Taste of Italy - Gala Italian Wine Dinner

Taste of Italy - Gala Italian Wine Dinner

This draft of my wine experience review is a work in progress... check back again for updates...

Dr. Dan hosted our latest wine dinner extravaganza and selected an Italian theme. Despite the fact that none of us focus on Italian wines in our collections, we were able to assemble a extensive flight including some extraordinary top rated vintage labels.

The wine collection included selections of Chianti, Barolo, Brunello de Montalcino, Amarone, Bolgheri Superiore and Super Tuscans. Top ranked and well known producers' labels included Antinori Guado Al Tasso, Ornellaia, Tignanello, Banfi, Nippozano, Villa Massetti and Poderi.

Prior to dinner Dan offered a spectacular flight of top ranked Champagnes and sparkling wine including Moet Chandon Dom Perignon, Piper Heidsieck Millésimé, Veuve Doussot and Sea Smoke Sea Spray.

To accompany the whites he served a broad array of appetizers - Shrimp Scampi. Chicken Piccata, Antipasto Platter ( Assorted salami, panchetta, meats, cheeses, artichokes, roasted peppers,  olives), tapenade, vegetable tray, Italian bread, and Capresse Salad.

Dan and Linda prepared five major courses including main course of spaghetti with 3 meat red sauce , Cioppino (fish stew) served over fettuccini, Tortellini served with a pesto sauce, green beans with slice almonds and garlic cheese bread..

After dinner there was a broad selection of deserts including Terri's mandarin orange cake, Linda's homemade chocolate almond truffles, and a broad selection of chocolates, caramels and fresh fruits.

Finally, to close the evening, Dan serve a flight of rare single malt Irish and Scotch whiskeys including:

Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey Blend Aged and Released in 2004 

Middleton's Legacy Barry Crocker Signature Release

Bushmill's 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whiskey

The Champagne / Sparkling Wine Flight - 

2004 Veuve Doussot Champagne Memory Cuvée Guy Joly

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1520741

Moët & Chandon Dom Perignon Champagne, Epernay France 2002

We visited the temple of Champagne, Moët & Chandon during our Champagne Wine Experience in 2006. It was one of our highlights of the trip.

 Even in blind tasting I would've picked this out as my favorite. It was extremely vibrant and expressive with a rich full body. Normally, I don't have a lot of discrimination from one champagne to another. But then again, rarely if ever have I tasted a flight of such exceptional Champagnes.
RM 94 points. 

The 2002 is the 2nd Highest Rated Dom Perignon ever by Wine Advocate affording it a 96 rating.


https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=194092

The Ladies

Piper-Heidsieck  "Millésimé" Brut Champagne France, 2002

This was another stop on our Champagne wine experience 2006.  This is a classic vintage release label from this premier producer.

Rich, complex yet delicately elegant - fresh acidity with lively fruit, pear, nut and smoke with a hint of honey on the crisp clean finish. 
RM 93 points. 
Wine Spectator rated this 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=785754

NV Veuve Doussot Champagne L by VD 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1611608

Sea Smoke "Sea Spray" Santa Rita Hills, Central Coast, California, Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine 2011 

A challenging tasting with so many great selections .... is it heresy to say this Californian may have been the consensus favorite against such top rated Champagnes?

https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=1572346

http://www.seasmoke.com/

 

The white flight - 

With the seafood cioppino Dan served two premium chardonnays - one a classic California Sonoma and one a Burgundian style Napa Carneros.

Ovation Joseph Phelps Freestone Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2007

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=694322

Fantesca Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005

I picked this up from the winery as part of my allocation that I shared with Dan. This chardonnay was the art work of legendary Nils Venge in collaboration with son Kirk. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=281913

 

The OTBN Crew - Lyle, Dan, Bill, Ernie, Rick

The red flights - 

Flight one ... 

Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Chianti Rùfina Nipozzano Riserva 2007

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=593360

Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico 2007 

From Lyle's cellar, this was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=758321 

Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino 2000

From Lyle's cellar, this hearty Brunello showed very well with the red meat sauce and hearty pastas.

Inky purple colored, medium-full bodied, black cherry fruit flavors gave way to earthy leather with hint of cassis and violets on a moderate finish.
RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=69368

I brought these two classics from my cellar, a '97 and a '99 vintage wine that both received huge ratings and rankings upon release. I found the Tignanello to be my second favorite of the evening following the Ornellaia's.

The Guado Al Tasso was much lighter than I remember from earlier tastings, but then such comparison tastings such as tonight help calibrate wines and put them into perspective relative to their peers - hence the fun of a comparison tasting.




Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT, Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT 1999

Sangiovese based blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Franc.

Deep Ruby colored, huge floral bouquet, medium-full bodied, forward bright vibrant mouthful of black cherry predominates with notes of currant, spice, and hints of tobacco and leather on a lingering silky tannin finish.

RM 92 points.
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=96168

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore, Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Belvedere 1997

One of the 'Super Tuscans' that are largely Bordeaux varietals. We acquired this wine upon release back in '99 when it received huge ratings from all the reviews including a 96 points from WS who chose it #12 out of the WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 for 2000. This was the top label of the Guado Al Tasso line-up.


