Robert Craig Howell Mtn Cab 2005

Robert Craig Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Wine tasting with Robert Craig atop Howell Mtn

We're long time huge fans of Robert Craig and his selection of Napa Valley Cabernets from 'three mountains and a valley' - Howell Mtn, Mt Veeder, Spring Mtn and his Bordeaux style blend Affinity. We've been collecting his wines since his inaugural release in 1993. 

Typically, over the years, our favorite is his Howell Mtn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

 We first tasted this 2005 vintage at the winery up on the top of  Howell Mountain at a wonderful lunch tasting during our Napa Wine Experience in 2008.  Joining us on that trip were my sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill. So it was great fun to experience this bottle with them at their house over dinner during my recent trip to Orange County.

 

This Cabernet Sauvignon is dark purple colored, full bodied, concentrated with smooth velvety texture,  bright, intense black and wild berry fruits, tones of soft mocha, cedar, spice and soft oak, a whisper of cedar and herbal notes on a polished smooth finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=379780

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/ 

Plumpjack Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

A selection from our cellar remaining from a case we purchased at the winery during our Napa Wine Experience 1999. That trip featured one of our wine producers dinners featuring then Plumpjack associate winemaker Mary Pisor when we tasted Plumpjack 95 Reserve and pre-release ot the 97 Estate, and Plumpjack Chardonnay 1997. The then fairly new Plumpjack winery visit was one of our more memorable from numerous Napa trips during that time. This was the second vintage of PlumpJack Cabernet Sauvignon made from the grapes grown in the vineyards directly adjacent to the Oakville winery.

We pulled this bottle for our anniversary dinner a couple of weeks ago but didn't consume it then so we enjoyed it this evening over an intimate dinner of grilled Angus sirloin beefsteaks, corn on the cob and baked sweet potato, followed by baked chocolate cake and turtle ice cream. The wine was a great pairing to both the steak and the chocolate.

The Plumpjack Estate '96 opened with a big fruit and floral nose, dark garnet color and full body. Aromas and flavors of big ripe black cherry, black currant and black raspberry, a layer of cassis (more pronounced than earlier tastings' notes), and a slight hint of bittersweet chocolate, finishing with sweet soft oak from the French Demptos oak cooperage, and lingering soft tannins. At release this was projected to have "a long and vibrant life of more than 12 years." Well here it is at fourteen years just beginning to show any signs of diminution tempting promise of perhaps another half decade of enjoyable drinking, so we'll not rush the remaining bottles in our cellar, but expect no improvement from further aging.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=11760

http://www.plumpjackwinery.com/

Aged Napa Cabs - Mondavi Reserve - Rubissow-Sargent

Aged Napa Valley Cabernets - Robert Mondavi Reserve 1992 - 1993 and Rubissow-Sargent Mt Veeder 1996

For a grilled sirloin steak dinner Bill & Beth showed up with a Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1993, so we trolled the cellar and pulled out a 1992 for a mini-vertical tasting. We'd already set aside a Rubissow-Sargent Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 which provided a good comparison tasting to the similarly aged Napa Cabs.

For an starter course Linda prepared grilled lobster tail medallions which we served with Penn Shore Lake Erie Diamond - a semi sweet varietal wine from the southeastern shore of Lake Erie at the New York Pennsylvania border appellation. This was a perfect complement pairing to the hearty lobster - standing up to the full bodied, chewy unctuous tangy Diamond with its essence and layers of peach, clove, vanilla, hints of honey, cinnamon and tangy citrus.  

We discovered and purchased this wine at the winery during our recent tour of the Lake Erie Appellation and featured the Penn Shore Diamond in a recent wine tasting.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1441210

We had already pulled and decanted the Rubissow-Sargent to commemorate our discovery with Bill and Beth, Eric & Cathy, and Jan & Bill during our winery visit on Mt Veeder during our Napa Valley Wine Experience last year.

To finish we open a  Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch, Rust, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland,  Austria 1996/87. "Ruster" is the town where the grapes are grown in the appellation of Rust, while “Ausbruch” describes the method of selecting and picking the most perfectly shriveled & botrytized grapes. While at one time this was probably butter colored, this exhibited a bright reddish rust weak tea color with a medium body.  Gone are the layers of peach and apricot that have given way to smoke, quince, honey and tangy lemons with aromas of vanilla. 

RM 85 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455246

Rubissow Sargent Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

This wine pays homage to the early years of Tony Sargent and George Rubissow producing hand crafted Bordeaux varietal wines from their mountaintop vineyard at the south end of Napa Mt Veeder. At sixteen years of age, this shows the aging potential of these early releases as this wine is still holding up albeit approaching the end of its prime drinking window.

Dark garnet and purple color, this was medium bodied with pleasant black cherry and black berry fruit aromas, and flavors with a layer of kirsch, anise, tobacco, leather and hint of cedar on a moderate tannin finish.

RM 86 points.

http://www.rubissowwines.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5125


Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 and 1993

Bills note from Cellartracker - "Medium garnet color, very restrained nose. Took about two hours for this to open up. Upon popping the cork, this showed signs of being well past prime. Seemed carmelized and thin although the color showed no bricking. Between 90 and 120 minutes, this opened to reveal anise, mocha and graphite and some remaining tannins. Nicely complemented by grilled marinated sirloin with peas and mushrooms and herbed rice with Rick and Linda. Rick provided a 1992 Mondavi Reserve, creating a mini vertical tasting opportunity. Fascinating experience.

