Ricasoli CasalFerro & Livio Fellugo Saso

Ricasoli CasalFerro and Livio Fellugo Sossó at Italian Village Chicago

For a special business dinner with staff and a business partner we dined at my usual venue for such occasions - Italian Village, Chicago. I've written often in these pages about our dinners and meetings at IV, the oldest and longest continuing operating Italian restaurant in Chicago.

I selected from the wine list this Tuscan Sangiovese based blend, an old and reliable favorite, Casalferro from Baron Ricasoli. Our friend and wine colleague Jared Gelband, Wine Director, pulled from the vast IV cellar this 2000 vintage release bottle.

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro (Sangiovese) Toscana IGT 2000

Barone Ricasoli is one of Chianti’s largest estates, with nearly 650 acres of vineyards in Gaiole in Chianti, in the southern part of the Tuscany’s Chianti appellation. The estate has been in the hands of Ricasoli family for more than 500 years. The winery today is run by Francesco Ricasoli and other family members, and it calls itself the oldest commercial winery in Italy.

Tuscany, or Toscana in Italian, is Italy’s best-known wine region and its most diverse. Historically Sangiovese was the primary grape grown in Tuscany and Chianti was considered the purest expression of Sangiovese. Sangiovese and its many clones are still important, and they are the grapes used for the Tuscan appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Chianti, Chianti Classico and Carmignano.

This release was a blend of Sangiovese 75% and Merlot 25%. It is aged in small french oak barrels for 18 months which along with the Merlot in the blend, softens the tannins.
Wine Spectator awarded this vintage release 90 points.

This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, powerful full and forward black fruits are accented by a layer of oak with notes of cedar, tea, leather and hints creosote on the deep, full lingering tannic finish.

RM 88 points.

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

@ricasoli_1141

Livio Felluga Sossó Fruili 2012

This is a blend of three different grapes - two uniquely from the Fruili region, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Pignolo, and a Bordeaux varietal  - Merlot.  Friuli took on French varieties after phylloxera devastated most of their native grapes, and this wine is a testament to that history, with two indigenous varieties blended with Merlot.

Created in 1989, this wine is named after the Sossó stream, which runs at the foot of the hill where the grapes grow. Made with carefully selected and oldest vines of Merlot and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso grapes, together with a small percentage of Pignolo, from Rosazzo. Sossò is the result of skilful vinification and barrique maturation that lasts for 18 months. A supremely complex and well-structured wine, it stands out for its elegant, ripe, sweet, fruity tannins.


Winemaker notes: The Refosco brings the soft, peppery notes and earth tones while the Pignolo hefts up the wine with blackberry fruit and a tannic backbone allowing the Merlot to shine with soft juicy blueberry notes mingling with a hint of oak and vanilla. This is an amazingly structured wine from the banks of the Sosso river in Collio. 

Winemaker's Notes: Dark blackish ruby colored, medium full bodied, complex red currant and black fruits accented by floral lily blossoms, cedar wood, with notes of spice, almond, rosemary, undergrowth, short crust pastry and pomegranate, elegant, pleasant and well-balanced tannins; aftertaste has notes of red berries, vanilla pod, and elder berries.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2518622


http://www.liviofelluga.it

Châteaux Clerc Milon and d'Armailhac Pauillacs

Duo of Château Clerc Milon and Château d'Armailhac Pauillacs for grilled tenderloin dinner

Hosting colleague Jeff from Seattle, Linda prepared grilled beef tenderloin with baked potatoes, fried mushrooms and onions. Touring our wine cellar, Jeff requested Bordeaux to accompany our dinner so I pulled two Pauillacs, Clerc Milon and d'Armailhac adjacent and affiliated properties from two disparate vintages for the occasion.

We toured the region during our Bordeaux Medoc Wine Experience 2019 last summer and drove around the Paulliac appellation to see the Baron Philippe de Rothschild properties, Mouton Rothschild, Clerc Milon and d'Armailhac.

Château Clerc Milon Cinquieme Grand Cru Classe (5me cru classé ~ Fifth Growth) Pauillac Bordeaux 1989

At three decades, this was showing its age in the color and opacity as it was starting to take on a slight grayish hue. The foil and label were pristine and the fill level was ideal. The cork however turned out to be partially saturated and loose providing a challenge to extract. I was able to successfully do so using an Ahso two pronged cork puller. Had one applied a traditional cork screw, it would have most assuredly pushed the cork into the bottle. Even inserting the Ahso did so and it took considerable effort and multiple attempts to insert the prongs. Extracting the cork also took considerable effort as it crumbled apart as it was coming out.

Time to drink as this is past its prime and starting to wane. 

The 1989 vintage was a great year with a warm spring and early flowering followed by heat throughout the summer, leading to Clerc-Milon's earliest harvest of the twentieth century to that point.