Guado al Tasso, means literally "Badger's Ford", named for a common sight at the estate of Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, where it is produced.

Tenuta Guado al Tasso is located 60 miles southwest of Florence, near the medieval village of Bolgheri, in an area known as the Maremma. The 2,200 acre estate stretches up from the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the hills. In addition to extensive vineyards, the estate also grows wheat, corn, sunflowers, tomatoes and olive trees. The Guado al Tasso label was first produced in 1990 with  successive vintages in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 and this 1997. All the vintages were produced in limited quantities.

Winemaker's notes - "Intensely fruity, more of cherry than cassis, with hints of toast, coffee and dark chocolate. Finely structured and complex; balanced, with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Displays unmistakable varietal flavor while retaining strong regional character."
Alcohol : 13,5% Vol. 

Deep Ruby colored, medium bodied, This wine was much lighter and more subdued than I expected, was soft, smooth and polished with subdued berry fruits, hints of cassis, tea and toast on a moderate soft tannin finish. 
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah
 
RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1563852

Arcanum Il Fauno Toscana IGT 2007

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1493547


My two favorite wines of the evening were these two big powerful classics, Ornellaia - the 02 from Bill's cellar and the '09 brought by Ernie.

The 2009 may have been the biggest and most complex wine of the evening but it was too young to reveal its full majesty. The 2002 was more approachable and showed more elegance and polish having had an extra five years to settle itself. No doubt the '09 will present itself thusly in the years to come. Tonight, the '02 was my favorite of the flight.

These wines stood up well along with the hearty cheesy pasta and the beef cubes in the sausage, meatball and meat stew with red meat sauce. They begged for a big juicy beef-steak and were over-powering to much of the cuisine but wonderful none-the-less.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore 2009 

https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=1331932

Dark inky colored, full bodied, tightly wound, full firm, concentrated black fruits, black currant, blackberry, and plum with hints of  tea and dark chocolate with a long lingering structured tannin finish.
RM 92 points. 

Tenuta dell' Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore 2002 

https://www.cellartracker.com/classic/wine.asp?iWine=93719

Between the 2002 and the 2009 wines tasted, although the lesser rated and cited to have the lesser aging potential, this 2002 was the wine most ready to drink now and was far more expressive and expansive of the two. Garnet colored, full bodied, complex, smooth and elegant with black berry fruits, tone of mocha and cola with layer of leather, coffee and olive tapenade turning to smooth soft tannins on the finish. Tasted almost like a mature Bordeaux.
RM 93 points. 

http://www.ornellaia.com/

Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Costa Grimaldi 2000

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=33780


Villa Mattielli Amarone della Valpolicella 2009

Lacking the big body and complexity of many Amarone, ruby colored, medium bodied, still has that signature raisin and fig tones with hints of anise, cola, vanilla and nut on a modest tannin finish. 

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1573099







Serafini & Vidotto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2008

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1705385

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

A quiet weekend evening at home by the fire invites a hearty Aussie Syrah (aka Shiraz) with artisan cheese and meat plate. We broke open a case and pulled out a Rosemount Balmoral Syah 2000 for the occasion. We still hold several (six-pack) cases of assorted vintages dating back to 1992 so it continues to be an adventure tasting and watching the different vintages as they age.

As is often the case, I selected and 'blind' tasted this vintage without checking any tasting or cellaring notes beforehand, but I seemed to recall this vintage was reaching end of its apex and was due to be consumed. Afterwards, I checked, and unlike some earlier tasting notes of this vintage, this 2000 was especially vibrant and expressive, bursting with floral aromas and intense full raspberry flavors, without showing the age diminution found in some other bottles. Perhaps it vibrancy was due to it came out of a just opened case and had more consistent and appropriately stable provenance (storage).

Tonight this showed that usual dark inky purple color and medium to full body. It was extremely aromatic with complex flavorful blue berry and ripe black raspberry fruits. It did not, however like earlier notes, give way to ripe raisin, leather, earthiness, tar and tobacco with an aftertaste of smoke. It retained its vibrant fruits with hints of currant and plum turning to tones of vanilla, glycerin and mineral while the deep aromatics lingered on the long soft silky tannin finish.

I gave this a 92, the same rating I had given it earlier before subtracting for the slight diminution of fruit.

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

http://www.rosemountestate.com.au/

Clos Fortet Bordeaux for Paris Bistro French Cuisine Dinner

Clos Fortet Bordeaux for Paris Bistro French Cuisine Dinner

After a tumultuous day, we planned to dine out and to check out Paris Bistro in south Naperville. We went to see and support our friend Rosa who works there as a server. When we discovered it allowed BYOB,  we selected this eight year old Bordeaux from the cellar to take to accompany our French cuisine dinner. While they offer half priced bottles of wine on Monday nights, the selection is very limited and that offer does not apply to few the premium labels on the wine list, so we stuck with our BYOB selection.

Paris Bistro is part wine bar, part Boulangerie Patisserie, it promotes itself as a Rotisserie and Creperie. Its open for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner. While this is true, it doesn't do justice to its serious dinner entree beef and seafood offerings. The menu is simple and limited with a seafood and beef entree in addition to its crepe and rotisserie features. The menu is the handiwork of a local artisan chef who is eastern European but develops and serves authentic French cuisine. They offer a simple limited wine list of French labels to compliment each menu selection either by the bottle of by the glass. The selection included a couple of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc equivalent Bordeaux, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and a varied selection of other reds and whites - mostly modest wines at frugal prices.

