Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco 2019

Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco DOC 2019

We discovered and tasted Donnafugata wines as part of the Italian Village Chicago virtual wine dinner tasting and food pairing. For the evening, Italian Village Restaurants hosted “A Night in Sicily” presented by Jared Gelband, Italian Village Wine Director and Chef Jose, and guest host Italian Wine Specialist, Daniele Sbordi, who lead a virtual journey to the island of Sicily and a tasting of wines from producer Donnafugata Winery. 

Having tried their wines, I was interested to explore more of their portfolio and picked up this label on my next visit to our local wine shop, Binny's, the Chicagoland beverage super store. For a baked pork chop dinner, I opened this Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco, a crisp light refreshing easy drinking white, an ideal pairing and perfect for the occasion.

As I wrote in my recent post, Donnafugata is the brand of the Rallo family of Sicily, who have 150 years of tradition in producing premium wines. Wine producers Giacomo Rallo and his wife, Gabriella, launched the Donnafugata brand in 1983. The name Donnafugata, translated literally “woman in flight,” refers to the history of the Habsburg queen Maria Carolina who was the consort of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. In the early 19th century, she fled Naples and found refuge a few miles from the estate’s vineyards. Her story inspired the effigy of the head of a woman with her hair tossed by the wind that dominates the label of every bottle of Donnafugata. 

Donnafugata wines are produced in three distinct grape-growing sites in western Sicily: the historic cellars in Marsala, built in 1851; the cellar at Contessa Entellina, where the company has 642 acres of vineyards planted to Ansonica, Catarratto, Nero d’Avola, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah; and the cellar on the volcanic island of Pantelleria, where Donnafugata cultivates 104 acres of Zibibbo vineyards. 

Part of their distinctive personality and branding of Donnafugata wines is their library of elaborate labels based on artwork inspired by Gabriella Rallo and designed by Stefano Vitale whose original artwork is featured each on the labels of each of the two dozen wines they produce. All Donnafugata wines are renowned for their use of native Sicilian and international varietals, balancing tradition and innovation in a quest for quality wines.

Wines from Sicily represent over 15% of Italy’s total vineyard land - more than the whole country of South Africa and almost as much as Australia!

One third of these Sicilian vineyards' acreage are devoted to the Catarratto grape, followed by Nero d’Avola, the second most produced grape and top red. Much of the Catarratto that is produced is blended with Inzolia and Grillo to make the famous Marsala wine, a fortified wine similar to Port with the rest used to produce mostly affordable everyday wines.

Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco DOC 2019

This label is a blend of indigenous Sicilian grapes, mostly Lucido (Catarratto) and Ansonica plus a small amount of other international varieties from southwest Sicily, Italy. The wine was fermented and aged for a short period in stainless steel. 

Winemaker notes: Anthìlia is made principally from Catarratto, a white grape native to Sicily and grown at the winery’s Contessa Entellina estate and surrounding vineyards. The fruit was vinified cold in stainless steel, then aged for two months in tank and two months in bottle prior to release. The robe is clear yellow and aromatic of citrus fruits and flowers: lemon, lime, melon, bay leaf. There’s also a slight reductive note that reads like clay or wet stone. The palate is piquant, with snappy yellow fruits and peels, but the finish is more languid, tapering in ripe tropical pineapple. It’s a good partner for young cheeses, especially of goat’s milk, and light fish and shellfish preparations. It’s also a clever match for briny foods — think green olives, capers, tapenade, feta, anchovies.

More Winemaker notes for this wine: The 2019 Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco begins with a nice crisp and fruity aroma of green apple, pear, peaches, lemon, lime and a touch of tropical fruit. Tasting the wine reveals a nicely tart combination of green apple, a little grapefruit, pear and creamy lemon/lime zest. This delicious wine has a great lively yet soft texture, good acidity and excellent underlying minerality. On the quite long and lingering finish that minerality turns chalky and comes to the front.

This was rated 91points by James Suckling and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Light straw yellow colored, light bodied, fresh, lively and crisp with a fruity bouquet white apple and pear fruits with hints of citrus and wildflowers. 

 

RM 87 points.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3619328

https://www.donnafugata.it/en/

https://www.donnafugata.it/en/wines/anthilia/

@DonnafugataWine

@italianvlg 

@unwindwine 

 

Château Picque Caillou Pessac-Léognan 2007

Château Picque Caillou Pessac-Léognan 2007

For casual beginning of the week sipping with dinner of left-over meatloaf and grilled vegetables, I pulled from the cellar this modest Grand Vin de Bordeaux. 

Château Picque Caillou is in the shadows of Bordeaux Merignac Airport, just 10 km on the route to the city of Bordeaux. It lies in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation in central Medoc region of Bordeaux, a semi-urban area within the perimeter circular route that surrounds the city. We passed within just a few km of the site during our visit to the region in 2019.

Pessac-Léognan was created in 1987 from the northern part of the left bank Graves appellation. Before then it was simply part of Graves. Unlike many Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is known for both red and dry white wines, although its reds are more predominant and famous. 

The appellation includes ten communes and the area’s most important châteaux, including Château Haut-Brion, the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. 

There are 2,964 acres of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan with 16 classified growth estates. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. White grapes grown are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a little Muscadelle. Pessac-Léognan is considered to have the best terroir of the greater Graves region. 

Château Picque Caillou is not far from the prestigious Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut Brion and Pape Clément châteaux that are also surrounded by the urban sprawl of the city.