The '92 was the better wine, opening earlier with more depth and complexity than the '93 and a deep indigo color. Still not much on the nose. However, as the two opened over a 2 hour period, it was very interesting to see the wines come together in similarity and style. The common heritage became quite evident."


My notes - These two aged vintage cabs both are starting to show their age almost begrudgingly revealing the subdued fruits of modest vintages. They both were a bit closed and tight tasting more like aged left bank Bordeaux than vibrant Napa cabs. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, slightly astringent cherry fruit give way to weak tea, tobacco, leather and graphite. Both were decanted and aerated on opening. The '92 was more full and expressive early on opening, with brighter fruit, albeit subdued, while the '93 was a bit thinner, taking over an hour to reveal its fruit at which time it also showed a layer of anise with hints of mocha and a soft floral essence on the finish.

92 - RM 86 points. 93 - RM 85 points.   


93 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=97829

93 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8821 

My earlier notes on the 1992 reveal a rather short drinking window, from 3/28/2010 - rated 89 points at that time: Wow, I probably drank most of this case of this Reserve too young!, like I did too many of my 80's decade Bordeaux'. For a long time, this was rather closed and tight, only to now open up to truly reveal its complex, full bodied dark cherry, black berry fruits and long nicely integrated tannin finish. Slightly astringent on opening but softened over time. Needs decanting for aeration and to collect the sediment

This was the second to last bottle of a case purchased upon release. It'll be drinkable for another year or so but will be nearing the end of its drinking window by then.

BV Tapestry Reserve Vertical and Constant Red Blend Tasting

BV (Beaulieu Vineyards) Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Vertical and Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Wine Tasting

What fun when we took a bottle of Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve 2004 to Bill & Beth's and Bill pulled out a 2008 to compare in this impromptu mini-vertical tasting. To round out the comparison tasting, Bill also served a Fred Constant Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Vineyard Red Blend from 1995. We tasted these with artisan cheeses, bacon wrapped figs, and Angelis Italian lasagna. 

We've been fans of BV Tapestry for a long time with our collection dating back a dozen vintages to the mid-nineties. Tapestry as it's name so aptly states, is a blend of classic Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and accent portions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The predominant Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the historic BV Ranches No.1 and No. 2 vineyards in Rutherford, selected from specific blocks of reserve-quality grapes that give Tapestry the combined attributes of rich character and softer tannins for relatively early approachability. To complement the Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is added from Beaulieu’s vineyard in the Los Carneros region and the remaining grapes in the Blend from various Napa Valley vineyards.

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Red Wine Blend 2008

Wow. Immediately I stated that this is the most expressive Tapestry I can remember with its vibrant full floral perfume. Dark ruby color with a slight purple hue, medium-full bodied, polished, smooth and nicely balanced - big bright vibrant expressive floral tones that are pervasive throughout accented by sweet ripe black currant and black berry fruits, a layer of vanilla, hint of cassis and tangy cinnamon spice and pleasant sweet oak with fine smooth polished tannins with that clinging long floral essence that holds for minutes.This was remarkably approachable for such a recent vintage. Barrel aged in 50% new oak. RM 91 points.

Classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70)%, Merlot (16%), portions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198005

http://www.bvwines.com/

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Red Wine Blend 2004

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a bit tight and closed initially, it took more than an hour for this to open up and fully reveal black berry fruits, a layer of anise and tones of cedar, black tea and smokey oak on a moderate tannin lingering finish. RM 89 points.

The 2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry was barrel-aged for 20 months, with 70 percent new barrels, to add warm vanilla nuances. For even more complexity, they used a tapestry of different oak barrels; over half were French, with the balance being American, Hungarian and Russian.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=410294





Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Wine 1995

From high atop Diamond Mountain at the northern end of Mayacamas Range above the town of Calistoga, Fred and Mary Constant and consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs produce Bordeaux style red wine blend wines. We visited Diamond Mountain and Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard during our 2011 Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Wine Experience. Sitting at the summit at the top of the mountain, the site offers spectacular views overlooking both Napa and Sonoma highlands from over 2100 feet elevation. Constant is among the oldest wineries in the valley with history dating back to the late 1800's.

Dark purple color, medium bodied, subdued black berry and black cherry fruits with trace of tobacco, tea and leather on a moderate, short soft tannin finish. RM 87 points.  

Cabernet Sauvignon 73%, Merlot 18%, Cabernet Franc 9%

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36373

http://www.constantwine.com/

Even on a rainy day, Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards
offer picturesque views in a spectacular setting.

Killikanoon Shiraz, Clos D L'Oratoire, and Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon

Killikanoon Shiraz, Clos De L'Oratoire, and Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon accompany Contemporary Latin Steak Dinner

On a gorgeous early autumn afternoon in Chicago we followed a White Sox victory with a BYOB wine tasting dinner (see below) at trendy May Street Cafe in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood not far from the ballpark. Featuring contemporary Latin cuisine they offer Allen Brothers beef with flavorful Latin accents. To match the lively cuisine we brought two vibrant and expressive wines, Kilikanoon Clare Valley Covenant Shiraz 2005, and  Dunham Vineyards Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. Dan and Linda brought two vintage Bordeaux, a Right Bank Clos De L'Oratoire St Emilion Grand Cru 2000 and Left Bank Chateau LaGrange St Julien 2003. 