The resulting Clerc-Milon was on par with the premier first growth flagship Mouton-Rothschild and even preferred by Robert Parker for the first time in his many years as a critic resulting a great value in comparison

The 1989 Clerc-Milon is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.

This vintage Clerc Milon was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator, 91-93 points by Neal Martin's Wine Journal and 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Garnet colored with a slight gray hue, medium-full bodied, earthy nose, dense, concentrated ripe black plum and currant fruits with forest floor, leather, hints of smoke with smooth supple full round tannins on the long full finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2898

Château d'Armailhac Cinquieme Grand Cru Classe (5me cru classé ~ Fifth Growth) Pauillac Bordeaux 2016

From the same ownership, Château d'Armailhac is another label in the family of brands of Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2016 sourced from near contiguous properties just outside the village of Pauillac in the northern Medoc.

The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 

This release got 95 points from James Suckling, 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Vinous and Decanter and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. 

Vinous says "This fulfills all my expectations and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made."

Dark, deep bright garnet purple colored, medium full-bodied, firm, structured and concentrated bright floral, vibrant fruits of blackberry and plums  with tones of violets, graphite, cassis, tea, earthy cedar and earthy notes of herbal nuances with firm, gripping tannins on a long earthy finish. Needs some time to integrate and settle.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2352929

 

Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot 2014

Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot 2014 with Suparossa Italian Dinner

To celebrate Linda's birthday, and with the boys, sons and son-in-law away for the weekend skiing and boarding in the Rockies, the daughters and grandkids brought Saturday night dinner over, carry out from nearby Suparossa Italian restaurant at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.

Our Italian cuisine dinner consisted of veal picotta, rigatoni with vodka creme sauce, Italian meatballs and eggplant parmiagana and linguine with shrimp and broccoli. Afterward, of course, we had chocolate birthday cake.

To accompany dinner, I pulled from the cellar this Del Dotto Piazza Petit Verdot. We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery and as part of the Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience, which was definitely one of the highlights of our Napa trip.

Normally with a hearty Italian meal we open or serve Del Dotto Piazza Sangiovese, our go-to wine for such occasions and one of our favorites. We're starting to run low on our inventory holdings of the Sangiovese, so I tried this other label. It was equally fitting and spectacular for the occasion.


Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Petit Verdot 2014

Of course, Petit Verdot is one of the Bordeaux varietals, appellation authorized for inclusion in the blend. Most often, Petit Verdot is the fourth varietal in the mix, subordinant to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the secondary Cabernet Franc.

Petit Verdot is added to a red blend for structure, backbone and colour, to round out, augment and enhance the profile of the blend. Standing alone, without the core Cabernet, and the softening roundness of Merlot, and the hint of tangy spice added by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot comes across as huge, bold, muscular and forward, perhaps awkward or obtuse and overpowering to some.

Indeed, those are the characteristics I love in a wine and while lacking polish and balance of the harmony of the overall blend, its a wonderful wine with bold and full flavored food such as tonight. I wish I had ordered more and will savor what we have, and miss it when it is gone. I'll be looking to top up our holdings of this label.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, reasonably balanced, firm forward concentrated black berry and black currant fruits, with notes of licorice, spice and hints of mocha and subtle pepper spice with bold but approachable lingering tannins.

RM 92-93 points.

We also acquired some of the 2015 vintage of this label which I took to a gala tasting of which I blogged about last winter in this posting:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/12/gala-holiday-dinner-features-napa-cab.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2757017

https://www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza
 

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2010

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2010 with grilled tenderloin steak dinner

Midweek dinner at home with grilled tenderloin steak, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus spears I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. In line with that theme, four different generations of the branding and label imagery going back to the 1980's have all adorned the three grape varietals' leaf shapes in the label artwork.

To this day, this Bordeaux-style wine continues to be sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards. The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

Flora Springs was founded by the children of Jerry and Flora Komes. Jerry and Flora were married back in 1935 in San Francisco but moved throughout California and Texas over the years as Jerry pursued an engineering career with the giant San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. The couple had three children, Mike, John and Julie, and eventually settled back in San Francisco when Jerry settled in a corporate job in international relations at Bechtel HQ in the Bay Area.

When Jerry retired in 1976, he and Flora began looking for a place to retire in Napa Valley. They came upon a property at the end of West Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, and Flora saw magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.

“There are so many wonderful things about Napa Valley and St. Helena. I just fell in love with that property and that was it.” Jerry and Flora purchased the estate believing it to be the perfect place to grow grapes and become farmers. But when their son, John, proposed that the old winery building on the property be revived, Flora Springs became a new career for Flora, Jerry and their children.

They had the wisdom and prescience to craft a Bordeaux style blend from Napa Valley sourced Bordeaux varietals in the early days as Cabernet was becoming the king of Napa Valley. We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91.

Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. 

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this decade old Trilogy.

Floral Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend 2010

The 2010 Trilogy is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. 

I last opened this label on 9/6/2014 when I wrote: "This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, concentrated rich black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by complex layers of cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate mocha, hints of caramel and soft sweet oak on the smooth silky tannins on the long lingering finish."

RM 92 Points

Wine Enthusiast also gave this 92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 91 points as did Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Parker said it was "Reminiscent of both Napa Valley and Bordeaux, it should drink well over the next decade or more. (8/2013)" Steve Tanzer said it was, "The best of these big reds in 2010."

Connoisseurs Guide said, "It is still at odds with itself and wants cellaring in spite of its pretty first face. (8/2013)". Wine Spectator said, "this is tannic from start to finish, so patience is required. Best from 2014 through 2024. (Web-2013)"

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455817
 

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/09/2001-vintage-napa-cab-comparison.html

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

Long Shadows Duo Showcase Katy Business Dinner

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Duo - Pirouette and Pedestal Showcase Katy Business Dinner

Traveling to Katy (Tx) for a team and partner meeting, we dined at The Cellar Door for a partner teaming dinner. We selected the venue based on their menu, wine selection, and ambiance and atmosphere suitable for a secluded business dinner. What we took for granted and didn't account for was slow, inattentive and bordering on inept service.

The site was ideal for our dinner discussions, the soup and salads were excellent and the menu selection options were ideal. The winelist offered an ideal imaginative and well assembled selection to accompany our dinner entrees.

The evening would have been perfect if we could have gotten basic table services - water refills, timely food delivery, and coordinated serving of the food with wine service to accompany our food selections.

Our first choice from the wine list was not available. Secondarily then, for the steak entrees I ordered a couple wines from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection - Pirouette and Pedestal.

I've written in these pages about Long Shadows and their collection of notable legendary winemakers selected to produce a signature wine sourced from Washington State vineyards.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pirouette 2016

The 2016 Pirouette is made by Philippe Melka, named one of the top nine winemakers in the world by Robert Parker, selected to produce this signature label for the Winemakers Collection.

We have long been fans of  Philippe Melka and his signature labels Matisse and 'CJ', named for his children.

While we had owned the various labels over the years, we really discovered Long Shadows at the Long Shadows Wine Cellars tasting room during our Woodinville Wine Experience. We joined their club and have been taking regular shipments of the collection ever since. They provide remarkable wines at great value relative QPR.

Philippe Melka, widely recognized as one of the leading craftsmen of his trade, graduated from the University of Bordeaux, France, where he received a degree in geology in 1989.  After taking a course in Terroir and Viticulture, he aspired to become a winemaker. After earning a second degree in Agronomy and Enology, he applied what he learned working at prestigious wineries in Australia, Italy, California and France, including some of the world's most revered producers, Petrus, Haut Brion and Dominus, among others.

In Napa Valley, Melka honed his craft while contributing to the production of several highly acclaimed wines from a number of the most elite estates including Marston, Seavey, Constant, Lail, Bryant Family, Caldwell, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Vineyard 29.

Today, Philippe Melka and his wife, Cherie, reside at Melka Cellars in Napa Valley. Cherie is an accomplished wine professional and laboratory manager at Silver Oak.

Long Shadows Pirouette, crafted by Melka, is a Bordeaux Style Red Blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, sourced from leading vineyards in Columbia Valley in Central Washington State.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is from Red Mountain Vineyards, manifested in this wine in the structure and textured richness characterized by the grapes from this acclaimed growing region. From the Dionysus Vineyard, Petit Verdot adds layers of complex aromas and flavors. The remainder of the blend is from select Wahluke Slope vineyards. The Merlot brings juicy richness to the finished wine; Cabernet Franc adds a hint of earthiness; and Malbec contributes appealing spice and beautiful color.

Critic Jeb Dunnuck gave the 2016 Pirouette 97 Points calling it "a total blockbuster, .... deep, rich, opulent red that has sweet tannins, a thrilling texture, no hard edges, and a monster finish. This is another best-to-date from this estate and it's an awesome wine." 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegantly polished, smoothly textured, a symphony of finely integrated layers of ripe blackberry and black cherry accented by notes of dark chocolate, cassis, spice and a nice complement of oak with silky tannins and soft mouthfeel on a lingering vibrant finish.

RM 94 points. 

For our second wine of the evening, I selected another Bordeaux varietal from the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, Pedestal Merlot.

Long Shadows Vintners Collection Pedestal Columbia Valley Merlot 2014

Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot is crafted by Michel Rolland , considered to be one of the most influential winemakers in the world.  A graduate of the esteemed Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology, he operates out of his laboratory in Pomerol, France and consults for over 100 vintners and vineyards worldwide, producing wines with an alluring style recognized as the “Rolland Method”.

