Exzellenz and aged Robert Craig Mt Veeder for holiday celebration gathering

Exzellenz and aged Robert Craig Mt Veeder for holiday celebration gathering

The kids and grandkids all assembled at our house following the annual ritualistic Santa's breakfast at our local Seven Bridges Golf Club, for Christmas celebration, opening presents, watching the FIFA World Cup final, dinner and some festive wines. 

Since we had a large breakfast together, Linda prepared a more informal lighter meal for the afternoon with lasagna, salad, shrimp cocktail and holiday deserts. 

For such a festive family gathering, the boys went down to the cellar and pulled two memorable, notable bottles, Hall's flagship ultra-premium Exzellenz Napa Cabernet, from the grandkids birthyear 2015 vintage, and the historic inaugural vintage release of Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, 1993.

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

We discovered, tasted and acquired this label at the magnificent Rutherford Estate Winery during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017. This is sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard that lies just above the winery adjacent to the estate residence. We hold and have had some of the earlier single vineyard designated wines from this vineyard dating back to 1998. Who knew this would evolve and progress to such heights? Not often does one get to taste a 'perfect' wine. of course perfection is in the eyes ('eyze') of the beholder. The 2013 vintage of this label that we tasted that day in their magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown below) got 100 points from  Robert Parker.

Parker wrote of this wine; "This hails from the foothills of Rutherford and refers to Kathryn Hall’s ambassadorship to Austria between 1997 and 2001. A prodigious wine with beautiful floral notes intermingled with blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry and graphite, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied force, but nothing seems pushed, cloying or out of sync. Gorgeously pure blue and black fruits cascade over the palate, a full-bodied presentation with remarkable purity and complexity. The finish is a good 45-50 seconds, and while there is significant tannin, the extravagance of the fruit and glycerin generally conceal it. This is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, world class Cabernet Sauvignon that should prove compelling for at least another 30-40+ years."

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points.

Sacrashe Vineyard at Hall Rutherford Estate

When Alec was living and working in Manhatten, his boss called me and asked about what wine should he order for a holiday selection for his most special clients. I suggested this wine. Of course the purchase allocation from the winery was two bottles, but after some negotiations and a ritualistic wine club mating dance, I obtained two cases for his holiday benefactors and our cellar. 

So, based on that memory and histrionic of this wine, Alec pulled this from the cellar for our special holiday family celebration. I am so glad he did! What a treat, and what better way to enjoy such a spectacular cellar selection than with family - especially my two sons who are becoming oenphiles in their own right, like me! 

Hall Exzellenz Rutherford Sacrashe Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

As explained on the rear label, shown below, the name Exzellenz is German for Ambassador, in commemoration of Kathyn Hall's service as US Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001. 

The bricks in in the magnificent tasting room in the cave at the Rutherford Sacrashe estate (shown right and above) and featured in a separate blogpost at this link)  are recovered and repurposed from a former royal castle in Austria.  

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard (shown above) at the Hall Rutherford Estate on the lower slopes of the Vaca Range overlooking Rutherford, Napa Valley. 

While this release didn't get 100 points, it came as close as possible, 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points from Owen Bargreen of owenbargreen.com, and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Parker wrote about this wine: "Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and sporting a very deep purple-black color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz unfurls slowly, tantalizingly out of the glass to reveal powerful, intense scents of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and preserved plums with an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, molten chocolate, licorice and Marmite toast with wafts of garrigue and camphor. Very rich, full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it coats the mouth with black and blue fruit preserves plus tons of spice and savory accents, held together by a rock-solid, grainy frame and finishing with epic persistence."

Spectacular! Delicious! Enchanting! Deep dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, round, rich, complex but elegant and seductive smooth blackberry and black currant fruits accented by savory clove/cinnamon spices, tones of crème de cassis, mocha chocolate, tobacco leaf and black tea, with a tongue coating dusty gripping but silky smooth tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 97 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2508301

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

@HALLWines 

 

Robert Craig Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Son Ryan wanted to open an older aged Napa Cabernet from the nineties so we pulled this 1993 Robert Craig. This was the inaugural vintage release of Robert Craig wines. 

I've written often in these pages about our collection of Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignons, one of the largest producer holdings in our cellar. We got to know Robert from the earliest years as he launched and developed his brand and evolved from a tenant using another producer's production facilities to being one of the premier producers in Napa Valley. His approach of  'four mountains and a valley' grew into a broad expansive portfolio of Bordeaux varietals. He loved Napa Valley mountain fruit and produced Cabernet Sauvignon based labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mt George, as well as the Napa Valley itself. 

Picnic with Robert at Craig Estate atop
Howell Mtn
with Jan and Bill, Andy, Linda and Me

We first met Robert and tasted these wines back at our first visit to Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1996, and then again at our Robert Craig featured producer wine dinners in Napa Wine Experience 1998,  and again in 1999. We were saddened by his passing and posted a Robert Craig Tribute at that time back in 2019.

We tasted releases of this wine with Robert and his crew at the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 and during other visits such as our 2008 Robert Craig Vineyards and Winery visit up on Howell Mountain. Needless to say, we're long time fans of Bob and the Craig team and their 'artwork'.

We heard him often say, his favorite was Mt Veeder reflecting his heritage and history starting out there working in the earliest days as winemaker for Hess and the late comedian Robin Williams and his Toad Hollow brand which later developed to Pym Rae vineyard designated product. 

We hold a vertical collection of this wine that spans two decades going back to this first vintage release. We've held this looking for the right occasion to open such a unique bottle, and concerned that perhaps we'd held it too long and that it might be past its prime or even suitable drinking window. So it was with pleasant relief and surprise that this was approachable and drinking well, still within its acceptable drinking window.

This release was awarded 96 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who called it "One of the vintage’s superstars, ,,, from a winery that is still somewhat under-appreciated for what they have achieved. It received 92 points from Connoisseurs Guide and 91 points from Wine Enthusiast.

 Wine Enthusiast compared this to the Robert Craig Howell Mountain release saying, this is "Riper, softer and more accessible than Craig's Howell Mountain Cab, this wine, grown at 1,800 feet, shows delicious cherry, currant and chocolate flavors, with the caramel and toast of new oak. For all the deliciousness, it still has mountain tannins, and should age well for a decade."