2005 Kilikanoon "Covenant" Shiraz Clare Valley South Australia

Kilikanoon produces some of Australia’s finest wines under the direction of talented winemaker Kevin Mitchell, a broad selection ranging from Rieslings to Cabernet Sauvignons and Shiraz. Their line-up of Shiraz includes some of our absolute favorites with their premium 'R' and 'Oracle' Shiraz, their 'flagship', twice recognized as the 'world's best shiraz', Testament, Parable and Covenant labels, and lower value priced Killerman's Run label. Indeed, my Wine Journal Australian Producer Index lists over a dozen Kilikanoon label reviews over the years.  

Kilikanoon Covenant Shiraz is produced from fruit from six different vineyards throughout the Leasingham Valley; each is fermented separately, basket pressed and aged for 22 months in a combination of new and older French and American small oak casks.  

 The 2005 "Covenant" is a blockbuster with inky dark garnet color, full body, tongue-coating chewy supple fruit that also coats the glass with long 'legs' or 'curtains' as our British friends call them. This is a huge fruit bomb boasting flavorful, sweet ripe blackberry, black raspberry and hints of blueberry fruits, with a layer of anise and vanilla, hint of milk chocolate and sweet oak and spice with a long lingering finish of full chewy tannins. This was a spectacular starter wine - so full and flavorful it stood alone as a meal course all by itself. It only got better as a compliment to the meal courses to follow. 
 RM 94 points.

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=396284

http://www.kilikanoon.com.au/
 

Clos de L'Oratoire St Emilion Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux 2000

From the same producers of Right Bank Bordeuax St-Emilion AOC properties Château Canon La Gaffelière and La Mondotte,  Clos de l'Oratoire is from foothill (pieds de cotes) vineyards planted with 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This much heralded 2000 vintage release is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and promises to provide enjoyment for several years to come.

Showing deep crimson color, this is medium-full bodied, delicate and polished with intense forward floral bouquet with complex black fruits, black currant and cherry,  giving way to pencil shaving, smoky leather, black tea with bitter chocolate and clove spice on a smooth moderate tannin finish.

RM 90 points,

The delicate and polished Clos de L'Oratoire was a perfect accompaniement to the grilled steaks and vegetables but it was overpowered by the lively spices of the mac-n-cheese penne. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6340


http://www.neipperg.com/index.php?act=1,10,1


Dunham Cellars Columbia Valley Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 

We first discovered Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon with the 1997 vintage and have since collected a nine year vertical of this wine, each adorned with the roman numeral denoting the sequence in the series of vintages for the label, the 2003 being the IX or ninth release. Each one we have tasted has been impressive and pleasing and this was no exception.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich round, full forward fruits of sweet plum and Bing and black cherries highlighted by clove, anise and pomegranate with sweet oakey finish laced with smooth polished chewy tannins. Comprised of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Lewis Vineyard, Frenchtown Vineyard, and Double River Estate Vineyard in the Washington State Columbia Valley near Walla Walla this juice was aged in 60% French - 40% American, 70% new oak - 30% used oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=287264

http://www.dunhamcellars.com/

Allen Brothers New York Strip with May Street Cafe
Truffle Mac-n-cheese penne and grilled asparagas

Dr Dan and Mario Santiago May Street Cafe Executive Chef

For dinner, most of us opted for their Price Fixe' dinner menu - a good value offering full dinner salad with mango, choice of a New York Strip with a peppercorn candied cherry and cranberry sauce (shown above), or a shrimp and scallop combination, with a side of truffle mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes or rice; and desert of mango, white chocolate or bacon flan with caramel drizzle.  

We brought our own wine but there is a serious wine list with a somewhat limited but thoughtful selection at below market prices - big reds include Darioush, Silver Oak, Ramey, and Caymus Cabernets. The service was gracious and attentive and accommodating of our BYOB with a $15 (per bottle) corkage fee. 

Don't judge this book by its cover, its a fun, fine dining spot with good food and service. They hope to keep the outside patio seating open as long as November with the California space heaters.  

Paloma Merlot and Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon at Wildwood Restaurant Geneva

Paloma Merlot and Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon

For our first visit restaurant experience to Wildwood Restaurant in Geneva, IL with Bill and Beth C, L and I took a bottle of Paloma Napa Valley Merlot 2003 which we thought would complement a wide assortment of entree selections from the dinner menu. We ended up ordering a range of entrees from Arborjack seafood to Prime Rib to Roasted Duck. The Paloma which follows in the footsteps of the blockbuster 2001 vintage that was Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year that year did not disappoint. While earlier reviews of this wine were more modest, tonight it lived up to the reputation it earned with the WS prestigious selection. From the extensive winelist Bill and I both zero'd in on the same selection, the O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, however while listed, it was not available. By this time we were well in to the Paloma which was turning out to be spectacular, so we 'upgraded' our second choice from Van Strasser Diamond Mountain to the 2009 release of Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.

PALOMA Spring Mountain District Merlot 2003

Consistent with my earlier tasting notes, this was even better than I expected and remembered, medium full bodied, smooth polished, complex harmonious symphony of finely integrated aromas and flavors - predominant sweet black currant, red raspberry, milk chocolate, a hint of ripe plum, sweet oak and a bit of burnt sugar caramel on the long smooth polished finish.This was a great compliment to the roasted duck in strawberry and cherry vinegrette sauce.  

