Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Red Wine 2005

Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine 2005

Shut in due to the Caronavirus lock-in, we opened this vintage aged Napa Cabernet for a Sunday afternoon dinner of leftover beef pot roast, baked potatoes and asparagus.

We discovered and acquired this label during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience when we visited Ladera Winery up on Howell Mountain. The producer of this label, Karen Culler, is/was the winemaker for Wolf Family Vineyards and Ladera Vineyards. She produced this label and another Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees under her own label.  

Karen Culler worked at Mondavi and set out on her in 1997. This label appeared in '97 and lasted for a dozen plus years until the '10 vintage, the last vintage recorded. 

This 2005 Proprietary Red La Palette is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot, all from Alexander Ranch fruit.

This label was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

Tonight, this was a perfect complement to our beef dinner and selection of artisan cheeses and fine chocolates afterwards. 

At fifteen years of age, this tasted much better and was more impressive than as noted in my tasting notes from the previous recorded tasting back in 2008 when I wrote: "October 3, 2008 - Culler La Pallette Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - RM 89 - Dark inky purple, fruit forward gooseberry, currant, red raspberry and silky firm tannins on the finish."

At that time I awarded this 89 points and I remember the tasting and found it interesting but rather uninspiring. Tonight, this was much more expressive and vibrant. Immediately upon opening, aromas burst from the bottle and filled the room.  

Consistent with that earlier tasting note, this was dark inky purple, fruit forward gooseberry, currant, red raspberry and silky firm tannins on the finish. 

Tonight it was more expressive and vibrant than I remember, and was more complex and polished, medium full bodied, black currant and black berry fruits with accents of floral, bitter chocolate, spice, graphite and notes of cedar on the tangy acidic lingering smooth tannin laced finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=499912

Coronavirus shut-in virtual family dinner and wine tasting

Dispersed Family Conduct Coronavirus Shut-in Virtual Family Dinner and Wine Tasting

Locked in for the Coronavirus pandemic, our family, Alec and Viv in New York, and Ryan & Michelle, Sean & Michelle, and us, Linda and me, in Illinois, held a virtual family dinner and wine tasting.

Linda prepared a beef pot roast with carrots, potatoes and gravy. To complement our family dinner I pulled from the cellar a special vintage bottle of Château Gruaud-Larose, 1989.

Ryan and Michelle prepared beef bourguignon with half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (below). Prior to dinner they also had a selection of artisan cheeses. They accompanied these with an Arrowood Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.

Alec, in New York City, prepared a grilled steak dinner, Pittsburgh style, to make his dad proud! He and Vivianna tasted a Sonoma Valley Arrowood Monto Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.

Sean, also shut in here in Illinois with Michelle, prepared a parmesan crusted halibut topped with micro green and fresh chives, picked from the nearby forest preserve, served with steamed artichokes, served with a Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc (below).

Funny that Sean mentioned the chives being picked from the nearby forest preserve. Linda, too, went out into our yard and cut fresh chives which she mixed into a home prepared fresh pimento plus cheese spread which we also enjoyed prima (before) dinner.

Both Ryan and Michelle and Linda and I prepared extensive cheese plates to accompany our wines before dinner. Our plate included remnants of a aged Old Amsterdam Gouda and an authentic Roquefort we bought last weekend, served alongside Linda's pimento cheese dip and an aged sharp cheddar.

Sharing and comparing our dinners and wines started in the afternoon via text messages and shared videos and pictures and continued throughout the evening and the following day. Perhaps the most memorable part, in addition to be connected and communicating virtually, was a commemoration to Linda's father, the boys' grandfather Ned, who was a farmer who raised beef cattle. The irony was noted that Alec, Ryan, and us all prepared elegant beef dinners - hailing 'Descendants of Ned' in tribute and remembrance! The Descendants of Ned, our boys created this tee-shirt commemorating what is becoming their annual boys getaway ski weekend visiting their visiting cousin Wesley in Steamboat.

Château Gruaud-Larose St Julien Bordeaux 1989

I pulled from the cellar this vintage label of  Château Gruaud-Larose which was a wonderful, perfect accompaniment to our beef stew dinner. This was special as our visit to the Chateau Estate in St Julien Beychevelle was one of the memorable highlights of our trip to the Medoc last fall.

The aged 1989 vintage release was also to compare with a vintage 1989 Napa Cabernet Phelps Insignia that I took to our recent OTBN wine dinner. 

Gruaud-Larose is comprised of 202 acres planted to 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Malbec with about 300,000 bottles produced annually. 

January 2020

At thirty years of age, the fill level was above neck, ideal and appropriate for its age, the label and foil were near perfect, having been purchased upon release and held in or cellar since.

The cork was partly, nearly half saturated, yet intact and the seal in the bottle was perfect, actually releasing some pressure when the seal was broken. It was extracted routinely using an ahso two-pronged cork puller. I suspect it would not have surrendered (intact) using a traditional corkscrew.

