Neyers Sage Canyon Red Rhône Blend Wine 2020

Neyers Sage Canyon Red Rhône Blend Wine 2020 

With grilled beefsteak sandwiches with avocado, roasted potatoes and caprese balsamic salad we opened this Rhône style California red blend. We just picked up several bottles and were eager to try it. 

In 1970, Bruce Neyer’s deployment in the Army brought him and his wife Barbara to San Francisco during which time they developed a keen interest in wine. Upon discharge from the Army in 1972 Bruce landed a job at Mayacamas Winery in the Napa Valley where he spent two years as assistant winemaker to Bob Travers. While there he studied enology at the University of California, Davis. 

In 1974, Bruce and Barbara moved to the Nahe region in Germany where Bruce worked as an apprentice winemaker, returning to the US in March 1975. At that time, he was hired by Joseph Phelps in his new winery that bears his name, where he worked for 17 years, leaving as GM in 1992.

During that time, In 1982, Barbara and Bruce started Neyers Vineyards and in 1984 bought a 35-acre parcel in Conn Valley and began to develop it for vineyards with the idea of starting their own winery. 

In the fall of 1999, they purchased a 30-acre parcel in the Sage Canyon area of Napa Valley, a few miles east of Rutherford on Highway 128, near Lake Hennessey. There they built a winery with ‘state of the art’ wine production facilities. 

In 2004, they hired Tadeo Borchardt as winemaker. Tadeo’s winemaking experience was learned in the vineyard and the winery through on-the-job training.

Working for Restaurateur Roger Roessler, who was building a wine label in Santa Rosa with Copain winemaker Wells Guthrie, Borchardt was sent to the Russian River Valley to help with the harvest. What was intended to be seasonal work turned into a full-time position as Guthrie’s assistant. Borchardt later traveled to New Zealand to experience harvest in the southern hemisphere at Craggy Range, before returning to California to join Neyers Vineyards in 2004.

After leaving Phelps, Bruce became national sales manager for Berkeley-based importer Kermit Lynch until his retirement in 2017, where he grew the business many times over during his years there. Working closely with 100+ French wine producers, he was exposed to and learned winemaking, farming practices and production techniques.

During this time, they continued to develop their own estate Cabernet and Merlot growing production to 15,000 cases annually.

During his time with Kermit Lynch, Bruce became particularly interested in the wines from the southern Rhône. On the urging of Daniel Brunier of Châteauneuf du Pape producer Domaine Vieux Telegraphe, who he calls ‘one of my favorite producers from the area,’ he sought out to develop this blend similar in style to the great wines of that region. 

Reader’s of these pages know we’re big fans of Daniel Bruner and his wines and feature our visits to Domaine Vieux Telegraphe here. 

Neyers and Borchardt spent the next several years seeking out sources of the red varieties traditionally grown in the south of France and honing the techniques used to craft such wines. They also traveled together through the wine regions of France, where they met multi-generational winemakers who grew up among the vineyards, learning by doing. The instinctual approach of Old World winemakers in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley left an indelible impression on Borchardt. The wines he crafts for Neyers are heavily influenced by the philosophical approach of French winemakers.

Neyers Sage Canyon California Red Wine 2020

In the southern Rhône style, this is a blend of Rhône varietals Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah.

The 2020 is mainly old vine Carignan Evangelho & Jessie’s Grove vinyards with smaller amounts of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and a dash of Syrah for completeness. The added fruit is sourced from vineyards in Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills to the unique blend. This broadened the wine’s complexity and added ‘further elements of rusticity and elegance’.

The grapes for this wine are all hand-harvested, meticulously sorted during a visual inspection, then crushed by foot rather than by machine, using traditional French ‘pigeage’. 

The wine spent 18 months aging in neutral French oak barrels.

Winemaker notes - Look for a broad aroma of wild fruits and exotic spices accompanied by attractive flavors of berries and ginger. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this had bright vibrant expressive juicy ripe black and red berry fruits accented by notes of spice and cedar with a tangy acidic finish. 

This was good with the steak but would be better suited with pizza, tangy bbq or pasta. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4438724

https://www.neyersvineyards.com/

Pour Boys Wine Dinner on the Deck

Pour Boys Wine Dinner on the Deck

We hosted a few of the remaining Chicago area Pour Boys of our wine group for a dinner on the deck featuring grilled tenderloin beefsteaks and a flight of premium red wines. 

Prior to dinner we served an extensive selection of artisan cheeses with assorted biscuits.

Blue Castillo Triple Cream Blue Cheese

Murray’s Gruyere

Mango Ginger Stilton

Wensleydale with Blueberries

Sumerdale IL Trufflino infused Chedder

With the cheeses and salad course of Balsamic Caprese Salad with cherry bomb tomatoes and fresh garden grown basel, we served a vintage Napa Valley Methode Traditionelle Champonaise Sparkling Wine and an Italian white blend. 

Mumm’s DVX Napa Valley Methode Champonaise Sparkling Wine 2000

This is from the legendary GH Mumm leading international champagne brand in France that dates back to its founding by the Mumm brothers in 1827 in Reims, France.

We visited the G.H. Mumm estate vineyards during our tour of the French Champagne region back in 2006. 

From 1976-1979 G.H. Mumm sent Winemaker Guy Devaux to discover the ideal winemaking area for growing traditional Champagne grapes in the United States. In 1979 they established Mumm Napa in California to produce premium hand crafted sparkling wines using traditional wine making techniques of its French heritage.

In 1983, they produced the first wine under the name Domaine Mumm  following the French Méthode traditionnelle method. The Mumm Napa brand was established in 1990 and in 1991 they developed the Estate Vineyard, Devaux Ranch in the Carneros Region of Napa Valley.

This special label is in memory of Mumm founding winemaker Gary Deveaux who in 1979 determined Napa Valley an ideal place to source grapes for classic sparkling wines. He crafted this blend from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for this 2000 vintage special bottling. 

