cabernet-sauvignon
Cheese, Wine, More Cheese and More Wines – A Fabulous Event
| Never was the saying by Andre Simon more evident than at a 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”. I attended the Wood Family Vineyards wine & cheese pairings yesterday in Livermore. They featured four cheeses and six wines during the event. At the door each participant was greeted with a glass of Pink Pearl, a Rosé of Grenache. Then off to the winery where various stations of cheese and the featured wines were being offered. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| All the pairings were very good with some unique cheeses, but the first one was spectacular and my favorite, being the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc paired with Cottonwood River Cheese. A two-year-old raw cow milk Cheddar from Jason Weibe in Kansas. A Fun nutty and sharp Cheddar boasting notes of browned pineapple with a long finish with a crunchy quality! |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| Next up was the 2023 Grenache paired with Smoking Goat cheese. This was a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese from Spain that is softly smoked. Pure cream with a nice salt line and a smooth smokey note that compliments and does not overpower. We also had a long and delightful chat with the owner and winemaker, Rhonda Wood while sipping on the wine. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| This was followed by the 2022 Merlot paired with Ewenique cheese. This is a pasteurized sheep’s milk Gouda style cheese made by Central Coast Creamery in Paso Robles, Ca. Texture that turns to a soft brown buttered cream, with touches of crystals and fun. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| The last paring was the 2022 “Woody’s” Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Brabander cheese. This is a pasteurized goats milk Gouda from L’Amuse in Holland. Thick Cream on the pallet, with a fudgy consistency. Notes of Citrus and salt that accent the cream of the cheese the soft goats milk pops, but extremely approachable and smooth. Additionally, one of their Zinfandel’s was also tasted. A fun afternoon tasting some cheeses not normally available locally but are from the Cheese Parlor in Livermore. For each of the in-depth wine descriptions you can read at the following links: 2024 Wood Family Sauvignon Blanc https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/02/07/2024-wood-family-vineyards-sauvignon-blanc-stainless-steel-lively-zesty-and-bright/ 2023 Wood Family Grenache https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/01/31/2023-wood-family-vineyards-grenache-a-spicy-wine-with-pizza/ 2022 Wood Family Merlot https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/01/26/2022-wood-family-vineyards-one-oak-vineyard-merlot/ 2022 Wood Family “Woody’s” Cabernet Sauvignon https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/12/27/2022-wood-family-vineyards-woodys-cabernet-sauvignon-and-chateaubriand-steak/ Wood Family Vineyards has the tag line “It’s all good at the Wood’s” I think it could easily be “If it has required driving miles, you will leave with smiles”! From the hospitality folks to all the people attending smiles galore! |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| 250 folks attended the four-hour event and not a single unhappy face was spotted!! A testament to the food, wines and staff. |
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2014 YoungInglewood Right Bank Blend – Funambulism Perfected
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I have been an admirer of this winery since their inception and have always stated their label of the tightrope walker represents one of the best labels – the parallelism between showing how the tightrope walker reaching a their destination and the winemaker balancing so many facets of the production to arrive at the other side safely with a grand product.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This includes vineyard management, canopy trimming, dropping fruit, harvesting at the precise moment to extract the perfect juice, formulating the right blend, keeping tannins and fruit in check, etc. I seldom talk about wine labels but theirs is the exception. The label is one of the simplest yet says so much about their wine with the balancing of the tightrope walker. This is a paradigm for balance in the fruit, tannins, acidity and color. A little too much of any one item, and a misstep happens. Even deeper is their aspiring sense of balance in life, starting in the vineyards with organic and sustainable practices. All of this requires a firm grasp of balance and finesse summed up by a tightrope walker! Funambulism is the art of tightrope walking.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It is a small family winery located in the southern edge of Saint Helena up against the western mountains in Napa Valley. Jim Young handling the administration, finances and the winemaking team is Jacky and Scott Young, a mother/son teaming up to make many exquisite wines. Currently they produce Aligoté, Chardonnay (Burgundian style), Vin Clair Rosé (lighter side of Malbec and Merlot), Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Right Bank Blend.
This boutique winery, which has consistently produced deep and concentrated red wines was voted one of the must visit wineries in California by the SF Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Young-Inglewood-an-organic-family-vineyard-with-15576338.php
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Opened last night a 2014 YoungInglewood Right Bank Blend. This wine is 39% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec. It is 14.5% alcohol and only 167 cases were produced. The percentages change yearly, and their current vintage is the 2020 at 130/bottle.