I chose the day's special, a beef shank on the bone served in onions, carrots and mushrooms in a red wine reduction that was delicious, with truffle infused whipped potatoes (shown left). Linda chose the other day's special selection, shrimp and sea scallops served on a bed of polenta. Both were moderate portions served in a stylish thoughtfully prepared presentation, and were tasteful. While prices for most of the menu selections offered good value, our daily special selections were priced at 'upscale' suburban or even 'city' prices (thirty+ dollars).

Prior to dinner, we had a featured plate of cheese, pate and olives in olive oil ($14), served with toast points. Three various cheese, creamy, soft and moderate, were served in this delightful offering which by itself would be a great small plate accompaniment to a couple glasses of wine. It was tempting to not try their by-the-glass selections with the plate but we had our BYOB Bordeaux which turned out to be a perfect complement to this plate as well as our entrees.

After dinner we enjoyed superb creme brulee and chocolate mousse desserts.

Clos Fortet 1er Grand Cru Classe St Emilion Bordeaux 2004

The Clos Fourtet château sits right outside the gates of the medieval city of Saint-Emilion and is one of the oldest, most renowned and frequently visited estates in the area. It is within walking distance from the luxury hotel and restaurant Hostellerie de Plaisance. The property has about fifty acres of vineyards planted with Merlot (72%), Cabernet Franc (22%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (6%).

Clos Fourtet has had several owners over the years and underwent a mini-renaissance under the stewardship of the Lurtons family who bought the property in 1949. The winemaker Pierre Lurton established the property`s reputation as one of the finest on the St. Martin plateau. He left to become winemaker at the esteemed Cheval Blanc and was replaced by Daniel Alard. In 2001, Clos Fourtet was bought by Paris businessman Phillipe Cuvelier who continued to modernize and develop the property. 

Clos Fourtet has had an exceptional run of terrific vintage releases in recent years. Robert Parker, the legendary acclaimed critic loves this wine and has praised their efforts in recent releases. Parker cited their 2003 a breakthrough vintage for this estate and their best ever. He said this 2004 was a worthy successor to the 'brilliant' 2003, however not as powerful. He gave their 2005 vintage a classic 98 points rating, and then he awarded the 2009 a perfect 100, saying 'it was one of the greatest young Bordeaux (he) had ever tasted'.

Tonight this wine was dark purple colored, medium to full bodied. Upon opening it burst with aromas of berry fruits. It was vibrant and bright with a symphony of youthful exuberant black cherry, black berry and blue raspberry fruits, accented by tones of  spice, creme de cassis and licorice, with hints of smoke and mocha, turning to a soft spicy lingering moderately tannin finish.

RM 92 points. RP 91-93 points.

I wish I had more than my few bottles of this to taste over the next decade or so. 

http://www.closfourtet.com/

http://www.parisbistronaperville.com/

Vineyard 29, Elan Atlas Peak Napa Cabernet 95 Duo, Fogdog Chardonnay Highlight Beef Tenderloin Surf & Turf Dinner

Vineyard 29, Elan Atlas Peak Napa Cabernet 95 Duo, Fogdog Chardonnay Highlight Beef Tenderloin Surf & Turf Dinner

For a beef tenderloin wine dinner with friends Beth and Bill C, I suggested a (Napa) Cabernet theme following our Shiraz and Bordeaux dinners during last weekend's NYC getaway.

Bill brought a 1995 Vineyard 29 Napa Cabernet. Bill brought this same property's Grace Vineyard label from the '93 vintage to our OTBN 2013 (Open That Bottle Night) dinner and it was one of my favorites of that evening that featured more than thirty wines.

For a comparison mini-horizontal tasting, I pulled a 1995 Elan from the cellar. This provided an interesting contrast in styles and terroir of two wines showing the same state of their aging profile.

At eighteen years of age these two wines are reaching the end of their drinking window and both, while showing their age, are still drinking well.

The two aged Napa Cabernets were a perfect complement to Linda'a beef tenderloin, green beans and wild rice dinner, as well as the chocolate mousse and selection of artisan cheeses. Prior to dinner we drank Joseph Phelp's Sonoma County Fogdog Chardonnay 2010 with lobster medallions and artisan cheeses.


Freestone (Joseph Phelps) Fogdog Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2010

This is an interesting whimsical label from the legendary Joseph Phelps known for Bordeaux varietal wines from Napa Valley. Yet Phelps loved the wines of Burgundy and wanted to craft wines in that style. Originally he sourced Chardonnay from St. Helena, then Yountville and later from Carneros.

Through the years, he continued searching for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He found the perfect combination of climate, soil and location in Freestone, in the Sonoma Coast appellation AVA, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, Joseph Phelps Vineyards began developing 100 acres of vineyards just outside of Freestone.

In 2005, he built a new winery which was completed in time for the 2007 harvest. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay produce remarkable estate-grown wines bearing the Joseph Phelps name.