2020 Vini Franchetti Passopisciaro Terre Siciliane IGT "Passobianco," Sicily, Italy



Instead of the indigenous Carricante, which grows on the eastern side of the volcano, Passobianco is made of 100% Chardonnay. 

This is from notable wine producer Andrea Franchetti proprietor of two very different vineyard projects, his first estate Tenuta di Trinoro developed from scratch, on rough farm and woodland in the far-flung reaches of southwest Tuscany. His other is on the slopes of Mt. Etna, and was the renaissance of reclaimed formerly abandoned terraces of vines upon Sicily’s live volcano. Both sites are extraordinary, complex, and poles apart in terms of terroir. From both his Tuscan and Sicilian estates, he produces a portfolio of wines that is rich and diverse. Each wine expresses the characteristics of the vintage, the particulars of the locations, and the fullest potential of the varieties.

In 2000 Andrea Franchetti restored an old farm and cellars on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano in northeastern Sicily. The winery sits at about a thousand meters of altitude above the small wine town of Passopisciaro in the district of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slope of the volcano. 

He cleared and restored long-abandoned terraces of ancient vines on the northern slopes of the mountain,  replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare on thin lavic soil. At the Passopisciaro estate, he focuses primarily on the native grape Nerello Mascalese and its various expressions of terroir and altitudes through a series of crus, but also produces wines of the varieties Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, and Cesanese d’Affile.

There on Mt. Etna, Franchetti planted ten acres on steep terraces between 850 and 1,000 meters /2,600 and 3,300 feet above sea level in Contrada Guardiola, in very loose, deep, powder like lava that is rich in minerals. 

The high altitude, sun-drenched vineyards are are planted on lava flow from the volcano that possess a rich unique mineral profile, giving rise to the notion of various terroirs, here called contrade. Franchetti leverages the strengths of his chosen terroir on Etna, producing wines of remarkable complexity and individual personality. Significant temperature differences between day and night also play an important role, necessitating a longer growing period and this, in turn, contributes complexity and intensity, as do the profound mineral elements of the volcanic soils.

This is 100% Chardonnay, first released 2007, then known as Guardiola Bianco. Its complexities bring together the specific light, drastic changes in temperature, altitude, and volcanic influences of Etna, and the choice of Chardonnay was meant to allow these influences to meld and evolve over time as the white ages, inspired by the aging potential of the great whites of Burgundy. 

The site conditions are extraordinarily fussy, such that they pick small select portions of the vineyard every day, tasting the berries trailing along the terraces day after day, harvesting only when each individual cluster is ripe. The resulting wine is rich yet fresh, bright yet layered.

This 2020 release was rated 93 points by Monica Larner, Robertparker.com, 92 points by Danielle Callegari, Wine Enthusiast and Othmar Kiem – Simon Staffler, Falstaff, and 90 points by Eric Guido, Vinous.  Production was 36,000 bottles.

Light straw colored, light medium bodied, extraordinarily complex and evolving flavors over the course of the evening, notes of mineral, spice and crushed rocks, citrus and pear fruits that turned to peach, then honeysuckle and lime with hints of  toasted nuts and what one pundit referred to as ‘buttered sourdough bread on the back palate’, which was quite imaginatively insightful and illuminating, with tangy acidity on the rich finish. 

RM 91 points,

https://www.vinifranchetti.com/

https://www.vinifranchetti.com/passopisciaro/the-wines/passo-bianco/


For the main dinner course, Linda prepared grilled beef tenderloin, ramekins of Gruyère Chive Mashed Potatoes, and a Vegetable Medley of summer squash, zucchini, green onions, cherry bomb tomatoes and baby portobello mushrooms with Parmesan cheese. 

With the main course we opened an imaginative flight of assorted premium red wines. As usual, care was taken to serve the wines in the proper order - light to heavy, with the complex red blend for the main course, and the heavier big bold red last as we pivoted to the dessert course and dessert wine.  

Red wine flight - 

Scarànto 2020 Italian Sangiovese Blend

Costello Banfi Poggio Al’Oro Brunello Di Montalcino Reserva 2015

Cloud View Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Red Blend 2001

Don Melchor Puente Alto Vineyard Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Scarànto 2020 Sangiovese based blend from Italy

Scarànto is a medium- to full-bodied red wine with expressive Morello cherry, blackberry, dried red fruit, and herb aromas. Look for the same flavors on the concentrated, velvety-smooth palate. Hints of spice introduce the long, satisfying finish.

This Tuscan red is from special vineyards in the Conca d’Oro (golden conch)—a hallowed, shell-shaped slope in the heart of Chianti's famed Panzano district. Those vineyards are next door to Fontodi, whose flagship red costs over $100 a bottle. This release received a perfect 100-point score from Italian critic Cosimo Dell'Anna.

Scarànto is the first solo project from the talented Matteo Bernabei who heretofore worked alongside his legendary father, Franco — dubbed “Mr. Sangiovese” by the Italian press—as a consultant to some of Italy’s top estates (like the aforementioned Fontodi). See the duo below.

For this hugely acclaimed, barrel-aged Super Tuscan-blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Merlot (30%), he used the traditional governo method. After hand harvesting the fruit in September, he held back a small amount of Sangiovese grapes, air-drying them until December. Called leggermente appassito, these raisined grapes are added to the wine for a flavor-boosting secondary fermentation that brings extra richness and concentration.

Over to critic Cosimo Dell'Anna on what you can expect in the glass:

“Superb...cherry, blackberry, dried rose, tobacco and tar, with a balsamic finish. Soft and enveloping on the palate, it's rich and warm...with hints of jam and cocoa. 100 points.”