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=109466 

http://www.palomavineyard.com/ 

 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Historically, this is one my favorite Napa Cabs, having had many memorable bottles over the years. Matched up against the Paloma was a tall order, and coming off the spectacular showing of the Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend the other night we chose the Lewis Cab 2009. This promises to be a blockbuster with its initial 94 point rating from Wine Spectator. My experience is that this wine drinks well young, not needing many years to be approachable and  reveal its potential. Bill was a bit skeptical of its readiness to drink. I think we were both right. It was very good and drinking quite well already, but it will clearly still improve with a half dozen years of cellaring to soften and round out a bit of its edginess. In retrospect, I wish I'd ordered the New York strip steak. This would've made for a dynamite combination. The Lewis was too much wine for the Roasted Duck! Still it was delicious!

Big full bodied, a bit tight, forward complex ripe black berry and black currant fruits with spicy oak, hints of vanilla, mocha and a layer of cedar on the lingering tannin finish. 

RM 92 points.

Based on and encapsulating the producers' notes, respected merchant K&L summarizes this wine: "2009's long, cool growing season produced low yields of concentrated, fragrant berries with high natural acidity in the hillside vineyards of Calistoga and Oak Knoll that are the source for Lewis' Napa Valley Cabernet, resulting in a perfumed and complex wine with incredible finesse. Though still powerful and rich in the signature Lewis style, elegance and refinement displace the brawn of past vintages.The nose leads with scents of blackcurrant, rose petal, and baking spice, accented by hints of savory herbs, forest floor, and toasty oak. This leads to a rich yet refined palate, where layers of juicy fruit and oak spice are framed by acidity and fine tannins. Graphite and hints of cocoa lightly dust the lingering tannins, as the wine finishes clean and surprisingly light on its feet." 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1206262

http://www.lewiscellars.com/ 

Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Grands-Echezeaux Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru, 2003

  

Before setting out for dinner, Bill opened this Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Grands-Echezeaux Burgundy, 2003. It was medium bodied, garnet colored, and exhibited full floral bouquet, earthy leather, subdued fruits of slightly tart black cherry and blackberry, with a layer of tobacco and spice box on the moderate tannin finish.

RM 86.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1328723

Alec's Blend, Robert Craig Affinity, Penn Shore Diamond

Celebration Family Dinner - Alec's Blend, Robert Craig Affinity, Penn Shore Diamond

For son Alec's last night home before setting off for the east coast embarking on his professional career, we gathered for a gala family farewell dinner. Linda served up tenderloin beef skewers, twice baked potatoes, green beans almondine, grilled lobster tails, and for desert her decadent flowerless chocolate cake with fresh berries and whipped cream. For the special occasion and gathering, to complement the tenderloin beef skewers of the surf and turf. we naturally served up some of our favorite wines - Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend, 2005, and perennial favorite Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1997. To accompany the lobster tails we served a recent discovery, Penn Shore Winery and Vineyards, Lake Erie Diamond. We tasted and picked up this wine at the winery during our recent trip to the East Coast and the Lake Erie, Niagara and Finger Lakes wine regions.

Watch for more reports from our trip, wine discoveries and tastings.


Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Alec's Blend 2005

The 2005 Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend Napa Valley Red Wine Blend is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dark inky purple color, full bodied, rich, opulent, forward fruit of black berry and black raspberry with a layer of blueberry, cherry cola and vanilla, smooth sweet oak and a hint of chocolate truffle flavors with highlighting silky chewy tannins on a long lingering finish. This is delicious - the most tasteful, fully flavored, smoothest and most polished Alec's Blend of all the vintages we have tasted.

RM 93 points. 

http://www.lewiscellars.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=393500  




Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

My Winesite features six tasting notes of previous bottles of this wine from the case we bought at the winery in Napa Valley a dozen years ago. This bottle was the most expressive of any in my recollection over the last ten years. It was rich, medium full bodied, dark garnet colored - fruit filled with black currant, black berry, raspberry, cassis and earthy leather reminiscent of a left bank Bordeaux with silky tannins on the finish. (82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc).

This wine is now more expressive than the earlier tasting notes, finally fully revealing itself and its full potential with lingering fruit and staying power. The 1997 vintage was praised at the time yet the panned follow on 1998 vintage has been more enjoyable over the last several years. Finally the '97 is awakening and revealing itself, when we're down to the last five of our twelve bottles. It will be fun to see how this continues to evolve, and how long it lasts in its glory.

This is Robert Craig's Cabernet Blend from his three mountains (Mt Veeder, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain) and a (Napa) Valley collection. Known for its good value and early drinking ability, this fifteen year old is holding up well. We have these wines dating back to the inaugural 1993 vintage in our cellar.
RM 92 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=29715

From our Robert Craig vertical collection that is highlighted regularly in this blog. Click on the Robert Craig link for more features.

Penn Shore Winery Lake Erie Diamond

This month we traveled east and stopped enroute to visit the Lake Erie wine district which spans the south eastern shore straddling both sides of the New York and Pennsylvania state line. The area developed around the turn of the last century growing fruit for Welch's Grapejuice. Today, they take in 80000 tons of grapes per year. The Lake Erie Appellation evolved and grew to over 150 producers who produces a range of wines from Riesling and Ice Wine to Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc and even Pinot Noir.