The moniker 'fogdog' refers to 'a bright or clear spot that appears in the breaking fog'. Being just five miles from the coast, the fog rolls in from the ocean and graces the vineyards early in the day before being burned off by the late morning sun.

We've had the Fogdog Pinot Noir on several occasions, most recently during last weekend during our New York/Hoboken getaway, but this was our first encounter with the Chardonnay.

Winemaker Notes: This wine has a very expressive floral bouquet with notes of baking spices, wet stone and toasted vanilla bean. There is a hint of mid-palate sweetness that nicely buffers the core of acidity and complements the array of pear tart, white peach, green apple and lemongrass flavors. 

Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sourced from the Dutton Ranch Mill Station Vineyard (67%) and the Freestone estate vineyards (33%). 

The 2010 Chardonnay growing season was slow and cool, producing excellent fruit quality with uniform sugar and acid levels, despite the late season weather challenges, making for excellent natural winemaking conditions. The finished wines are balanced and fresh with a distinctly Freestone spice element.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1342737

http://www.josephphelps.com/visit-us-sonoma-coast/
 

Vineyard '29' Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Vineyard 29 derived its name from the estate's physical address, located at 2929 Highway 29, just north of the town of St. Helena. The estate is located on the eastern-facing slope of the Mayacamas mountains that form the western boundary of Napa Valley. The property has had several owners over the last two decades. During the 1995 vintage year it was owned by Tom Paine and Teresa Norton who were partners in the international human resource consulting firm, Hewitt and Associates. They purchased the 28-acre property (not 29?) in St. Helena in 1988 and moved there in 1989.

They hired David Abreu as vineyard manager, a third generation rancher in St. Helena, a graduate in viticulture and enology from University of California at Davis, and founder of Abreu Vineyards and David Abreu Vineyard Mangement.

David planted the Grace Family vineyard with the Bosche clone of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bordeaux style, with five feet between rows and four feet between plants, resulting in about 2,000 vines per acre as opposed to the 500-600 vines found in most vineyards. By 1993, Vineyard 29 was comprised of four acres and more than 8,000 vines. Vineyard 29 was in partnership with Grace Family Vineyard until 1998, using their facilities. Dick Grace hired Heidi Peterson Barrett of Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle fame in 1995 and she also made the Vineyard 29 wine until 1998.

After nearly a decade of producing highly acclaimed vintages, Tom and Teresa sold the property in 2000 to Chuck and Anne McMinn, who constructed a state-of-the-art, gravity-flow winery and cellars on the property.

Vineyard 29 produces classic, rich, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon, attributable and distinctive to its terrior of its eastern-facing slope where the grapes receive the most direct sunlight during the early morning hours when the heat is less intense. Afternoon sunlight falls indirectly on the vineyard, allowing for slightly cooler afternoon exposure. This pattern of exposure is ideal as the grapes can ripen with well-structured tannins. The slope ensures perfect drainage, creating the perfect amount of vine stress to yield highly concentrated fruit. In addition, the close spacing, a more expensive way to farm, stresses the vines so the yield is lower and the grapes more intense. The wine was aged in 100% new oak.

This wine is dark ruby colored, medium bodied, elegant with good depth, concentrated vibrant expressive spicy black cherry and black berry fruits with a layer of leather, cassis, oak and cigar box that likely have come on and are indications of its age, with smooth nicely integrated fine-grained tannins on a long flavorful finish.

RM 92 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=286122

http://www.vineyard29.com/

Elan Vineyards Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

We first tasted and picked up this wine from the producers Richard & Linda Elliott-Smith during our 1998 Napa Wine Experience. We're getting towards the end of a case we acquiered back then.

During our  Napa Cab 95 Vintage Horizontal Tasting back in August, of the five eighteen year old '95 Napa Cab's tasted, this was the one showed the most diminution from age. I think its Bordeaux style renders more earthiness and leather with more muted fruits. 

Full bodied, with firm but well integrated tannins, the black berry and black cherry fruits are falling off a bit and giving way to tones of leather and tobacco, accented by anise, cedar and oak.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=72763

Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008

Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 Overpowers Italian Dinner

For our special getaway weekend to NY/Hoboken to visit son Alec, we picked up this special wine to take for a BYOB dinner. We chose the wine and then settled on a restaurant and despite the pairing being less than ideal, the wine and the dinner individually were wonderful. 

We dined at Cafe Michelina a short walk from son Alec's place - trendy' lively and quaint  traditional Italian featuring pasta dishes with some select seafood and chicken entree's. 


If you read this blog, you'll see continually that we, and especially Linda, love big bold Shiraz, so she selected this label for tonight's dinner. This was our first adventure tasting the classic AMON-Ra and this is indeed a BIG wine ...  not for the feint of heart!  While it overpowered our Italian fare and begs for a big steak, dark chocolate or hearty cheese,it was delicious none-the-less.

AMON-Ra is the flagship wine of the Glaetzer Family who have been producing Barossa Valley wines since 1888. We hold several Glaetzer wines going back a decade including one of our favorites, GoDolphin, which has since been discontinued, Wallace, Annaperenna and Bishop. The branding and labels for these wines all feature hieroglyphic symbols from ancient Egyptian mythology.  

