2006 Napa Cabernets for Festive Holiday and 5 Year Anniversary Celebration Dinner

2006 Napa Cabernets for Festive Holiday and 5 Year Anniversary Celebration Dinner

For this gala family dinner celebrating Erin & Johnny's 5th anniversary as well as early pre-Christmas we opened two 2006 vintage Napa Cabernet Sauvignons to accompany the beef tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, spinach and smoked Gouda cheese dip, artisan Fair Oaks Farm Ementheler cheese and four cheesecake medley deserts - turtle, caramel, berry-cream, and tiramirsou. 

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauivignon 2006
Deck the Halls with boughs of holly ... We discovered Hall wines during our Napa Wine Experience 2003 with their moderrn op-art scuplture garden. The 2006 vintage was a high achievement for this Estate standard label Napa Cabernet with a Wine Spectator 93 point rating. Their flagship wine, Katheryn Hall 2006, was #20 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2010 with a score of 96 points!. This year it was selected the #2 Wine of the Year in Wine Spectator's annual roundup.

This wine opened with a vibrant forward layer of cedar/camphor which burned off after an hour to reveal the sweet ripe berry fruits. Dark inky color, rich, dense, concentrated, style, full-bodied, fruit forward ripe sweet currant, ripe black raspberry, plum, black cherry fruits with hints of milk chocolate and vanilla on a long soft tannin finish. Not as lush and jammy as earlier tasting notes.

RM 93 points. 

http://www.hallwines.com


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=761928


Chappellet Signature Napa Valley Cabernet Sauivignon 2006

We visited Chapellet Vineyards up on Pritchard Hill high above Napa town during our Napa Valley Wine Experience - Autumn '09. 


Dark inky purple color - medium-full bodied, complex and concentrated blackberry and black raspberry fruits in a tightly wound core accented by spicy oak on a balanced structured tannin finish.


This is actually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 76%, Merlot 18%, Malbec 4%, and Petit Verdot 2%.

RM 91 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=595997


http://www.chappellet.com/

Picturesque Pritchard Hill
overlooking Napa Valley

Long Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Long Vineyards Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

From a two acre vineyard on Pritchard Hill on the eastern slopes above Napa Valley, 600-800 feet above Silverado Trail overlooking Lake Hennessey. This is a neighbor to David Arthur wines. We first discovered David Arthur during our Napa Wine Experience back in 1999. We visited Pritchard Hill and the neighboring Chappellet winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience during the autumn of 2009.See earlier unwindWine blogpost on Long's David Arthur.
   
Long Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Starting to show its age as the dark garnet color has taken on a tinge of brown forming at the rim. Tight and somewhat closed, medium-full bodied; black cherry and black currant fruit flavors give way to smoke,  leather, earthy cedar and hints of cassis, spicy anise and tangy clove on the finish.


Alcohol 14.5%
325 cases produced.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=95144

Tasted at home with L with fruit and Indiana Fair Oaks Farms artisan cheeses including five year old aged cheddar. No relation to spouse and in-law Long family.

California Cabernet Wine & Dine Road Trip East

California Cabernet Wine & Dine Road Trip East

Another chapter in the life of a road warrior - a swing down the east coast - but one of those weeks that provides periodic rewards in the grind of business travel - some pleasurable dining experiences with great food and wine, and good company in some wonderful settings for some productive, effective business outcomes.

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Deep dark purple-garnet color - medium-full bodied. Very approachable and flavorful, a favorite, consistent with previous tastings with full forward flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, currant, hints of spice and dark chocolate. Available, tasted by the glass at Willys Steak House & Grill in Shrewsbury, Massachusets. Great complement to beef steak dinner with Jeff G.
RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=875375
http://www.willyssteakhouse.com/

Arrowood Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Medium bodied, dark purple color. Another perennial favorite, consistent pleasant easy drinking cab, aromas and flavors of black berry fruit accented by a layer of cigar box with a hint of dark mocha and cedar on a moderate smooth tannin laced finish. Great complement to beef steak filet laced with gorgonzola dinner w/ Dan H at the Fig Tree Restaurant At The Lucas House in Charlotte.
RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=654910
http://www.charlottefigtree.com/ 

A group business dinner at Wildfire Restaurant in Tyson's Corner Galleria Mall in Mclean, VA with Danny A, James S and CS partners George, Gary and David. The group provided the opportunity for a select flight dinner tasting of Napa/Sonoma cabs and a starter Carneros Pinot Noir. More to come ...

