Christmas features birthyear and celebration wines

Christmas Family gathering features special family birthyear and celebration wines 

The entire family gathered for a festive Christmas celebration with gifts, food, holiday treats and of course, some special celebratory wines. As we've written in these pages, over the years, we've collected a horizontal selection of birthyear wines for each of our children. We served those special vintages in large format bottles at their weddings and other gala celebrations. 

We still hold several bottles of those wines that are getting on in years approaching or surpassing their drinking ageworthiness and drinking windows. 

Our oldest offspring, daughter Erin is in her fortieth year and her birthyear vintage, 1981 was a modest, challenging vintage for aging potential. 

 

Indeed, we served her birthyear vintage wines from large format bottles at her wedding, fifteen years ago. At that time, we wondered how well those twenty-five year old labels would show. We served premium and super premium labels that had long lives, even in the less stellar 1981 vintage. Couple that with the fact that we served large format bottles, which extend the ageworthiness of wine, and we had a great tasting experience. See Wine Bottle Sizes...Bigger is Better - Right Bottle Sizes...Bigger (or Smaller) is Better.

Tonight, at forty years, we decided its time to open these remaining vintage wines and pulled from the cellar some of the most ageworthy labels that remain. The premier bottle we opened was Château Lafite Rothschild 1981. We also opened a Château LaGrange St Julien from the same vintage. 

Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1981

We visited the Château Lafite Rothschild estate during our trip to the Bordeaux region in 2018. While we focused on touring St Julien producers, we also stopped by some of the notable estates in nearby appellation of Pauillac that we own and collect. It was a delight and reverent experience to walk the grounds and adjacent vineyards of the legendary historic estates of the Pichons, Lynch Bages and Lafite Rothschild. 

Château Lafite Rothschild is one of the five First Growth Bordeaux, and one of the most famous and collected wines in the world. 

We opted to open this label from our cellar collection as well as a lesser fifth growth that will most likely be closer to the end of, or further past the end of its drinking window. To our dismay and delight, both bottles were still presentable and holding their own, albeit clearly being in their final stages of their drinkability.

Sadly, of all the estates we visited, only one, Lafite Rothschild had security personnel come out and confront us and order us off the property.  While we deeply respect their property rights and sovereignty, it made an impression of in-hospitality and un-welcomeness, such that we will avoid the label from our collecting,  buying and tasting in the future. While Lafite is legendary, there are many alternative labels available to support. 

The Lafite Rothschild estate sits outside the town of Pauillac on the border of the appellations of Pauillac and St Estephe, on the main D2 route heading north as you exit the appellation and enter the adjoining St. Estephe. 

The Chateau is surrounded by nearly 280 acres of vineyards that are well-drained and well-exposed, with soil made up of fine deep gravel, mixed with aeolian sand on a subsoil of tertiary limestone. The vineyards are divided into three sites: the hillsides around the Château, the adjacent Carruades plateau to the west, and ten+ acres to the along the highway to the north in neighbouring Saint Estèphe.

The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%). The average age of the grapevines is 39 years old but fruit from vines younger than 10 years old are not used in the Grand Vin. This means that the average age of the vines used in the Grand Vin (Château Lafite Rothschild) is closer to 45 years. The oldest plot, called “La Gravière , was planted in 1886.

We have been collecting and tasting this legendary label for significant vintages since the 1970's, our anniversary and birthyear vintages dating back to our 1974 anniversary, and this remains one of the oldest and last remaining bottles in our collection of 'collectables'. I still remember opening the 1974 vintage back upon release and then for our a couple of milestone anniversaries at 25 years and others.

At forty years, the foil, label, fill level and importantly, the cork, were all in pristine condition.  

This was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Back as early as 1997, Robert Parker wrote that "This wine is close to full maturity, but it is capable of holding for another two decades."

Parker wrote: "It reveals the classic Lafite bouquet of red and black fruits, cedar, fruitcake, and tobacco-like aromas. In the mouth, this medium ruby/garnet-colored wine displays a delicacy of fruit and sweet attack, but subtle, well-defined flavors ranging from tobacco, cigar box, cedar, and fruitcake. This is a savory, soft Lafite-Rothschild that is pleasing to both the intellect and the palate. (RP)  (12/1997)"

Son Ryan took great care to extract the cork completely intact using an 'ahso' two pronged cork puller. He double decanted it with a strainer to separate the black sediment. 

The color was dark garnet color with just a slight amount of bricking on the edges. The slight funky nose burned off after a short period to reveal bright cherry aromatics. Medium bodied, smooth, polished, delicate black berry and black cherry fruits with accents of cigar box, cedar, hints of leather and graphite with a tangy acidic lingering finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12987

www.lafite.com/en/

Château LaGrange St Julien 1981

We also pulled from the cellar another 1981 vintage Bordeaux to consume before it is too late in its drinking window.

We also visited the LaGrange estate, outside the village of St-Julien-Beychevelle during our visit to Bordeaux in 2019. It sits further 'inland' from the Gironde River estuary, not far from the adjacent estates of Château Gruaud-Larose and  Château Branaire-Ducru that we toured during our visit. 

The iconic Château that is recognized from decades of labels is more picturesque than expected or imaginable as it looks out on a small lake/pond as one approaches the estate.

The estate has turned over and undergone substantial improvements over the years and the quality of product is vastly improved today. 

Château Lagrange was founded and can be found mentioned as early as the 13th century.

The reputation of the cru was established in the 18th century by the families of Brane and Arbouet, succeeded by Jean Valère Cabarrus, who built the Tuscan Tower estate in 1820. 

In the 18th century it found favour with the American ambassador Thomas Jefferson, who placed it 3rd in his rank of personal favourites. In 1842, Château Lagrange was bought and redeveloped the property modernizing the facilities and extending the vineyard and classified third cru within the Grand Cru Saint-Julien in 1855.

After a series of crises between the 19th and 20th centuries (phylloxera, world wars), the property has risen from the ashes, notably thanks to the Suntory family who bought it in 1983 and undertook a large-scale renovation.

The property was taken over by the Japanese spirits producer Suntory in the mid 1980's. They made substantial improvements to the property and facilities through 2008 and modernized the entire winemaking facilities and cellars in 2013 which should no doubt result in increasing improvements and quality of the wines. Suntory also took over and made substantial investment in additions and improvements to nearby Château Beychevelle which we also toured while in the area.

However, the easiest way to think of Chateau Lagrange is by knowing all their vines are dispersed over 2, gently sloping, gravel hillsides, well placed in the west of the Saint Julien appellation, close to Chateau Gruaud Larose and Chateau Branaire Ducru. At the peak of their vineyards, the hillsides reach up to 24 meters, which puts their vines at the highest elevation in the Saint Julien appellation.
Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/lagrange/

However, the easiest way to think of Chateau Lagrange is by knowing all their vines are dispersed over 2, gently sloping, gravel hillsides, well placed in the west of the Saint Julien appellation, close to Chateau Gruaud Larose and Chateau Branaire Ducru. At the peak of their vineyards, the hillsides reach up to 24 meters, which puts their vines at the highest elevation in the Saint Julien appellation.
Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/lagrange/

Château LaGrange St Julien Bordeaux 1981

This is the oldest of several vintages of this wine dating back to this birth year vintage from Erin's vintage release in the early eighties.

