Ladera Napa Valley Malbec 2006

Ladera Napa Valley Malbec 2006 

Repost of earlier tasting blogpost feature of this wine and producer but another bottle and tasting experience, better this time than earlier. Entering week four of Coronavirus shut-in, we ordered in 'curb-side' carry out from Angelis' Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria.To pair with dinner, we pulled from the cellar this fourteen year old single Bordeaux varietal estate bottled Napa Valley Malbec. 

Bright garnet purple colored, medium-full bodied, better than last tasting, age or bottle variation? While not as complex and structured as a Cabernet, black berry and cherry fruit flavors, were accented by a layer of spice, hints of leather and a touch of cedar on a pleasant finish.laWe discovered this wine and purchased it following our visit to the Ladera Vineyards estate and winery up on Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008. 

We'd driven past the property, formerly the historic Chateau Woltner many times over the years on our treks up Howell Mountain. 

The fabulous historic winery building consists of production and barrel storage below and a rustic tasting room upstairs. It is surrounded by spectacular gardens, beds of lavender, and of course the vineyards.

Rick & Linda at Ladera winery
on Howell Mountain

Ladera primarily focused on Cabernet Sauvignon of which we still hold a several cases of four different labels across three vintages from this era. We also acquired some of their Pinot Noir which was sourced from Sonoma County, as well as this Malbec grown from estate fruit, of which we still hold a half case in our cellar.

Malbec is one of the "big five" grape varieties in Bordeaux included in the "Cabernet family" of grapes.

It serves as one of the blending wines to round out and add complexity to the primary varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Merlot used for its deep, dark purple color, its fragrant aromas, ranging from black cherry to black pepper, and its texture which is lush and juicy in the mid palette and very soft on the finish.

Primarily a blended complement to the tannic, brooding Cabernet Sauvignon, it produces an interesting and nice stand alone wine, as well.

The 2006 Napa Valley Ladera Malbec is a blend of fruit from two mountain vineyards - 50% from Howell Mountain and the other 50% from Lone Canyon - two unique terroirs.

The rolling hills and volcanic soils of Howell Mountain vineyard lend to the bold dark fruit characters while the steep slopes and gravely soils of Lone Canyon high atop Mt Veeder contribute intense phenolic structure and complexity to the wine.

Somewhat consistent with my tasting notes way back in 2011 when we last tasted this wine: "This wine holds true to its varietal characteristics with its dark inky color, rich aromatics and bold masculine structure. The wine exhibits forward fruits flavors of black cherry and black berry with violets, red licorice, hints of vanilla, white pepper and smoky fig.

Bright garnet purple colored, medium-full bodied, better than last tasting, age or bottle variation? While not as complex and structured as a Cabernet, black berry and cherry fruit flavors, were accented by a layer of spice, hints of leather and a touch of cedar on a pleasant finish.Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, less complex and less structured than a Cabernet this comes across a bit flabby on opening but overcame the funkiness to reveal black berry and cherry fruit flavors, a layer of spice, hints of leather and a touch of cedar on a long finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/editinventory.asp?iWine=523712

Rick with Ladera owner/producer
Anne Stotesbery

The seeds for Ladera were planted in the early 1970s, when Pat and Anne Stotesbery fell in love while attending university in Northern California. Among their many shared interests, they discovered a passion for wine, and were soon taking wine classes together, and traveling to wine country for tastings.

The next two decades took them to Minnesota and Montana, where they ran a 3,200-acre ranch with 750 head of cattle, during which time, their interest in wine continued to grow.

With deep agricultural roots on both sides of their family, Pat and Anne Stotesbery acquired their first Napa Valley mountain vineyard in 1996. Their original vineyard was on Mount Veeder, the following year they purchased their second mountain vineyard, Lone Canyon.

In 1998, Pat and Anne made their first non-commercial vintage of 100 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon.

 As a reflection of their commitment to making mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, they selected the name Ladera for their winery, which means “hillside, or slope” in both Spanish and Italian.

