2019 Balverne Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill – Beautiful Wine From Sonoma
The Winery and Background
Bob and Renee Stein purchased the 710-acre Russian River Valley estate that included a working vineyard in 1992. The Steins vision was to create a sustainable property and they called it Notre Vue Estate. They developed the property keeping 350 acres in a protected Forever Wild open space. This acreage weaved with the vineyards combined rugged wildland and wildlife with the manicured vineyards.
The resulting effort is 250 acres of rolling vineyards and the “Forever Wild” protected space. This includes 17 miles of hiking and biking trails with picnicking areas throughout. Horseback riding trails also exist. Their label shows a red shoulder Hawk which roam the area. Thus their motto is the reason they consider Forever Wild to be the heart of the Notre Vue Estate.
Their goal with their winemaker, is focused on making wine in a European style with finesse and low intervention. Their current offerings with the Balverne label include Zinfandel, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, a few different Chardonnay’s, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Under their Notre Vue label, they have various Rose’s, Chardonnay’s, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a few red blends.
Photo Balverne website
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Really did not know what to expect as this was the first time tasting this wine. It was an eye opening experience to be sure! First on the eyes, a radiant, yet dense enticing purple coloring greets one out of the bottle with medium-heavy viscosity. Then on the nose, a lively dark fruits and floral aromas wafted from the glass. Once on the palate, a meaty/chewy and overpowering black cherry was the predominate taste, followed by mocha flavoring in the background. On the finish, beautiful velvety tannins on the roof of mouth confirmed this was an exceptionally solid wine. It was counterbalanced by just a tinge of sweetness on the finish, not residual sugar, but of fruit. It is listed on the website for $48/bottle and a very impressive bottle for the price delivering a solid performance.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a BBQ’d hamburger served medium rare with baked beans and a fresh garden salad. Unfortunately no pictures this evening. The wine paired wonderfully with its lively cherry flavors with the BBQ burger with embedded Sonoma Jack Hot Pepper Cheese with red and green jalapeno peppers. The spiciness of the cheese and full body and predominate black cherry flavors was a delightful marriage. This wine could easily be paired with many other hot and spicy dishes.
Sláinte,
Michael