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From hallowed Chianti Classico vineyards (next to Fontodi, whose flagship red costs over $100 a bottle), this “superb” Sangiovese-Merlot from stellar 2020 was made using an ancient, flavor-boosting met

Costella Banfi Poggio All’Oro Brunello Di Montalcino Reserva 2015

A Banfi family jewel, the Reserva Brunello, Poggio all'Oro is produced exclusively in the great vintages. A particularly elegant Brunello with a complex personality, which is expressed to the nose through a series of scents that are expressed slowly, from licorice, coffee, plum jam, and tobacco to end even with a slight hint of violet. The refined structure is in perfect balance with the acid part, which excellently supports the long persistence, perfectly suited to long ageing. It perfectly pairs with rich and complex dishes, also excellent as a meditation wine.


Winemaker Notes
The Poggio All'Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has a deep ruby red color and a complex aroma of ripe black cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, and spices. On the palate, this wine is full-bodied, with a firm structure, balanced tannins, and a long, lingering finish.
Wine Enthusiast

98+ points Luca Gardini: "Thirty months in small barrels followed by fermentation with maceration lasting 12-14 days. A wine of unique character on the nose recalling cherry, bay leaf and caper berries with hints of caramel. The mouthfeel is taut, iodized and balsamic. On the finish, a salty return with excellent persistence. (Nov 2020)"

96 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$200 list] The Castello Banfi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio all'Oro is the top-shelf wine and shows careful integration and well-managed intensity. It opens to tart berry fruit, cassis and sour cherry. As it reveals itself in the glass, it begins to slowly deliver more spice, smoke and tar. All these various elements come together with balance and harmony, although these 2015 Riservas remain plumper and richer compared to their counterparts from 2016. Wait a few more years before opening this bottle; it needs more time. Some 27,000 bottles were made, and this wine will be released in September 2021. (Nov 2020)"

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Kerin O'Keefe (Wine Enthusiast): "[$200 list] Forest-floor, new leather and pipe-tobacco aromas mingle with notes of violet and coffee bean. Elegantly structured, the taut, savory palate doles out ripe black cherry, blackberry jam, licorice and a hint of espresso while polished, fine-grained tannins and tangy acidity provide age-worthy support. It's still youthfully austere so give it a few more years to come around. Drink 2024–2036. Alcohol 14%. (May 2021)"

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2015 Poggio all’Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is only produced in exceptional vintages and was aged for 30 months in 70% large French oak casks and 30% in French oak barriques. It reveals smoky aromatics of cedar, dried black cherry, and dark mineral earth and a persistent core of ripe black fruit that is cloaked with ripe, velvety tannins and notes of black tea and clove. A luxurious and contemplative wine from the historic Banfi estate, it will benefit from additional time in the cellar and keep over the next 20 years. Drink: 2025-2045. (3/4/21)"

95 points James Suckling: "Mixed-cherry, floral and crushed-stone aromas. Full-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Linear and tight with a line of fine tannins that holds this all together. Iodine and mushroom notes come through. Try after 2023. (11/5/20)"

96 points, Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast: “Forest-floor, new leather and pipe-tobacco aromas mingle with notes of violet and coffee bean. Elegantly structured, the taut, savory palate doles out ripe black cherry, blackberry jam, licorice and a hint of espresso while polished, fine-grained tannins and tangy acidity provide age-worthy support. It's still youthfully austere so give it a few more years to come around. Drink 2024–2036.” 05/21

Wine Advocate
96 points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “The Castello Banfi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio all'Oro is the top-shelf wine and shows careful integration and well-managed intensity. It opens to tart berry fruit, cassis and sour cherry. As it reveals itself in the glass, it begins to slowly deliver more spice, smoke and tar. All these various elements come together with balance and harmony, although these 2015 Riservas remain plumper and richer compared to their counterparts from 2016. Wait a few more years before opening this bottle; it needs more time. Some 27,000 bottles were made, and this wine will be released in September 2021.” 11/20

James Suckling
95 points, James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com: “Mixed-cherry, floral and crushed-stone aromas. Full-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Linear and tight with a line of fine tannins that holds this all together. Iodine and mushroom notes come through. Try after 2023.” 11/20

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3872745

https://www.banfi.it/en/

Cloud View Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Red Blend 2001

I wrote about Cloud View in a detailed blogpost last summer - Cloud View Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. I wrote that the estate was sold and is now owned by Tim Mondavi of Continuum. 

Excerpts from that and earlier posts ...

The Cloud View Vineyards estate was located on Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Mountain range that forms the eastern wall of Napa Valley, just south of Lake Hennessy and to the east of the Oakville AVA. The vineyards are grown between 1,000 and 1,500 feet above the Napa Valley floor. They were originally planted by owners Linda and Leighton Taylor who moved to Pritchard Hill in 1990 and began planting 23 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the 90 acre property five years later in 1995.

The property eventually included 26 acres planted to Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot, planted by the original owners Linda and Leighton Taylor.

After selling the property, the Taylors had intended to continue the brand, but use purchased Pritchard Hill grapes but we've never seen any indication of a release from them.

Pritchard Hill is the site of some of Napa's most prestigious labels including Brand, Bryant Family, Colgin, Del Dotto's ultra-premium Villa Del Lago, Ovid and one of our favorites, Chappellet and David Arthur. We visited David Arthur on Pritchard Hill during our Napa Wine Experience in 2013, and previously, we visited Chappellet on other side of Pritchard Hill during our Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley Experience - Autumn '09 with our visit to long time resident/producer Chappellet Vineyards.

While Pritchard Hill is not an official appellation (AVA - American Viticultural Area), it certainly could be, but lacks a sponsor to apply and lobby for designation. Donn Chappellet, owner/producer, the earliest settler in the modern era owns the 1971 Pritchard Hill trademark and firmly declares, “It will not become its own AVA.”This 1999 Cloud View release was the inaugural release of wine and this label from this estate. Production was limited with 400 cases produced in 1999, 560 cases were made in 2000, growing to 2,000 cases were made in 2004.

