Chez Joel for simple wines and small plates bistro food

Chez Joël Bistro Francais in Chicago Little Italy For Simple Hi-QPR Wine and Authentic French Plates

Following our annual family ball game outing, we stopped in one of our favorite bistros, Chez Joël, that actually sits in Little Italy, Chicago, for some wine and food before heading back out to the 'burbs. The quest for authenticity in the menu, atmosphere and setting carries over to the wine list which is unpretentious and inviting with good value modest French selections. One can almost imagine sitting in a small ville in France.

I ordered the Pâté de deux Sortes duck & chicken liver pâté and the Fromage de Brie Chaud warm brie cheese with honey, apricot, garlic and almond to accompany the wine.  Ryan and Michelle split the grilled Angus NY Strip Steak with Roquefort Cheese Sauce and Mashed Potatoes and the roasted beet and arugula salad with goat cheese.

Having drunken one of the top Graves' producers, Chateau Pape Clement the other night, we settled on the Graves as a basis for comparison, good value, and a perfect accompaniment to the food.


The Graves appellation, named for the small pebbles that predominate in the gravelly clay soils, is the southernmost appellation in the Bordeaux region. It is well known more for it's crisp white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, but it also offers some top reds including first growth Haut Brion, as well as others that tend to be less well known yet offer good QPR - Quality Price Ratios.

Graves wines are known for character, structure and fruit, typically at prices less expensive than wines of similar quality from the nearby Médoc.




 Château du Maine Graves Bordeaux 2009

Château du Maine is a 25 acre vineyard planted in vines with average age of 25 yrs. in 55% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% combined of Petit-Verdot and Malbec.

The winemaker producer is Jean-Pierre Duprat.

The château sits atop a hill, composed mainly of gravel and coarse sand with a gravel-clay subsoil, that offers excellent drainage for the property. Hence his wines are less affected by late season or harvest time rains. 

Not overly complex or elegant but pleasant easy drinking, ruby colored and medium bodied, this bright vibrant flavorful red wine boasts lots of cherry and berry fruits accented by cinnamon spice and a layer and slight harsh edge of iodine and cedar tones. Aged in oak barrels (about 30% new) for about 18 months gives a slight oak tone to the terroir structure that has modest fine tannins on the finish.

RM 85 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1691583

http://www.chezjoelbistro.com/

www.chateau-du-maine.fr

Tanunda 100 Year Shiraz - De la Gardine CDP for Barbecue Rib Dinner

Tanunda 100 Year Shiraz - De La Gardine CDP for Barbecue Rib Dinner

For barbecue rib dinner we pulled a California Syrah and a vintage Chateauneuf du Pape and friend Bill brought a classic Tanunda 100 year old vines Shiraz. Son Sean prepared a starter of classic Coquilles St-Jacques (Gratinéed Scallops). Coquilles St-Jacques simply means "scallops" in French.

For the scallops starter, Bill brought a Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett.

Dr. H. Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett 1999

What a surprise in the vibrant bright fruit of this fifteen year old Riesling. The flavor profile was predominate sweet green apple turning to a layer of pear with bright nicely balanced acidity. It drank more like a spatlese with its full body and just the right amount of pleasurable sweetness.

RM 89 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1755394

http://www.thanisch.com/



Chateau Tanunda 100 Year Vines Shiraz 2008

Bill was generous to bring a bottle of this select wine from his cellar. We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of eight three packs in OWC's which we split amongst the wine team, pictured in this blogspot feature.

Bill's notes - "Still the best Shiraz I have tasted and there is a great deal of separation from number 2. Layered and complex with spice, granite, minerals on the palate with a touch of softness not usually expected in a Shiraz. Drinking beautifully now but will last for years."

WCC 96 points.

This is a huge thick chewy Shiraz. I can only think of a few that have been this dense and each of them are memorable tastings. It begs for a thick juicy steak or tangy barbecue. Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of liquorice, plum and spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/

Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1998

Working through aged bottles in my cellar, I pulled this sixteen year old CDP with it flattened side almost squarish shaped bottle to accompany the ribs. This is the last and final bottle of a case I purchased upon release following my trip to CDP and the Rhone River Valley back in 1999. This property is one of the biggest private owned estates in Chateauneuf du Pape.

It took an hour for this to open and reveal its fruits. Of course tasting it alongside the big Tanunda Old Vines exacerbated the difference. This was more old world style with greater complexity and breadth reflecting the blend.

This was medium bodied and dark garnet colored - complex slightly tart black and red fruits, hints of earthy, leather, pepper, with berry, mineral, spice nose; it was very tasty, balanced, slightly tart berry, blackberry, black cherry with mineral  palate, hints of earthy tobacco and cassis and a medium-plus finish. The blend is old world Southern Rhone CDP style with 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah and 5% Muscardin.

RM 88 points. Consistent notes w/ earlier tastings.

It got 92 points from Wine Spectator who cited its "Beautiful. Black color, thick texture, with delicious ripe fruit and silky, sweet tannins." Robert Parker gave it 90 Points and enphasized its "dense, saturated purple color, .... enticing, sweet nose of black fruits, licorice, and violets." He pegged the drinking window between 2003-2016.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=52699

http://www.gardine.com/en/home

Duo of 1995 Bordeaux Blends Château Pape Clément and Elan

Duo of 1995 Bordeaux Blends Château Pape Clément and Elan

For my birthday celebration birthday dinner Ryan and I pulled two special '95's - a Bordeaux and a Bordeaux inspired Napa blend for an interesting comparison tasting with the grilled steak dinner - Château Pape Clément and Elan Atlas Peak Cabernet. We only dented each bottle which were both held over to a follow on barbecue rib dinner.

Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux 1995

Pessac-Léognan is one of the top appellations within Graves, and home to its only first growth designated producer from the 1855 Médoc classification – Chateau Haut-Brion. Historic Haut Brion dates back to when then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson visited the chateau in 1787 and bought 125 bottles for his cellar in Virginia.

We know Pessac-Léognan best for Domaine de Chevalier which we also collect. We have enjoyed meeting owner producer and President of the UGC (Union des Grand Crus Bordeaux) Olivier Bernard on several occasions here in Chicago including the recent UGC tour 2014 and UGC Chicago 2103 and his gala wine dinner Everest with joint venture partner Darius Khaledi of Darioush.