Since AMON-Ra was considered to be the king of all gods, winemaker Ben Glaetzer chose that symbol for his flagship, top of the line ultra-premium label. Perhaps this is fitting since the temple of AMON-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple.

The eye on front of the AMON-Ra label is the all-seeing eye of Horus or wedjat ("whole one") - a powerful Egyptian symbol of protection. It is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to what Egyptians regarded as the six senses; touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought.
Ben created AMON-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses. And it certainly does! 


Fruit for Glaetzer wines is sourced from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley called Ebenezer. Some of the vines are as up to 80-120 years old. The 2008 release of AMON-Ra Shiraz is the eighth release of this label. The 2008 vintage in the Barossa was a difficult year for wine producers due to a heat spike during the vintage. As a result, Glaetzer limited the total production of AMON-Ra to maintain the quality of the wine. The strict fruit selections were rigorous and uncompromising to sacrifice quantity for quality resulting in the smallest volume released since the tiny 2003 vintage, lower than the 2007 production. This required carefully monitoring the vines and making multiple passes through the vineyards carefully selecting only grapes with the right intensity of fruit and balancing different levels of ripeness before the heat spike overstressed the fruit. 
 

This release was produced by winemaker Ben Glaetzer who was New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006. According to the producer, "the 2008 vintage shows great purity of fruit and firm but fine tannins, giving great structure and power to the wines."

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, dense powerful and concentrated with a firm structured core of fruit yet nicely balanced. The bright aromatic fruit scents filled the room upon opening - the flavors were of ripe sweet dark berry, cranberry, boisenberry with a layer of mild licorice and tones of spice turning to smooth silky clinging tannins on the long finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=743959

http://www.glaetzer.com/

More on our getaway weekend and dining experience to come ...

Château Haut-Brisson La Réserve 2009

Château Haut-Brisson La Réserve St Emilion Grand Cru 2009 BYOB at Anthony David's Hoboken

We selected this Grand Cru St Emilion to take BYOD to trendy Anthony David's Gourmet just a couple blocks from son Alec's place in Hoboken thinking it would go with a variety of dishes including a hearty beefsteak. Succumbing to the peril of buying wine on the road for an occasion as opposed to sourcing from the cellar (due to TSA carry-on bag restrictions), we drank this wine far too young/early. The tight tannins should soften with some aging hopefully rendering this a bit more approachable. 

The marketing appeal of this label might have been enhanced by the oversized hefty bottle packaging but of course it didn't enhance the wine. Medium-full bodied, dark purple in colour, moderately complex but a bit disheveled, (Parker called it 'unevolved'), the black cherry with a hint of tartness predominated over the black berry fruit and the terroir elements of black tea, leather and hint of tobacco on a tight tannin finish. Parker said it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring and I would echo that advice. 

RM 90, RP gave this a 92. 

Blend - 85% merlot 10% cabernet sauvignon 5% cabernet franc.

The wine was a wonderful complement to Anthony David's foie gras, but then it was so rich and flavorful with the toast points and black cherries that any wine would've been enhanced. The Haut-Brisson was also a perfect complement to the Anthony David's demi-glaze sauce on my rib-eye steak entree. The highlight of Alec's seared sea scallops was the creamed corn accompaniment. Linda's chose the special red snapper. The chocolate and pistaschio ice creams were wonderful.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1345833

Fogdog Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2010

Fogdog Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2010

Elysian Cafe - Hoboken

We took a weekend getaway to visit son Alec in trendy Hoboken across from Manhatten. Hoboken offers a wonderful array of restaurants, many within walking distance of Alec's place. During the weekend, we enjoyed three wonderful meals at local eateries - Anthony David's Gourmet, Cafe Michelina Italian, and Elysian Cafe, Hoboken's oldest continually operating eatery and bar dating back to 1895.

Of course being the wine geeks we are, selecting our wine experience is an essential and equally important part of our dining experience, so we gravitate to the BYOB eateries. BYOB aside, our most memorable and favorite dining experience in Hoboken remains Amanda's which was our first and chance encounter to Hoboken dining. 

Upon arrival in town, we picked up this Fogdog Sonoma County Pinot Noir at the neighborhood wine shop and enjoyed it back at Alec's with grilled hamburgers, avocado, onion, tomato and cilantro. This smooth easy drinking Pinot was just right for the occasion.

Label from 2009 vintage

This is an interesting whimsical label from the legendary Joseph Phelps known for Bordeaux varietal wines from Napa Valley. Yet Phelps loved the wines of Burgundy and wanted to craft wines in that style. Originally he sourced Chardonnay from St. Helena, then Yountville and later from Carneros.

Through the years, he continued searching for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He found the perfect combination of climate, soil and location in Freestone, in the Sonoma Coast appellation AVA, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, Joseph Phelps Vineyards began developing 100 acres of vineyards just outside of Freestone.

In 2005, he built a new winery which was completed in time for the 2007 harvest. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay produce remarkable estate-grown wines bearing the Joseph Phelps name.

The moniker 'fogdog' refers to 'a bright or clear spot that appears in the breaking fog'. Being just five miles from the coast, the fog rolls in from the ocean and graces the vineyards early in the day before being burned off by the late morning sun.


