Aged Vintage Napa Cabernet anchors broad diverse flight for Anniversary Celebration dinner
Following our gala 50th Graduation and Wedding Anniversary celebration dinner, wherein we opened some aged vintage wines, we still had another 50 year old Napa Cabernet being held for the occasion to open.
Looking back fifty years, one might think that if any producer would produce a wine worthy of such aging the list would include Beaulieu Vineyards with their top of the line premium Founder’s label Georges de Latour.
The family gathered for a follow on dinner to our anniversary celebration to dine with my sister Jan visiting from California.
I used the occasion to open this other 50th year vintage bottle, having opened another one at our earlier dinner.- a 1974 Chappellet Napa Cabernet.
Linda prepared beef tenderloin filets of beef with salmon, grilled vegetables, sweet corn, au-gratin potatoes and salad.
Commemorating our anniversary, I opened from our cellar this fifty year old anniversary year vintage Napa Cabernet.
Beaulieu Vineyards Private Reserve Georges De Latour Estate Founder’s Wine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974
Like the earlier bottle, this too had an excellent fill level and amazingly near perfect cork, considering their age. Similarly, the foil and label were in ideal condition.
Unlike the 1974 Chappellet, which was served from a magnum, the BV de Latour was a standard size 750 and had not held up so well, having lost its lustre and appeal, past it’s acceptable drinking window, drinkable for memorable tasting, not not pleasurable sipping.
This was pale opaque brownish rust brick colored, medium bodied with a subdued nose and flavors of slightly tart astringent berries, smokey ash, leather and tea - drinkable for adventurous tasting but not for savoring.
RM 84 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/w?35343
Naturally, we opened several other wines, white and red, to round out the dinner flight.
Linda and sister Jan prepared some Brie cheese with honey, crushed berry compote and fresh nuts, fresh salsa and a garden salad for starters - with which we opened a Napa Valley Sparkling (methode traditionelle) white wine.
Chandon California Brut Methode Traditionelle Sparkling Wine
For starters we opened this bubbly for casual sipping before dinner.
We followed the white with one of our favorite producers’ labels …
Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay 2018
We write often in these pages how we have fun with the alphabet labels, “V” from various producers for Vivianna, and the “L” labels from Lewis Cellars, and others, for Linda, Lucy, Lavender and Lilac.
We also pay respects to our Indiana heritage and the legacy of founder/producer Randy Lewis, former Indianapolis 500 racer. So it was fitting to open this for a family occasion, especially with sister Jan visiting from California, ‘back home again in Indiana’.
We have an extensive cellar collection of Lewis Cellars’ wines including this Chardonnay label, their Cabernet Sauvignons, Mason’s Blend, Ethan’s Syrah and one of our signature favorite wines since it happens to be the namesake of our son and the Lewis’ first grandson, Alec’s Blend.
We’ll likely scale back our collecting Lewis wines since the family has sold the business and brand to a major consolidated producer. In 2021 Lewis Cellars was acquired by Justin Vineyards & Winery of Paso Robles and its owner, the Wonderful Company.
As a $5bn privately-held group founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the Wonderful Company also owns Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma County and JNSQ rosé wine, as well as the Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful brands.
Since this blog is also partially about branding and strategy, I’d be remiss to not mention the self-inflicted branding fiasco Fiji brought on themselves a few years back - memorialized in these posts - enough said…
The strategy is to leverage the larger group’s marketing, strategy and sales teams to reach new audiences, such as via wine clubs or restaurants.
This 2018 release of Lewis Chardonnay was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and 92 points by Connoisseurs' Guide and Wilford Wong of Wine.com
Winemaker Notes - Like a silk robe or satin sheets the 2018 Napa Chardonnay seduces with thrilling texture. Creamy pear, crème brulee, white nectarine and gardenia blossom sprinkled with vanilla spice, it is simply delicious and irresistible. Finely structured yet opulent to the core, it is graced with a long, luscious finish.
Golden colored, full, round and structured medium body with rich flavors of ripe pear and apple fruits with creamy toasty notes on the lingering finish.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3390102
Ryan brought from his cellar a duo of
Cliff Lede Fels brand Sonoma wines - a white Chardonnay and a red Pinot Noir. The Fel’s brand is named for Cliff Lede’s mother Florence Elsie Lede who the producer attributes as the inspiration for his love of wine. Both wines are sourced from the Lede Savoy Vineyard in the Sonoma County Anderson Valley.
