Month: June 2026
2021 Cuda Ridge Wines Mélange d’ Amis – Blended with Friends and Enjoyed by All
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Mélange d’ Amis, which means blended by friends, is a Saint-Émilion style Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend. It is described as delightfully complex and elegant with various layers of fruit depending on the vintage. Each year the mix varies but the taste remains opulent. Their 2023 vintage won Best of Class and a Gold Medal at the International Cabernet Franc Competition (Blend Division) by both the Professional and People’s Choice Judges, Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition and 93 points from Wine Enthusiast.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Since its inception, this has always been one of my favorite wines. The blend makes an easy sipping wine as well as one to enjoy with food.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine, when poured into the glass possessed a glistening magenta coloring with a medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, aromas of red bold fruits and floral scents rise to meet you. On the palate, a symphony of flavors dances merrily in the mouth with raspberry and strawberry for a delightful taste. Secondary flavors of pepper, spice and vanilla wrap up the flavor profile. At the finish, one experiences the multi-level structure of this wine and velvety tannins.
2021 vintage came in 14.5% alcohol and is made up with 63% White Cat Vineyard Cab Franc, 35% Thatcher Bay Merlot and 2% Smith Ranch Verdot. It was barrel aged in new French oak for 17 months. Only 49 cases were produced.
The 2023 vintage of Mélange d’ Amis is $65/bottle and consists of 50% White Cat Vineyard Cabernet Franc, 35% Thatcher Bay Vineyard Merlot, 5% White Cat Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% White Cat Vineyard Malbec, and 5% Estate Petit Verdot 14.5% alcohol. Only 48 cases were produced.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine most definitely will make my annual list of Best Wines tasted in 2026. Can’t wait to taste their current vintage!
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
Dinner with this wine was marinated and seared tri-tip steak. Seared at 1500 degrees and served medium-rare. Accompanied by Mexican Street Corn consisting of sweet corn toasted in a skillet, chopped serrano peppers, orange bell pepper, green onions and goat cheese. Also, a chopped salad that included broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green onion, crispy corn, cornbread crumbles, lettuce and served with a creamy Elote dressing. The salad dressing was smoky and tangy and tied in with the corn and meat beautifully.
The Mélange d’ Amis with its fruit surrounded the seared meat with each succulent bite. The wine also provided a soothing respite with Street Corn and worked well with the salad. A very good food and wine pairing and will be repeated soon!
The Winery
Photo from Cuda Ridge Wines
Larry Dino, the winemaker at Cuda Ridge Wines and the owner along with his expert wine taster Margie Dino, now has all six modern Bordeaux varietals available at the tasting room.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the solid and simple marketing ideas that Larry devised is his coloring scheme: White label for his Reserve wines, Black label for his non-Bordeaux wines and purple label for his Bordeaux varietals.
The list of awards for all his other wines is extensive and would direct you to his website to view the dozens and dozens of noteworthy awards.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2012 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon, From St Helena in Napa Valley
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Photo from Spottswoode Website
The Winery was established in 1882 by founder Mrs. Albert Spotts. The property was later acquired in 1972 by Mary and Jack Novak. Mary released their first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982, one hundred years after its founding. They have consistently received high praise and scores for their wines. In 1985, before organic farming was a sought-after title, they were already practicing strict procedures. Then in 1992 they received their California Certified Organic Farmers certification (CCOF).
Today besides their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, they produce a Cabernet Sauvignon called Lyndenhurst (Estate and other selection vineyards), Sauvignon Blanc including a designated block production and a few others.
Spottswoode’s accolades are impeccable with notes on their website from Jancis Robinson, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker, Jeb Dunnuck, etc. More can be found at: https://spottswoode.com/accolades/
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While heralded as one of the premier wines of Napa Valley, unfortunately this fell short of the mark. Perhaps I kept in the temperature and humidity-controlled cellar for too long? Don’t get me wrong, it was a very good Cabernet Sauvignon but far from the stellar ratings that Robert Parker gave it as 100 points or Suckling at 98 points. Robert Parker in his notes, stated drink after 2025.
On the eyes a very deep maroon/crimson coloring. On the nose blackberries and dark cherries dominated the senses. Once on the palate, the lush fruits of cherries coupled with blueberries swelled up in the mouth. It was not the “well defined and structured” wine with layers of enjoyment, but rather flat and monotone. The tannins and acidity had mellowed and vanquished into a silent whisper of faintness. On the finish soft blueberries and a hint of vanilla were present and almost no oak. Still an enjoyable sipping wine, but something stronger was expected, more akin to O’Shaughnessy, Outpost, Cardinal, Crocker & Starr pedigree.
I believe the current vintage from the winery sells for $285/bottle for the 2023 vintage.
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
Chose this wine tonight to go with a special seasoned ribeye steak to cut through the marbled fat in the meat. While the meat was very good, the lack of edgy/jagged and pronounced tannins were lacking to make this wine spectacular. The meat was seared quickly at 1500 degrees on a Napolean infrared burner to a beautiful medium rare presentation.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Accompanied by corn on the cob, a fresh artichoke and garden salad with bacon and Blue cheese dressing. The overall meal was scrumptious. Happy to have my wife back from a visit with family in California!