Château Pape-Clément underwent upgrading and modernization during teh 1980's and can now be considered the quality equivalent to a Médoc second growth. Characterized by it classic terroir rich earthy Graves bouquet of black fruits, minerals, and "cigar box" tobacco. Château Pape-Clément is drinkable at an earlier age than many red Bordeaux with its relatively high proportion of 30% Merlot, it is usually ready to drink by five years after the vintage. Top vintages should improves for over twenty years.

Château Pape Clément is named for historic illustrious owner, a man of the cloth born in 1264, Bertrand de Goth became Bishop of Comminges, in the Pyrenees Mountains, at the age of 31; he later became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299.

He was gifted the property in Pessac, the Vineyard de La Mothe. With his passion for wine, he personally took part equipping, organizing and managing the domain according to modern practices of the era.

In June 1305 he was appointed to succeed Pope Benedict XI, who had passed away prematurely after only eleven months of reign. Bertrand de Goth took the name of Clement V. Supported by Philip IV, he moved the papal court to Avignon in 1309, thus giving the area the name Chateauneuf du Pape. The weight of his responsibilities led him to relinquish the property, giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Henceforward, the vineyard was to be known under the name of this enlightened pope. 

The connection to Chateauneuf du Pape and the papacy are shown in the Pape Clement bottle and label crossed-keys that adorn Chateauneuf-du-pape (CDP) bottles and labels, and the papal crown on the Pape Clement label (left).

The grateful Church perpetuated Pope Clement's work as each archbishop applied his approach of modernity and technical progress such that the wine estate was a model vineyard. Known for especially early harvests, which remain one of its special characteristics, Château Pape Clément was the first vineyard in France to align vine stock to facilitate labour.

After the revolution at the end of the 18th century, the Archbishop of Bordeaux was dispossessed of the property and the papal vineyard became part of the public domain.

In June 1937,  a violent hailstorm virtually destroyed the entire estate. It was taken over in 1939 by Paul Montagne who bought it and gradually brought it back to its former rank. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, continue the tradition to this day.

This was medium bodied, deep ruby/purple colored with a full aromatic floral scent. Classic Bordeaux earthiness accents the complex, elegant black currants and black berry fruits with herb-tinged graphite and smoke on a layer of sweet vanilla on a long leathery tobacco finish. It seems to still be in its prime drinking window not yet showing any diminution of age. We saved half the bottle for a follow on rib dinner when the floral tones gave way to a funky barnyard tone that is cited in reviews of several others.

Upon opening 91 points, after two days, 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2400

Elan Vineyards Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Linda and Rick with Patrick and Linda Elliott Smith of Elan
with Phil and AJ

We discovered this label from French inspired producer Patrick and wife Linda Elliott-Smith from the Wine Spectator feature of the 'Undiscoverd Dozen' after their 1995 opening and release of their inaugural 1992 vintage. We tasted this wine during a winery visit during our 1998 Napa Wine Experience (shown left). We still hold a bottle of the '92 in our vertical collection of Elan.

Wine Spectator acclaimed Elan Vineyards as one of the " New names in Cabernet to try before they are too hot!" which helped launch Elan and put them on the map! That article also showcased Robert Craig, Del Dotto, Clark Claudon and several other producers which we started following and continue to collect to this day.

Elan Vineyards' owner and winemaker, Patrick Elliott-Smith, was born in the US to a French mother and an American father. He acquired his appreciate for fine wines at a young age from his grandfather Rene´ who had an extensive wine cellar, with many pre World War II Bordeaux wines.

In 1979, Patrick found his dream parcel high up Atlas Peak Road at approximately 2,100 feet elevation. Patrick perfected his viticulture craft working developing vineyards for wineries such as Hess Collection, Liparita, Dominus, and Beaulieu Vineyards. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon on a French-style trellis, uncommon in California at the time. For the first seven years Patrick sold the fruit to Caymus Vineyards.

Over the years, Patrick planted additional acreage and currently farms eleven acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, one acre of Merlot, and half an acre of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Patrick believes that great wines are made in the vineyards.

When he made a small amount of wine in 1991 for family and friends, met rave reviews that he decided to launch the Elan Vineyards label.

There was tremendous irony in the artwork on the Elan label (shown left). We were visiting Patrick and Linda at their Napa crush facility of the time with dear friends Andy (AJ) and Liat whose Vinehill estate and wine cellar have been featured in my wine writings.

As I recall, Liat recognized the artwork on the label from artglass that hung in their home. When inquiring how it ended up on the Elan label, they found the photograph of the artwork was taken at the source, in the artist studio in Brazil. Indeed Liat had acquired the art piece from that studio a couple years earlier.

I worked with Patrick and Linda to set up their first website back in those early days of the internet and received some wine for the effort. I recall purchasing a couple cases over the ensuing years at the Wine Stop in Burlingame near SFO and the price tags on the bottles show I paid $38 at the time.

Unlike my tasting experience last year when this was showing its age with diminution of fruits, this wine showed it is aging gracefully and is drinking very well as it approaches twenty years of age. Dark purple colored, medium to full bodied, it shows full forward complex concentrated black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of spice, a layer of cedar and hints sweet caramel on a silky smooth tannin finish.


RM 91 points.

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

http://www.elanvineyards.com/

Ironside Cellars California Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Ironside Cellars California Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

I discovered this wine when shopping Binny's, the mega-wine merchant with thirty stores around Chicago-land. The expensive packaging and presentation with the OWC (original wood case) and heavy thick glass bottles belayed the price-point at $15.

We also had fun with the 'I' foil capsule since three of our kids went to U of I and two of them went to IU!

The back label testimony boasted this was a 'cab drinker's kind of wine .... full bodied but focused, like a firm handshake that leads into a big hug,"

It cites a 'blend from some of California's best vineyards made by some seriously talented winemakers'. Well, its what I live for to discover serious wines at killer QPR (quality price ratio) price-points. The quest continues as this is not one.   

The first indication of caveat emptor was the lack of terrior .... 'sense of place'. Notably, wine labeled as Napa Valley must contain 75% of its contents being from Napa Valley. Labeled  'California' Cabernet Sauvignon carries the same covenant, the proportion of contents being from the state, with its vast diversity of climates and terrains and soil types .... all those elements of a place.

This 2012 vintage of Ironside Cabernet Sauvignon is made from fruit grown in vineyards in the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Paso Robles. This is quite a diversity of locales with varied conditions for growing varietal grapes.