Rolland has partnership interests around the globe, including his involvement with Long Shadows Vintners.  From his home in Pomerol in the Bordeaux region, he owns and manages a number of holdings and fine wine estates including Chateau Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Chateau Bertineau Saint-Vincent in Lalande-de-Pomerol, Chateau Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Emilion, and Chateau Fontenil in Fronsac.  In addition, Michel manages the Chateau La Grande Clottee in Lussac-Saint-Emilion under a vineyard lease system.

The 2014 Pedestal is a Bordeaux Blend of 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The blend consists of equal parts Merlot from three distinct vineyards from Washington State Columbia Valley: Conner Lee Vineyard brings dark cherry flavors; Dionysus Vineyard adds to the wine’s elegant mouthfeel and deep color; The Benches Vineyard Merlot contributes refined texture. Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Taptiel Vineyard gives the wine its richness and structure. Weinbau Cabernet Franc provides an added layer of complexity and character.

The 2014 Pedestal was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points by Stephen Tanzer.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, it has concentrated ripe blackberry and black currant fruit flavors with subtle notes of floral, spice, mocha and hints of tobacco and anise with moderate tannins on the smooth soft velvety finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2503950

https://longshadows.com/

For a finale we ordered this SA Cabernet Franc to close out the courses.

Achával Ferrer Mendoza Cabernet Franc 2015 

This is a single-variety blend from different regions, combining the essence of Luján de Cuyo, Medrano and and Tupungato in the Uco Valley, with a small percentage from Perdriel. It aged for one year in used French oak barrels.

Deep ruby color. Aromas of black cherries, juicy plums, along with tobacco leaf, menthol, sweet roses, coffee and cedar. Impressive structure on the palate, full-bodied and velvety but grip on the tannins, medium acidity. Black cherries and crunchy plum fruit mixes well with cocoa, coffee, spiced black tea, tobacco. Complexity and depth is impressive, but this is still an accessible and friendly wine.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, bright black fruits, notes of tobacco leaf, olive, black tea, coffee and hint of pepper  with lively acidity and fine tannins.

RM 88 points.

It was Rated 90 by Wine Advocate

http://www.achaval-ferrer.com/eng/index.php

https://www.cellardoorkaty.com/

Duo 1997 Vintage Napa Cabs

Duo of 1997 Vintage Napa Cabs - Pride and Heitz Highlight Bar-be-cue Dinner

Invited over to son Ryan's for Saturday night bar-be-cue he was opening a '97 Napa cab so I pulled one from the cellar for a horizontal tasting of the legendary vintage.

Ryan had open and was tasting this Heitz cab when we arrived.

Heitz Cellars Bella Oaks Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Ryan tasted and acquired this single vineyard designated vintage release from the Heitz library collection at the estate during a trip to Napa. 

This was garnet colored, medium balanced, nice floral notes with black berry fruits accent by notes of tea and anise, spice and hint of cedar on a slightly austere finish that WS James Laube desribed as a bit of heat on the finish.

RM 89

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3210

https://www.heitzcellar.com

This was good and enjoyable, ....  and then we opened the Pride which took over in every respect!

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1999 when we visited the Pride estate high atop Spring Mountain. My Wine Journal records show this is the eighth bottle consumed from a case we would've acquired. We still hold a mixed case of a half dozen vintages of  this label from this era. The 1997 vintage was highly praised but it has been lackluster for many years. This was the best tasting bottle we have experienced from this vintage which makes me wonder if it has taken twenty years for this big, tightly wound, structured Napa Cab to finally start to open and reveal its native character and potential?!?

Reading the historic reviews of this release lead me to think many drank this wine too early. This was one of the Wine Spectator Top 100 for the year 2000.

This was rated 94 points by Wine Spectator, 93 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 91-93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and 91 points by Connoisseurs Guide. 

The Connoisseurs Guide review in 2012 sums up our experience with with vintage when they wrote, "We confess to mixed feelings here for, while the wine leads with a lovely nose of deep, impressively concentrated fruit, it proves to be surprisingly tight and still bound up by toughening tannins once in the mouth. It demands further patience, and it needs a good many more years in the cellar, but its extracted fruit encourages hopes that polish will come some. The combination of its mountain-top fruit and an exceptional vintage have here produced a wine with the potential for unusual longevity." 

Wine Spectator (94 points ) said it was "dark and intense, with a solid, plush core of ripe, rich currant, black cherry, blackberry, .... jam-packed with flavors, an immense wine but beautifully balanced, big yet gentle."