We visited Penn Shore Winery and Vineyards, one of the first one encounters when heading east from Erie, Pennsylvania towards New York, on picturesque Route 5, the Lake Erie Wine Trail. It sits on the outskirts of the quaint town of North East. There we tasted a flight of wines including Noiret, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Vidal Blanc and Diamond - the highlight of the lot and the only NV (non-vintage designation). Diamond is actually the name of the grape varietal. It is grown locally but is not popular anywhere else.

The Penn Shore Lake Erie Diamond is honey colored, full bodied, rich, almost thick and syrupy. They say on the label it is semi-sweet with fruit character and this sums it up well. It has aromas of sweet petunias, vanilla and clove with flavors of vanilla, clove and a hint of honey turning to pink grapefruit on the finish. Its more suited to sipping unless consumed with dry aged cheese, or in our case, it was a great compliment to the grilled lobster tails of our surf and turf dinner. Its a great QPR (quality to price ratio)at under $10.

RM 88 points.

http://www.pennshore.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1441210

More to come. 

Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2009 - Flinders Shiraz

Château de Beaucastel "Coudoulet de Beaucastel" Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2009

In the Southern Rhone River Valley in South Central France sits Château de Beaucastel, located north of Avignon, five kilometres south-east of Orange at the northern limit of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation. Coudoulet de Beaucastel is known as 'Baby Beaucastel', the second wine of this storied producer to the flagship Chateau Beaucastel, one of the premier producers in the historic Chateauneuf-du-Pape, known for age-worthy big bold complex wines. We visited Beaucastel during our Rhone Wine Experience in 1999.

Chateau Beaucastel Vineyards - Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Coudoulet fruit is grown in a 15 acre vineyard that lies to the east of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 autoroute. The geology of the soil at Beaucastel and Coudoulet are composed of a layer of marine limestone, rounded stones (or "galets") that contribute much to the wines of Beaucastel as they retain the intense heat of the Mediterranean sun during the day then slowly disperse it to the vines during the night. This provides a head start to the vines in springtime. The long dry Mediterranean summers often can stress the vineyard for lack of water resulting in intense powerful fruit. The resistance built into Beaucastel's vine stock from 30 years of continuous organic culture allows the vineyard to come through periods of drought with few problems. Because the rocky soil is porous and aerated, the vineyards at Beaucastel have developed root systems that penetrate deep into the rocky earth in their search for water. 

 
As shown above, the vines in the Southern Rhone are cut low to the ground to protect them from the mistral winds that rush up the river valley from the Mediterranean during the winter.  

Coudoulet and Beaucastel are age-worthy wines due to the high proportion (up to 30%) of Mourvedre, a grape that provides a tannic backbone and resistance to oxidation that ensures long life. Mourvedre introduces aromas of leather, tobacco, and spice to the blend. Beaucastel and Coudoulet vineyards are at the northern edge of the growing region of Mourvedre. It it often considered that the best expressions of a varietal come from the cooler parts of their growing areas.

The other primary varietal in Beaucastel wines is Grenache which gives Coudoulet the rounded fullness and intense fruit that is typical of Côtes du Rhône. The remainder of the blend is equal parts Syrah and Cinsault representing about 20% each, that provide tannins and aromatic complexity to Coudoulet. 

Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation covenants allow up to thirteen different varietals in the blend resulting in complex and often very sophisticated wines. Côtes du Rhône wines from the adjacent appellation are relatively simpler and generally more affordable offering high QPR - Quality to Price ratios compared to their bigger more complex neighbors. This is also the case with Coudoulet being a fraction of the price of its big brother Chateau de Beaucastel.  

Irazu Restaurant - Bucktown, Chicago

We met Ryan and Michelle at BYOB Irazu Restaurant in tony Bucktown about six blocks from their place and they brought along this Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Red 2009. 

Deep ruby purple color, medium.full bodied - very ripe, bold, forward, expressive structured, jammy and dry with aromas and flavors of black cherry and blackberry fruits, herb, grilled meat, leather with hints of pepper and spice with a mineral layer on the lingering moderate tannin finish.

RM 89 points. RP 89-91. 

 
Grenache 30%, Mourvèdre 30%, Syrah 20%, Cinsault 20%.

  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1015626

http://www.beaucastel.com/ 

Flinders Run Shiraz Southern Flinders Ranges South Australia 2006

We brought along one of favorite big Syrahs, Flinders Run. We love this wine and consider it a benchmark representation of Southern Australian Shiraz at its very best, and at a pricepoint between $25-30 it offers relative great QPR.

The 2006 Flinders is dark inky purple, full bodied, powerfully scented bouquet of dark berries, smoky minerals and fresh flowers bursting with flavors of thick chewy black raspberry, blueberry and cassis with layers of nut, vanilla and hints of mocha flavors on a tongue coating lingering finish.

My earlier tasting notes from last year; "Dark garnet color - full bodied. Mouthful of forward chewy spicy ripe plum blackberry, blueberry and notes of licorice coat the tongue, toasty oak and a layer of vanilla almond on the full long, pure finish. Slight heat and mineral edge is subsiding but detracts from the fruit a bit. Not quite as smooth as the 2005 vintage but delicious none-the-less".