Beringer Sonoma Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - Dark garnet color - medium bodied, aromas and flavors of somewhat forward black raspberry and black currants with a subtle layer of dark mocha chocolate through the moderate tannin lingering finish. Not as complex or sophisticated as the others but once again as is often the case, this is a high achieving moderately priced wine that offers good QPR (quality price ratio). 
RM 89 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1194880

Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - Dark inky purple color, medium-full bodied; complex black raspberry, black berry, with a layer of dark chocolate and hints of cassis, oak and spice on a soft, smooth silky lingering finish.
RM 92 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=770953 


Chimney Rock Napa Valley Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - Dark inky color, medium to full bodied; slightly tighter, firm and more closed than the others indicating it perhaps needs more time to open; fragrance and flavors of black berry, hints of spice and lead pencil, with subtle pepper and cedar notes on a balanced moderate tannin finish.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1063566


Etude Napa Valley Carneros District Pinot Noir 2008 - Opaque ruby colored, medium to light bodied; nose and flavors of red berry fruits - cranberries, bing cherries, hints of strawberry with layer of dusty rose petals and hint of spice on the finish.
RM 88 points. 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1208540

Beef Steak Dinner Wine Flight - Napa, Sonoma, Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Blends

Beef Steak Dinner Wine Flight - Napa, Sonoma, Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Blends

A flight of Cabernet Sauvignon blend wines from Napa, Sonoma and Bordeaux taken to festive holiday dinner at neighbors' Mark and Shirley's. They served David Burke’s Chicago Primehouse aged prime beef  Black Angus steaks. The restaurant dry-ages its hand-picked meats in a Himalayan salt-tiled aging room on their premises at Rush and Ontario Streets in Chicago.

All their steaks are from a prize winning Black Angus senior herd that sires the highly coveted USDA-quality grade beef. Our dinner featured 55 day aged Rib-eye, prime filet, and New York Strip steaks purchased at the Chicago Prime steak house, accompanied by basil mashed potatoes and butternut squash ravioli with roasted sun-dried tomatoes (shown above).

The wines:
 

Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 - Cinq Cepages means 'five flavors' ala a Bordeaux style meritage blend - medium bodied, soft black raspberry, red currants and kirsch flavors highlighted by a layer of tea and hint of caramel and touch of spice on a moderate light short polished tannin finish.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2205

Fisher Vineyards Coach House Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 - Meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the Cameron Vineyard above the Napa Valley Silverado Trail and Cabernet Sauvignon from Stagecoach Vineyards above Oakville, and Merlot from Feingold Vineyard just over the hill to the west in Sonoma. Medium to full bodied with black raspberry, black berry, coffee and kirsch flavors highlighted by a layer of leather, tea and hint of caramel, mocha and touch of spice on a moderate tannin finish. Similar to the Cinq Cepages above but tighter with possessing the leather tone.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=18076

Château Pontet-Canet Grand Cru Classe' Pauillac Bordeaux 1997 - A mini-horizontal vintage selection to compare the 1997 Cinq Cepages and Bordeaix against a 1999 Napa Cabernet blend. The Pontet-Canet exhibited medium-full bodied - big floral bouquet with flavors of violets, earthy leather, layer of of black cherry and black berry accented by tea, tobacco box and black currants and cedar on a moderate tannin finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=26493

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 -
Medium bodied, sweet red berry and currant fruits with layers of milk chocolate, anise, oak and tar on a smooth silky lingering finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=678191

Chateau St Jean Alexander Valley Belle Terre Vineyard Select Late Harvest Johannisburg Riesling 1998

This desert wine accompanied hand made dark chocolate truffles rolled in crushed almonds and pecans.

