Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2008

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.

For midweek dinner at home with grilled steaks, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus spears I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

I chronicled this wine earlier this year when I wrote the following: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. In line with that theme, four different generations of the branding and label imagery going back to the 1980's have all adorned the three grape varietals' leaf shapes in the label artwork.



To this day, this Bordeaux-style wine continues to be sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes. Jerry and Flora were married back in 1935 in San Francisco but moved throughout California and Texas over the years as Jerry pursued an engineering career with the giant San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. The couple had three children, Mike, John and Julie, and eventually settled back in San Francisco when Jerry settled in a corporate job in international relations at Bechtel HQ in the Bay Area.

When Jerry retired in 1976, he and Flora began looking for a place to retire in Napa Valley. They came upon a property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, and Flora saw magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.
“There are so many wonderful things about Napa Valley and St. Helena. I just fell in love with that property and that was it.” Jerry and Flora purchased the estate believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They had the wisdom and prescience to craft a Bordeaux style blend from Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietals in the early days as Cabernet was becoming the king of Napa Valley. We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91.

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this decade old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  Wine Enthusiast gave this release 94 point, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 91 points.

With dark inky color, this exhibited medium-full bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated forward black and blue berry and black currant fruits with a layer of mocha and hints of sweet oak - a pleasant, very tasty, simple easy drinking wine, smooth soft tannins on the lingering finish.

As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, Trilogy is a blend of  79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French Oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1091239

https://www.florasprings.com/ 

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Covid Curve Rebound Wine Dinner

Covid Curve Rebound Wine Dinner

After three months shut in due to Coronavirus, we hosted a wine dinner with neighbors Mark and Shirley and wine buddy fellow 'Pour Boy' Dr Dan and Linda.


Linda prepared grilled Ahi Tuna steaks and filets of beef for the ladies and prime rib-eye steaks for the men, along with a wedge salad with ceasar and blue cheese, a special preparation of potatoes-au-gratin with herbs, and grilled asparagus.

Prior to dinner we served a selection of artisan cheeses and olives - Old Amsterdam Gouda,  Gouda Farmhouse Truffle, Danish Harvarti and Campo de Montalban Spain Mixed Milk.

With the salad and cheese course we served Lansom Rose NV Champagne and a Villa Andretti California Chardonnay 2017. This is the every day collection of Andretti wines sourced partly from the estate, but also blended with grapes sourced from across Northern California.

The cheeses paired perfectly with the Champagne and the modest Chardonnay. The hearty bolder Old Amsterdam, one of my favorites, accompanied the reds as well as the whites.



As we moved to the Ahi Tuna course we opened a Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Gary Farrell "Russian River Selection" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2015

We visited the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

This was ideal with the grilled marinated Ahi Tuna steak.

This was sourced from vineyards throughout the Russian River Valley, including Hallberg and Galante in the cooler Green Valley AVA. It got 94 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth, nicely balanced, polished, dusty rose with fruits of black berry, black cherries, raspberries, smoky earthy, floral notes with crisp acidity, youthful tannins and oak. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2798671

The dinner entree beef course was highlighted by a selection of Bordeaux and Bordeaux varietals starting with a Howell Mountain Napa Cabernet.


Château Clinet Pomerol Bordeaux 2010

Dan brought this Right Bank Bordeaux from his cellar. 

We have had the pleasure of meeting Château Clinet owner Ronan Laborde at the UGCB annual release tour Chicago wine spectacle yearly for the last five years or so. Clinet is one of our favorite Right Bank Bordeaux selections that we hold in our cellar dating back more two decades. 

We've enjoyed this label at several of our special wine events and dinners. A visit to the Chateau was one of the highlights of Ernie's visit to Bordeaux during his trip several years ago. Dr Dan brought this 2010 vintage release as a benchmark wine against which to compare the other labels of the evening. 

The 2010 release was awarded 97 points by James Suckling, 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Wine Spectator, 92-94 points by Wine Enthusiast and 93 points by Stephen Tanzer. 

This is what Ronan calls a classic (Right Bank) Bordeaux Blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. 

At ten years of age, this is likely at the apex of its drinking window but will age gracefully for a couple more decades.  A Merlot based blend, this was much more complex and multi-dimensional than the 'narrower' and 'deeper', more single dimensional Cabernets. Hence this was ideal as a transition from the Ahi to the beef steaks, and between the softer, lighter Pinot Noir, but before the bigger, bolder, more single dimensional Cabernets. 