A good wine and food pairing, but the wine fell short of my high expectations to make this an excellent pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Sam & Luca Italian Bistro – Stopping For a Quick Bite and Italian Wine
Photo from Sam & Lucca Italian Bistro/Blaise Vitale
Background
On the way back from picking up Susan (wife) from the airport, stopped at Sam & Luca Italian Bistro at 1959 S. Power Road in Mesa, AZ. Heard from two different couples that this was one of the better Italian restaurants in the Mesa/Gilbert area. This is a family-owned bistro where every dish is inspired by their Italian roots with recipes being passed down from generation to generation. Their stated goal is to use simple and fresh ingredients to create meals that showcase their heritage with dish that are “pure, flavorful and made with love”. Who would not want to take part in a meal like this?
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
This was almost a “date night” catching up, as Susan was returning from ten days in California visiting family and taking care of her mother with doctor visits at age 97. We immediately started the dinner off ordering a bottle of 2022 Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso. Antinori is a large, very respected vintner in Italy making an array of wines. While viewing the view list that was good, chose this wine. It is a signature blend featuring Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah providing great and delightful notes of black cherry and silky tannins. The Antinori winery is based in Florence, with their history dating back to 1395. Not only are they one of the largest wine companies in Italy, their innovation and creativity played a significant role in the “Super-Tuscan” revolution of the 1970’s. This wine is moderately priced and is widely recognized. Great with any Italian dish ordered!
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
Susan ordered the chicken piccata (sorry no picture) that was scrumptious and savory. I was not that hungry and started the dinner off with Caprese salad of fresh mozzarella, tomato, pesto, fresh basil and fig balsamic. The tomatoes were so fresh and firm and the mozzarella was equally spectacular with the fresh basil and balsamic.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Followed by their three meatballs made with veal, pork, beef and baked with marinara and mozzarella. These three meatballs were tasty and were absolutely filling. This was like being transported to almost any bistro in Tuscany. The wine and dishes were perfectly matched and excellent.
We conversed with the server “Bee” during the meal. Her service, effort and engaging personality only added to the meal. Toward the end of the meal, while sipping on our last glass of wine, the General Manager Josh Lippe came by to introduce himself. We had been discussing various events they hold during the year (wine tasting, wine pairing dinners, etc.) with “Bee” and she prompted him to stop by. Had a wonderful conversation about the direction and style of the restaurant and various events. We are signing up to keep informed of the next wine pairing dinner. Josh is the son of the owner and knowledgeable both about wine and the meals being offered.
We will look forward to returning and trying some of their specialty dishes soon!
Slainte,
Michael Kelly
2020 Ancient Peaks Winery, Pearl Cabernet Sauvignon – Smooth, Silky and Stunning
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Ancient Peaks Winery is LARGE, consisting of 14,000 acres with 1,000 acres under vine.
As it turns out Santa Margarita is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA in the most southern portion of the AVA. Some of the more interesting factoids of the vineyard are:
- Five separate soils are intermixed and found on the property, shown on one of their labels.
- The vineyard is only 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and draws the fog onto the property
- It is the coolest sub-AVA in Paso Robles AVA.
- Being the coolest region, they are often the latest in full maturing of the vineyards. This helps in providing a slower ripening process (often with challenges) but the reward is flavor, structure and with the varying soil types provides unique character to the grapes.
- They average 29 inches of rain with the surrounding Santa Lucia mountain range.
- Their sustainability practices have earned them SIP Certification (Sustainability in Practice).
- The owners of the winery are Karl Wittstrom, Rob Rossi and Doug Filipponi, all local wine growing and ranching families in Santa Margarita.
- Santa Margarita was originally settled by the Franciscan missionaries around 1770. In 1889 the area was part of the Mexican Alta California land grant.
- It is named for Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia, an Italian saint.
- A rich and detailed history can be found on Santa Margarita and is fascinating reading. https://santamargaritahistoricalsociety.org/
Today they have the Oyster Ridge event building/site which is an ideal spot for weddings, corporate retreats and private events overlooking the vineyards and ranch. Additionally, they provide a host of activities in the agritourism business on the 14,000 acres including vineyard zip lining, wildlife tours and horseback trail rides.
The label called Oyster Ridge comes from so many oyster bed fossils found about the property. Here Mike Sinor is holding one fossilized oyster cluster.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Learned that their wines have three distinct labels/branding going to market which are: Ancient Peaks, Oyster Ridge and Pearl. Many of the varieties are offered with all three labels/branding. Their white wines consist of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The red wines offered are extensive with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Zinfandel. We found many we enjoyed and purchased.
Tonight’s wine was the 2020 Pearl Cabernet Sauvignon. The words in the title of this story only begin to frame how delicious this wine tasted. They chose specifically cultivated blocks and then aged the wine in 100% new French oak barrels for 23 weeks. The resulting wine was nothing short of spectacular. The current release is 2021 and lists at $72/bottle. They consider this their ultimate expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a deep ruby color with medium to medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose ripe blackberry and smooth earthy notes wafted up to the senses. On the palate, lush and textured flavors of plum, cherries and caressing blueberries swirled about in the mouth. Secondary flavors arose of caramel, and vanilla completed the tasting experience. A spectacular wine with structure, complexity and yet simply impactful. A brooding and sophisticated wine to be enjoyed sip after sip.Top of Form
The wine came in at 14.6% alcohol and consisted of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Only 956 cases were produced.
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
With the wife out of state, I ventured off to pick up a few items at a local fine food market. A simple meal this evening with Wagyu hamburger and asparagus wrapped in bacon. Both were BBQ’ed and served with the wine. While the meal was good, it was not evenly paired for this excellent wine, as the Cabernet Sauvignon really needed a ribeye or filet mignon!
This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in 2026 that comes out in December. While tasting some 1500 to 1800 wines a year, roughly only 2-3% make the list.
I hope this article provides you with an incentive to check out their gorgeous property and quality wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
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