Lamborn Howell Mtn Zin and Pizza on the Patio

Lamborn Howell Mountain Zinfandel - Perfect for Pizza on the Patio

I wrote the other day about the imperative of keeping some zinfandel in the cellar for barbecue, and pizza was part of that order too. We had an impromptu pizza and wine dinner with neighbor Shirley on the patio by the pool, while Mark was on the big lake preparing the boat for this weekends colossal Chicago Air and Water Show. We ordered from a local eatery our consensus favorite, thin slice well done ... and I pulled from the cellar this hearty robust Zinfandel.

This is another in the collection of Lamborn Family Vineyards Zinfandels I recently obtained at auction that I wrote about in that recent blogpost.

As I wrote, we visited Lamborn Family Vineyards high atop Howell Mountain on the back side of the mountain overlooking the Pope Valley, during our Napa Wine Experience in 2008. Mike and Terry Lamborn are wonderful folks whose vineyards are a labor of love, and site for whimsical and fun scuplture artwork too. Legendary Heidi Barrett is their winemaker. We also share a bit of a bond with Lamborn from our work in National Security Intelligence.

I wrote about Howell Mountain terroir provides distinctive concentrated spicy fruit for Zinfandel (as well as Cabernet) and is one of our favorite appellations of the seventeen Napa growing areas.

Lamborn Family Vineyards "Echo Vintage" Zinfandel 2004

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied. big forward concentrated brambly rich super ripe black berry fruits with tones of ripe raisin, fig and creosote and hints of black pepper. I am sure the concentrated bramble profile is accented by its age. This wine begs for spicy pasta, dark chocolate or the like to offset the robust forward fruits. The girls love this style but I personally find it almost 'over to top'.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=260429

https://www.lamborn.com/ 

97 Napa Reds Highlight Steak Salmon Dinner

Tasty '97 Napa Reds Highlight Grilled Steak Salmon Dinner - 1997 Vertical Tasting

The plan was to attend the Wednesdays, Woods and Wine evening concert with friends Bill and Beth, part of the summer series at the Morton Arboretum where we've been members for decades. When we arrived the parking lots were overflowing to a remote lot with no transport to the venue. With lawn chairs and picnic dinner, it wasn't an option so we headed back home. The ever resourceful Linda pulled together an impromptu dinner of grilled steaks and salmon and we pulled from the cellar these tasty reds.


David Arthur Napa Valley Meritaggio 1997

Our tasting at the David Arthur winery overlooking Napa Valley was a highlight of our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013.

This was nice tasty easy sipping starter on the deck pre-dinner. CT says I still have six bottles of the case we bought on release but I think this may the last bottle from the lot.

Consistent with previous tasting notes, this may be at its apex as its showing well - bright and expressive, such that I extended the CT posted drinking window from 2010 to 2016.

Deep dark ruby colored with tinge of purple, medium to full bodied, elegant, polished, smooth and delicious full forward sweet currant, plum and red berry fruits accented by subtle smoke layer turning to silky smooth tannins on a full long finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6106

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

This was a mini tribute to producer Freddie Constant. Bill and I both received our release mailer from Constant this last week and noted the picture of team Constant, sans the departed Freddie who passed away since last harvest. We recalled the tasting we did with him at the spectacular winery high atop Diamond Mountain.

Like the Meritaggio above, this is also showing well at eighteen years, indicating the aging ability and length of the '97 vintage - patience being rewarded! I modified this drinking window too, from 2012 to 2016, as its still hitting its stride.

Dark blackish garnet colored, tightly wound concentrated core of black berry and black raspberry fruits with tones of tobacco, graphite, black tea and hints of leather and allspice on the firm but smooth tannin finish. This was a perfect complement to the grilled steaks.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36392

After dinner with fresh baked shortbreads and assorted chocolates we opened this other smooth easy drinking sipper.

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Walla Walla Red Wine 2005 

Bill asked for a Merlot based blend and we found this. Back in 2009 I wrote that this definitely needs some time. Well, its time! This was delightful and a perfect fit for the after dinner cake and chocolates. At that time I wrote, "Definitely needs some time - decant and let breathe. A bit harsh up front with cedar and tar overpowering black currant and black berry fruits - turns to vanilla with creme brulee burnt sugar on the long firm tannin filled finish. Still approachable and enjoyable - just not as smooth as the '03 or the '06."

Well, this has softened and become much more approachable in the five years since.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, smooth polished forward aromatic black currant and black berry fruits give way to hint of nicely integrated oak turning to tones of minerality, black cherry and dark mocha chocolate with hints of anise and tobacco.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=365759

Bordeaux varietal blend of 53% Merlot, 36% Cab franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec.