RM 92 points, RP 91, WS 92.

As good as this wine is, we like the 2005 even better! These wines are big and forward and might be 'over-the-top' for the more timid!

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=579974

Syrah - Shiraz !?!

Lagier-Meredith Napa Valley
Mt Veeder Syrah is produced in
the Rhone Style

Stephen Lagier and Carole Meredith produce the Lagier-Meredith label Syrah based Rhone style wines from their mountain top estate high above Yountville on Mt Veeder in Napa Valley. As we are such huge fans of Syrah and Shiraz, I always wondered about the differences in the various Syrah/Shiraz varietals from the old world (France) and the new world (Australia and the US). I found the answer during our visit to Lagier-Meredith Vineyards in Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder tour last spring.

Stephen Lagier and
Carole Meredith

Carole Meredith was a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis where she conducted research in grape genetics. Her research group used DNA typing methods to discover the origins of some of the greatest old wine varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Syrah. Carol Meredith is a geneticist and has studied and specializes in the Syrah varietal. She attests the Syrahs from Australia and Napa are the same as their ancestors from the old world Rhone River valley where they have been grown since the 16th Century. Lagier-Meredith produce Syrah varietal wines that are true to their heritage as they strive to produce wines in the traditional Rhone style.

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004, Conn Creek Anthology 2008

The Capital Grill offers a quality carefully selected
variety of wines.

For our anniversary dinner we chose the Capital Grille (Lombard) where we knew we could match our most favored wine with a comparable dinner and entrees for a memorable dining experience. We took two exquisite bottles we were anxious to taste, secure in the knowledge their spectacular wine list could match our selections if need be. Planning on a perfectly grilled steak I took along a mouthwatering wine to match - Clarendon Hills Clarendon Piggott Range Syrah 2004.  

We first tasted this wine during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2003, when AJ brought a 1997 bottle BYOB to Bistro Jeanty in Yountille, Napa Valley with friends, AJ and Liat. I still remember it as one of the richest, most polished and full flavored Syrahs I had ever tasted. With this backdrop, I chose this for our anniversary celebration dinner. We also took along a Plumpjack Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 in remembrance of our memorable visit to the winery where we tasted and purchased this wine. Indeed, the fabulous Capital Grill cellar (shown above) offered this wine albeit from the 2008 vintage. The atmosphere, dinner and service were spectacular fitting every expectation for this special occasion. Jay was our server and did a superb job.

http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/

We feasted on the the Piggott Range, a spectacular complement to my perfectly 'Pittsburgh' prepared Sirloin and Linda's sliced Filet of Beef. It exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=153424

http://www.clarendonhills.com.au/

This luscious Australian Syrah was given a 96 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "A superstar effort, it reveals off-the-chart richness, complexity and intensity. Floral-scented, exhibiting a distinctive minerality along with wonderful blackberry and cassis fruit, and a hint of wood. The mid-palate and finish are both long, textured and intense. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for a minimum of 2 decades."

This winery Clarendon Hills is the namesake of the town and area around Clarendon which was established in 1845. Many of the vineyards surrounding the winery are over seventy years old; the gnarly and twisted bush vines are dry farmed and the grapes are hand picked. The soil profiles of each vineyard are very different with the Piggott Range known for the rock and shale. This is a hillside vineyard planted in the 1960's adjacent to the Onkaparinga Valley. The soil there is notable by it's absence rather predominant with solid rock and shale torturing the vine roots to reach deep for nutrients to survive. Low yields rarely exceeding two tonnes/acre produce deeply rich fruit with firm structure and tannins.  

To accompany the after dinner dessert medley, Capital Grill served us Conn Creek Anthology Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Garnet colored, medium bodied, moderately complex, smooth and polished, the Anthology complements the chocolate and fruit petit fores with berries and floral violets turning to black cherry and mocha flavors with refined tannins on the long, lingering finish. 

RM 89 points.

Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 11% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Conn Creek located in the historic Rutherford district along the Silverado Trail has been producing Napa Valley wines since the mid-1970's. Their flagship, Anthology is named for a Greek word that refers to a collection of literary or artistic works akin to its Bordeaux blend made from a collection of Napa Valley’s notable vineyards and diverse AVAs for growing Bordeaux varieties.Grapes are sourced from nearly all of Napa Valley’s appellations to provide great variety and options in crafting Conn Creek's flagship wine. The 2008 Anthology includes vineyard lots selected from the following appellations: Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, Stags Leap District, Howell Mountain - Hughes Vineyards, St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, Oakville - Stanton Vineyard, Calistoga - Surber & Frediani Vineyards, Yountville - Herrick Vineyard, Carneros - Truchard Vineyard, and Mount Veeder: Cabernet Franc from St. Helena - Carpenter Vineyard, Atlas Peak - Stagecoach Vineyard, and Spring Mountain; Merlot from St. Helena - Collins Vineyard, and Atlas Peak - Stagecoach; Petit Verdot from Yountville - Tall Trees; and Malbec from Yountville - Herrick. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1420800

http://www.conncreek.com/

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

This is one of the remaining bottles of a case we picked up following our visit to the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.  This is one of the joys of a wine cellar - to conduct periodic comparison tastings over the years to see how a wine ages. We tasted this at home with some artisan cheeses, grilled beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 - My last tasting notes were a year and half ago on this blog as part of a "diverse-cabernet-bordeaux-blend_tasting" , and previously three years earlier; both notes consistent with this time. 