Château LaGrange vineyards span nearly 300 acres and rise to an elevation of 24 meters, the highest altitude in the St Julien appellation. The vineyards are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot for the reds, and 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sauvignon Gris and 10% Sémillon for the whites. The vineyards have that classic St Julien pebble soil. 

This release is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. 

Earlier in its life this release was rated 92 points John Gilman, James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits and Robert Parker. 

Like the Lafite above, we also obtained this upon release and have kept it in our cellar since. As such the bottle and label were in pristine condition - the bottle fill level being top of neck, the label and foil being in best expected condition for their age. Unlike the Lafite however, the cork of the LaGrange was partially saturated and crumbled upon extraction. Even with the 'ahso' two pronged cork puller, it came apart and required a combination ahso and corkscrew to remove completely. 

At forty years of age, this was amazingly holding on to its color and what remained of its structure and fruits albeit diminished to being minimal, it was still presentable and while modest, was pleasant drinking, especially considering its age. 

Like the Lafite above, Ryan double decanted this. It showed dark garnet colored, medium body with black berry and black cherry fruits turning to leather, tobacco and notes of black tea and tangy acidity on hte modest finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=363605

https://chateau-lagrange.com/en/

https://www.ugcb.net/en/chateau-lagrange

Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1985

In the spirit of opening the Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux, above, we also pulled from the cellar another classic first growth Bordeaux, this Château Mouton Rothschild 1985. 

This is tribute to son Sean's birthyear, and the recent birth of his and Michelle's daughter Lavender. The classic Mouton Rothschild artist label of the 1985 vintage features an surrealist impressionist painting of demure young maidens gazing on bunches of grapes, painted by Belgium born Flemmish Expressionist Paul Delvaux. 

We only hold this vintage of this legendary first growth label in a small format half bottle so we held off opening it today, but presented it to the new parents to hold and open together on a suitable occasion of their choosing. 

I write often in these pages about bottle sizes, large and small, here is an example of a small format bottle, suitable for an intimate tasting for two! 

Like the other bottles we acquired this upon release and have been holding in our cellar ever since. The image shown is taken from a large format double magnum of this release, to better show the artist painting as rendered on the label. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1582

https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/label-art/discover-the-artwork/paul-delvaux#

We also opened this hearty full throttled Aussie Shiraz Cabernet Blend for enjoyment by the group. 

Mollydooker Enchanted Path Cabernet Shiraz 2007

I write about the Mollydooker branding and history in more detail in this blogpost.  

Their portfolio of cartoonish labels are a family favorite and we open their premium labels, Enchanted Path and Carnival of Love on many family special occasions. 

Mollydooker is the handiwork of the (former) husband-and-wife winemaking team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. Prior to starting their own label the pair produced under the Marquis Philips brand in partnership with their distributor Dan Philips. Previously, they produced award-winning wines for Australian producers including Fox Creek, Henry’s Drive, Shirvington, and others. The term Mollydooker is Australian slang for a left-handed person as both Sarah and Sparky Marquis are left-handed.

Since 2005, they focused exclusively on making their own exuberant wines which include a range of Shiraz labels and a variety of Shiraz/Cab/Merlot blends, as well as some adventuresome white wines such as The Violinist, a Verdelho varietal.

They source their fruit from 116 acres of vineyards at their winery in McLaren Vale where about 50 percent are planted in Shiraz, with the rest made up of Cabernet, Merlot, Semillon and Chardonnay. Most of their wines bear distinctive whimsical and humorous names and labels with cartoon characters. Never-the-less, many of their wines, while modestly-priced, Mollydookers are often highly rated. Their premium label, 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz retails for $175, however.  

As I wrote a while back when I blogged about this label, "This unique blend really works with the Cabernet adding breadth and depth to the big black inky purple colored full bodied Shiraz. The result is a powerful full bodied complex wine with concentrated forward chewy tongue coating black berry and black cherry fruits accented by ripe plum and spice, a layer of leather and hints of anise with fine silky tannins on the long finish".

RM 92 points.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this wine a whopping 95 points and wrote in their review: " The 2007 Enchanted Path, a blend of 67% Shiraz and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, is aged in mostly American oak, 70% new. Purple/black colored, it has a brooding bouquet of spice box, toasty oak, mineral, espresso, black currant, and blueberry. Structured and powerful on the palate, this dense, rich effort requires 5 to 7 years of additional cellaring and will offer prime drinking from 2014 to 2028. 95+ Points (JSM) (2/2009)."

Wine Spectator gave it 91 points  and wrote: "Big, ripe and focused, offering a blast of cherry and plum, with a welcome floral note that lasts through the long, vivid finish. Has a touch of spice as the finish lingers against fine tannins. (HS) (10/2008)".

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=554810

www.mollydookerwines.com 

 

 

Eight Years in the Dessert 2019

Eight Years in the Dessert 2019 - Big Bold Red Wine Flight for festive holiday party

Alec and Vivianna hosted a holiday party and we dropped in late following the wrap-up of our own holiday dinner gathering. All our kid's and their kids were gathered with several of their friends and families.

Alec assembled a wine flight of bold expressive reds - all in magnums for holiday festive cheers. I've written often in these pages about the fun of serving wine in large format bottles, and the benefit of collecting them for long term aging and cellaring. See Wine Bottle Sizes...Bigger is Better - Right Bottle Sizes...Bigger (or Smaller) is Better.

He also served a selection of craft beers and some special whiskys.

I've written often in these pages about our fun with the Venge labels and their predominant "V", which we serve in tribute to daughter-in-law Vivianna. The Scout's Honor red blend is a crowd pleaser, one of the labels we served for our festive Thanksgiving dinner. 

I opted to taste the Orin Swift "8 Years in the Desert" label. 

The history of Orin Swift Cellars dates back to 1995 when on a lark, David Swift Phinney took a friend up on an offer and went to Florence, Italy to spend a semester “studying”. During that time, he was introduced to wine, how it was made, and got hooked. A few more years of university led to graduation and eventually a job at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 as a temporary harvest worker. 

Deciding that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself, he founded Orin Swift Cellars in 1998; Orin is his father’s middle name and Swift is his mother’s maiden name. With two tons of zinfandel and not much else, he spent the next decade making wine for others as well as himself and grew the brand to what it is today.

Orin Swift has a broad portfolio of bold expressive wines - all with unique, distinctive, and in some cases weird or even creepy names or labels.  You be the judge ...

