Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Chicago 2014

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) 2011 Vintage Release Tasting Chicago


The annual North American tour of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) producers introducing their 2011 vintage release was complicated by the blizzard that hit the eastern seaboard closing airports and disrupting over two thousand commercial airline flights. Many producers were stuck in New York or in connecting cities, trying to get to the next stop, our tasting in Chicago

This outstanding event offers a rare opportunity to meet the producers and actual winemakers as well as to taste their latest Bordeaux release. They have so much knowledge and insight they can offer great perspectives on the historic vintages as well as the nuances of the current release. 

This years event  resulted in more than we bargained for with the disruptions caused by the storm. 

We had volunteered to work the event but when we arrived at the classic Drake Hotel, where Chicago's gold coast meets Lake Shore Drive, we learned that as many as 35 of the Bordeaux producers were missing in action. Eighteen were scheduled to arrive at ORD (Chicago O'hare airport) at 1pm, past the start time of the tasting, leaving close to twenty somewhere 'in our great country' as noted in an email alert from the UGC logistics staff. Hence we were called to duty to serve, literally as well as figuratively, pouring the wines in place of the displaced producers. 

The impromptu serving team consisted of myself and wine buddies Bill C and Lyle F, Dean and Justin of the soon to be renamed Wine Shop in Evanston who had arranged for our conscription, John Hames and Diane Meyer of the American Wine Society, who had braved the midwest storms to drive up from Dayton, Ohio that morning, and a half dozen Binny's staffers culled from the local stores at the last minute. Like last year, the evening public tasting is sponsored by Binny's while the day session is for the trade and press.

Dean Noonan, Diane Meyer, John Hames, Rick
Diane standing in for Troplong Mondot
When the doors opened, no less than eighteen producers' stations were manned by stand-ins with several of us filling in two adjacent stations each. Rather than meeting the winemakers of Chateaus Gruaud Larose and Lagrange, (which we eventually did) to learn their perspectives on the latest release, I was standing in for them, prompting me to text my wine fraternity, "POURING Gruaud Larose at UGC Chicago". 

For close to two hours I was living a fantasy representing several of my cellar vertical selection wines, Gruaud Larose, Chateau LaGrange, Leoville Barton, rubbing elbows with the Directors of Chateau Branaire Ducru, Beychevelle and others. Bill C, upon learning our call to duty bolted for Pauillac and landed the role to pour our heralded favorite Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtess de Lalande. Lyle was serving Leoville Barton and Langoa Barton while Dean and Chris supported the depleted Margaux representatives, and others scattered about the room to fill in where needed. 

Aymar De Baillenx,
General Manager Chateau Beychevelle
Our segment of the wine universe gradually returned to order as the producers filtered in to the room throughout the afternoon, many breathlessly recounting adventures of planes, trains and automobiles in our winter storms.

How fitting perhaps that another weather complication added to what had already proven to be a challenging 2011 vintage. The 2011 season started with a hot, dry spring followed by a excessively hot and dry June that threatened some of the vines. July was cooler and brought some rain, August was cooler than normal but saw some heat spikes and spots of rain. Finally, September returned to more idealic conditions enabling the grapes to ripen but due to the uneven heat in July and August the ripening was uneven and some of the fruit lacked richness and body.

On the heels of two spectacular years, 2009 and 2010, widely hailed as among the greatest back to back vintages for the region, the market was still basking in near recent successes of 2005 and 2000. Several producers have placed 2011 below the great vintages of  2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010, but above 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.

'Pour boys', Lyle, Bill, Rick with UCG Oliver Bernard
and Frank Kronthal
The impact of the weather seemed to be inconsistent across the region with some affected more than others. As a classic region of the 'old world', Bordeaux producers have been dealing with the challenges of the harvest for centuries and have mastered how to wring the best product from the most challenging conditions.

Many of the wines were very good, meeting expectations of their brand, however a few  seemed a bit 'flabby', lacking the depth and concentration in the fruit, or with a tone of astringency in the tannins. The lesson is to taste or read up on the experiences of others before you invest in the vintage for collecting or holding more than a bottle or two for dinner or a tasting.


Dean standing in for
Malescot-St-Exupery
All in all, it should prove to be a good and respectable vintage with the highs not being as high, but the lows not being so low, as more polarized years. Hopefully, for us consumers, prices will fall back from the meteoric levels from the recent extraordinary years. 

If you happen to be a selective buyer/collector with finite resources, like me, I therefore focus on a select targeted set of labels, and invest in years of significance such as birth and anniversary years (see my Collecting feature in Wine Spectator - noted for my collection of birthyear wines for my kid's birthyears). If 2011 is a target year, there should be Bordeaux in your horizontal collection as it hopefully will provide good value, but be careful in your selections.

Due to our service for the first half of the event, our sampling was limited to a select targeted list of labels. 

Below are some highlights of the tasting results.
 
Pauillac showed well and met expectations of the appellation. 

Bill with representative
from Pichon Lalande
Château Lynch Bages - Dark inky purple in color with full body, aromas and flavors of black berry, currant and plum fruits with tones of cassis and spice with a layer of supple tannins on a lingering finish. RM 92. One of our favorites, we hold this wine dating back to the 1985 vintage as a one of our children's birthyear wine of which we're holding a 3L double magnum for a special occasion.
Blend Cabernet Sauvignon 72%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 2%.

Château Pichon Longueville Baron - Dark purple, full bodied, concentrated black fruits with tones of cassis with a long chewy tannin finish. RM 92
We hold this wine dating back to the 1985 vintage as a one of our children's birthyear wine of which we're holding a 6L Imperial for a special occasion.
Blend Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 33%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Petit Verdot 2%.

Château Pichon Lalande -  Dark garnet colored, full bodied, a bit tighter with concentrated black fruits, hints of graphite, tobacco, tea and spice on a balanced, integrated tannin finish. RM 91.
One of our favorites, we still hold this wine dating back to the 1978 vintage.
Blend Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 5%.

Jean-Rene Matignon
Technical Director of
Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - Dark purple, full bodied, fragrant red and black fruits with moderate silky tannins on lingering finish. RM 90.

Château Clerc Milon - Dark colored, full bodied, balanced black berry fruits with moderate tannins. RM 89. We hold this wine going to back to the eighties with some still as yet unopened wood cases.
Blend Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 36%, Cabernet Franc 11%, Petit Verdot 2%, Caremene're 1%.