We have six vintages of this label, from the 1999 through the 2005 vintage. A fellow Cellertracker'er contacted me year before last, seeking one of our vintages to fill out his vertical collection. We traded bottles to each fill out our verticals in a perfect trade scenario. Of our six vintages we hold of this label, we selected the oldest one, tonight, as part of cellar inventory management. Earlier we drank the ‘99 and 2000 releases so tonight, this ‘01 was our oldest vintage. We recently drank an ultra-premium Napa Bordeaux from this same 2001 vintage, so I was eager to compare the two.

This vintage release is a blend of 57% Merlot and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, all sourced from the winery's estate vineyards. Interesting that they publish the lower percentage Merlot first and the majority Cabernet second (on the rear label - as shown here). Note this very limited production release was acquired at auction at Winebid.com. 

The winemaker for these wines was Karen Bower Turjanis who previously worked under Paul Hobbs at Lokoya and Cardinale Estate. We tasted a Cardinale Estate just the other evening, as featured in a blogpost in these pages - Boys night features flight of ultra-premium Napa Cabernets. Fernando Espinoza was the cellarmaster and owner Linda Taylor was the vineyard manager.

The entire 85-acre Cloud View property was acquired by Continuum, the wine label owned by brother and sister Tim and Marcia Mondavi with Margrit Biever Mondavi, widow of the legendary Robert Mondavi. The Continuum brand was founded in 2005, and is Tim Mondavi's first venture since leaving the Robert Mondavi Winery in 2003. Both the 2006 and 2005 vintages were made from grapes from a leased Oakville property, and the Pritchard Hill purchase helps realize the family's goal of being a single-vineyard estate winery. The switch from an Oakville bottling to a Pritchard Hill bottling began with the 2008 vintage.

The late Robert Mondavi, who was also a partner in the Continuum brand, visited the site with his family before he passed away in May of 2008. "It's so meaningful that he saw it, to see where we are headed in the future," said Carissa.

Winemaker Notes for the Cloud View Vineyard's 1999 Proprietary Red Table Wine .... "is rich with intensely dark ripe fruit, round mid-palate and a long lingering finish of velvety tannins. The myriad of aromas includes anise and fennel, black olive and wild ginger, and is supported by a solid base of dark fruit and the toasty vanilla of fine French oak. On the palate, the ripe fruit opens up to hues of raspberry, blackberry, and dark black cherry with subtleties of lavender. The tannic backbone, which draws itself directly from this mountain site, weaves seamlessly with the warmth of creamy oak. We have crafted this wine for enjoyment now and well into the future. Aroma & Color Earthy–red dust, dark ripe fruit, wild sage, anise, fennel, black olive, ginger, vanilla oak. Profoundly garnet with the deep colors unique to mountain fruit. Flavor - Dark ripe fruit, raspberry, blackberry, lavender, velvety tannins, and subtle, creamy oak. Overall comments - Lush, delicious, round mid-palate, long finish, mouth filling.

I featured other vintages of this label in these pages in these blogposts and Cellertracker posted tasting notes.
In February 2018 - I wrote I like this wine: and gave it 92 Points.

This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, with firm concentrated structured core of brambley earthy black currant and black berry fruits with a layer of sweet caramel accented by tones of cassis, sweet spicy tangy oak and silky tannins on the lingering finish.

I featured it in a blogpost in these pages - Cloud View Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/02/cloud-view-napa-valley-pritchard-hill.html

In June last summer, 2023 I featured this label in these pages in this blogpost - Cloud View Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

The Brand estate had been owned by the Miner Family Winery till it was purchased by businessman Ed Fitts. Portuguese Gandona owners bought the land from Bob Long (Zelma’s husband) when Long Vineyards ceased operations.

The Cloud View Vineyards estate ceased operation with the 2006 vintage when it was sold to Tim Mondavi when he struck out on his own after the family broke away from Robert Mondavi Winery. When he acquired the Pritchard Hill estate and founded Continuum Estate, the 62 acre vineyard was the second largest estate in the region. Note that the Cloud View brand was not sold so we might see it re-emerge in some fashion at some point in the future although the website is gone and the domain name is for sale.

In November 2021, fellow Cellartracker'er Thirsty1 wrote about this wine in a vertical tasting.

"The 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Cloud View Vineyards wines were enjoyed side by side at Bourbon Steak with Rib Cap, grilled Vidalia onions and crispy brussel sprouts. The wines were left upright for a day, then opened with an ah-so at home an hour before dinner to keep the corks together, then quickly reinserted to minimize oxygenation. The clear winner was the 2002 - in full flight. Still exhibiting youthful fruit and towering structure, this beauty had weight, leather, dark hanging fruit and stunning aroma. Lingering, lasting finish. It still has much life ahead of it. The 2001 was a bit of a surprise. It was massive and brutish, but reserved. As if it were a towering building draped in a cape. The 2000 was a shocker. From a horrible vintage, it excelled. Not near the greatness of the other vintages there was no expectation it would be good, and it was - just to a lesser note. The 2003, 04 and 05 were fairly interchangeable; mature fruit, acid and tannins in balance. All delicious in their own right. The 1999 was the oldest and looked the part. It was brick around the rim and had that dried blackberry note, plowed earth and cocoa powder texture. It was the only one, aside from the 2000, that I would say was on the decline. Incredible wines on an incredible night."

I've been waiting for an opportunity to enjoy this rare label and the other five vintage releases that I hold in the cellar. This tasting was consistent with earlier tastings of other vintages.