Marquis Phillips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2001

Marquis Phillips '9' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2001

Marquis Phillips '9'
McLaren Vale Shiraz
(2005 label)

Consistent notes with earlier tastings of this ten year old shiraz. Super ripe and rich Amarone-like raisin scents and spice flavors overpower the forward blackberry liquor, ripe plum fruits, tar and licorice - much more so than earlier tastings. Not nearly as polished as other vintages. 

RM 88 points. WS92 RM92 

Tasted w/ L at home with fruit and artisan cheeses. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96213

 

Liparita Napa Valley Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Liparita Napa Valley Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Big full floral, dark fruit and leather tones. Big forward flavors of black cherry and berry, cassis, smoke and dark plum fruits accented by smoke and spice with hints of spicy earthy cedar tones and firm tannins. Initially slightly tart and awkward, eventually comes together to be full of complex and balanced big fruit, smoke and firm but smooth tannins on a long lingering cinnamon spice finish. 

RM 91 points. 

Great with Spaghetti and meatball dinner but especially good with fresh Parmigiana cheese, fresh baked crescent rolls and natural baked pita chip crackers.  

First discovered this wine during our Napa Wine Experiences in 1998 and 1999.

Alcohol: 14.1%

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=193055

Kilikanoon Parable McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Kilikanoon Parable McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Dark inky garnet color - full bodied. Dense, thick, chewy ultra-ripe almost raisiny black berry fruits, hint of ripe blueberry with complex layers of tapenade asphalt, truffles, and roasted meats on a glycerin coated moderate tannin finish. While it is nicely balanced, with the firm ripe hard edged flavors, this is not an easy drinking wine and I don't think it will soften further with time. Tasted with roast beef and cooked vegetables dinner. A bit obtuse, too much for even my tastes which prefer big bold forward wines.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=246942

Robert Craig Amador County Zinfandel 2001

Robert Craig Amador County Zinfandel 2001

From Amador County nestled up against the Sierra Foothills. This ten year old Zinfandel shows dark garnet color showing its age with a slight brownish rust color. Medium bodied, its moments of polish and balance turn to a slightly awkward tart cherry taste at times. Flavors of black berry, black cherry, spice and tobacco predominate with hints of oak, floral, and touch of vanilla with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 89 points.

Alcohol: 15.3%

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=157348

Selected and pulled from the cellar for Thanksgiving dinner, it went well with bar-b-que ribs the following weekend.

Gala lunch with Robert Craig at the winery atop
Howell Mountain.

As noted in earlier blog posts, we're long time fans of Bob and the Craig team and their 'artwork'. Our friendship with Robert and our 'Affinity' for his wines dates back at our first visit to Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1996, and then again at our Robert Craig featured producer wine dinners during our Napa Wine Experience 1998, and again in 1999. We attended special lunches and Harvest Parties up at the Howell Mountain Winery with its spectacular views of Napa Valley below and looking across to the Mayacamas Range from Diamond Mountain down to Mt Veeder. 

We last visited Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Appellation Trail visit this spring. Indeed, we have a assembled a vertical collection of this wine dating back to the inaugural release 1993 vintage.

Thanksgiving Dinner Wine Selections - Teruzzi & Puthod Terre Di Tufo 2006 &Szigeti Welschriesling Brut Classic Sekt

Two European white wines for Thanksgiving turkey and dressing dinner wine selections -

TERUZZI & PUTHOD TERRE DI TUFO 2006 - Tuscan

Fun wine with the whimsical matchbook size label. Winemaker's notes:

Blend: 80% Vernaccia, 7% Chardonnay, 7% Malvasia, 6% Vermentino

Color: Deep straw tending toward gold; Fruity bouquet with light notes of vanilla cream, tangerine, citrus and pineapple.Subtle aromas and flavors of pear, hint of pineapple, a touch of lemon with nut and toast on the finish. A full-bodied citrusy attack with a little woodiness and subtle acid, followed by a shortish finish. Firm acidity and fresh with flavors of citrus zest, walnuts and a pleasant touch of toast on the finish. Served from Magnum.

RM 88 points. 



https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=526694

 Szigeti Welschriesling Brut Classic Sekt N.V. Sektkellerei - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee, Gols 

Pale color, medium bodied, subdued notes of apricot, peach blossoms, and pear are overshadowed by a smoky nut layer with muted tone of anise. 

RM 85 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=385773 

Arrowood Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 & 1998 mini-vertical

Arrowood Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 & 1998 mini-vertical

Arrowood Winery is one of the gems of Sonoma County, nestled against the hillside overlooking the Sonoma Valley just outside the town of Glen Ellen. Proprietor Richard Arrowood was winemaker at Chateau St Jean before setting out on his own in partnership with his wife Alis. The winery is modeled after a New England farmhouse at the brow of the hill tucked behind and above small vineyards. We visited Arrowood during our Sonoma visits in 2007 and 2009.

This mini-vertical tasting featured the 1996 and 1998 vintages. The 1996 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon was still holding after fifteen years. Garnet colored, medium bodied with moderate tannins it shows muted black cherry and black currants fruits accented by spice and a hint of anise and cedar on a modest finish.
RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3599

The 1998 was less polished and less structured by comparison and was beginning to show its age with a slight rust hew. The aroma and flavors revealed a slight hint of tart cherry before turning to slightly sweet black berry and plum fruit with a layer of cassis, an earthy leather layer with hint of toasty oak and spice on the modest short finish. Tasted from magnum.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12044

These wines were served at family dinner gathering to celebrate Lucy's birthday and dedication at the Compass Church. They were great complement to roast beef, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts in cheese sauce and chocolate cake.  

Snowden Lost Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Snowden Lost Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

This is our 50th Cabernet Sauvignon review of this year - 45 of which are from Napa Valley. 

Down to the last few bottles of a case acquired upon release in the late nineties. Consistent with earlier tasting notes taking into account the evolution of this aging wine. Starting to show its age a bit as the dark garnet color starts to take on a slight brownish rust hew and the fruit is starting to fall off a bit and give way to the smoke and leather nose and flavor. Still firm and tight with the smoky leather predominating over the dark berry and black cherry fruit, with forward pronounced cedar and a hint of cassis and a full fragrant firm tannin lingering finish with a bit of tight high alcohol heat. Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot tastes true to form like a lower left bank Bordeaux!  

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=34315

We first were introduced to Snowden wines when we featured Randy Snowden at a Winemaker's luncheon at Brix in Napa Valley during our Napa Wine Experience back in 1998. Randy and his brother Scott, both attorneys, preside over the property that sits 450 to 850 feet above the Silverado Trail. The property was acquired by their parents back in the fifties. My recollection from that meeting was that their father Wayne Snowden was a professor at UC Berkeley when he acquired the property in 1955. After he passed away in 1977 the brothers took over in 1981. They produced their first Snowden label vintage in 1993. Most of their production is sold to Silver Oak, Frank Family Vineyards, Viader and in recent years, David Ramey. 

During these Napa Wine Experience visits of 1997 through 2000 we hosted gala tasting dinners with the 'Undisccovered Dozen' "emerging new wine producers to watch", featured in an article in Wine Spectator Magazine. Many of these producers released their inaugural vintage releases in or about the 1994 vintage.  Those producers and winery visits included Plumpjack, David Arthur, Clark-Claudon, Robert Craig, Del Dotto, Elan,  Paradigm, Pride Vineyards, Snowden, Nils Venge and White Cottage. They are featured on my winesite http://www.unwindwine.com. A complete index of my tasting notes of these wines over the years is on the site at this link to California Producers Index. These producers make up a foundation of our wine cellar collection even today. In many of these wines, we still have vertical selections of these wines, some dating back to those early release vintages.Another of these tasting events is featured in my unwindwine blog http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2011/07/plumpjack-napa-valley-oakville-estate.html.