Upon initial pouring, this was slightly cloudy but it cleared over the course of an hour. Initially there was some dusty mustiness, to be expected in a thirty year old, and this too cleared as the wine breathed and opened.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright tangy lively plum and black currant and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of floral, leather, forest floor, cigar box, tea and hints of cassis and creosote on a lingering floral minty finish of firm, silky-textured, smooth tannins.

Tonight

Tonight's tasting was consistent with our recent tasting of this same label from our cellar back in January when I wrote, "This was dark garnet colored, medium bodied, concentrated, bright, expressive black plum and currant fruits accented by pronounced brilliant violet floral and cigar box notes turning to tangy sharp tongue puckering tannins on the lingering finish."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/01/chateau-gruaud-larose-st-julien.html

This wine with our beef pot roast was a perfect wine and food pairing, enhancing the experience and enjoyment of both, exponentially. The magic is not only the food, or the wine, but the pairing of the two together, and the company, both in person and virtually! 

RM 91 points.

This label also got 91 points from Wine Spectator.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5037

@ChateauGruaud

Hazyblur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

HazyBlur South Australia Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

"The vines so drenched with sunlight, they appeared to be radiating rays themselves. A magical sight to experience; - a hallowed blurry haze." 

From the rear label of HazyBlur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003 and hence how it derives its name, hazyblur! 

We pulled this vintage South Australian Barossa Valley Shiraz for serious sipping with some artisan cheeses and soup. Living out the Coronavirus enforced exhile!

South Australia is the nation’s most important wine region. South Australia is to Australia what California is to the U.S. with about half of Australia’s wine produced there including many of the country’s most acclaimed producers. 

The prestigious Barossa Valley is located in central South Australia, and is akin to California's Napa Valley with scenic picturesque topography covered in grape vines. 

First farmed by 19th century German-speakers who immigrated from what is now Poland, the Barossa Valley is the crown jewel of the region. 

Like Northern California, South Australia has widely varying climates, from very hot, dry areas to cooler, high altitude areas. The region has more than 150,000 acres planted in vineyards, more than three times that of Napa Valley with just less than 50,000. (Compare that to 300,000 in Bordeaux!) Shiraz is king, the primary varietal of the region however it also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Chardonnay and Semillon. 

The Barossa was founded by Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, who named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. 

HazyBlur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003

The Barossa is comprised primarily of two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and Barossa Valley which is the warmer valley floor at 270m. The warm Mediterranean climate has hot dry summers with relatively low rainfall moderated by cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent, much like the southern end of Napa Valley. Like the southern Rhone river valley, hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate leading to vine stress. Like Napa and the Rhone, older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is being used more extensively. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands.

We hold a half dozen vintages and labels of Hazyblur Shiraz from their sites in Barossa Valley, Baroota, Kangaroo Island, Adelaide Plains, McLaren Vale and the broader South Australia region. This bottle from 2003 was selected as it is the oldest in our collection, as part of practical cellar management.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this vintage release 94 points.  Wine Spectator gave it 93 points and Vinous 90 points. 

This label if sourced from 40-year-old vines resulting in extraordinary, super-intense fruit. 

Dark purple colored, big, full bodied, forward intense super ripe and concentrated black and more subtle blue fruits, almost raisin and fig notes, are accented by creme de cassis, creosote, smoke and oak. 

Linda actually likes this heady, super ripe, rich and intense style more than I do. This is holding its own at seventeen years but will most likely not improve, but start to diminish with further age, so its time to drink. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=53696

 

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve 2008

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Seeking a bottle to enjoy with artisan cheese and then a casual dinner at home, I pulled from the cellar this middle aged Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Bordeaux Blend from a vintage we tasted over the weekend as a mini horizontal vintage comparison. We hold over a dozen vintages of this label dating back to the early '90's. I pulled a 2008 vintage release to compare with the 2008 vintage Pride Napa Cab that we drank at dinner over the weekend.

In the profile of a true Bordeaux Blend, Tapestry is a blend of the all classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

I wrote about Tapestry recently in a blogpost when we tasted this label at a Chicago restaurant for a team dinner; "Tapestry is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux Blend . I consider it a go-to wine, readily available and a safe reliable choice for easy drinking or special occasions, approachable when young but capable for aging. If your overwhelmed or intimidated by the plethora of wines available and not sure what to choose or take to or serve, Tapestry is a safe choice.'

"Our Cellartracker records indicate we hold more than a dozen vintages of this label dating back to the mid-nineties.  This is a classic Napa Valley label that provides high QPR - Quality Price Ratio for a Bordeaux Blend. Its another one of those high production label that I believe does a remarkable job achieving and maintaining the level of quality in high volumes and is approachable when young but also has significant aging capability for cellaring. James Suckling says this is "A wine that harkens back to its traditions.”