2001 Cloud View Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 

91 points Wine Enthusiast

Smoky and tarry at first, later opening into black cherry and tobacco notes. Long, intense and tannic on the finish; needs time. (6/2005) Int'l Wine Cellar

Subtle aromas of dark berries, sassafras and bitter chocolate; became oakier with aeration. Lively, intense, supple flavors of dark berries, chocolate and spices, nicely framed by well-integrated acids. Finishes with firm, building tannins. (ST) (6/2004) 

K&L Notes

Continuum purchased this prime vineyard site on Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Mountains in the mid-2000s. Cloud View produced a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend that Robert Parker once noted "...adroitly marries the elegance of Bordeaux with Napa Valley's rich, ripe fruit."

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?13925

We then moved to the final Cabernet Bordeaux varietal of the evening.

Don Melchor Puente Alto Vineyard Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This is from Don Melchor Estate Vineyard located at the foot of the Andes Mountains on the northern bank of the Maipo River, 650 m above sea level. It consists of 310 acres, planted to 90% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7.1% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. The vines in the old vineyard average 30 years in age.

https://donmelchor.com/en/

https://donmelchor.com/en/don-melchor-2019-a-refined-wine-with-tremendous-expression/

Antonio Federici Rosso Roma 2021
Red Blend from Italy
4.3 out of 5 stars, average rating value. Read 777 Reviews. Same page li3 out of 6 (50%) reviewers recommend this product

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Cantine Federici is one of the first (and best) producers in Italy’s Roma region. You have insi




Wine Flavor Profile
Antonio Federici is a full-bodied red with ripe Morello cherry and delicate raspberry aromas. The sumptuous palate has luscious black fruit and cherry flavors, plus hints of warming spice on the long, complex finish.





Led by third-generation Damiano Federici, Cantine Federici is one of the first (and best) producers in Italy’s Roma region.


Named after Damiano’s grandfather, this powerful red marries hand-harvested Montepulciano and Cesanese grown in the hills outside of Rome—the same ones that supplied stone for the Colosseum.

Continuing a well-established tradition, the new release arrives with major acclaim. It sports a 98-point score from leading Italian critic Luca Maroni, as well as a double-gold medal and Great Value designation from the China Wine & Spirits Awards. Crafted with a portion of dried grapes (which creates seriously concentrated flavors), Antonio Federici delivers a sumptuous texture, with luscious black fruit and warming spice notes.

Most of Cantine Federici’s wines are sold directly to local restaurants (where they’re served with rigatoni all’amatriciana and other hearty pasta dishes)—so it’s rare to see them in the U.S. Act quickly for your share of this Roman sensation.

varieties
cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc merlot
petit verdot
bottling date
December 2020
92% 5% 2% 1%

winemaker
Enrique Tirado.
vineyard
Don Melchor Vineyard, D.O. Puente Alto, Alto Maipo Valley.
vineyard description
Later, the ripening period in March and April was marked by cool temperatures that continued throughout the entire harvest period, which is ideal for achieving slow ripening in the bunches, the perfect condition for obtaining lively fruit expression and tremendous elegance in the tannins.
Looking at the entire ripening period between January and April 2019, we observe an average of 18.2oC, which is slightly higher than the historic average of 18.0oC.
harvest
Manual, from March 18 through May 9, 2019. The vineyard yield was 4.0 tons per hectare.
vinification cellar
Don Melchor Cellar, Puente Alto.
vinification
Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and lasted 8 days at 25o–26oC with 3 pumpovers per day. Upon completion of the fermentation process, the tank was hermetically sealed for an 8- to 10-day maceration at 23o–25oC for greater extraction and smoother tannins. At the end of the maceration period, each tank was drained, tasted, and evaluated for selection by the Don Melchor enological and viticultural team. All of the wines were later tasted and selected to make the final blend, which was then transferred to barrels.
aging
15 months in French oak barrels (72% new and 28% second use).
aging potential
Over 35 years.
tasting notes
Deep purplish-red in color. The wine from this vintage shows an extraordinary elegance with an abundance of fresh red fruit and notes of blackcurrants and flowers.
On the palate it has an enormous wealth of flavors, with breadth from beginning to end, and plenty of energy in perfect balance with the elegance of the textures and flavors.
food pairing
Red meats, especially lamb, and game meats prepared by different methods—roasted, braised, and with sauces made with red wine, mushrooms, rosemary, and tomatoes. Assorted terrines and pâtés, especially duck with truffles. Dry and well-aged or creamy cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses.

The Don Melchor Vineyard is located at the foot of the Andes Mountains on the northern bank of the Maipo River, 650 m above sea level. It consists of 127 hectares, planted to 90% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7.1% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. The vines in the old vineyard average 30 years in age.

plantation year and density
Old vineyard (80%): 1979–1992, 2,000 to 4,000 plants/hectare
New vineyard (20%): 2004–2017, 8,000 plants/hectare

soil
The first 30 cm of the soil profile is loam. Then, a large number of stones with a sandy-loam texture appear at depth. These soils ensure good drainage and low fertility, conditions that allow the restriction of vegetative growth and generate the ideal restriction of water during veraison. This encourages the accumulation and ripening of phenolic compounds, which is very important for producing great red wines.

climate
In general, the vineyard has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of 335 mm. This is one of the coldest zones of the Alto Maipo Valley.
This season was characterized by presenting less rain than in a normal year, with just 161.6 mm, primarily concentrated in the winter and spring. On the other hand, the average annual temperatures were close to normal, with higher temperatures in November, which encouraged good, concentrated flowering and fruit set, and in January and February, which produced the

Keenan Spring Mtn Cabernet with Tenderloin Beef and Avocado

Keenan Spring Mtn Cabernet with Tenderloin Beef and Avocado

Sunday night dinner on the deck, Linda grilled a couple filets of beef sliced from a beef tenderloin. She served the grilled beefsteaks with avocado on toasted Brioche buns laced with butter. They were delicious! 

This brought back memories of the delicious steak and avocado sandwiches we ate daily at a beach-front eatery in Cancun back when we vacationed there in the mid-seventies. 