Once the heart of the Bordeaux vineyard, the vines of the “Graves de Bordeaux” surrounded the city. Today, Picque Caillou remains one of the last remaining vineyard sites surrounded by the all-consuming urban development that belies the respected soils and history. The 21-hectare (fifty acre) Caillou estate is named for the pebbly soils that originated from sediments deposited by the nearby Garonne River over thousands of years. Similarly, the prestigious second growth Château Ducru Beaucaillou is named for the beautiful tiny pebbles indicative of the gravelly soil further up the Gironde estuary. 

In 2006, Paulin Calvet took over the daily running of the vineyard. Coming from a long line of Bordeaux wine merchants, Paulin Calvet brought skills and experience he acquired in Libourne at the Jean-Pierre Moueix merchant house where he worked in the company of wine-growing experts Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet. Paulin Calvet learned the subtleties of the best practices of vine-growing methods and vinification techniques practised by these two great Bordeaux wine professionals.

The wines of Picque Caillou quickly acquired higher levels of quality and consistency, soon attracting the attention of numerous wine professionals. Joining Paulin Calvet in 2007 were consultant œnologists Professor Denis Dubourdieu and Valérie Lavigne who added further technical experience and skills to the winemaking team. This served to improve the quality of the wines further, producing wines that display balance and delicacy, reflecting the style and character of the prestigious Pessac-Léognan appellation.

The estate is planted to 35% Merlot; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon; and 5% Petit Verdot red varietals, and 80% Sauvignon Blanc, and 20% Sémillon white varietals. Château Picque Caillou Red makes up around 60-70% of the total production, i.e. 65,000 to 80,000 bottles delivered in wooden cases of 12 bottles.

At fourteen years, this may be at its apex, not likely to improve further with aging, but showing no signs of diminution either. As shown, the cork was in perfect condition and the fill level was ideal as well.

At the modest entry level price point for a Grand Vin Bordeaux, in good vintage years this can offer great QPR - Quality Price Ratio, as in such years, 'all boats rise with the tide', resulting in high quality wines at good values. 

This was ruby colored, medium bodied with red and black fruits giving way to rustic, dusty herbs and spices, tobacco, floral notes and a bit of green pepper with tangy moderate tannins on the finish.  

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=512129

http://www.picque-caillou.com/chateau-picque-caillou-pessac-leognan-en/chateau-picque-caillou.html

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2018

Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" Napa Valley Merlot 2018

As I have written in these pages before, wine geeks, aka oenophiles, often take their passion for wine way too seriously, or certainly so, to those not so compulsive or fixated, which is most folks. Its important to back it down and simply have fun with wine too.

This blog focuses on wine tasting and collecting. Another discussion thread is a study in wine branding and marketing. Several producers release an artist series with each label featuring a piece of artwork to adorn that vintage release. 

One unique approach to wine branding and marketing is Marilyn Wines, of the entity Nova Wines, who since 1985, have featured iconic imagines of Marilyn Monroe, captured by many of the most talented portrait photographers of her era, to grace the labels of their Marilyn Merlot and Norma Jeane wines. 

In addition to Marilyn Merlot, Norma Jean is a lesser label with 'younger' second label grapes. Continuing the whimsical play on names, Norma Jean features a photograph taken of the young actress in the years just before she captured the imagination of the American public as Marilyn Monroe.

They have created an entire franchise on one celebrity identification theme based on a play on words - Marilyn Merlot featuring the iconic starlet Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Wines holds an exclusive agreement with the estate of Marilyn Monroe for the use of the name and the images in their wine marketing and packaging.

The brand is the creation of Bob and Donna Holder of Rutherford in Napa Valley, who initially crafted a homemade Merlot back in 1983 using some purchased grapes and some grapes from the Holder property. They started selling their wine and created the brand.  In the early days, they purchased bulk wine, then, in 1997, they shifted from purchasing bulk wine to purchasing grapes. The wine is made at the Napa Wine Co. in Oakville, CA.

Marilyn Wines has extended the brand to a broad portfolio of labels based on Marilyn Monroe. The portfolio has expanded to also include Marilyn Meritage, Sauvignon Blond, Marilyn Cabernet, Red Dress and Blonde De Noirs, a sparkling wine. 

Building upon the collectables theme, they also produce an ultra premium Velvet Collection based upon a photo session on May 27, 1949 in Hollywood with photographer Tom Kelley. That two-hour photo shoot made history and established the aspiring but unknown actress, Marilyn Monroe as the ultimate sex symbol of the 20th century. The series features ten stunning photographs from the historic session, known as the "Red Velvet" series, each one a portrait of Marilyn Monroe posing on a red velvet drape. Each label of Velvet Collection of wine is covered with a protective vinyl overlay that, when removed, reveals the complete, original portrait.

Continuing the collectables theme, in many vintages, they also produce special process etched and painted bottles of Marilyn Merlot in limited production large format bottles, usually around 6 to 36 bottles of 1.5 Liter magnums and 2 to 10 bottles of 3 Liter double magnums. The bottles are placed in a sand carving cabinet where the artist utilizes instruments to hand carve out the design image on each of the bottles then to be hand painted. 

The brand has grown further with the release of Marilyn Merlot Rose and Marilyn Monroe Chardonnay.

Of course the most famous or notable iconic collector series is Mouton Rothschild. A study in wine branding and marketing at some point invites a discussion of art label series featuring original or reproductions of notable art or artists on the wine labels. No wine producer in the world captures the imagination or attention of wine collectors and wine art enthusiasts more than Mouton Rothschild with their annual artist series artist featured wine labels.