Dark inky purple  colored, full-bodied, concentrated and firmly structured, yet smooth, polished and elegant with layers of dark plum blackberry and black currant fruits accented by coffee bean, mocha, and hints of oak with silky polished tannins on a tongue puckering chewy finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1129755

Camiana Blue Hall Vineyards Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/labels/labels_California/lbl-CA-Camiana-Napa-Howell-Mtn-Cab-2004-remc.jpg

From Blue Hall Vineyard,  a 5 acre site on Howell Mountain owned by two medical doctors, Andrew Zolopa & Annie Talbot. Andrew was instrumental in starting the HIV program at Stanford University in 1994 and was a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine for twenty years.

Andrew traveled regularly to Napa to enjoy fine wine and in 1998 purchased property on Howell Mountain to build a home away from home. Sitting near the top of Howell Mountain at an elevation of 1,700 feet above Napa Valley, the property was in the geographic heart of the Howell Mountain sub-appellation, surrounded by world famous vineyards (owned by Beringer) and forested hillsides. 

In 2000-01, Zolopa oversaw the planting of a vineyard divided into two farming blocks by a creek that ran across the property. It was planted by the Pina's a long time Napa family who continued to manage the five acre vineyard of which 3 acres was planted entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Zolopa named the vineyard Blue Hall Vineyard, deriving its name from the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. In the summer of 1880, while honeymooning in a cabin on the side of Mount St. Helena, Stevenson was inspired by the purity of the blue sky and exclaimed that it was as if he had entered "the blue hall of heaven." The name “Blue Hall” was written about in the book “Silverado Squatters”, written by Robert Louis Stevenson – it featured much about historical Napa Valley.

In 2004, they produced their first wine, a 100% estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Andrew named the wine “Camiana" after his daughters Camille and Juliana. They appointed Ted Osborne as winemaker, who was self taught building on experience working at Passing Clouds in Australia, Rupert & Rothschild in South Africa, and Chateau du Seuil in Bordeaux. Coming to America, he put in time working for two well-known Napa wineries, Cakebread and Storybook Mountain, the northern most winery in the Napa Valley

Blue Hall’s first vintage was 2004 with only 80 cases made, which they held until after their first commercial release in 2005. While the 2004 was technically their first vintage, it was released after the 2005 as a library wine. 

Their 2004 despite the additional year in the bottle was their “biggest” wine out of their first few vintages. They produced the label annually until 2013, their last vintage produced.

This is one vintage of a vertical collection we acquired with/from fellow wine buddy and 'Pour Boy' Bill C who acquired a case of vintages with son and fellow collector Matt back in 2012. We're still holding four vintages of that collection and this is the oldest release from the selection.

Bill's tasting notes for this vintage release from his Cellartracker post back in 2015 says, "What a treat! Tasted side by side with the 2005 Camiana and we could not tell the difference between the two aside from additional sediment in the '04. Deep garnet in the glass, big black fruit with a touch of sweetness. Silky smooth tannins and a long, lingering finish. Beautiful Howell Mountain product. We were impressed by this small vineyard when we bought some '07 on sale 3 or 4 years ago. The big, bold, fruit forward style convinced us to try some earlier vintages. This was not terribly expensive at $45 a bottle. Great value and the '04 and '05 were absolutely at peak."


Andretti Montona Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

In recognition for Mark's career in the auto industry and Dan's long time interest in the Indy 500, I served this Ultra-Premium label from the Mario Andretti winery, named for his birthplace village, Montona. Mario Andretti partners with his auto team sponsor Joe Antonini, former chairman and CEO of KMart, producing wines sourced from the Laird Estate in Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.

Founded in 1996, their winemaker is Bob Pepi, son of Robert Pepi, founder of Pepi Winery. Ironically, working for these two notable Italians, Pepi is credited with bringing the Italian varietal Sangiovese grape to NapaValley.

We discovered this wine during our visit to the Andretti Winery in Oak Knoll District of southeast Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2018.  As a result of our visit, we joined their wine club and received allocations of this premium Reserve collection. 

This label was better than earlier tastings suggesting it needed a bit more time to settle and mature in the bottle.  It is sourced from select grapes from the Andretti Winery estate as well as from contract grower sources.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, concentrated forward black berry fruits were accented by a layer of dark mocha chocolate with notes of tobacco are spice with mouth filling tannins on a long finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3159347

After dinner there was a selection of chocolate centric desserts, Linda's flowerless chocolate cake with fresh berries, Shirley's chocolate cheese cake, and Dan and Linda brought a chocolate cake.