• Abstract
• Blank Stare
• China Doll
• Mannequin
• Machete
• Mercury Head
• Mute
• Palermo
• Papillon
• Slander
• Trigger Finger
• Veladora

Some of his labels take the artistic label to almost an extreme such as Orin Swift Machete, which features twelve different labels with photos of a Black woman sporting a machete in repose on an old Cadillac in very positions. 

Taking the labels and branding to an even further extreme, his new label, a premium blend of California Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot, Face Value, which I have yet to see or taste boasts "96 different labels, all of which depict a person with true value".

Orin Swift 8 Years in the Desert 2019

This is a Zinfandel Blend with some Syrah and Petit Syrah - three bold expressive varietals all together. What's not to like? Unless you defer to 'wimpy' wines. Lisa Perrotti-Brown of The Wine Advocate gave this 93 pts.

Garnet purple colored, medium full-bodied, not graceful or well behaved, full round concentrated, the ripe spicy brambly black and red fruits are overtaken by pepper and creosote with notes of cinnamon, clove, white pepper and graphite with earthy tree bark turning to chewy bold tannins on a long finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3792540

https://www.orinswift.com/index.cfm

 

Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove Bolgheri 2017

Ornellaia "Le Serre Nuove" Bolgheri 2017

As has become our custom, gathered in the city for final stages of our planning meetings, we dined at Italian Village for dinner. Seeking basic American cuisine I ordered a filet of beef and baked potato. For a wine accompaniment I chose from the vast Italian Village, Chicago, extraordinary wine cellar list, this 2017 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell' Ornellaia. It turned out to be a perfect selection, amplifying the enjoyment of both the beefsteak dinner and the wine. 

 

First released in 1997, this is the twentieth anniversary release of this label. It is the 'Second' wine of Ornellaia, produced to broaden the selection of wines crafted during the assembly of the base wines of Ornellaia. It is produced mainly from younger vines, but crafted to match the profile of freshness, accessibility and flexibility with structure, balance and intensity typical of the great terroirs of the company properties.

Ornellaia is somewhat of a legend, one of the first “super-Tuscans”, the result of Marchese Lodovico Antinori’s ambition to produce a great Bordeaux-style wine in Tuscany. The first vineyards were planted in 1981 and today have expanded to almost 250 acres. 

Today, the winery is owned by the Frescobaldi family, one of seven estates they own and manage across the Northern Italian Tuscany Bolgheri region, some of which have been in the family dating back to the 1300's.

This label was awarded 93 points by James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Vinous. 

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 15 months s in oak. The significant production was 250,000 bottles released in September 2019.

The year 2107 vintage was hot and dry which contributed to the richness and concentration of the fruit.

Winemaker's Notes: “Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2017 expresses itself with outstanding elegance, combining great ageing potential with immediate enjoyability. A deep ruby red colour with purple highlights, a beautifully complex nose characterised by scents of small red berries and balsamic notes reminiscent of Mediterranean scrub vegetation. The quality of the tannins on the palate is particularly striking, smooth and silky. The mouthfeel ends with a lingering finish and unexpected freshness.”, Olga Fusari – Winemaker – May 2019.

Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, seductive floral aromas sprouted from the glass, vibrant, expressive round balanced and nicely integrated full black berry and ripe plum fruits are accented by  leather, spice and pipe tobacco, notes of cedar and hints of  licorice and mint with silky full fine-grained tannins on the long full finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3377327

https://www.ornellaia.com/en

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/wine-cellar/  

https://twitter.com/italianvlg

https://twitter.com/Ornellaia

 

 

 

Intimate dinner Suzette’s Creperie French Bistro Wheaton

Intimate dinner at Suzette’s Creperie French Wine Bar, Bistro, Wheaton

We took dear friend Marlene out for her birthday celebration dinner to Suzette’s Creperie French Wine Bar and Bistro in adjacent Wheaton (Illinois).

We dined al fresco on their quaint patio last summer for a authentic french bistro dinner with a special BYO bottle and a special selection from their winelist. 

Suzette's Creperie, inspired by the Paris street vendors selling crepes, opened in 2000 in historic downtown Wheaton. Originally only seven tables and a counter, they quickly outgrew the space and expanded into the adjacent storefront to 17 tables, counter, bar and outdoor patio in the summer.

The adjacent Suzette's Boulangerie & Patisserie offers authentic french inspired artisanal croissants and breads and sweets with coffee, espresso, latte and café au lait. 

The restaurant features a Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence unique and carefully selected wine list of close to a hundred French wines from an inventory of nearly 600 bottles, as well as champagnes, sherries, French beer, French Ciders, Cognacs, Armagnacs and spirits, They offer wines in all price ranges from modest house W-B-T-G (wines by the glass) or bottles from basic to to super premium vintage first growths. 

Some of their interesting and premium winelist selections include:

• 2000 Vosne-Romanée, Michel Gros, Clos des Réas, 1er Cru, Monopole
• 2001 Echézeaux, Devillard, Domaine des Predix, Grand Cru
• 2003 Châteauneuf du Pape, Vieux Télégraphe
• 1999 Pauillac, Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru
• 2003 Pauillac, Ponet Canet
• 2001 St. Julien, de Pichon Longueville
• 2000 St. Emilion, Château La Gaffelière
• vertical selection of a half dozen vintages of St. Emilion, Château St. George dating back to 1990.
  

When we dined there last summer, we took one special bottle BYOB and then ordered from the winelist a special select Chateau La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009, which was one of the highlights of our visit to Chateauneuf-du-Pape was a tour and tasting at Chateau La Nerthe where we tasted this special limited release bottle Chateau La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir.

Suzette's atmosphere is cozy and intimate with leisurely paced European Style service by an attentive staff for a relaxing enjoyable dining experience. 

The delightful atmosphere was amplified by holiday decorations of a Christmas tree, holiday bows and a table set with quaint table decorations included lighted snowglobes. This was especially appreciated for our festive holiday and celebration dinner as Linda had taken a friend to Naperville's Egg Harbor cafe earlier in the day for a similar outing and came away deeply disappointed by the complete lack of holiday recognition and a unsympathetic uncaring response by staff responding to her comments.

The menu features small plates of Escargot Suzette’s Style, Three Cheese Soufflé, Fondue for Two, cheese plate and my choice, Pâté, all great accompaniments to a wine course. 

There is a soup and salad selection and the main course features their specialty selection of Crêpes, chicken, ham and cheese, vegetable, salmon, spinach and my choice, Beef Bourguignon.

They also typically offer a couple special entree selections from which we typically order. 

Tonight, Linda ordered the 'Special' crabcakes, while I passed on the Lamb Special for the traditional Crêpe Beef Bourguignon. Last summer, we feasted on their delectable Special Sole Meuniere.

Marlène & Nicolas Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes Hermitage 2018

Never mind we were dining and celebrating birthday of friend Marlene, I chose this wine for the appellation, varietal and style to accompany my beef bourguignon, not for the producer's name, although its irony is part of the fun and enjoyment of/with wine!