They moved their family to Napa Valley, and in 2000, they acquired a historic Howell Mountain property featuring an 82-acre vineyard. For the next 16 years, this property served as the home for Ladera.

Around 2008, their son Dan visited us while on a wine promotion trip and we took him around to several of the local wine merchants in the area. 

In 2016, following the earlier sales of the Lone Canyon and the Mount Veeder properties, with their children grown and pursuing careers of their own, Pat and Anne sold their land on Howell Mountain.

Rustic Ladera tasting area in the historic
chai and barrel building back in 2006.

 https://www.laderavineyards.com/

http://mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/img_napa08_ladera_winery_remc.jpg

Presqu'ile Pinot Noir 2010

Presqu'ile Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2010 

For Friday night casual dining we opened this Central California Coast Pinot Noir from Presqu’ile Vineyard, grown in the Santa Maria Valley, a narrow ribbon of land between the Pacific Ocean and the San Rafael mountains, an area known for producing elegant Pinot Noir.

The Presqu’ile Vineyard 200-acre property was developed in 2007 by founder/producer Matt Murphy and his parents, Madison and Suzanne after an extensive search up and down the West Coast searching for an ideal property to produce Burgundian varietal wines, before selecting the property in the Santa Maria Valley.

The Murphys teamed with Santa Barbara County Vineyard Manager Jim Stollberg and Winemaker Dieter Cronje to develop the Presqu’ile Vineyard estate. They mapped the site's deep sandy soils, distinct airflows, patterns of sunlight, hillside angles and elevations. With the insights derived from these measurements, they planted the vineyard to maximize the diversity of row directions, spacing, clones and rootstocks. They added an additional adjacent 11-acre parcel of Pinot Noir vines planted in 2001. The resulting Presqu’ile Vineyard consists of 73 total acres of vines; 32 acres of Pinot Noir, 17 acres of Chardonnay, 16 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, 6.5 acres of Syrah, and 1.25 acres of Nebbiolo.

The site is located in the Santa Maria Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), established in 1981, making it the second oldest AVA in California after Napa Valley. It is also one of the world’s most unique AVAs which, along with the nearby Sta. Rita Hills, lies in and benefits from the only two transverse mountain ranges on the entire West Coast of North and South America. 

Framed between the San Rafael Mountains to the north, and the Solomon Hills to the south, this geographic feature creates a natural funnel, drawing in cool marine air from the Pacific. The ocean temperatures just off the coast of Santa Maria are typically only about 55˚ to 59˚ F, further cooling the ocean breezes funneled into the valley. The resulting average temperature at just 64˚ F, creates a cool-climate viticultural region with one of the longest winegrowing seasons in California (125 days on average).

Matt grew up in Arkansas in a family that for four generations had been growing corn, soy and rice. He often spent harvest season working the family’s farm in neighboring Louisiana. The family were also wine lovers and he was exposed to fine wine at a relatively early age, including many of the great wines of Burgundy.  

While studying biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Matt followed his appreciation of fine wine and worked a summer at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley where he found a love for working in the vineyard and learning the craft of making wine. Our visit and tasting at Signorello was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2013. 

After university, Matt headed west, and took a position in the cellar at Santa Maria Valley’s Ambullneo Winery where he became good friends with Ambullneo’s talented assistant winemaker, Dieter Cronje. The two teamed up to pursue their shared philosophies about winegrowing and winemaking, and the potential of the Santa Maria Valley to make cool-climate wines.

Presqu'ile Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2010

This Presqu’ile Vineyard Pinot Noir is the first 100% estate grown wine. 

The winemaker notes for this release; "On the nose, we get aromas of forest floor, cherries, anise, sandalwood and classic "Santa Maria spice." Flavors of rich, red cherries, plum and cola are presented with exceptionally fine tannins, balance and integration. This Pinot Noir will continue to develop complexity for years to come."

This was ruby colored, medium bodied, bright floral bouquet with fruits of cherry and black raspberry with dusty rose, spice, hints of mushroom and soy with a balance of acid and fine smooth tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

This got 92 points from Burghound.com.