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

Vineyard Wedding in Michigan

Vineyard Wedding and Wine in Michigan

Friends Dave and Marie's daughter Jacki wanted a wedding amidst the vines of a vineyard. The thought of a vineyard wedding prompts thoughts of a destination wedding in Tuscany, Provence or Sonoma. But with a lake home on the Michigan shores in southwestern Michigan wine country, this was not a far-fetched idea for them.

About two hours from Chicago is a burgeoning wine producing region the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country, an designated AVA - American Viticultural Area. Starting at the Indiana border, it reaches across the southwestern corner of Michigan north to the Kalamazoo River and east toward the City of Kalamazoo.

Those of us that live near the Great Lakes are familiar with 'Lake effect' weather - more moderate near the Lake - cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. Those along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes are affected even more profoundly by snows that are produced by the more moderate lake warmed air crossing the lake and picking up moisture to be deposited as it is sharply cooled on landfall. We've all seen the news footage of highly localized snowbelts that measure their snowfall in feet rather than inches. 

These more temperate climates with moderated extremes of heat and cold, also protect the varietal grape vine's fragile buds in spring and ripening fruits in summer. The deep, lake-effect snows insulate the rich soil so the vine roots don’t freeze, and the consistent annual rainfall enables the production of clusters of grapes for producing abundant wines. And the soil is sand for optimal maximum drainage to starve the vines to produce intense fruits.

Michigan has 15,000 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• Most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.
• About 2,650 acres are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the fifth state in wine grape production in the nation.
• Vineyard area has doubled over the last 10 years.
• Michigan's 117 commercial wineries produce more than 1.4 million gallons of wine annually, making Michigan 13th in wine production. The vast majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 2 million visitors annually.
The wine industry contributes $300 million annually to Michigan's economy.
Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• Vinifera varieties - these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; about 65% of Michigan's wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1997, 90% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.
• Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) - these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; about 35% of Michigan's wine grapes are hybrids.
• Native varieties - actually close relatives of true native varieties. Typical names are Concord and Niagara. About 3% of Michigan's wine is made from these varieties.

Most of Michigan's quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the "lake effect" protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.
Michigan has four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan's wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan's wine grapes are grown. This area has a growing season averaging 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Both are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.
Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of August in the southwest and may extend into November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.
Increasingly, Michigan wines are receiving high honors at national and international competitions. In addition, the Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition provides for head-to-head comparisons of the best of Michigan. Results are posted online following each year's competition.
Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).
Michigan wines are typically "cool climate" - clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal character
- See more at: http://www.michiganwines.com/fast-facts#sthash.SgElcqLG.dpuf

People outside the region will be astonished to hear that Michigan has 15,000 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state. While most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara, about 2,650 acres are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the fifth state in wine grape production in the nation. The amount of vineyard area has doubled over the last 10 years.

Today, Michigan has 117 commercial wineries that produce more than 1.4 million gallons of wine annually, making Michigan 13th in wine production. The majority of the grapes produced are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc.

About one-third of the production is Hybrid varieties - crosses between the European vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America, such as Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles.

So, last weekend we attended Jacki and Chris' wedding and sipped on local Michigan wines. Being the wine snob that I am, I've been known to say there are no appealing Michigan wines. Previous experiences of Michigan Bordeaux varietal based wines were 'grassy' and 'woody' with musty subdued fruit. This weekend we tasted and toasted not only respectable tasty wines, but wines of European Bordeaux varietals that here-to-for unremarkable, showed nice somewhat complex yet approachable fruits with balanced fruit, moderate acid and tannins.


In fact, the local Cabernet Sauvignon served was a great accompaniment to the grilled steak, and the Chardonnay to the salmon filets. 

The story book setting amongst the vines on the temperate summer evening could've been in Sonoma, Provence or Tuscany! Bocci balls aside!






Twelve Corners Vineyards Lake Michigan Shores Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and currant fruits with tones of smoke, hints of earthy leather and all spice on a moderate tannin finish.

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2162940





 

Twelve Corners Vineyards Lake Michigan Shores Chardonnay 2012

Butter colored, medium bodied, tangy citrus and wet stone predominate, dry white wine with aromas of apple and vanilla. Oak barrel and steel tank aging lends to the complex and zesty finish. 


RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2162944

http://www.12corners.com/



Twelve Corner Vineyards Beach Cottage Vacation White and Red names and labels reflect the Lake Michigan Shore appellation lifestyle and scene.