Each year a renowned artist is commissioned to do the artwork for that vintage. The featured artist is said to be paid ten cases of various vintages of the classic Chateau Mouton Rothschild for their work. Every collector dreams of collecting a 'vertical' collection (wines of multiple vintages of the same wine) of the classic premium First Growth Bordeaux to display the 'artwork' of Mouton.

My Winesite Label Library lists the Mouton Rothschild Label Library Series Artists and associated works by the artists for reference or to aid in further exploration or research of the library and its history. Just last month I updated the library with the 2018 release label of the legendary wine. 

As with Mouton Rothschild, I've assembled a portfolio of Marilyn labels in my label library on my winesite. 

This weekend, the 2018 vintage release of Marilyn Merlot label just appeared in stores in the Chicagoland market, the 35th vintage of the iconic brand. They also just released Norma Jeane, the 23st vintage of the Norma Jeane brand.

Playing on the name of the famous cinema starlet, Marilyn Monroe, the marketers at Nova Wines have  built the brand on an annual release of moderate priced Merlot varietal featuring an authentic Marilyn Monroe photo on the label. What might have started out as a whimsical or even corny idea has turned into a fun wine that has an almost cult following in some precincts of collectors. 

 

Some of our close to two dozen vintages of Marilyn Merlot

The producer tries to maintain a delicate balance and moderate the hype of the collectability of the wine and the valuation of bottles over time versus the novelty and fun of the wine. It appears they've earnestly worked to improve the pedigree and quality of the product to produce a wine more worthy of and capable of long (er) term cellaring by sourcing from notable vineyard sources and producing a Red Bordeaux varietal blend. As such, the release price of the wine has crept up in recent years as well. As it has been since the 2016 release, this year's release price is $36 however the 'street price' still remains at the traditional price point in the $25 to $28 range. However, in secondary markets, the price can be elevated even above the release price.

The producer site says, "Each new vintage of Marilyn Monroe Merlot sells out quickly. While collectors have made Marilyn Monroe Merlot one of the fastest-appreciating wines on the market, it is wine enthusiasts with a sense of humor who have long enjoyed the playful spirit behind Marilyn Merlot wines that are now also seeking the Marilyn Monroe Merlot because of the emphasis on making a notable wine from prized Napa Valley grapes. While the concept and engaging label of these wines has given these bottles a degree of fame, it is the wine in the bottle that merits the enthusiasm of those who seek it out every year.'

"This wine is every bit as special as its package," says Donna Holder, one of the owners of Marilyn Wines. "It is a must for collectors, but is also a Napa Valley Merlot that stands beautifully on its own."

The producer promotes highly escalated prices for vintage bottles of the label asking high prices that far exceed the pedigree of the wine, explicable only due to the marketing/branding of the label collection. I know of one reputable wine shop in a mid-size midwestern city that a few years ago held a 1985 Marilyn Merlot that they were offering at $3500.

I've assembled a portfolio of Marilyn labels in my label library on my winesite. And, I admit I've collected a 'vertical' collection of the wine and am still holding what now spans more than fifteen vintages. Indeed, we drank a dozen year old 2006 recently and it was drinking quite nicely. We do have fun gifting these wines to friends for suitable occasions, great for those not into the wine so much, but taken by the clever packaging. The Marilyn Merlot label is now in its 35th  year.

The 2018 vintage release blend is comprised of Merlot from four different vineyards, primarily from the Carneros and Oak Knoll AVA’s, which has added to the complexity of the finished wine.

The iconic photograph adorning the label for this 2018 release was taken by photographer Milton Greene of Marilyn Monroe in 1955 while she was  living with the Greene family for a year in New York. It was during this time that Milton, and Marilyn sued 20th Century Fox to release Marilyn from what they felt was a “slave terrible contract”.   They won!

The Winemaker's Notes for this vintage:  "The color is immediately captivating in this rich deep ruby hued 2018 Merlot.  There is good intensity in the nose with well integrated aromas that hint of ripe blackberries, orange zest, cocoa powder, and hints of mint/menthol, and baking spices.  On the palate there are added notes of toasted oak, integrated with concentrated strawberry and bright plums.  This wine has more than ample body and structure for a Napa Merlot, but still maintains a rich balance ending with a long enjoyable finish."

As always, try it and enjoy the novelty as well as the grape juice. Have fun with wine.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3767174

https://www.marilynwines.com/

White Rock Napa Claret 2002

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

With Linda's meatloaf dinner I pulled from the cellar a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend Claret from White Rock Vineyards for a perfect pairing. Claret is the term adopted from the British that refers to a blend of red Bordeaux varietals.

White Rock Vineyards was established in 1870 in the southern foothills of the Stag’s Leap range. Today it is operated by proprietors, the Vandendriessche family who carry on the tradition of the historic estate. The original winery still stands as the home of the Vandendriessche family, carved from white rock quarried from the property in the 1870’s.

The property sits in the Vaca mountain range in the Stag's Leap district on Loma Vista Road off Soda Canyon Road up in the hills above the Darioush and Signorella estates that sit along the Silverado Trail in southeast Napa Valley. 

A family affair, Henri Vandendriessche oversees the operations and business with sons Christopher and Michael serving as winemaker and vineyard managers today.  