Upon opening the bottle, I immediately noticed the cork was labeled '90+ Cellars', the negociant whom I've written about several times in these pages. This seemed strangely backwards - normally, the Negociant buys surplus juice or wine from producers and 'private labels' it under their general negociant brand. Here was an apparent producer branding a wine label sourced from numerous sources and then 'cellared and bottled by (a negociant) 90+ Cellars', as stated on their website.

Such is the topsy turvey oftimes convoluted state of the wine industry.

The final indication of a wine to watch (out) for was the blend. The final blend consists of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon plus 4% each of Malbec, Petit Verdot & Petite Sirah rounded out with 3% Merlot.   

While the label (emphasis theirs) says "each of these grapes adds layers of aroma and texture to the Cabernet. Malbec adds richness, the Petit Verdot lends spice, Petite Syrah supplies power, and the Merlot a layer of earthiness."

Old world wine producers have been blending wines for more than two hundred years and have learned the optimal blends such as the Bordeaux combination of Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. New world experimentation with other combinations is an adventure, as is this combination of grapes from such diverse and varied regions with their disparate terrior (s).  

This is a $15 cab that is selling at an appropriate price point with reasonable value. For those of us with more discerning or discriminating pallets, its probably not a wine to buy except as a 'pizza wine' ... every day drinking with pizza but not wine oriented foods. 

The producer's tasting notes cite "hearty aromas of black cherries, plums and tobacco leaf with traces of fresh pepper and sweet spice". I found the wine a bit disjointed and awkward, a bit 'hot' with a sense of metallic graphite and lacking polish and finesse. 

RM 84 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1847655

http://www.ironsidecellars.com/ 

http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/

Wine BTG with small plates at Hemingway's Oak Park

Wine BTG with small plates at Hemingway's Oak Park

For a short simple wine tasting outing before our Wright-Plus Preview Night, we stopped at our favored Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park for a wine By-The-Glass (BTG) tasting with small plates dinner.

I chose the Chicken Liver Pate plate with toast points, mustard and cornichons and a glass of Domaine Saint-Martin Marsannay Les Grands Vignes Burgundy Pinot Noir 2009.

Imported by Wine Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA, a Patrick Le Sec Selection. The proprietor is Martin Bart, whose father started the domaine in 1955. · Dark reddish-purple color, medium-light bodied, dark plum, dark chocolate and oak char on the nose. Thick black and blue fruits tasting of mu shu plum sauce, citrus, mineral and marzipan. Big and intense, with some tannin to shed. Plenty of wine for $20. Score: 87.

A darker Pinot Noir with distinct plum, nut and oak flavors blended into the silky texture. It is a fruity Marsannay with the right amount of earthiness.

Linda chose the steamed mussels in white wine sauce with a glass of Domaine Georges Verney
De Mirbaudie Syrah 2011.

 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied....  black raspberry, peppery spices and minerals on the nose; smells a lot like a pinot.  Juicy, spicy and fruity, offering vibrant red fruit flavors and a touch of candied violet.  This precise, minerally syrah, which was raised entirely in stainless steel, shows good energy and cut on the tannin-free finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1550986

Marquis Philips S2 South Australian McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Marquis Philips 'S2' South Australian McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

This wine has improved since last tasted three years ago and three years before that. I noticed this as it evolved over the evening revealing smooth polished and complex fruits surpassing my recollections from earlier tastings. This sentiment is reflected in a few others' tasting notes on Cellartracker as well.

At twelve years of age there was absolutely no sign of diminution, rather it seems to be just entering its prime drinking window which should hold for several years. Regrettably, according to my cellar records, I think this is my last bottle of this vintage.

From the partnership of Australian winemaker Chris Ringland and US Importer Dan Philips - hence the creative Austral-American 'Roogle', part kangaroo-part eagle character logo.

The 2002 exhibited medium - full bodied - dark garnet color - full forward black and blue berry fruit flavors, a layer of anise and hint of mocha, cedar and black cherry on a full lingering flavorful finish of smooth polished tannins. There was no sense of being a bit hot with alcohol on opening before giving way to the full forward fruit, as indicated in earlier tasting notes.

This was a perfect complement to a grilled steak dinner.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=39087

Intersecting Lafon-Rochet Quintessa Wine Flight for Grilled Surf & Turf Dinner

Intersecting Lafon-Rochet Quintessa Wine Flight for Grilled Surf & Turf  Dinner

What a treat to be invited to Bill and Beth's to watch the Derby with native Kentuckian Beth, and to kick off the summer outdoor grilling barbecue season. Bill and Beth hosted dinner with grilled sirloin steaks and Linda took a pair of lobster tails for a surf and turf combination.

As is our custom, I called Bill for guidance on his strategy for the wine selection. He had pulled from the cellar a Château Lafon-Rochet 1995 and a Quintessa Napa Valley 2003. Sorting through my cellar database I selected a bottle to intersect Bill's two bottles. I pulled from the cellar a Lafon-Rochet 2003 vintage to compare with the 1995 and to match the Quintessa vintage release.

To accompany the lobster, I took at Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2007. When we arrived, lo and behold, Bill was serving a 2007 vintage California Chardonnay - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay. We tasted and acquired this wine together at the winery during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder experience in 2011. This chardonnay was a highlight of our discoveries that week and we both agree we wish we had acquired more. From a mixed case we split, we hold two bottles of this while Bill has one left. The two California Chardonnays presented a interesting contrast in styles perhaps reflecting their disparate terroir.

The chardonnay's were enjoyed with a cheese plate and mixed nuts before the lobster medallions with drawn butter.

All the red Bordeaux blends were perfect complement to the sirloin steak along with green beans with bacon and shallots, baked potatoes and a dinner salad.  

After dinner Beth served delicious Derby chocolate and pecan pie with ice cream and coffee.

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay 2007

The Mayacamas was clean and crisp and displayed an interesting vanilla like sweet cashew nut tone, the producer calls it almond, and fig... both the producer and K&L refer to melon or cantaloupe, with a tone of stoniness and subtle French oak.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=863799

http://www.mayacamas.com/

Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2007 

This is the first wine from Brewer-Clifton that isn't vineyard-designated. It combines fruit from four premium vineyard sites situated along Highway 246, in the heart of this extremely cool appellation.

It was crisp, restrained with lively acidity, showing lemon and lime citrus tones with a layer of flint, hints of melon and peach.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=540244

Château Lafon-Rochet St Estephe Bordeaux 1995 and 2003

The lineage of these two vintage releases was more apparent over the course of the evening as the two bottle settled and opened to reveal their native character. They both displayed dark purple/ruby color although the '95 was starting to show its age with a brickish hue starting to form.

