Covid19 Shut-in Prompts Curbside Carryout - Another Virtual Family Dinner

Covid19 Shut-in Prompts Curbside Carryout - Another Virtual Family Dinner

As the Coronavirus shut-in continues, we conducted another Coronavirus shut-in virtual family dinner and wine tasting like we did last week, sharing dinners and wine selections texts, photos and videos across the dispersed family, great-grandparents, us and our four kids and seven grandkids, shut-in in Conneticut and the western Chicago suburbs. It also provided the opportunity for us to support our local restaurants and order curbside carryout dinners.

Linda and I ordered carry-out from Angeli's Italian, to support our neighborhood Italian trattoria, open only for curbside pickup. I ordered the Angelis Veal Special in a Marsala sauce with mushrooms (right) whilst Linda ordered Grilled Salmon salad special.

We also ordered a side order of Angeli's Italian Sausage and Peppers.

For our wine accompaniments, we finished what was left from the Keenan Spring Mountain Cabernet Franc from our dinner the night before.

Sean and Michelle came over and joined us for dinner and had the Angelis Italian Special Mussels entree. With their mussels and salad, we served the remains of Stonestreet Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Chardonnay that were left from earlier in the week.

In honor of Sean and Michelle joining us, despite the extraordinary circumstances, and to celebrate Sean joining PureB2B team, we opened a birthyear bottle of Château Gruaud-Larose, 1985.

Our visit to Château Gruaud-Larose in St Julien Beychevelle was one of the highlights of our Bordeaux Wine Tour last summer.

We hold a dozen vintages of this producer dating back to the kids' birthyears in the eighties including Sean's 1985 vintage release.

We shared a virtual tour of our visit to Château Gruaud-Larose estate grounds, cellar, chai, library and hospitality center in St Julien from our unwindwine blogpost in these pages.

At Ryan's house not far away in Naperville (IL), he prepared for his family household dinner Carribean grilled ribs with baked beans and cilantro lime cole slaw.

Ryan prepared BBQ ribs on his super smoker grill, hand rubbed with home made and Dave's preparation, grilled and smoked with dried apple wood and cherry wood chunks with mixed charcoal - on for three hours, then 2-3 hours wrapped in foil.

Ryan's barbecue ribs

Kids plates - ribs, baked beans, cole slaw...

For his wine accompaniment with the ribs, Ryan and Michelle finished off the remains from the previous evening dinner, Maison L'Envoyé Two Messengers Willammette Valley Pinot Noir 2012. 

They then opened one of Ryan's favorites, L'Aventure Optimus Paso Robles Red Blend.


Stephen Vineyards L'Aventure Optimus Paso Robles Red Blend 2007

This is a blend of estate grown Syrah (49%,) Cabernet Sauvignon (37%), and 14% Petit Verdot.

Ryan noted, "it was a serious fruit bomb, showing no age, with firm backbone and notes of charred wood that was perfect with the smoked grilled bbq".

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=652444

He also prepared a carry out care package to take to great-grandparents Keith and Evelyn at the assisted living center. The best we can do is for them to wave to them at the window from the parking lot! Such are these surreal times and circumstances.

Erin and Johnny and their family of six were, of course, also shut-in at home in nearby western suburb Western Springs. They also in support of one of their favorite local eateries, had BBQ ribs carry-out from Q-BBQ in nearby LaGrange.

Not being oenephile wine geeks like Ryan and me, and Alec, as we were sharing our wine label selections across the group text, Erin showed their family beverage of choice for their dinner, milk. For their four small children, especially Richie who is a ravenous milk drinker, Erin shared a photo of their family refridgerator showing no less than six, or was it seven? gallons of milk, an astonishing normal week's supply.

From Conneticut, shut-in Alec and Vivianna checked in and shared they were preparing Asian chicken lettuce wraps.

Before dinner they had a local Conneticut craft brew, Beer'D Dogs and Boats Double India Pale Ale with Citra and Mosaic Hops (no vintage given ;>)), more appropriate than one might think as they sit on the shore overlooking the Long Island sound. 

For dinner wine accompaniment, they opened K-Vinters Wahluke Slope Millbrandt Vineyard Shiraz 2016.

Later, Ryan and Michelle stopped by with the kids and brought us some pastries from DeEtta's Bakery in Naperville that they also took to the grand, great-grandparents.

Keenan Spring Mountain Cabernet Franc 2005

Keenan Winery Spring Mountain District Cabernet Franc 2005

It's hard to believe we're coming up on two weeks of self lock-down due to the Covid19 crisis. So often I have joked that if ever such an event occurred we would be in good shape with more than a year of 'survival provisions' stored away in our wine cellar. Well, we're actually living through such an event and indeed enjoying the 'fruits' of our investment, enjoying nice wines to accompany our home cooked meals and accompaniments.

Keenan estate vineyard on Spring Mountain

After opening a Merlot the other evening, I was seeking something more adventurous as we enter the weekend, so I selected a Cabernet Franc from Keenan Winery high atop Spring Mountain on the east facing slope of the Mayacamas Range above Napa Valley St Helena.

We visited Keenan during our Spring Mountain tour back in 2007. Spring Mountain is home to several of our favorite amd notable producers - Pride, Fantesca, Keenan, Paloma and Spring Mountain Vineyards, and sources fruit for several of our favorite labels such as Robert Craig Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon. 

We also have fun with this label having gifted it to special friend Jim Keenan and his family - no relation to the producer, but fun none-the-less. I fondly recall him telling me they 'toasted' me when opening a magnum of Keenan Mailbox Merlot for a gala holiday dinner that I had given him as a special memento.

