold as negociant private labels.

Brack closes in saying, "At the end of the day, we produce age-worthy, handcrafted wines—wines that we love to drink—at every price tier. This is the idea behind Brack Mountain and the measure of our success."

If this wine is a indicative of their handiwork, then they have succeeded and are on target. I'll look forward to exploring some more of their brands including their premium selections.

http://www.brackmountainwine.com/

Heathcote II Heathcote Victoria Australia Shiraz 2004

Heathcote II, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia Shiraz 2004

Snuggling up in front of the fireplace to watch a movie, Linda prepared her delectable baked brie with toasted almonds, berry puree and honey (shown left), and I pulled a favorite profile big hearty Shiraz from the cellar. We love this style for tasty casual sipping.

I recall tasting this Heathcote II Shiraz at the wine desk with the segment  buyer at Binny's and ended up buying their entire allocation. We're still being rewarded as we hold a few bottles yet and they're as good as ever, and even better than I recall from our last tasting.

Inky/purple color, full bodied, huge full beautiful aromas of fruit that permeate the room upon opening, thick chewy mouthfeel, rich, structured, full forward flavors of concentrated ripe blackberries, black raspberries, chewy currant, with hints of anise, mocha, mineral and tones of graphite. The graphite was less pronounced than what I recall from the previous tasting allowing the fruits to predominate - more like initial tastings of this wine, and returning my rating back to 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=309580

http://www.heathcote2.com/

 

Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Alec's Blend 2003

Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Alec's Blend 2003 - Son Alec's Signature Namesake Label for Family Holiday Celebration Dinner

I wrote last night about the fun we have with this brand - Lewis Cellars with their Laverne and Shirley like 'L' that signifies two of our family members, Linda and Lucy, coupled with their Hoosier heritage of Randy Lewis, Indy 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason. So we adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it at family celebrations such as when he is home visiting. Such it was that we opened Lewis Cellar's Alec's Blend for our family holiday dinner with Alec home visiting for the holiday from NYC.

It should not be a surprise that we love this wine with its blend of our favorite varietals - Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, from our favorite region Napa Valley.

This was a great accompaniment to Linda's home made lasagna dinner.


Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Alec's Blend 2003

We hold more than a dozen vintages of this label dating back to 1997. At a dozen years of age, this is showing no signs of diminution of age.

As soon as you pull the cork the room fills with powerful berry aromatics. Like the Ethan's Syrah last evening, this is full bodied, fruit forward with rich concentrated berry fruits. Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, complex nicely integrated and polished layers of black berry, ripe black cherry and blueberry with layers of licorice, mocha and tangy spice and a layer of soft tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

The blend for this vintage is 60% Syrah, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.


 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=98918

http://www.lewiscellars.com 

Aged Liparita Merlot Magnum for Christmas Tenderloin Dinner

Aged Liparita Merlot Magnum for Christmas Tenderloin Dinner

Christmas surf & turf dinner classic whites and medley of reds

Ryan and Linda took lobster tails to complement Erin's beef tenderloin (left) for a surf and turf Christmas eve dinner and the large family gathering offered a chance to open a large format Magnum and open some classic and favored whites.

I took an aged 1996 Liparita Howell Mountain Merlot in 1.5 liter magnum and Ryan brought Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2008. I added a Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc while Ryan brought remains of previously opened Chateau Canon-le-Gaffeliere and Lewis Cellars Family Ethan's Syrah to round out the flights.

Large gatherings call for large bottles as there is much fun in opening large format bottles for such occasions. Vintage wines tend to age better - longer and more gracefully in large format bottles, and this may have contributed to the approachability of this aged 1996 Napa Merlot.

Liparita Napa Valley Howell Mountain Merlot 1996

While it isn't chronicled on my Winesite, I recall we visited Liparita and tasted this with winemaker Gove Celia from barrel at the Oakville crush facility during one of our Napa trips back in the late nineties.

My previous note for this wine was in 2011 and cited subdued fruit that was still holding. Remarkably, tonight the fruit was bright, vibrant and forward, continuing to hold, accented by aromas and flavors of anise/licorice.- dark inky purple color - medium bodied - aroma's and tastes of floral, flavors of slightly flabby but pronounced cherry and plum fruits with subtle spice, tobacco leaf, leather and anise on a tannic cherry laced short finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=189831

Note, while it is the same branding, this is not the same producer or wine team as the current Liparita label. 

