Force Majeure Red Wine BYOB Fried Green Tomatoes Galena

Force Majeure Red Wine BYOB Fried Green Tomatoes Restaurant in historic Galena, IL

The first stop of our cross country roadtrip getaway was the historic town of Galena (IL) where we stayed in a farmhouse amidst the vineyards of Galena Cellars Vineyards and Winery. This was one of the first nights out on our cross country road trip on which we took several of our favorite label wines from our home cellar to enjoy BYOB or with carry-out dinners at our hotel or other special venues.

We dined the first night downtown Galena at Fried Green Tomatoes Restaurant, purveyor of Italian and American Cuisine. I ordered a New York Strip steak with their port wine reduction sauce and mashed potatoes. To accompany our dinner, we brought BYOB from our home cellar a Big Red Blend from Washington State Columbia Valley.  

Fried Green Tomatoes Restaurant is in the historic Galena, IL, home to former US Civil War General and US President Ulysses S. Grant. From the restaurant website ...

"In 1854, Jesse R. Grant (General Grant’s Father) owned the Leather and Finding Store located in this building, Grant dealt in all kinds of leather, coach trimmings, saddlery hardware, shoemaker's kits, and findings. Ulysses S. Grant, a West Point graduate and experienced military officer, moved to Galena in 1860 to help his father and brothers with the leather business.

In 1900, Frank Owen, who was a mayor of Galena, ran a saloon in the upper part of the building. For nearly three-quarters of the 20th century, the Dowling Building was a monument shop. Most recently, the building housed a drug store, a sports outfitter, and an antique store.

Restaurant owner, Fred Bonnet, wanted a building with history and vintage character to support the distinctive dining. “I left the brickwork exposed. I left the patterns on the wall and reproduced them elsewhere in the restaurant. The history of the building Mr. Dowling built is part of the experience for our guests,” explains Bonnet."

Force Majeure Washington State Columbia Valley Red Mountain Ptera Red Wine 2012

We visited the Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting in Walla Walla Washington back in 2018. We met winemaker Todd Alexander and marketing director and wife Carrie when they visited us in Chicago during a release tour stop in Chicago in 2016. As a member of their wine club we've collected a selection of their red wines every since, as well as older vintages dating back a decade such as this Force Majeure 2012 vintage release. 

his vintage release is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. This label, Ptera, was only made in a few vintages and quickly become a mailing list favorite. This was from the Force Majeure Collaboration Series, begun in 2004 with a partnership between viticulturist Ryan Johnson, owners Paul and Susan McBride and seven specially selected winemakers, each chosen for their proficiency with various grape varietals and styles.

The “Collaboration Series” was produced in small quantities of Bordeaux- and Rhone-inspired wines, sourced from the notable Ciel du Cheval Vineyard from 2004 to 2013, and including in later years the Force Majeure Vineyard.  This and the follow on 2013 release were the final vintage for the “Collaboration Series” wines, as Force Majeure estate production increased to allow them to be a completely estate-focused winery sourcing fruit from their own vineyards.

This label was a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It was awarded 95 points by The Wine Advocate and 91 points by Wine Spectator. 

Completely consistent with earlier tasting notes of this label release, at nearing a decade old, this was likely at its prime, at the apex of its drinking window and profile. The cork was in perfect condition as shown.

Dark inky purple garnet colored, full bodied, firmly structured but nicely balanced and approachable full black raspberry and black berry fruits are accented by notes of cola, coffee, spices with lead pencil graphite and floral turning to fine grained tannins on the long lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2236027

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/

https://www.friedgreen.com/

Hall Estate Napa Cabernet at Harry & Izzy's Steakhouse Indy

Hall Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at Harry & Izzy's Steakhouse Ind7

We dined with dear friends Eric and Cathy at Harry & Izzy's in Indy and ordered from the winelist this standard-bearer estate Napa Cabernet. 

We hold a dozen labels from Hall and close to a decade of vintages of this label, so it is one we know well. This was our first encounter with this vintage release and it exceeded our expectations, prompting us to rush out the next day and pick up several bottles. 

Our tours and visits of the Hall Rutherford Winery Estate Appellation Tasting, cellar and cave tasting room have been highlights of several of Napa Wine Experiences. We enjoyed meeting Kathryn Hall at their Flagship namesake Kathryn label 2015 vintage release tour wine club tasting in Chicago in 2018, pre-covid. We first discovered Hall and their Napa Valley wines during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2003.

Our first Rutherford estate tour and tasting was after its opening back in 2013. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/04/hall-napa-valley-rutherford-estate.html

Hall Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

This may be one of the best releases of this label that I remember, resembling the higher priced premium and ultra-premium labels from their extensive portfolio of a dozen Napa Valley Cabernets. 

Even though this is their standard estate label, its a sophisticated Bordeaux blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot.

This is sourced from vineyards throughout Napa Valley, from Hall organic estate vineyards to 'small rugged hillside' sites of our partner growers. Hall states: "By blending these various lots, we create a rich panorama on the palate, a landscape of complexity and character that clearly depicts Napa Valley."

Winemaker notes for this release: "Our 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet is deep ruby in the glass, and displays effusive aromas of crème de cassis, dark plum, anise and dried herbs. The palate is lush and layered with fine-grained tannin supporting flavors of dark berry, cocoa, and a hint of freshly turned earth. The long and supple finish showcases the impeccable growing season that allowed us to coax the very best from each of our unique vineyard sites."