This was as good as I remember from this label and from this vintage ... big, bold, forward, polished ... Bright garnet/dark purple colored, full bodied, rich concentrated, extracted but nicely balanced black fruits with notes of currants, mocha, oak, hints of anise on a long full tongue coating sweet smooth tannin laced finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717

https://www.pridewines.com/wine/our-wines/pride-cabernet-sauvignon/1997-pride-cabernet-sauvignon/

Clos l'Église Côtes de Castillon 2005

Clos l'Église (Côtes de Castillon) Bordeaux 2005

Friday night, quiet dinner at home, Linda grilled some steaks and vegetables and I pulled from the cellar this middle-aged vintage Bordeaux for simple, pleasant drinking accompaniment from this 'lesser' appellation.

Château Clos L’Eglise is a 40-acre estate in St-Magne de Castillon in the appellation of Côtes de Castillon, lying at the easternmost edge of Bordeaux's Right Bank, adjacent to the larger and more famous St.-Émilion. 

Côtes de Castillon is a lesser appellation, also known as one of the 'satellite' appellations. The main town of Castillon-la-Bataille lies on the Right Bank of the Dordogne River which flows into and meets the Gironde river above the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary that flows westward to the Atlantic. 

A smaller appellation consisting of  2,900 hectares (7,500 acres). most of the domains are less than 10 hectares (25 acres), never-the-less, it produces 22 millions bottles of Merlot and Cabernet Franc based red wines a year. 

Adjacent to Saint-Emilion, Côtes de Castillon has the similar terroir of plateau and hillslope, about 20% of the vineyards lying on the Dordogne’s silty plane and on a sandy area in the east of the appellation rising up to a limestone plateau which twists around a number of wooded hills and valleys, eventually reaching 117m at Saint-Philippe-d’Aiguilhe. The terroir is climatically a bit cooler than St Emilion, making the harvest a little later, and requiring good vineyard management.

The always dapper Count Stephan von Neipperg,
Château Canon-La-Gaffelière 
at UGCB 2016 Release Tour Chicago

Many St Emilion producers are expanding into the area. Stephan von Neipperg, well known owner of Château Canon-la-Gaffelière and La Mondotte in Saint-Emilion, was the first on the scene when he bought the 30ha Château d’Aiguilhe in 1998. He has been followed by other Saint-Emilion luminaries including Gérard Perse of premier grand cru classé Château Pavie, who acquired Sainte-Colombe, Clos l’Eglise and Clos des Lunelles (formerly Lapeyronie), and Gérard Bécot of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, who launched Château Joanin Bécot with his daughter Juliette in 2001.

Red Côtes de Castillon wines are Merlot-based, offering complex and elegant flavors of red and black fruits. Wines from the best Côtes de Castillon producers can present excellent value (QPR - Quality Price Ratio) for fans of the St.-Émilion Grand Cru style. All wines from Côtes de Castillon may also carry the regional appellations of "Bordeaux" or "Bordeaux supérieur".

The Château Clos L’Eglise estate is owned by Gérard Perse, a French businessman and one-time bicycle champion. Perse sold two supermarket chains to finance his entry into the world of winemaking. He owns several Bordeaux estates, including Château Pavie and Pavie-Decesse. He stopped making wine under the Clos L’Eglise label after the 2008 vintage and since then used the estate’s grapes as part of the blend for his new Esprit de Pavie, a second wine for Pavie. Robert Parker cites that Clos L’Eglise was one of the least expensive wines produced by Gerard Perse.

Clos L’Eglise is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Back in May of 2019 I wrote about this wine,  "Dark garnet purple colored, medium bodied, dark berry fruits accented by notes of leather, tobacco, tea and hints of menthol, turning to nice fine grained tannins on the lingering finish."

RM 88 Points

Stephen Tanzer gave this wine 90-91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=230916

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/05/clos-leglise-cotes-de-castillon-bordeaux.html

Pouilly-Fuisse, Chiles Valley Cabernet Duo

Jean-Paul Paquet Domaine les Vieux Murs Pouilly-Fuisse, Chiles Valley RustRidge Cabernet Duo Offer High QPR Complement to Business Dinner

Visiting our nation's capital on the eve of important client meetings, we dined with dear friend and alliance partner Jim K at his favorite neighborhood eatery and our regular meeting point, Idylwood Grill and Wine Bar in Falls Church (VA), where we dined regularly together for years.

Tucked away off the sidestreet in a strip mall behind a shopping plaza, Idylwood touts itself as French, Italian and Modern American Cuisine. Not overextended, they do all these very well with attentive service in an comfortable and intimate setting.

Idylwood Grill offers a modest but excellent, imaginative and well selected winelist to accompany the range of menu offerings, with many high QPR, great value selections. The wine list includes 44 white wines and nearly 70 red wines, with selections from California, Oregon and Washington among the U.S. wines, as well as international wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy and Spain.