Once part of the cave co-operative at Tain-Hermitage, since 2008 the family vineyards of Domaine Chevalier are gradually being reclaimed by the brother and sister team of Nicolas and Marlène Chevalier. Nicolas tends the vineyards and crafts each cuvee, while Marlène handles all of the sales and marketing for Domaine Chevalier.

Following his formal agricultural studies in France, Nicolas spent four years honing his winemaking skills on estates in Australia, California and South Africa. After completing studies in agronomy and enology in France, he headed to South Australia’s Clare Valley where he mastered various techniques for fermenting Shiraz (Syrah). He then worked with Kendall Jackson in California crafting white winemaking skills. To further his post-graduate wine studies, he spent 2002 in South Africa working at legendary three-hundred-year-old Boschendal estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a winery renowned for its superb Syrah-based wines.

Marlène and Nicolas Chevalier farm three small vineyards at their meticulously tended family property comprising 3 1/2 acres in Crozes-Hermitage from which they produce on average 500 cases of red and white Rhône wines in tiny lots which are highly allocated. Their wines are found only in a couple of importer direct wine clubs and renowned restaurants in North American.

Nicolas works with several distinct parcels for their wines: La Motte, Marius, Petite Pend, Les Pends and namesake source for this label, Les Voleyses. These vineyards have clay and limestone soils with excellent exposure, known to produce ripe, high quality grapes with great aromatic character and freshness. The Domaine Chevalier site has been producing grapes for notable wines gaining high praise and critical acclaim for more than three centuries.

The 2018 vintage was top rated in the Northern Rhône.

 

Importer notes: The 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage sports a brilliant purple robe and a captivating aroma redolent with the scents of blackberry, plum, violets, and exotic spices. Sensuous and seductive in the mouth, the 2018 Les Voleyses graces the palate with a silky texture and pure floral, fruit, and forest floor flavors that have aptly been described as hedonism in a glass. Moreover, the 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses is juicy and harmonious to the finish, as it makes an exit with joyful panache.

 

The Voleyses Cuvée is 100% Syrah made from younger vine fruit and aged in stainless steel.

Deep inky purple colored medium-full bodied, full round layers of blackberry and plum fruits, notes of black tea, spice and leather overtake the fruits, turning to soft chewy textured tannins on a medium finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3495672

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Haut-Bages-Averous Pauillac 1989

Haut-Bages-Averous Pauillac 1989

With quiet dinner of left over beef stroganoff from last night, I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Bordeaux, the second label of Chateau Lynch-Bages. We planned a tour of the Lynch Bages estate in Pauillac in Bordeaux during our trip to the region in 2019. Lynch Bages were kind enough to respond promptly and regretably informed us that the estate was under construction, but kindly offered a tour of their second tier Les-Ormes-de-Pez estate in St. Estephe. Not knowing the area and the distances and logistics, we ended up not scheduling the tour and visit and focused solely on the St Julien appellation. 

Never-the-less, we did end up driving up to and around Pauillac and stopped at the Lynch Bages estate, which was indeed, under substantial construction.

We also drove north to St Estephe and stopped at the Les-Ormes-de-Pez estate in St. Estephe, immediately across the road from the magnificent, historic Cos d'Estournel. 

We also drove around the Lynch Bages vineyards, source of the premier grand vin as well as this secondary label. 

Lynch Bages has a long history in Bordeaux, named for the geographic area where the chateau is located in Bages on the outskirts of the village of Pauillac. 

The vineyards of what was to become Lynch Bages were established by the Dejean family dating back to 1728.

In 1877, Jean-Charles Cazes, was born to Lou Janou Cazes and his wife Angelique in the town of Pauillac. The Cazes family had a long history in Bordeaux dating back to the second half of the nineteenth century. In the 1930’s, Jean-Charles Cazes, was in charge of Les-Ormes-de-Pez in St. Estephe and agreed to lease the vines of Lynch Bages. Jean-Charles Cazes eventually purchased both properties on the eve of the Second World War. Lynch Bages and Les-Ormes-de-Pez have been run by the Cazes family ever since. 

In the early 1970's, they increased their vineyards with the purchase of land from Haut-Bages Averous. By the late 1990’s their holdings had expanded to almost 240 acres. 

In 1987, Jean-Michel Cazes sold the properties to and joined the large French insurance company AXA, who built an extensive investment portfolio of quality vineyards in the Medoc of Bordeaux, Pomerol, Sauternes, Portugal and Hungary. Cazes was named director of the wine division of the extensive portfolio of wine estates including Lynch Bages of which he he took on managing director in 2006.

Chateau Lynch Bages began a massive renovation and modernization in 2017, focused on the winemaking, and technical facilities. This construction was underway when we visited in 2018. The major project, was headed by noted architects Chien Chung Pei and Li Chung Pei, the sons of the famous architect who designed the glass pyramid for the Louvre in Paris as well as several other important buildings.

The project included grape, reception center, gravity-flow wine cellar and vat rooms housing 80 stainless steel vinification vats. The extensive project was completed in 2021. The new cellars feature a glass roof, terraces with 360-degree views, and completely modernized reception areas and offices. 

The vineyards of Lynch Bages spanning 240 acres, are planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel, chalk, and sand soils. The vineyards lie around the outskirts of the village of Pauillac, sitting on the Gironde River.

The average age of the vines is about 30 years old but they have old vines, some of which are close to 90 years old.

We hold a dozen vintages of the grand vin Lynch Bages, and a half dozen vintages of this second label dating back to the mid-eighties, including this aged vintage 1989 release. 

This is the second label of the legendary Lynch Bages. It was renamed Echo de Lynch-Bages in 2008. As the second wine, it is subjected to the same exceptional winemaking as its 'big brother,' is sourced from the same vineyards with the same terroir, albeit from the younger vines. 

The second wine is known to be approachable when young, but is capable of gaining layers of nuance and complexity as it ages. It is capable to age for decades or more as this bottle attests. 

This bottle has been held in our cellar since release and showed perfect storage with the fill level, label, capsule and cork all in remarkably perfect condition given its age of 32 years. It showed remarkable color, body, fruit and balance with very little diminution from aging.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, black berry fruits accented by smoke, damp earth, leather, floral violets, cassis, spice, oak and graphite on a lingering tangy acidic tannic laden finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=137370

Vincent Paris 'Les Côtes' Saint-Joseph Red Wine 2019

Domaine Vincent Paris 'Les Côtes' Saint-Joseph Red Wine 2019

Linda prepared beef stroganoff and I pulled from the cellar this big hearty Sirah. I recently picked this up at Binny's, the Chicagoland Beverage super store to 'try before I buy' for our cellar collection. Based on this experience tonight, I'll definitely be running back to pick up more of this label for bright expressive fruit and good QPR (quality-price-ratio) drinking. 