This exceptional estate bottling reflects the near perfect growing season of the Napa 2018 vintage. Hall describes the "season began in late February. Our Spring weather was mild, and allowed for extended flowering that produced very uniform grape clusters. Temperatures throughout Napa remained steady and warm during the majority of summer and fall, without any heat spikes, making for a long and unhurried harvest. The resulting wines are incredibly smooth and polished, with magnificent texture and color."

This is one to pick-up and enjoy for early gratification or hold for a decade or more. It will be fun to see how this evolves from graceful cellar aging for some time.

Wine Spectator, James Molesworth gave this release 93 points.

 

Dark inky purple garnet colored, full bodied, complex with rich concentrated dark berry fruits accented by layers of dark mocha, crème de cassis, oak, earthy tobacco and slight hint of cedar on the lingering tannin laced finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3883343

https://www.hallwines.com/2018-hall-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon

 

https://twitter.com/HALLWines

 

https://www.harryandizzys.com/

 

https://twitter.com/harryandizzys 

 

Long Shadows Saggi BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Long Shadows Saggi BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Son Alec and d-in-law Vivianna treated us to a Anniversary celebration dinner at  Angeli's Italian, our customary favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took BYOB from our cellar this Sangiovese Blend, one of our favorite best drinking bottles in our cellar right now for an Italian cuisine dinner.

Long Shadows Vintners Series Saggi Sangiovese Red Blend 20162016

We discovered and acquired this wine during our Woodinville, WA Wine Experience back in 2015. As I have written in these pages, this is a selection of the Long Shadows Vintners Collection, a portfolio of seven ultra-premium wines showcasing the viticulture of the Washington State Columbia Valley growing region and the artwork and expertise of internationally acclaimed winemakers who crafted them.

Long Shadows was founded in 2003 by Washington State wine legend Allen Shoup, former Chairman and CEO of Chateau St Michelle, one of the premiere wine producers in the State. There he evangelized Washington Wines and championed collaboration with notable winemakers from around the world. Upon retiring, he started Long Shadows with a vision to produce the best, art of the possible wines showcasing/featuring the region's grapes, each produced by a world renowned winemaker reputed for producing grapes of that varietal.  Each vintner had access to Washington State's best grapes and a winery to outfitted to accommodate a their exacting cellar specifications. The idea was a resounding success as the wines have received critical acclaim that grown with each vintage. The Long Shadow collection went on to win numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine's "Winery of the Year."

The Saggi label is a Sangiovese blended from top Washington State vineyards, from Candy Mountain, a warm area of the Columbia Valley adjacent to Red Mountain that produces fruit with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. From the cooler growing conditions in the Yakima Valley, the Boushey Vineyard produces Sangiovese that is lively red currant with bright strawberry notes. Saggi also contains Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, which contributes  structure and texture. Also in the blend is Syrah from the Bacchus and Den Hoed Dutchman vineyards, that add depth and complexity.

We talk about Den Hoed and their wines and our family connection in an earlier blogpost from our Seattle, Woodinville trip. 

Saggi, is crafted by the father-son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wine families from A. & G. Folonari Tenute that produces a collection of small, ultra-premium wines from the family's numerous Tuscan estates. The Folonaris teamed with Allen Shoup to produce a wine that showcases Washington State's terroir with plenty of Italian character. Saggi (meaning "wisdom") is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Long Shadows founder Allen Shoup originally met the Folonaris through mutual friend Piero Antinori. It was Allen who introduce Piero to Washington State while at the helm of Chateau Ste. Michelle, and it was Piero's regard for the vineyards of the Columbia Valley that piqued the Folonaris interest in creating a wine true to Washington terroir with plenty of Tuscan character.  Gilles continues that tradition, honoring the quality and style of wines the Folonairs inspired. 

From 2006, Long Shadows director of winemaking and viticulture Gilles Nicault collaborated with the Folonaris on Saggi's vineyard sourcing, winemaking and blending.  For this 2016 release , Gilles assumed complete winemaking responsibilities for Saggi.

We replaced this bottle with the current latest release from our most recent Club allocation shipment from the winery. We're members of the Long Shadows wine club and hence get regular Vault Key Club release allocation shipments of their top labels of which we share our case lot with Alec and fellow Pour Boy wine buddy,  Dr Dan. We've written in these pages about the Vintners Collection wherein Long Shadows collaborates with world class winemakers to craft varietal compositions from Washington State fruit. 

 

We tasted and posted about the latest 2018 release of this label just last week from our Pour Boys Wine Dinner,

Tonight's tasting was consistent with earlier tastings of this label, earlier this year and back in 2019. 

In January of this year -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/01/saggi-long-shadows-sangiovese-red-blend.html ... and previously back in June of 2019 ....

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/06/american-sangiovese-for-italian-dinner.html

Vibrant and lively, this weighty Sangiovese-dominant blend offers enticing aromas and flavors of red berries and currants with an appealing hint of nutmeg and sweet spice. An elegant and refined wine, its bright acidity pops on the palate with expressive red fruit character that echoes across a long-lasting finish.

The 2016 Saggi is mostly Sangiovese at 60%, but has 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Syrah.

Bright ruby-colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced and polished, black cherry fruits are accented by with notes of spice box, dried flowers and hints of cedar and vanilla, smooth sweet tannins linger on a clean, graceful finish.

RM 92 points.

This was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 92 points by Wine Advocate,  91 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points by Vinous.

Wine Advocate Jeb Dunnuck gave it 92 points noting, "It's certainly one of the best expressions of Sangiovese from Washington."

