tobin-james-winery
Christmas Cheer Dinner Party and a Few Selected Wines!
photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Held our annual Christmas party with neighborhood friends joining. We provided appetizers and main dish with each couple bringing a wide range and assortment of delicious foods. Each couple also brought a bottle of wine, and I had pulled a few in advance to enjoy.
Château de Bligny Grand Reserve Brut Champagne
photo ©Michael Kelly
Château de Bligny is a historic estate in the Aube region of Champagne, France, famous as the only grower-producer château in the Champagne appellation, producing its own unique Champagnes from its vineyards. Established in the 15th century with later additions, it boasts a rich winemaking heritage, including still wines and sparkling varieties (Blanc de Blancs, Rosé) from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, known for their freshness, fruitiness, and minerality. In a recent lecture on Champagne, the speaker mentioned it is much more difficult to produce a non-vintage Champagne as opposed to a vintage one. This Brut Grand Reserve has been our go to Champagne for years now! The price is very reasonably set at around $40-48/bottle. This wine routinely makes my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in the year for the under $50/bottle category. Here is a link to previous story on the wine: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/04/25/chateau-de-bligny-grand-reserve-brut-champagne/
2009 Viader (Proprietary Blend)
photo ©Michael Kelly
Made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc (my idea of a solid blend), it makes the apex of a Napa Valley Bordeaux. Smooth, dry and complex in tannins, and as stated in their notes “balancing acidity and an incredible array of flavors, including blackberry, black currant, cherry, chocolate, dried herb, smoky oak and spice amounting to an important and hard to define quality of sophistication.
The current vintage is the 2021 with ratings ranging from 95 to 98 points. It is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Cabernet Franc and goes for $195/bottle at the winery. Any year I open a bottle of this wine, it makes my list of Best Wines Tasted in the over $51/bottle. Here is link to a previous story written on Viader: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2018/09/24/viader-vineyards-winery-walk-in-my-steps-but-leave-your-own-footprint/
2008 O’Shaughnessy Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
photo ©Michael Kelly
Having had a bottle of this wine in November of 2025, I decided to bring another bottle out this evening. First on the eyes striking combination of inky purple and dark crimson coloring. Viscosity was medium-heavy. Once the cork was popped it took a while for the flavors to “open up” and express their pedigree after so many years of hibernation. Once opened, fresh blackberries and smooth blueberries filled the olfactory senses. On the palate, the dark fruits combined to make a robust compote of pure fruit. Full bodied possessing strong enjoyable tannins without any pointiness. The finish concluded being opulent and richly rewarding.
Parker also mentioned it will age 25+ years! Rated 98 points by Robert Parker and has been aging in the cellar for 14 years! Searching on the internet average price today appears to be $149/bottle. Today’s current vintage at the winery is their 2021 and is allocated at $160/bottle. This wine will make my annual Best Wines Tasted Listing for 2025 (list comes out December for each year).
Here is link to the O’Shaughnessy story recently written: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/11/24/2008-oshaughnessy-estate-winery-mount-veeder-cabernet-sauvignon-a-special-wine/
Notice the corks on both the Viader and O’Shaughnessy wines! They are pristine and sealed snuggly and sealed for years, due to being stored correctly. BTW, those two wines were open seven hours before the meal, filtered twice and decanted twice before serving.
photo ©Michael Kelly
We enjoy many other wines this evening from locations beyond France and Napa Valley such as Livermore Valley, Lodi, Paso Robles and Calaveras County.
Sláinte and Merry Christmas,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://champagnechateaudebligny.com/en/homepage
https://oshaughnessywinery.com/
https://woodfamilyvineyards.com
https://www.younginglewood.com
A Weekend Smorgasbord of Foods and Wines -Napa Valley, Lodi, Sonoma, Paso Robles, France and Calaveras foothills
A few of the Friday Night Wine & Dine Group was able to get together, not once but twice over the weekend. First at the local restaurant and then at one of the houses. The first included two nice specials at Verona18, Mahi Mahi with Mango Chutney and a Pasta Beef Ragu and of course their normal menu.
The second was for an impromptu crab feed including bibs! Two great dishes of fresh crab with clarified butter & lemon and a Fijian crab style dish (coconut milk, prawns, jalapeño peppers, etc.). Everyone brought various side dishes including salads, French bread, garlic French bread, chicken ramen with vegetables and a few other dishes.
Some excellent wine from Napa Valley, Lodi, Sonoma, Paso Robles, France and Calaveras foothills.
Some pictures were taken by me and a few from others.
Looking forward to a few days to recover!