The predominant Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the historic BV Ranches No.1 and No. 2 Napa Valley vineyards in Rutherford, selected from specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of rich character and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. To complement the Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is added from Beaulieu’s vineyard in the Los Carneros region and the remaining grapes in the Blend from various Napa Valley vineyards. 

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008 

We still hold three bottles of this release. This is aging very nicely as tonight's tasting eight years later was consistent with the last tasting note back in 9/14/2012 when I wrote:

"Wow. Immediately I stated that this is the most expressive Tapestry I can remember with its vibrant full floral perfume. Dark ruby color with a slight purple hue, medium-full bodied, polished, smooth and nicely balanced - big bright vibrant expressive floral tones that are pervasive throughout accented by sweet ripe black currant and black berry fruits, a layer of vanilla, hint of cassis and tangy cinnamon spice and pleasant sweet oak with fine smooth polished tannins with that clinging long floral essence that holds for minutes.This was remarkably approachable for such a recent vintage. Barrel aged in 50% new oak."

Very enjoyable, this was pleasant, approachable sophisticated yet easy sipping.

RM 91 points. This release also got 91 points from Wine Spectator.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198005

https://www.bvwines.com/

Long Shadows Sequel Syrah 2017

Long Shadows Sequel Syrah 2017 

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

We discovered and acquired this wine during our Woodinville, WA wine experience last fall. This is a selection of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, a portfolio of seven ultra-premium wines showcasing the viticulture of the Washington State Columbia Valley growing region and the artwork and expertise of internationally acclaimed winemakers who crafted them.

Also included in this shipment was our allocation shipment of Long Shadows Vintners Series Saggi Sangiovese Red Blend 2017. 

Long Shadows was founded in 2003 by Washington State wine legend Allen Shoup, former Chairman and CEO of Chateau St Michelle, one of the premiere wine producers in the State. There he evangelized Washington Wines and championed collaboration with notable winemakers from around the world. Upon retiring, he started Long Shadows with a vision to produce the best, art of the possible wines showcasing/featuring the region's grapes, each produced by a world renowned winemaker reputed for producing grapes of that varietal.  Each vintner had access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery to outfitted to accommodate a their exacting cellar specifications. The idea was a resounding success as the wines have received critical acclaim that grown with each vintage. The Long Shadow collection went on to win numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

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

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

While his honors and awards are too numerous to list, some of the highlights include the Robert Mondavi Trophy for Winemaker of the Year in 1989 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London; two-time recipient of the Red Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine Challenge in London, first in 1991 and then again in 2000; and Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” award in 1995 for the 1990 vintage of Penfolds Grange.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long Shadow's Vintners Series Sequal Shiraz 2017

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

We opened this to try it upon receipt. It was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, bold and concentrated flavors of black raspberry and blue fruits, notes of cassis, spice and what the winemaker called black olive tapenade are apparent, turning to a long flavorful finish. Give it some time to settle and integrate the fruits for more polish and balance.

RM 92 points. 

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

As of this writing, the 2017 release of Sequel is not yet announced or released to the public on their website. 

https://longshadows.com/

 
  
 

Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar

Delray Beach Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar offers spectacular wine selection at extraordinary values

Visiting friends Bob and Gloria in Florida, they took us to the Wine Room Kitchen Wine and Cheese Bar in Delray Beach. They boast to have "The World's Largest Selection of Wine by the Glass!"  with over 200 hand-selected wines available through their Enomatic wine dispensing machines. The Italian made, state-of-the-art machines are equipped with a wine-preservation system which guarantees to serve a fresh pour every time in pre-calibrated 1oz, 2.5oz, or 5oz size servings.

More noteably, they have an extensive wine cellar of fine wines with top vintage wines dating back several decades. Most importantly, they offer such wines at close to retail prices rather than marking them up 1.5, 2 or two and a half times retail or more.

I've written in these pages about the margins various dinesites extract from their winelist selections and the resulting values offered to patrons. This is the best value, highest QPR dining site I have ever experienced anywhere.

Moreover, they have a Reserve Wine List of extraordinary vintage selections of premium and super premium wines including First Growth classified Bordeaux that are also offered at fair market price or current retail prices for such wines, a fraction of what most other restaurants would charge.

The secret to the extensive collection and extraordinary values provided by the Wine Room and Kitchen is that it is sourced from the personal private cellar of the owner, a long time collector of fine wines. He shares his extensive cellar collection with patrons, and uses the restaurant outlet to 'thin' his cellar collection.

As shown, there is on offer a dozen vintages and labels of First Growth Bordeaux, Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Margaux. There are several vintages of Penfold's Grange, and a similar offerings from top rank California producers as well.