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=3096196

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0536/2016-Saggi

 

Vie Restaurant Gala Anniversary Prix Fixe Dinner with Wine Pairing

Vie Restaurant Gala Anniversary Prix Fixe Dinner with Wine Pairing

For our anniversary celebration, Linda and I dined at Vie Restaurant in nearby suburban Western Springs (IL), hometown of our daughter. We've dined at Vie and featured the Vie Culinary Wine Pairing Dinner in previous blogposts in these pages.

Vie is the flagship restaurant of Chef Paul Virant, who focuses on seasonal Midwestern selections featuring local sourcing utilizing traditional methods of preservation. He was a finalist nominee for the James Beard Foundation Award's Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2011. He authored the 2012 cookbook, The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking with Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-Doux.

Vie was the first restaurant in Western Springs to serve liquor since Prohibition. Vie opened its doors in 2004.

For our special occasion, intimate dinner, we opted for the Three Course Prix Fixe dinner with the curated wine pairing with each course. 

The wine pairings were selected by Vie Wine Director Grace Bradley, a Western Springs native. After passing her first sommelier exam in 2019, Grace passed the Certified Sommelier Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2022.

The Three Course Prix Fixe Menu offerings ...

The courses and wine pairings .... 

To start, complimentary sparkling white wine ... Portell Cava Brut NV

 Course One 

Corn Soup with Alesia Rhys Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 2018

Blackened seasonal vegetables, toasted pecans, smoked apple butter vinagrette paired with Babylonstoren Swartland, SA Viogner 2019.

 
Course Two

Pan seared scallops, curry roasted cauliflower, peach mustardo and mustard greens, paired with
Domaine Chevalier Les Pends Marsanne Crozes-Hermitage Rhone 2021. 

 This is the Marsanne white varietal label from Marlène & Nicolas Chevalier whose Syrah we've enjoyed at Chicagoland French Bistros Chez Joël French Bistro and Suzette's Creperie in nearby suburban Wheaton.

Salt roasted beets, burrata, blueberry, raddicchio, toasted hazelnut vinagrette, paired with
Pullus Rose, Styria SI. 

Course Three

Wood grilled CDK Beef Tri-Tip, roasted mushrooms, grilled green beans, sherry braised tropeo onions, green peppercorn beef au jus, paired with
Fattorio di Bascianno I Pinni Tuscan Red Blend 2018.

Wood grilled Sturgeon, basmati rice 'Tahdig', braised fennel, safron and preserved
cara cara beaue blanc, paired with
Emile Bayer Tradition Gewurztraminer Alsace 2019.

Dessert 

https://vierestaurant.com/

https://twitter.com/vierestaurant

Previous Vie Restaurant Blogposts 

Vie Restaurant Western Springs Restaurant Week Price Fixe Dinner

Vie Culinary Wine Pairing Dinner

Signorello & Del Dotto Napa Wines Paired with Vie Western Springs Fine Cuisine

https://www.paulvirant.com/

https://twitter.com/jarstarvie

 

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

For early week dinner with some left over steak and an assortment of artisan cheeses, I pulled from the cellar this middle aged Right Bank Bordeaux blend.

Château Vieux Maillet castle sits outside the village of Pomerol, on the edge of the Pomerol plateau, in the Pomerol AOC, near the appellation Saint-Emilion. In the area are some of the most prestigious and noted producers of the region, Châteaux Petrus and Figeac, to name a few. The area is known for the diversity of soils with gritty brown soil, clay, flabby iron slag, sandy clay on a deep base, all which combine to giving the wines expression, complexity and depth.

Herve and Griet Lavale, owners of Châteaux Lussac and Franc Mayne, took over the estate with eleven acres of vineyards in 2004, and set upon an ambitious renovation and modernization.  They changed the team, expanded the vineyard, and modernized the winery and vinification with new equipment, installing new gravity feed vats, all coming together prompting Robert Parker to write, "The 2009 is finest wine I have ever tasted from this estate".

The vineyards are planted 90% to Merlot with 90%, with the remainder planted in Cabernet Franc. 

The guiding principles for the Laviales and their team are, "from the vineyard to the winery, for the fruit, the fine grapes, vinified well, express the wonders of Pomerol." 

Château Vieux Maillet Pomerol Bordeaux 2009

Reflecting the vineyard plantings of the estate, this is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.  

At thirteen years, this is likely at its peak, but not likely to improve further with aging. The fill level, foil, label, and most importantly the cork, were all in pristine condition. 

This release was awarded 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, 89-91 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 90 points by James Suckling and Wine Spectator.

Nice casual sipping with the steak and cheeses. Dark blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, black current, blackberry and plum fruits with notes of dark mocha and tobacco with hints of espresso and earth with silky tannins and a 'delicately fruity finish'. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=883493

https://www.chateau-vieux-maillet.com/en/home/ 

 

El Che Wine Paired Dinner

El Che Wine Paired Dinner 

I prepared an extensive background on each of these producers and wines and Blogspot erase it. We had a business partner team dinner at El Che Restaurant and had the chef's table family style dinner with the curated wine flight pairing with each course, including the dessert course.

The wine flight served with the courses. 