It was aged seventeen months in French oak barrels, 35% new.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1407960


https://www.presquilewine.com/

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet 2004

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

As the Coronavirus shut-in continues, tonight, we ordered out from Angelis Italian, our favorite neigborhood trattoria and wanted a special bottle of wine, so we pulled from the cellar this Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet.

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner. 

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve

Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007

Linda prepared a casserole of ham, cheese, potatoes and asparagus. I pulled from the cellar a Pinot Noir to pair with the dinner. Evenstad Reserve from Domaine Serene is one perhaps our favorite Pinot Noir.

We discovered this label at a memorable outing at Smith and Wollensky on the Chicago River during a getaway weekend in the City years ago. Its been our favorite 'go-to' Pinot ever since. As such we keep a vertical collection of vintages of this label in our cellar and enjoy it on special occasions, or just times together such as tonight during the Coronavirus lock-in. 

Domaine Serene Evensted Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007

As written in a previous tasting for this label, "One of our perennial favorites, although if you read this blog you know we don't a lot of Pinot Noir compared to other varietals.'

"The 2007 vintage is fairly typical of this label although seemingly slightly lighter and more subdued fruit than some years;  ruby color, medium bodied, raspberry, hint of black berry, strawberry, rhubarb, dusty rose with a touch of cinnamon spice.'

Tonight this wine was a perfect match for our dinner entree and was especially enjoyable. 

RM90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1027405

http://www.domaineserene.com/ 

Chiarello Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah Baked Brie - Chocolate Rapberry Crust

Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah 2003 with Baked Brie and Chocolate Raspberry Crust

Tonight Linda prepared an incredible baked brie and a crusted chocolate and raspberry along with a cheese plate. To complement the selection, I pulled a unique imaginative hearty bold red wine, Chiarello Petit Sirah.

This label is from Chiarello Family Vineyards, owned by Michael Chiarello, who is better known for his role as a Napa Valley chef, Emmy-winning TV personality, author, and founder of NapaStyle. From his Chiarello Family Vineyards, he produces five estate grown wines from the 20-acres of vineyards that surround his home in St Helena in Central Napa Valley. The property contains vines going back nearly a century.

To realize the potential of the property sourced fruit, Chiarello enlisted one of the top "old vine" winemakers in Napa Valley, Thomas Brown, named 2010 "Winemaker of the Year," by Food & Wine Magazine.

Brown has been recognized as a master at creating rich, dynamic wines from the ultra-ripe fruit of older vines. From those old vines they craft award winning Zinfandel and Petit Sirah based wines.

Not to be confused with Syrah, Petite Sirah is a cross of Syrah and another grape varietal, Peloursin. Despite its popularity, this grape is quite rare with less than 10,000 acres planted worldwide, mostly in California.

Petit Sirah was long thought to be related to an obscure French grape called Durif. After DNA studies by Dr. Carole Meredith, a Napa Winery wine producer at Lagier Meredith on Mt Veeder. Carole was educated as a geneticist at the University of California at Davis and went on to work in the wine business at Mondavi. She specializes in growing Syrah varietal based wines at the Lagier Meredith estate high atop Mount Veeder. We met Carole when we visited Lagier Meredith during our Napa Valley, Mt Veeder Wine Experience back in 2011.

The hertiage of Durif goes back to France where it was an offspring of syrah, the noble grape of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, and the lesser-known varietal called peloursin.

Petite Sirah was often mistaken for the more popular varietal Zinfandel to be. In the early days of California winemaking, much of the early labels sold as Burgundy or Chianti were often actually sourced from a grape whose name never appeared on the label, the sturdy, blue-collar petite sirah.

 Today, Petit Sirah is often added to Zinfandel wines for backbone and deep color, but more and more it is produced standalone. Petite Sirah is increasing found in the stores, and it often commands a higher price than what might be considered a more pedestrian Zinfandel which may have a broader following. Because Petit Sirah may be the more nuanced and complex of the two, it has gained notoriety and captured a wide following and is becoming increasingly popular. Subsequent more recent releases of this label have received enviable ratings and scores and command prices above $50.

