Enjoying wine - perspectives on wine buying, collecting, tasting, a study in wine marketing & branding; observations, experiences and ruminations of a winegeek & frequent traveler. Sharing so others can 'unwindwine' for greater wine discovery, understanding and appreciation.
The deep freeze in Chicago continues and we remain shut in for winter and of course Covid. Having a deep and broad wine cellar reduces the dread of cabin fever and makes for enjoyable evenings dipping in to our collection.
Tonight, Linda created a delicious medley of grilled steak, sweet potatoes and mushrooms. This was a wonderful pairing that suited this Sonoma County Cabernet perfectly. As I've written several times recently, an ideal food and wine pairing such as this accentuates the enjoyment of the whole experience, enhancing the wine and the food.
We've visited or stopped by the Arrowood winery a couple times during visits to Sonoma, the winery sitting just north of town back off the highway. We hold a collection of this label dating back to 1991 of which we acquired a case upon release and still hold just a couple remaining bottles, along with a half dozen other vintages including this '04.
My opinion and experience is that the Sonoma County Cabs tend to be lighter and softer (than Napa's) and therefore a bit more approachable and less challenging, more suitable to casual sipping and lighter or less complex food pairing.
This is the craftwork of winemaker producer Richard Arrowood. Born in San Francisco and raised in Santa
Rosa, he started his winemaking career in 1965
at Korbel Champagne Cellars just north of St Helena. He earned degrees in organic
chemistry at California State Sacramento and graduate work in enology at California State, Fresno. He moved from Korbel to United Vintners, then Sonoma Vineyards.
From 1974 through 1990, he was winemaker at Chateau St. Jean,
where he developed some of the first vineyard-designate Chardonnay and
Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Sonoma County. His role there grew to be winemaker and Executive Vice President of Chateau St Jean.
He and his wife, Alis, founded Arrowood Winery with the 1985 vintage where they produced small-lot varietals and vineyard
designates. In April 1990, after sixteen years at Chateau St. Jean, Richard
set out to devote himself full-time to Arrowood where he was producer/winemaster. He originally planned to produce reserve quality Chardonnay and Cabernet
Sauvignon only, but his passion for making wine
lead him to explore and develop unusual varietals that he
believed had potential to produce exceptional fruit. The Arrowood portfolio expanded
to include Merlot, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Late
Harvest wines, Malbec, Syrah and a few special reserve wines.
Richard and Alis were successful building the Arrowood brand and portfolio which they sold to Robert Mondavi in 2000. Richard and Alis stayed on, but left after Constellation Brands purchased
Mondavi in 2004 and subsequently sold Arrowood in 2005 to the (now
bankrupt) Legacy Estate Group.
Richard continued as winemaster
there until June 2010, when he founded and left to devote his energies full-time to
Amapola Creek Vineyards and Winery. They sold Amapola in 2019 and set out to retire after 54 years in the wine business.
Arrowood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
This release is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89.9%), Merlot (7.2%), Malbec and (1.6%), Petit Verdot (1.3%), all from Sonoma County.
Winemaker notes: "This 2004 Arrowood Caberent Sauvignon is a lovely, complex wine that
exemplifies our distinctive style. Beginning with exceptional fruit from
several Sonoma County vineyards, we selected and blended small lots of
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Each key component
was aged for nearly two years in French and American oak. To retain
maximum complexity, we chose not to fine or filter this wine, hence a
small amount of harmless sedimentation may occur. Although delicious
now, this rich and complex claret will develop well beyond the next
decade.'
"Our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is a complete wine. It is a testament to
both vintage and the vineyards. The growing season opened with a heat
wave in the first half of March triggering an early bloom. The remainder
of the year was awash in warm days, cool nights and morning fog. All in
all, we feel it was one of the finest Cabernet vintages of the last
decade.'
"For vineyards, this Cabernet combines our favorite bench, hillside
and mountain sites (many organically farmed) in Sonoma, Alexander and
Dry Creek Valleys. By blending lots from a variety of sources Richard was
able to capture the character of the vintage and the essence of Sonoma
County Cabernet."
Back in 2016 I wrote about this release, "I have two left in the cellar and I wish I had more. At a dozen years
old, it must be at the apex of its drinking window - it was delicious
and a perfect compliment to the steak and to the anti pasta caprese
salad.'
"We often turn to Sonoma County Cab's for more casual sipping as they are
thought to be a bit lighter and softer than their Napa counterparts.
There was nothing wimpy or second class to this Big Cab."
While the Arrowood winery and vineyards are located in Sonoma Valley
just north of the town of Sonoma, they source the fruit for this label
from three different Sonoma County AVA's - Knights Valley, Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley. We consider Arrowood to be a benchmark, representing the best of Sonoma Cabernet.
We have visited the Arrowood properties on several of our trips to Sonoma Valley.
This wine represents great value, high QPR as Arrowood seem to have held the price on this label as similar Napa and Sonoma labels have risen by 30-40% over the decade.
At sixteen years, this was drinking very nicely, probably still at its apex, not likely to improve any further with aging, but not showing any signs of diminution whatsoever. The filled level was proper and the cork was in perfect condition.