The dessert course was highlighted by a mini-horizontal duo of 1996 vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from Nils Venge Saddleback Vineyards and Winery and Paradigm Oakville.


Nils Venge Saddleback Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

We first met Nils at Del Dotto when he was their winemaker while also managing his Penny Lane Vineyard over at his Saddleback Cellars during our Napa visits in the mid and late nineties.  We discovered and acquired this wine during one of those visits to the Winery.   

Tasting Venge Penny Lane Family Reserve Cabernet w/ AJ
and Nils Venge at Tra Vigne in St Helena
Nils Venge is a bit of a legend in Napa Valley. In addition to having been consulting winemaker to many top producers including Groth, Del Dotto and Plumpjack, he has his Venge and Saddleback family labels, and with son Kirk is coming out with wines from their property Rossini Ranch. He and Kirk worked with Dwayne and Susan Hoff at Fantesca in their early releases. We hear Nils has retired and ownership and the operations is now run by son Kirk.


During that visit we had a wine luncheon with Nils Venge back at our then favorite Napa Valley dining establishment, Travigne. Sadly, it has been taken over and re-purposed. The staff moved on to the old Factory Outlet site up near Calistoga where they have opened a winery and eatery, one of the highlights of our Napa Wine Experience 2018. 

We did this same mini-horizontal wine tasting during a holiday dinner back in 2018 when we compared 1996 vintages Cabernet Sauvginon releases of Saddleback opposite a Paradigm Oakville.

At that time we also compared the two Saddleback vintages, the Nils 2006 special release above oppsite the 1996 Saddleback Oakville Napa Cabernet.
At the time, I wrote of the '96, "Initially a bit tight and closed, we decanted and aerated this bottle and it opened a bit more and reveal its native character and fruits over the course of the next hour.'
The two Saddleback wines had remarkable similarity, being potentially the same wine but ten years removed. They showed the same basic profile and character but the '96 showed darker blackish garnet with slight hints of gray color, the same fruit profile albeit slightly subdued, accented by the same notes above of smoke, dusty leather, earth and tea.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=73478

Like that night, tonight we did the same comparison of the '96 Oakville Napa Cab above, we also opened this Paradigm Cabernet from the same appellation and same vintage.


Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996





Tonight was a replay of that tasting back in 2018', "This provided an interesting comparison with the other '96 Oakville Cabernet sitting side by side. This wine had the same color and body as above. We also decanted and aerated this bottle which accentuated its bouquet and flavors which emerged further after about thirty minutes. The Paradigm showed fewer aromatics and more subdued fruit than the Saddleback above, but opened a bit more over the next hour.'

We tasted and acquired this wine during a winery visit back in 1999


 Tonight was a different experience than as reflected in my tasting notes for this label from back in 2009 when I wrote. "This wine is showing its age, probably beyond its apex, or any chance for improvement, but still within the drinking window. Showing some diminution of fruit, giving way to non-fruit charcoal and earth tones, yet, revealed some of its native fruit character at some point during the evening.'

"I opened, decanted and then rebottled and recorked this wine an hour before setting out for the restaurant. Upon decanting it released huge aroma's of berry fruits and some floral. After opening for serving the fruit was a bit muted for almost an hour before revealing black berry and hints of sweet black raspberry, giving way to a layer of charcoal, anise and spice. Tannins were moderate on the lingering finish. This wine is still showing okay but should be consumed over the next few years."

Tonight, this was bright vibrant and fruit filled from the beginning, showing well with great aging potential as it nears its 25th year since release.  A fun and rewarding tasting experience indeed.


http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/08/vintage-napa-reds-vs-bold-barolo.html


Thursday, June 4, 2020

More Cheese Cheese Cheese ....

More Cheese Cheese Cheese ....

Adding to the cache of cheese Linda picked up at the grocery recently, she brought home additional selections to enjoy with wine, or not, this summer. Here are additional cheeses to watch for in our upcoming wine tasting features.
Artikaa Reserve 18mo Gouda
Black River Gorgonzola
Carr Valley Apple Smoke Cheddar
Farmhouse Truffle Gouda
Long Clawson Blue Shropshire
Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese
KerryGold Dubliner Stout








Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Villa Andretti White Wine for Casual Sipping

Villa Andretti California varietal white wines for every day summer sipping - Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc 2018

We picked up a special offering mixed case of Villa Andretti California white varietal wines for casual every summer sipping.