We started with a pre-dinner cheese and charcuterie plate and ordered a bottle of Washington State Quilceda Creek CVR - Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend.

At the near retail price for a current vintage release, I originally thought it was a mistake on the wine list and offered at close to half price. On further investigation I realized this was the norm for all offerings, including old vintages.

As Bob and Gloria are not obsessive oenphiles, with the level of interest or enthusiasm for wines as me, they also don't share my level of investment I might spend on a special bottle.

This provided a perfect opportunity to share a favorite selection of a vintage fine wine at a great value price to suit even a modest budget or appetite. The same could be said for our next selection, another Washington State wine from a legendary cult producer, Cayuse.

Then, there is a spectacular Charcuterie and Cheese selection. There are on offer over 70 cheeses available à la carte, matched with charcuterie or in pre-selected composed cheese flights below. There is a cheese master who can assist with accompaniments for entree selections as well as wine pairings. Our cheese plate was another memorable highlight of our visit.

Quilceda Creek CVR - Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2011

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It was projected to improve with age and drink well for a decade. At this stage, it is very likely drinking at the apex of its drinking profile and window - certainly so for wine geeks such as me who enjoy drinking aged wines, later in their aging window/profile.

This was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

Quilceda Creek owners/winemakers Alex and Paul Golitzin produce outstanding Bordeaux Blends with their Columbia Valley label at the pinnacle of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. We love this label and consider it a high QPR great value more affordable alternative to the flagship that costs 2-3x more.

K&L, the SFO Bay Area wine merchant cite this wine represents a great value and has received an average score of 92 points from the Wine Advocate over the past five years. The 2011 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley is a blend of declassified lots that didn't make it into their flagship wines that cost several times more in price. It was a delicious accompaniment to our selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie. 

The fruit for this label was sourced from all the Quilceda Creek vineyard sites, Columbia Valley vineyards - Champoux, Discovery, DuBrul, Galitzine, Klipsun, Palengat, Shaw, Tapteil and Wallula. 

The Blend was aged for 22 months in 100% French Oak.  

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, fruitful, plush, sweet ripe cherry, currant and boysenberry fruit flavors with accents of mocha chocolate, creme de cassis, graphite, spice and hints of licorice and coffee.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1753715

https://www.quilcedacreek.com/

We had dinner reservations at another restaurant in town but ended up staying at Delray Wine Room and Kitchen for dinner too. Bob ordered the fresh salmon, Gloria and Linda had the fresh day's catch Red Snapper, and I had the beef in puffed pastry with whipped potatoes and red cabbage. 

For dinner wine selections we ordered from the wine list another Washington State cult wine Cayuse and Pride Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Viognier 2011

We tasted another Cayuse label at our recent OTBN gala wine event the other night. At that time I noted that Cayuse is a limited production boutique producer whose wines are much sought after and highly allocated. 

This Cayuse Viognier is another unique label offering on the winelist, an interesting and imaginative pairing with the seafood entrees. 

This release got reviewed 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 92-93 by David Schildknecht, both for The Wine Advocate. Dunnuck wrote of the 2011 Viognier Cailloux Vineyard, "One of the best examples of the variety coming out of Washington".

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, Dunnuck writes of notes of 'white peach, citrus rind, liquid mineral and hints of white flowers'.

Schildknecht wrote, "Baron’s 2011 Viognier Cailloux Vineyard is redolent of acacia and honeysuckle along with lime and orange zests, ... also of pungent floral and white pepper .... reminiscent of Roussanne or even of Riesling from Austrian Urgestein."

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1444903

https://cayusevineyards.com/
 

Pride Cellars Napa Sonoma Valley Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Bob was up for drinking a red with his salmon entree and I ordered hearty beed so we also ordered this Napa Cab, one our favorite labels. There were more than a dozen different vintage label releases of Pride Spring Mountain Cabernet and the Reserve on the winelist. I selected the oldest vintage of the Estate bottling that I had not already tasted. Once again, this was offered at close to the fair market retail price, a high QPR value offerings.

Napa and Sonoma Valley ? What gives? As the label notes, this is sourced from the Pride Mountain estate vineyard, high atop Spring Mountain above Napa St Helena, 53% from Napa and 47% from Sonoma. The vineyard is one of two wineyards along the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west, that straddles the summit and actually can be attributed to both Napa and Sonoma Valley.

The other (so situated vineyard) is Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard further north along the range summit atop Diamond Mountain. We have visited and know and have wine in our cellar from both vineyards - having visited Pride during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1998, and Constant during our Napa Wine Experience 2011.

Pride Family acquired this property in 1990 and have been producing Cabernet Sauvignon from this Estate vineyard since 1994. Interesting, we have had or still hold bottles dating back to the 1994 vintage, some that we tasted and acquired during our visit in 1999.