Henri Vandendriessche was born and raised in Northern France. He came to America to study Economics at UC Berkeley in 1960. In 1967 he met Claire who was raised in Napa Valley. In 1977 they purchased the 64 acre 1870’s winery estate north of Napa and set out to revive the historic property.  

Henri and Claire settled their family and raised their three children in the converted old winery and made the farm their home. They replanted much of the vineyard and dug a cave into the solid rock. Henri oversaw the vineyard and winery operations while Claire marketed and sold the wines.

Son, Christopher Vandendriessche grew up living the family wine business. He studied physics at UCSC but after graduating in 1992, he moved to France and enrolled in the University of Bordeaux, graduating with an Enology degree. He went on to work at Chateau Pape Clement in Bordeaux and worked harvests in Burgundy, Spain (Remelluri in Rioja), and Argentina (Catena in Mendoza). 

Christopher returned to Napa and learned winemaking as Assistant Winemaker working under John Kongsgaard at Luna where they made wine for a legendary winemakers including David Ramey, Dan Baron, Bill Knuttel, and Marco Capelli. 

In 1999, Christopher returned to White Rock as Winemaker. Today, Christopher and his brother Michael have taken over the business to produce wines that showcase the unique terroir of White Rock Vineyards with its higher elevation cooler climate and rocky white volcanic ash soils. The 35-acre naturally farmed vineyard, boasting its unique terroir is nestled in a small valley at the base of the Stag’s Leap Range.

Michael Vandendriessche grew up on the property he now manages. After high school, he studied viticulture at Napa Valley College before heading off to study for two years in France. He learned viticulture and terroir working the harvest in Burgundy. He returned to Napa in 1996 to take on the role of Vineyard Manager. 

Michael’s wife, Kendall, is a vineyard manager for several distinguished Napa Valley properties including Grace Family Vineyards; and Christopher’s wife, Sarah, is the winemaker at Elizabeth Spencer Winery. 

We also hold from this producer a winemaker signed bottle of the White Rock Vineyards "Laureate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. This was obtained and gifted to us by our nephew Chris who acquired it for us during a Napa trip a several years back. We'll look forward to sharing this with him when we are together at some point.

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

White Rock produce this estate Claret as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and a Chardonnay Reserve.

At twenty-one years, the fill level, foil and cork were in ideal condition, while the labels were somewhat soiled from aging in our cellar.

This is a classic Bordeaux Blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, 1,160 cases were produced of this vintage release.    

In 2010, I wrote of this label, "Dark ink color, medium bodied, smoky leather and floral aromas - forward black berry, violets, hints of cedar, smoke, cedar and touch of tar on moderate tannin finish."

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and blueberry fruits with notes of smoke, spicebox and tobacco and hint of cedar with firm ripe but approachable tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=341624

https://whiterockvineyards.com/ 

http://twitter.com/whiterockcaves

Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge

Visit to Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery, Penny Lane Vineyard and Rossini Ranch with Nils and Kirk Venge

A Unwindwine memorable retrospective. Back in 2002, wine buddy AJ and I visited Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery down at the northern edge of the Oakville appellation south of St Helena and met with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. 

Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard

After meeting and touring the winery and Penny Lane Vineyard there in Oakville, we took wine maker Nils Venge to lunch at Tra Vigne, our favorite Napa Valley dining site of that era. Dining in the adjacent outside garden with the fountain and the oversize monstrous granite dining table was a highlight of many visits to Napa Valley. 

Upon arrival at Tra Vigne, as if we needed another legend sighting/meeting, we ran into Margaret Mondavi.

Nils Venge and Margaret Mondavi

 At lunch with Nils at Tra Vigna, we dined on the terrace with the garden in the background amidst the blissful sound of the fountain. 

Tasting Venge Reserve wines with Nils Venge

 Over lunch, we tasted Venge Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 and the Venge Penny Lane Vineyard Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000. Nils was the first winemaker grower producer in Napa Valley to plant Sangiovese varietals and craft Sangiovese wines. 

After lunch, we drove up to the new Venge venture, Rossini Ranch, in Calistoga. There we met Kirk Venge who was stepping into and following the footsteps of father Nils. 

At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property digging the caves at the site. 

Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave
being dug at Rossini Ranch

 

Kirk was born in 1976 and raised in Rutherford, Napa Valley into a wine family and lifestyle. He earned his degree in Viticulture and Eonology at the prestigious University of California, Davis, graduating in 1998, and quickly set his sights on buying the Venge winery from his family. From this foothold he set out across the Mayacamas divide and set roots in Sonoma. 

 

Today, Kirk has acquired the namesake brand and business of Venge Vineyards upon Nil's retirement. He has succeeded in establishing himself as a leading winemaker, grower producer in Napa and has expanded his reach into Sonoma. His wines have earned high praise and he has vastly expanded the Venge portfolio and consults with many top brands in Napa as well as Sonoma County.  

 

In addition to his namesake vineyard and winery, Venge Vineyards, Kirk also founded Croix Estate in Sonoma County. In the spring of 2009, Kirk introduced the name "Croix" and a rough idea for property and an eventual winery in Sonoma. He released the inaugural vintage of Croix Estate in 2012 and opening of a new winery in 2018. From the Russian River site, Kirk focuses on estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but also produces a Zinfandel from the nine acre vineyard that dates back to 1904, and a GSM comprised of the Rhone varietals Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  

 

Kirk also serves as consulting winemaker for several other producers including BCellars, Renteria, Promise Wines, Hunnicut, Trespass Vineyards, 11:11 Winery, Jax, and Macaulley Vineyards.

Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge

Visit to Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery, Penny Lane Vineyard and Rossini Ranch 

A Unwindwine memorable retrospective. Back in 2002, wine buddy AJ and I visited Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery down at the northern edge of the Oakville appellation south of St Helena and met with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. 

Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard

After meeting and touring the winery and Penny Lane Vineyard there in Oakville, we took wine maker Nils Venge to lunch at Tra Vigne, our favorite Napa Valley dining site of that era. Dining in the adjacent outside garden with the fountain and the oversize monstrous granite dining table was a highlight of many visits to Napa Valley. 

Upon arrival at Tra Vigne, as if we needed another legend sighting/meeting, we ran into Margaret Mondavi.

Nils Venge and Margaret Mondavi

 At lunch with Nils at Tra Vigna, we dined on the terrace with the garden in the background amidst the blissful sound of the fountain. 

Tasting Venge Reserve wines with Nils Venge

 
Over lunch, we tasted Venge Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 and the Venge Penny Lane Vineyard Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000. Nils was the first winemaker grower producer in Napa Valley to plant Sangiovese varietals and craft Sangiovese wines.

After lunch, we drove up to the new Venge venture, Rossini Ranch, in Calistoga. There we met Kirk Venge who was stepping into and following the footsteps of father Nils. At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property and were in the midst of digging the caves at the site.

Today, Kirk has taken over managing the operations upon Nil's retirement. He has succeeded in establishing himself as a leading winemaker, grower producer in Napa. His wines have earned high praise and he has vastly expanded the Venge portfolio and consults with many top brands in Napa as well as Sonoma County.

At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property digging the caves at the site. 

Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave
being dug at Rossini Ranch

L to R above - Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard, Nils and Kirk Venge at new Rossini Ranch Vineyard; Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave being dug at Rossini Ranch; Nils in winery, and with AJ at Penny Lane, Nils and Margaret Mondavi at Tra Vigne.

Venge Scouts Honor Trio

Venge Scouts Honor Trio - Big Red Blend Replay

Following our opening a Venge Scouts Honor for a Big Red easy sipping wine with cheeses and snacks the other night, we had another friend over for more of the same. The girls finished off the remains of the bottle from the other night to much fanfare, so I trolled the cellar and found this aged vintage release of the label. 

I was discussing the new label branding for this label, that I fear with the new upgraded packaging, coupled with the long run of high marks, will portend an increase in price ahead. Many times over the years we've seen a favorite label gain notoriety for a big year or a string of big years resulting for a big run-up in the price. This is understandable and acceptable when it rewards the producer for work well done. Too often it is exploited by the producer who raises the price precipitously above the price point for the label, taking it to another level, leaving the budget conscious fan base behind as the price enters a new strata. I won't name names but many readers will know one or more examples. 

Never-the-less, upscale premium packaging with painted labels is now the norm for Venge Vineyards labels, from the traditional legacy Napa bottlings to the newer Sonoma Russian River Valley releases under the Venge Vineyards brand, and the new Kirk Venge venture Croix Estate wines from the Russian River estate and winery.  

From our label library archive, here are more earlier branding labels of Scout's Honor, the 2001 vintage featuring the water color art library label. 

 

The premium upscale packaging of the new era Venge Vineyards and Croix Estate branding with painted bottles. 

Back to Scout's Honor, interestingly, in light of the above comments on pricing, Cellartracker records indicated the price for this vintage release was about 50% of the current selling price for this wine, albeit twenty years later.

Lo and behold, I found a vintage release with the old previous packaging label, from the 1998 vintage, certainly time to drink. 

Here shown are the three generations of labels for this wine, the original water color label that was part of a collection of colorful paintings for each label in the portfolio, the recent era label, and the latest release painted bottle for the 2019 release. 

Venge Vineyards "Scout's Honor" Napa Valley Red Blend 1998

According to my tasting notes, I last tasted this label release back in 2012 when I wrote, "This vintage selection was showing its age - from the brownish-orange rust hue rimming the glass to the earthy leather bramble taste that may have taken over for some of the fruit. Never-the-less the medium body was full of black raspberry and black cherry fruits accented by smoke and hints of creosote. Resembles the 1996 more than the 2001 release of this wine."

Amazingly, nine years later, tonight's tasting experience was the same as that earlier one, as if this wine was stuck in time at the point it was back in 2012. Still holding its own, at that point, but time to drink up. Notably, this is our last bottle of aged vintage release. 

The blend for this release was 85% Zinfandel and 15% Charbono. 

In that earlier earlier release tasting note back in 2012, I wrote about the Charbono varietal grape.

At twenty-two years, the fill level, label, cork and foil were in ideal condition.

 Upon opening this had a funky barnyard nose, which as expected did burn off after forty-five minutes to an hour. 

Never-the-less, the tasting profile was remarkably consistent with that earlier note, this vintage selection was showing its age - with a bit of that brownish-orange rust hue rimming the glass, and the same  earthy leather bramble taste that may have taken over for some of the fruit. It resembled the same medium body with black raspberry and black cherry fruits accented by smoke and hints of creosote and some earthy leather. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1198470

http://www.vengevineyards.com/

@VengeVineyards  

The  Venge Vineyards Label Library Archive is on my winesite label library pages featuring a selection of the Venge libary of water color labels from the nineties.