As shown in the picture at the left, notice the Lafon-Rochet label design and capsule changed between the '95 and the '03. 

Both were medium-full bodied with slightly opacity and showing the same distinctive tasting soft smooth profile. The '03 opened with more vibrant and expressive fruit and floral tones but the two wines converged to be more similar over the evening.

Both showed full forward blackberry fruit with tones of cassis, earth and hints of tobacco, low acidity and a somewhat subdued finish.

Parker said the drinking window for the '95 is 2003-2018 and I think that is trending true as this was starting to show its age probably indicating the end of its prime drinking window. Drink up over the coming three to five years before it begins to diminish.

2003 - RM 89; 1995 RM 88

1995 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1573
2003 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19294

Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine 2003

This eleven year old showed similar aging to '03 Lafon-Rochet with its tones of tobacco and leather lurking behind the vibrant and expressive fruit. It showed an interesting similarity in color and body as the Bordeaux however was more complex and rounded with a wider range of fruit flavors.

As is typically the case, the California Cabernet was bolder and brighter and more forward than the Bordeaux, however in this case, the Quintessa is a Bordeaux style blend. Indeed, it showed and presented itself very much like a Bordeaux in style and character.

We visited the spectacular Quintessa winery in Napa during our Napa Wine Experience 2003.

Medium-full bodied, dark purple ruby colored, complex but nicely balanced full forward vibrant ripe blackberry fruit predominates with tones of mocha and cassis, hints of tobacco, tea and oak with silky smooth well integrated tannins.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=152486

http://quintessa.com/

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 53 Gran Reserva Mendoza Cabernet

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 53 Gran Reserva Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

I've written a couple times about this Negotiant - Broker and some of the extraordinary values that occasionally appear. Recently we've featured finds such as Lot 101 Columbia Valley Syrah and Lot 500 Cabernet from another like vendor (Cameron Hughs). This wine is not of that caliber or discovery, but it is notable none-the-less. One anomaly that belies their model of maintaining secrecy to 'protect' the source, this particular bottling reveals the producer source on the cork when extracted from the bottle. How does that happen? They likely purchased bottled product that had not yet been labeled. This is a common practice of producers to bottle the wine but not affix the labels till later. This makes sense when small lot producers lack the high volume automated lines that would combine these steps in one operation. Another reason for doing this is that if the bottles are going to be stored for some period of time, it prevents the labels from being worn, torn, soiled or otherwise diminished in handling, until which time they're ready to go to market.

Again, the reason this is an anomaly is that the producer is usually anonymous since they're selling their wine through this 'alternate' channel, often at a reduced price. Hence they don't want to diminish the value associated with their brand. According to the Ninety Plus Cellars, 8000 cases were produced of this wine and the producer's release price was $18 and they sell it for $12. We know this producer's label of this wine to be available at various merchants in the range of $20 to $24.

In this case, the cork reveals the producer to be Bodega Navarro Correas. This label is widely available in distribution and is can be found for the same price point as offered by Ninety-Plus cellars. This is likely the result of the producer thinning inventories of excess product, or simply seeking a parallel channel of distribution for their product. Never-the-less, this was an interesting wine that provided pleasurable drinking and good value QPR (Quality Price Ratio). It calls for seeking this out in the regular producer label for comparison as it should be readily available, with 8000 cases being produced.

About the producer

The Navarro Correas family is an historic and prestigious name with a long history of producing quality wines. The Correas family history dates back to 1798, when Sir Juan de Dios Correas planted the first vine seeds in the lands of Mendoza at the foot of the Andes ridge. Sir Juan De Dios also played an active role in the public life of Mendoza, where he served as Municipal Councillor in the year 1814 and as governor in 1824. For more than a century starting in the mid 1800's, the family sold grapes and wines to other producers. Finally, in 1974 Sir Edmundo Navarro Correas, a direct descendant of Juan de Dios Correas, started to release wines under the family name.

Navarro Correas grows grapes in selected micro-climates in Mendoza, located at 2400 feet elevation. They grow various wine varietal grapes in areas such as Tunuyan, Tupungato, Maipu, Ugarteche, Pedriel and Agrelo.  They are are irrigated with the melted snows from the Andes slopes. Their Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the regions of Tunuyan and Tupungato in the Uco Valley.

According to the merchant site, they say, "An aromatic melody of black currant, cherry and cassis rises above a harmonious backdrop of tobacco, mocha and toasty oak.  On the palate, juicy, dark berry fruit cascades across your tongue followed by a trickle of sweet spice and savory plums."

My comments - Deep dark purple color, medium-full bodied with huge floral and fruit aromas and flavors of black berry and blue berry fruits, a layer of sweet caramel, mocha chocolate and tones of oak, tobacco and spice. It opened with a hot layer of alcohol but this burned off over an hour but left a big strong layer of tangy tannin and acid that lingers on the pallet.

This was a perfect complement to a grilled steak with savory mashed potatoes and gravy.

RM 88

http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/

Deep Sea Central Coast Red Wine Blend

Deep Sea Central Coast Red Wine Blend

I've often said that wine ratings are over-rated. Another tasting experience.

Following my recent discovery of Deep Sea Central Coast Syrah, I was intrigued when Deep Sea appeared at vin Chicago our local wine discount wine outlet. I cleaned out the remaining partial case on the possibility that it was a similar high QPR discovery.

When I got home I proceeded to enter the purchase into my Cellartracker inventory and read through the tasting notes. I  noted that the average rating was 87.9 and the median was similar and most reviews were absent of comments except one which was especially caustic. It said, "I have been collecting wine for 40 years. Have taken wine tasting classes with certified teachers. To say that this wine is underwhelming is an understatement. My husband bought it for $12.99 at a state store as an everyday wine. Not good enough for that. I MIGHT cook with it. Gave it a 50 because I had to."

When I buy a wine of which I have high anticipation for tasting, I often avoid reading other's notes so as not to be influenced by other's comments. But having read the review above I couldn't get it out of my  mind all weekend thinking, why would someone write such a thing? How bad can this wine be?

So, tonight, against that backdrop I opened this non-specified varietal Red Blend with modest expectations. Okay, it cost less than $16 a bottle but I had invested and had 'at risk' about $100. I cut some fresh French Bread and a plate of three different profile cheeses and dove in.

Immediately upon opening, the room burst with full aromas of black and blue berry fruits. As I started to pour the wine the dark inky garnet color and thick full body were apparent. As soon as I sipped my first taste, I went to the merchant's website to see if they had any more available and it didn't come up - apparently I had cleaned them out.