Back in 2016 I wrote, Dark blackish garnet color, medium-full bodied, the berry fruit aromas
filled the room on opening, bold expressive black cherry accented by a
layer of leather, mocha and hint of cedar and spice on the long smooth
soft tanning finish.
Tonight this was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex yet nicely integrated and balanced rich elegant dark berry fruits with floral notes turning to cassis, hints of black tea and oak with smooth soft tannins and balanced acid on a lingering finish.
With a winter storm warning and heavy snow falling for the last six hours, Linda grilled some beef steaks served with baked potatoes and mixed vegetables. I pulled from the cellar a robust Napa Cabernet for the occasion seeking a suitable accompaniment to the grilled steak. This proved to be a perfect selection.
Founder Leslie Rudd began his wine career working in his father’s alcoholic beverage wholesale distribution business in Wichita, Kansas. Over time he grew Standard Beverage Corporation to be the state’s largest alcoholic beverage wholesaler.
Leslie expanded into the specialty foods business launching and investing in several national restaurants and eventually acquiring iconic Dean & DeLuca, which he owned until 2014. In 2007 he acquired the legendary Oakville Grocery in Oakville, Napa Valley, which he renovated in 2012.
Rudd purchased the Oakville Napa Valley winery in 1996 and immediately set upon enhancing and expanding the caves and winery facilities opening in 1999.
Leslie Rudd passed in 2018, after handing control of his estate to his daughter Samantha.
This 2001 Rudd Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon was the inaugural vintage of this label, vinified by
David Ramey but finished by Charles Thomas, who assumed winemaking
responsibilities there in the spring of 2002.
Packaged in a heavy oversized bottle, at twenty years, the cork was moist and slightly soft but intact and this wine was drinking superbly, likely still at or near the apex of its drinking profile.
This is a blend of 85%
Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, (2,150 cases were produced.)
It was awarded 95 points
by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points
by Wine Enthusiast, 93 points by
Connoisseurs Guide and
92 points
by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.
Dark garnet inky purple colored, medium-full bodied - concentrated expressive bright vibrant firm yet elegant and nicely balanced, structured blackberry and black currant fruits are accented by floral aromatics with notes of cola, sweet mocha and oak with hints of cassis and graphite on a sweet fruit filled lingering silky tannin laced finish.
Château Cantemerle Haut-Médoc 5ème Cru Classé Bordeaux 1985
For Super Bowl festivities and feasting with son Sean on his birthday, I pulled a vintage wine from his birth year to share watching the big game.
Château Cantemerle is a Bordeaux Fifth Growth, located in the Haut-Médoc on the left bank of the Gironde river near the communes of Ludon and Macau about twenty km north of the town of Bordeaux. We passed through the village near the property on the route up to Margaux during our Bordeaux Wine Experience in 2019.
Château Cantemerle has a long rich history ic estate dating back to
the 12th Century. Lord of Cantemerle bought beside Henri III of England in 1242. The chateau was part of a series of fortified structures that defended the Gironde and had its own port. The earliest records of viticulture date back to 1354 shen Lord Cantemerle paid his tithes in in clairet wine.
When the great 1855 Classification of Bordeaux occurred, Cantermerle vineyards covered 255 adjacent to La Lagune. In 1867 Château Cantemerle received a silver medal at the World's Fair in Paris.
The modern history of the château began in 1892 when Théophile-Jean
Dubos' purchased the estate which was passed down through the family
until the 1980s.
Many of Cantemerle's vineyards were pulled out during
the two world wars, and were replanted in the 1980s, expanding the
vineyard area from 20 hectares (50 acres) to 90ha (220 acres) by 1999. Since then, the estate has expanded considerably and has undergone modernization of the production and winemaking facilities. Production today is about 400,000 bottles each year.
The vineyards are planted to 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The vines, the
majority of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, are on average 30 years old.
The soil in Cantemerle's vineyards is a mixture of silica sand and gravel, reasonably poor, thereby forcing the vines to struggle, resulting in
grapes with high levels of aromatic concentration.
Château CantemerleHaut Medoc Bordeaux 1985
The cork was moist and reasonably intact, however it broke and crumbled in two upon extraction, despite using a ahso two pronged cork puller (below). I removed the last quarter using a traditional screw. I was too hasty and aggressive in extraction and believe it would've remained in tact had I exercised more patience and care.
Still holding on at thirty-five years, a testament to the ageworthiness of Bordeaux, still somewhat elegant, dark garnet colored with edges of brown starting to set in, medium bodied, the blackberry and black cherry fruits are giving way to non-fruit notes of bacon fat, cigar box, tobacco with hints of leather, tar and earth with subtle tannins on the moderate finish.
This is a replay almost verbatim of a similar Friday night back in July when we out took the same Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Blend 2015 to Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. As such its very common that we take BYOB from our signature producer for such occasions, this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley producer Del Dotto.
Readers of these pages know we have been collecting Del Dotto dating
back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993 and still hold decades
of vintage release of more than a dozen labels - one of the largest
producer holdings in our cellar collection.
This Del Dotto Caves Blend label is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.
At five years of age, this has improved with some aging and is more
integrated and balanced than in its youth.
Consistent with that earlier tasting, tonight this release seemed even more vibrant and expressive than before, hence I added a point to its rating.