Château d'Armailhac — Dark colored, medium to full bodied, black fruits with hints of cassis on a nicely integrated tannins finish. RM 89. I preferred the Clerc Milon while Bill C preferred the d'Armailhac.


St Estephe -

Château Phelan Segur - Dark garnet colored, full bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of black tea on a spicy smooth tannin finish. Blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. RM 91.

The Margaux appellation appeared to have fared well with standouts being:


Dominique Befve, Lascombes GM
and Bill C
Château Lascombes — Medium bodied, smooth and polished with nicely balanced complex raspberry and berry fruits that exuded a ripe sweetness with silky tannins on the lingering finish. Rating: 91

Château Malescot Saint-Exupery - Full bodied, dark, concentrated tight core of ripe sweet black fruits with firm tannins on the finish. RM 90

St Julien, generally one of our favorite appellations and certainly the largest Bordeaux holding in our cellar, the 2011's seemed to reflect some of the challenges of the season with several offerings showing a slight astringency or moderation of complexity and intensity in the fruit. 


Patrick Maroteaux, Olivier Bernard,
David Launay, Rick
Château Branaire Ducru - Dark purple colored, medium bodied, a full fragrant bouquet reveals concentrated core of sweet, ripe, berry fruit due to the low yields, around 18% below 2010 with fine silky tannins on the finish. RM 89
Blend Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 22%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 3%.  
It was a pleasure meeting and speaking with Co-owner Patrick Maroteaux who was very generous in sharing perspectives on the vintage year.


Château Gruaud Larose - Dark purple, medium bodied, sweet, black berry, black currant and cherry fruits, hints of tobacco and tea with slightly astringent tannins in the finish. RM 89
One of our favorites, we hold this wine dating back to the 1982 vintage as a one of our children's birthyear wine of which we're still holding a vertical of magnums for all four of their birthyears plus a 3L double magnums for some special occasions. Once again, this year, it was a pleasure meeting and speaking with winemaker David Launay.

Château Lagrange - Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and plum fruits with somewhat astringent tannins on the finish. RM 88

Château Leoville Barton — Dark purple colored, medium bodied, firm concentrated black berry fruits, hints of tobacco, cedar and leather on a firm tannin finish. RM 90.

Philippine Bignon
Chateau Talbot
Château Talbot - Dark purple, full-bodied with black fruits turning to a layer of cassis and hint of tobacco on a smooth tannin finish. RM 89. 
We hold this wine going back to the eighties. Speaking with Philippine Bignon, I asked about the Cordier connection and relationship to Chateaus Gruaud Larose and Meyney which used to use the Cordier branding. Cordier was her grandfather and the firm seold off those other properties. The family retains Château Talbot as the flagship, named for the birthplace, and resting place of her grandfather. 

Château BeychevelleDark purple colored, medium bodied, sweet black raspberry and berry fruits with firm tight tannins and bright acidity. RM 88.

Château Langoa Barton - Dark ruby purple colored, medium bodied, tight core of blackberry, black currant and black cherry sauce flavors turning to a layer of tea, tobacco and leather with a somewhat austere, astringently tannic finish. RM 87


Pessac-Leognan

Two generations of Bernards
of Domaine de Chevalier
Château Domaine de Chevalier — Dark inky purple, medium bodied, black currant and plum fruits with firm smooth tannins. RM 90 
Its always fun meeting and speaking with the personable Olivier Bernard, patriarch of the property and president of the UGC. Our write-up of last year's event talked of reminiscences with Oliver Bernard and his gala wine dinner co-hosted here in Chicago with Darioush. We continue to collect this wine with our selection going back to the early nineties. This year it was pleasure to meet his son who is also involved in the business.


Right bank  - Several seemed especially sweet, perhaps due to increased hang times to achieve full ripeness. Several top ranked well known right bank showed well with a few stand-outs:

St Emilion

Château Canon - Medium bodied, floral aromas with sweet red and black raspberry fruit accented with tones of kirsch and tobacco leaf with silky soft tannins on the smooth finish.  

Blend of 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 13.55% alcohol, aged in 70% new oak.  
RM 91Points

My earliest recollection of  Château Canon was from the 1983 vintage which I still remember as being a highlight of my holdings from that vintage back then.

Château Troplong Mondot

Medium to full bodied, complex ripe sweet black raspberry, black cherry and berry fruits with tones of spice, black tea and hint of dark chocolate with soft tannins on the smooth lingering finish. Blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% alcohol.
RM 92 points.

Château Trotte Vieille

New label discovery of the event - owned by the négociant house Borie-Manoux since 1949, the company that also owns Château Batailley in Pauillac and Château Beau Site in St-Estèphe. Trotte Vieille (the trotting old lady) refers to the legend of an old woman who lived on the property in the 18th century. Her house was at the junction of two roads where the carriage stopped. Every time the carriage stopped outside, she trotted out to get the latest news. The property is located on the plateau east of St-Emilion and the 10-hectare walled vineyard is planted with Merlot (50%), Cabernet Franc (45%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Its vineyards contain a rare plot of pre-phylloxera vines.

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, firm full black berry, black currant fruits that turn to the spicy oak on the firm tannin finish. The unique blend is 50% Merlot, Cabernet Franc 48%, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. RM 90 point.
Château Figeac — Dark ruby colored, medium bodied, tones of black currant, black berry with hints of anise and spice with smooth silky tannnins on the finish. 

RM 92

Readers of this blog may recall that Château Figeac is one of the signature wines in my collection commemorating #1 son Ryan's birth-year, 1982. We still hold a few remaining 1982's which we pull out for special occasions. It remains one of our benchmarks for comparison across the vintage years.


Pomerol 

Château La Conseillante -  Dark inky purple colored, medium bodied, floral aromas with full concentrated flavors of sweet ripe black berry and black raspberry with hints of coffee and spice with smooth silky tannins. Blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. RM 92

I first discovered this wine when in a tasting in New York City back in the eighties when I acquired a case of the 1983 vintage. I still fondly remember that wine and regret having consumed it too early without holding at least a few bottles to observe how they aged.







Sauterne showed well with several strong features:

Château Suduiraut -  Medium bodied, aromatic bouquet and flavors of citrus lemon and mineral turning to unctuous apricot and quince on a full finish. RM 92

Château Guiraud - Medium bodied, delicate apricot with hints of citrus and mineral on the soft refined finish. RM 90



Still in progress ... more to come ....