We visited Andretti Winery Estate in Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. We tasted a wide range of wines from extensive Andretti portfolio that consists of Estate wines sourced from grapes grown on the 41 acre property vineyards, a premium brand sourced from estate fruit and contract sources, and a more modest pedestrian brand sourced from fruit from growers beyond the Napa region.

While Andretti grow Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc on the estate vineyards, these labels from that last brand, Villa Andretti are designated California as opposed to Napa Valley or more specific sub-appellations such as Oakville or Rutherford.

The appellation rules call for the wine to be labeled based on the source of at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle. In this case, the fruit is from California, but not necessarily from Napa or other regions, and most likely, not from the Oak Knoll District estate.

While the published price or release price is comparable to estate labels of top producers such as Cliff Lede, Pahlmeyer, Markham and so on, we acquired these through this special offering at a 40% discount. Another lesson to be learned by many folks learning the branding and distribution strategies of wine producers, a producer will set a price to establish the value of the label in the marketplace. If or when they discount that price, they serve to undermine the 'street' price of their brand and label in the marketplace. Hence, producers will endeavor to prop up or maintain their 'published' price to support their brand. They'll offer discounts to valued, repeat customers who buy in quantity via a allocation distribution subscription or membership. Premium and super premium labels with strong brands and healthy demand, may only be available through such methods.

We joined the Andretti wine club and obtained several allocations of the premium Andretti Montona brand, Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. We canceled our membership when we received the same vintage label release two years apart, in a row. The reason a collector would subscribe to such an offering would be to compare vintage releases from year to year.

Another lesson to be learned here is that Andretti is not an owner of vineyards, rather a tenant of the winery and surrounding vineyards. This might be fine however it may not be a brand to collect for long term cellaring or tasting over an extended period if it exceeds the terms of the lease. There are some long term arrangements of growers supplying producers that span several decades. And some of the most famous or notable vineyards are owned by long terms holders of the property who sell the grapes under long terms contracts to notable producers.

Lastly, like many producers, Andretti offer many brands and labels that are sourced from contract suppliers. This low end entry level every day drinking selection may or may not be such a brand.

In any event its a more modest priced set of labels geared for every day drinking. To that end we acquired a mixed case of three labels, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Moscato.

This is our first tasting of this recent purchase and receipt. Notably, we acquired this mixed case at the height of the pandemic shut in period when we were locked in, and running low of our every day drinking whites, as we entered the summer season. We'll look forward to enjoying it over the course of the summer.

Villa Andretti California Sauvignon Blanc 2018
 
Light silver golden peach colored, light medium bodied, somewhat muted aromatically, subdued notes of citrus, stone fruit, hints of pear and lychee - roundness but lacking focus or crisp precision on a moderate finish.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3401248
 


For our Covid Curve Rebound Wine Dinner we served Villa Andretti Chardonnay as an opener with the salad course and a selection of artisan cheeses.

Villa Andretti California Chardonnay 2017 

This was a nice complement to the selection of artisan cheese.

Golden butter colored, medium bodied, notes of green apple, pear and citrus, with hints of peach on a modest finish.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3638729



Monday, June 1, 2020

Domain Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir and French Morbier Cheese

Wine cheese pairing French Morbier with Domain Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2007

I wrote last weekend I am going to attempt to write about and review my experiences in pairing wine with cheese. As I begin focusing on the art of pairing wine with cheese, I pulled from the cheese cooler this French Morbier cheese selection and was eager to try this with an appropriate wine.

Jani & Simonetta have a wine site called Cards of Wine - Wine School for Normal People, a comprehensive site about all things wine with encyclopedic depth and breadth of information about wine, grapes, regions, tasting, and pairing wine with food, and with cheeses.

They have a citation about Morbier as "a semi-soft Cow Milk Cheese named after the village of Morbier in France. It is soft and elastic, and recognizable by a thin black layer in the middle.
The aroma of Morbier is strong, but the flavor is rich and creamy, with a slightly bitter aftertaste."