Michigan has 15,000 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• Most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.
• About 2,650 acres are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the fifth state in wine grape production in the nation.
• Vineyard area has doubled over the last 10 years.
• Michigan's 117 commercial wineries produce more than 1.4 million gallons of wine annually, making Michigan 13th in wine production. The vast majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 2 million visitors annually.
The wine industry contributes $300 million annually to Michigan's economy.
Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• Vinifera varieties - these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; about 65% of Michigan's wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1997, 90% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.
• Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) - these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; about 35% of Michigan's wine grapes are hybrids.
• Native varieties - actually close relatives of true native varieties. Typical names are Concord and Niagara. About 3% of Michigan's wine is made from these varieties.

Most of Michigan's quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the "lake effect" protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.
Michigan has four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan's wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan's wine grapes are grown. This area has a growing season averaging 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Both are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.
Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of August in the southwest and may extend into November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.
Increasingly, Michigan wines are receiving high honors at national and international competitions. In addition, the Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition provides for head-to-head comparisons of the best of Michigan. Results are posted online following each year's competition.
Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).
Michigan wines are typically "cool climate" - clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal character
- See more at: http://www.michiganwines.com/fast-facts#sthash.SgElcqLG.dpuf

Fogdog Sonoma Chardonnay 2010

Fogdog Sonoma Chardonnay 2010 - Lot 101 Columbia Valley Syrah for pleasant casual summer sipping

Dr's Pat and Carol-Ann came visiting so I opened this crisp casual sipping Chardonnay for the gals to enjoy with french bread, cheese and fruits. The term Fogdog  speaks to a ray of light poking through the fog - a not uncommon occurance in the mist shrouded vineyards near the coast in northwest Sonoma County.

As written in earlier blogposts, this is an interesting whimsical label from the legendary Joseph Phelps known for Bordeaux varietal wines from Napa Valley. Yet Phelps loved the wines of Burgundy and wanted to craft wines in that style. Originally he sourced Chardonnay from Napa Valley St. Helena, then Yountville and later from Carneros, down at the bottom of the Mayacamas Range (the range that separates yet helps form Napa and Sonoma Valleys) at the top of San Pablo Bay where Napa and Sonoma Valleys meet. Like the Sonoma Coast, Carneros is another locale notable for growing Burgundian varietals Chardonnay and Pinot Noir due to the milder climatic effects of the Bay with the fog that creeps into the low lying vineyards up against the hills.

Through the years, he continued searching for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He found the perfect combination of climate, soil and location in Freestone, in the Sonoma Coast appellation AVA, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, Joseph Phelps Vineyards began developing 100 acres of vineyards just outside of Freestone.

In 2005, he built a new winery which was completed in time for the 2007 harvest. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay produce remarkable estate-grown wines bearing the Joseph Phelps name.

The moniker 'fogdog' refers to 'a bright or clear spot that appears in the breaking fog'. Being just five miles from the coast, the fog rolls in from the ocean and graces the vineyards early in the day before being burned off by the late morning sun.

We've also enjoyed the Fogdog Pinot Noir on several occasions including during one of our New York/Hoboken getaways.

Winemaker Notes: This wine has a very expressive floral bouquet with notes of baking spices, wet stone and toasted vanilla bean. There is a hint of mid-palate sweetness that nicely buffers the core of acidity and complements the array of pear tart, white peach, green apple and lemongrass flavors. 

Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sourced from the Dutton Ranch Mill Station Vineyard (67%) and the Freestone estate vineyards (33%). 

The 2010 Chardonnay growing season was slow and cool, producing excellent fruit quality with uniform sugar and acid levels, despite the late season weather challenges, making for excellent natural winemaking conditions. The finished wines are balanced and fresh with a distinctly Freestone spice element.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1342737

http://www.josephphelps.com/visit-us-sonoma-coast/

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 101 Syrah 2009

While the ladies sipped on Chardonnay, I opened a more hearty, fruit forward robust Syrah for enjoyable summer sipping. Like several earlier tastings against several Shiraz' or Syrahs, this has served as a tasting benchmark.  

I've written several times in these pages that this high QPR (quality-price-ratio) negociant label at less than half the price of some of the vineyard designated Napa Syrahs, may be one of our favorite drinking wines in our cellar right now.

Dark inky garnet 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 90 points.

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

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

Silvercreek Urbana Wine Dine Experience

Silvercreek Urbana Wine Dine Experience

Traveling cross-state we stopped enroute in Champaign/Urbana for a fine dining experience at Silvercreek Restaurant. Their website speaks to their Silvercreek Restaurant 'modern American cuisine' - 'quality interpretations of classic dishes using only the freshest ingredients from local farmers, or right from our own garden'. Their on-line menu featured many enticing selections, so we planned our route accordingly and called for reservations.