This is from the Saint Joseph appellation in the Côtes du Rhône of the Rhone River Valley that stretches from the city of Vienne in the north to Avignon is the south. Sitting in the northern Rhone River Valley, it is the region's largest appellation in terms of geographical coverage. The appellation is known for red wine made primarily from the Syrah grape varietal, and a small amount, about ten percent, white wine made from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes that may be blended together in varying proportions.

The Saint-Joseph appellation was designated in 1956 and consisted of six parishes, and was expanded in 1969 based on the success and popularity of its wines. It now covers more than 26 communes extending about 30 miles from Chavanay in the north in the Condrieu territory, to Chateaubourg in the south.

This is 100% Syrah from vineyards in the village of Ardoix about 30 km north of Cornas in the central part of the appellation. 10 and 20 year old vines. Prunes to only four bunches of grapes per vine (the norm is between five and seven) for richer more concentrated fruit.

The area extending down to Cornas is known to produce some of the world’s best varietal fruit of the Syrah grape. The area terrain sits on the slopes facing east in the river valley. Saint-Joseph wines are generally made in a lighter style, for earlier consumption (no more than four years), and lean towards fruitier flavors with softer tannins rather than the meatier, leathery style of Hermitage appellation based wines produced across the river. The best sites are set on primary rock formations, consisting of gneiss, granite and mica-rich schist, while others are set on limestone outcrops, or the alluvial soils of ancient glacial terraces. These soils are reflected in characteristics in the wines produced from them.

As soon as the cork was extracted the room filled with aroma's of black and blue fruits and spice. 

Pouring this into the glass it was dark inky purple colored, medium-full bodied, bold vibrant, complex but nicely balanced, elegant rich blackberry fruits with notes of ripe blueberry, spice, black pepper with full soft smooth tannins on the long finish. 

RM 91 points. 

This was rated 91-93 pts by Vinous. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3735670

Battle Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

 Battle Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

To our 'father-son' dinner the other night, Alec brought from his home cellar this boutique limited production family producer Alexander Valley Cabernet. He acquired this through an on-line "Wine-Text" wineclub he used while in NYC which doesn't ship to IL, hence he has dropped this source of what provided many high QPR quality labels limited production boutique labels. I post this separately as I actually didn't taste it till the next day over at his place. While Alec paid around $50 for this at that time, on-line sources and wine commerce sites widely offer later releases at $125 to $150 per bottle.

According to the rear label, only 175 cases were produced of this Sonoma County Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, "Cellared and Bottled" by Battle Family Vineyards in Santa Rosa. 

From Wine Enthusiast we learn this is from a small site where the appellation overlaps with Chalk Hill, crafted by Winemaker Patrick Sullivan. Alcohol 13.9%, aged for 20 months in 90% new oak. 

Wine Enthusiast gave this 92 points.  

From Mio Creative Services Marketing Agency in St Louis, 'Battle Family Vineyards, tucked into the rolling hills of Sonoma county is a small vineyard and a family with a dream of one day having their own wine collection. Battle Family Vineyards is a rich brand ripe with passion. We assisted their launch with print collateral and an e-commerce website.' 

That said, however, their website www.battlefamilyvineyards.com is no longer viable or live. 

This was dark garnet ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated firmly structured blackberry and black cherry fruits with complex layers of soy, currant, leather, cedar and clove finishing with firm gripping tannins on a long round acidic finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3565960

Birthyear vintage Silver Oak Bonny's, Figeac for father-son dinner

Birthyear vintage wines for father-son (s) dinner - Silver Oak Bonny's, Château-Figeac

With family and wives out for the day or traveling, son's Ryan and Alec came over for Friday night beef roast stew dinner. With several reasons to celebrate, Ryan pulled from our cellar two birthyear vintage bottles we've been holding for such an occasion. 

At thirty-nine years, both bottles needed to be consumed and both showed amazing resilience in holding on, still being approachable, even in their advanced age approaching their fourth decade. 

Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1982

This is the sole remaining bottle, held out from a case of this label that we served at Ryan and Michelle's wedding celebration dinner back in 2006. We also served large format five and six liter bottles of Silver Oak at their wedding rehearsal dinner. Just recently we also served a six-liter bottle of this label at son Alec's and wife Vivianna's wedding celebration festivities. 

We recently participated in a software vendor partnership executive briefing hosted by Ryan's company in collaboration with Silver Oak. I had the opportunity to share these Silver Oak special occasion experiences with the gathered group. 

Lastly, our visit to the Silver Oak Cooperage where they produce their specially crafted Missouri Oak barrels was a highlight of our Missouri Wine Experience month before last. 

I chronicled Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard in detail in the Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration blogpost mentioned above. The single vineyard designated wine was from the vineyard named for Silver Oak co-founder, Bonny Meyer, planted by Silver Oak founders Bonny and Justin Meyer in 1974 on a gravelly, four-acre plot in the Oakville district of Napa Valley. It was a much-heralded bottling for Silver Oak over the course of two decades, and the vineyard is now bottled under its own label by the Meyers. 

The fill level, lower neck, foil, label and cork were all in excellent condition, amazingly in top condition, appropriate for the age, testament to the provenance of our cellar conditions. The cork was tight and firm; Ryan used an ahso two pronged cork puller but exclaimed it would've come out intact with a traditional cork screw.

We decanted this as there was a fair amount of sediment in the bottle and an initial bit of musky dusty earthiness that burned off over the course of an hour. Dark ruby, ever so slightly brickish colored, medium bodied,  silky smooth and polished, holding together amazingly well for its age, vibrant black berry and black cherry fruits with notes of creosote, cigar box and hints of cassis, and what the winemaker refers to as notes of rhubarb. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=135872

https://silveroak.com/

https://twitter.com/SilverOak

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

For father-son dinner with son Ryan we opened from the cellar two of his birthyear vintage bottles, the Silver Oak and this Château-Figeac. I remember acquiring this wine at auction of TCWC - The Chicago Wine Company, back in the 90's. I still have the records from that purchase and note it was one of the highest prices I had ever paid for a wine, including the First Growth Bordeaux I acquired during the period and previously. 

This was one of the top ranked Bordeaux labels I acquired in large format bottles for my kids' birthyear vintages back upon or soon after release. 

I recall taking this label when we visited Ryan at college to take BYOB for a special dinner.

Château-Figeac has long been recognized and acknowledged as one of the top Bordeaux wines with the great ageing potential, gaining a highly flavourful and succulent complexity over the years, but one that could also be enjoyed just as much in its youth as after several decades. 

Château-Figeac is the flagship estate of a family that has a long history committed to promoting and advancing the region’s prestige and reputation, The estate, located in the heart of the Saint-Émilion appellation covers 133 acres, nearly a quarter of which is left unplanted to preserve a high-quality living environment and an overall natural balance. 

The principles of Château-Figeac have played an active part in the life of the City of Saint-Émilion and of the Bordeaux region, from the time of Élie de Carle, “knight of the vines”, in the 18th century to most recently, the current proprietor, Thierry Manoncourt and his descendants.

While the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 100 acre vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation. 