The Chiarello Family Vineyards 2008 Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah (St. Helena) A was awarded 93 points and was noted as "a beautiful wine, just what a Napa Petite Sirah should be: Dark, dry, tannic and muscular, showing leathery, meaty flavors, with hints of blackberries, chocolate and violets, and a sprinkling of pepper," by a leading critic.

Ironically, our selection tonight is the second wine in a row that we pulled from our cellar to drink that was crafted by winemaker Thomas Brown, following the Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon that we drank Sunday night.

Thomas Brown has become one of the most sought-after consulting winemakers in Napa Valley. Brown moved to Napa in 1996 and went to work for All Seasons Wine Shop in Calistoga. There he met Ehren Jordan, winemaker for Turley Wine Cellars. He joined Jordan in 1997 helping in the cellar and learned the craft.

After three years, Brown ventured out on his own, beginning with clients he inherited from Jordan, Outpost where he produced Howell Mountain Zinfandel, and Chiarello where he produced this Roux Old Vine Petit Sirah,  He went on to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Nicholson Ranch and the Cabernet Sauvignon we drank Sunday night from Schrader, and others for Tamber Bey and Frank Family. Brown went on to produce his own Pinot Noir and became managing partner of Ridgetop Partners, a project that in 2001 purchased 40 acres on the Sonoma coast near Annapolis and planted 14 acres of Pinot Noir.

Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah 2003

Interesting heavy weight bottle with its painted label rather than paper label affixed to the bottle, properties found in more expensive premium labels.

Consistent with our last tasting notes for this label, "This was dark inky black/purple colored, big full bodied, rich, concentrated but nicely balanced and polished blackberry and black cherry fruits with layers of mineral, licorice, Asian spices, hints of smokey creosote with nicely integrated oak on the lingering clinging tannin finish.'

"At fourteen years of age, this 2003 was drinking well and seemingly still at the apex of its drinking window, although certainly not likely to improve any with further aging."

Tonight this was still holding its own at seventeen years of age.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=146614

http://www.chiarellovineyards.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/chiarello-family-vineyards-petite-sirah.html

Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range 2002

Double Diamond (Schrader) "Mayacamas Range" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

For Sunday night casual dinner, Linda prepared a homemade grilled pizza and to go along, we pulled from the cellar this Schrader Double Diamond Cabernet. 

Fred Schrader has been producing critically acclaimed premium Schrader Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet since 1998. In 2001, he created Double Diamond to produce Napa Valley wines in the Schrader tradition of excellence and to make it available to a broader audience of wine lovers. 

We sourced this wine through auction from WineBid who writes of this label: "Fred Schrader founded Schrader Cellars in Calistoga in 1998 after making wine for six years with Ann Colgin, who was then his wife. Colgin-Schrader Cellars launched in 1992... Schrader and his wife parted ways and he started Schrader Cellars, where his Cabernet Sauvignons have earned outstanding reviews. His grapes come from two of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards, the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford. Schrader's current winemaker is Thomas Rivers Brown, one of California's star winemakers. Robert M. Parker Jr. admires Schrader’s wines, and called the 2006 Schrader CCS Cabernet Sauvignon “utter perfection.” Parker rated it at 100 pts. Like other limited production Cult Cab producers in Napa Valley, Schrader Cellars wines generally sell out through its mailing list."

Double Diamond is Schrader's 'second' label, a more moderately priced brand of Fred Schrader Cellars. While the flagship Schrader brand sources fruit from the legendary Beckstoffer To-Kalon and other notable Napa Valley vineyards, Double Diamond is sourced from other vineyard sources in Napa and Sonoma. While the Shrader flagship wines sell for $200-$270, Double Diamond sells for closer to $50, more approachable for the rest of us.

Schrader writes of the Double Diamond label. "Over the years, we have sourced our grapes from prime vineyards on the mountaintops, hillside slopes, and gentle floor of the Napa Valley. In each situation, we find the ideal sweet spot of the vineyard that produces the most elegant, character-driven Cabernet possible. Dense and concentrated, with exceptional character and flavor."