Another reason for this selection tonight is that we gave mutual fellow fraternity brother and fellow Pour Boy wine buddy Dr Dan a large format magnum of this label for his (second) wedding present. Dan and Bob both brothers, were college roommates, and Bob and Gloria were with us, all together at the ceremony and celebration occasion.

This is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

Winemaker's Notes for this release. "Sumptuous nose of dried black cherries overlays a sweet background of cassis. A caressing texture initially coats the mouth with pure flavors of black cherry that give way to dark berry, subtle cedar, smoke and graphite on a long evolving finish framed by just the right amount of acidity. This wine is all about balance with supple ripe tannins providing a beautiful foundation for the ample dark fruit and with nuanced acidity giving structure and lift without bite. An absolute pleasure to roll around the mouth."

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave this 91 points.

Bright garnet ruby colored, medium full bodied, full forward blackberry fruits accented by notes of bitter dark chocolate, black tea, and hints of creosote and tones of graphite, cedar and oak with supple full tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=2960628

https://www.pridewines.com/

http://www.thewineroomonline.com/delraybeach/

Amici and Jayson Napa Cabernets

Amici and Jayson Napa Cabernets for friends' reunion dinner

Pahlmayer Jayson Red Wine 2004

Visiting ('Frat') brother Bob and Gloria at their beautiful Florida home, we took two labels of Jayson (Pahlmeyer), this Cabernet and a Sauvignon Blanc, in honor of their namesake son. We have fun with these 'signature' label wines with and for our family and friends.

Gloria prepared a wonderful dinner with grilled ribeye steak, asparagus and potatoes and we poured these two Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.

From our last tasting of this label, I wrote, "The Cellartracker tasting window lists the wine tasting window for this wine through 2013. While we often tend to hold and drink our wines long into or even past their tasting window, in this case, this wine seemed still be at its apex, while not likely to improve further with more age. I updated Cellartracker to 2018.'

"Like the previous tasting, "Upon opening, sweet floral and berry aromas burst forth and filled the room. Dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant full forward flavors of black raspberry with tones of blueberry, sweet currants, tangy spice and hints of sweet caramel and whisper of tobacco leaf with nicely integrated sweet tangy oak on the lingering finish."

Tonight this had the same profile and character albeit the non-fruit tones of the tobacco and a bit of earthy leather were emerging, Never-the-less, this was very good and hanging on very nicely and it was a perfect accompaniment to Gloria's grilled ribeye steak dinner.

I would deduct one point from earlier tastings as a result of the slightly diminished fruit to RM rating of 92 points.

This is Pahlmeyer's Right Bank Bordeaux style Blend (meaning predominantly Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon) -  60% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Perhaps the predominant Merlot in the mix attributed to the softer more approachable style.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/11/pahlmeyer-jason-napa-valley-red-wine.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=296642

https://www.pahlmeyer.com/

Amici Napa and Sonoma Valley Wines 

Prior to us opening the Pahlmeyer, Bob served from his cellar cooler this Napa Cabernet from Amici Cellars. I had never seen this label before but later, when I stopped in the Total Wine store in Boca Raton, the east coast beverage superstore, multiple vintages of this label were prominently displayed as well as the Reserve label including signed bottles in large (magnum) format. The Reserve label, was promoted as "the best wine under $100" by Total Wine in store signage.

What a pleasant surprise to discover a new brand and label such as this. So it is when one travels to a different region of the country, or visits a major wine retailer such as Total Wine, that sources wine from its own producer contacts or through different distribution than what might be available here in Illinois.

The rear label of the 2016 bottle we opened was a bit obscure about the source of the fruit or the producer leading me to believe it was not estate bottled. Visiting their website, Amici is 'a family-owned winery, nestled in the foothills of the Palisades, just outside Calistoga, Napa Valley, where we are dedicated to producing true-to-varietal wines from exceptional vineyard sources.' This indicates they are sourced from third party growers, and as such, act as negociants, which is not a bad thing as I write below.

According to the Amici Cellars website, the owners are John Harris and Silicon Valley friends and neighbors Bob and Celia Shepard, who shared a love of cooking and wine. The three 'kindred spirits’ followed their passion to produce wines of their own and founded Amici Cellars.

John Harris, CEO, was a business executive who developed technologies in the oil and gas industry. After two successful stints with Houston-based companies, he was involved in a 'start-up opportunity in Silicon Valley'. From there, he took his financial fortune to pursue his interest and love of fine wine establishing Amici Cellars.

Partners and co-owners Bob and Celia Shepard, Bob had been in real estate investment and finance before immersing themselves in the wine business.

They speak of decades of relationships with outstanding growers, which lead me to be think they might be more of a negociant than a grower/producer producing Estate bottled wines, much like the famous historic negociants of Bordeaux, who over time acquired property sources to become producers of their labels. I write of the histories of several of the famous Chateaux and estates of Bordeaux from our visits there last summer.