Jani & Simonetta suggest Semi-soft cheeses such as Morbier need medium bodied White Wines. Their favorite pairing is with a French Gewürztraminer. They also suggest Sparkling White Wine with Semi-soft cheeses such as Morbier. I was looking for a Red Wine pairing and they suggest the most suitable is a light red wine such as Pinot Noir, a French Beaujolais, or Italian Barbera. The only such light red we have in our cellar is Pinot Noir, as we tend towards bigger bolder styled wines. I pulled one of the better known favorite labels, Evenstad Reserve from Domaine Serene, as it is one our favorites, and a seemingly natural choice for this pairing. We have several vintages of this label and I pulled the 2007, not only one of the oldest vintages in our collection, but also one that is a highly rated, according to the pundits.

As I write often in these pages, I'm not a 'Pinot guy' but keep some on hand for entertaining Pinot drinkers, and for occasions calling for a Pinot Noir pairing. This is one of the few Pinots we keep in the cellar and is one of our favorites, and a top rated vintage release. 

Domaine Serene "Evenstad Reserve" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007

This release got 95 points and was designated a 'Cellar Selection' from Wine Enthusiast and 91 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. 

Wine Enthusiast wrote, "Although it is drinking like a mature wine, there is every reason to cellar wines such as this - it can develop like a fine Burgundy, over decades." So, there shouldn't be a hurry to consume this if this is the case. We hold several bottles and will be mindful to be patient with those remaining. Wine Spectator wrote, 'Best from 2012 through 2015', which isn't a long drinking window for a 2007, five to eight years. In 2009 Parker said, "Give it 1-2 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2011 to 2019." Here we are in year thirteen, just beyond the prescribed ideal drinking windows, and, while this wasn't showing any diminution from aging, its will likely not improve with any further cellaring.

This is one of our perennial favorite Pinots, I've written in previous tastings, 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.

Wine Enthusiast says this release is "A very elegant and refined Evenstad Reserve .... the fruit is immaculate, the concentration focused and lengthy, and the flavors are so artfully blended that the wine is seamless and perfectly balanced."

RM 90 points. 

I sense and fear the Morbier clashed with the graceful elegance of the Pinot. The Evenstad was a nice complement to the Morbier but not an ideal match. Next time I will endeavor to try pairing Morbier with a white wine, for which it is apparently better suited. 

I am going to attempt to 'rate' the cheese, and the subsequent combination of the wine with the cheese. While this is totally subjective and perhaps arbitrary, my years of rating wines has produced a consistency that have been tested and proven, that I have grown to trust and rely upon. We'll see how this plays out going forward. 

The Wine, 90 points, the French Morbier cheese, RM 89 points; the pairing with the Eventstad Reserve 2007, 88 points. This says, the pairing of the wine and the cheese rendered a pairing score that was less than the rating of the wine, or the cheese, hence not a desired or suggested pairing.

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

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Cheese Cheese Cheese for wine pairing

Cheese Cheese Cheese for Wine Pairing

Shut in due to the Coronavirus stay-at-home edict we've been taking advantage of our wine cellar enjoying favorite wines, food, and wine pairings with food and cheeses. We also love cheese and often do simple wine and cheese pairings. We features the wines in these pages but don't often mention or dive into the cheeses. That may change as Linda went out and got a selection of artisan cheeses which we're looking forward to exploring. We'll pay more attention to note the cheeses paired with our wine selections as we go forward.

Stay tuned and check back ....

We're currently holding these cheeses to explore with wine combinations over the coming weeks:

Bellavitano
Campo de Montalban Mixed Milk Spain
Carr Valley Billy Blue
Castello Danish Blue
Fair Oaks Farm 11 year old aged Cheddar
Livradios French Morbier
Long Clawson English Blue Shropshire
Black River Gorgonzola
Ciresa Mountain Gorgonzola
Old Amsterdam Gouda
Pico de Queso Cheddar
Yellow Door Creamery Cocoa Fontina 


Wine cheese pairing coming next ... Domain Serene Evensted Reserve Pinot Noir 2007

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000 and 1997

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000 and 1997

This classic Aussie Shiraz (aka Syrah), is a single vineyard designated bottling from a well known high volume producer. Rosemount Balmoral Syrah is made from grapes grown in 50-100 year old vineyards. Balmoral Syrah from McLaren Vale in South Central Australia takes its name from the Oatley family homestead, built in 1852. Rosemount Estate was founded in 1974 and had its first release in 1975 and has built a strong Australian and international reputation for producing high-quality wines.This wine was first produced in 1989 initially under the Show Reserve banner but in 1992 it was renamed Balmoral and over the ensuing years become Rosemount's top flagship red wine.