• Viñedos Veramonte, Ritual Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile 2019
• Errazuriz Reserve Mendoza, Chile, Chardonnay 2019
• Viña Alicia Malbec 2018
• Mendel Unus Malbec Blend 2019 
• Pablo Fallabrino 'Alcyon' Tannat NV Altantida, Uruguay 
  

I researched and prepared an extensive background on each of these producers and wines and Blogspot erased it, something it tends to do occasionally. I lost at least six hours of effort. Shame on me for not creating multiple instances and back-up copies, but that isnt supposed to be required when working in the cloud. So be it, forgive the mea culpa and exasperation. 

Viñedos Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile 2019

The organic Ritual estate is part of Viñedos Veramonte, owned by Spanish sherry maker González Byass. The Veramonte estate is located in the far eastern end of the Casablanca Valley in Chile. The vineyards are located on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range, less than 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean where they are heavily influenced by the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean and Humbolt Current which provides ideal growing conditions for cool-climate wines. The vineyards are surrounded by 6000 acres of native forest, creating a balanced, biodiverse landscape for healthy vines to thrive alongside natural wildlife corridors and native vegetation. 

Ritual is a project of the wll known and highly regarded winemakers Paul Hobbs and Agustin Huneeus (Napa Valley Quintessa and Prisoner Wine Company). 

The grapes of this Sauvignon Blanc come three different plots: Gloria and Mauco, which are pure expression of our native forest, and Terrazas, which showcases the minerality of the Coastal Mountain Range. Three parcels that show the best expression of this variety in Casablanca.

Ritual, lead by winemaker Sofia Araya produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Born and raised in Chile, Sofía was inspired to become a winemaker by the surrounding views of vineyards in her grandfather's farm. She studied at Universidad de Chile, and during university worked with the winemaking team in Casa Lapostolle in the Colchagua Valley. Later on she spent four years at Luis Felipe Edwards, in the same valley, and finally at Aresti Vineyard in Curicó Valley, before becoming an assistant winemaker at Viñedos Veramonte in 2009.

Classic sauv blanc with minerality you would expect from France rather than New World effort, Chilean wines are emerging to out-perform and provide superb QPR (quality-price ratio.

Winemaker Notes: "Intense citrus and floral notes are combined with flavors of white peaches and nectarines that are enhanced by a well-integrated acidy. Long and vibrant with an impeccable clean smooth finish."

This label was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Straw colored , medium bodied, textured, concentrated and complex notes of green apple, lime zest, pineapple, flint , mineral and stone with bright acidity.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3924748

Viña Alicia Malbec 2018 

Terrada & Anchorena, Mayor Drummond, Mendoza

Impressive dark fruits, with underlying savory edginess and slight hint of fresh violets on the nose. Palate is concentrated and expansive, without being overbearing and oppressive. Ample weight, but not a sledgehammer, retaining good drive and focus and even lift. Gorgeous, silky smooth tannins on the finish.
12 months in french oak

Mendel Unus Malbec Blend 2019 

Viñedos y Bodega Mendel arises from the union of Roberto de la Mota, one of the most respected and experienced Argentine winemakers, with an Argentine family committed to obtaining wines of the highest quality. Our search is to express the singular character of our vineyards and the incomparable attributes of the Mendoza terroir.

 

Roberto likes to joke that he was born in a winery, since his winemaking education and training began long before he studied at the National University of Cuyo. He took his first steps at the hands of his father, the most famous Argentine winemaker, Don Raúl de la Mota. 

After completing his studies in Montpellier, France, and managing one of the most important wineries in the country, Roberto was able to fulfill the dream of owning his own winery since 2002 with Mendel Wines.

 

Our old 1928 Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are located in Perdriel and Mayor Drummond, Luján de Cuyo.
We also have Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon in our Finca Remota vineyards located in Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco. Our vineyards are located between 900 and 1,150 meters above sea level, in the best and highest irrigated lands of Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco, Mendoza.

Vineyard is located in Mayor Drummond, Luján de Cuyo, at 950 meters above sea level. It has a sandy loam and calcareous soil of alluvial origin, with good drainage. The climate is cold in winter and mild in summer, with a temperature range of 15 °C between day and night, which allows us to have optimum maturity. The average annual rainfall is 200 mm. We have 4 plots with drip irrigation and the rest with surface irrigation. Here are 11 hectares of massal selection Malbec planted in 1928; 2 hectares of Petit Verdot (both trellised varieties) and a small Tempranillo vineyard.

This is a blend of  65% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot.

VINEYARD
-Estates: Finca Drummond and Finca de Los Andes in Luján de Cuyo and Altamira in Uco Valley.
-Terroir and Altitude: Drummond, at 980 meters above sea level; ungrafted grapevines
grow on shallow, very permeable sandy silt soils. Perdriel, at 980 meters above sea
level; shallow, stony soils of great drainage. Altamira, at 1,100 meters above sea level;
ungrafted grapevines grow on sandy loam soils set on massive calcareous blocks.
-Planting Year: The Malbec vines date from 1928-1930. The Cabernet Sauvignon in
Perdriel was planted in 1994.
-Varietal selections: Malbec Luján and Altamira, Cabernet Sauvignon clone 337, Petit
Verdot Margaux selection.
-Yield: between 4,500 kilos and 5,500 kilos per hectare.

-Color: Dark intense red, purple at the rim.
-Nose: Complex and multi-layered. Before being swirled, the wine exhibits fresh fruit
aromas like black cherries, plums, blackberries and cassis. Once swirled, it displays spices
such as pink peppercorn, cedarwood, chocolate scents, vanilla and blond tobacco.
-Palate: It is a harmonious and mouth-lling wine which feels meaty and unctuous, with
rened and round tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend contributes tannic
structure and a spicy core while the Malbec oers unctuousness, roundness and fruit
and the Petit Verdot, body and licorice. The aromatic complexity on the nose echoes
on the palate and makes it incredibly long. The acidity in this elegant wine ensures
freshness and great cellaring capacity.