This is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. 

What a pleasant surprise to find this drinking nicely after so many years. There was a barnyard funkiness initially but this burned off eventually. 

Dark inky garnet colored, medium full bodied, blackberry black currant fruits with notes of spice, leather, tobacco and hints of bitter dark mocha, vanilla and sweet caramel on a tangy acidic moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=86390

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine  

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Special Silver Oak Birthyear wines for Festive Holiday Open House

Son Alec and d-in-law Viviana hosted a festive holiday open house so I brought from our cellar two special bottles - birthyear vintage wines of Silver Oak, labels. Tonight was a fitting occasion for a birthyear vintage bottle for Alec and Viv since this is their first holiday in their new home and as a family with their baby daughter. 

Every wine lover, and even casual wine folks know Silver Oak. I'd call it a cult wine since it has such a large devoted following but it has such broad appeal that I don't think cult does it justice. 

Ray Duncan founded Silver Oak with Justin Meyer in 1972, it’s now owned and operated by Ray’s sons, David and Tim. Silver Oak is famous for their Napa and Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons that aged in oak before release introducing many to the effect and impact it has on a quality California Cabernet. Silver Oak have large 40000 case production and do a remarkable job managing their signature Oak profile, much like Caymus and some others. 

Silver Oak became notable for aging their wines exclusively in American oak, determining that it is best suited and most applicable to achieving the flavor profile that has become synonymous with the brand. Silver Oak have a reputation for producing exceptional, food-friendly wines that are both drinkable upon release and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.

We had the unique pleasure of visiting and touring the Cooper's Oak Winery and OAK Cooperage, source of their distinctive American Oak barrels during our Missouri Wine Experience last year.  

Silver Oak's flagship winery and vineyards are in the center of Napa Valley. They also operate vineyard properties, winemaking facilities, tasting rooms and s cooperage in Sonoma County, Alexander Valley.

Silver Oak are unique among most large production Napa and Sonoma producers in that they focus primarily on the production of just one wine from each appellation: Silver Oak Napa Valley and Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.

Robert Parker writes in Wine Advocate: "One of America's favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Silver Oak Cellars produces over 40,000 cases of their Alexander Valley and Napa Valley cuvees. As I have said so many times in the past, it is hard to dislike a Silver Oak Cabernet as they are ripe, deliciously well-oaked, soft, plump, multi-layered, and silky."

We served Silver Oak birthyear vintage bottles at their gala Covid restricted minimized wedding celebration dinner.I featured that festive celebration dinner and wine flight in these pages in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration.

We then served Alec's birthyear vintage Silver Oak special single vineyard select Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet from a large format six-liter bottle at their wedding celebration weekend a year later, featured in this blogpost, Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration. 

We served a special large format (six liter Imperials) birthyear bottle of Silver Oak (Bonny's Vineyard) for that gala event. We also served Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard from the 1982 vintage at our eldest son Ryan's wedding, as well as several other birthyear special wines.  The single vineyard designated label is very rare given the exclusivity of small production from the 2 acre vineyard. 

This has become the custom in our family celebrations, we served a couple of large format six liter bottles of wine from our kids' birthyear vintage from our cellar. We did so at each of their weddings

I've written often about our cellar and our collection of verticals, horizontals, big large format bottles and birthyear vintages. And I've written about 'signature' producers featured in that collection - Silver Oak is one of those signature producers. Our affinity and reverence for this producer and their wines spans decades, and memorable family events and celebrations. According to our Cellartracker records, our Silver Oak cellar holdings still consists of 49 bottles and 2 pending in 23 spanning different vintages/labels) wines, including large format magnums of each of the four kids' birthyears, and another remaining six liter bottle of Bonny's vineyard like the one we served at their wedding welcome reception.

Alec and Viv served up a broad selection of cheeses, charcuterie, bruschetta, shrimp cocktail and dips - a great showcase accompaniment to these aged wines. They also served a selection of sparkling wine, white and red wines including Stag's Leap Artemis, Orin Swift Saldo. 

Tonight, these wines actually showed better than that earlier tasting, likely due to bottle variations or provenance of aging over two decades since they were acquired at auction over that period of time.

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 Alexander Valley 1991

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Both of these aged bottles, at 31 and 32 years were well preserved with perfect labels, foils, and importantly, ideal fill levels half way in the neck, reduced less about 3/8 inches from being perfect fill, and near perfect corks. 

Producer's notes on this release: "The 1990 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep tawny color at its core with light rust edges. The fading coconut characteristic is complemented by molasses and freshly sawn redwood and rose petals. It has a light entry but is soft and inviting with medium depth and cedar flavors on the mid-palate. It has a focused and somewhat tapering finish of raspberry, proving to be an elegant and balanced wine with solid back-end structure. Decanting may be necessary due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has an intense ruby-red color and has the classic Silver Oak nose of cassis, blackberry jam, violets, chocolate, roasted coffee and ginger. This wine is full and rich in the mouth with a very long, slightly tannic finish."

Robert Parker gave this release 93 points writing in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate back in 1994, "The 1990 Napa Cabernet exhibits a Graves-like bouquet of tobacco, cassis, minerals, and spice. Chewy and full-bodied, with stunning extraction of fruit, this velvety wine should drink well for 12-15 years."

While past its prime, apex of its drinking window, this will not improve any further with aging, but is holding its own and will likely remain at this level of its drinking window for a couple more years.

Consistent with previous tasting of this label back in June of '19. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this had bright ruby garnet color, very slight bricking at the rim, with the black cherry and black berry fruits having given way to the predominant signature nose and flavor of infused sweet oak layer for which the brand is known and famous.

The black cherry and black berry fruit was subdued, somewhat Bordeaux like with accent by notes of spice, black tea and tobacco leaf with tangy acidity and soft moderate tannins on the lingering tangy finish.