On the eyes an alluring and dark purple concentration of color with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose aromatics of ripe raspberries and dark fruits. The blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot were harmonized to make a mellow presentation, yet still able to pick up the nuances of Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon played its part to allow sufficient tannins to be presented as velvety and smooth. On the palate the Malbec provided a tinge of smokiness that was noted while sipping. A beautiful wine to enjoy alone or with a nice ribeye steak, tri tip or ribs.
This wine made my Best Wines Tasted in 2025 for sure. Only 5% of the 1500-1800 wines tasted during the year make my annual list. Treat yourself to a visit to YoungInglewood Winery as each wine is purposed and handcrafted by artisan winemakers.
Sláinte,
Michael
2009 O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt Veeder
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery is located on Howell Mountain; however, they do source some fruit from their other estate located on Mount Veeder. So, they offer both Mt Veeder and Howell Mountain vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon.
First thing to notice how well the winery did in selecting the perfect cork that has lasted for over 15 years. Of course, it was stored at the correct temperature and humidity levels.
2009 O’Shaughnessy 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is from the west side of the Napa Valley, Mount Veeder. On the eyes, a dark ruby coloring with medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, a woody but sweet briar, with blackberry and black cherry fruits wafting into the nose. On the palate, extremely concentrated fruits, licorice and black cherry exploded in the mouth with a background of sweet tobacco smoke and leather. Additionally, secondary flavors of dark chocolate were noticed. The finish had some strong tannins, but without any “edginess” which provided for a long velvety crescendo. Rated at 97 points by RP. This wine could easily go another 5 years but why wait?
This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2025. O’Shaughnessy Winery has made this list for 15+ years annually for their exquisite wines.
For more information on the winery read one of the previously written stories at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2015/12/23/oshaughnessy-estate-wines/
Sláinte,
Michael
2014 Keenan Winery – Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Spring Mountain!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
I have been a fan of Keenan wines for over twenty years. Keenan winery is located on Spring Mountain which is one of the unique areas for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot wines. Michael Keenan’s 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is grown primarily from grapes on the Spring Mountain estate at 1700 foot elevation. I visited the winery and have been to wine pairing dinners with Keenan Winery and always enjoyed every sip.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the hallmarks of Keenan wines is his year-to-year consistency. This is due in part to the viticulture of the estate and the artistry of wine maker Nils Venge. I have enjoyed every wine he has made or acted as the consulting winemaker! Have not had any recent Cabernet Sauvignon’s but will be looking forward to trying some soon.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The last time I wrote about this wine was in 2021. Last evening, another bottle pulled to see and taste its progression. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon was comprised of 78% from Spring Mountain District and 22% from Pope Valley District, both in Napa Valley. This wine was barrel aged for twenty months in 33% new French oak barrels. It comes in at 14.3% alcohol and was purchased back in 2016 at the winery. It may have a couple of years still to go, but right now can’t imagine it getting much better.
Also notice in the picture how this cork was perfectly fitted by the winery and stored for nine years in optimal conditions.
The wine offered on the eyes an intensely deep red/maroon/purple coloring on the eyes appearing almost black and medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, both beautiful aromatics and blend of flowers and old-world rustic dust and bramble filled the senses. Also raspberries provided sufficient fruit to entice one to take the first sip. On the palate, the layers of complexity from both the estate and Pope Valley intermix to provide a mouthful flavor of red stone fruits. On the finish, a long and enduring adventure. Initially some jagged tannins were present, however with the time, they did mellow out to become smooth and comforting. Truly a classic Napa Valley Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2025.
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 rain finally hitting California, we could not BBQ so we cooked a ribeye steak in a cast iron skillet last evening. Seasoned and topped with two dollops of blue cheese, chives and butter medley. Accompanied by mashed potatoes infused with blue cheese and chives. Always a great food/wine pairing with a steak and big bold Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sláinte,
Michael
2021 Smith-Madrone Vineyards Chardonnay
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This is the fourth vintage of Smith-Madrone Chardonnay I have had the opportunity to taste and all have been exquisite. WARNING: if you are a buttery or light Chardonnay wine lover, stop and don’t read this story. However, if you are looking for a bold, layered and scrumptious Chardonnay this is a must read.