We hold a half dozen vintages of Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon, but sadly only this and one other release of their Cabernet Franc. We need to get more! 

This release was produced from grapes grown on the Keenan Spring Mountain Estate from the highest elevation vineyard (approx. 2000 feet elevation) aptly named the “Upper Bowl”.

The winemaker for this release was the legendary Nils Venge whose labels we've enjoyed from Keenan, Fantesca, another Spring Mountain District producer, Venge Vineyards, Del Dotto and several others over the years. 

This is a blend of 98% percent Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot. Six hundred cases were produced. 

“Freakishly good” is how the producer describes this single vineyard Cabernet Franc, "the 2005 vintage has some of the most pinpoint laser-like flavors we have ever seen due to a higher than normal natural acid level at harvest."

 Tonight this Cabernet Franc was delicious with our simple selection of mixed nuts, artisan cheeses, biscuits and crackers followed by chocolates and sorbet with its vibrant fruits and spiciness.

At fifteen years, this is at the apex of its drinking profile and window, has life left but will not improve with further aging, dark garnet color, medium-full bodied, nicely integrated and balanced blackberry and black raspberry fruits with notes of kirsch, mocha, tangy spices, sweet tobacco, hints of soy and herbs turning to a pleasant lingering finish with nice balance of acidity and smooth tannins.

RM 92 points.

Robert Parker gave this label 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=505746

https://www.keenanwinery.com/

Twomey Napa Valley Merlot 2004

Twomey Cellars Napa Valley Merlot 2004

For midweek sipping with artisan cheeses and fresh fruits, I pulled from the cellar this Napa Valley Merlot. I still remember that we first discovered and tasted this label when we ordered it from the winelist at Uptown Cafe in Bloomington, Indiana while visiting son Alec attending Indiana U there. My online Wine Journal Index then says we tasted this in 2009 at a Board Meeting dinner at Champaign Country Club in Champaign, IL, ironically, home of another Big-Ten school, University of Illinois.

Twomey Cellars has wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg and vineyards in Napa Valley and in Russian River Valley. The winery was established in the late 1990s when brothers David and Tim Duncan, who with their father Ray Duncan, owned the legendary Silver Oak Cellars, purchased a vineyard in the Soda Canyon Ranch area of southeastern Napa Valley. In 2000 they acquired a 9-acre vineyard in the Russian River Valley.

Twomey's winemaker is Daniel Baron who learned to make wine working with some of the greatest winemakers and cellarworkers in Pomerol and St. Emilion in the Right Bank of Bordeaux where Merlot is the primary varietal. Twomey is known primarily for Merlot, sourced from the single vineyard in Soda Canyon, but they also produce some Pinot Noir, sourced from their Russian River Valley property, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The winemaker's notes on the 2004 Twomey Merlot; "an elegant, concentrated wine that balances delicacy and expression of fruit. It has a dark ruby color and a complex nose of black cherry, raspberry, violets and dark chocolate, with hints of lightly toasted bread. It offers multiple layers of cherry liqueur, toffee, chocolate and amaretto flavors, culminating in a long fruity finish".

This is a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby colored, medium-full bodied, forward somewhat obtuse flavors of black berry and black cherry fruits with tangy acidic notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, tea and bitter mocha chocolate.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=275887

https://twomey.com/

Dunham Cellars Trutina Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Dunham Cellars Trutina Red Bordeaux Blend 2009 for delightful mid-week dinner

The Covid19 shut-in continues and we remain at home enjoying intimate dinners and wines from our cellar. I have joked that if such a situation occurred, we'd be stocked for up to year with wines from our cellar, and here we are, albeit hopefully for a couple weeks duration.

Tonight, Linda prepared an imaginative meal with our leftover pot roast, asparagus, roasted walnuts, artisan cheese and fresh blueberries. I pulled from the cellar what proved to be a perfect match for the occasion - Trutina from Dunham Cellars in Washington State.

We hold close to a dozen vintages in a vertical collection of Dunham Cellars flagship Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Blend going back to the nineties. We discovered these Bordeaux varietal wines from Columbia River Valley in Washington, not well known for being a Bordeaux varietal region several years back. We stopped by the Dunham Cellars winery and tasting room during our trip to Woodinville, Washington, site of over a hundred tasting rooms of Washington State wines during our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour year before last.

We discovered this second label from Dunham at Vin Chicago when they still had their brick and mortar store in Naperville. We bought some, tried it, and went back and bought more. We still hold about a half case and are being rewarded for doing so.

This Trutina Walla Walla Red Blend from our cellar was a perfect compliment to the beef pot roast with grilled asparagus, fresh berries, roasted walnuts and artisan cheese and accompaniments dinner.

Trutina is a second label from Dunham at a lower pricepoint offers great QPR (Quality to Price ratio) in this complex and expressive red wine blend. We continue to find many of the Columbia Valley Reds have great quality and aging ability and offer great value over their French and California counterparts.

Dunham Cellars 'Trutina' Columbia Valley Red Wine 2009

Tonight, this was consistent with our earlier tasting experience which is recorded in these pages from 9/18/2018, while not as complex or polished as the flagship label, Trutina was very impressive going on a decade of age.

This showed bright garnet and inky purple color, medium full bodied with huge aromatics of floral and lavender with full forward bright vibrant flavors of black currant and black cherry fruits with a layer of vanilla and sweet caramel mocha on a full cloying lingering tannin finish.

The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Syrah, and 4% Malbec.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1456899 

https://www.dunhamcellars.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/09/dunham-cellars-trutina-columbia-valley.html

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