This was big, full bodied, complex and flavorful with aromas and tastes of blackberry and nutmeg with a layer of blueberry, spice, tones of sweet caramel, mocha and hints of cinnamon and anise on the finish. Over the course of the next hour it became more polished and better balanced and I raised my score from 90 to 91 and considered 92 points. Wow, what a nice surprise.

Wait till I buy more, then find it, buy it, drink it, enjoy it.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1284841

Napa Cab '04 Horizontal overshadows Tignanello and '97 Cab Franc over Italian Dinner

Napa Cab '04 Horizontal overshadows Tignanello and '97 Cab Franc over Italian Dinner

For a gathering with wine buddies Tom R and Don K, me doing a little cellar thinning to source a couple of cases of wine for Don's cellar, we held a wine tasting dinner featuring a Napa Cab 2004 horizontal along side a couple diverse wines. Adding to the special occasion was son Alec being in town from NYC to join us. Don presented me with a special select bottle of Dunn Howell Mountain 2010. Tom brought an Antinori Tignanello 1999 for our Italian dinner. I pulled a Del Dotto Cabernet Franc 1997 and a Fantesca Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 for the occasion.

Before dinner we tasted a Clark Claudon Napa Valley Howell Mountain 2004 and a Robert Craig Affinity 2004 from 375ml half bottles with artisan cheeses - aged Maytag blue, fresh Parmesan and my favored Bellavitano.

We dined at Angeli's Italian our favorite local neighborhood trattoria. Don chose the Veal Piccatta, Tom the Veal Saltimboca, Alec the Ravioli and I chose their spaghetti with Bolognese sauce with a veal meatball and italian sausage.

Prior to dinner we feasted on a selection of their superb appetizer courses to accompany our wines, Angeli's spectacular steamed mussels in white wine sauce, fried artichoke hearts, grilled calimari and their sinfully decadent butternut squash gnocchi, potato dumplings stuffed with butternut squash served in a sweet brown sugar cream sauce.

Don and I shared the always outstanding 'Angelis' Special' salad; Baby Sprig Lettuce with Caramelized Walnuts, Blue Cheese, Apples and Pear Slices with a Sweet Raspberry Dressing.

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 92 points.

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


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. Like the Del Dotto and Clark Claudon wines, we continue to hold a vertical of this wine dating back to the inaugural 1993 vintage.

This is the second tasting of this label this week. This ten year old 2004 remains consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, the ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel are starting to give way to a layer of anise, tobacco, leather and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish. Tasted from a 375 ml split. In this smaller format, this bottle was starting to show its age.

RM 89 points.

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

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/


Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1997

I acquired a case of this wine on release back in the late nineties but tonight's bottle had been purchased at auction. I mention this as the cork broke in half while opening, and then the wine had a slight discoloration and a slight barnyard funkiness upon opening. These may be indicators of less than appropriate or imperfect provenance, or signs of aging. I lasted tasted this from the cellar a year ago and prior to that it was almost three years to the day back in 2011. I'll pay special attention next time I open an original vintage bottle from my collection. That 2011 tasting note stated, "The Del Dotto Cabernet Franc 1997 was opaque garnet colored, medium bodied and opened with a earthy leather revealing its age, turning to black cherry, spice and a hint of tobacco (RM 90, WS 91 points)." Perhaps tonight's experience was a continuation of that aging as this approaches the end of its (prime) drinking window. If that is the case then its time to drink up. 

My tasting notes from a year ago though cites the same dark ruby color, medium to full body,  but emphasizes the spicy black berry and black currant fruits are still vibrant in this sixteen year old, accented by tones of cedar and tobacco with hints of anise and leather on the smooth tannin finish. Same tasting profile other than the apparent effects of aging, or poor handling. In any event,  tonight's diminution of fruit and slight funkiness rendered a reduced score of 86 points. 

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35491

www.deldottovineyard.com


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

Tom brought this classic Super-Tuscan from his cellar sourced from my cellar, from the same lot in my cellar that I took to our Italian tasting last winter. We have fun with this citing a memorable dining experience years ago when dining at Tomaso's in Tempe they were offing this label at below retail and I tried to buy (or drink) their entire stock.

This is a Sangiovese based blend consisting of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. This wine kicked off the 'Super-Tuscan' style back in the seventies which rose to prominence in the eighties. It is produced exclusively from it's namesake Tignanello Vineyard, 116 southwest-facing acres sitting at about 1200 feet elevation at Antinori's Tignanello Estate.

According to Antinori, "It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels, the first red wine in modern times to use a non-traditional grape variety, Cabernet, in the blend, and among the first red wines made in Chianti with no white grapes." In all three instances, it set the example for a new breed of exceptional top-of-the-line Italian wine. It first was released under the Tignanello label with the 1971 when the wine became a Vino da Tavola della Toscana.

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. That evening against a flight of Italian wines this showed well and received RM 92 points. Tonight against the Napa Cabs, it presented more modest fruit and appeared to be a bit flabby rendering a reduced score of RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96168

http://www.antinori.it/cin


Perhaps its not a fair fight to stand this Sangiovese based blend up against a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. My notes from a earlier similar tasting back in 2003 reflected the same state of being overshadowed by a bolder bigger and more fruit forward Napa Cab. "Antinori Tignanello Toscana 1999 was totally overshadowed and blown away by the breadth and depth of the Elan (Napa Valley Cabernet) - so much so I'll hold off notes until the next tasting."





Fantesca Estate and Winery, Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

To compare against the two '04 Napa Cabernets tasting earlier we took to dinner this 2004 Fantesca Napa Cab. We visited Duane and Susan Hoff and their spectacular mountainside estate of Fantesca Spring Mountain Estate and Winery during our Napa Wine Experiences in 2007 and in 2009.  With their elegant etched glass bottles, we enjoy serving this wine at special occasions, and we love their sophisticated and elegant wines too. This was the first vintage release under their ownership. 