This was more complex and concentrated but more subdued than the bright more tangy acidic bright expressive 1991.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=20741

https://www.silveroak.com/

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1991

Producer note; "The 1991 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense, rich, crimson hue with slight bricking. The aromatics are complex and very interesting with notes of sandalwood, caramel, black pepper, cedar and strawberry fruit. It has a moderate entry, with espresso bean flavors and a finish buttressed by fresh acidity. On the finish, leather and Roquefort linger on the palate. Decanting recommended due to light sediment. Enjoy now."

Winemaker Notes: "The 1991 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a youthful glow, with an opaque crimson hue and no signs of bricking. It offers aromas of blackberry compote and sandalwood. It is a full-bodied wine upon entry, but is dominated by ample acidity and coffee flavors on the mid-palate. The finish has moderate length, lively tannins and flavors consistent with the mid-palate. Decanting suggested."

This label release was awarded 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Wine Spectator, one of  their *Highly Recommended, Top 100 Wines of 1995*.

This bottle was pleasantly dramatically different than that last tasting in 2019 of this label release, when it showed diminution from aging, past its prime and nearing the end of its drinking window. Tonight, this exceeded expectations, showing life remaining in its drinking window with little if any diminution from aging.

Dark ruby color, medium full bodied, bright full expressive tangy dark plum, cherry and black currant fruits with herbs, spics and notes of sweet oak on the acidic long finish.

 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=25548 

https://silveroak.com/  

@SilverOak

Hidden Ridge 55 % Slope Sonoma Cabernet

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

I pulled this from the cellar to have with pizza, and wow, what a combination. This wine was bigger, bolder, brighter and more expressive than I remember from earlier tastings - a great pairing with zesty pizza!

This is from Hidden Ridge Vineyards which is located in rugged mountainside terrain, as the name indicates, between Mount Hood and Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west. 

Hidden Ridge Vineyard was founded by the husband and wife team Lynn Hofacket and Casidy Ward who bought the property back in 1991.  The location is so remote that you can only access it by four wheel drive, by foot or by helicopter. Lynn spent six years terracing the 55 acres and planting the vineyard while taking courses on viticulture at Santa Rosa University.

The estates vineyards fall between the range's 'saddles' creating some of the most dramatic vineyard sites on the Sonoma side of the summit crest of the mountain. It lies near the mountaintop estates of Pride , which actually straddles the summit therefore lying in both Sonoma and Napa, and Paloma Vineyards, near Pride on the Napa side, high atop Spring Mountain. The vineyard sits at elevations of 900 – 1700 feet, making it among the highest elevation vineyards in either Napa or Sonoma.

The terraced vines are on a steep mountainside in a valley with eastern, southern and northern exposures and the typical decomposed granite and alluvium soils of the Mayacamas Mountains. The vineyard site experiences cool mornings and evenings and moderate temperatures during the day that allow the fruit to hang for a long time without over-ripening.   The soils and the steep slope contribute to the vineyard’s drainage and to the tannic structure of the fruit, giving it a big, brawny structure that mountain vineyards are known for.

Hidden Ridge Vineyards is comprised of 55 acres, with approximately 46 acres in Cabernet, 1 acre in Petite Verdot and 1 acre in Chardonnay. The Cabernet planted in in 21 different blocks.

The winemakers for this release were Marco Di Giulio, consulting winemaker to several leading Napa labels, and of his own label of which we hold several vintages in our cellar from 2001 through 2004, and Timothy Milos. 

Lynn and Casidy hired Timothy Milos as consulting winemaker. Timothy grew up in the Bay Area and did undergraduate studies in Cell Biology at U.C. Berkley and Sonoma State University, then earned a graduate degree in Plant Pathology at Cornell University. He studied winemaking at the UC Davis Masters Program. He worked at wineries in New York’s Finger Lakes district before returning home to California where he did stints at such notable producers Opus One, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Cliff Lede.

"That's some good grape dirt up there," Oklahoma native and owner Lynn Hofacket points out eyeing his property. Adds winemaker Marco Di Giulio, "A vineyard so steep, so well developed, so interesting in its planning scheme and with so much vision behind it that I could not help but be blown away. I bring my other winemaker friends out there because I like to see the awed expressions on their faces. Yeah, it's really that amazing."

I first discovered this wine at Morton's Steakhouse in Crystal City, Arlington, near Washington DC where it was available by bottle or by the glass. During the ensuing years we enjoyed the 05, 06 , 07 and then this '09 vintages there. We also picked up the '05 at BRIX in Napa and tasted at dinner during our Mt Veeder appellation trip in the Napa and Sonoma Mt Veeder area. 

Hidden Ridge has since been taken over by new owners Timothy Martin and Randy Nichols. Timothy Milos continues as winemaker. 

Timothy Martin spent two accomplished decades in restaurant and hospitality management, then worked with legendary producer Robin Lail, and her wine project, Lail Vineyards. He worked there helping establish the Lail brand for ten years, then launched Gauge Branding, a marketing company in 2004 with partner Mark Wiegard.

In 2008, he began a joint venture, Tusk Estates, with his friends Michael Uytengsu and Philippe Melka with a goal to create the next great luxury wine brand.

Partner Randy Nichols traveled to the Napa & Sonoma valleys for 30 years before discovering Immortal Estate. Founder of the Nichols Partnership, he specialized in commercial and multi-family real estate. 

Hidden Ridge was rebranded into Immortal Estate and produces ultra-premium highly allocated labels "Slope" and "Impassable Mountain".

In 2014, Wine Spectator rated this 2009 “55% Slope” #32 of the Top 100 Wines of the year.

The 2012 “Impassable Mountain Reserve” achieved a 97 points from Robert Parker and in March 2016, received a perfect score of 100 points by Robert Parker. The 2013 sells on the website to members only for $375.

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

Winemaker notes: "Dark and brooding, the bouquet offers intense huckleberry, red cassis and black tea aromas, laced with hibiscus flower and brown sugar. The palate is firm initially, but with aeration opens up to give layers of dense cocoa, sweet spice, ripe black fruit, and iodine, with touches of violet. The finish completes with a coda of hibiscus, sweet huckleberry, smoky tea, and cocoa tannins."