This wine being dry farmed, has enough minerality to please a miner during the California Gold Rush! First upon opening the wine, a bouquet of springtime flowers immediately sprang forth almost overwhelming the senses. That typically does not happen! On the eyes, while possessing a light straw or golden coloring and medium body viscosity, something is “different”. Next on the nose, jasmine and honeysuckle aromas abounded. On the palate, minerality and fresh rain on granite stones come bursting to the forefront along with white stone fruits of nectarine and peach. The acidity was pronounced, pointed and clearly targeted for specific food pairings. The finish was crisp, lively and an is extremely dry and well-balanced Chardonnay. A tinge of lemon zest completed the tasting. This Chardonnay was a gem of a find.
The wine is from Spring Mountain, barrel fermented for 10 months in 50% new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. Only 1,001 cases were produced, and it goes for $45/bottle. The wine was just released in January 2025. Again, this will make my annual list of Best Tasted Wines during the year 2025.
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
The 2021 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay was selected for this meal with its acidity and citrus notes. The dinner was a blackened Swordfish steak. I picked up the fish in the morning at Ohana Seafood in Modesto and looked up various recipes on spices to be used. Choose the ingredients of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, thyme cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper. Served with long and short grain rice and plated with pineapple slices. Topped off with minced pineapple salsa, with minced fresh oregano. Sprigs of Tyme were also added on the side. The light citrus and fruit worked wonderfully with the blackened Swordfish. One of the best food and wine pairings in recent memory.
Believe that this wine would be excellent with fresh oysters, seafood, light sauce chicken and sashimi or sushi.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Smith-Madrone Vineyards is located on 200 acres on top of Spring Mountain west of St. Helena with 38 acres planted in vineyards. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 feet. The Chardonnay grapes come from an elevation of 1,900 to 2,000 feet on a 30% slope! The Founder, managing partner and enologist is Stuart Smith, Charles Smith is the winemaker. Truly a family affair! All the wines are grown and dry-farmed on top of the mountain. Annual production is between 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year. Currently they produce besides their Chardonnay other award-winning wines, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc). They are about to release their new Cabernet Franc wine shortly!
Stuart on the left and Charles on the right. Photo ©Michael Kelly
More can be found on their wines & viticulture techniques from a previous story at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/08/14/smith-madrone-vineyards-paradise-found/
Sláinte,
Michael
2021 Wautoma Springs Cabernet Franc
The Winery
Photo from and of Wautoma Spring Winery Tasting Room
I have not personally visited the winery but was intrigued by their award prowess and having tasted one of their wines and was impressed. The winey is in southern Washington in Prosser, near the Yakima River in the Columbia Valley. The winery consists of two owners, Jessica Munnell and Tom Merkle. Tom is a second-generation grape grower. He started planting his first vineyard in 1999 with Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively. He has sold his grapes to many of the more reputable wineries in Washington.
Photo from Wautoma Springs Winery
Jessica, a winemaker from Australia had moved to Washington working at Snoqualmie, Chateau Ste Michelle Canoe Ridge, Mercer Wine Estate and Vintage Wine Estates. Her wines were recognized as top quality and awarded locally, nationally and internationally. She spoke with Tom about working together in 2008. Instantly a partnership formed and became Wautoma Wines, producing great Cabernet Sauvignon wine from Wautoma Springs Vineyard. A great team collaboration of vineyard management and winemaking!
Photo from Wautoma Springs Winery
In 2016 they hired Rachel Mercer and opened a tasting room. In 2019 the tasting room in Prosser, WA opened. Since then, an additional tasting room opened in Woodinville. Their tag is line is simple and to the point “our story is in every bottle”.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This Cabernet Franc from the pour and aroma immediately got my attention. Not having tasted it before, the wine announced itself, garnering attention! First on the eyes a rather dark and brooding Cabernet Franc from Washington with medium viscosity. Aromas rose up to greet the senses with spices and red/black fruits. On the palate, juicy ripe plums and raspberries danced gleefully in the mouth. Secondary flavors of blueberries and soft vanilla were present and counterbalanced with herbal notes. On the finish it was very pristine and clean with mellow oak notes and tannins that were present, yet round and soft.