Dark purple garnet colored,
medium-full bodied, bright vibrant, nicely integrated and balanced black
berry and black raspberry fruits with tangy notes of clove spice with a layer of sweet oak and mocha chocolate turning to cloying tannins on an
lingering finish.
RM 92 points.
Winemakers' notes for this release: "Dark garnet color with a bright bouquet of sweet blueberries, wet rock
and fresh cut violets & flowers. Earthy flavors with hints of clove
and all spice. This wine has a long, balanced finish with a kiss of oak."
For dinner, Linda prepared a casserole, warm comfort food, so I wanted a hearty big wine as an accompaniment but something more approachable than a big Cabernet. I pulled from the cellar this Twomey Napa Valley Merlot, from the 2002 vintage, old enough to show its true character and potential, but hopefully, not over the hill so as to lost its eminence and luster. It proved to be the right choice and an ideal match.
I still remember we first discovered this label at Restaurant Tallent in Bloomington, Indiana while visiting son Alec there at Indiana University a decade ago. We ordered it off the winelist with dinner at what was considered the best restaurant in Bloomington during that era. Chef/owner David Tallent amassed nine
James Beard Award nominations over the business’ 12-year history before closing in 2015.
Twomey was
founded in 1999 by legendary Ray Duncan, founder of the
well-known known and highly regarded Silver Oak, and sons David, and Tim Duncan. David served as the managing
partner and today is Chairman and CEO of both Silver Oak and Twomey having joined Silver Oak in 2002. The name Twomey, (pronounced two-me) is named after their grandmother Velma’s maiden
name and is also the middle name of several family members.
During the early years, they produced only Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Soda Canyon Ranch
Vineyard that they purchased in 1999, named for its location just off of Soda
Canyon Road in south eastern Napa Valley. At
the time, it was among the most expensive per vineyard acre
transactions ever made in the Napa Valley. As prices for prime vineyard land escalated, in retrospect it was a
very good investment.
The property was also planted to another Bordeaux varietal, Merlot. Daniel Baron, then Silver Oak winemaker, had worked at the prestigious Château Pétrus in Bordeaux and was very
familiar with premium Merlot. Since Silver Oak was focused on and known solely for Cabernet Sauvignon, the decision to produce a Merlot based wine prompted the creation of an entire new label and brand, and eventually its own winery. The initial few vintages were crushed at Laird Family Estate (a
custom crush winery north of the city of Napa).
Twomey Merlot is a single vineyard bottling sourced exclusively from the
estate Soda Canyon Ranch, located in
the benchlands of the Vaca Mountains of Napa Valley. Soda Canyon Ranch
Vineyard is the exclusive vineyard source for Twomey Merlot.
Today the Soda Canyon property is planted to the five classic Bordeaux varieties including
French Merlot clones selected for their low yields of small, intensely
flavored berries. Situated on the first bench off the
Napa Valley floor on the lower foothills, the terrain consists of well-drained volcanic soils full of rocks mixed with gravel. The warm days are moderated by cool breezes wafting up from San Pablo bay and morning fog, Merlot grapes ripen
slowly here, developing rich black-fruit character and extraordinary
complexity.
Twomey also produce a premium Pinot Noir, first released with this vintage in 2002, and one white wine, Sauvignon Blanc, first released in 2007, created
from several vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma, including a vineyard next to their winery in Calistoga, and from the vineyard next
to Silver Oak estate in Oakville.
In 2011, Twomey entered into collaboration with Château Pétrus legend
Jean-Claude Berrouet on Soda Canyon Ranch Merlot, combining
Jean-Claude’s expertise and the terrior of Napa Valley, resulting in a blend of Old
World and New, California’s fruit-forward style
with the subtlety and restraint of Bordeaux.
Twomey Napa Valley Merlot 2002
This release was awarded 94 points
by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points
by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.
This wine is typically close to 100% Merlot but invariably is blended with small amounts of other Bordeaux varieties
(typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot).
This vintage release was a blend of 99.4%
Merlot and just a miniscule .6% of Cabernet Franc.
The cork was dry and crumbled and broke in half on extraction (below). I hastily used the rabbit ears corkscrew which is best for recent releases and necessary for synthetic corks. I should've used an 'ahso' two pronged cork puller, which I usually do. I believe it would've extracted the cork intact, even in light of its deteriorated condition.
Dark garnet colored with a slight brownish tinge settling in suggesting this may be passing its apex, complex, concentrated, tight, structured blackberry and black currant and plum fruits with predominate notes of smoke, with tones of tobacco, black tea, herbs, cassis and hints of black pepper turning to a long firm tannin finish.
Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2018
Last weekend I read the book A Man and His Mountain, the story of self-made billionaire Jess Jackson and his pursuit of his dream to build a brand of premium varietal based wine for the mass market. His accomplishments over the ensuring two and a half decades exceeded all expectations achieving the art of the possible building a multi-billion dollar wine empire.
Starting with a single 80 acre farm to retire as a gentleman farmer, he became a grape grower after a successful law career. He saw an opportunity to create a new category of wines and graduated to acquiring the properties to source his growing demand for grapes, growing to owning two dozen top tier wineries and brands with thousands of acres of vineyards across the state.