Production limited to 17,000 bottles.

CT'er - By the glass. I honestly don’t understand so much expectation according to what this bottle has offering, with concentration and an absurd intensity. Overwhelming structure with abundant fruit in the form of memories of cassis. I am never interested in such power without margin for some terroir. It is overwhelming.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4050743

https://mendel.com.ar/en/

https://twitter.com/mendelwines

 

Pablo Fallabrino 'Alcyon' 'Anarkia', Tannat 2018 Altantida Uruguay

 Viñedo de los Vientos is located 4 km’s from the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantida Uruguay, a sub region of Canelones, one of the coolest growing regions in Uruguay. Pablo Fallabrino is the owner, grower and winemaker of Viñedo de los Vientos and he lives on the estate with his wife and two children. His grandfather, Angelo Fallabrino immigrated to Uruguay in 1920 from Piedmont and planted 5 vineyards and started 2 wineries in the 1930’s. Pablo studied with both his father and grandfather and eventually started the current, single vineyard estate in 1997 where they currently have 12 hectares under vine on their 30 hectare estate. Viñedo de los Vientos produces mostly Piedmontese varietals in addition to Tannat and their wines typically show an old world, nuanced style. Pablo is also an avid surfer.

VINEYARD
It comes from a 17ha vineyard, located next to the coast, where the River Plate estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean. Soils are made of calcareous white and brown clays.
VITICULTURE
Using no insecticide and dry no-till farming, the family practices sustainable farming.
Minimal intervention viticulture. Hand harvested.
WINEMAKING
This unique wine combines two different techniques for dessert wines, Barolo chinato and Marsala; it is fortified and aromatized.
16%ABV
TASTING NOTES
Honey like texture. Aromas of winter flowers, Madagascan vanilla bean, white cacao souffle, dark cherries. Savory and longsome finish.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4397210

Errazizus Mendoza Reserve Chardonnay 2019 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3790827

Viña Alicia Malbec 2018

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4397210 

 

https://ritualwines.cl/en/

Paitin Serraboella Barbaresco

Paitin Serraboella Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2017 BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Midweek dinner, we dined at Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took from our cellar this Italian Barbaresco Nebiollo for the occasion, to pair with our Italian cuisine. I ordered the basic classic Spaghetti pasta with Bolognese meat sauce with Italian meatball and sausage.

The Paitin Pasquero-Elia estate in the Barbaresco appellation is in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy between Turin and Genoa. It has been in the family for 8 generations, since 1893, and the Grand Cru vineyard (MGA) of Serraboella is one of the traditional expressions of Neive’s Barbaresco.

Bricco di Neive is located 2 miles South-east of the Commune of Neive, nestled in the picturesque hillside area some 1.000 feet above sea level. The winery started in 1796, when Benedetto Elia purchased 5 acres of vineyard in Bricco di Neive, planted in Nebbiolo and Barbera. Thirty years later he purchased the house, the cellar and 5 more acres of Nebbiolo.

For years, the wines were sold in barrels. In 1890, his nephew, Giuseppe, built the “new” section of the winery, started in the 15th century, and bottled the first Barbaresco, Nebbiolo and Barbera wines.

In 1948, Secondo Pasquero Elia, took over the winery, and started to replant the vineyards. The vineyard planted in 1953 produces the flag ship Barbaresco label, Vecchie Vigne Riserva. 

In the 1980’s, Secondo’s sons, Giovanni and Silvano, joined the winery. In 1994, they bought a small estate in Alba where the Nebbiolo d’Alba Ca Veja is produced. At this location, they also run a Bed & Breakfast with 6 apartments in a 16th century farmhouse.

Today, they produce a dozen vineyard specific designated labels, all estate grown representing, the terroir of the region and the specific vineyard.

The Serraboella vineyards and label is the most famous cru in the Southern Neive. They were planted in 1980-1995. Up to 1999, these fruits were integrated into the Barbaresco Sorì Paitin, but since then they are harvested and vinified as this Serraboella vineyard designated label. 

Two Barbaresco vineyards contribute to this wine. The Serreboalla vineyards sit on a long hill exposed to West, and gently bends towards the South where it gets steeper. The steepest and the warmest side Barbaresco has a unique expression of powerful but elegant texture. The ‘d Tourun vineyard shares a border with the Bricco and exhibits mineral and rough character. The Schiena d’Ernestin vineyard is more sheltered position and shows more fine and elegant character. 

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Serraboella Nebbiolo 2017

This is 100% Nebbiolo grape varietal all vinified, subject to pressing and destemming then fermented and macerated from 3 to 6 weeks in stainless steel. At the end of the winter it is moved into wood barrels where it rests for around 1 year and a half to 2 years  in barrels between 25 to 50 hectoliters, made of Slavonian and Austrian oak with an age of 15 years.

Winemaker Notes for this 2017 release: "Soft, open-knit and gracious. Succulent red cherry, mint, white pepper and chalk make a positive first impression. Hints of rose petal, mint and cinnamon blend into the creamy finish."

It was awarded 95 points by James Suckling and 93 points by Wine Spectator.

James Suckling calls it a vivid, solid Barbaresco,  extremely flavorful and powerful with intense density of fruit and ripe tannins. It’s full-bodied with lots of plums and chocolate with some walnuts and bark.