Slainte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://www.shadybrookestate.com/wines/rapp-ranch
2012 Lineage Wine and a Christmas Holiday Dinner With Friends
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Aristotle in his writings 2,372 years ago in his book on Metaphysics stated, “in the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts”. Then Euclid with his mathematics approach from his book Elements, Common Notion, stated “The whole is greater than the part(s)”. So, it is the same with the 2012 Lineage Wine. I will explain in detail below.
The Wine Maker
Steven Kent Mirassou, as a 6th generation family winemaker has set high goals. He set as his pinnacle development to produce the best “Bordeaux style” wine California could produce. A lofty and perhaps extreme goal for one man in Livermore Valley. After many years as a successful winemaker at Steven Kent Winery, he decided to make 3 to 5 barrels a year of the absolute premier “Bordeaux style” wine. We just opened his 2012 vintage, which is the sixth of the Lineage releases. The blend which changes year to year based on flavor profiles, consisted of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon (Clones 30 & 7); 14% Cabernet Franc; 10% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While blending is an “artistic” endeavor, Steven also is analytical in his pursuit of the perfect Bordeaux blend. Here is Steven’s write-up on why these varietals and clones were chosen. It is like an artist mixing paint colors for the right shading and expression of a painting.
“Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 30: Dark cherry and cassis flavors, fine-grained tannins and acidity. Less opulent but more age worthy than Clone 4.
Cabernet Franc: Not as “big” as CS but with more finesse and an aromatic palate of sandalwood and chocolate. Acidity is the watchword of this variety. Its acid-based red fruit flavors marry well with the darker more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon to enliven and length Lineage’s finish.
Petit Verdot: Contributes tannin, color, and grapey aromas and flavors of violet and black fruit. This variety helps to build density in the mid-palate of the wine.
Merlot: Noble variety of Bordeaux’s Right Bank; as counterpoint to CS’s austere structure, Merlot is fleshy and opulent; ripe red/dark cherry flavor, a touch of herbal complexity which adds to Lineage’s rich mid-palate.”
The key take way on blending is that it is extremely selective and requires rigorous decision making of not only varietals, but the correct Clones of the varietals to get the flavor profile. Add another step of both winemaking and personal craftsmanship and abracadabra you have a gorgeous and refined Bordeaux blend called Lineage. I am sure Steven wished it was that simple, but this is the shortened version.
Two of many other detailed undertakings are his hand selection of French oak barrels (Taransaud, Le Grand and Francois Freres) and his constant monitoring of the development of the wine in the barrel.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
2012 was marked by nearly perfect weather throughout the growing season, and the temperate year produced perfectly ripe and balanced fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon contribution had a significantly larger role by percentage than it did in the previous releases and shows in Lineage and generous structure. Again, Cabernet Franc beautifully serves its role as the contributor of verve, style, and vitality. Merlot provides a great mid-palate roundness while Petit Verdot adds tannin and exotic fruit. The overall feel of Lineage is one of beauty and elegance with a fairly low alcohol level of 13.9%. The suggested maturity of this wine is recommended from 2018 to 2030. The wine was harvested from the Ghielmetti Estate and Home Ranch Vineyards in Livermore Valley. This library wine today from Lineage goes for $245. The current release is 2018 and available for $195. The 2018 was given 97 points immediately by Wine Enthusiast and the 2017 received 100 points from Steve Heimoff.
The flavor profile and experience of this wine is truly remarkable. First on the eye you see a medium to medium-dark red tint and medium viscosity wine. Very different than some of the bolder Cabernet Sauvignon’s coming out of Napa Valley. Your first impression is perhaps this may be a bit light. But hold on until you get your first whiff which reveals “black fruits, exotic woods and spice aromatics”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine was double filtered and decanted for two hours before tasting.
On the palate, you get all the above characteristics that Steven proposed in his selection of varietals and clones to produce a crescendo of semi-sweet mocha, dark cherry, dark roasted coffee, sweet tobacco, violets, black fruit, etc. You are a bit mesmerized in trying to dissect each essential trait in this wine drinking experience. But it is a wine to simply enjoy and savor the existential engagement and relationship of such a rare and eloquent treat.
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
Photos ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening dinner with a dry rubbed seasoned prime rib, mashed potato casserole with bacon, cheddar cheese and topped with parsley, meatballs, mesquite chicken breasts, roasted Brussel sprouts with reduced balsamic vinegar, a scrumptious holiday honey crisp salad with thinly sliced apples, Romaine lettuce, candied pecans, dried cranberries and blue cheese with a fresh apple cider vinaigrette dressing and for dessert a freshly baked carrot cake topped with crushed candied pecans.
An excellent food and wine pairing shared with friends this evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We also enjoyed a few other very good and fun wines with the meal.
Sláinte,
Michael