I had already pulled from the cellar a twenty year old vintage Spring Mtn District Napa Valley Cabernet which was equally delicious. 

I write often in these pages about how the optimal pairing of wine and food amplifies and accentuates the enjoyment of both - this was such a combination - a force multiplier of delight! 

Keenan Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Our visit to this producer during a getaway Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2007 was featured in these pages, excerpted below, echoing an almost identical experience.. 

Keenan Napa Spring Mountain Cab with Grilled Beefsteak

From that earlier post, we grilled out New York Strip beefsteaks, served with a wedge salad, baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes. 

From our collection of about a decade of vintages, I pulled this vintage release, going on twenty years old. This was delicious, especially paired with the grilled beefsteak, amplifying the enjoyment of each. 

At twenty years, this label is likely at the apex, peak of its tasting profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to be enjoyed for another decade. 

Napa Valley Spring Mountain District may be our favorite of the seventeen different appellations that make up the greater Napa Valley wine producing districts. 

We tasted and acquired several vintages of this label while visiting the estate winery and vineyards during one of our Spring Mountain District Napa Valley Wine Experiences. 

I wrote more about our visit to Robert Keenan Winery on Spring Mountain in this blogpost. 

We discovered Keenan during our many visits to Napa Valley and our treks up Spring Mountain to visit Fantesca, Pride Cellars, Paloma and Spring Mountain Vineyards. 

We visited the winery high atop Spring Mountain above St Helena during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2007 (shown left). 

We have enjoyed collecting Keenan and having fun sharing and gifting it to a friend and former business alliance partner of the same name. 

 In 1974, Robert Keenan purchased 180 acres on Spring Mountain District at an elevation of 1700 feet, located on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas Mountain range overlooking St Helena in Napa Valley. Today, fifty of those acres are planted to vineyards.

The Spring Mountain District gained recognition as an American Vineyard Appellation (AVA) in 1993.

The unique terroir of the appellation is characterized by low vigor soils on the steep, rocky, mountainsides, ideal for vineyards to produce wines of great concentration, structure, and pure varietal flavors.

The original acreage included the historic but crumbling Peter Conradi Winery, founded in the late 19th Century and one of the first pioneering properties established on Spring Mountain. 

The property vineyards were originally planted in Zinfandel and Syrah.

The property declined when it was abandoned during Prohibition until the time Keenan arrived in 1974. He extended the original vineyard acreage and replanted the property primarily in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

A new winery was built using the existing stonewalls from the old Conradi building. Keenan Winery’s first harvest there was in 1977.

Michael Keenan took over leadership of the estate in 1998 and replanted the vineyards to increase grape quality. He built a solar power system that went on-line in 2007 that now supplies all of the estate’s energy needs.  

Notably, winemaking duties during the early years were done by legendary consulting winemaker Nils Venge. We hold many labels of Nil's own wines as well as many of the wines he crafted for Del Dotto and many other leading labels. Nils was winemaker for this 2005 as well as that 2003 Cabernet release as shown on the rear label (below). 

Today Keenan Winery produces four estate wines from grapes grown on the Spring Mountain Estate: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve, Cabernet Franc and a Merlot and  Reserve from the Mailbox Vineyard.

In that last blogpost about this label, we tasted the 2003 vintage and which I gave a rating of 93 points, the same as this 2005 release tonight. 

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon was composed primarily of grapes grown on Keenan’s Spring Mountain District Estate; the remainder of the fruit was harvested from select vineyards within the Napa Valley. The wine was barrel aged in thirty-three percent new French and American oak for twenty months.

Wineamakers notes for this release: "The blend was assembled just before bottling. The Estate grown Cabernet imparts amazing concentration and remarkable structure, while the portion of Cabernet harvested from the Pope Valley region of Napa has added complex aromas and a balanced mid-palate. Merlot from the Napa Carneros district imparted ripe berry nuances and plenty of forward fruit."

Tonight, we tasted the 2005 release, and, at nineteen years the fill level, foil, label, and most importantly, the fill level and cork, were in perfect condition. 

Like that earlier tasting, at twenty years, this label is likely at the apex, peak of its tasting profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to be enjoyed for another decade.  

For the 2005 release, 86% of the fruit was from the Spring Mountain estate vineyards, and designated as such, while the remainder of the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was from the Pope Valley, which at the time was an up and coming newly discovered area.

This release was rated 92 points and a ‘Cellar Selection’ by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Wine Advocate. 

Dark blackish/garnet/purple inky colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, complex but elegant and refined and balanced - hugely aromatic, ripe sweet black berry, black raspberry and black currant fruits with notes of cinnamon spice, sweet oak, licorice, black tea, forest floor and tobacco leaf on the smooth polished tannin laced lingering finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?651948

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=676442

 

https://www.keenanwinery.com/

 

https://twitter.com/KeenanWinery 

@KeenanWinery 

@nilsvenge

Red and White for Surf and Turf

Red and white wines for surf and turf dinner - Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc and Pirouette Red Blend

Mid-week dinner, we grilled on the deck, T-bone steaks with medallions of lobster. I pulled from the wine cooler a half bottle Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc to pair with the lobster, and from our cellar, this premium Bordeaux Blend to complement the steaks.

Both the lobster tails and the beef steaks were sourced from local grocer Mariano’s and were unfortunately disappointing. (We are spoiled from having had a family owned farm raising beef cattle from which, for decades, we would regularly get a quarter from a carefully selected cow to be butchered to our specifications.) 

Before dinner we had caprese salad with home grown basil and garden tomatoes. 

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

I opened this Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc from a small format 375ml half bottle.  This is from Matanzas Creek Winery who for four decades have “focused on creating site-expressive wines”, the technical notes show this is sourced from no less than four vineyard sites spread across the wide Sonoma County appellation. 