The brand that he envisioned grew to an iconic empire, Kendall-Jackson and the Chardonnay label created the whole category of varietal based mass market premium wine shipping millions of cases of wine annually.
The book was so captivating I read it in one sitting plus a short follow up session at breakfast. It chronicled not only the business and the brand, but also the growth and maturation of the wine industry. It also followed his life, from childhood, through school, to his career from part time cop, to successful lawyer, to wine producer to wine industry mogul. It also featured his exploits into and his success in some of his hobby side ventures, that also achieved the highest level of success, and changed other industries.
Lastly, its a human interest story about a man and his families, his initial nuclear family, it's demise, and his second family through to his death. Notably, the name Kendall-Jackson is the combination of his first wife's family name and married name. Alas, their lack of agreement on the degree of risk in starting a new business, and lack of shared vision and commitment lead to the disintegration of their marriage.
Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2018
With the book and its vivid history and evolution of this wine as a backdrop, I went out and bought a bottle of this 'premium' mass market varietal based wine - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay.
Linda prepared salmon with brown rice pilaf for the occasion.
Winemaker notes: Lush tropical fruit, lemon, lime and floral notes intertwines with nice
minerality from the calciferous soils in the Santa Maria and Los Alamos
Valleys. There is a touch of floral notes from the small amounts of
Dijon and Rued clones, and a hint of vanilla and spice to round out the
rich, long finish.
This is 100% Chardonnay sourced from estate (producer owned) vineyards from Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara wine region is renowned as being one of California’s coolest
grape growing regions due to its unique east-west running valleys
running along the coast. Santa Barbara’s cool, maritime climate results
in a long growing season, with extended hang-time on the vines giving
the grapes more balanced ripeness and intense flavors.
This was rated 92 points by Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Mar 2020, 91 points by Wine Advocate, 90 points by Jeb Dunnuck, and 88 points by Wine Enthusiast.
I found it acceptable for a $20 bottle, widely available for fifteen dollars, straw colored, sprites of lime citrus with notes of tropical fruit, minerality and hint of vanilla, detracted by a rather unpleasant funky barnyard aroma. I hope this was anomalous to the bottle we obtained.
RM 86 points.
The following evening, with half the Grand Reserve left, I opened this Cambria Chardonnay half bottle for a mini comparison tasting. If I read it right in the book, this was a coveted vineyard of Jackson, sourcing grapes for his California Chardonnay. Jackson maneuvered a purchase of the property when the owners were seeking to sell, by splitting up the red wine Pinot Noir parcels from the white wine Chardonnay parcels. He was highly leveraged at the time and could not afford the entire property, and was only interested in that portion that grew Chardonnay grapes. The book details the maneuvering and negotiating that eventually lead to Jackson acquiring the Cambria Vineyard in Santa Barbara County.
I believe the grapes in this wine would be the same grapes sourced for both these labels, the single vineyard designated select, and the blended broader appellation bottling, the Santa Maria Valley being a sub-appellation of Santa Barbara County.
There was a similarity in the profiles of the two wines with similar taste sprites in the citrus notes. Interesting and fun comparing and speculating the common genealogy of the grapes. Are the same source grapes in both bottles?
Cambria Benchbreak Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay 2014
This Benchbreak Chardonnay was golden butter colored, medium bodied with
lively bright fruit flavors of citrus, peach, green apple and hints of
sweet pineapple with a layer resembling butterscotch on a fresh, clean
finish.
In 1974, Jess Jackson purchased an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard up in Lake County, California, just north of Napa Valley, and replanted
it with Chardonnay grapevines. In 1982, Jess and his family set out to make a premium, yet affordable, California wine.
In 1982, he set out for New York City to establish distribution for his new concept wine and unknown brand. He sold his first case of his Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay to the
Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station. That same year, that inaugural
vintage of Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay won the first-ever Platinum
Award for an American Chardonnay at The American Wine Competition.
Soon thereafter, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy, native Californians, wanted to serve a California wine in the White House. Nancy discovered and fell in love with the taste of Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay and selected Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay as their 'house wine'. San Francisco
Chronicle's Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and city icon, Herb Caen,
caught wind of the story and wrote a column about the wine referring to
the Chardonnay as "Nancy’s wine." The brand was established, demand exploded, and the company grew exponentially.
By 1991, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay had become the #1 selling Chardonnay in America, and remains so to this day.
In 2007, Jess Jackson was honored with the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded each year to the individuals and
companies that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and
beverage world. Jess Jackson was one of the first and
largest winemakers to introduce America to varietal-specific wine, not
only increasing the public’s understanding and appreciation of wine, but
also making it affordable.
Jess Jackson passed away in April of 2011.
In 2013, Wine Enthusiast named Barbara Banke, Jackson's second wife and long-time partner who helped him build the business, and succeeded him as its leader, as its 2013 Wine Person of the Year.
The first woman to win the award, Barbara shares it with Jess, the
magazine’s inaugural recipient in 2000.
In 2017 Kendall-Jackson was awarded Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Dowdell Napa Valley Soda Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
After our wine-dinner, we did another cellar dive and Dan pulled out this unique single label limited release Napa Cabernet that he picked up at auction.