"From our flagship Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blend to our portfolio of single-vineyard wines from Napa and Sonoma’s most coveted heritage, hillside and valley vineyards, our wines are made with deep respect for vineyard sources and thoughtful attention to detail. Each year, we aspire to bottle beautiful wines that are accessible for everyday enjoyment and for age-worthy collections."

Indeed, they offer a four bottle set of single vineyard designated labels ($750) that includes:

• 2016 Amici Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard
• 2016 Amici Cabernet Franc To Kalon Vineyard
• 2016 Amici Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch
• 2016 Amici Cabernet Sauvignon Old Bull Trail

Despite being 'outsiders', Amici principles have obviously established extraordinary relationships throughout Napa and Sonoma to gain access to the top growers with the finest sites to source grapes from which to assemble a significant line of fine wines.

Their website touts labels sourced from a wide range of the top vineyards throughout Napa Valley and Sonoma - well known legendary vineyards such as ToKalon, Oakville Ranch and Bekstoffer Missouri Hopper in Oakville, Morisoli in Rutherford, and Hyde in Carneros.

They also cite the Charles Heintz Vineyard, from which they source their Chardonnay. It is 'called “one of the great Grand Cru Chardonnay sites in California” by Robert Parker'. The Charles Heintz Vineyard sits along the Sonoma County coastline. The vineyard site has been in the Heintz family for over 100 years, and since its planting in 1982 has become a name synonymous with the best of California Chardonnay.

They also mention a appellation specific source from Spring Mountain AVA from which they obtain Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Lastly, they speak of the 2016 Amici Cellars Old Bull Trail single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon, grown just a half-mile north of Amici Cellars’ winery and tasting room. The small Old Bull Ranch vineyard was planted by Amici owner John Harris to his favorite Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Estate bottled? Whether it is, or not, they have sufficient influence to direct or influence the vineyard plantings.

Amici have developed a very respectable offering of fine wines assembled from the best vineyard sources. Even serious oenphiles (wine geeks) should take note of these offerings. As I have written before in these pages, caveat emptor for Collectors who strive to follow a vertical collection of a label over an extended period of time, since vineyard sourcing relationships and contracts can change, and may be shortlived. Such collections can only count on being based on 'Estate' bottled wines, those sourced from fruit grown on the owners' property, or follow the single vineyard production outcomes, regardless of the label or brand in which they are packaged. Notably, of course, there are many examples though of successful long lived relationships that produce great wines over years or even decades. I have written in these pages often about Robert Craig Mt Veeder Pym Rae Vineyard Cabernet, Arns Melanson Vineyard Syrah, and Lewis Cellars and Andretti Cellars, the Hyde and Den Hoed vineyards to name a few notable labels sourced from contracted fruit. This one will be interesting to watch and of course, only time will tell!

It should be noted too, the Amici wines command premium or even ultra-premium prices, the single vineyard designated collection offered at $750 for the four bottle set, and the Spring Mountain AVA Cabernet selling on their website for $150.

The Amici winemaking team is led by Tony Biagi and Jesse Fox.

Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This 2016 release was awarded 94 points and 'Editors Choice' by Wine Enthusiast, 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon blended with small amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

The Amici website publish notes on this wine dating back to the 2010 vintage, (skipping the troubled vintage year of 2011).

The critics sum up this wine well in their notations: Dark cherry, black currant and dark chocolate melt on the palate, with a core of earthy cedar, clove and pencil shavings, with a bite of thick tannin taking on a leathery texture. (Wine Enthusiast). "Classic dark fruits and floral notes, medium to full body, light tannins ..." Jeb Dunnuck.
 
James Suckling suggests give it some time to settle, which I also support.

We found this bright vibrant fruit filled, needing some time to integrate and hopefully develop a bit more harmony and balance, lacking complexity with a predominant sprite or accent of bright cherry plum fruit turning to a layer of mocha and floral.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2928750

https://www.amicicellars.com 

Long Shadows Saggi 2017

Long Shadows Vintners Series Saggi Sangiovese Blend 2017

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

Our visit to Woodinville was part of our Seattle Culinary and Wine Experience. During our visit to Long Shodows we discovered and acquired this wine. This is a selection of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, a portfolio of seven ultra-premium wines showcasing the viticulture of the Washington State Columbia Valley growing region and the artwork and expertise of internationally acclaimed winemakers who crafted them.