Fantesca Napa Valley,
Spring Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon
Etched glass, painted bottle.
(2006 shown)

Returning to the '04 Cabernet, the Fantesca was medium-full bodied, dark garnet colored, complex but smooth and polished with bright forward fruits of black currant, dark berry and black cherry, accented by sweet dark chocolate, a hint of cassis, and a tone of spice on the lingering refined tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=355836

http://www.fantesca.com

Inovasi for Superb Wine & Food Pairings

Inovasi for Superb Wine & Food Pairings

An evening outing landed us at Inovasi Restaurant in tony Lake Bluff. We discovered a vibrant atmosphere in a chic stylish setting with fine-crafted dinner plates and perfect wine-by-the-glass pairings. It was a perfect getaway from a hectic stressful day in the pleasant comfortable setting. A half dozen entree selections include Steak Frites, Shepherds Pie, Baked Haddock, Wild Sockeye Salmon and Crispy Chicken Thigh or Grilled Chicken. There's a larger selection of imaginative small plates and appetizers. A carefully and thoughtfully selected wine list also offers a dozen red and white wines by-the-glass. The result was two great value wine finds that perfectly complemented our meal for a delightful and memorable dining experience.

Inovasi roasted beet salad (half)

We started with the Roasted Beet salad that was delicious with fried onion, goat cheese and a spicy peanut vinaigrette. My Steak Frites was perfectly prepared and nicely presented in a tasty butter au jus reduction. Linda chose the Haddock served on a bed of smoked lentils with a bit of spice.

With my steak I tasted Aviary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 from the By-The-Glass (B-T-G) list. It was a perfect pairing complementing the beef and the au jus reduction. It was also spectacular with the roasted beet salad with feta cheese and peanut ragu.

Aviary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This was a pleasant surprise, exceeding my modest expectations for a B-T-G selection. I am not familiar with this producer or label and upon researching it further found it in distribution throughout the northeast US. Perhaps the setting and an ideal food pairing taints my perspective but I'd say at the $20 retail price point on offer, this is an exceptional QPR (Quality Price Ratio) and I'd say go get a case for every day as well as special occasion drinking. Its a perfect blind tasting candidate!

According to their website, Aviary source grapes from 'nearly a dozen distinct vineyards from Calistoga... to Coombsville'.  Gregory Ahn the Executive Winemaker/GM works with a team of consulting winemakers and a cellar crew to craft the grapes and wines to his specifications.

This is serendipity as it provides a wonderful wine find and dining experience such as this evening. But for lack of terroir or consistent sourcing, one can't infer anything from one label to the next label or even vintage to the next which may be totally different. This the the state of non-estate bottled or broker negotiant labels. Enjoy it while you can .. but caveat emptor with each label. One time you might get premium or ultra premium grapes in a 'private label', the next it may be excess production, or sub-standard product not suitable for the primary flagship label. There's fun in the hunt and great reward when it turns out to be winner at a great price such as tonight. There were 4900 cases of this produced so you should be able to find it.

This was dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, moderately complex but nicely balanced, the muted aromas deceive the burst of Blackberry fruit on the front pallet followed by a layer of black currant, cassis with a hint of dark chocolate and tones of tobacco and tea on the smooth moderate tannin finish.

The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Merlot 8% and Petit Syrah 4%.

RM 91

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1702857

http://aviaryvineyards.com/


Barrique Sonoma County Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2012

With Linda's entree we chose this Barrique Sonoma County Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2012. Once again, this was an unknown label or producer. This wine is produced by Brack Mountain Wine Company, made from hand-selected blocks from one of the oldest vineyards on the Sonoma coast. A recent earlier vintage of this label was offered by K&L in the Bay Area, one of our favorite wine merchants for their value, selection and expertise, for under $15. Even at the suggested retail $20 price it represents great value.

This was magenta colored, light bodied, flavors of dusty rose with notes of red fruits accented by a layer of rhubarb, hints of black tea, earth and a touch of tangy white pepper.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1727500

http://brackmountainwine.com/

Robert Craig Napa Valley Affinity 2004

Robert Craig Napa Valley Affinity 2004

From one of our favorite producers, with a perfectly prepared Pittsburgh style strip steak prepared by Linda at home, I pulled from the cellar this long time favorite, Robert Craig Napa Valley Affinity 2004.


Indeed, we've been collecting this wine since its' inaugural vintage in 1993 and we still hold more than a dozen vintages. Crafted to provide a sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon at a reasonable price with early gratification, Affinity defies this approach with its age worthiness.

R&L with Robert at Harvest Party

We may hold more Robert Craig wine in our cellar than any other producer. We've been fans of Robert Craig since the early nineties. We've been to many events at the winery as well as several private functions with Robert, his wife Lynn, and Rachel and various members of the Craig team.  

This ten year old 2004 remains consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, the ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel are starting to give way to a layer of anise, tobacco, leather and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish. Tasted from a 375 ml split. In this smaller format, it may be starting to show its age.

RM 89 points.

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

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Hidden Ridge 55 Degree Slope Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Since its emergence in 2001, this label has been produced by noted winemaker Marco DiGuilio, whose wines we own under his own and several other labels dating back to that timeframe. The property is owned by entrepreneurs, Oklahoma natives, husband and wife team Lynn Hofacket and Casidy Ward, who bought the remote and wild property in 1991. They began clearing the 55 acres for vineyards in 1996, designing and developing the terraces and planting rootstock grafted to Cabernet Sauvignon.

As DiGiulio’s responsibilities as managing partner of Bin to Bottle and as winemaker for several other luxury brands grew, he handed over primary winemaker duties at Hidden Ridge Vineyard to Timothy Milos as consulting winemaker.

A fifth generation Californian, Timothy was born and raised in the Bay Area. He attended U.C. Berkeley and Sonoma State studying Cell Biology, then Molecular Plant Pathology at Cornell University graduate school. While at Cornell, he was introduced to the art and science of winemaking. After a period working in the Finger Lakes region he went on to the Masters program at the University of California at Davis in 1997.

He has worked for Stags Leap, Opus One, Anderson Vineyard, and Cliff Lede Vineyards. He works with Marco DiGiulio on projects in Napa and Sonoma counties, making wine for several luxury brands, many of which specialize in mountain Cabernet. In addition to Hidden Ridge Vineyard in Sonoma County, he also works for one of our favorite Mayacamas Mountain-top discoveries, Rubissow Wines, whom we visited during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience in the Spring of 2011.

Hidden Ridge Vineyard is nicknamed, the "Impassable Mountain" because it took ten years to develop due to the 55% slope of the ridgetops. The Hidden Ridge Vineyards consist of 21 blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon in some of the most isolated areas of the Mayacamas Mountain Range along the Napa-Sonoma County line - located at 38 29'50.95 N, 122 34'09.40 W.

In an enclosed valley on steep mountainside slopes with eastern, southern and northern exposures. The terraced slopes and lean soils challenge and stress the vines resulting in small - berried intense fruit.