Château-Figeac’s vinegrowing terroir is a geological exception in the appellation, with three quartz and flint gravel outcrops, several metres deep, and blue clay subsoil, forming a patchwork of plots that are planted with the three grape varieties which give the wine its core identity - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Critics notes summarized - The wine is highlighted by its aromas that reflect the lightness of the soil, its floral bouquet, infused fruit and graphite presenting a bright vitality. The two-thirds of Cabernet in the blend provides a structured backbone and firm body, rolling out a long, vibrant backbone with pure mineral notes on the finish. 

The whole is perfectly enfolded in lush, satin tannins in the style of the highest of high fashion. With time, the wine develops flavours of tobacco-leaf with hints of black truffle, while retaining incomparable freshness of fruit. A glimpse of perfection …

Château-Figeac’s exceptional vinegrowing terroir is the basis for the wines of Château-Figeac and their character and distinctive style from the unique combination of exceptional and complex soils (three Gunzian gravel outcrops, blue clay at depth, a patchwork of plots), several microclimates and an unusual mix of grape varieties dominated by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the primary Merlot in the blend. 

Thierry Manoncourt was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in significant proportions on the Right Bank.

Although the oldest vines date back to 1921, the average age of the vines in the nearly 41 hectare (100 acre) vineyard is 35 years. In recent years, 35% of the vineyard has been replanted while conserving its specific character, following a detailed study of the soil, climate and vegetation.

Château-Figeac Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classe 1982

This vintage release of this label was awarded 95 points by Decanter and John Gilman, 94 points by James Suckling and Rober Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

At thirty nine years of age, this was showing its aging potential, still holding its own and being approachable, still within its drinking window. The fill level was a lower neck level, appropriate for this age. The label, foil and importantly, the cork were all in excellent condition - further evidence of the aging conditions of our cellar. In 2009 Robert Parker wrote, this 1982 appears to be fully mature, but it tasted the same a decade ago, and it should hold at this level for another 10-20 years.

We decanted and left to open and settle for an hour. The color was dark garnet  colored with red bricking and a bit of grey cloudiness starting to set in, medium full bodied, deep complex black cherry and plum fruits with notes of black olive, clove spice, smoke, tar, mushrooms, wet earth and truffles with hints of bitter dark chocolate with smooth tannins on a long finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22601 

https://www.chateau-figeac.com/en/

https://twitter.com/Chateau_Figeac/

@Chateau_Figeac 

 

 

Team dinner at Italian Village Chicago

Team working dinner at Italian Village Chicago features Super Tuscan and Bolgheri Chianti Classico

My 'SPO' - Strategy, Products and Operations leadership team continues their planning sessions in the Chicago home office and gathered for another working dinner at nearby  Italian Village, Chicago. 

 

Ive written regularly in earlier blogposts about our wine and dinners, about Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continuously family operated Italian restaurant in Chicago. As is our custom, IV Wine Director and buddy Jared Gelband served up a duo of Italian varietal wines from the expansive winelist to showcase our dinner selections, as we have done several times over the last couple months. 

With dinner, tonight we selected two wines from the winelist, a recent release new arrival Super Tuscan from Antinori, and a vintage release Tuscan Blend from notable Italian producer Baron Ricasoli.

Barone Ricasoli is one of Chianti’s largest estates, with nearly 650 acres of vineyards in Gaiole in Chianti, in the southern part of the Tuscany’s Chianti appellation. The estate has been in the Ricasoli family for more than 500 years dating back to 1141. Their estate and magnificent Brolio Castle are located within the town of Gaiole.

The Ricasoli family recognized the great potential of the Brolio territory and were among the first to dedicate themselves to the improvement of agriculture and vineyards in the region. Documents from the late 1600s report the first wine exports to Amsterdam and England.

In 1872, Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809 – 1880), politician and visionary wine entrepreneur, originated the formula for Chianti wine, known today as Chianti Classico. 

Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico area of the Italian Tuscany, or Toscana in Italian, wine region, Italy’s best-known wine region and its most diverse. The Ricasoli estate covers nearly 3000 acres of property that include almost 600 acres of vineyards and 26 of olive groves covering rolling hills and picturesque valleys with thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts.

Historically Sangiovese was the primary grape grown in Tuscany and Chianti was considered the purest expression of Sangiovese. Sangiovese and its many clones are still important, and they are the grapes used for the Tuscan appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Chianti, Chianti Classico and Carmignano. 

Baron Francesco Ricasoli took the reigns in 1993 and has been guiding the central Tuscan company when this label was released and re-launched Barone Ricasoli as fine premium wine producer, representing the heritage of his renowned ancestors who have made this territory great and established the Bettino Ricasoli brand. He totally renovated and completely mapped the vineyards. His wines showcase the distinctive terroir of the soil types, the climate and clonal selections of the Brolio Sangiovese.

Today, Ricasoli produce a portfolio of a dozen labels of premium wines, some only in prime years, several labels of Grappa, and a line of Olive Oils, sourced and crafted from the the Broglio Chianti Classico estate.

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro (Sangiovese) Toscana IGT 2000

This 2000 vintage release is a blend of 75% Sangiovese and 25% Merlot. It was aged in small french oak barrels for 18 months which along with the Merlot in the blend, softens the tannins. 

 

The grapes were sourced from estate vineyards set 350 – 400 meters above sea level, mainly from the vineyard of the same name with southwest exposure, with a predominance of calcareous sandstone and Alberese stone.

Today production of this label is 135,000 bottles in a prodigious vintage year.

Wine Spectator awarded this vintage release 90 points.

At twenty-one years, this was starting to show its age and is reaching the end of its drinking window. The fill level, foil and cork (shown left) were ideal for the age. 

While past its prime, this wine was an ideal pairing with the slight gaminess of my Pheasant Agnolotinni pasta in sage butter sauce with Parmigiana-Regianno, a Italian Village Chef Jose Specialty.

This was initially a bit funky with some barnyard earthiness which burned off after decanting and aerating back and forth three times. This was dark garnet colored with a bit of browning on the rim, medium full bodied, powerful full and forward black fruits are starting to give way to notes of cedar, black tea, olive tapenade, leather and hints of creosote on the deep, full, lingering tannic finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17527

https://www.ricasoli.com/en/product/casalferro-2000/ 

@ricasoli_1141

Antinori Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato 2019, Bolgheri DOC

The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC appellation on the coast of Upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest of Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history as it was established in 1994 but has gained worldwide recognition as a new reference point in the international oenological scene. The estate covers an area of 2500 acres, of which about 790 acres are planted with vines. The remainder is richly covered with wheat fields, sunflowers and olive groves, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the “Bolgheri amphitheater” due to its particular shape. 

The Guado al Tasso estate is one of nine major well known brand of the vast Antinori family wine empire. Guado al Tasso’s vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino grapes; this last cultivated with both with white and red varieties. Adjacency to the nearby sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure. 