 

This bottle took an hour to open and shed an initial slight tart cherry edge, which it did. Dark inky color - medium to full bodied. Full forward black cherry and black raspberry fruit flavors starting to show its age a bit with earth and leather emerging over the subtle currant, ripe plum, cedar and a hint of anise on a full firm finish. Earlier notes talk of a milk chocolate layer which was very subtle. I would say the aging of this bottle seemed no more-so than the previous tasting as it is holding its fruit quite well. RM 91 - WS 92.

http://www.paradigmwinery.com/

http://cellartracker.com/w?5051

Inniskillin Niagara on the Lake Wine Experience

Niagara on the Lake - Inniskillin Wine Experience

Desert wine is nectar in a glass - essence of honey, apricot, violets - there is nothing like it under the sun. Among the absolute finest desert wines in the world are ice wines - wines from grapes allowed to lie on the vine beyond ripening, then past the winter freeze such that as much as eighty percent of the juice in the grape is frozen leaving behind but all the sugars in the remaining twenty percent of the juice. Such is ice wine which in North America comes from a small area in the Pacific Northwest where Inniskillin Okanagan operates in Oliver, British Columbia, and from Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small strip of land between the western tip of  Lake Ontario to the north and the eastern tip of Lake Erie on the south. The small land mass adjacent to the Niagara escarpment there traps the air to protect the grape vines.

When the temperature reaches 8 degrees fahrenheit the conditions are right to harvest the grapes and collect the extracted sugar rich grapes suited for ice wine. Inniskillin Wines in the Niagara on the Lake appellation, licensed in 1974, the first winery to be licensed since 1929, has been producing and specializing in perfecting ice wines since 1984. Their Vidal Ice Wine from the 1989 vintage received the prestigious Grand Prix d'Honneur at Vinexpo in France. Inniskillin produces ice wine from several varieties of grapes including Vidal, Riesling, Chardonnay and even Cabernet Franc. They even produce a sparkling ice wine, which in other realms might be considered an oxymoron. Their 2006 Vidal Sparkling Ice Wine and 2007 Riesling Ice Wine won the Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly "World Cup of Wine" in 2007.

We love desert wines and serve them with salads, artisan cheeses and of course with deserts ranging cake to petit fours to dark chocolates. So  when it came time to visit Niagara on the Lake, our whole focus was on Inniskillin, the house of ice wine. 

Readers of this blog know we have a fairly extensive cellar, with numerous desert wines from the world's finest producers from the finest wine regions - late harvest rieslings from California, Sauternes from Bordeaux, Trockenberenauleses (TBA's) from Germany and Austria, and of course ice wines from the Niagara escarpment.

Inniskillin, named for the Irish village from where GI's hailed who were stationed in the area during the great WWII, has 120 acres of vines, and purchases grapes from local producers from another 250 acres to source the grapes for their wines. Their specialty and flagship wines are ice wines.

During our visit to Niagara and Inniskillin, we were honored to meet the legendary Don Zeraldo, one of the founders and former co-owners of Inniskillin. He was responsible for championing the creation of the Niagara on the Lake AVA, and with the oenology institute there that grants certificates and degrees in viticulture and oenology. And of course with the development and perfection of ice wines in partnership with Karl Kaiser, the father of Niagara on the Lake ice wine.

The tour of Inniskillin starts in the visitor's center, rumored to have been partly designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (more on that later). One then tours the vineyards, source of the Vidal and Chardonnay grapes for Inniskillin wines, followed by the crush area.

The tour visits the cellars and sees a movie of the legacy and heritage of Inniskillin wines featuring the vision and work on Don Zeraldo and Ken Kaiser. One sees the working Inniskillin cellars seeing aging wine in both barrels and bottles, culminating in seeing the wine library featuring bottle storage from the early vintages from the mid-eighties through  recent vintages.

Finally one is treated to a tasting in the tasting room which in fair weather is outdoors, or otherwise indoors in the visitor center. We were treated to the public tour tasting and then a special tasting of select Innikillin wines. We tasted the following Inniskilllin wines:

Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine 2008

Inniskillin Sparkling Ice Wine 2010

Inniskillin Shiraz Cabernet 2010

Inniskillin Kaiser Legacy Ice Wine 2004

Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine 2010

 


Inniskillin Winery and Frank Lloyd Wright - the Wright legend and inspired decor

The staff at Inniskillin spoke to the connection between the winery and Frank Lloyd Wright. The legend of Wright and Inniskillin  is that the property was owned by the Larkin family during the period when they commissioned Wright to design the Larkin Corporation headquarters building in Buffalo. The current winery visitors' center is situated in a barn that was built at that time. The recent owners of the winery decorated the buildings and grounds whth Frank Lloyd Wright inspired decor such as light fixtures, ironwork and windows. One window (below) is a reproduction or knock-off of the famous 'ballon' design windows from the Avery Coonley kindergarten in Riverside, Illinois. An original of these windows is displayed in the Art Institute of Chicago and they are the basis for many popular designs.