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Sauvignon Blanc 2011 

This remains one of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs - a varietal that is most true to its origins, and least subject to adulteration or enhancement in the winemaking. 

Our visit and tasting at the Cliff Lede Stag's Leap District Vineyard & Winery  was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2009.

This was a perfect accompaniment to the grilled lobster tails with drawn butter. Light straw colored, crisp and clean bright acidity with smooth nicely balanced complex aromas and flavors of pear, peach, lychee fruit, with a layer of lime zest with a flinty minerality on a lingering finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1346624


Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Ethan's Syrah 2012 

I love featuring Lewis family wines, named for family members, at family events with the classic 'L' on the label for Linda and Lucy, and with the Lewis Indy 500 racing heritage back in our home state of Indiana. So, I was delighted that Ryan had this open from the previous evening and saved some for us to taste with the dinner.

This is our favorite profile for a Syrah. Linda loves this style of big rich chewy black and blue berry fruits.

Dark inky purple, full bodied, rich, concentrated thick chewy tongue coasting black and ripe blue berry fruits with layers of accent tones - licorice, brown spice and graphite. We hold this in the cellar and can't wait to feature this in a tasting all its own.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1889084

http://www.lewiscellars.com
 

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 2006

Label from 2005

We've enjoyed meeting the producer and tasting this wine at the UGC US release tour tasting events in Chicago over the years and appreciate them coming to Chicago to showcase their label.

This is one of Ryan's favorites and he is collecting a vertical of this wine in his cellar. He had this open from the previous evening and he saved some of this to bring to comparison taste with our dinner.

This bottle did not hold up well the following day and hence this may not be a fair evaluation. The fruit was quite subdued, almost suppressed - dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruit giving way to tones of anise, herbs, tobacco leaf, leather, and graphite. I'll withhold rating as neither of us believe this was a representative example of this label.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=700284


50% Merlot
45% Cab Franc
5% Cab Sauv



More to come ...

Del Dotto Cabs Stolpman Syrah for Beef Tenderloin Holiday Dinner

Del Dotto Cabs and Stolpman Syrah for Beef Tenderloin Holiday Dinner

For our family holiday dinner, son Ryan went down in the cellar and pulled two producer family wines from two vintages commemorating anniversaries for him and daughter/sister Erin, 1999 and 2001. These two big bold Napa Cabs were ideal to taste with Linda's beef tenderloin dinner. I was eager to try this comparison tasting and expected the 2001 Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to be at or near its apex, but I had forgotten about and was pleasantly surprised at the resilience shown by the '99. Ryan brought a big bold Stolpman Santa Ynez Valley Syrah to share.

For the starter course I had pulled one of our favorite Napa whites, a vintage Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc, but Ryan pulled a current release Hanna Sauvignon Blanc to try first. This is currently on offer at our local wine shops and we wanted to try it see if we should buy more.

Del Dotto is one of our favorite Napa producers and represents the distinctive Rutherford appellation terroir. We hold more than a dozen vintages of Del Dotto going back to their earliest inaugural vintages in the early nineties. We've visited Del Dotto many times in our Napa trips and have featured Dave and Yolanda Del Dotto at several of our wine producer dinners. We got to know the next generation of Del Dottos, and their son Giovanni, for whom their Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve is named, also attended IU, the alma mater for no fewer than thirteen degrees conferred on members of our extended family. See our Del Dotto features on unwindWine.com including Del Dotto - Napa Valley,  Napa Wine Experience 2003 and Napa Wine Experience 99 to mention a few. 

Del Dotto's cave tours remain one of the most colorful and entertaining of all Napa Valley tasting excursions. Our kids cite Del Dotto as one of the highlights of their Napa Valley wine trips as well. Their spectacular winery and cellar tour right on Route 29 at Zinfandel Lane as you enter St Helena from the south are a must see during a visit to Napa Valley. So it is fitting to enjoy this wine together at a family gathering.

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

This wine opened with bright racy tones and 'settled' over the course of an hour and a half to be more approachable and polished. This was consistent with my tasting notes from a special dinner back in January of this year. "This 1999 vintage was the artwork of legendary winemaker Nils Venge crafted from Rutherford appellation fruit. At sixteen years, this is a testament to the aging potential of this label as it is still full, firm and vibrant and is just starting to show its age as tones of earth, leather, and tobacco are starting to set in. These tones turned to bright floral note after being open an hour.'