This label was marketed by Wilson Daniels a wine marketing firm who 'use education and brand-building to develop mutually
rewarding, long-term relationships and strategic partnerships with luxury producers' to market and promote 'high profile fine wines featuring top terroir, that are benchmarks in their
region'.
One boutique merchant wrote in their promotion of this wine, 'We believe the project was initiated
for a specific buyer in mind. That didn’t pan out and the wine wound up
in limbo. Very little made to market. We just discovered it and we
bought every single bottle we could get.'
Essentially, someone had excess fruit, or wine, or as they said, proceeded on a wine production project that then needed marketing, promotion and distribution, developing a label and a brand. Since they were not owner producers, not producing 'estate' wines, these projects are often 'one-hit wonders', or less, if and when they don't live up to their hype or lofty expectations. They are fun and interesting experiments and experiences - just don't get attached to them as you may not see a follow on encore
This was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single block of the former Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa, on the lower reaches of the Vaca Range above Silverado Trail, north of Atlas Peak, south of Howell Mountain.
The Stagecoach Vineyard is one of the most storied legendary vineyards in Napa Valley. Stagecoach fruit has sourced scores of premium and ultra premium bottlings by many top
winemakers and labels over the years. The property was recently sold to E.J. Gallo which has
caused much consternation through the Napa wine community and makes this independent bottling even more unique as a single vintage release appellation specific designated bottling, not likely to be repeated again? Cellartracker records indicate three vintages released - but only reviews for this 2014. With the only vintage reference on the rear label, who knows?
This label was crafted by notable winemaker Thomas Brown. According to The Terroirist Wine Journal,
"Thomas Brown is the nation's hottest winemaker." He has received many
100-point scores from Robert Parker and James Laube. He was Food &
Wine Magazine’ "Winemaker of the Year." He has lead or advised winemaking at Chiarello,
Schrader, Outpost, Maybach, Revana, TOR, C. Mondavi, Jones Family,
Harris Estate, Hestan, Seaver, Black Sears, Casa Piena and more.
This was aged for 19 months in 3 kinds of French Oak - Tonnellerie, Remond and Berthomieu.
This is packaged in an ultra-premium oversize, heavy glass bottle with a super deep punt. Unfortunately, the wine does not quite live up to the presentation of the packaging.
Dark blackish inky purple, medium-full bodied, this wine is more defined by what it is not, rather than what it is, not overly dramatic or inspiring, not overblown,
over-extracted or over-oaked, smooth, soft, balanced blackberry and black raspberry fruits with notes of cassis and tar, a touch of leather and spice turning to hints of aromatic floral notes and creme caramel on a smooth tannin laced lingering finish.
Super Big Red Wine Flight for Grilled Beefsteak Dinner
Fellow Pour Boy wine buddy Dr Dan and Linda hosted Linda and I on a snowy winter evening. They prepared grilled New York Strip Steaks, baked potatoes, brussel sprouts, beets, and homemade baked onion soup. Before dinner there was a broad selection of artisan cheeses. These were great pairings with the Champagne and the Chardonnay.
Discussing the evening ahead of time, Dan offered he was going to serve a Howell Mountain Cabernet so I pulled one from the cellar to take as a comparison pairing.
The occasion was not only fellowship but also a celebration of Dan's recent successful surgery.
The wine flight included vintage Champagne before dinner for the celebration and thanksgiving toast and to accompany the cheeses. Dessert was deliciously decadent Chocolate Tuxedo cake. I brought the remains of the dessert wine from the previous evening wine dinner for pairing.
The wines:
Veuve Doussot Champagne Ernestine Millesime 2014 Gary Farrel Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 Fleury Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Robert Craig Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Doubleback Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne 2002
From the Aube region of Champagne, 150 km south of Epernay, midpoint on the route down to the City of Dijon.
This vintage release is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. It scored 92 points in Wine Spectator, and 91 points by International Wine Cellar.
Champagne colored, young vibrant nicely balanced fruit of apple and citrus
with mineral texture and tight acidity.
Gary Farrel Sonoma County Russian River Valley Rochioli-Allen Vineyards Chardonnay 2017
This is a wine club exclusive allocated label. Dan became a member when we visited Gary Farrell with Dan and Linda during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017..
The grapes for this outstanding vineyard designated select Chardonnay come from two different
blocks within the Allen Vineyard, planted just to the south of the
Rochioli Vineyard. The diverse soil types and unique microclimates of
this site provides ideal conditions for Chardonnay. Each clone and field
selection were chosen to take advantage of the distinctive terroir of the specific soil type,
elevation and exposure to the sun.
Some of the oldest vines have been
nurtured by three generations of the Rochioli family. This blend is
composed of clones 76 and 15 from two blocks at the Allen Vineyard.
Winemaker's notes for this release: "Flecks of gold reflect brilliantly through an inviting straw hue as the
2017 Rochioli Allen Chardonnay is poured into the glass. Aromas of apple
blossoms and chaparral clematis entice the senses upon first swirl.
Elements of dried stone fruits coupled with citrus zest provide endless
layers of complexity and verve. Focused minerality and crystalline
acidity complete the package, delivering a stunning concentration of
silky texture and balanced flavors."