The Anderson Valley sits north of Sonoma County in Mendocino County, two hours north of San Francisco up Hwy 101. Located just off the coastal region of Mendocino County, Anderson Valley and the adjacent Mendocino Ridge are in a sparsely populated area near the small town of Boonville, population 700. The 15 mile long Anderson Valley was formed by the Navarro River watershed and is surrounded by steep, forested slopes as well as rolling hills dotted with picturesque vineyards, farms and orchards and is one of California’s most picturesque appellations.
Savoy Vineyard, long recognized as a benchmark vineyard in Anderson Valley, is located in the “Deep End” of the valley, west of the town of Philo.
During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines.
The Anderson Valley is best suited and known for these cool climate varietals Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay.
Fels Sonoma County Anderson Valley Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay 2018
Fels produce an estate blend and two single vineyard Chardonnays from Savoy Vineyard and Ferrington Vineyard from Anderson Valley. Their signature is bright fruit and fresh flavors due to the absence of new oak or malolactic fermentation showing a crisp clean vibrant taste profile.
FEL Anderson Valley Chardonnays are made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Winemakers notes - “Lifted floral aromatics waft from the glass of this citrus-driven Chardonnay. Notes of lemon zest, white grapefruit, and Key lime, are complemented by hints of juniper, struck flint, and melon. The blend of citrus flavors continues in the mouth with an abundance of fresh lemon and orange zest. The juicy finish is carried by notes of lemon balm with zippy acidity.”
Golden colored, medium full bodied, crisp fresh, vibrant flavors of crisp apple, ripe pear and a touch of pineapple and subtle hints of baking spice on the clean finish.
RM 91 points. Wine Enthusiast gave this 92 Points
Fels Sonoma County Anderson Valley Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Winemaker notes - “Savoy Vineyard, the archetypal expression of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, is always layered and intensely complex. Loaded with enticing aromatics of black cherry, wild brambleberries, and Santa Rosa plum, the nose is furthered with hints of mint, sage, and redwood needles. Simultaneously intense and elegant in the mouth, flavors of black fruit mingle with hints of baking spices, wild herbs, and savory notes of cocoa and black pepper. The palate finishes with a delicate balance of bright acidity and fine-grained tannins.”
“Loaded with enticing aromatics of black cherry, wild brambleberries, and Santa Rosa plum, the nose is furthered with hints of mint, sage, and redwood needles. Simultaneously intense and elegant in the mouth, flavors of black fruit mingle with hints of baking spices, wild herbs, and savory notes of cocoa and black pepper. The palate finishes with a delicate balance of bright acidity and fine-grained tannins.”
RM 92 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3780212
https://shop.cliffledevineyards.com/product/2018-FEL-Pinot-Noir-Savoy-Vineyard-3L
With the dinner entrees and the dessert course Ryan trolled our cellar and pulled an adventurous duo of Cabernet Franc varietals.
Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 1996
Mindful of cellar management, to avoid opening an older bottle late, approaching, or even past it's drinking window, lest it deteriorate or diminish for future enjoyment, we pulled this 1996 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc from Paradigm.
We tasted and acquired this wine during a visit to the Paradigm Estate and vineyards with proprietors Ren and Marilyn Harris during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. At twenty eight years it was holding its own, showing no signs of diminution from age - the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition.
This tasting experience was similar to another Bordeaux varietal from the same vintage from this producer we consumed relatively recently in 2019, as featured in these pages here as excerpted below.
 |
Producer Ren Harris, Linda
and Rick.
back in 1999 |
Ren and Marilyn had owned and operated various properties in Napa Valley since 1964 and purchased the Paradigm property in 1975. The '91 release was the inaugural vintage for Paradigm.
The fifty-five acre property lies in the Oakville appellation and consists of fifty acres of vineyards planted in Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the beginning, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot being added a few years later.
We still hold nearly a case of the Paradigm Cabernets we acquired at that time, and since as we replenish consumed bottled with current vintages. We held a mini vertical (series of vintages of the same label) spanning vintages from 1991 up to 2004. We've consumed all our vintages from 1991 thru 1994 but still hold nearly a decade of vintages.
Paradigm wines are all Estate bottled, meaning all the grapes are sourced from their fifty acres of vineyards there on the property. The Paradigm winemaker is the legendary Heidi Barrett who has been there since the beginning.
Tonight, we opted for this Cabernet Franc for some adventurous tasting with the grilled beef tenderloins which was an ideal pairing combination.
Producing a standalone label bottling of Cabernet Franc was unique and somewhat progressive back in the day, as it is customarily used as a blending wine in a Bordeaux Blend to add structure, color and an element of vibrancy and spiciness. Hence it a fun wine to consume at 100% of the blend.