Friday, January 17, 2014

Vintage Cal Cab Flight - Signaterra Chardonnay

Vintage Cal Cabs, Signaterra Chardonnay, Taittinger Highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

Post holiday surf and turf dinner features a trio of vintage California Cabernets - Vinyard 29, David Arthur, and BV (Beaulieu Vineyard) Tapestry. Reuniting with friends Bill and Beth C after the holidays, Bill and Beth prepared steak Diane served with rice pilaf and green beans.

Anti, prior to dinner courses included artisan cheeses with fresh berries, lobster medallions on a bed of clarified buttered cracker crumbs, and wedge salad with blue cheese.

The cheese flight included three perfect wine accompaniments, two of my favorites, aged cheddar and Bellavitano, and a spectacular full bodied, grainy, hearty aged white cheddar called Prairie Breeze from Iowa (!?).

To accompany the anti courses, Bill served Taittinger Nocturne NV Champagne followed by Benziger Sonoma County Carneros SanGiacomo Chardonnay.

 For after dinner dessert, Linda prepared a decadent double chocolate brownies with caramel sauce and butter roasted walnuts.

Taittinger Nocturne Sec Champagne NV. 

It's always time for Champagne! Enjoyed with fresh berries and the cheese course, this was refreshing, crisp and delightfully fruity with a modest tone of almond nut.

RM 88 points.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker - "Lovely blush color and moderately tight bubbles. Toasted almond and hazelnut on the palate with a hint of lemon. Certainly not equal to the Comte we celebrated with on News Year but a very nice accompaniment to artisan cheeses and crackers."

 WCC 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=232988





Benziger Sonoma County Carneros SanGiacomo Vineyard West Rows Chardonnay 2008 

We first discovered Benziger's Signaterra single vineyard designated select wines when we met producer family member Erinn Benziger when she attended Binny's grand expo tasting in the winter of 2008 that featured the Judgement of Paris recreation tasting.

We then visited Benziger Valley in central Sonoma during our Sonoma Wine Experience in the fall of 2009 where Bill picked up this limited release San Giacomo Vineyard West Rows Chardonnay.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Medium straw coloring the glass. Nose reveals some pear and a touch of oak. Was buttery on the palate, clean with notes of green pear. Not much acidity and thankfully not over oaked. Nicely complemented broiled lobster in clarified butter."

WCC 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=878073

http://www.benziger.com/ 

With the steak dinner ...

Vineyard 29 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1993

Vineyard 29 was featured in an earlier blogpost after a tasting of their 1995 vintage from Bill's cellar. 

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Medium garnet in the glass. Still some fruit left. Nicely balanced with flavors of raspberry, sour cherry, mocha and a hint of cedar. This was the consensus favorite at "Open That Bottle Night" one year ago. A year later, it is still very tasty but tannins are fading and is not as vibrant as it was last year."

WCC 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=72837


http://www.vineyard29.com/




David Arthur Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

We chronicled our David Arthur estate visit in previous postings, one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2012.

Tonight, this took about ninety minutes to open and reveal its fruit which was more subdued and has fallen off from earlier tastings. While not flawed, this is losing its luster and not surprisingly perhaps starting to  show its age.

My notes from autumn of 2011 tasting - Dark inky garnet color. Medium-full bodied. Bight vibrant black raspberry and current fruit flavors highlighted by a layer of soft cedar turning to a hint of anise and eucalyptus with a smooth silky tannin finish. Very nice drinking in this thirteen year old - still has life left, no need to hurry - a very nice wine from a vintage that was given a bad rap as many of the 1998s turned out reasonably well, beyond expectations set by reviewers at the time.

REM 87 points. 

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6095

http://www.davidarthur.com/

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

This is another example showcasing the consistency and QPR (quality-price ratio) of this label. We continue to hold a vertical of this wine going back a dozen years and it continues to reward us. By the end of the evening, the Tapestry was standing tall showing off nicely polished fruits and silky tannins perhaps reveling in the apex of its drinking window.

Readers of this blog will notice our many recantations of our visits with the producer's of featured wines. Beaulieu Vineyards is an exception, having been the subject of our earliest visits to Napa Valley back in the eighties, long before we started chronicling such activities.

As one of the classic historical producers in Napa Valley, its classic facility on Route 29, mainstreet of Napa Valley, should be included on anyone's itinerary as a starting point for those exploring Napa wines and visiting the hallowed region.

My tasting notes from autumn of 2012 - Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a bit tight and closed initially, it took more than an hour for this to open up and fully reveal black berry fruits, a layer of anise and tones of cedar, black tea and smokey oak on a moderate tannin lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

Bill's tasting notes from Cellartracker -  "Tapestry almost never disappoints and this was no exception. Lesson learned from previous bottles, decanted for almost two hours before drinking. Medium garnet color, smooth, well integrated tannins. Slightly floral nose with cherry, mocha and a hint of oak on the finish."

WCC 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=410294

http://www.bvwines.com/

Still working ... more to come .. .check back ... 


  

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Surh Luchtel Mendocino County Cabernet and Columbia Valley Syrah

Surh Luchtel Mendocino County Cabernet and Columbia Valley Syrah

For a casual dinner at Angeli's our local neighborhood trattoria, we took two bottles BYOB from the cellar, an incredibly full flavored tasty recent release Syrah and an aged vintage Cabernet from Mendocino County California. 


Surh Luchtel Mendocino County Eaglepoint Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

I picked this up at auction after a good experience with another vintage from this producer from 2004. The earlier tasting was a  Surh-Luchtel Napa Valley wine while this one is from Mendocino County. These labels are the result of collaboration between two long time friends Don Suhr and Gary Luchtel who produce about 3000 cases per year.

Since these releases are small batches of wine crafted from purchased fruit, rather than fruit sourced from the producer's own estate or property, its not realistic to necessarily expect continuous years of the same wine from the same vineyards or terrior as it is known. So purchasing product based on earlier experience may not be an indicator of what to expect, other than perhaps similar care and attention to detail.

So it shouldn't be a surprise that this wine had no resemblance to the earlier experience, one being from Napa and the other from Mendocino County, two very different areas with very different terroir.