The Silvercreek website has only a terse mention of 200 wines on offer but no details so we took a chance on committing to the experience. Readers of this blog know that wine is a major determinant of our dining experience so imagine our delight when we arrived, settled in and were presented with an award worthy extensive wine list. It offers a respectable selection by region, varietal and includes a nice selection of WBTG - wine-by-the-glass, as well as a couple half bottles. Several of our favorite and reliable standby wines were available such as Napa Valley staples Robert Craig, Caymus, Silver Oak, and Seavey. But there was also a selection of French and other regions represented as well. Prices were a bit steep at two times retail which we would consider big city or Chicago prices.

I ordered the roasted duck with balsamic cherry jam, wild mushroom risotto, baby kale and arugula salad, while Linda ordered the Crispy Potato-Crusted Michigan Whitefish with carrots, grilled asparagus, pancetta, wild mushrooms and citrus cream. The offer of half bottles provided the perfect opportunity to select a quality red wine pairing for my entree, while  Linda could get a well matched white pairing for her fish. While convenient and accommodating for casual sipping, WBTG seldom offer premium or more sophisticated selections for a wine-dine pairing.

When asked how things were by the server, I admonished him that the wine was too warm, and the food too cool. The wine was room temperature which detracts from the enjoyment and discrimination of fruits. The food was warm, not hot, which in retrospect on viewing the pictures may be due to the fact they combined cool salad on the same plate as the hot entree, a practice I would avoid for just this reason.

I then ordered the multi-layered chocolate desert - dark chocolate over chocolate mousse over chocolate cake. This also was a great accompaniment to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape we orderd.

While delicious and a great pairing, it wasn't as moist or fresh as it could be, and begged to be served with au-lait or coffee, which inexplicably and regretably always seems to be served as a follow on course!

Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010

As noted above, ordered from 375ml half bottle. I wrote the other day about the imperative of keeping Zinfandel in the cellar for the occasional pairing with BBQ. Another such collection note is to keep Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CDP) for game dishes such as duck, another natural perfect pairing. Duck and CDP are one of my favorite such pairings - the complexity and boldness and forward fruits of CDP with the bold forward flavors of duck and the bright expressive compote accompaniment.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape complexity comes from the fact that it is typically a blend of several grape varietals, as many as thirteen are sanctioned by the Appellation tenants, with bold fruit forward Syrah being one of the more predominant. This Chateauneuf cuvée represents classic terroir and representation from a strong vintage. This is a blend of Grenache (70%) and the rest of equal part Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault.

Dark purple colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced dark berry and black cherry fruits predominate with a layer of a mix of tones of black olive tapenade, garrigue, tree bark, spice, floral, hints of leather, anise and pepper with nice balance and smooth approachable tannins on the slightly acidic finish. 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1225374

So what is garrigue? According to Dr Vinny of Wine Spectator - "Garrigue refers to the low-growing vegetation on the limestone hills of the Mediterranean coast, not the limestone itself. There are a bunch of bushy, fragrant plants that grow wild there, such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender, and garrigue refers to the sum of them. Think herbes de Provence, or a mix of fresh minty-herbal notes with more pungent, floral fragrances." And of course Provence is the doorway to the Rhone River Valley of which Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the standard bearer premier wine region and style of the southern Rhone.

Linda's white fish was nicely prepared and tasty. We ordered the Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc by the glass which complemented nicely.

For desert Linda order the trio of creme-brulee - one of rigorous bold blueberry, one of pronounced orange peel, and one of chocolate. Had we known or internalized the ramekin portion size we would have shared. Regretably, the chocolate selection came with canned spray on creme rather than creme fraiche. Nevertheless they were tasty.

Overall, Silvercreek offered a trendy stylish building setting in the rustic historic building with open rafters, high ceilings, natural oak, and airy well lit window seating. The staff were students, who are still learning the trade and getting settled into the routine but were earnest, sincere and attentive. The overall food and wine experience was very pleasant and good quality, although if they're going to ask big city prices, they need to be slightly more attentive to the details. I suspect that as they get into the school season, they'll catch their stride. We look forward to visiting again.

http://www.couriersilvercreek.com/

Zinfandel for Barbecue and more

Zinfandel for Barbecue, Ribs, and More ...