This Fogdog was sourced from Joseph Phelps' Freestone estate vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. The wine was aged in 30% new French oak before bottling.

From the winery: "Ripe raspberry, red cherry and plum aromas with touches of fragrant violet, earth and tangerine peel. Youthful, with great energy and racy acidity, this wine is loaded with juicy blackberry, black cherry and black pepper with lingering notes of baking spices. During the Fogdog selection process, we look for wines that boast vibrant fruit characteristics in addition to texture and acidity that are approachable upon release without extended bottle aging."

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1583864

Constant Diamond Mountain Claret Horizontal Highlights Beef Tenderloin Dinner

Constant Diamond Mountain Claret Horizontal Highlights Beef Tenderloin Dinner

For an impromptu beef tenderloin dinner party, I suggested opening Napa Valley Cabernets from the mid-nineties so Bill brought Constant Diamond Mountain Claret 96 and 97 and I added a 95 to round out a mini-horizontal. Lyle brought a Guimaraens Vintage Port for dessert which I complemented with a 95 Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina for a comparison tasting.

Prior to the dinner flight we opened a Ravines Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc 2010 and a Reasons 'The One' Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Lyle shared with us his memories from growing up in the Finger Lakes region near Keuka  Lake and swimming right near the Ravines' site.

Linda prepared a butternut squash lobster bisque which we served with a Chateau St Jean Reserve Chardonnay 2007.

Afterwards, we compared Lyle's Guimaerens 1995 Vintage Port with a Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995 Oporto over chocolate truffles, pumpkin and key lime pies.

Chateau St Jean Sonoma County Reserve Chardonnay 2007

Chateau St Jean in Sonoma

Chateau St Jean is one of the classiest producers and wineries in Sonoma Valley with its expansive grounds of stylish gardens and old world style Chateau and accompanying buildings - one of the most authentic old world style sites in the region. Its one of our favorite producers in Sonoma that we've visited on numerous occasions including during our Sonoma Wine Experience 2009.

They consistently produce a selection of quality ageable reds and respectable whites in prices ranging from entry level to moderate to premium. This is a quality Reserve Chardonnay at a fraction of the price of similar labels from other notable producers.

Straw colored, medium bodied, balanced, crisp and lively, a bit buttery and slightly oaky with a solid structure and creamy texture. with aromas and flavors of lemon, pear and mandarin orange with hints of nut, vanilla and clove.

RM 88 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1034421

http://www.chateaustjean.com/



Ravines Wine Cellars Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc 2010

Keuka Lake from Ravines Wine Cellars

Being one of the very few Finger Lakes region wines distributed in the Chicago market attracted us to make sure we visited the winery during our visit to the Finger Lakes Keuka Lake wine region last year. Being three quarters of the clockwise drive around Keuka Lake, we arrived just about closing time and were grateful we were able to convince the staff to bear with us since it was the sole target producer of our trip. We would not be passing by this area again, due to the expanse of the wine trails that envelop three of the five elongated finger like lakes in south central New York state.

Too many of the Finger Lake producers produced a large selection of labels from a large number of varietals. I believe all would be better served if they would stick to the one or two varietals best suited to the region terrior - climate, terrain, soil, drainage etc. For lack of doing so, we tasted too many lackluster disappointing wines during our tour - moreso than standout highlight wines.

Like many of the Finger Lakes produces we visited, Ravines offered no less than nine different labels. I believe if, like most wine producing regions in the world, if they focused on what was best suited to their area, they would produce higher quality from their selectivity. It defies conventional logic that the region is best suited to produce a dozen different varieties of grapes, each with their own suitability to climate, soil, etc.

While I wouldn't expect Cabernet Franc to thrive in this region, this Cabernet Franc is an example of a bold flavorful varietal that gets the most out of the number of sun and degree days available in the climate - pushing the limits of the grape. This Cab Franc overachieves and exceeds expectations, however the bar is set rather low compared to warmer climate locales more suited to the varietal. I expected and think the Rieslings were best suited to the region and offered a better sense of terrior or place.

This Cabernet Franc is opaque purple colored, medium to light bodied, presenting modest black cherry fruits offset by black olive, dark mushroom and earthy spice tones on the modest tannin finish.
The saving grace is that unlike $30 or $40 California or French Cab Francs, this modest price point of  $18, or the $16 in Chicagoland stores, renders a decent QPR - quality price ratio.   

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1326506

http://ravineswine.com/


Reasons "The One" Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

The guys at Wine Discount Center love this wine and give it 93 points. Wine Enthusiast ranked its 2008 as one of the top 100 wines of the vintage. I don't feel it lives up to its billing or its expensive packaging of a oversize weighty bottle, however, it isn't priced like a premium Cabernet so it ends up being a decent value with reasonable QPR (quality price ratio).

From the Horse Heaven Hills area of Washington's Columbia River Valley, the 2009 Reasons "The One" is medium bodied but a bit lean lacking polish and balance, but bursting with aromas of berry fruits upon opening, giving way to dark fruit flavors of black cherry, black plum, blackberry and cassis with hints of tobacco, leather and mushroom.