The 1997 Mendocindo Eaglepoint Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon was garnet colored, medium bodied with full flavors of plum and black cherry with a layer of tobacco leaf and tea on a leathery earthy finish.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=315084

The other wine we took is replay of a recent release that we've been enjoying that we wanted to share with friends Mark and Gayle who share our preference for bold full flavored fruit filled wines.

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101: Collectors Series Columbia Valley, Washington, Syrah, 2009
I discovered and first reviewed this wine last month in my blogpost. I love this style as my preferred profile of a Syrah, thick, chewy with sweet forward fruits. Dark inky colored, medium to full bodied, this full throttled Syrah reveals layers of blackberry and black currants fruits with tones of sweet vanilla, caramel and spice with hints of black pepper on a lingering smooth silky tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1742790



Saturday, January 11, 2014

Joseph Carr Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Joseph Carr Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

We've had several vintages of Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon from the Carneros appellation down at the bottom of Napa Valley where it meets Sonoma, an area more known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We found them to be moderate priced good value every day drinking wines.  Joseph Carr was an award winning Sommelier and international wine industry executive who set out on his own in 2005 and founded Joseph Carr Winery in Carneros, California. Carr are a family owned company dedicated to making quality handcrafted wines working with small growers, coopers and winemakers producing elegant, sophisticated, yet approachable wines from Napa Valley, Carneros, and the North Coast of California. The Josh label is named after Carr's father, and they strive to make wines that are "expressive, but unassuming and approachable – just like him".

This particular label comes from a single vineyard in the mountains of the Red Hills sitting at the highest section between the Vaca and Mayacamas mountain ranges. The Mayacamas range is the eastern facing slope that forms the western edge of Napa Valley, known for great Cabernet wines, due in part to ancient pyroclastic soils that contain volcanic glass. Josh Cellars North Coast Vineyards contain obsidian gravel that allows the soils to drain well, which is extremely important for growing Cabernet grapes. The high elevation sunlight combined with the rich volcanic red soils and obsidian fragments produce quality grapes that are extremely unique to the Red Hills. The vineyard itself sits on an East facing slope with varying altitude from 1200 to 2000 feet. The average daytime summer temperature is 84 degrees with an average nighttime temperature of 51 degrees. For the past 10 years, all grapes have been organically grown and sustainably farmed. 

This wine displays a dark garnet with a deep purple hue, is medium to full bodied; aromatic dark fruits and baking spices give way to blackberry fruit, dried fig, vanilla bean and nuts with a somewhat funky damp wood and earthy barnyard sense that detracts from the fruit, turning to lingering fine, firm tannins. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot.

RM 84 points.

This is a complex full wine that otherwise would be a great value at under $15 were it not for the offsetting aftertaste. Some folks may find it acceptable, certainly at this pricepoint. I was glad I only bought one bottle to try and will not buy more, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for follow on vintage releases and would not be surprised to find great QPR quality offerings.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1763930
http://josephcarrwine.com/


Sunday, December 29, 2013

Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003

Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003

We all gathered together for a gala family dinner before son Alec returns to NYC. Linda prepared a beef tenderloin wellington with a corn casserole, twice baked potatoes, broccoli and fresh roles. Ryan and I dug into the cellar for a 'big cab' and came up with a Whitehall Lane, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003 to close out the year with this ten year old. Anyone that has visited Napa Valley probably has driven past the Whitehall Lane property on Hwy 29 south of St Helena. In all our Napa trips, we've somehow missed stopping there. We'll need to visit Whitehall Lane on an upcoming trip.

Somewhere along the way I acquired a mini-vertical of this wine from the 1999 to 2004 vintages. Normally we'd open the oldest, or the least age-worthy vintage (such as the 1998 vintage that was panned by pundits in the shadow of the blockbuster highly acclaimed '97, but in the end has been drinking very nicely the past few years - especially when compared to the highly touted '97 which seems to be still developing, awaiting the time to reveal its full potential), but we had a duplicate of the '03 so we popped that one.

Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003

I am fighting off a winter cold with flu symptoms so my senses were diminished to adequately taste or fully appreciate this wine. Even in my state of dulled senses there was no mistaking the profile of this wine.

Ryan brought it upstairs and opened the bottle and was surprised to discover a glass stopper under the foil seal (see left). I have to admit in all my years of tasting literally thousands of wines, I don't recall coming across one of these. 

At ten years old, this showed no sign of aging diminution and came across a bit forward and adolescent with well balanced bright vibrant fruits.

Dark Ruby Red colored, medium to full bodied, it exhibited aromas and full flavors of black berry and black currant with a layer of alcohol that almost gave it a sense of bourbon, accented by sweet tones of vanilla, hints of anise, sweet mocha and a bit of cherry on a lingering silky moderate tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=197770

http://www.whitehalllane.com/


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Verney Syrah and Marc Bredif Chinon at Hemingways Bistro in Oak Park

Verney Syrah & Marc Brédif Chinon at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park 

After conducting a tour for friends Kathy M and Jackie P at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio where I am a docent/interpreter, we lunched at nearby Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park, for our second visit in as many weeks

Unlike our earlier visit and our small plates dinner the other night, I felt compelled to try French wines from their by-the-glass selections on the wine list. We chose two rather simple, approachable, pleasant easy drinking good value reds that were a nice complement to Linda's Bistro Burger and my Roast Pork loin special. 


Domaine Georges Vernay Syrah de Mirbaudie Vin De Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes  2011

From the little known appellation of Condrieu in the Northern Rhone river valley in south central France this wine is composed of 100% Syrah varietal. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, bouquet of red raspberry, pepper and spice, much like a Pinot Noir. Flavors of blackberry and slightly tart black cherry fruits give way to layer of spice and black pepper with tones of smoke and soft velvety tannins on the moderate finish. 

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1550986

http://www.domaine-georges-vernay.fr/en/




Marc Brédif Chinon 2011

From the little known appellation of Chinon in the Loire Valley that produces vibrant spicy, racy Cabernet Franc varietal based wines. They are less structured and tannic than the Cabernet Francs from the hotter region down south in Bordeaux where they are used as part of the Bordeaux blend to provide structure, color and a bit of spice. Since it is a lesser known region and produces simpler single varietal wines of Cabernet Franc, they are more approachable and are less expensive for a much greater value than if they were from Bordeaux or California. 