The wine is 14.5% alcohol and aged in 20% new French oak with only 234 cases produced. As previously mentioned, this wine deserved attention. Its awards are astonishing including:
2024 San Francisco Chronicle Competition winning Double Gold
2024 Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge winning Double Gold and 96 points.
The name for this wine “Fork & Spoon” at first took me back. The background on the unique name (which they give to every wine produced), came from their Cabernet Franc being a rich wine with blue fruits and less pyrazines than most Cabernet Franc’s, with rounded tannins, made it a delicious food friendly wine. When trying to think of a name, the idea of food pairing came up and “thought of those meals where you find yourself digging in with a fork and spoon to get every last bite”.
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
Brought this wine to our “Friday Night Wine and Dine” at a local restaurant. Thinking of a pasta dish before arriving, but with a Mahi Mahi special with a mango chutney, I could not pass it up. Accompanied by risotto and fresh vegetables. A bit reluctant to have this wine with the fish and yet it worked reasonably well. Should I get a chance to try this wine again, I will pair it with pork or beef dish.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We enjoyed a few other wines this evening which others brought to the dinner from various California AVA’s/districts: Lodi, Paso Robles, Livermore Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Anderson Valley
Sláinte,
Michael
2013 Robert Craig Winery Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder – Truly Spectacular
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Visited Robert Craig Winery back in January of 2016 and came home with several bottles. Opened one last Friday and needed to refresh the story! Located on top of Howell Mountain at the very top at 2,300 feet elevation, Robert Craig Winery has its production facility and estate vineyards. For those less adventurous a spectacular tasting room is in downtown Napa, the Robert Craig Winery Tasting Salon. Here is one view of the Howell Mountain vineyard with Spring Mountain on the other side of the Valley.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Their entire production was 10,000 cases in 2016 with 50% being dedicated to their award-winning Affinity Estate Cabernet Sauvignon back in 2016. I met with Elton Slone, President and CEO and Stephen Tebb, winemaker for Robert Craig Winery. Elton provided in detail the history of the winery for the last 30 years. Elton, who is the managing partner, now at the helm shared his vision and reinvestment into the business to bring to market his passion for old world wines to the new world of Robert Craig Winery. He and Stephen are working hard to bring forth individual site expression into the wine. They offer, besides Affinity (a true Bordeaux), specific appellations like Spring Mountain, Mt Veeder, and Howell Mountain. Stephen, who has been producing wine for Robert Craig for the last eight years, appears to thrive on mountain fruit. The scores for their 2013 Affinity have been 93+ pts, 2012 Howell Mtn at 95 pts and 2013 Howell Mtn coming in at 95+ points from Robert Parker. These are balanced big reds with tamed tannins, acids with just enough push to allow for a fruit forward tasty wine. Here is where the magic happens on Howell Mtn, their production facility. The building on the left is the production facility and on the right is a cozy location for tasting wine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Elton and Stephen explained the low yields on the various mountains where they gather their fruit. Howell Mtn for example typically produces only 1.8 tons per acre and Spring Mtn only 2.1 tons. That stated, the Howell Mtn fruit can have massive amounts of tannins, as high as 1400 compared to Valley coming in around 1200. So in their 2013 Howell Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon they introduced 12% Merlot to “round off and soften” the wine. On this one, they hit the bullseye! Their Mt Veeder which got the 95+ points from Parker, unfortunately goes to Club Members only—A good incentive to join!! Stephen is making solid handcrafted wines.
Antonia Galloni, VINOUS sums this up beautifully in his 2016 review of this wine stating “the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mt. Veeder) opens with a blast of dark blue/purplish fruit, spices, menthol and licorice. A host of graphite, slate, game, iron and savory notes appears later, adding considerable nuance throughout. The 2013 packs plenty of intensity …”. He rated it 94 points and it came in at 15% alcohol. Today it can still be purchased from the winery at $189/bottle. Bottom of FormThe winemaker’s notes state “The 2013 is especially dark and brooding, exhibiting the unique Mount Veeder terroir in its rich palette of black fruits and fine-grained tannins. Alluring black raspberry, blueberry and floral tones offset sweet tannins and a weighty, full-bodied opulence’.