This was Snowden's second label from that era. It was a great compliment to Sunday dinner beet pot roast with roasted carrots, onions and potatoes.

http://www.snowdenvineyards.com/

1990 Birthyear Vintage Tasting Contrasting Styles

1990 Birthyear Vintage Tasting Contrasting Styles 

A mini-family reunion celebration gathering of three sons to welcome son Alec home from university and toast his successful career pursuit as he gathers offers from corporate visits tour. We feasted at Angeli's Restaurant, our favorite local Italian trattoria and opened two BYOB contrasting birthyear vintage wines. It was a study of contracts between 1990 Maison Leroy Maranges, Côte de Beaune, Maranges Burgundy, and 1990 Acinum Amarone della Valpolicella Classico.

If you follow or just read through this unwineWine blog tasting journal or unwindWine.com journal archive or our wine cellar selection list, you'll see we don't do a lot of either Burgundy or Italian wines. Our focus as noted by our cellar inventory stats is US 54% (California 50%), French 23% (only 1% Burgundy), and Australia 15% with Italian being only 2%. As I state in my Getting Started guide to wine enjoyment and collecting, its natural and best to focus on a few regions that represent your preferences.     

As highlighted in my Wine Spectator feature, part of the fun and enjoyment of having a wine cellar is collecting birthyear vintage wines to enjoy during celebration events such as tonight. Indeed, ten percent of our cellar represents birth-year and anniversary year wines for such occasions.


So, tonight, with youngest son Alec home from college on a corporate recruiting visit, oldest son Ryan comes out from the city to join Sean, L and me for a gala family dinner to celebrate our mini-reunion and Alec's success so far in obtaining options for his career launch from business school and notably, his coveted offer received this week from his target opportunities.

In selecting wine from the cellar for tonight's occasion, the boys had almost 200 bottles from which to select from the 1990 vintage.Collecting notable age-worthy wines is easy in such a great vintage such as 1990. Indeed, Wine Spectator's wine of the year selection featured a 1990 vintage wine in 1992, 1993 and again in 1994. We're fortunate enough to be holding those wines for an extra special occasion 

Following are the boy's cellar choices for this dinner - an adventure in wine discovery as these two unique outlier wines are outside our normal cellar preference profile and are both heretofore unknown and untried.

Maison Leroy Maranges, Côte de Beaune, Maranges Burgundy 1990

Like several other Cellartracker posters, I bought this wine wine on closeout at Binnys. The cork was totally saturated through. Another Cellartracker poster notes this is like many Leroys he's had over the past few years--perhaps a quality control issue? Starting to show its age there was slight rust colored browning around the edges. Medium bodied, the wine exhibited some complexity and some polish with earthy leather, slightly tart cherry and black cherry, and hints of dusty rose petals on the palate with a a modest lingering tannin finish.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=420365

   

Acinum Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 1990

Uncharacteristically, my cellar notes do not show when or where this bottle was acquired. Similarly, Cellartracker has little data of others purchasing or tasting this wine - rare given its 10 million bottle inventory and 100,000 tasting notes.

A typical Amorone, medium to full bodied with full forward ripe raisiny fig and black fruits. The body is a bit lighter and the fruits are less pronounced than most Amarones I have had in the past.


RM 87 points.
. 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=379640

As usual, all the Angelis dinners were fabulous and the service was attentive and personable. Tonight they featured their Mussels and Clam Chowder which are both extraordinary. Linda had the Asparagus and Ricotta cheese Ravioli which she said was delicious. With Ryan, I deferred to my old standby, their Veal Piccata, which is a standard bearer when I go to other Italian restaurants, Sean had the Pork Medallions special, and Alec the Shrimp special. No wonder we're regulars and recommend it heartily.