We always keep a couple of bottles of Zinfandel in the cellar for when we have barbecue (BBQ). They're made for each other ... Neophyte wine drinkers should also venture into Zinfandel as it provides fruit forward, easy, casual sipping and goes well with pizza, pasta, fruits, salads and grilled meats. For the more discriminating Oenophile (a lover or connoisseur of wine), Zinfandel can also offer complex sophisticated drinking as well. And Zinfandels generally provide great QPR - quality to price ratios.

I recently picked up a selection of Zinfandels at auction for such occasions. I was delighted to find selections from Lamborn Family Vineyards, producers of fine Zins as well as notable quality Cabernets. We collect and hold a vertical of several vintages of Lamborn Cabernet which we enjoy on special occasions. Notably, some Lamborn wines are crafted by the legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett.

We visited Lamborn Vineyards high atop Howell Mountain during our Napa Wine Experience in 2008. Mike (w/ Mike left) and Terry Lamborn are wonderful folks whose vineyards are a labor of love, and site for whimsical and fun scuplture artwork too. They're on the back side of the mountain overlooking the Pope Valley, right down the road and across from Outpost and Robert Craig, both also known for great Cab's and Zins. Howell Mountain terroir provides distinctive concentrated spicy fruit in both varietals and is one of our favorite appellations of the seventeen Napa growing areas.

Lamborn Family Vineyards "The Cork Report" Zinfandel 2001

At fourteen years, this is past it's prime drinking window, but still enjoyable. Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, black berry and raspberry fruits give way to a layer of vanilla accented by earthy spice, oak, and hints of mocha with a firm but approachable tannin acid finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=26073

https://www.lamborn.com/ 

Anniversary and birth year labels highlight celebration dinner

Fun with wine - Anniversary and birth year labels highlight celebration dinner

For a gala family reunion celebration dinner we opened some commemorative Anniversary labels and a special birth year wine for the special occasion.  Sister Jan and her family came in from So-Cal for the family gathering. We celebrated a 35th and 40th anniversary, a milestone 90th birthday, recent birth of grandson Richard Reid, and upcoming marriage of niece Krysta.

For the occasion we opened a selection of Napa Sonoma Cabernets - a magnum of bride-to-be Krista's birth year 1989 Silver Oak, a 35th Anniversary label Keenan Spring Mtn, and Caymus commemorative 40th Anniversary 1 Liter Napa Estate Cabernets.

We held the dinner at Theo's Steakhouse in Highland. DJ and the rest of the Theo's staff did a spectacular job accommodating our BYOB wine, serving our group of fourteen, and the dinner preparations were superb - meeting or exceeding our expectations in every respect.

An unexpected special treat of the evening was the performance of the live entertainment whose repertoire appealed to and was enjoyed by all four generations in our group.

We started the evening with a champagne toast from a white sparkler from the winelist. The featured red wines were a journey and presentation of the contrast of diverse styles, terroir, profiles and vintages of Napa / Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were a perfect accompaniment to the salad with accent blue cheese, grilled steaks, and chocolate layer cake finale.

Perhaps entering the finale stages of its prime drinking window, the more modest and muted style of the Sonoma Alexander Valley were a sharp contrast to the full throttle big bold expressive '12 Caymus and the more complex Keenan Spring Mountain Cabs.


Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1989 (Magnum)

My cellar records indicate that we hold fifteen different vintages of this label dating back to the eighties so this is a wine we know well and enjoy often.

Continuing a tradition of large format bottles for special family occasions, I pulled and brought this birth year magnum from the cellar. At twenty six years, this was showing its age in the rust brickish color showing on the edges.

Muted upon opening, the expressive signature layers of 'silver' oak emerged and amplified over the course of the evening. The slightly astringent acidic black berry fruit was punctuated by a layer of leather, earthy tobacco leaf and black tea before giving way to the layer of oak that permeated the finish. This was a special bottle that showed its heritage and terroir well.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=41259

http://www.silveroak.com/



Keenan Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (35th Anniversary Edition Label) 

We visited Keenan Winery high atop Spring Mountain during our Napa Wine Experience 2007.

This was the most complex, balanced and polished of the three wines.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry and black raspberry fruits give to way tones of tobacco and a hint of coffee turning to moderate lingering tannins on the finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2070520

http://www.keenanwinery.com




Caymus Vineyards Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (40th Anniversary Label) 

From a special release 1 Liter bottle, by far the most popular wine of the evening was the Caymus '12.

Dark inky purple, full bodied, big brooding ripe tongue coating plum, black and blue berry fruits predominate turning to a layer of mocha chocolate with a hint of cassis on a big finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1805868

www.caymusvineyards.com