Moffett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006

 Moffett Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006

When I went down to the cellar to select a bottle ready to drink right now for a special celebration dinner earlier this week, I pulled this bottle for consideration. I opted for a different bottle, younger and specifically more to the liking of the special honoree of our dinner. Captivated by the chance to open this bottle, I selected it tonight for tasty casual sipping with dinner. 

This wine is from Moffett Vineyards, a 20 acre site sitting 1500 feet up on Howell Mountain on the eastern slopes at the northern end of the range overlooking Napa Valley. The producer, Trent Moffett carries on the tradition started by his parents John and Diane Livingston, Napa vintners and growers, founders of Livingston Vineyards which has been around since the mid 1970’s.

Trent grew up around the winery business and after graduating college in 1991, he went to work for the family winery and started exploring pursuing his own ventures in the industry.

He worked with the H.W. Helms brand, named after the original winemakers who had owned the family’s land in the 1860’s which he produced and sold under the brand C&T Cellars, named after Trent and his wife Colleen. They founded Moffett Vineyards in 2005 with the inaugural release of 800 cases which gained high marks from both consumers and the wine press.

The fruit for this 2006 Moffett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Moffett Vineyards’ small 3 ½ acre parcel on Howell Mountain at approximately 2100 feet elevation, a second vineyard in St. Helena from what might be the rockiest site in the appellation, that stresses the vines to produce a nice core structure to the wine. Some 442 cases were made. They also source fruit from various other sites in Howell Mountain, St. Helena, Oak Knoll, and even Childs Valley. 

Consulting winemaker Jennifer Rue joined Moffett Vineyards in 2007. The Moffett portfolio has grown to a dozen different labels including Napa Valley Chardonnay, Syrah, Grenache and a half dozen Pinot Noir's sourced from Oregon sites. 

Trent Moffett splits his time growing the Moffett Vineyards brand, and two other labels he oversees, Screenplay Wines and C&T Cellars.

I first acquired and tried this wine back in 2011. When I discovered it, after tasting it, I went back and bought the remaining stock at the local Binny's.

Now in its fifteenth year it is consistent with the last tasting when it was then approaching its 10th year, when I wrote, "this wine seems to be at its apex and it appears it won't improve further with more aging based on this and my earlier tastings."

This is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Spectator gave this label 93 points.

Representing those Howell Mountain terroir characteristics that I tend to favor in Napa wines, this is dark inky purple color - full bodied - concentrated yet polished and smooth with full flavors of blackberries, ripe plum and currants - with the fruit seeming to trend down somewhat from my recollection of earlier tastings, highlighted by a layer of mocha chocolate, anise, and tones of black tea with a touch of oak and spice - the wine shows great balance of toasted oak and acidity.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=661237

http://moffettvineyards.com/

Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley American Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

For Linda's birthday dinner, Sean and Michelle brought in Covid Carry-Out dinner from Rosebud's in Naperville. The fare included Linda's favorite Margherita pizza, a proscuitto and arugula pizza, meatballs, stuffed mushrooms and a eggplant salad. 

I pulled from the cellar one of Linda's favorite wines, from what she considers one of the most memorable wine tasting events we have had in Napa - the delicacies culinary wine pairing at Piazza Del Dotto during our Napa Wine Experience 2018. 

We tasted and acquired the later release of this Piazza Del Dotto Cabernet wine at that time, and this earlier release during our Del Dotto Winery and Caves tasting tour the year earlier. 

I have mentioned often in these pages that Del Dotto family wines are one of the largest holdings in our cellar collection dating back to the inaugural vintage releases in 1993. 

The Piazza Del Dotto property, not to be confused with the Del Dotto Winery and Caves up St. Helena Highway at the northern edge of the Rutherford AVA just below St. Helena, sits at the southern edge of the Oakville appellation, just north of Yountville. 

Piazza is Italian for 'hot spot' or gathering place. 

The Piazza estates consists of 22 acres of which 8.5 are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate chateau is called La Barchessa, “the Italian Barn” in Italian, a palatial hospitality center with extraordinary Italian furnishings such as the grand chandelier made in Florence, to paintings and furniture. 

An incredible seventy shipping containers of construction materials, statues, marble, furniture, doors and other decor were sourced in and shipped from Italy. Even the hand-laid bricks lining the driveway and parking area were imported from Italy. Fellow wine producer and business venture partner Claudia Fleury did much of the interior design.

La Barchessa features two floors including VIP tasting spaces upstairs and outdoor terraces with magnificent surrounding gardens with 150+ year old olive trees, vegetable gardens, 17^th century fountains, with views of the vineyards and mountains in the distance. 

Piazza Del Dotto is all about the art of pairing food and wine. The site boasts two gourmand commercial kitchens, one features an impressive French made Molteni stove which Dave Del Dotto calls “the Bentley of stoves”, and a Molteni luxury kitchen range. The second kitchen offers outside stool seating at the ‘food bar’ where small bites are prepared and served paired with carefully selected accompanying wines. 

When we were there in July, they were in the late stages of construction of 10,000 square feet of wine caves being drilled into the side of the knoll across the parking lot, which opened later in September. 

Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley American Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Winemaker notes - Ripe red plum and baked almonds on the nose lead to oak-influenced clove and sweet tobacco with subtle layers of Mexican chocolate.  The first impressions on the palate burst with black cherry, black raspberries, stewed strawberries and rhubarb with a touch of pink peppercorns and kiss of oak with a long, clean finish. 