The Il Bruciato label was created in the year 2002 as the the second wine under the flagship Guado al Tasso. It is crafted to represent the unique terroir of Bolgheri and give it a greater visibility and recognition. The first blend to be used was that of Guado al Tasso only to see, in the years which followed, a modification of the varietal composition and the identification of a series of vineyard plots intended to be used exclusively for this wine. 

Il Bruciato is now regarded as a modern interpretation of Bolgheri’s unique terroir made from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from all around Guado al Tasso’s vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and the final blend was reintroduced into barriques where it was left to age before bottling.

A widely popular wine known for great value with exceptional QPR - quality-price-ration, this is one of the few Italian labels I regularly keep in our cellar for dependable everyday sipping, but also respectable for a fine dinner accompaniment. 

I served the 2016 release of this label at a team dinner reecntly, the last of my holdings from that vintage. I write more about this label in that blogpost. The 2018 release sold out very quickly making this 2019 even more anticipated. While this is a wine that has increased in price significantly over the past few years it remains a great value and is a real must-buy for regular Bolgheri enthusiasts. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant expressive black cherry and black berry fruits with  spices, tobacco, milk chocolate, cedar and notes of graphite on the tangy acidic finish.

RM 91 points. 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Il Bruciato 2019 is intensely ruby red in color. Its nose expresses notes of small dark fruit, sweet spices and tobacco. Its well-structured palate is harmonious and very pleasant to drink. Fresh fruity notes dominate the finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2904858

https://www.antinori.it/en/vino/il-bruciato-en/ 

https://www.antinori.it/en/

 

Dunn Vineyards and Caymus #40 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

Dunn Vineyards and Caymus #40 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

For another dinner with visiting relatives Jan & Bill, Bill pulled from the wine cellar a couple labels he was eager to try - a aged vintage Dunn Vineyards and a Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1986

Jan and Bill accompanied us when we visited the Dunn Vineyards estate up at Angwin on Howell Mountain during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience back in 2008. We were hosted by Kristina Dunn that day but we had the privilege to meet winemaker, producer, patriarch and Napa Valley pioneer Randy Dunn. 

Randy started his wine career working for Charlie Wagner as the first enologist for Caymus. He was  instrumental in establishing Howell Mountain as a sub-AVA of Napa Valley. He is hands on from the vineyards to the cellars.

While not one of the larger holdings in our cellar in terms of number of bottles, it may be one of our broadest holdings in terms of number of vintages in our vertical collection of this label, and the flagship premium label Dunn Howell Mtn Cab.  We also collect Randy Dunn's "Feather" label that he produces for the Long Shadows Vintners Collection Series in Washington State.

Our Cellartracker records indicate we have a vertical collection of several mixed cases of each label from almost two dozen vintages dating back to 1981. 

Selections from Vertical Collection of Dunn Napa Valley Cabernets

This label release got 92 points from Robert Parker. It has a Cellartracker average rating of 92.7 from 92 user reviews.

With Randy Dunn at Dunn estate high atop Howell Mountain.

Dunn is known for age-worthy long-lived Napa Cabernets, especially the premium Howell Mountain label.  Robert Parker tasted both Dunn labels at ten years of age in 1996 and wrote: "Two of the most impressive wines in these tastings, both of Dunn's 1986s tasted like 3-4-year old Cabernets rather than 10-year old adolescents.... Rich, pure, and youthful, this 1986 is accessible now, but will unquestionably last another 20+ years." That would bring this wine to 2016 and here we are five years later. 

Amazingly, at 35 years of age this 1986 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is still holding its own showing some but little sign of diminution from age. The fill level, foil, label and most importantly the cork, were all in good, acceptable condition. 

The bottle still has the pricetag sticker on the bottle showing $49.95, which would've been the purchase price back on release in the late 1980's.

Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish tinge on the rim starting to set in, medium bodied, musty dark blackberry and black raspberry fruits holding on but starting to give way to notes of dusty tobacco, leather, hint of graphite, espresso and cassis with nicely integrated tannins on a round lingering finish. 

RM 88 points.

1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

https://www.cellartracker.com › wine › iWine=36948

http://www.dunnvineyards.com/

@dunn_vineyards  

We then opened this widely popular classic Napa Cab Caymus. 

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon #40 2012 

As I've written here in these pages several times,  Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon is an amazing wine, always a fan favorite. This 2012 vintage was spectacular as usual and was a perfect compliment to our beef steak dinner with dark chocolate dessert. I always find it remarkable how Caymus consistently produce such a wine in such large quantity sourced from so many different growers and vineyards. 

We visited the Caymus Vineyards estate during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018 for a private tasting. One of the most well known and established brands in Napa Valley dating back to 1972, since then, their production has grown from 240 to 65000 cases per year. They're most known for Caymus Cabernet - their two Cabernets Sauvignons; “Napa Valley” and the venerable “Special Selection”. Both are crafted by winemaker, founder and patriarch Chuck Wagner.

We collected “Caymus Special Selection” for the 1990 vintage (and many vintages since), birthyear of son Alec, and Wine Spectator Wine of the year for 1992. We served this at Alec and Vivianna's wedding celebration.

For this 2012 release, they produced a blockbuster for the vintage, and changed their long standing branding and packaging to this celebratory bottle and commemorative label. The numerical foil that they began with this vintage and every vintage since, signifies the anniversary of the release of this label dating back to the 1976 inaugural vintage release. In this vintage release, they also offered a one liter bottle which provides a nice mid-point step up between the standard size and the 1.5 liter magnum packaging. 

Tonight's tasting was consistent with earlier notes and posts in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Dark inky purple, full bodied, big brooding ripe tongue coating plum, black and blue berry fruits predominate turning to a layer of mocha chocolate with a hint of cassis on a big finish The 2012 vintage release also shows the classic characteristics of Caymus Estate Cabernet at its best - early approachability and drinkability as a young wine.

Typical legendary Caymus Cab style - dark blackish ruby/garnet colored, medium to full bodied, nicely structured, complex but smooth, well balanced and polished, it opens with sweet ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by layers of milk chocolate, subtle tones of cinnamon, vanilla and hints of caramel and kirsch giving way to a smooth lingering modest tannin finish.

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1805868

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/11/caymus-2012-40th-anniversary-bottling.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/08/napanook-and-caymus-napa-reds-anchor.html

http://www.caymus.com

https://twitter.com/caymuscab 

Hemingways Bistro wine dinner

Hemingways Bistro Oak Park wine dinner with Cuvée de mon Aïeul, Lost Chapters Big Reds

For a special post holiday outing for our family members in from out of town, I arranged to conduct a private tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, where I am a docent interpreter, followed by a walking tour of the historic neighborhood featuring some of FLW's seminal works in the Prairie style architecture. 