Wine Spectator said it will be best from 2023 through 2040.

 

Perhaps we drank this too young but I don't believe so. I suspect it is at the apex of its drinking profile even though it may be at this level for another decade or more. We have at least one more bottle so we'll take that advise and set it aside for some period before we're tempted to consume it. 

 

We're accustomed to bold, large, forward concentrated  wines with more body, structure and density. This was a much more subdued, moderate, lighter and more delicate, more akin to the style and character of a Pinot Noir than a Bordeaux or Rhone varietal. 

 

This was a nice accompaniment to our pasta and red sauces, nicely balanced and complementary, but much more subdued and modest than our typical wine selections.

 

Ruby colored, light medium bodied, balanced and polished, black berry and cherry fruits are accented by notes of tar and black tea with hints of white pepper, smoke and menthol, with soft but gripping tannins on the finish. 

 

RM 91 points.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3603308

 

https://www.paitin.it/en/

 

http://www.angeliscatering.com/

 

St Jean Cabernet Franc 2014

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Franc St. Jean Estate Vineyard 2014 

I opened this bottle to go with Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket and it was a perfect pairing, amplifying the enjoyment of both the food and the wine. With the brisket we also had chopped wedge salad and baked potato. 

I selected this producer following the Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon and Belle Terre Late Harvest Riesling that I took to our wine dinner the other night.

Founded in 1973 in the Sonoma Valley, Chateau St. Jean is the quintessential Sonoma winery. Chateau St. Jean produces an extensive portfolio of Sonoma County wines as well as vineyard designated wines, limited production Reserve wines, as well as the flagship Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Margo Van Staaveren has been Winemaker for more than 30 years, managing the vineyards as well as the winemaking, applying her expertise to continue the Chateau St. Jean tradition of showcasing the best of each vineyard site to produce exceptional wines. 

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Valley St. Jean Estate Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2014

We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine during at estate visit to the Chateau St Jean estate in Sonoma during our Pour Boys Sonoma County Wine Experience in 2017.  

This is sourced from St Jean Sonoma Valley estate vineyards and was aged for 21 months in American Oak. 

Tonight's tasting was consistent with my tasting notes from that visit to the Chateau when I wrote, "I like this wine: This was a bonus pour beyond scope of our planned Reserve tasting at the Chateau and it was a real treat. Dark inky purplish garnet colored, full bodied, concentrated forward black raspberry and black currant fruits accented by sweet floral tones, spicy acidity and an undercurrent of mocha and hint of clove spice. Loved it! Limited release, available only at the winery."

My rating tonight is the same as that initial tasting experience, 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2612332

http://www.chateaustjean.com/

https://twitter.com/chateaustjean1

@chateaustjean1

 

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Wine Dinner

With my Linda out of town for the weekend, Dr Dan invited me over for Friday night dinner. I pulled from the cellar a vintage Bordeaux Blend for the occasion. 

Dan prepared delicious pork loins with seasoned with hot pepper peach bourbon sauce, roasted potatoes and a medley of grilled vegetables.

Prior to dinner, Dan and Linda served a broad assortment of artisan cheeses, shrimp, olives, charcuterie, nuts and chocolates. 

Pour Boys visiting Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma

I selected a producer that the Pour Boys visited, including Dan and Linda, on our most recent Sonoma County Wine Experience, the last of numerous visits to the estate and Chateau over the years - Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Valley. 

In addition to the legendary flagship label Cinq Cépages - which means five flavors or varieties, I also brought another Chateau St Jean label, Belle Terre, their Late Harvest Riesling dessert wine. 

Chateau St Jean is one of the premier producers in Sonoma County and their winery chateau estate is a showcase highlight of the Sonoma Valley - certainly the most elegant and fashionable tasting experience setting that we've experienced there. We enjoyed visiting there numerous times over the years for a comprehensive tasting experience that offers some of their Reserve and Library selections not available in the marketplace.ch as our Napa Sonoma Wine Experience in 2009.

Our private tastings at the 1920's chateau with views of the Grand Lawn and Estate Vineyards and in the Reserve Room have been the highlights of our trips to the region.

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 1997

We've enjoyed the Cinq Cépages label since its release in the late eighties. Chateau St. Jean "Cinq Cépages" was one of the first classic Bordeaux Blend labels from the region and has always represented good value, high QPR relative, to the top Bordeaux labels. 

This was one of the last releases before the 1996 release was annointed Wine Spectator #1 wine in the annual Top 100 list in 1999.  Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator Magazine. At that time the release price was $28, a remarkable value at the time. From then on, the label exploited its #1 legacy and notoriety and boosted the price point, but it still represents reasonable comparable value at near $100.    

We have a vertical of this up to the recent vintages - this was the oldest release in our cellar so we pulled as part of cellar management, but also to compare to two other 1997 vintage Napa Cabs we opened last weekend.

This release was awarded 96 points by Wine Spectator, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. 

The fill level, foil, label and most importantly, the cork were all in prime condition.  At twenty five years this was at the apex, in its prime drinking window, showing no signs of diminution from aging whatsoever. This exceeded my loftiest expectations and showed even better than the two 1997's we opened last weekend. This was definitely the WOTN - Wine of The Night.

The 1997 Cinq Cepages is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit-Verdot, aged in 50% new and 50% one-year old French barrels. Robert Parker writes, "this is California's answer to a big, rich St-Emilion".