 Dark deep ruby colored rim on dark purple medium body, aromas of cassis and licorice, with a touch of vanilla; flavors of blackberry, hints of strawberry turning to cassis, some earthiness & touch of  minerality with moderate dry tannins on the short finish. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1608112

http://www.deladoucette.fr/bredif/bredif_accueil.html

http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/


Friday, December 27, 2013

Marchesi Antinori Villa Antinori Toscana


Marchesi Antinori Villa Antinori Toscana for Casual Everyday Italian Fare


One of the world's most prolific wine producers, the Antinori family, has been producing wine for over six centuries, since 1385, over twenty six generations. Today they produce over 500 different wines from properties around the world. We tasted two of their flagship premium labels during our gala Italian wine tasting last month - Guado Al Tasso and Tignanello.

Today we tasted their 'every day' wine, what I like to call 'pizza wine', wine for every day casual drinking, say with pizza. Lets face it, most of us have limited or finite funds to spend on wine and must moderate our consumption. (I recall reading the biography of Henry Ford (Ford: The Man and the Machine, by Robert Lacey, 1986 - Little, Brown & Company) that each evening at dinner, he drank Chateau Lafite Rothschild, c'est la vie!).  

I refer to every-day wines, 'once a week', 'once a month', year and 'once in a life-time wines' for collecting and eventual consumption at some special occasion. This would be one of those wines to buy and drink, not hold for a special once per month or per year occasion. Most notably, besides being widely available at an affordable under $20 price point, it is a respectable, reasonable quality drinking wine offering good QPR - quality price ratio for 'every day' consumption. While it is not elegant, refined or polished, it does provide full body and full flavors, ideal for pasta, pizza, burgers or even a steak.

Label from the 2006 vintage
For a casual lunch outing with friends Jackie P visiting from Phoenix with Kathy M, we dined at Nuova Italia in St Charles. Relatively new to the St Charles scene, this long standing Addison restaurant opened in a stylish and quaint old church on 4th street for a delightful quaint picturesque setting. They offer a extensive selection of Italian dishes of high quality, and good portions for a great value dining experience.

Marchesi Antinori Villa Antinori Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy, 2010 

Nuova Italia offer a basic, modest but fundamentally sound wine list, to accompany the basic Italian fare. From the list, we selected this Villa Antinori Toscana. This is what is known as a 'super Tuscan', a blend comprised on big bold varietals indigenous to the Tuscany region, but also well known and grown in Bordeaux and California - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the Italian varietal Sangiovese. The inclusion of Sangiovese in an otherwise Bordeaux blend is what sets this apart from a Bordeaux style and makes it a super Tuscan. In this case, the blend is 55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5% Syrah.


Per the winemaker's notes, "Antinori Villa Toscana IGT is intense ruby red in color. The aromas are also intense and complex with notes of spices, mint, and chocolate, which are particularly felt along with light aromas of rip cherries. On the palate the wine, savory and long, is full-bodied and round with supple and velvety tannins."

We found this to be dark garnet colored, full bodied with full forward black berry fruits with soft layers of chocolate mocha, baking spice and tobacco with supple soft moderate tannins on the finish.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1362207

Pate selection with Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve 2001

Pate' selection with Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve 2001

After a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, we stopped at the 'big' Binny's in west Lakeview to see if they've opened their new expansion to learn it is being held up by the City. We picked up a selection of Pate's for a wine pairing - Mousse of Foie Gras with Sauternes Wine, Venison Pate with cranberry and pistachio, and Peppercorn Mousse Fabrique Deuces California. To accompany the wines we opened one of our favorites - a twelve year old Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir from our vertical selection of this wine.

We both loved the Vension selection. My favorite was the creamy smooth and rich Mousse of Foie Gras. Neither of us cared for the Peppercorn Mousse which seemed to have an odd musty almost soap taste. The first two were great pairings with the wine.

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2001

Although we are not big Pinot drinkers we love this wine, one of the very few Pinot's in our cellar. Its a high achiever, always getting high marks thereby consistently offering a reasonable QPR. This year the 2010 release was Wine Spectator's #3 wine in its list of Top 100 gaining a 95 point rating. This 2001 was the oldest bottle in our vertical collection of this wine.

The winemaker's notes -
"With a brilliant ruby red color this wine opens to aromas of sweet red fruits, cherry, raspberry as well as more subtle spices of clove, cinnamon and pipe tobacco. On the front palate you taste blackberry and boysenberry that is rich and plumy. The wine has great weight and balance showing fine tannin on a supple frame. The finish is long with great earthy, toast, pepper and black olive. Blend of Pommard (77%), Wadenswil (16%) and Dijon (7%) clones of Pinot Noir from Estate Vineyards in the Red Hills (89%) and Eola Hills (11%)."

Ruby colored, medium bodied, this exhibited big fruit aromatics, full forward cherry, boysenberry and raspberry fruit flavors, clove and cinnamon spices with a layer tea, tobacco and hint of smoke on a smooth moderate tannin finish.

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=34178

http://www.domaineserene.com/


Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Venge Vineyards Penny Lane Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000


Venge Vineyards Oakville Napa Valley Penny Lane Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000

Christmas Day family dinner ... eight degrees outside, Linda made hearty lasagna so I pulled a Family Reserve Sangiovese from the cellar. It was a perfect combination.

We discovered, first tasted and purchased this wine during our winery visit and at a lunch tasting with winemaker Nils Venge as part of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2002. At lunch with Nils Venge, he spoke of the Family Reserve label being a testament to an annual gathering of the extended family coming together to harvest the Penny Lane Vineyard for this and a few other select wines. In earlier blog posts I've written about that visit and previous tasting notesother vintage tasting notes, and Nils Venge, his work with the Sangiovese grape varietal and its history.Venge's label series also features a collection of original art work labels.

Continuing to show its age, approaching the last chapter of its aging profile, its time to consume these thirteen year olds, we're nearing the end of our assorted case of these Sangiovese's.

As with earlier tasting notes, the 2000 Venge Vineyards Sangiovese is grown on the Venge Family Estate Penny Lane Vineyard in Oakville. Ripe and smooth for a Sangiovese, the 2000 is dark inky color but starting to show a tinge of rust and brown edges at this stage of life. Medium bodied, it still presents pretty, ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors at its core highlighted by a layer of herb and anise notes and touch of leather and tobacco. It has a flavorful lush long finish. 