Afterwards, we dined at Hemingway's Bistro, one of our favorite intimate dining sites in the nearby Earnest Hemingway historic neighborhood featuring Chef Ala who brings 25 years experience to Oak Park. A certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation, he has competed in numerous culinary salons around the world. In 1999, Ala was the opening Executive Chef of the Historic Allerton Hotel in Chicago after it's 80 million dollar renovation. Ala has also ran Le Meriden Hotel Restaurant and the historic legendary Chez Paul in Chicago. (Many will recall Chez Paul from it's famous scenes as the restaurant in two iconic Chicago movies, the Blues Brother (1980_and then in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)).

Previously, Ala was the Chef of The Colonnade Hotel in Boston and Brasserie Jo, he was at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida, and spent seven years in the Caribbean working at resorts in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

Hemmingway's offers classic French dishes with fresh Midwest ingredients; Beef Wellington, Steak Frites, and sumptuous Souffles are popular menu offerings, and daily specials reflect the chef's love for fresh seafood, using mostly East-coast seafood flown in from Boston daily.

 We took BYOB from our cellar, a special top rated bottle of Southern Rhone Châteauneuf-du-Pape for our authentic Provencal cuisine dinner. 

Pierre Usseglio 'Cuvée de mon Aïeul' Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001

I recall acquiring this bottle on release two decades ago while on a business trip to the Twin Cities and stopping in Haskell's wine shop. 

This release was awarded 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, who wrote in his review, "borderline perfection, (I seriously considered adding a point here) and a monumental Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is drinking at point." 

It was rated 93 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar and Wine Spectator. 

The 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is 85% Grenache and equal parts Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault with a prodigious 15.8% alcohol level.

The sources for Mon Aieul are three vineyard parcels with vines averaging between 75 and 87 years of age.

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, deep rich intense complex concentrated structured briary ripe black currant, blackberry fruits accented by flavors of fig, stewed plum, spice box, olive tapenade, tobacco, black tea, game, tar and mushrooms with hints of cedar turning to firm tannins on the tangy acidic finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6582

With the lady's dinner entrees (each ordered the daily special, halibut in beurre blanc sauce), they ordered several white wines from the broad B-T-G (By-the-Glass) selectiosn:

Chardonnay, Russian River, Lake Sonoma "18"
Viognier, Domaine Gassier "19"

Bro-in-law Bill and I ordered this big Petite Sirah from the winelist to accompany his New York Steak au Poivre and my Duck A L'Orange with braised cabbage, pommes dauphine, grand marnier sauce (I substituted the pommes au gratin - shown right).

J. McClelland Lost Chapters Petite Sirah 2017

Hemingway's Bistro has a carefully crafted winelist with selections to match the menu, many limited releases or distinctive artful labels.

This interesting label is from J. McClelland Cellars, founded in 2008 in honor of iconic California winemaker, trusted advisor and wine industry personality and long time friend of the principles, John McClelland, in honor of his six decades of service to the industry, and ten years of collaboration by founders winery Director and Winemaker Paul Scotto and viticulturist Winemaker Mark Smith.

Throughout McClelland's 60-year wine industry career he was widely recognized as an iconic figure in California wine innovation in winemaking, vineyard management, national sales, marketing and brand development. He served as Chairman of the California Wine Institute and held leadership positions in the Wine Growers Association, Association of Wine Educators and was named a Supreme Knight in Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine. He held numerous senior positions at producers Almaden, Geyser Peak and Alderbrook. John passed away in December, 2018.

Scotto family's acquired the J. McClelland Cellars winery in the Valley's eastern hills to produce their wines.

In 2014 the team was joined by renowned and frequently awarded winemaker Mitch Cosentino, who brought many years of Napa Valley knowledge, experience and vineyard contacts to the project.

The Scotto family's winemaking heritage dates back to 1883 when Salvatore Dominic Scotto began making wine at their home on the Island of Ischia off the coast of Italy. Salvatore passed on the winemaking tradition to his son Dominic who migrated to Brooklyn, NY in 1903. He followed the Scotto family tradition by passing on his winemaking skills to his sons, who began selling five gallon crocks from the family's horse-drawn wagon. In 1946, they opened D. Scotto Wines retail store in downtown Brooklyn that sold quality wines from around the world.

Anthony Sr. sold his father's homemade wine in one gallon jugs from pushcarts and later, with his older brother Sal, created Villa Armando one of the country's oldest brands. The family moved to California in 1963.

Anthony II entered the business in 1975 and eventually became a winemaker, winery owner, exporter and consultant, passing his skills and experience to the 5th generation, Anthony III, Natalie, Paul and Michael, who together carry on the family business into the sixth generation continuing to build strong relationships with both trade and consumers while expanding distribution throughout the U.S. and eleven export markets.

In 2014, notable winemaker Mitch Cosentino joined the Scotto family and John McClelland as Consulting Winemaker for the launch of J. McClelland Cellars. Mitch's four decade winemaking career dates back to his home town Modesto 1980 and then Napa Valley since 1990 where he founded Cosentino Winery in Yountville and established pureCru Napa Valley. Mitch has garnered almost 2000 awards and medals including the prestigious "Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year" award in 2003 and numerous awards for "Best Wine" and "Best Cabernet" of the year in multiple vintages and competitions. Mitch founded the Meritage Association (now known as the Meritage Alliance) in 1988 and produced the first American wine bottled with that designation.

The Lost Chapters brand was born in 2017, produced from varietal fruits and craft blends for the Scotto Family wine portfolio, sourced from barrel lots from select and limited "lots from each vintage that may not be seen again in future vintages". 

The Lost Chapters brand has produced award winning single or limited multiple vintage labels in Cabernet Sauvigon, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Meritage, and this Petite Sirah. 

The producer website writes: "When one release sells out, another will appear offering its own allure and charm. The Lost Chapters is Paul's opportunity to break away from the norm in winemaking and provide the opportunity to continue reading "the book" with each release standing on its own while complementing the whole." As such, Lost Chapters, building on the book metaphor, even applies a "volume" number in roman numeral to each label vintage release.

Hence, by design, these are invariably 'one hit wonders', specially selected from various vineyard sources in each vintage, not necessarily to be replicated, certainly not so over extended time. Fortuitous finds as they might be, they are not ones to collect for comparison tastings over vertical vintages, but rather to be relished and enjoyed. 

J. McClelland Cellars Lost Chapters Volume XIX Petite Sirah 2017

100% Napa County Petite Sirah, aged 24 months in French Oak barrels, 140 cases were produced. 

Winemaker notes: Deep purple-ruby natural color abounds. River stone minerality, black pepper, currants and black rose notes fill the aromatic profile. Flavors cross a broad spectrum of fruits: dense currants blackberries, black plums with rhubarb and peppercorns, well centered and big structured yet with a surprising suppleness on the mid-palate. It finishes long, spicy and firm with some ripe tannins.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex concentrated ripe blackberry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of black pepper, spice and earthy tobacco with full firm tannins on the tangy lengthy finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4168611

https://www.jmcclellandcellars.com/the-lost-chapters

https://hemmingwaysbistro.com/

https://www.flwright.org/