Fleury Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Fleury Estate Winery is a family owned winery in Rutherford in the heart of the Napa
Valley founded by Brian and Claudia Fleury in 2000, pivoting from a successful software business career in the Bay Area. We met Brian and Claudia at the Del Dotto Barrels and Beasts extravaganza shortly thereafter. Fleury and Del Dotto have been collaborators in various Napa Valley ventures. Back then I acquired some of their their earliest label, Lauren Bryce, named for their children.
Fleury Estate wines are a favorite of son Ryan and several of his colleagues at Oracle.
Fleurys owns 50 acres of premium Napa Valley vineyards - eleven acres at the winery estate site in Rutherford, thirty acres in St. Helena, and six acres in Deer Park high atop Howell Mountain. This variation of different appellations and
elevations enables Fleury to craft a portfolio of varying labels with consistent, high quality year after year. Total production is about 4,000 cases of wine per year.
The Fleury Estate, just south of St. Helena in Rutherford in the valley center, is home to
the Fleury winery along with a hospitality center with tasting room, situated amidst the 11 acre estate
vineyard.
This label, Howell Mountain BDX is their play on the word Bordeaux, it is a red Bordeaux blend comprised primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Two hundred cases were produced.
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant expressive blackberry fruit with sprites of plum and cherry accented by notes of tar, cigar box and leather with moderate tannins on a lingering finish.
Robert Craig Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
I brought this from the cellar to compare with the Fluery Howell Mountain Cabernet. I've written often in these pages that Robert Craig, as well as Del Dotto are some of our largest holdings in our cellar collection, spanning more than two decades of vintage releases across numerous labels.
We've long been fans of Robert Craig and his family of
appellation specific Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons featuring mountain
fruits from three different Napa Mountains, Mt Veeder, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain District, and sometimes supplemented by another offering from Mt George.
We
first met Robert back in the early 1990's when he was producing his
handcrafted wines up on Atlas Peak. Robert started his winemaking career
up on Mt Veeder and as such, this was his first Mountain designated
release offering under the Robert Craig label, and fittingly, it is his
favorite.
Shortly thereafter he released a Howell Mountain label which is
typically my favorite, up until the limited release of his Spring
Mountain District Cabernet in 2007 which I liked even more!
We've met with the Robert and Lynn Craig and various members of their team numerous times during our Napa Wine Experiences (1998),
during their visits here to Chicago, and have visited their Howell
Mountain winery harvest parties and special events, and of course their
tasting room in town in Napa.
This Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is dark purple colored, medium-full bodied,
focused blackberry and black raspberry fruits with smooth velvety texture, tones of soft sweet mocha with hints of cedar, spice and soft oak, a whisper
of cedar and herbal notes on a polished smooth finish.
Turning from Napa Valley and California to the north, Dan opened this Cabernet from Quarterback turned winery owner and producer Drew Bledsoe, very timely as we might have seen him play his last game in the NFL Playoffs series loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers who advance to the Super Bowl next week.
We drove up to the Bledsoe property in the sloping foothills of the Blue Mountains in the southern reaches of the Walla Walla appellation during our Walla Walla Wine Experience back in 2018.
This was Doubleback's first vintage to include estate-grown grapes in the
blend. The
2011 cool vintage provided a challenge to winemakers in the Northwest as well as down in Napa Valley. This was crafted by legendary Columbia Valley winemaker Chris Figgins.
This won wide critical acclaim garnering 94 points and a 'Cellar Selection' from Wine Enthusiast, 92 from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and Wine Spectator.
Dark inky purple colored medium full bodied, vibrant ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits, very similar to the Fleury above, but less complex, and lacking the polish and balance of the Robert Craig. Notes of truffle graphite and hints of creme de cassis with smooth tannin amid vibrant acid backbone
cuts through its richness ending with a lingering finish.
Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne 2002 We enjoy sweet unctuous desert
wines with salads, cheese or deserts. This was a nice finisher, a
perfect complement to the final dessert course of decadent chocolate cake.
This is a classic Sauterne, a blend of Semillon (94 %) and Sauvignon Blanc (6 %). Château Suduiraut is considered to be one of the finest Sauternes. Golden honey, dark amber colored,
full bodied yet delicate, nicely balanced fruit and floral aromas,
complex roasted and candied notes of apple, vanilla and honey, medium
sweetness and a long smooth silky finish. Not as sweet and unctuous as
some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and
honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate
notes of smoke, marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of vanilla on
the tongue cloying finish. RM 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-93 points, Wine Spectator, 90 points.
“A Night in Sicily”Covid Lock-in Virtual Wine Dinner Presented by Chicago's Italian Village Restaurants
Italian Village Restaurants in Chicago hosted “A Night in Sicily” presented by Jared Gelband, Italian Village Wine
Director and Chef Jose, and guest host Italian Wine Specialist, Daniele Sbordi, who lead a virtual journey to the
island of Sicily and a tasting of wines from producer Donnafugata
Winery.
A four course dinner was specially prepared for pick-up at the restaurant complete with preparation directions and a wine course selection of three bottles of Donnafugata Sicilian wines.