If you are looking to add to your cellar or want a full body wine to drink, their remarkable wines are more than worthy of your consideration today. In the very near future, they will soar to be one of the premium wines of Napa Valley. Their trademark “Cabernet Sauvignon Elevated” is beyond the topography of the vineyards – it is all about quality wine. This evening their wine made my annual list of Best Wines tasted each year, this for 2025.
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
Paired this wine this evening with a seasoned and seared filet mignon at 1500 degrees on the BBQ. Served medium rare, moist and succulent. A blue cheese, butter and chive topping was prepared and served on top of each filet of mignon. This was so delicious!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A full and complete dinner was prepared by my wife for some longtime friends of forty seven years! Started out with a Honeycrisp salad that included vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, honey, lemon juice, salt, ground pepper, purple onion, Honeycrisp apples, Romain and iceberg lettuce, candied pecan halves, dried cherries and crumbled blue cheese.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Then a medley of sauteed vegetables of zucchini, summer squash and snap peas.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Followed by a twice baked potato with cheddar cheese and chives.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Our friends brought homemade cheesecake and fresh raspberries with fresh blackberries (no photo).
A perfectly matched food and wine meal. We also enjoyed some other wines during the late afternoon (2021 Laird Sauvignon Blanc with appetizers) and with dinner a 2010 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2022 Wood Family Vineyard Bourbon Barrel red wine. All were top notch and enjoyable wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Sláinte,
Michael
2013 Meyer Vineyard (Hestan Vineyards) Cabernet Sauvignon
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
The Winery & Background
I had been purchasing both Hestan Vineyards and Stephanie labels for some time and one day, the tasting room manager suggested I try Meyer Vineyards. All of these are owned by Stanley and Helen Cheng who purchased the property in 1996 as a former cattle ranch. Fast forward after planting the vines, in 2009 well known winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown joined their team as winemaker. I purchased several bottles of 2014 and two weeks later, it was voted #8 of Wine Spectators Top 100 (2017). I called to see if any more were available, and they sold out in a matter of hours after the news release! Here is the story on the 2014:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
Opened this wine last night and remembered why I enjoyed it so much! This was one year younger than the award winning 2014 but you would not have thought it when tasting it. This wine on the eyes has a deep rich red color almost black with a medium heavy viscosity. On the nose aromas of black fruits including black cherry and spices of clove and a tinge of nutmeg. On the palate, it burst forth with the dark fruits, blueberries, along with vanilla, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco. On the finish velvety tannins yet noticeable, with a mocha finish. Layers upon layers of enjoyment and the structure was just about at its peak. It came in at 15.4% alcohol with barrel aging of 18 months and yet so smooth. This wine made my Annual Best Wines Tasted for 2025!
Hard to find the 2013 today, but if you do it goes from between $70 to $120/bottle and worth every penny!
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 new recipe called Garlic Butter Steak Bites. It called for sirloin steak or strip steak but substituted with a piece of Chaetubriand steak. It was cut up into cubes and seasoned. Then seared with sea salt/pepper, olive oil, butter, sliced mushrooms, minced garlic and chopped parsley. Accompanied by sautéed snap peas and roasted sliced and seasoned Yukon Gold potatoes and fresh garden salad topped with crumbled blue cheese. An excellent meal prepared and went well with the wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Wood Family Vineyards “VIVA” Cabernet Sauvignon – A Versatile Wine
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2022 Wood Family Vineyards “VIVA” Cabernet Sauvignon is a great and versatile wine. It falls between some of the stellar Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (and now Wood Family Culmination Cabernet Sauvignon) and many commercial & grocery store daily wines! There are days where a big and bold Cabernet along with mouth puckering tannins is too much to have as a standalone wine. Conversely a “milk toast” commercial/grocery store Cabernet doesn’t provide enough fruit, balance and tannins to be enjoyed with a hearty steak. Now the solution appears with “VIVA” Cabernet Sauvignon by Wood Family Vineyards. This wine is mellow enough to enjoy by itself but can also packs enough punch to go with a meal.