I ordered one of my favorite dishes and it was outstanding, truly delightful in the style that I prefer, Flounder Francaise, Flour-Egg Dipped with Lemon Butter Sautéed. Vegetables and Potatoes. What a treat to have one of my favorite entrees twice in a week, both served my way. Tonight's selection was as good as last week's dinner at Rosebud Steakhouse in Chicago at almost half the price!

Prior to dinner we enjoyed grilled calimari and the avocado salad, both were excellent. 

Idylwood Sautéed Flounder Francaise

From the winelist we ordered this Burgundian Pouilly-Fuisse Chardonnay, a good value high QPR selection.


Jean-Paul Paquet Domaine les Vieux Murs Pouilly-Fuisse 2018


From the Fuissé region in the south of Burgundy is 250-300 metres above sea level, this appellation is often overlooked. This is 100% Chardonnay grown in the limestone and clay soils of the Mâconnais vineyards. The Domaine Les Vieux Murs vines are 30 to 50 year old.

Producer Jean-Paul Paquet is joined by his son Yannick in the family business. Yannick has travelled widely to broaden his knowledge and has earned a great reputation. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, a predominant mineral and citrus character, complex with notes of fruity lemon, apple, tropical fruit, nut, grass, and wet stone, hints of vanilla and smoke, nicely balanced with crisp acidity and good texture.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3491106


RustRidge Estate Chiles Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

For a red selection, as a regular VIP diner, Jim was offered this special vintage selection that was not on the winelist.


This Cabernet Sauvignon is from the reputable but lesser known Chiles Valley,  just over the hill and to the east of Napa Valley, that as a result of its lower profile, offers good value over its high priced neighbors.

The estate winery sits about 1000 feet above the Napa Valley floor on the eastern side of the divide between Napa and Chiles Valleys. The day time climate is similar to the Oakville and Rutherford areas but the temperature are several degrees cooler at night. The cooler nights and the higher elevation delay bud-break which occurs two to three weeks later than the rest of Napa Valley. As a result, the grapes are harvested later in Napa Valley which, in part, lends distinctive flavor and character to the wines.

The secluded property was once a large thoroughbred horse ranch. Grape vines were planted in the mid 70's to Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

The property was purchased by the Meyer family in 1972 and the winery was founded by Stan and Grant Meyer in 1985. Their daughter Susan Meyer, Winemaker and her husband, Jim Fresquez, took over the operation in 1990. Helping Susan handcraft the estate-bottled wines produced by RustRidge is distinguished consultant winemaker Kent Rosenblum. The winery is housed in a renovated cattle barn.

Today, Susan and Jim follow their two passions: wine and horses. They produce about 2000 cases of craft wines annually, as well as breed and race thoroughbreds. Each spring; about the time new buds form on the grape vines, new foals are born. 

At thirteen years of age, this vintage release showed deep dark garnet scarlet colored, medium full bodied, concentrated rich blackberry and black cherry fruits. seductive dark chocolate and cola notes, hints of dried sage and black olive tapenade with gripping but ripe tannins are followed by a long and complex lingering finish.

RM 91 points.

This was aged 32 months in 25% New American and French Oak, 474 cases were produced.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=889610

https://www.rustridge.com/index.php

http://idylwoodgrill.com/

@IdylwoodGrill

Château LaGrange St Julien Bordeaux

Château LaGrange St Julien Bordeaux

Following the gala UGCB release tour tasting this week, I had the desire for another glass of Bordeaux for some casual sipping for the evening. I wanted to try something from a producer I had met the previous day, and one that we visited last summer during our visit to the region, so I pulled from the cellar this moderate aged 2003 vintage release from St Julien producer Château LaGrange.

We last tasted this label during a horizontal tasting of ten year old 2003 vintage release Bordeaux with our Pour Boys wine group back in 2013.

We visited the adjacent estates of Château Gruaud-Larose and  Château Branaire-Ducru
 last summer during our visit to the appellation and at that time drove over to see the Château La Grange estate and vineyards. The iconic Château that is recognized from decades of labels is more picturesque than expected or imaginable as it looks out on a small lake/pond as one approaches the estate.

The estate sits inland from the Gironde estuary, but behind and adjacent to or not far from neighboring St Julien producers Gruaud Larose and Branaire Ducru.

Château LaGrange vineyards span 118 hectares and rises to an elevation of 24 meters, the highest altitude in the appellation.

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

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

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

Château LaGrange St Julien Bordeaux 2003

We still hold several vintages of this wine dating back to a birth year bottle from our daughter's vintage release in the early eighties, however the estate has turned over and undergrown substantial improvements over the years and the quality of product is vastly improved today.

When we tasted this back in 2013 I wrote, "This was bigger, more full, nicely balanced, smoother and more polished than I expected, one of the best LaGrange I have tasted. Medium to full bodied, dark inky garnet colored, aromas and flavors of black berry, black cherry, violet floral with hints of coffee bean, mocha, tobacco and earth with soft smooth lingering tannins."