RM 88 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1627667

http://www.reasonswine.com/


Mini horizontal tasting of Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons - 1995-96-97

We visited Constant Diamond Mountain vineyards high atop Diamond Mountain during our Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Wine Experience 2011. Freddie Constant's property sitting at the summit overlooking Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west is one of but a select few vineyards that span both. The property is one of the oldest, longest continuous production vineyards in the Napa Sonoma region. Tonight's mini horizontal tasting revealed three diverse vintages with different effects yet clung to a common sense of place or terrior that bound the three together.

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1997

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker - Deep indigo color. Full of fruit on the nose. Complex and layered on the palate with classic Bordeaux style notes of leather, tobacco, jammy dark fruit and seemingly typical of Constant, a bit of spice on the back palate. This will still improve for another 3 to 5 years. Fared well against the '95 and '96 Constant Claret though I felt the '95 at this point was a bit more expressive. Could be the '97's still need more time.

WCC 92 points.

True to the vintage ratings, this was the biggest, fullest and most complex of the three vintages - more resembling a left bank Bordeaux than a Napa Cabernet. Medium to full bodied, dark purple, earthy leather, tea and a layer of tobacco compete with the black berry fruits and hint of spice. This was the most stable of the three clinging to its core of fruit and tannin backbone on the finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36392


Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1996

Constant Vineyards magnifcent grounds high atop
Diamond Mountain

Bill's post - This was good, but like many of the 96's we have tasted recently, probably a bit past prime. Still some interesting characteristics. Medium garnet in color, showing just a bit of orange at the rim. Limited fruit on the nose. Was a bit thin on the palate with heavier notes of black pepper and a bit of spice box. This might have rated higher if not for tasting side by side with the Constant Claret from '95 and '97.

WCC 89 points.

I found this a bit austere and the leanest of the three vintages but nicely balanced and sufficiently focused that this was favored by some of the ladies. 

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36390

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Claret 1995

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

Bill's post - Deep indigo color in the glass. A bit more full bodied than I remembered. Deep flavors of dark berry...blueberry, dark cherry and raspberry, with some minerality on the finish. Not surprising, given this vintage was made in more of a Bordeaux blend style albeit a bit Cabernet heavy at (73%). Smooth integrated tannins. A nice bottle drinking at peak. Will last another couple of years but why wait?

WCC 90 points.

My notes - This is the third bottle from this vintage we've opened in recent years and this one was consistent with earlier notes from one. Dark purple color, medium to full bodied, full forward flavors of black berry and black cherry fruits with traces of anise and hints of tobacco, tea and leather on a lingering, moderate, soft tannin finish. Mid-evening tones of black pepper appeared but were short-lived.  This is holding on but is showing its age and is nearing the end of its drinking window.

RM 89 points. 

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

 http://www.constantwine.com/ 


Ports - Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995 and Guimaraens Vintage Port 1995

Guimaraens Vintage Port 1995

Bright dark ruby colored, full bodied, rich and chewy, concentrated and complex but nicely balanced and smooth with rich ripe black berry, black raspberry, cassis with tones of expresso coffee and hint of spice. 

RM 91 points.

From Fonseca: "In years when Fonseca does not ‘declare’ a classic vintage, it selects the finest grapes from its own vineyards to yield a small quantity of this superb wine, which is produced exactly as a declared Fonseca Vintage. Beautifully structured and perfectly balanced, Guimaraens Vintage Ports show Fonseca’s superb marriage of power and breed in a slightly lighter, earlier-maturing style."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1918

Warre's Quinta de Cavadhina 1995

Not quite as complex and balanced with slightly more subdued fruits than the Guimaraens.
 
Dark coffee color - full bodied, a bit of an edge of sweet black fruits, layer of smokey creosote with hint of cedar and cassis and black cherry on the finish. From a half bottle.

RM 89 points. 

This was one of WINE SPECTATOR’S Top 10 Dessert Wines for 1998.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3721  

http://www.warre.com/section.php?id=777

Half Bottle Mania offers twice the tasting options

Half Bottle Mania offers twice the tasting options

Half Bottle Mania - Twice the tasting options -
Napa Cabs, Shiraz, Bordeaux, IceWine Flight

For a gala tasting with friends TRR and Don K to discuss wine collecting and cellar management planning, and purchasing strategies, I chose half bottles for a more extensive tasting. While the fun of big bottles is evident, its not as widely known or practiced that opening half size bottles offers twice the number of tasting experience options in the same setting.

Opening small format bottles this evening allowed us to taste seven different wines instead of perhaps three had we opened regular or standard size bottles. This allowed a Napa Cabernet tasting as well as a comparison against a similar vintage Bordeaux  and a Australian Shiraz, and a Ice Wine too. It also allowed a comparison of a selection of Napa Valley appellations' terrior and style - Oakville, Mt.Veeder, Howell Mtn, against a blend of those locations, and a Bordeaux blend.

As we most often do, we enjoyed these wines BYOB over dinner at our local neighborhood bistro Angeli's Italian. The big reds were spectacular with their Butternut Squash Gnochi in rich sweet brown sugar and vanilla sauce, and my favorite dish, and off-menu preparation of veal in a rich blue cheese brown sauce on angel hair pasta.

Prior to the red tasting we did an initial tasting at home of artisan cheeses with Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007, then a small grilled flank steak taster against the Clark-Claudon and Larmande reds .