This vintage release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points by Wine Spectator and was #32 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2014, and 91 by Wine Enthusiast.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate said "this stunning 2009 is one of the finest Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignons ever produced. Drink it over the next 15+ years." 

Wine Enthusiast said, "Give it until at least 2017." Wine Spectator said, "Drink now through 2024."

My previous tasting of this label were in 2014 and before that, my review and blogpost in 2019 and I must say, tonight this blew me away, exceeding expectations set by those earlier tastings. This appears to be just hitting its stride at fourteen years and is the best I've had from this producer to date.

The label, foil level and most importantly, the fill level and cork were all perfect.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, deep, rich, intense, concentrated expressive blackberry, black raspberry and black cherry fruits with notes of licorice, dark mocha chocolate, tobacco, cedar, hints of charcoal, truffles, and graphite with firm, structured but approachable tannins and nicely balance acidity on a long firm polished finish. 

RM 93

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1768006

There were 3,385 cases produced and thankfully we have several more bottles to enjoy over several years ahead of this vintage plus several other vintages dating back to the 2004. 

 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/04/hidden-ridge-55-degree-slope-cabernet.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/04/hidden-ridge-55-degree-slope-cabernet.html

Hidden Ridge is now - 

https://www.immortalestate.com

Team Dinner and Go-to CasalFerro Wines at Italian Village Chicago

Team Dinner and Go-to CasalFerro Wines at Italian Village Chicago

With my tech leadership team in town for a week closing out the year, and final planning for the year ahead and the next chapter in our strategic plan, we dined at our usual go-to eatery and enjoyed some of our favored go-to wines with dinner. 

Tonight was a repeat of several earlier such team dinners we've had at Italian Village.  I last wrote about this wine in a blogpost, Team dinner at Italian Village Chicago in November last year.

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

I wrote then about 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. 

 

I've written in previous 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, tonight, we dined in one of the private tables/rooms in the Village, one of the three restaurants on the premises, a perfect setting for an intimate or business dinner.
 

Part of this ritual is hooking up with friend and wine-buddy IV Wine Director and buddy Jared Gelband and Gerry Castillo, IV Vivere restaurant 'floor manager', who has become our 'designated' server when we come in, all shown together below. 

 

From producer dinner, wine buddy Dr Dan,
Gerry, me and Jared.

With dinner, tonight I selected these two wines from the winelist, from the same producer, Baron Ricasoli, composed of the same varietal and vineyard sources.
 
This is a label I know well and have collected over the years, one of the small selection of Italians in my cellar collection, which tends to be French and American.

When I picked these two wines from the extensive, vast Italian Village winelist, I didn't realize we've enjoyed each of them before, but never together in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. I don't think I had realized the 'vertical' aspects of the two labels, being the varietal from the common  estate sources.

Jared shared with us how he visited the Baron Ricasoli estate and staying in the magnificent Brolio Castle located within the town of Gaiole during his last wine country producer tour, He talked about meeting the proprietors who represented the 32nd generation of the family to manage the estate, and and explained how the similarity between the two labels and how they used to blend Merlot in this earlier release. 

The 2000 vintage release was classic Chianti Classico native Sangiovese accented with a bit of Merlot, which has since been dropped in later releases to focus on and showcase the estate Merlot, as in the other label below.

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro (Sangiovese) Toscana IGT 2000

We also had this label back in the early 2020 which I featured in a blogpost Ricasoli CasalFerro & Livio Fellugo Saso, at the time.  

 

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 our entree selections, my Butternut Squash with Fig puree and mushrooms, the Filet of Beef, and the Lamb Chops, a new Italian Village Chef Jose Specialty.

While this was initially a bit funky with some barnyard earthiness which burned off after decanting and aerating back and forth three times, it was better than our previous tasting, due likely to bottle variation over two decades of aging. 

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 89 points.

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

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

@ricasoli_1141

We lasted tasted this other wine during a similar team dinner back in the fall of last year when I wrote about Italian Village Wine & Dine Chicago.

Tonight, members of our group selected for our entrees the beefsteak, the lamb chops, and I chose the butternut squash with fig puree and mushrooms - all perfectly complemented by the combination of these two wines.  

Baron Ricasoli Cassalferro Castello di Brolio 2015

Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico area Italian wine region. The estate covers the 1,200 hectares of property include almost 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves covering rolling hills and picturesque valleys with thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts.

Since taking over in 1993, Baron Francesco Ricasoli has been guiding this central Tuscan company according to the principles of his renowned ancestors, producing wines that showcase the distinctive terroir of the soil types, the climate and clonal selections of the Brolio Sangiovese. He has also totally renovated and completely mapped the vineyards.

This label, Casalferro,  was  first  produced  in  1993  when  Francesco  Ricasoli  became  president  of  the company. This is 100% Merlot produced only during the best years. Casalferro is sourced from the vineyard  of  the  same  name  located  at  400  meters  above  sea  level  and  facing  south.  

The  brown  clay  loam  soil  with  little  organic  content  contributes  to  the  exclusive  personality  of  this  great Chianti Merlot.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Wine Spectator, and 92 points by Robert Parker Wine Advocate.  

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, expressive black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of leather, anise licorice and dark cocoa and herbs, medium plus acidity and medium plus tannins on a long finish. I agree with one review that wrote that this tastes more like a Sangiovese than a Merlot from the New World, or the Right Bank.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2869770

https://www.ricasoli.com/en/product/casalferro-2015/

https://twitter.com/ricasoli_1141 

@ricasoli_1141

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/

https://twitter.com/italianvlg

@italianvlg

https://twitter.com/jzgwine

@jzgwine

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

For midweek dinner in, we selected this legendary Napa Valley Cabernet from the cellar. 

This follows a recent blogpost about Mayacamas when we selected a Mayacamas Chardonnay for a similar setting, midweek dinner in. In a replay of highlights from that blogpost I wrote:

For a weeknight dinner, Linda prepared a smoked turkey breast with mash potatoes, gravy, and mixed vegetables. For a wine pairing,  I opened one of Linda's favorites, Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay.

We tasted this wine at the historic old winery and vineyards high atop Mt Veeder at the south end of the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma valleys during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011. We obtain and keep a half dozen vintages in our cellar ever since. 