This was an incredible perfect pairing with the stuffed mushrooms with buttered crumbs and crushed garlic accentuating the delight of both. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2258002

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/07/del-dotto-piazza-delicacies-food-and.html

www.deldottovineyards.com/visit/piazza

@DelDottoWine 

Force Majeure Syrah 2015

Force Majeure Syrah 2015

We discovered and gained a deeper appreciate for Red Mountain AVA wines during our Woodinville (Washington) tasting experience where we tasted several fabulous Red Mountain AVA wines. We discovered and acquired this label during our Walla Walla AVA visit hosted and organized by Carrie Alexander of Force Majeure. 

The Red Mountain site was the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Developing the Red Mountain estate vineyards involved carefully matching varietal and clonal selections and vineyard trellising and irrigation to the eight distinct soil types in the vineyard.

This 100% Syrah is sourced from the Force Majeure Red Mountain Estate Vineyard, in the Red Mountain, Washington State AVA. The site was formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity resulting in many small “micro-blocks,” each uniquely suited to specific grape varietals. The rocky upper-slope with shallow soil is well suited to the cultivation of Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils, where Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.  

Red Mountain is located in the Yakima Valley AVA which was the first AVA created in Washington State. The  600,000-acre valley in south central Washington is within the Columbia Valley AVA. It is home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state with more than 60 wineries and 16,000 vineyard acres. Nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. 

Winemaking here dates back to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production broke out in the early 1980s Yakima Valley wines gained notoriety with top reviews.

Force Majeure Estate Red Mountain Syrah 2015

This is 100% Syrah sourced from the steep rocky sections of the top of the Red Mountain hillside vineyard.

Winemaker Notes: "The estate Syrah typically exhibits a broad spectrum of black, blue and red fruits, dried herbs and jasmine, fennel, smoked meats and crushed rock along with very fine tannins, great length, balance and complexity."

This was awarded 95 points by Wine Advocate Jeb Dunnuck,  92 points by Stephen Tanzer, and 91 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full-bodied, rich concentrated black berry fruits, hints of blue fruits, accented with layers of smokiness, minerality and tones of anise, black tea, black olive tapenade and hints of smokey meats, with bright lively acidity and cloying but approachable tannins on the tangy lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2659540

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/force-majeure-vineyards-site-visit-and.html

 

 

Magnum for Birthday family dinner celebration

Birthday family dinner celebration calls for Magnum aged Bordeaux Blend, from a lost legacy brand?

For wife Linda's birthday celebration dinner, sis-in-law came in for the weekend to join the celebration and for winter games. They prepared grilled beef tenderloin and we ordered in Covid shut-down carry out Lasagna and calamari from Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. 

The girls and kids spent the afternoon snow-shoeing at the Arboretum taking advantage of the fresh half foot layer of snow.  

I pulled from the cellar a celebratory limited select bottle of Champagne, "L" by Veuve Doussot. 

We had a bottle of this label for our anniversary celebration getaway dinner in Chicago two years ago.

Veuve Doussot Blanc de Blancs 'Cuvée L' Champagne 

This 100% Chardonnay comes from the vineyards surrounding the village of Noé-les-Mallets in the Côte-des-Bar, where 90% of the vines are planted to Pinot Noir. 

 

 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/goosefoot-chicago-anniversary.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1611608

For the dinner course we opened this aged Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend in large format magnum. 

St. Clement "Oroppas" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2001

This was produced by St. Clement Vineyards whose wines were the result of long-term relationships with notable winegrowers with vineyard sources from numerous appellations across Napa Valley including Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Rutherford. These relationships and their vineyard sources represented half of the Napa Valley’s 33 different soil series and 100 different soil variations. Ironically, they called it St. Clement Vineyards but I believe they only owned the small vineyard attached to the historic estate on St Helena Highway just north of town. Their wines were sourced from third party supplier growers.

While some might argue that collectors should focus on estate sourced wines, crafted from producer owned vineyards, many reputable and even legendary labels are sourced from grower winemaker relationships. The high value of Napa Valley fruit has resulted in most properties to be acquired by producers, or have driven growers to produce their own labels. Yet many high profile labels are sourced from non-estate fruit. 

These pages showcase many producers and labels sourced from non-owned sites, as well as many grower producers who provide fruit to other winemakers. Lewis Cellars do not own their vineyard sources, Andretti Cellars are tenants of their winery and vineyards, the Vineyard designated Bosche vineyard has always been produced by Freemark Abbey. 

The legendary To-Kalon vineyard is contracted to several high profile well know vineyard labels. And I lamented recently about the late Robin William's owned estate and vineyards being sold to the French Tesseron Group, ending the long time grower/supplier/producer relationship with Robert Craig for his Mt Veeder Cabernet, a label that spanned three decades. 

I wrote recently about the Caldwell Vineyard and that it has been the grape source selected by leading winemakers for many notable premium labels including Pahlmeyer (Helen Turley), Joseph Phelps’s Insignia, Moone Tsai (Philippe Melka), Merus, Patz and Hall, Stéphane Derenoncourt and Neiman.

So it is that there are many labels sourced from third party suppliers, I caution not to get too attached to such labels as they could change over time breaking the chain of terroir site driven vertical collections. This of course, is quite the opposite from the legendary historic Bordeaux producer labels that have been in the same family for literally centuries. 

Never-the-less, none of this matters or should matter to the typical consumer. Don't pay attention to the site source chain of custody of fruit in any given bottle - drink and enjoy.  