RM 90 points.



https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17566

http://www.vengevineyards.com/


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Syrah stand-off - top rated Ojai Presidio vs. 90+ Cellars Lot 101

Syrah stand-off - top rated Ojai Presidio vs. 90+ Cellars Lot 101 

Here is a classic stand-off comparison between two contrasting styles of American Syrah. I've been enjoying the Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101 Syrah recent release as written here in my blogpost. So when son Ryan said he was bringing a highly rated Ojai Vineyard Central California Syrah to Christmas eve dinner, the challenge was on. Erin prepared a delicious beef tenderloin while Ryan prepared succulent lobster tails for a gala Christmas eve family dinner that included twice baked potatoes, Barb's green beans in bacon and herbs, and Alec's salad, followed by Baby Jesus' birthday cake and decadent dark chocolate mousse.


Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101: Collectors Series Columbia Valley, Washington, Syrah, 2009


I reviewed this wine last week in my blogpost. I love this style as my preferred profile of a Syrah, thick, chewy with sweet forward fruits. Dark inky colored, medium to full bodied, this full throttled Syrah reveals layers of blackberry and black currants fruits with tones of sweet vanilla, caramel and spice with hints of black pepper on a lingering smooth silky tannin finish.
 

RM 93 points.
 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1742790

 

Ojai Presidio Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah 2008 

Since 1983 Ojai Vineyard have been producing central California wines in the French style of Burgundy and the Rhone valley. Adam Tolmach studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis and worked at Zaca Mesa in Santa Barbara County after graduating in 1976. He co-founded Au Bon Climat with Jim Clendenen in 1982. After nine years Adam sold out to Jim to focus on Ojai Vineyard where he planted Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc on the property his grandfather bought in the Ojai Valley in 1933. 

Today the team of Adam and Helen Tolmach and Fabien Castel source fruit from a dozen different vineyards from the coolest districts in Northern Santa Barbara County. They produce wines from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier varietals. They produce about 6000 cases each year across about 15 different bottlings/labels, most of which are vineyard designated wines. This Syrah is another blockbuster in their recent lineup that received huge reviews and ratings. 

Black color, medium-full bodied, full aromatics of berry fruits, concentrated, complex, still a bit backwards and tight, a core of dark fruits is accented by creosote, licorice, tobacco and herbs with a hint of pepper. My preference is for the forward fruit filled style of the 90+ while the layers of tar and licorice detract of the Ojai from its appeal for my tastes, Robert Parker loves the Ojai and gives this 95 points. Ryan too favored the Ojai.


RM 89 points.

Parker's description - "Meaty and peppery, with green herbs, bacon fat, smoke, mineral and loads of dark fruit, this medium to full-bodied Syrah has superb purity and definition on the palate. Still backwards and tight, it needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and will thrill through 2024."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1585477

http://www.ojaivineyard.com/

Ravines Wine Cellars Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2012 

To accompany the lobster, I brought this recent release Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes region in New York. We visited Ravines during our visit to the Finger Lakes Wine Region in 2012. This is one of the very few Finger Lakes region producers to reach the Chicago market. Their Cabernet Franc and this Riesling can be found currently.

As noted in my blog posts from the time, Riesling is the primary and most appropriate varital grape grown in the region. They should stick to what they do best and focus on Riesling and a select few other varietals that are best suited to the climate and terroir there. But unfortunately they stray from the tried and tested approach learned in the old world and produce a wide variety of wines from an extraordinary wide selection of varietals. The result if a lot of mediocre and uninspiring wines. Never-the-less, Wine Spectator recently included Ravines Wine Cellars’ 2012 Dry Riesling in its Top 100 Wines of 2013, ranking it 33rd on the list.

James Molesworth rated the 2012 Dry Riesling with a 91 point score in the October issue of Wine Spectator, citing its “good weight and drive, with Asian pear, fennel and Fuji apple notes carried by lively acidity. Delivers lots of cut on the finish.”

Did he say fennel? Yes, I'm afraid so and this tends to detract from the harmony of the fruit. The wine tends to have a subtle but noticeable tone of what some might describe as rubber or tennis ball aromas.

I gave it 86 points.

Ryan gave it a 85 in his Cellartracker note - "strange wine. overpowering new rubber aroma and flavor..".


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1615267

http://ravineswine.com/

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Spring Valley Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2010

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Wine 2010

Following my post the other night on the earlier 2002 vintage of this wine, and upon seeking to replace it with the most current release, I wrote about it suddenly disappearing from merchant stocks after receiving a Top 100 #27 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 ranking for the year.

Son Alec picked up a half case on the east coast and brought it home for Christmas. So it was only fitting we popped a bottle to try it during our father-son dinner outing at his 'alma mater' restaurant where he worked through high school and college. Readers of this blog see regular frequent mentions of Angeli's, our favorite local Italian eatery.


This may be the most expressive Uriah I have tasted. It is the most complex on the front and most vibrant on the finish that I remember. We hold each vintage going back to 2002.

Dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex layers of tight spicy red currant and black raspberry fruits are accented by spicy clove, hints of smoky anise turning to a big mouthful of subtle cinnamon and hint of mocha on a big floral tongue tingling smooth dusty tannins.

RM 93 points.

Blend: 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1267234

http://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/


Culler Napa Valley Howell Mtn Cabernet 2005

Culler Wines Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 
At picturesque Ladera Winery on
Howell Mountain
This is the signature wine from Karen Culler who is the winemaker of Ladera Winery up on Howell Mountain. She produces this full throttle Howell Mountain cabernet and a cabernet syrah blend under the Culler label. We visited Ladera Winery up on Howell Mountain during our Ladera Napa Wine Experience 2008.
Dan Stotesberry, son of the Ladera owners, was marketing their wines and came and visited me here in Chicago several months later during one of his trips to the east. Traveling with him during that trip, I learned of the Karen Culler connection and I obtained these wines during our stops at Binny's here in Chicagoland as a result. 
Today, Dan works in sales and marketing for Pillow Road Vineyards up in Sonoma. We also tasted and acquired Pillow Road wines during our Ladera visits. Dan is no stranger to the midwest. He attended Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and then, after graduation, traded soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade. His passion for wine eventually lead him back to California and the family business at Ladera Winery and Pillow Road Vineyards. 
I pulled this from the cellar to enjoy with a grilled steak without forethought or thinking much about it.  Had I considered it further, I might have tasted this against the Ladera Howell Mountain Napa Cab from the same vintage. This might have revealed or suggested that they are the same wine. An intellectual exercise perhaps, I'll have to rely on my tasting notes and memory to compare the two when I eventually open the Ladera wine. We hold a collection of Ladera Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, Howell Mountain, Lone Canyon, and a label from 'Two Mountains'. We've heard they have sold off and discontinued the Lone Canyon production. 