We pulled this from the cellar for tonight's pairing, the oldest vintage release for this label, as part of effective cellar management.

The mountain terroir at Mayacamas ranges from 1,800 to 2,400 feet in elevation and the estate spans 475 acres, only 50 of which are dedicated to vines.

I wrote in detail about the original historic Mayacamas winery (left) tht dates back to 1889 in earlier blogposts including one in January 2016. 

The modern era Mayacamas dates back to 1968 when the property was taken over by Robert Travers who had worked at Heitz Cellars. He and his wife Elinor continued to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay striving to make wines of great character, depth, complexity, and longevity.

In July 2013, Mayacamas was purchased by Charles and Ali Banks in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son, Joey. Andy Erickson took over the Estate’s winemaking duties, and Phil Coturri took over farming and vineyard development. This release was crafted by Winemakers Andy Erickson and Braiden Albrech.

The old vines of the Terraces vineyard had been deteriorating, so after a long and productive life many were retired with the 2013 Harvest being their last. 

Since then, many of the vines from the old historic vineyards have been replanted with only a few plots remaining from the old historic vines. 

 

In 2017, the Schottenstein family of Columbus, Ohio, took over the remainder of the 100% ownership of Mayacamas Vineyards to become sole proprietors of the estate and brand. 

 

As noted above, Jay Schottenstein and his son Joey had been partners in Mayacamas Vineyards since it was purchased from long-time owner Bob Travers in 2013. 

 

A month later in October 2017, the Nuns Fire reached Mayacamas Vineyards. One of the property’s historic buildings burned to the ground but the historic stone winery building constructed in 1889 survived intact.

The burned structure, was a building they called “the residence.” that served as the hospitality center for the winery (though Mayacamas is generally not open to the public for tastings). That building was completely destroyed.

Mayacamas has been on a roll with their estate Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2015 vintage having been awarded #2 on Wine Spectators Top 100 wines in 2019 with a 96 point score. The 2018 vintage was awarded 98 points by Vinous and 97 points by Wine Spectator.

 

Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

 

My Cellartracker records and my blogpost from that Mayacamas Vineyards and Winery visit from that time indicate we tasted and purchase this wine at the winery during that visit back in 2011. 

Cellartracker - purchased from Winery on 3/7/2011, delivered 3/25/2011.

At that time I gave it 91 points.

Winemaker's Comments: Deep, brooding blackberry and black cherry aromas, along with a sage-like dimension, on the nose.  The acidity on the tongue balances the surprisingly supple tannins.  Red currants and plums on the palate finish very long.  Will age gracefully for many years. 

 

This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot.

This release was awarded 96 points by Vinous and 94 points by Decanter.

At seventeen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking and not to improve further with additional aging, nor does it show any signs whatsoever from aging. 

 

In 2018 AG at Vinous wrote that "Readers lucky enough to own the 2005 can look forward to several decades of exceptional drinking from this powerhouse, old school Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon."

 

Wine buddy and fellow Pour Boy and Cellartracker Bill C was with us when we visited the estate and also wrote about this wine recently last summer. He wrote:  "Wow! Great depth and complexity. Deep garnet color with no signs of aging. Nose of cassis and graphite. Blueberry, plum and cassis on the front palate with layers of green pepper, mint and tobacco on the mid palate. Big and full bodied with ample tannins yet. Layered and complex.  Tannin and savory notes were most prevalent upon first tasting. Fruit took front stage at about 90 minutes. Tannins became more sedate at 2 hours and the balance, elegance and layers revealed themselves at about 2 and a half hours. A real treat." He gave it 94 points.

 

Regarding the bottle from our cellar, the fill level, foil and label, and importantly, the cork were all in ideal condition. 

 

Upon opening it exhibited some funkiness but that dissipated over the course of about an hour after opening. It should be decanted as it had a fair amount of sediment in the bottle.

 

Bright garnet colored, medium full bodied, rustic rich round concentrated intense black berry and plum fruits with notes of earth, leather, smoke, licorice and tobacco on a lingering moderate tannin finish.

 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1279446

http://www.mayacamas.com/

https://twitter.com/mayacamaswine

@mayacamaswine 

Language of Yes En Passerillage Rancho Real Grenache

The Language of Yes En Passerillage Santa Maria Valley Rancho Real Grenache 2020 

We recently picked up two  oddly named "Language of Yes" red wines based on Rhône varietals, a Syrah and this Grenache, grown in the Rancho Réal Vineyard in the California Central Coast Santa Maria Valley.

This is a postlude to the recent posting where I wrote in detail about Randall Grahm's project and his Language of Yes En Passerillage Rancho Real Santa Maria Valley Syrah.

I detailed in that post how Randall Grahm gained notoriety with Bonny Doon Vineyard, where he had a long history of innovation and grew some popular brands - Big House, Cardinal Zin and Pacific Rim, to become the 28th largest winery in the United States. He was perhaps the first to truly popularize Rhône grapes in California, he realized he could have success creating distinctive and original wines working with Rhône varieties in the Central Coast of California.

In this project, winemaker Randall Grahm applies old world techniques, such as the practice of passerillage, or post-harvest drying of the grapes before crushing. In the cool Rancho Réal Vineyard, they place the grapes on paper raisin trees in the shade of the vine itself. This practice allows for a slight dehydration and concentration of the grapes, and, as significantly, a maturation of the stems of the bunches. The result is the stems are an excellent source of tannin, supporting the overall structure of the wine. The inclusion of the whole clusters allows for a slow release of grape sugar into the fermenting must, improving the fermentation, thus creating a slower and controlled process. "Clean", less stressed fermentation complements the process in what is called "reductive élevage," central to the style of The Language of Yes.

We tried the Syrah and found it interesting but not highly inspiring. Normally, we favor Syrah over Grenache from the popular Rhône varietals, but in this case, the Grenache won out over the Syrah. 

The Language of Yes En Passerillage Santa Maria Valley Rancho Real Vineyard Grenache 2020

This was more elegant, structured and complex than its sister wine, the companion Syrah from the same source and produced in the same method, that we tasted the other night. 