This is from the vast portfolio of Jackson Wines, dating back to when Jess Jackson & Barbara Banke acquired the historic property and brand back in 2000. 

Matanzas Creek Winery has a storied history dating back to its founding in 1977 by socialite Sandra MacIver, the daughter of a scion of the historic Sears Roebuck and Company, and husband Bill, with Merry Edwards as the founding winemaker.

The first Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc was produced in 1980. 

In 1984, in a prescient move, they planted what became known as the the Jackson Park Vineyard, with 90 acres of the iconic Pétrus Merlot clone. 

In 1989, the notable David Ramey was appointed winemaker who went on to establish ‘pedigree of outstanding 90+ point wines’. 

In 1996, Wine Spectator named founder Sandra MacIver one of the 20 most influential people in the modern wine industry. 

Current winemaker Marcia Torres-Forno was appointed in 2011. 

Today, Matanzas Creek Winery produces a dozen labels from modest entry level to premium offerings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir as well as a Rose and sparkling wine, part of the broad Jackson portfolio of estates and brands. Their wines are “derived from nine different vineyards whose fruit has been individually harvested, fermented, and evaluated to create a shining example of what Sonoma County has to offer.”

Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Crafted by winemaker Marcia Torres Forno, this Sauvignon Blanc is an interesting blend of 86.2% Sauvignon Blanc 9.5 % Sauvignon Musque and 4.3% Semillon. It is sourced from several vineyard sites across the Sonoma County appellation region: 56% Knights Valley, 25% Alexander Valley, 12% Dry Creek and 7% from Bennett Valley. 

Winemaker notes: Pale Straw colored, aromas of: fresh pineapple, white peach skin, white lily, jasmine, Oroblanco grapefruit, passion fruit. Flavors: guava, honeydew melon, shinko pear, jasmine, citrus blossom. Palate of light but flavor dense, this wine dances across the palate prompting salivation and a desire to take another sip.

This has a nice QPR - Quality Price Ratio in this casual pleasant sipper which should be readily available with 22,100 cases produced.

This release was rated 91 points by Wine Advocate.

I found this was surprisingly bright and vibrant with texture and buttery notes more like a Chardonnay.

Pale straw colored,  light to medium-bodied, Wine Advocate calls it “gregarious and energetic” - lacking polish and balance, round and bright, flavorful notes of buttery stone fruits, white and yellow peaches, quince, wet stone and hints of pineapple and citrus and subtle layer of spice with tangy acidity on a lingering mineral finish. 

RM 88 points. 

This was nicely paired with the caprese salad and stood up well to the rich flavorful buttery lobster. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3370763

https://www.matanzascreek.com/wines

With the steak course, I opened this premium Bordeaux Blend. I love a more complex blend such as this to complement a hearty steak which we served with baked potato and sweet potato. .  

Long Shadows, Vintners' Series, “Pirouette” Columbia Valley Red Wine 2015 

Label from 2016

We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Long Shadows tasting room in Woodinville during our Washington State Woodinville Wine Experience in 2018. 

In accordance with the Long Shadows Vintner Collection program, this was produced by legendary winemakers Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus, Sr., “who teamed to combine the traditions of old world winemaking, the advancements of new world technology, and small lots from Washington State’s finest vineyards to craft this enticing red blend”, as noted on the rear label.

Comparable to much more expensive, sophisticated Bordeaux Blends, this is a fraction of the cost, Pirouette, is a tribute to the Long Shadows project, and provides a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio value afforded to Columbia Valley wines.

This vintage release is a Bordeaux Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. It was fermented in barrel and aged 22 months in 75% new oak.

This received 95 points from reviewer Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, and 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said of this wine - “Of all the Long Shadow’s wines -- Michel Rolland's included -- this would be the most at home in contemporary Napa Valley.”

“Deep in color and complexity, this wine combines expressive red fruit aromas with dark chocolate and blueberry flavors accented by hints of oak spice that evolve across the palate. A juicy yet beautifully balanced wine with a rich mouthfeel and persistent finish.”

Dark purple garnet color, medium-full body, round and flavorful black currant and black raspberry fruits accented with blue fruit notes, bitter dark mocha chocolate and cassis with hints of clove spices, tobacco and graphite with firm but approachable tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2777748

This showed consistently as a tasting earlier this year of this label.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/02/long-shadows-duo-showcase-katy-business.html  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3107408

https://longshadows.com/ 

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red with Gia Mia Pizzas

Bedrock Heritage Sonoma County Red Blend with Gia Mia Pizzas

Monday night is pizza night with special pricing at Gia Mia Restaurant in Naperville with their Southern Italian Neapolitan wood fired pizza, so we ordered individual personal pizzas. To pair with the pizza I pulled from the cellar a hearty robust fruit filled Big Red Blend ‘pizza wine’. 

My personal favorite GiaMia pizza is The Bruno - tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, Italian sausage and meatballs, pepperoni and spicy soppressato (which I usually exclude) (shown right), and Linda’s is their Margarita - tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, EVOO and parmesan with sea salt.  She typically enhances her’s with additional garden fresh basil and cheeses.

For a ‘pizza wine’ we opened a robust American Zinfandel based red blend. I recently picked up the latest release of this label at Binny’s Beverage Depot, our wine superstore, which served to replace this vintage of the label from a decade ago. As part of cellar inventory management, we opened the oldest vintage in our collection.

Bedrock Wine Company "Bedrock Vineyard - Heritage Wine" Sonoma Valley Red Blend 2013 

This is from Morgan Twain Peterson, son of Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Vineyards, a well known accomplished producer known for Zinfandel wines. 

Morgan grew up working harvests at the family Ravenswood winery before moving to Australia in 2005 where he worked Hardy’s facility of Tintara and with Drew Noon at Noon Wine Cellars. He then moved to Bordeaux for a time at Chateau Lynch Bages. 