For the occasion, we were joined by son Sean and daughter-in-law Michelle in person in our dining room, and daughter Erin and son-in-law Johnny and their four children, who attended virtually via zoom from their home. We were joined via zoom with another dozen folks.
To facilitate and optimize the experience, we set up a large screen TV and our computer in the dining room for the occasion.
The dinner:
Antipasta Crostini con Caponata - Rustic Italian Bread / Caponata Topping
Primi Ravioli con Ricotta - Hand made Ravioli / Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese / Pistachio pesto sauce
Secondi Braciole alla Siciliana - Filet Mignon / Proscutto / Provolone / Green Onion / Salsa di Pomodoro
Dolce Italian Cannoli / Italian Biscotti
Vini - The Wine
Donnafugata "Sur Sur" Sicilia DOC Grillo 2019
Donnafugata "Floramundi" Cerasuelo di Vittoria DOCG 2018
Donnafugata "Sul Volcano" Etna Rosso DOC 2017
I wrote in these pages recently about the art and magic of pairing food and wine to magnify the overall experience. Tonight, the masterful pairing of the wines to the food courses by Wine Director Jared and Chef Jose amplified both the food and the wine. As a result, as I wrote Jared in a follow up note, "everything exceeded my expectations, the food, the wine, the pairing, the overall experience".
Donnafugata was established in Sicily in 1983 byGiacomo Rallo, the fourth
generation of a family with over 160 years of experience in quality
wine, along with his wife Gabriella, a pioneer of viticulture in Sicily. Giacomo passed away in 2016, so the company today is run by their children José and Antonio and a team of people focused on excellence.
The name Donnafugata comes from a novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa entitled Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). The name that means “donna in fuga”
(woman in flight) refers to the story of a queen who found refuge
in the part of Sicily where the company’s vineyards are located today.
The adventure tome also inspired the corporate logo, the image of a woman’s
head with windblown hair that dominates the brand and adorns every bottle. All Donnafugata wines' labels and names are inspired by Gabriella Rallo and designed by Stefano Vitale whose original artwork is featured each on the labels of each of the two dozen wines they produce. His works were featured in an exhibition "Art and Wine - Chasing Donnafugata”, presented by
FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano in Milan in 2018 in the
prestigious Villa Necchi Campiglio.
Donnafugata produce over forty estate wines meaning they are sourced from the producer owned vineyards that span almost six hundred acres of 45 different varieties of grapes indigenous to Sicily. Total production is near 5 million bottles annually.
Donnafugatta "Sur Sur" is produced from Grillo, an ancient Sicilian grape varietal. The grape name grillo means cricket, for the crickets that are common in the region and said to bring good luck. The name comes from the classical Arabic language
which was once also spoken in Sicily. The label features Stefano Vitale artwork of Gabriella (founder
of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) as a girl in flight, running
barefoot through the flowers and fresh grass.
This is 100% Grillo classified grapes from the Sicilian DOC, according to Italy’s 'denominazione di origine controllata' (DOC) classification system, akin to France's well-known Appellation d’origine controlee (AOC) and America's AVA systems. DOC, means designation of 'controlled origin', it is the second highest quality classification of the Italian system.
There are 329 different DOCs in Italy, across a wide range of red and
white wines across the country, from Prosecco sparkling wines to the Vin Santo dessert wines of Tuscany. Each DOC has its own rules about
permitted grape varieties, maximum harvest yields, alcohol levels, and aging
requirements including use of barrels.
The grapes are from the western tip of Sicily, the Contessa Entellina estate and neighboring areas and in the hilly hinterland between Marsala and Salemi in the Baiata, Alfaraggio, Pioppo district. The region has a distinctive terrior, hilly with altitudes from 200 to 600 meters, loamy sub-alkaline limestone soils, arid with little rainfall, with substantial variance in warm daytime to cool nightime temperatures with Meditteranean breezes, that is ideal for the growing and ripening of Grillo grapes.
Donnafugatta have five hundred acres in eight different sites in the region where they grow both white and red grape varietals.
This label has been produced since 2013 with 4000 cases annual production. It was awarded 91 points, #86 of the Top 100 Wines of 2019 by Wine Enthusiast.
This was a wonderful pairing with the antipasta courses. We cheated and added a starter course of Linda's wonderful lobster tails on a ramukan of buttered croutons. Following was the Italian Village Crostini con Caponata - Rustic Italian Bread / Caponata Topping. Linda improvised with this course and chopped the Caponata into a wonderful tapenade. Both were wonderfully complemented by this wine.
Winemaker notes: "Brilliant straw yellow, on the nose SurSur offers a fresh bouquet with
notes of white fleshed fruit (peach and cantaloupe melon) combined with
scents of wildflowers and mint. A soft palate, the fruity notes return
combined with pleasant freshness."
This was straw colored, light bodied, aromatic with sprites of citrus, tropical fruit, floral, melon and hints of peach, dry with crisp clean acidity. Good QPR in this label.
Donnafugata "Floramundi" Cerasuelo di Vittoria DOCG 2018
This is a blend of grape varietals: Nero D’Avola, King of the Sicilian red grapes, and Frappato,
one of the most ancient native varieties of Sicily, sourced from 88 acres of eight Donnafugatta estate vineyards from the prestigious denomination: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, in the territory of Acate on the western side of the southern tip of Sicily.