So, from a charming Victorian house in the north end of St. Helena was the St. Clement Vineyards’ tasting room. The landmark Napa Valley estate was established in 1878 by the San Francisco stained glass merchant Fritz Rosenbaum, one of the first bonded wineries in the Napa Valley. 

The current or recent St. Clement’s was establish was founded in 1975 by eye surgeon William Casey when he purchased the historic home built in 1878 just north of St. Helena and built a 10,000-case winery behind it. In 1987, Japanese brewing company Sapporo purchased St. Clement, creating a red Bordeaux-style wine named Oroppas (Sapporo spelled backward), which became St. Clement's signature wine beginning with the 1991 vintage.

Beringer then purchased St. Clement in 1999, and it became part of Beringer Wine Estates portfolio, which at the time included several California brands, including Stags' Leap Winery, Chateau St. Jean and Chateau Souverain. Fosters Group Ltd., which would eventually spin off its wine interests into TWE, purchased the entire Beringer Wine Estates portfolio, including St. Clement, in 2000.

The Victorian mansion offered a delightful setting for wine tasting with an outside terrace that afforded view of the valley and Howell Mountain in the distance. 

The St. Clement Vineyards property was purchased in 2016 by Huneeus Vintners, owners of Quintessa in Napa Valley, from Treasury Wine Estates. The sale included the tasting room, winery and a half-acre estate vineyard, but not the St. Clement brand. 

Treasury Wine Estates, TWE grew substantially acquiring many brands over time and was spinning off properties and brands to consolidate winery operations and production and reduce costs, with a view to  'optimize quality'. TWE had acquired the majority of Diageo's U.S. wine interests in 2015 for $600 million. 

The St. Clement purchase gave Huneeus the prime real estate along the tourist-busy Highway 29, as well as a rare opportunity to acquire developed Napa Valley vineyard land and a winery with an existing permit. Huneeus was expected to re-purpose and re-open the newly branded property.

St. Clement offered single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons highlighting the unique terroirs of top vineyard sites. They also offer this Oroppas and the Oroppas Reserve wines draw from a collection of top winegrowers from which to craft the blend each vintage. The lineage of the label ended with the 2016 vintage however, despite the sale, the St. Clement brand was said to be continuing, to be produced at a nearby winery.

As written about in a recent post, as chronicled in the book A Man and His Mountain about the growth of the Jackson Family wine group, the industry has undergone tremendous consolidation as the rich and big brands get bigger and richer. The small independent producer is becoming increasing rare and to be cherished as the stakes for Napa Valley brands and wines grow bigger and bigger. 

We read recently where Arns Winery, a small boutique producer had sold their property and brand, and wrote about Richard Arrowood who sold his property and brand as they were seeking retirements.

St. Clement sourced from growers in six different Napa Valley sub-appellations, including Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Rutherford for this wine. 

The first vintage of Oroppas was released in 1991 and it has become the iconic label for the winery, noted for its consistent flavor profile and tannic structure. Oroppas strives for and consistently deliverer a rich, opulent Bordeaux-style blend that emphasized concentration, depth, and velvety tannins. The wine earned 90-plus scores every year since its vintage. 

Indeed, one reviewer felt compelled to caveat this wine and wrote that for the 2001 vintage release of this label, "Despite changes in winemakers and some vineyard sources St.Clement remains one of my favorite wineries, as impressive for its consistency as for its stellar red wines."

We hold a half dozen vintages of this label during the late nineties and early 2000's vintages. 

In 2012, Winemaker Matt Johnson discerned a few select superlative barrels in the Oroppas blend, thus initiating the limited Reserve bottling. St. Clement continues to build on its legacy of highly respected, small lot Napa wines.

This 2001 release was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. There were 5,000 cases of the 2001 Oroppas produced, a respectable large output for a grower/supplier/producer label, many of which often are but a few hundred cases. 

This was a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc.

Several Cellartracker reviewers wrote that this showing its age and needed to be consumed in the near term. We found no such indications of age or diminution whatsoever, perhaps due to the fact we were drinking from a larger format 1500 ml magnum. Larger format bottles are known to age more gracefully and longer, partly due to the higher volume of wine to air and surface area ratio in the container. Hence, large format bottles are favorites for long term collectors aging fine wines. 

Our bottle fill level, label, foil and cork were in ideal, near perfect condition, as shown in the photo. 

Robert Parker wrote, "This glorious 2001 can be drunk now or cellared for 12-16 years."

Winemaker Notes - This vintage has a greater portion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc than previous blends, showing off the youthful fruit qualities without detracting from its ageability. It is a rich ruby, dense purple color and in the nose there are flavors of coconut, caramel, chocolate, and almond; almost like a Mounds candy bar.

The denseness and concentration of the vintage shows in the black cherry, cassis, and rich blackberry flavors from the Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Cabernet Franc offers blueberry and violet characters. The Merlot adds a slight green tea-like character and big, intense cherry ending, making this an unusually complex wine. The sweet fruit qualities carry through with a hint of spicy, toasted flavors.

My notes - Dark garnet inky/purple colored, medium-full-bodied, complex but nicely balanced and integrated flavors of blackberry and black currant fruits, notes of cassis, black tea, subtle notes cinnamon spice, Linda noted sprites of menthol or mint, what one pundit referred to as a "rather warm finish", turning to supple tannins on a bright expressive lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=808096