Long Shadows was founded in 2003 by Washington State wine legend Allen Shoup, former Chairman and CEO of Chateau St Michelle, one of the premiere wine producers in the State. There he evangelized Washington Wines and championed collaboration with notable winemakers from around the world. Upon retiring, he started Long Shadows with a vision to produce the best, art of the possible wines showcasing/featuring the region's grapes, each produced by a world renowned winemaker reputed for producing grapes of that varietal.  Each vintner had access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery to outfitted to accommodate a their exacting cellar specifications. The idea was a resounding success as the wines have received critical acclaim that grown with each vintage. The Long Shadow collection went on to win numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

The Saggi label is a Sangiovese blended from top Washington State vineyards, from Candy Mountain, a warm area of the Columbia Valley adjacent to Red Mountain that produces fruit with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. From the cooler growing conditions in the Yakima Valley, the Boushey Vineyard produces Sangiovese that is lively red currant with bright strawberry notes. Saggi also contains Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, which contributes  structure and texture. Also in the blend is Syrah from the Bacchus and Den Hoed Dutchman vineyards, that add depth and complexity.

We talk about Den Hoed and their wines and our family connection in an earlier blogpost from our Seattle, Woodinville trip. 

The Saggi label selection was originally crafted by the father-son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wine families from A. & G. Folonari Tenute that produces a collection of small, ultra-premium wines from the family's numerous Tuscan estates. The Folonaris teamed with Allen Shoup to produce a wine that showcases Washington State's terroir with plenty of Italian character. Saggi (meaning "wisdom") is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Long Shadows founder Allen Shoup originally met the Folonaris through mutual friend Piero Antinori. It was Allen who introduce Piero to Washington State while at the helm of Chateau Ste. Michelle, and it was Piero's regard for the vineyards of the Columbia Valley that piqued the Folonaris interest in creating a wine true to Washington terroir with plenty of Tuscan character.  Gilles continues that tradition, honoring the quality and style of wines the Folonairs inspired. 

From 2006, Long Shadows director of winemaking and viticulture Gilles Nicault collaborated with the Folonaris on Saggi's vineyard sourcing, winemaking and blending.  From the 2016 release , Gilles assumed complete winemaking responsibilities for Saggi.

Saggi Long Shadows Vintners Series 2017

The winemaker's description of processing: "Handpicked grapes were gently crushed and fermented in small, two-ton tanks. Then, using a technique called saignée (French for “to bleed”), 5-10% of the juice was removed from the tank at the beginning of fermentation to increase the proportion of grape skins to juice. This results in a richer, more concentrated wine. Small lot, extended maceration for an average of 30 days provided refined tannins and a silky mouthfeel. Aged 18 months in all French oak barrels (60% new)." 

This was a blend of 59% Sangiovese from Washington State Columbia Valley Candy Mountain and Boushey vineyards, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stone Tree vineyard and 17% Syrah from Boushey. 

Winemaker's notes for the 2017 Saggi: "A Sangiovese based blend offering vibrant aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, red currants and black cherries with appealing notes of cinnamon and sweet spice.  The flavors gain focus on the mid-palate with a layered richness, balanced acidity and polished tannins that carry the wine’s lengthy finish."

Bright ruby-colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced and polished, black currant fruits with notes of  cinnamon spice and cigar box, hints of cedar and vanilla with soft sweet tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3380916

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0591/2017-Saggi

Melville Verna's Santa Barbara Syrah 2012

Melville Estate Verna's Santa Barbara County Syrah 2012

Pulled this from the cellar for casual mid-week sipping with some artisan cheeses. This is a 100% Syrah produced by Chad Melville and winemaker Greg Brewer. It is a single stand alone bottle in our cellar and we have no history with this wine.

California's Central Coast Santa Barbara County is not an AVA, but a region just south of San Luis Obispo that includes the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills appellations. Wine has been produced in the area since the 18th century when Spanish missionaries planted vineyards. It wasn’t until the 1990s, however, that producers focused on growing premier grapes for fine wines. During the 1990s more than 10,000 acres of vineyards were planted, and today there are nearly 20,000 acres of vineyards.

The region gained recognition and prestige when the popular movie “Sideways” was shot there in 2004. Because the region is affected by maritime weather, it is relatively cool climate makes it ideal for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and some Syrah. There are also some adventuresome new varietals being grown in the area and it will be interesting to see how they evolve in the coming years.

This label is from Santa Barbara County sub-appellation of Santa Rita Hills. It is an unusual east-west (or transverse) mountain range with close proximity to the cold Pacific ocean which brings consistent coastal fog, and steady afternoon breezes to create ideal conditions for growing 'cold-climate' Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.

Grower producer Ron Melville and his sons recognized these exceptional conditions and founded  Melville Vineyards in 1996 in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills and has since become one of the most highly-regarded estates in Central California. Melville, a businessman, developed 82 acres of vineyards in Lompoc, in the western Santa Ynez Valley, then later purchased more land in Santa Barbara County. The winemaker is Greg Brewer, who is also co-owner of Brewer-Clifton winery. The estate has 139 acres of vineyard planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Viognier.