Complicating the wine tasting comparison further will be the latency or delay between the two individual tastings which  will add another dimension of time or aging between the two specimens. 
Perhaps the comparison to Ladera may be errant or over-stated. The other dimension is to this wine compare this to other 'similarly situated' Howell Mountain Cabernets, those from the same terroir and like and similar vintages. That too may prove to be merely an intellectual exercise since there may be different components in the blend, different oak treatment, different harvest conditions, and so on. Never-the-less, these are the elements of tasting and comparing wines, hence the fun and fascination with the subject. 
 All that said, I have to say that I did not find this wine to strongly resemble any other Howell Mountain cabernets that I have tasted. The range of such wines that we hold in our cellar consist of Robert Craig, Cade, Beringer, Clark Claudon, Outpost, Lamborn, Viader and Oshaughnesy. Needless to say, we're huge fans of Howell Mountain Cabernets! Karen Culler may read this and be amused, or she may see her wine mentioned with list above and she'll see how off base I am, in which case, my 'miss' may be attributed to the differences cited above - time in bottle, oak treatment, aging, etc. In any event here is what I found in this wine tonight, the sport of tasting is all about discovering and diagnosing these comparisons and differences.
The Culler 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was dark purple colored, full bodied, complex, tight and a bit 'hard' or firm, which did tend to soften over the course of a couple hours over the evening. It presented black fruits with a layer of charcoal, slight hint of smoke, tones of anise and tobacco leaf, turning to a layer of  mocha sweetness on the moderate lingering tannin finish. I sense this would have been harder, more subdued and a bit closed had it been opened three to five years earlier, and in that same vein, will continue to soften and open and be more approachable over the next five years. 
 Regrettably, I don't have five or six more bottles to test this over time, but it does give me a benchmark to compare the aging profile of and effects of some other similar wines.
RM 92 points. 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=499128 
 


 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Roots Klee Pinot Noir Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park

Roots Klee Pinot Noir and Cain Cuvee' at Hemingway's Authentic French Bistro in Oak Park

Located in the center of the historic district in Oak Park amidst historic architecture and homes of historic figures sits Hemingway's Bistro, an authentic French dining experience. A few doors away is Ernest Hemingway's home, across the street from the Ernest Hemingway Museum, and a couple blocks away is Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio (where I am a docent/interpreter). (See my Frank Lloyd Wright site dedicated to Wright and Prairie Style architecture.)

After a day holiday shopping in Chicago with Linda and our friend Kay Z, we stopped enroute home for a festive wine and small plates tasting experience. While we deviated from the French wine selections, the rest of the experience could have been from the Languedoc or Loire. Chef Christopher Ala has worked as the opening Executive Chef of the Historic Allerton Hotel in Chicago after their 80 million dollar renovation, has also run the Le Meriden Hotel and the memorable classic Chez Paul Restuarant in Chicago. We remember dining at Chez Paul back in the early eighties. Most will recall it from its classic lunch scene in the movie Ferris Bueler's Day Off (Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago!).

Our small plates (see below) consisted of Oysters on the half shell, Foie Gras, Pate, a cheese selection plate, followed of course by desserts - creme brulee. For the wine selection we chose a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Roots Vineyards. With desserts, our second wine was Cain Cuvee' Napa Valley NV9. Hemingway's wine list is primarily French and also American with over 60 selections by the bottles and 30 by the glass.

As I often write in this blog, it is easy to find a great Pinot Noir for $80. It is hard to to find a good, well priced Pinot for under $25, let alone under $20. A high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) Pinot Noir is one of the toughest varietals to find. Start with a producer who tends to over achieve with a value brand. Chris Berg,  from “five family vineyards” in the Willamette Valley brings us this respectable value priced offering with the stylish art inspired whimsical label.


Born is Racine, Wisconsin, raised in the midwest, Chris Berg moved when his family relocated to Oregon to start a business. In 1999, the Bergs planted seven acres of mostly Pinot Noir on the 20-acre property near Yamhill in the Yamhill-Carlton District of the Willamette Valley. Chuck and Dian Berg built a small house on the vineyard, and son Chris lived in Portland with his wife, Hilary. After Chuck and Dian moved to Arizona, Chris and Hilary took over the vineyards and winemaking duties.

The Roots name on the label is from the French word Racine taken from Chris' birthplace.

In 2002, the Bergs picked their first harvest of a mere three tons, which were made into 72 cases of Pinot Noir. Today, Roots produces approximately 3,800 cases annually. Wines include their flagship estate Pinot Noir, as well as eight single vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs, sourced mostly from neighboring vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Other wines include an estate Pinot Gris, Melon de Bourgogne, Viognier, Riesling, Dessert Riesling, Syrah and a methode champenoise sparkling, Theo, named after their son. All these wines are made in very small lots and handcrafted using indigenous yeasts.

In homage to one of Chris' favorite artists, Roots' second label, Klee (named after Paul Klee), makes up the largest portion of their case production with 2,000 cases made annually. The artwork is their own adaptation of a Klee painting. An art lover would recognize the artist Klee style artwork, the label is a clever rendition of a brilliant melange of color with a take-off of the Chesire Cat and a wine bottle.




Klee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011

Ruby colored, medium bodied, classic in the style of  Roots with the soft core fruits of black cherry, cranberry and plum with accents of spice and a hint of earth. The fermentation is done with indigenous yeasts, and the wine sees 10 months in neutral oak.  This is a pleasant easy drinking Pinot that is a great value - a rare find indeed. Credit Hemingway's for finding and offering such a feature.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1524739

http://www.rootswine.com/

http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/

Cain Cuvee' NV9

Cain's Cuvée project began over 20 years ago as a multi-vintage, multi-varietal blend based primarily on Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are sourced from Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Spring Mountain, and Atlas Peak. Each vintage is a new, carefully made blend and many of the same rows of the same vineyards are included in each cuvée.