Contrary to widely held beliefs, Grenache is a grape capable of elegance and complexity that can be held for for many years. This release is a testament to the art of the possible for the varietal often overshadowed by the popular Syrah. 

Indeed, Grenache is one of the big three most popular and designated grapes required to be in the blend and comprise at least 70% of the legendary Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone blends, along with Syrah and Mourvedre. The trio is often blended together to form what is popularly known and marketed as a "G-S-M", Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This release is 100% Grenache.

This release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling, and 93 points by Wine Enthusiast, 17.5+/20 points by Jancis Robinson.

Winemaker's Notes for this release: "The simultaneous release adopted the extremely non-standard practice of air-drying the grapes post-harvest. Our first vintage from the Rancho Réal vineyard is an experiment in phenolic extraction and a realization of our intent to not slavishly replicate the wines of Southern France, but rather to seek to find and amplify the unique characteristics of our climats and terroirs in the Central Coast of California."

Opaque pale ruby colored with slight browning, medium bodied,rather elegant and nicely balanced, bright tangy layers of strawberry, raspberry and notes of rhubarb, dusty rose, clove, spice and sandalwood with bright acidity and moderate tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4134795

https://www.languageofyeswine.com/

https://twitter.com/RandallGrahm

Language of Yes En Passerillage Rancho Real Santa Maria Valley Syrah

The Language of Yes En Passerillage Rancho Real Santa Maria Valley Syrah 

Linda took a friend out to lunch and brought me a take out entree of polenta and veal meatballs from Gia Mia in Naperville. I paired it with this just discovered, interesting Rhône varietal blend. This odd named wine is from legendary winemaker Randall Grahm and Joe C. Gallo, founder of Maze Row Wine Merchant, who owns the vineyards. They work together in a collaboration to leverage Randall's pioneering work pursuing his obsession with terroir-driven wines, uncommon varietals, and the Central Coast of California.

We traveled through the through the Santa Maria Valley and the Foxen Canyon wine trail and Santa Ynez Valley during our Santa Barbara County Wine Experience in May of this year. lead us to Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards. I wrote about it as part of my posting on our Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards Visit, and several others.

Randall Grahm gained notoriety with Bonny Doon Vineyard, where he had a long history of innovation and grew some popular brands - Big House, Cardinal Zin and Pacific Rim, to become the 28th largest winery in the United States. He was perhaps the first to truly popularize Rhône grapes in California,

He learned that in a warm, Mediterranean climate, it was blended wines that were most successful. In 1986 Bonny Doon Vineyard released the inaugural vintage (1984) of Le Cigare Volant, an homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which continues as the winery’s flagship/starship brand.

Randall Grahm realized he could have success creating distinctive and original wines working with Rhône varieties in the Central Coast of California. This project is from the Santa Maria Valley which is one of the coolest sites in California where Syrah can be successfully grown, which enjoys perhaps the longest growing season, two important factors contributing to the development of the peppery aroma in wine in the Rhône varietal. 

The name “The Language of Yes” is derived from 'La Langue d'Oc', the term that medieval folk of southern France and adjacent environs , a precursor of modern Provençal, used to describe who they were by how they spoke (differentiating themselves from “La langue d’oil” spoken by their northern neighbors.

Following the established tradition reminiscent of the wines of St. Joseph and Côte-Rôtie, notable wine appellations in the Northern Rhone, he co-ferments Viognier with Syrah grape varietals. This is said to enhance the aromatic potential, the alcohol (not so necessary in California), color stability and structure of the wine. The Viognier adds a unique floral note to the otherwise peppery Syrah. 

The Language of Yes project is not intended to try to replicate the wines of Southern France, but rather to find and amplify the unique characteristics of the climate and terroir of the California Central Coast, inspired from the old world historic equivalents.

 

Homage to Southern Rhone Provencal region,
map from the Language of Yes website

We recently picked up two Language of Yes red wines based on Rhone varietals, a Grenache and this Syrah, grown in the Rancho Réal Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. 

In this project, winemaker Randall Grahm applies old world techniques, such as the practice of passerillage, or post-harvest drying of the grapes before crushing. In the cool Rancho Réal Vineyard, they place the grapes on paper raisin trees in the shade of the vine itself. This practice allows for a slight dehydration and concentration of the grapes, and, as significantly, a maturation of the stems of the bunches. The result is the stems are an excellent source of tannin, supporting the overall structure of the wine. The inclusion of the whole clusters allows for a slow release of grape sugar into the fermenting must, improving the fermentation, thus creating a slower and controlled process. "Clean", less stressed fermentation complements the process in what is called "reductive élevage," central to the style of The Language of Yes.

The Language of Yes En Passerillage "Rancho Real Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Syrah 2020 

This is a blend of 86% Syrah and 14% Viognier raised in five-year-old barriques. 

It was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 93 points by James Suckling, Vinous and by Wine Enthusiast. 

Grapes for the 2020 Syrah En Passerillage were air-dried for three days, co-fermented with 20% Viognier and made with 50% whole clusters.

Winemaker's notes: "The Language of Yes seeks to preserve the old ways, revealing the utmost respect for the integrity of the sites form which they derive. The raising of the wine is done with the lightest possible hand, allowing the natural exuberance of the vines, the grapes, the wine and the winemaker to joyously emerge, unmistakably pronouncing The Language of Yes. The result is a reflection of Provence in these wines - a distinctive balsamique resinous quality resembling the local underbrush, the garrigue - lavender, rosemary and sage, and pine forest.'

"The wine is marked with lively acidity, notes of black pepper, black olive, violets, licorice and white flowers. On the palate, slightly angular immediately upon opening but softening considerably with time."

Definitely reflecting old world style as opposed to the new world, fuller fruit forward style we prefer. 