Like the benchmark Schrader Cellars Cabernets, Double Diamond is also crafted by acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and his team. They strive to produce a "neighborly expression of Napa Valley Cabernet to enjoy every day." 

"Throughout the years, Double Diamond, crafted by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, has been sourced from a complement of prime vineyard estates in and around Napa Valley. From rocky, high-elevation soils to the warm, rich valley floor, each incredible vineyard contributes its unique character to this enticing and eminently satisfying Napa Cabernet."

We hold a half dozen vintages of Double Diamond labels sourced from several different vineyards including this from the Mayacamas Range in Sonoma County. All are small limited production releases.

As with much of our wine collecting, we have fun with this label as another whimsical play on names as our daughter-in-law hails from the Diamond family.

Double Diamond (Schrader) "Mayacamas Range" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 

This 2002 Mayacamas Range release Double Diamond Cabernet got 89-91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Our last tasting note for this label was back in 2011 when I wrote, "Medium bodied,  - dark berry fruits, blackberry, black raspberry and currant with hints of mocha and cassis with a subdued spicy, moderate tannin finish." Tonight this was similar although the sprites of sweet mocha have given way to more of the notes of smoke and creosote, but this is still enjoyable and holding its own at eighteen years.  

This was ideal with Sunday evening homemade pizza!

Ruby colored, medium bodied, concentrated bright berry and cherry fruits are accented by notes of smoke, creosote, cassis, and spices with firm tangy acidity and a moderate lingering tannin finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14836 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2011/05/schrader-double-diamond-mayacamas-range.html

https://www.schradercellars.com/double-diamond/

@schradercellars

Coronavirus Virtual Family Dinner and Birthday Celebration

Coronavirus Virtual Family Dinner and Birthday Celebration

Its hard to believe we're entering week four of the Coronavirus shut-in. On this weekend, we were supposed to be watching NCAA March Madness.

For the third straight weekend, the dispersed shut-in family conducted another COVID shut-in virtual family dinner and wine tasting, and like we did the weekend before, sharing videos texts and photos of their selections.

Most importantly, this was son Alec's Thirtieth Birthday so we did a virtual internet celebration highlighted by a lengthy tribute video produced by Vivianna from dozens of clips submitted by family and friends widely dispersed from France, New York, Florida, Illinois to California. 

For the gala birthday celebration dinner, Vivianna and Alec, shut-in on the Conneticut seashore, prepared aged prime steaks and lobster tails.

Before dinner, there was a fabulous feast of the French Edition of Pairing Perfection, a selection of artisan cheeses from Murray's Cheese on Bleeker Street in the West Village. This is one of Alec and Viv's favorite Manhattan dining sites, within sight of brother Frankie's apartment, and a memorable site of several family dinners that we have featured in these pages.

@murrayscheese #murraysathome

The cheese selection consisted of Murray's Perfect Pairing, French Edition, Bucheron with Murray's Wildflower Honey, Morbier with Tres Petits Cornichon, Comte Sainte Antoine & Jambon Bayonne, and lastly, Murray's Forme d' Amber with Murray's Dried Cherries.

For their cheese wine accompaniment they drank Matthias et Emile Roblin Sancerre Origine Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018.

With the steak they drank Long Shadows Vintner's Collection Sequel Syrah, crafted by Penfold's Grange legendary winemaker John Duvall. 

Long Shadows Vintner's Collection Sequel Columbia Valley Syrah 2016

We source this label as Vault Key members of the wine club, but Alec found it and obtained more special order via the local wineshop there in Westport.

Back in Illinois, son Ryan and Michelle prepared Leg of Lamb, medium rare, in a homemade rosemary red wine vinegar marinade, with Turmeric Basmati Rice with fresh garlic and onion, green beans and lemon honey vinagrette and feta.

For their wine selection Ryan served FEL Donnelly Anderson Valley Creek Pinot Noir 2017 from producer Cliff Lede.