Cain Cuvee' NV 9
From winemaker Christopher Howell: "The facts will explain nothing. The NV09 is 53% Merlot (the balance being Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot), and it’s a blend of two vintages: 2009 (57%) and 2008 (43%). What sets the wine apart is how it tastes... This has everything I want in a red wine: smooth entry, mouth filling, sits gently and lightly on the palate, just enough mouthwatering tannins to cleanse the palate. Aromas of black cherries, red cherries, cigar box. Core of red fruit carries through from beginning to end. Nicely refined. Nothing sticks out."

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, firm and a bit tight, black berry and black cherry fruits give way to cigar box and tea with moderate lingering tannins. May soften and open with a few more years in the cellar.

Merlot 53%, Cabernet Franc 26%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Petit Verdot 1%

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1570637

http://www.cainfive.com/


Hemingway's dining room
Foie gras with red pear
Pate' plate

Danielle preparing the cheese plate
Wine and cheese plate


Creme brulee


Friday, December 13, 2013

Private Labels Often Offer Great QPR Value

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101: Collectors Series Columbia Valley, Washington, Syrah, 2009


Ninety Plus (aka 90+) Cellars operate under the practice known in the 'old wine world' as a 'négociant', the French word for wine merchant/trader acting as a middleman consolidator. They buy excess production from producers and sell it under their own 'private' label. They seek out producers of high quality wines, wines that consumers might hold for special occasions, but strive to price it at 'every day' wine prices, at a fraction of the original price.

The practice is a derivative of the original négociant role dating back in France where négociants, or Wine Merchants/Traders, were the dominant force in the wine trade until the last couple of decades. Historically, owners of vineyards and producers of wine had no direct access to buyers and did not engage in the practice of directly marketing their product. The practice was perpetuated over time due to the arcane French inheritance laws where land and vineyard holdings were often split up amongst the heirs such that offspring owned only parts of a vineyard,  sometimes no more than a single row of grapes. The resulting fragmentation often meant that an owner of only a small portion of a particular high-quality single vineyard where that grower had insufficient wine from a parcel to vinify on its own. Negociants purchased and consolidated wines and engaged in bottling, marketing and distribution.

The négociant might buy already fermented wine in barrels or in bulk containers and may age the wine further, blend in other wines or simply bottle and sell it as is. Often the wine is already bottled or 'in glass' but not yet labeled. The result is sold under the name of the négociant, not the name of the original grape or wine producer. Some French négociants in earlier times had long lived and recognizable labels sourcing wines from the same producer's and region over time so as to develop their recognizable house style.

I recall when I started buying wine early in my collecting 'career', buying wines under the négociant's label. One example I distinctly remember was the popular négociant label, B&G from Barton & Guestier. I remember buying their non-specific 1975 vintage St. Emilion, which referred to the appellation but lacking any specificity of the individual source producer. Today, Barton & Guestier tout themselves as the first French brand name known to millions of consumers worldwide. They have been in the wine business for almost three centuries. They cite that their role and expertise 'guarantees regular quality, vintage after vintage, and reassures consumers in increasingly complicated markets'. They are present in 130 countries on 5 continents.

Over time,  prices for a premier cru associated with the more specific appellation or even specific vineyard, or producer were higher than for wines attributed to a larger area like a village or region. Grower's realized they could make more money selling off the production as the premier cru rather than blending it into a less specific appellation or more generalized label. This works in vibrant markets when there is sufficient demand for the higher priced quality wines. When markets collapse or when production exceeds demand, excess inventory creates opportunity for the negociant to acquire and market the premier product at value prices - often great opportunities of high QPR - Quality to Price ratios.

While it is a stretch to compare Ninety Plus Cellars in the same sense as the historic brand B&G, their role here is no less significant to the consumer. They started the company during the economic downturn in 2009 when demand for wines priced more than $20 a bottle fell and and inventories grew. Rather than discount their wines and erode the value of their brands,  some producers were willing to sell off excess inventory at the distressed market prices on the condition they would be marketed under the 90+ Cellar's label. 90+ Cellars obtains the excess production and is able to sell it at discounted prices on the condition non-disclosure of the their source (s).

Ninety Plus Cellars' goal is to seek out, bottle and deliver fine wine at discounted prices.  Of course their tantalizing name would imply they only seek out or offer wines rated a 90 or higher on the overrated 100 point scale. While that may not always be the case, they often offer good QPR opportunities, none-the-less. Their cover was 'blown' in one case when they obtained bottled but as yet unlabeled product and resold it with their own 'private' label, but when the wine was uncorked, the producer's identity was revealed on their original corks. Aha!

As soon as I tasted this Syrah at the local wine merchant Malloy's store in Naperville, I knew they had a winner, substantiating their claims that they had landed a top rated Syrah and were able to sell it at a deeply discounted price. I probably should have bought as much as I could obtain. Well actually, I did clean them out, and then went back for more when their next shipment arrived the following week. But I did leave some for others. I may regret leaving it behind!

This is a 2009 Columbia Valley, Washington, Syrah that they market under the label Ninety Plus Cellars, Collectors Series, Lot 101. The label specified that '250 cases'. Interestingly it doesn't say produced. How many cases were sold under some other, perhaps well known, perhaps higher priced label?

Dark inky colored, medium to full bodied, this full throttle Syrah reveals layers of blackberry and black currants fruits with tones of sweet vanilla, caramel and spice with hints of black pepper on a lingering smooth silky tannin finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1742790

http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/wines/lot-101-collectors-series-syrah

http://www.barton-guestier.com/en/index.php




Sunday, December 8, 2013

Château La Louvière Pessac-Leognan Graves Bordeaux 1994

Château La Louvière Pessac-Leognan Graves Bordeaux 1994


There is still life left in this nineteen year old. We still have half a dozen half bottles of this original case we purchased upon release. The original wood cases of 375ml small format half bottles contained 24 bottles equaling the same amount of wine as twelve regular 750ml bottles.

Dark Ruby color with a brownish tinge starting to set in. Medium bodied, leathery and smoky tones predominate over the black cherry and black berry fruits, accented by cedar and tangy cinnamon spice that gives way to a big full floral note that fills the mouth and lingers for minutes with the tongue coating moderate tannins.

This wine provides a good QPR - Quality Price Ratio with its pleasant early drinkability coupled with its longevity.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=38869