Stephen Tanzer writes: "At once sweet and structured. Finishes with big, dusty tannins and very good length. The most promising vintage to date for this bottling. (ST)"

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, smooth polished, complex but balanced and nicely integrated black berry plum, currant and black cherry fruits with notes of mocha, toffee, spice, cedar, aise and herbs with a smooth finish. 

RM 94 points.

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

Linda served strawberry shortcakes with fresh fruits and I opened the Late Harvest dessert wine. 

Chateau St. Jean Alexander Valley Belle Terre Vineyard Special Select Late Harvest Riesling 2006  

Château St. Jean has been producing several white wine labels from the Belle Terre Vineyard since the 1975 Chardonnay Belle Terre and 1976 dessert Riesling. The Belle Terre Vineyard is owned by the Dick Family, which over the past three decades, has built a reputation as one of the premier grape-growing families in the region

The vineyard is in the Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural) Area just north of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. The Russian River flows through the valley. The region was named for Cyrus Alexander, a 19th century landowner and grape grower. The AVA includes 15,000 vineyard acres, much of it rich, alluvial soil layered on a bed of gravel, similar to many vineyards in Bordeaux. 

Today Alexander Valley is home to some of California’s most admired wineries, including Simi, Stonestreet, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, and of course Chateau St Jean based in Sonoma. 

This Special Select Late Harvest Riesling is produced only in top rated vintages from botrytis-affected fruit that is carefully hand-selected from the Belle Terre Vineyard.

Upon release, this wine is straw colored, and with its high residual sweetness, can be a long lived wine, capable of aging for decades. As it ages, it becomes darker, turning from straw colored to golden, taking on more brown hues resembling weak tea, then stronger darker tea, and eventually dark blackish cola or coffee colored. At fifteen years, this was already blackish colored, like cola, akin more to one that is several decades old. 

Normally this would be predominant ripe ripe apricot, peach and lemon fruits with sweet notes of fruits and honey. This release the sweet fruits were more subdued interlaced with notes of tea, expresso and bitter dark chocolate with bright acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=796124

http://www.chateaustjean.com/

https://twitter.com/chateaustjean1

@chateaustjean1

Over the course of the evening, Dan opened a selection of red wines from his cellar. 

• Long Shadows Saggi Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
• Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
• Il Valentiano Brunello Di Montalcino Reserva 2015 
• Entrepreneur Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Long Shadows Saggi Columbia Valley Red Blend - Sanviovese, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

We're members of the Long Shadows wine club and hence get regular Vault Key Club release allocation shipments of their top labels of which we share our case lot with Dr Dan. We've written in these pages about the Vintners Collection wherein Long Shadows collaborates with world class winemakers to craft varietal compositions from Washington State fruit. 

This label is inspired by the great wines of Tuscany and father-son winemaking team Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, winemaker Gilles Nicault crafts Saggi in the style of its original winemakers.

The 2018 Saggi is a Columbia Valley Blend: 58% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Syrah. The Sangiovese is sourced from two distinct Washington State Sangiovese vineyards, both planted in 1998. Both sites with have terrior of well-draining soils, important to managing Sangiovese’s vine vigor and controlling berry size. Candy Mountain Vineyard Sangiovese is a warm vineyard that delivers grapes with ripe, black currant aromas and flavors. Boushey Vineyard Sangiovese, grown in the Yakima Valley, is a cooler site that brings brightness and balanced acidity to the blend. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Stone Tree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, included to add a silky texture to the wine. The Syrah adds a darker hue and another layer of complexity.

Winemakers' tasting notes: "Easily one of our favorite Saggi bottlings to date, this wine showcases the quality of our vineyard sites and the warmth of the growing season. A brilliant garnet-red, the 2018 Saggi is elaborately fragrant, brimming with red cherries, ripe strawberries and notes of nutmeg. Vibrant and
well-integrated with balanced natural acidity, this is a textured wine with great richness and flavors that linger across a generous finish. Drinking beautifully now, the wine’s concentration and structure also make it an excellent candidate for the cellar."

This is becoming a go-to wine for us for Sangiovese complemented Italian cuisine, but bigger and bolder than your typical Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino. Son Alec, who also shares in our club allocation cites this as one of his favorite wines.

Tonight, this stood out from the others with its big bold style, bright garnet-red colored, full bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated vibrant forward fruits of raspberry, red cherries and ripe strawberries with fragrant floral and notes of nutmeg and clove spices. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3720918

 

https://longshadows.com/wines/2018-saggi/133

http://longshadows.orderport.net/product-details/0536/2016-Saggi 

https://twitter.com/LongShadowsWine

 

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Red

Flora Springs "Trilogy" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2009

I wrote extensively about Flora Springs and the Trilogy Napa Valley Red Blend label (2008) and chronicled their branding history in these pages two years ago.

I wrote at that time, 'This is a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend that has been around for decades. Its one of the go-to wines in our cellar, one that we collect from vintage to vintage, as it represents a style we like, is reliable, produced in sufficient quantity to be generally available and provides reasonable QPR - quality price ratio, despite the fact the price has crept up precipitously over the years.'

As with that post, again tonight, for midweek dinner at home with grilled steaks, whipped potatoes and haricot verts, I pulled from the cellar this Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley. 

We have collected and served Trilogy from Floral Springs for decades and still hold nearly a dozen vintages dating back to 1990 in our cellar.

As mentioned in earlier blog postings: Trilogy is Flora Springs’ flagship wine, dating back to 1984 when they decided to make the finest wine possible sourced from the highest quality wine lots from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red blends. 