Anti pasta course flight:

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Stags Leap District Sauvignon Blanc 2007

This may be my favorite Sauvignon Blanc. A staple to keep for any wine tasting as a tasty starter, transition wine between courses, or by itself with salad, fruit and cheese or a seafood, light pasta or veggie dish.

While a bit more pricey than average, it stands up against classic Sauvignons costing twice as much. We visited Cliff Lede and did a magnificent tasting there during our Napa Wine Experience 2009.

Lemon colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced acidity, subtle oak, citrus and remarkable peach fruit flavor that turns to lemon with hints of mango, passion fruit and tangerine on the finish. Fabulous complement to lobster with a dash of lemon butter. starter. First tasted at the winery - got some at home - a staple white for the cellar. 

RM 90 points. 

 
The flight:

Clark Claudon Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

We've been collecting this Howell Mtn classic since our Napa Valley Wine Experience 1999. We have a vertical collection back to their inaugural 1993 vintage and have tasted this in Napa Cab wine flights with the same outcome as earlier Big Cab tastings - the concensus favorite of the group ...

Deep dark purple - full bodied - explosive aromas of ripe dark berry fruits, big mouth-full of forward complex but polished spicy black and edge of red berry fruits, violets, layers of mocha and oak with a long lingering tannin finish.

The 2004 Napa growing season was condensed with early bud break, warm days, cool nights and one challenging heat spike. The result was a small harvest of intense, flavor packed fruit from an unusual, but exceptional year that is showing and drinking well and should last another decade.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=229261


Yates Family Vineyards, Napa Redwood Estates, Aldon Perry Reserve, Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

This was discovered and acquired during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Appellaton Experience 2011.

A bit of acid heat initially that soon wears off to a pleasant smooth drinking wine. Deep garnet color - full bodied bursting with complex layers of rich forward black currant, blackberry, ripe sweet black raspberry fruits, tones of cinnamon spice, anise and hints of floral, sweet oak, white pepper and tobacco leaf, finishing with moderate smooth tannins on a rich full finish.
RM 92 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1012016 

Paradigm Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

This wine was tasted and acquired during the same Napa Valley Wine Experience 1999  as the Clark Claudon above.

Fragrant, soft supple tannin, medium body, the layers of cherry and black currant fruit are being overtaken by earthy leather, licorice, and herbs, with under-currants of spice and cedar.  

RM 89 points. 

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5875

    








Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Robert Craig produces this blend of Napa Valley Cabernets from his various vineyard sources on Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Napa Valley. He also sources fruit from Mt George and Spring Mtn distict for his wines. He calls Affinity 'three mountains and a valley cabernet'. Its produced for early enjoyment but we continue to find it ages well too. We continue to hold a vertical of this wine dating back to the inaugural 1993 vintage. This wine was a highlight of the evening and was a perfect pairing with the grilled rib-eye steaks, and also went especially well with the the pre-dinner double Gloucester cheese.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, huge ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel with a hint of anise, tobacco and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=323482


Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux 2005

Château Larmande produces about 9000 cases per year and is known for consistent quality and generally a good value. The estate is planted predominantly in Merlot covering 60% of the vineyard, with 30% Cabernet Franc and just 5% Cabernet Sauvignon making up the balance. 

The 2005 vintage was above average and produced a wine that is already approachable but should last another ten to fifteen years. Bottles are recognizable by the unique lavender colored foil.

Medium bodied, full aromas of floral perfume, moderately complex flavors of red berry and plum fruits accented by subtle spice and hints of cherry-cranberry, nice texture and smooth moderate tannins round out the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693

www.chateau-larmande.com


D'Arenberg Dead Arm McLaren Vale Valley Shiraz 2002

Dead Arm refers to the (one armed) vines that when afflicted in the early days of the last century were spared from being turned under and emerged to produce highly concentrated fruit from the single remaining arm that survived after the loss of the other side of the vine.

Typically a big fruit forward complex wine, the 2002 was a bit more subdued and muted than its normal big forwardness but what was an off-tone of minerality. Lacking that uber ripe almost raisin-fig with a layer of cedar predominating, this still held that complex black berry fruits with tones of pepper, spice, and cassis and hint of vanilla with a big long bold finish that has a slight tone of tangy cherry.

Linda likes this ripe boldness but its a bit too much to my liking it needs to be tasted with hearty meats, even bar-b-que, or artisan cheeses, such as tonight when it complemented the beef tenderloin, marinated pork tenderloin and then the course of dark chocolate deserts.

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27221

Inniskillin Niagara Peninsula VQA Oak Aged Vidal Eiswein 2004

We visited this classic Ice Wine producer during our visit to the Niagara-on-the-Lake isthmus nestled between Buffalo, NY and Toronto. 

The fruit was a bit more muted and subdued than earlier tastings with it giving way to a layer of smoke and wood. Aromas of apple blossoms, apricot with hint of cinnamon-raison bread. On the palate, this beautifully rich dessert wine follows through nicely with mix of apricot, mango and a strong honeyed fig component. The overall finish has good length with tantalizing flashes of exotic fruit and spice.

RM 91 points.
 
http://www.inniskillin.com/en/ice/searchWines.asp?AppellationID=3&TypeID=Vidal