Ironically, the dual purpose of our to Niagara region was to visit Inniskillin and to tour the  Darwin Martin House and Complex in Buffalo, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright around the turn of the last century during his golden era of the Prairie Style of architecture. As a docent interpreter for the Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, I was also the research captain for Wright Plus 2012 for the William Martin House in Oak Park. William Martin commissioned Wright to design his home in Oak Park in 1903. During this time, he introduced his younger brother Darwin Martin to Wright. This lead to the commission for Wright to develop the Martin House and related buildings, and eventually the Larkin Building. Darwin Martin was the financial officer for the Larkin family and their soap and home products company.

In speaking with Don Zeraldo, former principle of Inniskillin. I intimated that I didn't buy into any theory of a connection between Wright and the winery property. He acknowledged that while this was a popular legend, there is no hard evidence of such a connection.

Some of the Wright inspired decor is shown here.

Vintage Dominus and Two Emerging Napa Cabernets

Long time friends Pat and Maureen poured out the cellar (pun intended) for our visit to Bluebell in suburban Philadelphia and an intimate poolside visit and dinner. An interesting selection of a Napa Valley classic big red Dominus and a couple of delightful new Napa Cabernet discoveries that they found at the local wine shop.    

Erba Mountainside Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Wow, what a find in this new emerging Napa Cab. Watch for great things to come from this exciting new producer Paul Erba, proprietor, and winemaker Denis Malbec. 

Starting in 1998, Paul and Debbie Erba planted the five Bordeaux varietals  (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) and some Syrah high on the steep rocky volcanic soil slopes of Atlas Peak at 1100 to 1550 feet above south east Napa Valley. Seventy percent of the vineyard planting are Cabernet Sauvignon. Their first release of this wine was in 2003 followed by inaugural releases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in 2006.

Winemaker Denis Malbec studied viticulture and oenology  in France and worked for the storied first growth Chateau Latour starting as one of the cellar workers in 1993 and moved up to enologist and cellar master in 1994, making the vintages from 1994 to 1999. Denis consults several boutique wineries in and around the Napa Valley including Kapcsàndy Family Winery, Blankiet Estate in Yountville, and Captûre Wines and Respite in Sonoma.
 

Taking some points from the winemakers' notes, this big cab has dark inky purple color, big full bodied, bouquet of cassis liqueur, graphite, violets and smoke give way to big forward flavors bold blackberry, blueberry and plum with subtle spice, tobacco and leather accents giving a supple lush mouthfeel. The long finish exhibits polished tannins with a nice balance of vanilla and toasted oak. We started with this Cabernet and it was fabulous with artisan cheeses and starters. It would be superb with dark chocolate!
Blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot.
 

RM 93 points. 
 

Readers of this blog will know that we love big bold mountain fruit wines. I've not seen this wine before but will definitely be on the lookout for this label for great drinking now and collecting for future enjoyment.
 
http://www.erbavineyards.com/ 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=106401 

Dominus Estate 1999

The 1999 vintage of the iconic Dominus was Number 11 on Wine Spectators Top 100 Wines of 2002! This vintage was characterized by its extremely long growing season - a season where patience eventually paid dividends in the form of wine with outstanding character and complexity. 

This wine is very Bordeaux-like, true to its heritage and blend of  75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. 

The 1999 Dominus is dark garnet colored, complex and polished - a symphony of integrated flavors and silky smooth tannins - not a big powerful wine but certainly full bodied and flavorful. Delicate floral bouquet gives way to black berry and black cherry fruits with a long fragrant finish of soft oak, spice and hint of cedar and leather earthiness. 

We last tasted this wine Dec 8, 2005 in Chicago at a Dominus Napa Valley Red Wine vertical tasting with the producer Edouard Mouiex that featured Dominus from vintages 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. My Tasting Notes and Commentary at that time said it needed more time. My rating for that tasting was the same as this time.

We have one bottle left from a case of 1986 Dominus that we pulled from and tasted periodically over a decade and a half, when it burst open with fragrance and complex flavors to fully reveal itself, by which time we were down to the final couple of bottles. I remember at that time exclaiming, 'THIS is what Dominus is all about!" I sense the 1999 was similarly subdued withholding its true character and potential that will fully emerge in a couple more years, or perhaps this is all it has to offer. I look forward to opportunities to find out!

We saved this one for dinner and it was the perfect complement to the sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and green beans.

RM 91 points. 

http://dominusestate.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=140

Oliver Hill Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Another discovery of a new emerging producer of Napa Cabernets, Oliver Hill is not to be confused with the Australian producer of jammy Syrahs with the same name. This is the collaboration of college roommates Mike Oliver, the grower, and Jerry Hill, the wine maker/owner. Mike provides Cabernet and Pinot Noir grapes and Jerry handcrafts wine in small batches producing less than 500 cases a year. 
This 2005 Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon is their first commercial release the using the Oliver Vineyard Cabernet grapes sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard clone 7 planted in 1993. The 100% Cabernet from the Oliver Vineyard, Oakville is barrel aged 36 months in French Oak.

The 2005 Oakville Cabernet medium to full bodied with aromas and flavors of black berry and cherry fruits, hints of dark plum, cola, mocha and cinnamon with lingering soft tannins on the finish. Released at $28 an advertised in the $20-25 range, this wine represents great QPR (quality to price ratio) in a Napa Cabernet.

RM 88 points. 

http://www.oliverhillwines.com/