Returning home, Morgan founded Bedrock Wine Co. in 2007, on the outskirts of  Sonoma, sourcing fruit from his family’s Bedrock Vineyard and Teldeschi Ranch, following in subsequent years with several other vineyards.

His Bedrock wines have been featured in the New York Times, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. The wines have made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List four times placing as high as number 9 and have received a score of 90 points or higher from them over a hundred times. 

In 2014, Morgan, alongside friend Tegan Passalacqua, was named the San Francisco Chronicle Co-Winemaker of the Year by Jon Bonné. 

In 2017, Morgan became a Master of Wine, making him one of a handful of winemakers in the United States to gain the heralded certification. 

In 2020, Bedrock was named Winery of the Year by Antonio Galloni.

Morgan produces a portfolio of interesting unique wines crafted from old vine sites throughout California. 

The range of wines incorporate extremely old vine fruit, and, in some cases, virtually unknown grapes, such as Aubun, Teredalgo, Trousseau Noir, Le Noir, Mission, Trousseau Gris, Grand Noir and Abouriou, as well as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignan, Alicante Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. 

Many of these sites are heritage terroirs from the ancient past which, until Peterson's arrival, were largely ignored or were co-mingled into some innocuous industrial blend, hence the “Heritage” label in their branding. 

The vineyards were often planted in a "field blend" of which Zinfandel comprises a large portion, but sometimes not as much as the 75% required to label the wine for the varietal. Morgan typically choses to include all 22 varietals into his estate field blend, often taking the extra effort to specifically identify all 22 cultivars selected from the historic 120-year-old Bedrock vineyard. 

On the other hand, Ravenswood notable Zinfandel labels, such as the select bottling from their Old Hill vineyard, have to be picked with great care to select 75% Zinfandel grapes for the bottlings that will be varietal designated labels. 

The 2013 Bedrock Heritage comes from the Peterson family’s estate old vines that were planted as far back as between 1888 and 1895. Amazingly, there are over 22 different varieties of grapes interplanted across their vineyards.

It is labeled a ‘field blend’, containing just about every variety out there, sourced from Bedrock estate vineyards, since it only contains 55% Zinfandel, then 30% Carignane, with the remaining 15% composed of the other 20 varietals. 

Vinous says “The 2013 Bedrock Heritage Wine is one of the most intriguing wines in the range. This is by far the most polished and refined wine I have tasted from the Bedrock Vineyard, where the wines have often been much riper and bigger.“

Somehow, the winemaker manages to avoid the disjointed cacophony of flavors from such a complex and diverse blend, producing a wine that is balanced and approachable for pleasant drinking. 

Zinfandel is known to be America’s varietal grape that is uniquely American. Its big full round robust profile is ideally suited for hearty bbq or pizza so I like to keep a collection of such wines for occasions such as this. 

There were just nine barrels or 750 cases of this wine produced. 

This release was awarded 93-95 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points by Vinous, 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and 91 points from Wine Spectator.

Dark ruby/purple colored, full bodied, complex, firmly structured, broad, intense and expansive with dense blackberry, plum and black raspberries, accented by herbs, pepper and notes of smoke, cedar, and tobacco with firm tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1891673

https://www.bedrockwineco.com/

Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian 

We dined at  Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria and I took this Brunello di Montalcino BYOB for the occasion.

Readers of these pages know we don't do a lot of Italian wines but we do keep a selection in our cellar for Italian cuisine and dining at Angelis Italian which we do fairly frequently.

Tonight, we took this new arrival Limited Production Brunello di Montalcino which I just picked up at Binny's, our beverage super store at the suggestion of the wine advisor there, based on its stellar 98 point rating, and was eager to try. While I didn't give it such stellar ratings, we enjoyed it a lot and I went back to pick up a few more bottles. It was a perfect pairing with Linda's eggplant and my cheese ravioli with bolognese sauce and meatballs.

We love Sangiovese and most of our Italian cellar selections are that varietal, which we love paired with Italian cuisine. The Brunello di Montalcino label is tightly regulated and can only be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. 

Appellation regulations also limit the quantity of wine produced each year and mandate a Long Aging Process which stipulate Brunello must be aged for a minimum of four years, with at least two years spent in oak barrels. This lengthy aging process that ties up resources and increases production costs contributes to the higher price point of the label.

The rigorous production regulations set by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium ensure that only the highest quality wines bear the Brunello label. This commitment to quality often requires additional investment in vineyard management, winemaking techniques, and quality control.

Brunello has gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest wines, prized for its complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully. Its prestigious status and limited availability contribute to high demand and, consequently, higher prices.

This is from Cerbaia, a boutique winery that produces wines from some of the finest vineyards in Montalcino that are a true expression of a unique and distinctive place. 

The Cerbaia property has belonged to the Pellegrini family since the 1950s, with the family beginning to make wine in the 1970’s. The estate covers of a total of 35 acres of land, 11 of which are under the Brunello appellation controls, located on the highly regarded Montosoli Hill, known as the Grand Cru of Montosoli — some of the most coveted land in Tuscany.

In 2014, Elena Pellegrini gave up a promising career in corporate finance to devote herself to her family estate, striving to craft elegant, balanced wines in the traditional Montalcino style as her father Fabio did, applying minimal intervention and sustainable practices. She is advised by notable consulting enologist G.Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine.

Their 2019 release was awarded 98-points by James Suckling who declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his  review. Kerin O`Keefe of www.kerinokeefe.com gave it 94 Points.

The 2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Wine Advocate called the vintage “uniformly easy” for vintners.

The release was aged three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.

Winemaker Notes - Intense ruby red in color, garnet with aging. Rich and intense bouquet of violets, undergrowth, red fruits, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Very long persistence, fresh, and elegant but complex.

Bright ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty rose, tobacco, dried herbs and leather with hints of truffle with bright acidity on a smooth polished tannin finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4577891