Opaque ruby purple color, medium bodied, aromatics of blackcurrant, pomegranate and subtle blueberry, notes of white pepper, a hint of dried meat and olive, smoke, exotic spices, floral and garrigue, with dusty-textured tannins and bursts of juicy acidity on the long finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4134796

https://www.languageofyeswine.com/

https://twitter.com/RandallGrahm

 

BÖEN Tri-appellation Pinot Noir

BÖEN 'Tri-Appellation' Pinot Noir for pleasant casual high QPR sipping

We opened this casual sipping Pinot Noir with biscuits, crackers and artisan cheeses. This is from Joseph Wagner, fifth generation Napa Valley winemaker, who grew up in the wine business working alongside his father Chuck Wagner, famed legendary founder and winemaker at Caymus Vineyards. 

One of the cheeses we enjoyed was Delice de Bourgogne, a French classic triple crème cheese that originated in the Burgundy region of France. Authentic Delice de Bourgogne has a white, bloomy and pungent rind because of the Penicilium Candidum mold.

A tribute to small scale industrial French cheese-making, this is from Murrays Cheese on Bleeker Street in Greenich Village, New York. We discovered it there during several of our dining experiences at their wine and cheese restaurant there, then were surprised and delighted to see it available at our local Mariano's grocery cheese department, after they sold out to their parent Krogers. Mariano's Delice de Bourgogne is a pasteurized triple creme (75% butterfat in dry matter) that marries full-fat cow milk with fresh cream, producing a rich forward cheese. Unlike many straightforward triple-cremes, this one has a thin, pungent mold rind that imparts straw and mushroom aromas, complementing the buttery yellow, sweet cream interior. 

While this is best served with Champagne, being from Burgundy it is also enjoyed with Burgundian Pinot Noir such as this one. We found its pungent forward sharpness is softened for pairing with red wine by adding a bit of honey. 

Joseph learned his way around a vineyard long before he was able to drink wine. By the time he was nineteen, he knew that he would continue his family’s winemaker legacy, working alongside his father at Caymus Vineyards. 

In 2001, Joe created Belle Glos, with a focus on vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from California’s best coastal regions.

This is another Joe Wagner project; he chose the name BÖEN, a translation of ‘The Farm’, as a constant reminder that the wine he produces is indivisible from the land that it comes from, that "first and foremost, I am a farmer.” His wines are crafted to reflect the vineyard sites where they are sourced.

BÖEN wines are produced as an expression of  Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made in his signature style of rich, ripe fruit flavors balanced with bright acidity and judicious hints of toasty oak. The BÖEN portfolio consists of several vineyard or appellation specific wines that tend to offer high QPR - quality price ratios.

BÖEN Tri-appellation Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County, Monterey County Pinot Noir 2020

This 100% Pinot Noir is actually a blend of grapes from three different California counties, netting out to be 45% Sonoma County, 29% Santa Barbara County and 26% Monterey County, hence referred to as a Tri-Appelation blend. 

This is the entry level Pinot of the line-up and offers great value in this every day sipper. 

We first discovered this wine as the WBTG - wine by the glass offering at a favorite fine dining local restaurant. We have since found it at Cosco, which tends to be quite discriminating in their wine selections and offerings, generally providing significant QPR throughout. I wrote about COSCO and their wine offerings in a recent blogpost.

Winemaker Notes for this release: "Dark Plum in color with ruby red highlights. On the nose, luscious notes of raspberry swirl along side dark plum notes accompanied by hints of rosemary and sage. Rich and well balanced with bright blackberry, Bing cherry, dark chocolate and a hint of caramel on the palate. This wine is sure to please with its rounded mouth-feel, and long, smooth, velvety finish."

Not your typical fruit forward California style, it leans more toward old world style, ruby colored, medium bodied, bright dark cherry fruit with vanilla, herb, tobacco and earth, with nice body and mouthfeel.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4167518

https://boenwines.com/

https://twitter.com/boenwines  

@BoenWines

Hall Cabernet and a pair of Spanish Tempranillos

Holiday dinner features Hall Cabernet and a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines

Friday night gala dinner at friends Rod and Pam at their farm estate in nearby exburb Oswego (IL). Pam prepared a delicious chicken with brown wine sauce, carrots, onions and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and green salad. Chip and Sue brought a delightful appetizer of Zuchini with three cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts garlic and other spices. 

In the spirit of the season, we 'decked the Halls' with Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pulled from our cellar.

Rod pulled from his cellar a pair of Spanish Tempranillo red wines for dinner.

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 

We have fun with the label during this time of year ... as we "Deck the Halls" with boughs of holly ... We discovered Hall wines during our Napa Wine Experience 2003 with their moderrn op-art scuplture garden.

Our visits to the magnificent Hall Rutherford Estate have been highlights of several of our Napa Valley Wine Experiences dating back to 2003.

As members of the Hall Wine Club we acquired many labels of their allocated premium labels. We've attended several Hall wine tasting events including their release tour tasting in Chicago hosted by none other than owner producer Kathryn Hall (right).

Our visit to the magnificent Hall Rutherford winery and estate visit are featured in our blogpost Hall Napa Valley Rutherford Estate Visit. 

We returned again to Hall for a tasting of their new releases during our Sonoma Napa Wine Experience 2017.

According to our Journal of Tasting Notes, we posted no less than ten different tasting notes for this vintage release dating back to 2010 including this mini-vertical tasting of multiple vintages we took from our cellar to our BNB vacation home in the outer banks for a family vacation. 

According to Cellartracker records, this is the 10th bottle of this vintage label release we've consumed from a case we  acquired upon release.

The 2006 vintage was a high achievement for this Estate standard label Napa Cabernet with a Wine Spectator 93 point rating. Their flagship wine, Katheryn Hall 2006, was #20 that same Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2010 mentioned above, with a score of 96 points!. This year it was selected the #2 Wine of the Year in Wine Spectator's annual roundup.

Back in 2013 and then again in 2015 I gave this label 93 points. The next couple time s and the most recent tasting back in February, I gave this 92 points, indicating the bright vibrant fruits are starting to give way subtly to the non-fruit accents cited below.

 

Those initial early tasting notes rated this release 93 points, reducing that to 92 points after nine years or for various bottles, perhaps due to bottle variations or to the overall effect of wine and food pairings that might contribute to my tasting experience.

