Steve Hoff Rossco's Shiraz 2004

Steve Hoff Rossco's Shiraz South Australia Barossa Valley 2004 

From producer "Heritage Wines" situated in the historic village of Marananga in the Barossa Valley. This small family-owned enterprise is run by winemaker, Steve Hoff, a sixth generation descendant of early Barossa settlers,and his wife, Christine.

Steve Hoff also offers a lower priced Shiraz varietal label that provides a very nice easy drinking fruit filled Shiraz with a high QPR - quality to price ratio.

This bottle exhibited dark purple color, medium to full bodied, slightly funky with black berry fruit flavors overtaken by predominant leathery raisin accented by a smoke, meat, bacon, layer with mocha cassis flavors with a moderate tannin finish. 

RM 84 points.

The funkiness makes me wonder if perhaps this was a slightly tainted bottle. This isn't as good as the lower priced Barossa Shiraz. .

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=357539 

Château Gruaud Larose St Julien Bordeaux 1985

We pulled this '85 vintage Bordeaux from the cellar to enjoy over grilled sirloin steak dinner and to celebrate son Sean's birth year and birthday. This coupled with the occasion of having met the winemaker recently at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, during their United States Tour stop in Chicago.

Dark ruby garnet colored with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a huge fragrant floral bouquet that fills the mouth and nostrils and lingers for minutes. Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
RM90 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=20848

David Launay - Gruaud
Larose Winemaker at
Chicago UGCB tasting.

The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tour was showcasing their 2010 vintage release in a tasting held at the Drake Hotel. A highlight of the event was meeting many of the winemakers and producers including Gruaud Larose winemaker David Launey. It was fun to ask him about the various vintage releases that we hold in our cellar. We hold this in abundance going back to the 1978 vintage including the 1981, '82, '83, '85, '86, '88 through '1990, from the nineties and the new millennium. Most notably, we still hold large format bottles of Gruaud Larose 1985 and 1990 from son's Sean and Alec's birth years. David said the 1985 is holding up well but is ready to drink now. It certainly was vibrant and expressive and showing no sign of diminution, but don't expect it to improve further with age.


 

 

Château Picque Caillou Pessac Leognan 2010

Château Picque Caillou, Pessac Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux 2010

We just attended the 2010 Bordeaux release tasting of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux  tasting in Chicago a short while back.One lesson learned was that the 2010 vintage, here-to-fore overshadowed by the legendary 2009's, is a high achiever, one to be taken seriously and provides some good notable wines, even from some of the lesser labels. The 2010 Bordeaux vintage was monumental with dry conditions, cool temperatures, and sunny days. It produced wines displaying a ripeness, freshness, and concentration found only in the finest vintages. As expected in top vintage years, the most famous estates produced memorable wines, but so did some lesser estates as well. 

Pessac Leognan is in the Appellation of Grave, a vast region, spanning over 50 kilometres directly south of the town of Bordeaux. Its name originates from the gravelly soils deposited there in the last ice age, which impart much of the character associated with their mineral whites and sophisticated reds. Grave is the only Bordeaux region that produces quality reds, whites as well as sweet desert wines. The region encompasses several smaller communes including Pessac Leognan, Sauternes and Barsac.

Chateau Picque Caillou was built in 1780 in what was then the countryside outside of Bordeaux. It is situated near the Rocade just a few hundred metres from legendary First Growth Chateau Haut Brion. Isabelle and Paulin Calvet took over the management of the estate prior to purchasing it in 1997. Having brought in superstar winemaker Denis Dubourdieu, Picque Caillou is now producing award winning wines that are are a worthwhile discovery. With the addition of winemaker Paulin Calvet, a former employee of negociant J-P. Moueix who learned from both Christian Moueix and the now-retired winemaker of Chateau Petrus, Jean-Claude Berrouet, they are now one of the emerging rising stars producing some of the best deals in the 2010 Bordeaux vintage. 

The 2010 Chateau Picque Caillou, is what one might call a diamond in the rough, a nice wine for the value conscious wine enthusiast.

This Pique Caillou is medium bodied, delicate, nicely balanced and polished. yet packing a backbone of moderate tannins - it presents expressive blackberry, a layer of spice and cassis with touch of smoke and well integrated soft oak. The tones of of blackberry are accented with hints of dark plum and a touch of cracked pepper before giving way to the lingering tannin finish. It provides for sophisticated yet pleasurable easy drinking at a modest price. The rather soft delicate nature may be a result of the blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot.

RM 89 points.  