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

Like the earlier vintages this is dark garnet colored,  full bodied and concentrated rich with layers of dark berry fruits with notes of anise, mocha and tones of that Mayacamas signature cedar and camphor or eucalyptus before turning to dried herb, tobacco and tea on the lingering silky tannin finish. 

RM 91 points.

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

http://www.hiddenridgevineyard.com/

Neiman Napa Valley Red Wine 2000

Neiman Napa Valley Caldwell Vineyard Red Wine 2000

With son Ryan visiting, we opened this for an impromptu tasting with artisan cheese and crackers. We've held these wines for a decade and aside four or five vintages I picked up at auction, I am not sure where I initially discovered this label. We have a half dozen vintages of this wine in the cellar and I selected one we've not yet tried from a vintage I thought would be the least age-worthy that needed to be consumed. Learn more about the Caldwell Vineyard in my earlier post of this label.
 

Pulling the 2000 vintage, I was imagining a wine where the fruit would be subdued and overtaken by leather, tobacco and perhaps tea. Wow, what a nice surprise as this vastly exceeded my expectations. There's still life left in this and there should be no hurry to drink up.

As soon as Ryan opened this, the kitchen exploded with full aromas of ripe berry fruits and floral.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, there was a huge berry fruit and forest floral nose on opening. Pleasant, balanced and modestly polished with tangy mouth puckering acid and smooth tannin texture, it opens to slightly astringent plum, dark berries, slight hints of caramel, mocha and a touch of cassis with a layer of smooth oak on an acidic clove tannin finish that lingers for many minutes.

RM 90-91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=27470

Banshee Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2012

Banshee Wines Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2012

Another episode in the ongoing quest for a high QPR (Quality-Price-Ratio) Pinot Noir presented this selection from this emerging producer, suggested by Ron B at Binny's Willowbrook. We've known Ron for about two dozen years in his service at no less than four or five wineshops that we frequent. We were in the store to pick up more of the Black Diamond Pinot Noir that we featured recently here, which served as our benchmark for comparison. While a notable interesting and flavorful selection, this Banshee Sonoma County Pinot Noir did not stand out as did the Black Diamond. This is a new label discovery and an interesting and pleasurable wine that, while not a blockbuster, is fairly priced at $20. This emerging producer has developed relationships to source grapes from noted vineyards throughout Sonoma County from the Sonoma Coast to the river valleys, to the mountains and is worth watching as this producer and their artwork evolve.

Banshee is the product of three friends and fellow wine-geeks who followed their dreams in a quest to produce quality good value Pinot Noir in California. Noah Dorrance who serves as Winemaker began his wine interest as a freshman at the University of Missouri where he would host wine tastings in his dorm room. After college, he spent two years in Paris with Hotels.com where he explored French, Italian and Spanish wine regions on the weekends in his exploration into the world of wine. He then spent time at San Francisco-based Crushpad, where he assisted customers in making and marketing wine. It was there he made the initial version of Banshee. The economic downturn around 2009 gave Noah and his friends Baron Ziegler and Steve Graf the opportunity to purchase grapes from several high-end vineyards and Banshee Wines was officially born. Noah now serves as head winemaker at Banshee Wines, Baron and Steve do sales, marketing and operations.

Baron Ziegler, a native of Minnesota, began buying Bordeaux futures at the age of 15, attended Boston University during which time he worked in retail for Food & Wine Magazine’s 2012 “Top Sommelier” Peter Eastlake. He moved from there to a wine importer and moved to California where he met up with Banshee co-founders.

Steve Graf, attended the University of Pennsylvania and discovered his love for wine while studying abroad. After graduation he worked for notable Manhattan wine merchant Sherry-Lehmann. He moved to California with stints at E.&J. Gallo Winery and Vintage Berkeley, a boutique wine shop, and worked for a couple of importers.  He joined up with Baron who happens to be his brother-in-law and Noah to found Banshee where Steve now runs West Coast sales operations.

This 2012 release of Banshee Sonoma County Pinot Noir shows garnet color and light body; the fruit is overtaken by that classic Pinot dusty rose signature, overshadowed further by an interesting but somewhat strange and slightly distracting layer of green pepper with a tone of alcohol and hint of camphor. I struggled a bit to describe this and then went to the winemaker's notes who described it as "forest floor .... and between just ripe raspberries and boysenberry against a frame of rhubarb and pine." Interestingly similar if you interchange my green pepper with rhubarb, and my camphor with pine, you get the idea.

Never-the-less this was balanced and approachable and Linda liked it.

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1715171

http://www.bansheewines.com/

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

For a horizontal comparison to the Clark Claudon 1997 Napa Valley Cab from the other night, we tasted this Del Dotto Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 1997. This was one of our discoveries during our Napa Valley Wine Experience trips back in 1998 and 1999, and again in 2001 and 2003. I remember taking their wines to a Christmas party back in 2000 and they were the stand-out highlight wines of the evening.

This is another well rated selection from this heralded vintage from a producer from whom we hold a vertical collection of over a dozen vintages. Del Dotto is one of our favorite Napa producers whom we met and starting collecting their wines from their inaugural vintage back in the early nineties. We've been amply rewarded as their wines are proving to be long lived and age-worthy with many early vintages still coming of age.


Like several of the other labels in our horizontal collection from this vintage, this one is proving not to live up to the high expectations set for this much hyped vintage, certainly relative to other near vintage releases. In the case of the Del Dotto, I've written how their release from the much panned 1998 vintage has been drinking very nicely, and we've found their 2001 release to be especially impressive. We brought this along on our getaway weekend and enjoyed this watching the two Michigan's represent our favored Big Ten in the March Madness Elite Eight roundball tournament. 

Having acquired more than a case of this selection, we've been able to comparison taste it's aging over the decade plus. Our last published tasting was three years ago.


My previous tasting notes over the last five years showed this selection coming of age and opening up with more fruit as it matured. Compared to the Clark Claudon tasted Friday evening, this presented bigger, more pronounced and livelier fruits of currant and berry flavors accented by nicely integrated oak before giving way to hints of cedar, leather and tobacco. Dark garnet colored, moderately firm with refined lingering tannins, this '97 still is vibrant and has several years of pleasurable easy drinking left.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=424127

 http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

Clark Claudon Howell Mtn Napa Cab at Amanda's in Hoboken

Clark Claudon Howell Mtn Napa Cab at Amanda's in Hoboken

For our getaway weekend in New York City, we booked several special dining outings. I grabbed from the cellar several bottles to enjoy sometime over the weekend. Our first night out we returned to Amanda's in Hoboken, a short walk from son Alec's flat, one of the highlights of our last trip. We took BYOB a Clark Claudon Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997.