Recent Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Merlot 1996 tasting…
Like the Merlot we consumed a while back, this is still drinking nicely at twenty four years, only starting to show it age with only slight diminution, but past its prime and so time to starting consuming whats left in the cellar over the next couple of years. The cork was in fine condition but darkening to a tobacco color, there was ever-so-slight rust tinge color on the rim, and the fruits were starting to give way a bit to non-fruit tones of leather and tobacco. It was still very enjoyable and holding its own nicely.
Garnet colored with the slight rust hue, medium bodied,
https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5876
Spring Valley Vineyards Katherine Cabernet Franc 2015
I wrote about Spring Valley and this label in several posts in these pages, excerpted here.
We followed with another Cabernet Franc for a comparison tasting. This is another family oriented producer with family oriented branding which we enjoy serving for family occasions such as this.
I pulled a Bordeaux varietal, a grape used to add structure and spice to the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A wine that is 100% single varietal with those characteristics isn't for the feint of heart, but fits the bill perfectly for our tastes.
We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the Spring Valley Vineyards tasting room in Walla Walla back in 2018 as covered in this blogpost - October 27, 2018 -
Spring Valley Vineyards Tasting and Vineyard Visit.
We joined their wine club and as members receive regular quarterly shipments of their wines. We amassed a collection of the complete portfolio of wines including this label. Our Cellartracker records show we have 95 bottles of 35 different Spring Valley wines in our collection.
One of the great historic Walla Walla wineries, Spring Valley Vineyard lies 12 miles northeast of the town of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. The land that was originally used for farming dating back to the the 1880s.
Founded by Uriah, Katherine, and continued by the next generation, Frederick, and Nina Lee Corkrum, Shari Corkrum Derby and her husband Dean Derby continued to operate the wheat fields, vineyard and winery. Shari and Dean Derby planted vines on the land from 1993 and made their first vintage in 1999.
Today, Spring Valley have 110 acres of vines planted, all in the relatively cool micro-climate of Walla Walla Valley in the southeast corner of Washington State.
We had the pleasure of meeting Dean Derby on the property during our visit to the estate.during our
appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby, patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, founder and namesake for their Bordeaux Blend label, husband to Katherine, namesake for this label.
Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our
Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a
Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021.
We thought of him last week as his alma mater, University of Washington played in the NCAA national football championship, and next year join the Big Ten conference. I wrote about Dean playing on and being captain of that football team in my tribute blogpost.
The Derby's son Devin Corkrum Derby served as winemaker until his passing in 2004. Devin’s assistant and friend Serge Laville took over as winemaker and has been crafting wines since. Originally they focused on varietals from the Northern Rhone region in France, they expanded production to Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and this Cabernet Franc, and a Right Bank and a Left Bank style Bordeaux Blend.
I've written often in these pages about Spring Valley Vineyards portfolio of wines named for members paying homage to the family and ancestors dating back to the first generation founders at the turn of the last century. We have several vintage releases of their annual case that features six of these labels - each one commemorating a different family member. This Cabernet Franc is named in honor of founder Uriah Corkrum’s wife Katherine, a native of Wales who immigrated to Walla Walla Territory in 1897. She and Uriah had four sons, including Frederick Corkrum.
We have a vertical collection of seven vintages of this wine. Normally, as part of cellar management, I would open the oldest, earliest vintage to drink, but, I pulled a bottle from the rack, not thinking that we have a couple older vintages in the decorative OWC - Original Wood Cases, each with a vertical collection that include this label. I'll need to 'break' those collections at some point and consume the older releases.
Spring Valley Vineyards ‘Katherine Corkrum’ Walla Walla Cabernet Franc 2015
This wine commemorates Katherine Williams Corkrum, born and raised in Wales, then came to America and settled in Walla Walla Washington to eventually marry Uriah Corkrum. Together they raised a family with three sons that would follow for three generations developing the property.
This is 100% estate grown Cabernet Franc. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields.
Winemaker's Tasting Notes - “This Cabernet Franc has plenty of herbal notes with abundant flavors of raspberry and cassis and a touch of spice.” - ~ Winemaker Serge Laville
100% Cabernet Franc, this was aged 18 months in 100% French Oak, 30% new
This was rated 91 points by Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer
Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, full round with a silky smooth texture, ripe dark blackberry fruits with notes of spice, cassis, mocha chocolate, herbs and tobacco with toasty oak on a lingering moderate tannin finish.
RM 91 points.