Erin and Johnny and the family ordered in Mediterranean fare from a new local restaurant in nearby LaGrange.

Lastly, Linda prepared a chicken Marsala with asparagus and fresh tomotoes, Angeli's style.

For our wine selection we finished the remains of the Tablas Creek Vineyard 2013 Côtes de Tablas Blanc. I featured this wine in Tablas Creek Vineyard in an earlier blogpost the other night.

Tablas Creek Vineyards Estate Grown Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2013

The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2013 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend of four estate-grown white Rhône varietals - 39% Viognier, 29% Grenache Blanc and 20% Marsanne and 12% Roussanne. 

This release was awarded 90 points by Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni of Vinous.

Winemaker notes: The wine, like most wines of the Southern Rhône, is a blend of varietals, featuring the floral aromatics and stone fruit of Viognier, the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of Grenache Blanc, and the structure and minerality of Marsanne and Roussanne.

This was straw colored, medium bodied, creamy notes of citrus, floral, hint of lime and minerality. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1906632

 

https://tablascreek.com/ 
 

@TablasCreek

Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2013

Tablas Creek Vineyards Estate Grown and Bottled Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2013

Tablas Creek Vineyards is a joint venture between two internationally renowned wine families: the Perrin family, proprietors of the legendary Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Haas family of the leading importer Vineyard Brands.  Together they developed vineyards in western Paso Robles where they grow and produce Rhone River varietal wines based on Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rousanne including this Estate bottled label.

Our visit to Château de Beaucastel was one of the highlights of our visit to Châteauneuf-du-Pape back in 1998. We visited the region and appellation again last year in 2019.

Robert Haas is known for his work in the American wine industry for over half a century, beginning as a buyer for his family's New York wine merchant retailer M. Lehman starting in the 1950s. His travels to the cellars of France forged lifelong relationships with premier wine producers such as the Perrins.

In the mid-1960s, he set out on his own to import fine estate wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, where he met the Perrins. He convinced family patriarch Jacques Perrin to appoint him exclusive American importer. Working with Jacques' sons Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin, they established Beaucastel as one world's leading estates and well known brands.

They were convinced that the Rhone grape varieties, well suited to the sunny south of France, would thrive in California's Mediterranean climate. In 1985, they began looking for property to develop, searching for a close match to the climate and high pH soils of Château de Beaucastel.

In 1989, they purchased a 120-acre parcel twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean in what is now the Adelaida District west of Paso Robles. They named the property Tablas Creek Vineyard after the small creek running through the property. The Tablas Creek property terroir elevation, soils and climate are similar to those at Beaucastel.


Robert Haas was recognized by the Paso Robles Wine Community as 2007 Wine Industry Person of the Year, and in 2014, received a lifetime achievement award from Rhone Rangers for his contributions to the American Rhone movement. Haas passed away in March 2018. His son Jason, has run the estate since the mid-2000's. Jason was voted 2015 Paso Robles Wine Country Wine Industry Person of the Year and 2017 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Person of the Year.

Wines produced in Chateauneuf-du-Pape in accordance with the Appellation Controlle regulations can consist of thirteen different grape varieties, with another eight approved in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Initially, Tablas Creek focused on nine key varieties of wine grapes of the Southern Rhône for their Paso Robles estate vineyard: Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, and Counoise for the reds, and Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Picpoul for the whites. 

In recent years, they have imported seven additional grape varieties, with the goal of having the complete Chateauneuf du Pape collection: Clairette, Bourboulenc, Vaccarese, Cinsaut, Picardan, Muscardin, and Terret Noir. 

Today Tablas Creek produces a range of red and white wines comprised of estate-grown Rhône varietals Viognier, Grenache and Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne. 

Tablas Creek actually imported vine cuttings of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc from the Beaucastel estate. In 1992, they planted rootstock fields and built greenhouse facilities to propagate and graft the cuttings. The resulting grapevines were planted in their estate vineyards beginning in 1994. In 1996, they began selling vines and budwood to growers through the Tablas Creek Nursery. Since then, they have sold nearly five million cuttings to more than 600 vineyards and wineries from California to Washington State to Virginia and Texas.