In any event, at sixteen years, this bottle showed slight further diminution of the fruit, giving way to non-fruit flavors of smoke, leather and black tea, so as to reduce tonight's rating to 91 points. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, complex with a symphony of flavors, the bold expressive black berry and black raspberry fruits are starting to give way to notes of smoke, leather and black tea, with highlights of anise and mocha with tones of cedar, sweet toasty oak and clove spice and hints of earthy leather turning to a smooth polished lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=761928

http://www.hallwines.com/visit/winery-experiences/rutherford-tours

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/hall-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-2006.html 

http://www.hallwines.com/

https://twitter.com/HALLWines - @HALLWines

Bodegas Frutos Villar Muruve Crianza Tinta de Toro Tempranillo 2009

This is from Spain's remote, high elevation wine producing region between the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero, known for its intense, full-bodied reds made from the Tempranillo grape, locally called Tinta de Toro.

Tempranillo, the “Noble Grape of Spain,” is Spain’s most widely planted grape, food-friendly, able to be enjoyed early or can be long-lasting, capable of aging for a decade or more. 

The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone.

Wines from the officially demarcated wine regions of Spain, are labeled “Denominaciones de Origen” or “DOs”.

Produced from a small patch of land in central Spain, the Toro DO region produces a this designated label wine called Tinto Del Toro. Toro reds must contain a minimum of 75% Tempranillo, and use other blending grapes such as Garnacha. The wine is often aged in American oak for varying lengths of time.

Frutos Villar is a  4th generation of a family with wines from Ribera de Duero, Toro, Rueda, Cigales and Tierra CyL. The family wine business dates back to turn of the last century when they we bought up and sold wine from the region of Toro, the oldest red wine area in Spain. They established their first winery at Toro in 1920 and a second winery in Cigales in 1960. With the consolidation of the demarcated regions, in 1988, the Frutos Villar family purchased Bodegas Santa Eulalia, a winery belonging to the Ribera del Duero region.

At Bodegas Frutos Villar, they produced estate wines from their own vineyards not belonging to any “Denominación de Origen”, and in 1990 in Castilla, they began to market wines from the Rueda “DO”.

Building on their centuries-old experience in the Toro region, Frutos Villar work with winemakers of some of the highest quality vineyards across the region, as well as fruit sourced from their own 240 acres of vines to produce a broad portfolio of wines that represent some of the best of the region.

With barren terrain that retains the heat and a more southern and sunny vineyard, it has warm red wines with a great tannin and color, with a very tasty palate.

This Tinto Crianza is Designation of Origin, D.O. Toro, 100% Tinta de Toro grape varietal. It was barrel aged 12 months 95% American oak 5% French oak with racking every 3 months, then bottle aged a minimum of 6 months aging in bottles before being marketed. 

Bright ruby color, wood and floral bouquet, complex full-flavoured, notes of plum, black berries and cherries, notes of tobacco, vanilla, herb, and leather and oak with medium tannins and subtle acidity. 

RM 87 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1511225

 

https://www.bodegasfrutosvillar.com/en/

 

https://twitter.com/FrutosVillar - @FrutosVillar

 

Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011

From the province of Cuenca near central Spain, where winemaking dates back to Roman times and developed during the medieval period. 

Dominio de Punctum is a family owned company, founded by three siblings, the eighth generation of the Fernandez family: Jesús, Ruth and Cristina Fernandez, who after running a grocery business in Madrid, founded Dominio de Punctum in the rural plains of La Mancha with a vision to create organic and biodynamic wines that are eminently drinkable.

After years, preparing to produce quality organic and biodynamic wines from the family’s old vineyards, the Finca Fabián estate winery was established in 2005.

CEO Jesús Fernández founded Dominio de Punctum in 2005 with his sisters Ruth and Cristina. He has grown distribution to 37 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.

Ruth Fernández serves as Oenologist & Production Director. After graduation from Universidad Autónoma of Madrid in Viticulture and Oenology, she began her career in Languedoc, France. She has pursued her love for organic agriculture grew, studying further in biodynamic agriculture with the Spanish association “Asociación para la Agricultura Biodinámica en España”.

Cristina Fernández serves as CFO, having graduated in Universidad Carlos III of Madrid in Economics. With deep interest in biodynamic agriculture, she studied with her sister several courses on the topic. She was appointed Demeter Farmer in Vineyard and Wine Producer in Cuenca.

 

Punctum comes from Latin meaning "point", "transit point" or "crossroad". The vineyard and estate are located in a crossroad. where two old Roman roads meet in an area where wine culture has been around for centuries, where today, one of them is a Vereda (sidewalk or path) where flocks of sheep go through from Jaen to the Pyrenees.

The crossroad also symbolises the position of the estate, vineyards and winery, where Cuenca is adjacent to Albacete and Ciudad Real.

Working in a land where winemaking has been present for centuries, Punctum pursue the combination of viticulture tradition in Spain and modern sustainable agriculture to turn estate grown grapes into world class wines.

The estate sits at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, with soil, clay-based and rich in limestone, that helps retaining water, essential for the health of the vines and develops intense aromas, freshness and deep colors for our wines.

The continental-mediterranean climate provides plenty of sunlight hours to the vineyards that ripens the grapes easily, yet the night temperature drop and creating a sharp contrast that heightens the aromas and flavors of the wine.

Punctum vineayards are planted to the varietals Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Bobal, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Verdejo and Viura. They produce wines that are 100% of grapes from their own wineries,

Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo 2011

This Dominio De Punctum Pablo Claro Tempranillo is a versatile Spanish red wine that originates from Spain’s famous wine-making regions, Castilla, La Mancha. 

 

"I love Tempranillo of course, but particularly when it's made to be full of flavour but easy-going. I think the Pablo Claro is exactly that." - Ruth Fernandez, Winemaker.

 Fully 100% organic estate grown fruit, the Dominio De Punctum Winery, uses only techniques and processes that are biodynamic, ecologically friendly and sustainable for the environment, free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and any kind of chemicals in their cultivation of their grape varieties.

Garnet colored, medium full bodied fruit forward blackberry, cherry, strawberry and cherry fruits with notes of oak, mocha and vanilla, black tea and tobacco on the tannin laced finish. 

RM 87 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4506107

 

https://www.dominiodepunctum.com/