Melville Estate Verna's Santa Barbara County Syrah 2012

Under the direction of Head 'Winegrower', Chad Melville, Melville’s full-time vineyard crew manage the vines to produce small amounts of intensely flavored/concentrated fruit. At the time of harvest, they consider the wines to already be made, and strive to be minimalist in their path from vine into the cellar aging their wines only in neutral French oak and stainless steel and utilizing whole cluster fermentation to contribute to the depth, structure, and complexity of their wines.

This was highly rated at 94 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who cited this as a highest QPR great value at this price point under $25 that he calls a "no-brainer purchase ....  some of the greatest values in the world of wine today". 

The Winemaker's Notes - "Dark electric purple in color, with aromatics of molasses, blueberry compote, beef carpaccio and hickory bark coming through initially. On the palate, intense and savory notes of hoisin sauce, iodine and squid ink mingle with hints of eucalyptus, mustard flower and lavender. Texturally the wine is velvety and streamlined, finishing with both grace and precision."

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, black fruits with accents of camphor, leather, tapenade and hints of creosote.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1758367

https://melvillewinery.com/

David Arthur Estate Cab Duo

Comparison tasting of David Arthur Estate Cabernet Sauvignons ~ 2000 vs. Three Acre 2009

Bill and Beth visiting for the weekend from Charleston to attend OTBN 2020 ~ Open That Bottle Night 2020, Bill brought from his cellar this David Arthur Cabernet. We trolled our cellar for a comparison tasting candidate and pulled another David Arthur Cabernet for the occasion. 

We visited the David Arthur estate together up on Pritchard Hill in the southern Vaca Mountain Range sitting at about 1000 feet overlooking the Silverado Trail of Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013.  The reason the elevation is so noted is that their flagship label is called Elevation 1147 for the exact height of their super premium offering source.

That visit offered us the opportunity to experience (and acquire) the then latest vintage releases of the then new Three Acre single vineyard designated label of Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignon from the so-named vineyard on the property.

Today's tasting provided an interesting and fun comparison side-by-side of the David Arthur Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, and the David Arthur Three Acre Napa Cabernet 2009. These are the joys of owning a cellar and sharing selections with a fellow oenophile or wine geek.

David Arthur have 21 acres of vineyards planted on their Pritchard Hill estate. 

David Arthur Three Acre Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

My report from the tasting of this label release during our visit to the Estate back in 2013. 

"Three Acre is (was) a new label from David Arthur to expand the brand offering with further differentiation of the available fruits. This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from three distinctive estate vineyard blocks, composed primarily of Cabernet Clone 337 noted for outstanding fruit character and bold tannins. 

This is a blend of 93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7 percent Petite Verdot, this was aged in 85 percent new French oak barrels for 23 months. Only 338 cases were produced."

My tasting note from that visit. 

"Deep garnet colored, medium-full bodied, it presents blackberry, black raspberry, a layer of black cherry, and cassis with hints of flora, olive tapenade, spicy toasted oak, tones of toffee, maple, tea, tobacco and cedar turning to fine grained tannins on the finish." 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1359622

Bill's Cellartracker tasting note from tonight's tasting: "Tasted this side by side with a 2000 David Arthur Cabernet (provided by fellow Pour Boy Rick)...an intriguing comparison which once again points out how neighboring plots of vines can produce distinctly different style wines. The ‘09 3 Acre was brighter and more fruit forward compared to the earthier, more brooding style of the ‘00 Cabernet. The 3 Acre was medium indigo in color. It revealed flavors of dark cherry, jammy blackberry and raspberry, a bit of tea and grippy tannins. While the 3 Acre is certainly full bodied, it becomes lighter next to the ‘00. Still an outstanding bottle."

WCC 90 points.

David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

According to my Cellartracker records, I hold a decade of releases of this label dating back to 1998. Normally, when tasting such a wine, I'll drink the oldest vintage first as part of cellar investment and inventory management practices, except in cases where aging profiles dictate certain longer lived vintages be held opposed to some younger ones with shorter drinking windows.

We didn't see a '98 which I would've chosen, so I opted for the next oldest vintage. I need to go see if my records are wrong or if that bottle is hiding elsewhere in the cellar.

While these are two different labels, they are no doubt sourced from fruit from the same vineyards, albeit the Three Acre was more selectively chosen from but three blocks.

I found the 2000 to be less polished, less complex and slightly narrower or one dimensional in the tasting profile compared to the Three Acre.

This would be explained by the blend of 7% Petit Verdot in the Three Acre, and perhaps the more complex barrel aging. It could also be attributed to variations in the vintages harvest. Lastly, it could also be attributed to age as the fruits from the older twenty year old release start to fall off. This was my first tasting of this label vintage so I have no other experiences of notes against which to compare.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright lively forward blackberry and black currant fruits with subtle tones of tea and hints of cassis and leather on the tangy lively acidic finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6097