This represents a good value high QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) wine, hard to find from Bordeaux at this price point of $25.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1166238 

http://www.picque-caillou.com

Matanzas Creek Sonoma Bennett Valley Jackson Park Merlot 2007

Matanzas Creek Winery Sonoma County Bennett Valley Jackson Park Vineyard Merlot 2007 

Matanzas Creek has been producing Merlot from their Bennet Valley vineyards up in Sonoma County for decades. With its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, their Jackson Park vineyard is at the front line of the cooling effects of the Petaluma Wind Gap which brings marine winds and coastal fog into the valley. These conditions help develop the grapes' aromatic qualities, acidity and tannin structure. This signature Bennett Valley Merlot is sourced from the terraced vineyards of the 110 acre Jackson Park Ranch located 900 feet above the Bennett Valley floor.

Full bodied and dark garnet colored, this signature Merlot was initially harsh and almost unapproachable with tart black cherry, a funky leatheriness and hard tannins. It was more approachable the next day and even more-so becoming smoother and more polished a couple days later, revealing black berry, black currant, clove spice and a layer of anise with hint of tobacco leaf and subtle dark mocha. Firm dry tannins shape the lingering finish. This includes in the blend 14% Cabernet Sauvignon from Matanzas Creek's  mountain vineyards in Knights Valley which they contend add additional structure and a rich mouthfeel.


RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=968694

http://www.matanzascreek.com/


This wine is currently available at Chicagoland's Wine Discount Center for $23 representing a good QPR - Quality Price Ratio if one has the peace of mind to not reject it on initial opening and have patience to let it open and settle over a couple days.  

  

Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Del Dotto Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Much has been written here in this blog about our enjoyment of and support for Del Dotto Vineyards and their selection of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. Indeed, we've been fans and collectors since their inaugural release in 1993 and hold a vertical collection dating back that far. We continue to be rewarded for our patience in holding these wines and enjoying their longevity. They're safely in their prime drinking window and promise several more years of fine drinking to come. Tonight was typical as we chose their 1999 vintage for a special dinner welcoming a new colleague with our leadership at Angelis' Italian, our favorite local Italian bistro in Naperville.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes - the 1999 Del Dotto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby colored, full bodied, complex but nicely balanced with intense dark cherry, black currant and blackberry fruits, a spicy tangy oak layer on a lingering finish of tight structured tannins. This was a perfect complement to Angelis' pasta with peas and ground Italian sausage in a vodka cream sauce. 

RM 92 points. 

Previous tasting journal entries for this wine -  Dec 25, 2003, April 2, 2003, Dec 25, 2002, Aug 24, 2002, May 30, 2008,  October 19, 2012  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=616988

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/ 

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997


Much has been written here in this blog about our enjoyment of and support for Robert Craig Vineyards and his family of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. Indeed, we've been fans and collectors since his inaugural release in 1993 and still hold a vertical collection dating back that far. We continue to be rewarded for our patience in holding these wines and enjoying their longevity. They're safely in their prime drinking window and promise several more years of fine drinking to come. Tonight was typical as we chose their 1997 vintage for a special dinner welcoming a new colleague and trying out a new local eatery, Cuisine de Saigon - an Asian French fusion restaurant in Naperville. They offer a nice selection of entrees featuring all fresh and authentic preparations at great prices for fantastic value and a economical BYOB policy. This wine was a perfect complement to their soy rib-eye steak entree.

My Winesite features six tasting notes of previous bottles of this wine from the case we bought at the winery in Napa Valley a dozen years ago. This bottle continues to be expressive, still revealing itself and its full potential with lingering fruit and staying power. - rich, medium full bodied, dark garnet colored - fruit filled with black currant, black berry, raspberry, cassis and earthy leather reminiscent of a left bank Bordeaux with silky tannins on the finish. (82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc).

The 1997 vintage was praised at the time while the panned follow-on 1998 vintage has been more enjoyable over the last several years. Finally the '97 is awakening and revealing itself, as we're getting down to the last few bottles of a case we purchased long ago. It will be fun to see how this continues to evolve, and how long it lasts in its glory.


RM 92 points.




This is Robert Craig's Cabernet Saivignon Blend from his three mountains (Mt Veeder, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain) and a (Napa) Valley collection. Known for its good value and early drinking ability, this fifteen year old is holding up well.
 
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=29715

From our Robert Craig vertical collection that is highlighted regularly in this blog. Click on the Robert Craig link for more features.



Previous tasting journal entries for this wine are: July 26, 2000, June 23, 2000, April 28, 2007 , December 25, 2007, April 1, 2009, February 21, 2012, August 29, 2012.

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/