This is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot.
 At seventeen years, this was showing no diminution from age and should last a few more years for  fine drinking. 

RM 91 points. 

This release was rated 92 points John Gilman, James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Wine & Spirits and Robert Parker. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=18816

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

Post UGCB Dinner Rosebud Chicago

Post UGCB Dinner Rosebud Chicago

Following a day working and then attending the UGCB (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux) wine tasting event at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, we 'Pour Boys' went next door and had dinner at Rosebud Steakhouse. 

I admit I am not a fan of Rosebud Restaurants and did not realize they had this iconic steakhouse as part of their group of nine restaurants spread across Chicagoland including our hometown Naperville. I associate Rosebud with their Taylor Street location in Little Italy and always thought of it as an Italian eatery. Founder/owner Alex Dana says of the group, "Rosebud (is), a real ‘Red Sauce’ experience! Every meal is prepared to order with authentic, 100 year old peasant style Italian recipes and our rare steakhouses are well done!"

Our dinner at Rosebud in the tony Streeterville Gold Coast neighborhood was wonderful - food, atmosphere, service, and the wine selections. The dining room faces the bustling street and is lined on one wall by the bar to the rear and an impressive wine wall in the main front dining room. Being footsteps away from the historic, iconic Drake Hotel, site of the annual UGCB (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux) wine tasting event set the stage for the evening. 

Rosebud Steakhouse Chicago wine wall

Dan ordered pork chop, Lyle a prime filet of beef, and Ernie and I both ordered the Dover Sole and it was fabulous. Served in a heavy butter creme sauce, it was best of the preparations I had of this dish recently at a favorite seafood restaurant, and an upscale Italian eatery in New York. 

We ordered side dishes to share of creamed corn, brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. Our Sole dishes were served with a side of brown rice. 

From the winelist we ordered a red and a white to accompany our entree selections.  

Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2016

Midway between a crisp Burgundian and a rich creamy oaky Northern California style, this was perfectly matched to the sole in its flavorful sauce. 

We ordered an ultra-premium California Chardonnay from the Reserve Wine List and it turned out to be unavailable. The Sommelier offered up this moderate priced alternative and it proved to be a good choice. This was rated 93 points by Decanter, and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Vinous. 

Medium-bodied, straw colored, nicely balanced with quite a bit of alcohol, but the acid stands up to it nicely, Decanter writes of' a touch of hazelnut signals masterful and very restrained handling of oak - only neutral barrels were used', notes of citrus, apple, passionfruit and what Vinous calls 'a whole range of tropical inflections'.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2914293

https://www.brewerclifton.com/ 

With the steak and pork chop entrees we ordered this Napa Valley red.

Pine Ridge Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

We were torn between several offerings from the basic but carefully selected winelist, and opted for this 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District nestled against the vaca range along the eastern ridge of the valley on the Silverado Trail.

Dark garnet, purple colored, medium-full bodied, it spent 16-18 months in American oak, big full ripe, nicely integrated and balanced notes of sweet blackberry and plum fruits are highlighted by spice, hints of cassis and vanilla bean, with  pure, full but approachable tannins on the pleasant lingering finish.

This got 91 points from reviewer Jeb Dunnuck.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3211242

https://www.pineridgevineyards.com/

UGCB 2017 Release Tour Chicago

UGCB North American 2017 Vintage Release Tour Chicago

The UGC Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB)), annual release tour visited Chicago this week unveiling/showcasing their 2017 vintage release wines. The Union is the association of 134 of the top premier estates from the most prestigious Bordeaux appellations. This year's North American tour visited Toronto, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, LA and San Francisco.

Pour Boys, Ernie, Lyle, Dan, Rick
Sans Bill

As in previous years, our 'Pour Boys' wine group (left) helped conduct the event in Chicago. 

Once again it was held at the Drake Hotel in the magnificent grand ballroom (shown below). 

We work with the UGCB Events Manager, Olivier Crombez, host Mike Wangbickler and his Balzac Communications team preparing the room and the wines, checking in trade registrants, and standing in for producers who faced travel or other disruptions, presenting and pouring their wines. 

Several times over the years, several producers or their representatives were delayed in travel or had other disruptions and we were called in to service to pour their wines, hence we earned our moniker, the 'Pour Boys'.

Close to a hundred producers were represented at the event that was attended by over five hundred members of the trade, media and industry.

Francois-Xavier-Maroteaux
Owner Château Branaire-Ducru

As is their custom in the third week of January, this annual roadshow is a marathon trek across North America by the producers and their representatives offering wine professionals and eonphiles the chance to meet the Bordeaux principles, winemakers and commercial directors.