The terroir is gently sloping terrain from 120 to 150 meters with sandy medium tectured limestone soils with warm temperate Mediterranean climate of warm temperate days moderated by sea breezes, and cool nights.
This label is classified DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), the highest quality classification designation for Italian wines. , while the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), has less strict guidelines. The rules
for DOCG are stricter than DOC, yields must be lower and the wines
must be aged in barrels longer. Also, DOCG requires the wines be submitted for technical analysis and tasted for approval
by a government committee before they can be sold as DOCG wines. Interesting too, DOCG wines even have a numbered, government seal across the neck of the
bottle to prevent counterfeiting.
Floramundi, a refined red, the dialogue between two souls: the one of
Nero D’Avola, King of the Sicilian red grapes, and the one of Frappato,
one of the most ancient native varieties of Sicily.
Like all Donnafuggati labels, Floramundi features distinctive colorful artwork by Stefano Vitale artwork, sponsored by proprietor Gabriella Rallo. This label features the stylistic figure of a woman in a rainbow of symbols, of the tradition of the historic Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian
Puppets).
This is the third vintage release of this label; it was awarded 92 points by James Suckling, and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.
This was a wonderful complement to the Italian Village Primi Course; Ravioli con Ricotta - Hand made Ravioli / Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese / Pistachio pesto sauce. Linda was the favorite wine, food and pairing of the rest of our group. I preferred the Secondi course and pairing.
Winemaker notes for this release: "Intense ruby color with bright purple reflections; Floramundi offers
intense fruity aromas, among which the notes of black cherry and berries
(blueberry) stand out; the bouquet opens with delicate balsamic nuances
of laurel and characteristic spicy notes of black pepper. The tasting
is supported by freshness and softness that make it juicy and very
pleasant to drink. The tannin is fine and well integrated. Floramundi
2018 expresses the harmonious balance that Cerasuolo di Vittoria can
reach."
Bright Ruby colored, light-medium bodied, bright vibrant cherry and cranberry fruit flavors accented by tangy acidity, dusty rose floral tones and hints of white pepper.
For the main Secondi course, Chef Jose prepared this imaginative Braciole alla Siciliana - Filet Mignon with Proscutto, Provolone and Green Onion in a robust tangy Salsa di Pomodoro. The Chef's directions called for this to be mixed with the accompanying Italian Village signature rosemary potatos.
Linda called an option and served the potatos on the side which was a great move - they were akin to a whole additional course in of themselve and provided another complete wonderful tasting pairing experience.
The Donnafugata Sul Vulcano label is from the Etna Rosso Denomination. It is a Etna Rosso DOC classified wine. It is a blend of Nerello Mascalese, the main red grape variety from the prestigious Etna appellation, with a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio grape varietal.
The fruit for this label is sourced from Donnafugata 45 acres of estate vineyards in Eastern Sicily, on the north side of the historic volcano of Mt Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano from which it derives its name, between Randazza and Castiglione di Sicilia.
The terroir there is a higher altitude of 750 meters with deep mineral rich volcanic soil, cooler sub-climate with the Sicilian dramatic variations of warm days and cool nights.
This was more my style of wine, darker, more dense concentrated and complex, more like a Nebbiolo or a Bordeaux varietal. Naturally, this style was ideally paired with the hearty beefsteak, cheeses and tangy pomodoro sauce. As noted above, it also paired superbly with the rosemary potatoes.
The art series stylistic label features a goddess-volcano with intense colors, red,
yellows, and iridescent blacks, another design of artist Stefano Vitale.
This is the second vintage release of this label, first released in 2016.
James Suckling and Wine Critics.com both gave this 93 points.
Winemaker notes: "Pale ruby red, Sul Vulcano offers an elegant bouquet with notes of red
fruits (raspberry and cherry) and flowery scents (violet), along with
delicate spicy nuances of cinnamon and nutmeg."
Garnet colored, medium bodied, robust flavors of black raspberry and black cherry with notes of tobacco, hints of graphite, floral violets, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg spices with moderate tannins on the finish.
We supplemented Jared's Italian Village Donnafugata wine flight with a dessert wine from our cellar for the Dolce Course of Italian Cannoli and Italian Biscotti. Linda also served her Pots-au-de-Creme Chocolat dessert.
Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne 2002 We enjoy sweet unctuous desert
wines with salads, cheese or deserts. This was a nice finisher, a
perfect complement to the final Dolce course.
This is a classic Sauterne, a blend of Semillon (94 %) and Sauvignon Blanc (6 %). Château Suduiraut is considered to be one of the finest Sauternes.
The
history of Château Suduiraut, dates back to the 1600’s. It was
classified as a Premier Cru during the official 1855 wine classification
programme. The French conglomerate AXA Millésimes acquired Suduiraut
in 1992. Golden honey, dark amber colored,
full bodied yet delicate, nicely balanced fruit and floral aromas,
complex roasted and candied notes of apple, vanilla and honey, medium
sweetness and a long smooth silky finish. Not as sweet and unctuous as
some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and
honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate
notes of smoke, marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of vanilla on
the tongue cloying finish. RM 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-93 points, Wine Spectator, 90 points.