Knowing Amanda's menu, we knew what we hoped to order so we brought a big cab to accompany the steak and lamb entrees we were targeting. Linda and I enjoyed the grilled Angus Sirloin with Iowa blue cheese potatoes au gratin, haricots verts and carrots in a red wine sauce. This was prepared perfectly to our directions - hot-pink center Pittsburgh style. Alec and Sean ordered their grilled Rack of Lamb served with red quinoa, roasted garlic yogurt, goat cheese and arugula. They both said it was as good as any Lamb they've ever encountered. The Clark Claudon was a perfect complement to both entrees.

For our starter course we had the roasted beet and arugula salad served with yogurt, sour cherries, candied walnuts and feta cheese, steamed black mussels parsley in a pepper and white wine garlic broth, and creamy polenta in a mushroom ragout an three cheese sauce. All were excellent except I thought I detected a bit of fennel in the beet salad. Several of their entrees feature fennel in the preparation. I am not a fan of fennel and didn't expect it in the salad however it was not  a detraction from the excellent preparation.

Once again when we asked for wine list they presented the pedestrian modest wine list. Only when pressed, did they present what some restaurants might call the Reserve or Captains list. The extended list, five times the size of the basic list offers several very notable special offerings such as Chateau Figeac St Emilion 1982 ($600), Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, Chappellet Pritchard Hill and a selection of single vineyard Nickel & Nickel selections of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. There were a dozen favorites that you'll see featured in my cellar list and on the pages in this blog. There was also a list of large format bottles and offerings by glass. Similar to the Clark Claudon that we brought BYOB, their winelist features 97 and 96 vintages of Snowden, one of the wines in our cellar that I considered bringing along. 

Clark Claudon Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

In earlier tastings of this vintage of Clark Claudon I wondered if it was like Dominus (86) and some Bordeaux (89-90 Pichon Lalande) that I later learned I drank too early when they finally 'awoke' to reveal their true character and fruits years later? Unlike previous tastings when the Clark Claudon was somewhat closed and a bit flabby with muted fruit upon opening, tonight it appeared to be showing its age opening to ripe raisiny black cherry and black berry fruit, with subtle tone of cigar box and leather with nicely integrated and balanced silky smooth tannins. After an hour or so the fruit closed down and it became subdued leaving a slight astringency and tones of tobacco and leather.

After tonight's tasting, I shaved a few years off the Cellartracker drinking window from 2018 to 2015 and I reduced my rating from 89 to 88. 

We first met Tom Clark and Laurie Claudon-Clark during our Napa Wine Experience 1999 when we hosted them at our wine dinner at Pinot Blanc in St Helena (see picture left). We tasted Clark Claudon 1995-96 against ten year 1989 Bordeaux. We still hold a vertical collection of a dozen Clark Claudon vintages to this day.

http://http://www.clarkclaudon.com

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

http://amandasrestaurant.com/

Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Reserve 1999

Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Reserve 1999

I remember Sterling with its gondola cable car up to its mountain top winery and art gallery was one of the wineries we visited during our first Napa Valley visits back in the eighties. I seem to recall a turbulent era when its ownership passed from Coca-Cola to the Seagram Liquor company and then at one point I think also Heublein liquor company before being sold to private investors. I also recall Sterling Merlot as one of my earliest memorable wines from back then. Recently, I cited recent vintages of Sterling Merlot in this blogsite as having reasonable QPR - Quality Price Ratio.

This Reserve bottling of Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot has been down in our cellar for a while and is one of a few bottles where I have no record or recollection of where I acquired it. Adjacent to a 1999 Sterling Three Palms Vineyard Merlot of similar unknown background, I always think I'll do a mini-vertical tasting of these two bottles in tandem. Casting that notion aside, I pulled the Reserve tonight to enjoy with grilled sirloin steak dinner at home with Linda.

Dark blackish purple colored with medium body, this aged Merlot is showing its age being past its prime drinking window with the diminished black cherry and black berry fruit giving way to ripe raisin and hints of black licorice on a modest finish.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=10289&searchId=259864

http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011

Black Diamond Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011

I often lament about how difficult it is to find a high QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Pinot Noir under $20. Called the 'heartbreak grape' (see my review of The Heartbreak Grape,  A California Winemakers Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir by Marc de Villiers, 1994, Harper Collins)  for its finicky difficulty to cultivate, it took decades for California producers to get this varietal to come around. Here is a rare California Pinot Noir that offers enjoyable sophisticated Pinot Noir at every day prices. I bought some, drank it, bought some more, and I am going back for more. Hopefully my blog post doesn't empty the shelves before I restock. 

Sourced from fruit from Guadagni Family Wines, a small family run business that according  to records is managed by Donald, Joseph, Mary, William and Breanna at their location on Yokim Bridge Road in Healdsburg. They're reported to produce about 1000 cases a year but views of the property show large tracts of young vines and new plantings so we might expect to see much more of them in the coming vintages.

They say their label name "Black Diamond" refers to the 'boldness and courage' of their wines. 'awe inspiring to look at from the rim and personally satisfying in the finish.... with both strength and elegance' symbolic of Black Diamond wines.

The grapes are selected from the Russian River appellation, renowned specifically for the cool-climate conducive to growing great Pinot Noir. The vineyards for this wine are along the Russian River and within walking distance of the Coastal Mountain Range. Influenced by the marine layer that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean with its moderating effect on morning and later afternoon temperatures, sending cool air through the gorge cut by the river. They cite moderate daytime temperatures as key to retaining the delicate and unique characters of the grapes, while the cool nights encourage the vine to retain acidity through to the harvest. Whatever the cause, the effects are a sophisticated yet pleasant, easy drinking wine that are available at a good value price.

The winemaker's comments sum it up well - "Classic aromas of fresh turned soil, cola, and red cherries. Black raspberry, pink peppercorn spice and caramel add depth. Light in body with creamy, vanilla infused raspberry and baking spice. Balanced, silky tannins for a long smooth finish."

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium light bodied, it exhibits tones of nicely balanced cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and vanilla giving way to a layer of anise and smoky spicy oak on a firm lingering acidic finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1804396

http://www.western-importers.com/california_wines/blackdiamond.htm