As I've written in previous years, we appreciate the investment in time and effort expended by the producers and and their brand ambassadors to visit Chicago. It provides a wonderful opportunity to meet them firsthand and discuss their perspectives on their brand, approach to crafting their style, their history, businesses, and their vintages including, of course, the current release.


As a collector and holder of a significant collection of Bordeaux wines dating back four decades, I hold as many as a dozen or more vintages of some of these labels. Meeting the owners, family members, producer / winemaker / representative is a great privilege and offers a collector the chance to learn more about their  investment and wines. As such, I tend to focus on and taste those wines that I know well and hold verticals (multiple vintages of the same label), of which my wine buddies and I have holdings.

Lilian Barton-Sartorius - Châteaux
Leoville and Langoa Barton

This was the tenth Bordeaux release event that I and my 'Pour Boy' wine buddies assisted the team at Balzac Communications to work the event, helping with set up, logistics, checking in the attendees, and standing in to pour wine for any featured producers that were not able to attend in person. 

Earlier UGCB and related events are featured in earlier unwindwine blogposts.

This year was especially exciting since we visited Bordeaux this past year and we got to visit with several of the producers' and brand ambassadors whose Chateau's or vineyards we visited on our trip. 

As usual, we focused on the Left Bank producers that we own and collect, but this year particularly, we focused on  those that we visited this year, as well as those we are targeting for our next visit to the Medoc.

Karine Barbier - Château Lascombes

The 2017 vintage was a bit challenging interrupting the streak of great harvests 2015 through 2019, primarily due to a frost that hit the region early in the season. 

The wine team of K&L Wines in the San Francisco Bay Area, Clyde Beffa and Ralph Sands, issued their 2017 Bordeaux vintage report following their tour to the region. 

2017 Bordeaux will be remembered as the year of the great frost that struck just after the tastings, April 27 and 28, with temperatures as low as -4 Celsius on both nights. But due to climate changes and increased knowledge on how to combat impending frost, the vintage is not the disaster that estates withstood in 1991.
Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/2018/04/2017-bordeaux-vintage-and-harvest-report/

2017 Bordeaux will be remembered as the year of the great frost that struck just after the tastings, April 27 and 28, with temperatures as low as -4 Celsius on both nights. But due to climate changes and increased knowledge on how to combat impending frost, the vintage is not the disaster that estates withstood in 1991.
Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/2018/04/2017-bordeaux-vintage-and-harvest-report/

The 2017 vintage year will be remembered as the year of the frost, but it’s also a vintage in which many of the top châteaux produced some very good wines. It was a year when location really mattered, the terroir really made a difference as those vineyards with proximity to the moderating effects of the Gironde estuary were less affected by the frost. And those with the rocky well drained soils recovered from the rains.

2017 was atypical with its early growing season, with early and successful flowering in late May, sunshine, then heavy rain in June, followed by a dry and cool summer, then late August heat, and many damp days just before the red harvest in September.

The quality of 2017 is much better than most people might expect. While it’s not in the same league as the outstanding 2016 and 2015 vintages, it not near the largely disappointing 2013.

The challenging year all round still produced some well proportioned red Bordeaux – and some excellent whites too, both dry and sweet. While not big, full and structured, many of the 2017 reds are approachable upon release and should provide early gratification in their youth.

Anne-Francoise Quie
Château Rauzan-Gassies

The whites showed especially well and the top Sauternes and a number of dry whites could definitely be on par with the efforts in 2015 and 2016.

2017 Bordeaux is a stylistic choice, you are going to like the character, which can be bright, focusing on red fruits or not. Generally, the wines are; medium bodied, fresh, aromatic and lighter in alcohol than sunnier vintages. The tannins are soft. The fruits are sweet and the majority of the wines will be enjoyable early in life.
Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/2018/04/2017-bordeaux-vintage-and-harvest-repor

Marie Helene-Dussech
Château Brane-Cantenac

 
The challenging vintages such as 2017, following some outstanding years, often offer opportunities for collectors to find some values to stock their cellars with wines that should provide enjoyable drinking soon, not requiring several years of cellaring to mature and reach their optimal drinking window.

Lise Latrille - Château Prieure Lichine

The event is sponsored by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, (UGCB) and is hosted and orchestrated by Balzac Communications, boutique wine marketing and communications consultancy firm in Napa, under the leadership of Mike Wangbickler, President. 

Attending again this year too was Paul Wagner, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Balzac. Paul is a founding member of the Academy of Wine Communications and a leading member of the American Wine Society. As with last year, again, it was great to see Paul enjoying his passion and remaining engaged whilst in retirement.

The afternoon session is for the benefit of the press and trade and wine professionals. Again this year, the evening session in Chicago was hosted trade merchant partner Binny's Beverage Depot, the Chicagoland wine superstore, offering tickets to the evening session to their valued customers and the public. This year, over four hundred collectors and vinophiles registered for the even. 

Setting up in the venue with care.