Thus, the versality with the “VIVA” Cabernet Sauvignon. For those occasions where a softer, more refined and gentler Cabernet Sauvignon is required this Wood Family Vineyards “VIVA” Cabernet Sauvignon is spot on! Rhonda Wood does make your bigger and heartier Cabernet Sauvignon’s (“Especial”, “Clone 30”, “Woody’s Cab” and now “Culmination) for those characteristics and for heavy food and wine pairings. She calls those Cabernets “fork & knife Cabernets”. I call them “chewy Cabernets”. Each has its place and now “VIVA” provides a perfect mid-point Cabernet for the wine aficionado.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes a deep and bright purple and maroon color stands out in the glass with a medium viscosity. On the nose aromas of cherries and flowers waft gently into the senses. I have stated this before and it is again true for the 2022 vintage, that on the palate this wine cuddles up like a down comforter on a cool winter evening. While tannins are present, they are absent of harshness or overwhelming oak layers upon layers to debunk. Vanilla, cranberry, raspberry and a hint of blueberry swarms about to provide a compelling wine to sip and enjoy. The finish is medium length and harmonious. Alcohol percentage is 14.3% and aged in French oak with 14 barrels being 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
For dinner tonight after some research on a pan-fried thick pork chop, a soft California Cabernet Sauvignon was listed. While never paired a pork chop with a Cabernet Sauvignon decided to give it a go! The thick 1 ½” pork chop was pre-soaked in a brine solution consisting of salt, water, peppercorns, garlic and red pepper flakes. This made the meat extremely moist.
It then was patted dry, seasoned with black pepper, minced garlic, sea salt and paprika pan fried and then baked. It was topped top with a cherry pepper sauce (not shown) and delicious. Accompanied by a baked Russet potato with chives and sautéed halved Brussel sprouts.
Having the cherry pepper sauce helped the food and wine blend nicely together. While each was great by itself, it is not a recommendation to follow having pork chops with Cabernet Sauvignon. A better choice would have been a GSM, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2/
and their new and off the charts Culmination “Bordeaux style” Cabernet Sauvignon at:
Sláinte,
Michael
2010 Larkmead Vineyards Solari for Our Belated New Years Dinner
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We celebrated New Years a few days after as we were tied up babysitting. Our usual course of activity on New Years is to have one of our longer stored wines and a nice meal either at home or out. There was a break in the weather, so we were able to BBQ last evening.
The Winery
Photo from Larkmead Vineyards website
Larkmead Vineyards is a long-established winery in Napa Valley. Originally founded in 1895, incorporated 115-acre estate under the stewardship of the Solari-Baker family. Dan Petroski, winemaker for Larkmead Vineyards for this vintage, has consistently produced exquisite and age worthy wines for years. We were wine club members for many years. This rested comfortably for 11-12 years in the cellar and was truly worth “stashing away”. It received 96 points and could have easily received 98 (IMHO). It is 100% estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Today winemaker Avery Heelan oversees bringing their wines to market but have not tasted her recent vintages.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was opened about 2 ½ hours before the meal to be decanted and filtered. I have been using this Royal Selangor funnel with a stainless-steel mesh for almost 20 years. At the bottom of the funnel are five “ports/channels” which the wine is jettisoned to the sides of the decanter and continues down the decanter’s walls in a gentle fashion. This allows for the wine to be completely aerated.
I first saw this in 2003 at a restaurant in Toronto at dinner. As it turned out this was a winner in 2002 of the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization’s Good Design Award, German Red Dot Design Award: Product Design, and a Bronze in the USA’s IDEA Industrial Design Excellence Awards. A truly simple and effective device.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes, an extremely dark purple color and medium heavy viscosity. One smell of the wine, your expectations were focused and expectations set! It is a fruit driven vintage, with aromas of raspberries, blueberries and vanilla. On the palate, it burst open with an extravaganza of flavors like the conclusion at a major fireworks display. The earthiness counterbalanced with floral notes, soft vanilla tobacco, black cherry and black licorice provide explosion after explosion in the mouth. The finish was one of the longest lasting wines this year. The tannins were still omnipresent with structure and the acidity was truncated due to the expressive fruits. This is a wine that beckoned one to sip and savor each droplet in the glass. This will make my Best Wines List tasted for 2025! The current release is 2021 and the winery sells it for $200/bottle. I have not tried the 2021 but have had this wine year after year since 2009.
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 with a rib eye steak seared on the BBQ at 1500 degrees! Dry rubbed with my wife’s special spices and served medium rare. Accompanied by a Yukon Gold potato and a fresh garden salad with Champagne dressing. A great food and wine pairing this evening toasting in the new year.
Slainte,
Michael
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