It has long provided sophisticated drinking at good value. Indeed, the name Trilogy refers to the three primary Bordeaux varietal grapes in the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc although they also grow and sometimes include in the blend the other Bordeaux varietals, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The label adorns three grape leaves on the label.

This Bordeaux-style wine is sourced from the Floral Springs Komes-Garvey estate vineyards that sit just west of St Helena Highway down Zinfandel Lane, in the northwestern corner of the Rutherford Appellation. 

The Komes and Garvey’s have always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varietals.

Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards.

We've collected this wine since those early days and still hold bottles dating back to our kids' birthyears in 1990-91. Perhaps whimsically, I latched on to this as a regular favorite partly due to the namesake that wife Linda is a descendant of the Flora family, founders of her hometown Flora, in Indiana, no relation of course to the California Napa Flora (first name) Kombs. but fun and a tribute none-the-less.

To this day, Trilogy is a mainstay go to label in our cellar offering quality sophisticated drinking at reasonable value relative to the premium Napa and Bordeaux Blends. Hence, to fullfil the urge for a Bordeaux with our steak on this evening, we opened this fifteen year old Trilogy.

Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2009

Perfect complement to grilled steak.  Wine Enthusiast gave this release 92 points.

Winemaker’s Notes: "The 2009 Trilogy possesses all the attributes that make Trilogy so great—ripe berries, allspice, white chocolate, espresso and black currant. Three varietals merge together to form a beautiful balanced lush wine that makes you just want to have one more sip.'

"The Merlot brings out the red fruits, while the Cabernet and Malbec are responsible for the black fruits. We are proud to say that after 33 years of winemaking and 25 years of crafting Trilogy, Flora Springs is still breaking new ground. We credit the consistent organic and sustainable farming practices of our vineyard team as well as the focus and direction of our winemaker, Paul Steinauer." 

As indicated by the three grape leaves on the label, this 2009 Trilogy is a red Bordeaux Blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Malbec. It was aged for 21 months in 100% new French Oak. 

We've enjoyed Trilogy since the 80's and still hold vintages dating back to 1990 and 1991 in our cellar. This one is as forward and flavorful as any I remember however perhaps not as complex as some vintages.

At thirteen years, this is drinking very nicely now, probably at the apex of its drinking profile, and not likely to improve any further with aging. 

With dark inky color, this exhibited medium-full bodied, nicely complex but nicely balanced and well integrated bright vibrant forward blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of cassis, cedar, mocha and hints of sweet oak with  smooth soft tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1316779

https://www.florasprings.com/our-legacy/flora-komes/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/flora-springs-trilogy-napa-valley-red.html

https://www.florasprings.com/ 

  

https://twitter.com/FloraSprings

Boy's Night Out Cellar Tours Wine Tasting

Boy's Night Out Cellar Tours Wine Tasting 

Son Ryan and neighbor Dave M hosted a wine tasting opening their two cellars and a flight of spectacular wines accompanied by artisan cheeses, smoked salmon, charcuterie and assorted eats.

Evening hosts, Ryan M and Dave M

Dave is the principle of Elements, the banquet meeting facility, wine and food service associated with Hotel Indigo in Naperville (IL). We recently hosted our global team summit there for a week, where we met,  and learned he was my son's neighbor and a fellow oenophile and serious wine collector, and hence the planning began for wine get-togethers such as this!

Dave's Cellar

Ryan anchored the tasting flight with a couple of ten year old labels and suggested I bring some vintage in five or ten year increments in light of my cellar collection spawning several decades. I pulled from my cellar two twenty-five year old labels from the 1997 vintage to round out the tasting.

What great fun and how special to share a father-son shared interest experience such as this.

Ryan started with three classic Napa Valley labels from his cellar, accompanied by a selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie. 

• Dominus Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2012
• Vineyard 29 Napa Valley Aida Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
  
• LaJota Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 2018

From my cellar we opened two vintage Napa Cabernets.

• Lokoya Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
• Plumpjack Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
  

My tasting notes of these labels appear in a separate blogpost here. 

We moved around the corner to Dave's house with his magnificent cellar from which he offered our choice of wines to open.  His home is full of wine themed artwork and artifacts besides the incredible rec room, wine room and cellar. The formal dining room features this spectacular wine art from famous wine paintings artist Eric Christensen. This rare Giclée oil print by America's Watercolor Master is a hyper-realistic oil featuring the Napa Valley producer Duckhorn and their Discussion bottle with many imaginative and intriguing reflections. 

Once down in the cellar - we focused on selecting the continuation of the evening's wine flight. Dave has set the tone having opened the legendary producer Scarecrow and their Napa Valley Red M Etain. 

Ryan pulling down an OWC
(original wood case) from Dave's
cellar collection

We pulled from Dave's extensive cellar collection and tasted a spectacular flight of extraordinary Napa Valley Cabernets.

• Scarecrow M Etain Napa Valley Red 2017
• Continuum Napa Valley Red 2014
  
• Realm 'The Tempest' Napa Valley Red 2014
• Hall Vineyards Kathryn Hall 2015  
  
  
  

  

And from Argentina, Nicolás Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard in the Gualtallary District, Tupungato Alto Region, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina this Malbec,

• Adrianna Vineyards River Stones Malbec 2015
  

To end the evening, late into the early morning, we retired to Dave's outdoor patio for closing out the remaining wines, some aperitifs and cigars. 

 

What a spectacular evening, looking forward to our next Caroline Crew wine event.