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, firm gripping forward black berry fruits laced with that classic Rutherford dust, complex but nicely balanced with intense dark cherry, black currant and blackberry fruits, a layer of cedar and spicy tangy oak on a lingering finish of tight structured tannins. This was a great complement to the beef tenderloin that matched well with the wine's complexity."

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=616988


Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Like the '99, this is drinking at the apex of its drinking window and demonstrates the longevity of Napa Valley Cabernets. While it will not likely improve any further with aging, it still has several years to go at this level. This was actually more subdued than the more vibrant '99.

Medium to full bodied , deep dark ruby color - black berry and sweet black cherry fruits accented by clove spice and a hint cassis and whisper of English toffee on the 'Rutherford Dust' moderate silky tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

This same wine is featured in their extraordinary Connoisseurs Series in which they age the same wine in a variety of oak cooperages to highlight the different oak influences on the wine. We featured a horizontal tasting of the 2001 Del Dotto Connoisseur Series last year as listed on unwindWine.com site. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=485814

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Stolpman Vineyards "Hilltops" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2011

Ryan brought this over, the remains of a bottle he had opened earlier. A totally different style and tasting profile from the more elegant and complex Cabernet Sauvignons, this was narrower but deeper, bolder and bigger, in your face fruit forward style. We love this style of wine but normally reserve these for barbecue, bold bright pasta dishes or hearty cheeses.

Dark red-ruby, full bodied, aromas of floral and mocha, complex, concentrated big, forward black and blue fruits, tones of anise/licorice, tones of mocha chocolate and herbs, turning to a very long soft savory fruit filled finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1652929

http://www.stolpmanvineyards.com

Reignac Bordeaux Supérieur 2005

Reignac Bordeaux Supérieur 2005 with Beef Roast Dinner

Another holiday dinner feast featuring beef roast and mashed potatoes (below) calls for another mid aged Bordeaux. The benefit of having a wine cellar is the ability to pull and pop a ten year old for such an occasion. This is a lesser appellation label that offers high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, over the more popular high profile Bordeaux labels. It was the perfect accompaniment to the beef and potato dinner.

Garnet colored, medium to full bodied, firm texture and structure, bright vibrant cherry and blackberry fruits accented by classic Bordeaux notes of cassis, leather, earth and oak turning to a lingering tangy fruit filled moderate tannin finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=212134

O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Featured wine at recent Vin Chicago tasting, this Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon would typically be my favorite profile wine with forward concentrated mountain fruits, but this was surprisingly modest and subdued for this appellation. 

Supposedly, winemaker Sean Capiaux used all seven Bordeaux varietals in this blend so perhaps it needs time to settle, although it is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, then primarily Malbec with the remainder the other varietals. 

This 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain was somewhat opaque purple color, medium bodied, with subdued black berry fruits turning to tones of tea, leather, tobacco, an accent of clove spice and hint of mocha on the smooth, soft finish. Time will tell how this evolves to reveal its terroir and true character and profile.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1961261

Mascota Unánime Gran Vino Tinto Red 2011

Mascota Unánime Gran Vino Tinto Red 2011

From the Uco Valley in the Mendoza region in Argentina at the foot of the Andes, this is from Mascota who has been a producer in the area for three decades.  

Traveling on business, I ventured in to Total Wine to find an interesting wine for dinner. A high QPR moderately priced wine was on order since I had an important meeting the next day and hence would only drink half the bottle or less. They offering a small selection of 1/2 bottles which included a couple interesting Bordeaux but I opted for this for its instant gratification approachability while still so young. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cab Franc was recommended by a staffer as a favorite, that fit the target profile I requested, bold, big, fruit forward, ready to drink. This is one of their Winery Direct features, interesting, since it comes from Argentina.

When I selected it I thought it was $23 but at check-out it was $25. Not used to shopping there, I fell for their pick-six price point. This is a decent value at $23 but at $27 with tax, I'd opt for the higher quality but lower cost of the 1/2 bottle of Bordeaux.

The fact it would live up to its billing was immediately apparent on opening with its deep color, full body and aromatics that filled the room on opening. It was a great accompaniment to carry-out lasagna which exceeded expectations, from nearby Davanni's pizza-Italian restaurant.

Deep, dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, bold, forward, vibrant slightly obtuse with aromas and flavors of blackberry and black plum fruits accented by a layer of cassis, with tones of creosote and hints of expresso and dark bitter chocolate on the sharp abrupt finish.

RM 89 points.

The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec & 15% Cabernet Franc.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2162752

http://www.totalwine.com/