We discovered and started collecting this wine in the mid-nineties and still hold over four cases spanning a decade of vintages from 1992 to 2002. We hold several vintages in the original six-pack cases from several vintages including this 2000 obtained upon release.

The label was Awarded Wine of the Year in Australia in 1998, it won both a Trophy and a Gold medal at the coveted Decanter World Wine Awards in 2011 and again in 2012 and consistently receives 90+ points from Wine Spectator across multiple Balmoral vintages.

Predominantly sourced from the McLaren Vale sub-region of Seaview, this wine is made from premium parcels from carefully selected vineyards (ranging from 50 to 100 years old) that produce tiny quantities of exceptional fruit. The result is a wine that delivers intense depth of flavour, superb length and fine acidity with a soft, velvety tannin structure and is known to be suitable for long term aging.


Following the 2000 vintages wines opened the past few evenings, Linda prepared a homemade pizza and I pulled from the cellar this 2000 vintage Shiraz. The next evening she prepared BBQ ribs and I opened a 1997 vintage release of the same label for a mini-vertical tasting of the label. 

Rosemount Estate Balmoral McLaren Vale South Australia Syrah 2000

I note regularly in these pages that a key to and part of the fun of having a wine cellar collection is to drink a wine over a period of years to witness how that wine ages. This is a testament to that process, for a wine that has longevity and has evolved gracefully over two decades now.

After fermentation the 2000 vintage was racked off its skins and aged for two years, in a 60/40 blend of new French and American oak. 

Consistent with previously reported tasting notes from 2010 and 2012, this 2000 was dark inky purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, tangy black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.


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

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

At fifteen years of age, this wine was aging gracefully and still holding its own, aging consistent with earlier notes back in 2010 and 2012 ... this revealed the same tasting and aging profile, consistent with earlier notes. Bright aromatics fill the room upon opening, the same dark inky purple color and medium body persists.

The notes from 2012 reflected this wine seemed frozen in time at this stage of its life, still holding its own and showing no further diminution of aging.
Tonight, at twenty years, it was showing amazing resilience and still holding on, albeit showing some diminution from aging.

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

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

RM 90 points.

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

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/02/rosemount-balmoral-syrah-2000.html

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 1997


This was a good pairing with tangy BBQ ribs.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, "The dark purple colour, is starting to subside to garnet color with a slight hazy brownish hue, full aroma of perfume and fruit - the diminution of fruit continues as this wine is showing its age further with ripe concentrated plum and blackberry and black cherry fruits hanging on but giving way to green bell pepper replacing the ripe raisin fig tones, accented by leather, smoke and a somewhat funky wet wood and  cedar with a touch of vanilla and sweet cherry - tightly wound with a tinge of tight tannins and acid on the subdued fruit finish.'

'These notes from 2014 followed my earlier note in 2013 that said, "Its time to drink up as this '97 which is showing its age as the fruit starts to diminish somewhat.

Looking at Cellartracker tasting notes, one writer reports this vintage still holding on while another says his is over the hill. While past its prime, this was still very much still inside the drinking window." Showing that continued diminution, I would say that while still holding, this is nearing the end of its drinking window."

In 2016, it was written, This was a fitting wine to open on New Year's eve, twenty years beyond release, suitable tasting with festive holiday buffet foods of sausages, ham, olives and avocado dips and cheeses. 

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17074

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale South Australia Syrah 2000

The Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah takes its name from the Oatley family homestead, built in 1852. The wine was first produced in 1989 initially under the Show Reserve banner but in 1992 it was renamed Balmoral and has become Rosemount's top red wine. 

Awarded Wine of the Year in Australia in 1998, the grapes for Balmoral Syrah are hand-picked from vines up to 100 years of age, yielding tiny quantities of exceptional fruit. The wine is known for consistently manifesting intense depth of varietal flavour and complex peppery nuances, balanced by a fine acidity and tannin structure. 
 
After fermentation it is racked off its skins and aged for two years, in a 60/40 blend of new French and American oak. Its inky purple colour is almost impenetrable. 

 
We hold a decade of vintages of this label dating back to the early nineties. 
 
Consistent with previously reported tasting notes from 2010 and 2012, this 2000 was dark inky purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, tangy black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.
 
RM 88 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/02/rosemount-balmoral-syrah-2000.html