Tablas Creek Vineyards Estate Grown Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2013

The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2013 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend of four estate-grown white Rhône varietals - 39% Viognier, 29% Grenache Blanc and 20% Marsanne and 12% Roussanne. 

This release was awarded 90 points by Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni of Vinous.

Winemaker notes: The wine, like most wines of the Southern Rhône, is a blend of varietals, featuring the floral aromatics and stone fruit of Viognier, the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of Grenache Blanc, and the structure and minerality of Marsanne and Roussanne.

This was straw colored, medium bodied, creamy notes of citrus, floral, hint of lime and minerality. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1906632
 

https://tablascreek.com/ 

@TablasCreek

 

L'Aventure "Optimus" Paso Robles Red Blend 2004

Stephen Vineyards L'Aventure "Optimus" Paso Robles Red Blend 2004 with Barbecue Ribs

Following our COVID shut-in virtual family dinner and wine tasting last evening where son Ryan had barbecue ribs and L'Aventure "Optimus", (and our original such event last weekend), Linda prepared grilled barbecue ribs and I pulled from our cellar the same label for pairing. 

Readers of this blog know we love Shiraz/Syrah, and we love big bold fruit forward and structured wines. What could be better, then, than a big fruity Syrah, bolstered by structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, augmented by highlights of dark fruits and backbone of Petit Verdot! And, what better pairing for such a wine than barbecue ribs! 

Frenchman Stephan Asseo studied oenology L'Ecole Oenologique de Macon, Burgundy and began making wine in 1982. He established Domaine de Courteillac in Bordeaux and with his family, later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion, Bordeaux. Over the next 15 years he honed his craft as an artisan winemaker and gained a reputation as a maverick vigneron.  

After searching for over a year among the world's great wine regions for an ideal location to produce his wines, he fell in love with Paso Robles. In 1996, he came to America with his wife, Beatrice and his three children, where he would not constrained by the strict rigorous French AOC regulations. He started L’Aventure on a 127-acre estate in 1998 in Paso Robles in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range on the California Central Coast. He released his first vintages the late 1990s and today crafts innovative blends of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals including his flagship wines Optimus and Estate Cuvee, both blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. 

It is always a priority at L’Aventure to harvest the individual clusters of the grapes and work the various blocks in the vineyards at the optimal time. This attention to detail and commitment to quality costs L’Aventure up to five times the labor and production costs of other producers. 

Syrah is the primary varietal planted at L’Aventure, planted up and down the four hillsides that make up the estate vineyards. As the crowns of each hill mature, they are the hilltops to be picked pick. It could be a week or two later before they descend on the middle band of vines, and it can be up to a month later before they pick the bottom third of the hill, which retains more water, enjoys richer soil, and therefore matures fruit later.

Robert M. Parker has written that “Asseo continues to go from strength to strength, producing a fabulous portfolio of wines that makes L’Aventure one of the bright, shining reference points for the region. This is one of the California Central Coast superstars…”  

L'Aventure "Optimus" Paso Robles Red Blend 2004

The 2004 Optimus, L'Aventure's signature "Paso Blend," is a blend of 57% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot. This was the greatest percentage of Petit Verdot ever to be used in the Optimus blend resulting in tight focus and extraordinary grip. 

Like Ryan's experience the other evening, as soon as the cork was released from the bottle, the room erupted with aromas of black berry fruits.  

Dark blackish inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated forward rich blackberry and black raspberry fruits are accented by blue notes, floral, licorice, hints of espresso, smoke and black tea with a long tannin laced finish. 

RM 92 points.  

Wine Spectator gave this release 91 points. The latest 2017 release got 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck.

Sunset Magazine called this a "Paso Gem": "A Syrah-Cabernet blend with an iron core. Mint, chocolate, sweet pipe tobacco, and blackberries."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=270693

https://www.aventurewine.com/

@LAventureWine