Notre Vue Estate
2021 Balverne Wines Cabernet Sauvignon from Chalk Hill Appellation
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2021 vintage is comprised of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot making it a classic Bordeaux blend. It came in at 14.3% alcohol with only 415 cases being produced. It was barrel aged for 18 months in 100% French oak barrels.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Having only had this wine once before; I did not remember its taste profile. 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, lively dark cherry fruit and floral aromas wafted from the glass. Once on the palate, a chewy and powerful black cherry was the dominant taste, followed by mocha flavoring in the background. On the finish, a paradoxical experience of beautiful velvety tannins on the roof of mouth along with strong and gripping tannins, confirmed this was an exceptionally solid wine. It was counterbalanced by fruit. It will be released soon and assuming a similar price point as the last, is 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
I had reviewed their 2019 vintage with a burger and did not do it justice. This evening paired with a filet mignon seared and barbequed to be served medium rare with a dollop of Roquefort, butter and chives. Accompanied by sauteed Brussel sprouts with mushrooms & bacon and a Yukon potato with chives. The wine was paired wonderfully having lively cherry flavors and stoic tannins with the meat.
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.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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 picnic areas throughout. Horseback riding trails also exist. Their label shows a red shoulder Hawk which roams 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, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, a few different Chardonnay’s, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Under their Notre Vue label, they have various Rosé, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a few red blends.
Photo Balverne website
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly