wine
6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition & Celebration Press Release – Early Bird Registration
A few of the bottles from last year’s event
Who is this event for? For the 6th Annual Cabernet Franc Celebration, the event is opened for both domestic and international producers of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc Blends (a minimum of 50% Cabernet Franc grapes). We have had fourteen states and five countries participating previously in the event representing over 90 wines. The Best of Class awards will be for the following categories:
Specialty Division – PetNat, Sparkling, Blanc, etc.
Blend Division – A minimum of 50% Cabernet Franc grapes
Eastern Division – All states along the east coast (NY, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.)
Central Division – Michigan, Ohio, etc.
Northwest Division – Oregon, Washington and Idaho
Southwest Division – Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
California Division – Broken down in various price points
International Division – All other countries besides USA
Early Bird Registration opens November 1st and closes November 30th. Regular registration will continue until February 1st, 2025.
Why hold this event? It is to show the uniqueness and versatility of Cabernet Franc and to celebrate the wine as so much more than a blending grape. Jancis Mary Robinson the well know British wine critic, journalist and wine writer quote of Cabernet Franc sums up her feelings “I’m not a huge enthusiast of the sexual stereotyping of wines but even I can see that Cabernet Franc might be described as the feminine side of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is subtly fragrant and gently flirtatious rather than massively muscular and tough in youth. Because Cabernet Sauvignon has so much more of everything – body, tannin, alcohol, color – it is often supposed to be necessarily superior, but I have a very soft spot indeed for its more charming and more aromatic relative, Cabernet Franc.”. Cabernet Franc has adapted and transformed its personality from Chile, France, Canada, the east coast of the US, the Michigan peninsula, the Midwest and the west coast of the US.
How will the competition be judged? The event will be a blind tasting using the “Danish System”, sometimes called the group method. Unique to this event, two separate judging stations will be set up. The first will comprise of Professional Judges and the second being the People’s Choice Judges (serious consumers). Each set of Judges will award medals and award Best of Show based on geographic regions and categories. Additionally, each set of judges will select a Grand Sweepstakes winner from taste off of all the Division & Category winners.
Who are the judges? Tom Bender has agreed once again to head up the Professional Judging Panel(s). Tom has headed the California Sierra Foothill Competition for over 35 years, served on California State Fair Judges, is a well-known writer for various wine magazines and teaches at a local college. Other judges slated include Mike Dunne retired food editor, wine columnist for the Sacramento Bee, distinguished judge at San Francisco Chronicle and other events, Fran Cunniffe a DipWSET and certified Sommelier, Tana Cole winemaker from Sonoma Valley, Napa, Lodi and Calaveras AVA’s, Dr. Elizabeth Smith award-winning wine writer, a judge at various judging events and Winelovers Wine Awards in Budapest and the 2023 Open Balkan Wine Trophy in Belgrade and others with WSET I, II and III qualifications. People Choice Judges are astute individuals with years of experience. All judges are prepared with extensive documentation and profiles on Cabernet Franc’s characteristics from various geographic areas in advance. Each wine is judged on its own terroir characteristics within their respective category.
Benefits for wineries participating? National exposure from California Wines and Wineries website which will run a full feature article on those receiving Best of Show (domestic and international) per each category. The story will also be sent to eighty blogs for reposting and all social media for a readership reach of over 600,000. Additionally, it will be submitted to two magazines with a reach of an additional 500,000 readership if reprinted. The two Grand Sweepstakes winners will also be featured on a podcast by Exploring the Wine Glass in a joint session. And California Wines and Wineries will do a feature article on each Grand Sweepstakes winner. Last year we had two newspapers (both hard copy and electronically) cover the event.
Where is the event being held? It will be in Copperopolis, California (Sierra foothills) March 5th, 2025.
2025 registration can be found at https://californiawinesandwineries.com at the top of the page by clicking on 2025 Cabernet Franc Celebration, Wine Competition Registration. Make sure you select Domestic. If you are an international winery, please contact me directly at mkellywine@gmail.com for a different Registration form to meet all the Federal requirements, COLA Waiver, customs, etc.
Results from the 5th Annual Wine Competition Event can be found at:
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2020 Spangler Vineyards Cabernet Franc – One of the Best Ever Tasted!
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
At the 5th International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition & Celebration (April 2024), Spangler Vineyards 2019 Cabernet Franc won Best of Show from the People’s Choice Judges in the Northwest Division. They also won a Double Gold Medal from the People’s Choice Judges. The Professional Judges awarded them a Silver Medal. This division was for Cabernet Franc varietal wines representing a minimum of 75% Cabernet Franc grapes coming from Oregon and Washington in the Northwest Division.
Pat Spangler sent me a bottle of his newest release, the 2020 Cabernet Franc and below is the story for this vintage.
The Winery
Photo from Spangler Vineyards website
Spangler Vineyards is located at 491 Winery Lane, in Roseburg, Oregon. Roseburg is halfway between Eugene and Grants Pass and is considered southern Oregon next to Hwy 5. Pat Spangler moved from Chicago, initially looking for a winery in Sonoma County, but found an established winery for sale in Oregon in 2004. Once on the property the warm weather and various micro-climates were perfect for him to pursue his passion for Bordeaux varietal wines, especially Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
His wines are focused on big, bold red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. He also features some Rhone favorites such as Syrah, Petite Sirah and Viognier. Additionally various sparkling wines, an unoaked Chardonnay and others fill out his offering. The total production is around 2,500 cases with almost all going to the wine club members.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Today’s vintage is the 2020 with 14.7% alcohol and still priced at $32/bottle. The 2020 has already won the following awards:
*Gold Medal – Best of Class – Cascadia International
*Gold Medal – San Francisco Chronicle Competition
*90 Points and Gold Medal at BTI/Tastings.com
*90 Points and Gold Medal at Oregon Wine Awards
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a deep ruby red coloring and medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose aromatic aromas waft into the olfactory sense of violets and cherries. On the palate this is no ordinary Cabernet Franc, it is one of statement and commands your attention to its pedigree. Earthiness, vanilla and with blackberry swirl with abundance in the palate. On the finish, black pepper and leather are dominant with a chewy and delicious finish with just a modicum of oak. This is an exceptional Cabernet Franc not only for Oregon, but for the entire west coast including California. A bold statement and worthy of this comment! Only 186 cases were produced and in barrel for 18 months.
In a follow up conversation with Pat, he mentioned the diurnal swings in the Roseburg area are some of the most dramatic in the USA. For example, the day we spoke, it was going to be a high of 102 and a low of 51 degrees! The warm days and cool evenings are ideal for Cabernet Franc (and other varieties).
This wine will make my annual Best Wines tasted during 2024. That list is reserved for roughly 1 to 2% of the 1600-1800 wines tasted during the year! That list comes out each December. I cannot stress how solid this wine represents the true character of Cabernet Franc.
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 food pairing this evening was a seared and BBQ’ed filet mignon to a radiant pink medium rare level. Served with Point Reyes Blue Cheese sprinkled on top. Accompanied by a Yukon potato and an artichoke and a side salad consisting fresh baby spinach, bacon, sliced apple, dried cranberries and pecans with balsamic dressing.
Besides being a scrumptious meal and being in awe of the quality of the wine, one of the most enjoyable food and wine pairing this evening in some time!
Sláinte,
Michael
A Food and Wine Pairing Dilemma
The Set Up
Last evening the wife prepared a Spinach, Dried Tomato, Feta cheese stuffed chicken breast. As is our custom to select a wine to go with the meal it was no easy process. Chicken is usually a straightforward selection with Chardonnay or other well-known whites being the go-to wine of choice. However, a pairing with sundried tomatoes with Chardonnay is a known “no-no”! Tomato and tomato sauce-based foods go well with Chianti, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Wine that are rich in tannins and high acidity are the wines known as the best companions. The dilemma being to pair wine with the chicken or the ingredients of spinach, dried tomatoes and feta cheese? Would like to hear your thoughts on which you would choose to pair it with? We ended up choosing a soft Pinot Noir and it worked very well.
Background on Pinot Noir
The name Pinot Noir derives from the French word’s “pine” and “black” as the grape’s tight pinecone clusters and dark color. Pinot Noir has origins dating back to the first century AD. Roman’s most likely expanded the plantings of Pinot Noir during their empire reign. The phylloxera crisis devastated vineyards across France and did not spare Pinot Noir. In the following years, many Pinot Noir clones were introduced with each having specific attributes including resistance to certain diseases, yield levels, distinct aromatics and flavor profiles. The most notable clones and commonly found today are 115, 667 and 777.
Geographically, California Pinot Noir presents more upfront fruit flavors, ripeness and a fuller body due to the warmer climate. Oregon cooler climate has a subtler fruit with pronounced earthy and mineral qualities.
In California Pinot Noir is the second largest planting of red wine grapes being 16% of the acreage (46,134). Number one being Cabernet Sauvignon with 92,364 or 33%. Zinfandel and Merlot follow with 37,601 and 32,978 respectively from the 2023 United State Agriculture Statistics Report. The latest numbers show Pinot Noir being the 5th most planted red wine grape in the world.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The grapes for this Pinot Noir come from the Nella Terra vineyard located at the top of the Sunol grade with views of San Francisco Bay. This area gets the cool breezes from the San Francisco Bay in the late afternoon and is typically much cooler than Livermore Valley, but both being in Alameda County.
On the eyes a semi-transparent ruby red coloring and medium viscosity. On the nose red berries and tart cranberries are predominant. On the palate the wine provides a mouthful feeling of texture along with the strawberry and cherry fruits. On the finish, the tartness pepper and clove. We chose this wine as it was one of the “softer Pinot’s” in the cellar.
This inaugural wine was available on July 18th for their summer release event. Only 65 cases were produced. Aged 9 months in 100% neutral French barrels. One unique process was saving about 10-15% of the grapes as full grape clusters without destemming. This was added to the destemmed fruit for fermentation to increase the complexity and fruitiness of the wine. The wine is $50/bottle.
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 sliced chicken breast stuffed with Feta cheese, fresh spinach, sun dried tomato and first seared in a skillet and then baked. Ingredients included kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, chopped baby spinach, chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, crumbled feta cheese, shallot, minced garlic, chopped fresh basil, panko, fresh oregano, grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Accompanied by a spinach salad with bacon, red onion slivers and baby spinach with stems removed. The dressing was prepared with a small portion of bacon grease, red wine vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and salted to taste. Also, jasmine rice was plated.
The texture of the chicken, both from the skillet and being baked filled the palate. The flavors of the other ingredients provided complementary and contrasting flavors that circle the mouth with satisfaction. It turned out to be a very good food and wine pairing.
Would like to know other suggestions?
Sláinte,
Michael
Ten Award Winning Wines Worthy of Your Consideration
At the end of each month, I list wines which I tasted, drank or brought to a dinner party but unfortunately ran out of time to write up a story on them. These are the wines enjoyed in October and were very much appreciated by me or others that enjoyed them. They all happen to be red wines from various AVA’s around California and even one from Mendoza, Argentina. AVA’s include Napa Valley, Livermore Valley, Sonoma Valley and Arroyo Seco in Monterey.
Each winery has won many, many awards for each of their wines from various wine competitions. I know you will appreciate and enjoy them.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Many of these wines have been previously written up and reviews can be found by searching on https://californiawinesandwineries.com . Best to view on a laptop computer where on the right side of the home page is a “search” tab. Just put the name of the winery, varietal and the story/stories will appear.
And now on to November wines!
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://thirty-sevenwines.com/
https://www.CudaRidgeWines.com
https://woodfamilyvineyards.com/
Wood Family Vineyards Release Party and Gourmet Cheese Pairings
Attended a large and fun event Sunday in Livermore Valley at Wood Family Vineyards release party. The event was to release their 2022 iconic “Against the Grain” Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine and highlighting other wines with artisan cheese pairings. Livermore Cheese Monger from The Cheese Parlor teamed up with Wood Family Vineyards having chosen gourmet cheeses to perfectly complement four Wood Family Wines.
Picture of Rhonda Wood Photo ©Michael Kelly
We attended the second session with several friends and met many new ones! As guests arrived at the front door, they were poured a glass of the 2023 “Para Mas Amigas” Chardonnay as they strolled and mingled with other guests. The wine and cheese pairings were set up in the working portion of the winery.
To acclimate the palate, a round red wine was offered being their 2022 Malbec to start the procession of wine and cheese pairings.
First up on the pairings was their wonderful 2022 Cabernet Franc paired with Sweet Annie Aged Sheep Milk Gouda (a crowd favorite). The cheese offered a nutty, caramel sweetness in each bite. It possessed a firm texture and melted effortlessly on the palate.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next station was the smooth and delicious 2022 Petit Verdot which seemed to have won over our small group of friends. The cheese possessed a creamy texture with a tangy flavor profile showcasing goat’s milk. Herbal and floral notes abounded of the wine and paired exquisitely with the Gouda cheese.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the most unique and thought-provoking pairings was the 2022 Petite Sirah with Coopers Hill Onion and Chive Cheddar.
Photo from Wood Family Vineyards
Inspired by the Cooper’s Hill Rolling Tradition, the sharp cheddar combines caramelized onion and fresh chive. The ultra creamy texture, combined with the robust flavor was nothing short of spectacular. For more on Cooper’s Hill event click: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wky4Ok5Ua5E?feature=share
The last tasting was the “Against the Grain” Bourbon Barreled Aged Red Wine. This was paired with Challerhocker Cow’s Milk Alpine Cheese.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The cheese comes from the Swiss Alps near Zurich and is semi-hard and known for its complex, earthy flavor and nutty notes. Aged in traditional wooden caves and once on the palate is creamy and shows caramel and hints of various spices.
Photo from Wood Family Vineyards
The cheese is easily known due to its unique picture on the rind. The cheese maker put pictures of his grandchildren on it.
Picture of Harrison Wood Photo ©Michael Kelly
The event appealed to many folks from a casual wine tasting to a thought provoking and intense exploration of the cheese and wine pairing. Well done Wood Family Vineyards!
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://woodfamilyvineyards.com/
For stories on each of the wines go to https://californiawinesandwineries.com and view on a laptop computer. On the right-hand side of the page put in the varietal in the search engine.
Fielder’s Choice on the Wine Tonight – VJB Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon or Wood Family Vineyards Zinfandel
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Last evening it was a toss up on which wine to go with one of our standby comfort foods, a spicy jalapeño meatloaf. The traditional approach is to have a strong tannic wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon to “cut” the fat of the hamburger meat. It also would pair well with the tomato sauce in the recipe.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As this was a spicy meatloaf with minced jalapeño peppers mixed into the meatloaf, for an awesome spicy and flavorful dish. The thought here was to “calm down” the intensity of the spice with an enveloping dry but fruit forward semi-sweet Zinfandel.
The meatloaf consisted of both 85% and 93% fat free ground beef. Ingredients included panko breadcrumbs, egg, 6-8 minced jalapeño peppers (1/2 with seeds), minced garlic cloves, shredded sharp cheddar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, honey and chili powder.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The meal was accompanied by a cheesy jalapeño bread that was tangy and delicious. Also sauteed halved small potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
In the end the meatloaf was not quite as hot as we were expecting, so the Cabernet Sauvignon wines were the best choice for the evening. They included the previous mentioned wines, a 2020 VJB Cellars “Dante” Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2013 Outpost “True Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
For good measure we also brought out a 2014 YoungInglewood Cabernet Franc. All the wines were very good and Cabernet Sauvignon was the best choice amongst the table voting.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://woodfamilyvineyards.com/
2013 YoungInglewood Cabernet Franc – Showing the Art of Funambulism
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Opened one of our prized Napa Cabernet Franc’s last night. YoungInglewood is one of my top ten Cabernet Franc wines of Napa Valley. It is a small family winery located in the southern edge of Saint Helena up against the western mountains in Napa Valley. YoungInglewood is a boutique winery, which has consistently produced deep and concentrated red wines.
Attended a wine release event last weekend and enjoyed tasting their 2023 Vin Clair Rosé, 2022 Aligoté, 2022 Linda Vista Chardonnay, 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 Estate Cabernet Franc, 2022 Cuvee Edie Pinot Noir, 2020 Petit Verdot and 2020 Malbec.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The day was complete with a delicious Paella served by Chef Gary Penir and listening to music on the patio from The Gypsy Trio.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Youngs, Jim & Jacky had many years in France and have purposed to make wines that reflect the traditional roots and values, with a Napa Valley twist. I had written about YoungInglewood in a previous article in 2016 in more detail. You can click on this to read their story at
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/16/younginglewood/ .
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I have been an admirer of the 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 safe destination and the winemaker balancing so many facets of the production to arrive at the destination with a grand product. 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 the balance and finesse summed up by a tightrope walker! Funambulism is the art of tightrope walking.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This 2013 Cabernet Franc was aged 22 months in 100% French oak, with 60% being new barrels. Only 300 cases were produced of this vintage. It is a mother/son team heading the wine making, Jacky and Scott Young, for this lush and extremely intense wine. The current release is the 2021 and goes for $150/bottle.
On the eyes one can only anticipate what the dense dark red and purple juice will taste like. On the nose, aromas of black cherries and raspberry engulf the olfactory senses. On the palate, vanilla, dark chocolate, clove, licorice, plum with a hint of soft lingering pipe tobacco & leather conjoin to make an expression of wine so delicious and yet graceful. The finish is smooth, integral, long and the defined tannins are present yet subdued. The structure of this wine is excellent. When finished savoring each sip you are left in amazement and awe of experiencing this wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
2019 Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Pad Thai – A Perfect Marriage
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 founder, managing partner and enologist is Stuart Smith, Charles Smith is the winemaker and the associate winemaker is François Bugué. Truly a family affair! All the wines are estate and dry-farmed on top of the mountain. Currently their production is approximately 6,000 cases a year. They produce Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc).
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A quick background on Riesling. It is the 20th most grown variety and in “terms of importance for quality wines, it is usually included in the top three white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc planted world wide” per Wikipedia. Riesling is adaptable to growing in both warm and cool climates with the flavors varying per temperature respectively of citrus and peach notes for warm, apple and tree fruit for cooler temperature regions.
In the California Dept of Food & Agriculture Grape Crush white wine harvest in 2023 was 1,709,270 tons. Riesling was only 34,057 tons, but it showed an increase of 6% outpacing Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2019 Riesling is extremely aromatic with floral notes and green apple on the nose. A more golden yellow color than previous vintage with medium viscosity. On the palate, hints of lemon zest, mixed with stone fruits (white peach and apricots) tame the lime citrus. A modicum of beeswax makes it extremely mouth filling. On the finish, the minerality comes through strong and pure from either the volcanic soil, or sandstone, limestone or the general rocky soil found on the property. The minerality and acidity is jovial and enticing with a semi-sweet crescendo. Very low residual sugar (.7%) and coming in at 13.3% alcohol, Smith-Madrone Vineyards produced 1,087 cases. The current release is their 2019 and listed on their website for $40/bottle.
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
Duck, Pork, Bacon, Chicken, Shrimp, and Crab are suggested foods for Riesling. Chose this wine to pair with one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Pad Thai. The Smith-Madrone 2019 Estate Riesling was pulled from cellar for last night’s meal due to spiciness of the dish Chicken Pad Thai or at least the way we prepare it! Last evening went with a much more flavorful and spicier recipe. The ingredients were fresh whole wheat noodles, virgin olive oil, minced garlic, cooked chicken, eggs, bean sprouts, sliced red bell pepper, green onions, peanuts and lime juice. The Pad Thai sauce included fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, Momofuku Chili Crunch and creamy peanut butter! The Riesling’s very dry with a tinge of semi-sweet finish was spot on for this meal.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Limes were plated to squeeze the juice over the top of the dish as well as ground peanuts and green onion slices. Accompanying the meal was a fresh garden salad. The meal was packed with a punch of flavor and warmth! The 2019 Smith-Madrone Riesling was a godsend. The wine was refreshing and quenched the palate.
The 2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling had made the Best Wines tasted in 2023 and the 2019 will also make my Best Wines tasted in 2024! We stock this wine specifically for this food and wine pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael
Phoenix Wine of Scottsdale – A Tremendous Find
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On a recent visit to the greater Phoenix region, a strong recommendation was made to visit Phoenix Wine of Scottsdale. They are located at 8658 E. Shea Blvd, Suite 180 in Scottsdale. Went there on a Saturday afternoon just as they were finishing a wine event unbeknown to me. They were extremely accommodating and met the new proprietor, Vince Parrott. He explained that they are both a tasting room and wine store and licensed as such in Arizona. They described the space as a retail wine shop with warehouse club pricing and offering a large variety of wines available to taste by the glass. The wine tasting menu changes daily and are written on the blackboard behind the bar.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We tasted a California Chardonnay, Pouilly-Fuissé and California Cabernet Sauvignon, all were very enjoyable.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Then perused their wines for sale set forth in a very orderly manner. Large shelf areas including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & other reds, Domestic and International wines and many white wines in a refrigerated section. The selection ranged from entry to connoisseur/collectable wines. Now the bonus is the pricing of the wines was absolutely “friendly and affordable” across the spectrum!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We walked out with several bottles of wine including one I was searching for being a “high altitude Malbec” from Argentina. While not having an 8,000 foot elevation wine, they did have a 4,100 foot wine that was enjoyable.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I can hardly wait for my next visit!
Sláinte,
Michael
2010 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – A Magnificent Wine
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Opened this wine last evening which had been cellared for twelve years. What a treat revisited indeed. The Hewitt Vineyard of approximately 60 acres in the historic center of Napa Valley in Rutherford Bench has always made fascinating wines. World famous for their Cabernet Sauvignon’s “Rutherford dust”, a quality bestowed on wines from this area in Napa Valley. Unfortunately, Provenance Winery and the Hewitt Vineyard label were sold. Tom Rinaldi was the winemaker at both facilities and spent time some quality time with him. He conducted one of the best blending exercises ever and still can remember it 20 years later!
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Opened the bottle up and let it decant for one hour before tasting. The wine on the eyes was a luscious dark red berry, almost black and with heavy viscosity. On the nose, violets and floral aromas waft into the senses. On the palate, black cherries, blackberries and cocoa are the predominate flavors. Secondary flavors of leather, sweet pipe tobacco and black licorice were present. On the finish, the “Rutherford dust” and tannins of immense proportions, jagged and inviting, along with vanilla completed the sip. Complexity and layers of enjoyment are the words that spring forth in describing this beautiful wine. One of the “chewiest” Cabernet Sauvignon experienced and always in my top Napa Valley wines listing.
The wine was produced by the famous and iconic winemaker Tom Rinaldi (no longer there). Still one of the top winemakers that has produced wines in Napa Valley (IMHO). The wine is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. It was aged 22 months in 100% French barrels with 77% being new. Wine Spectator rated it 96 points and in 2013 it was ranked #4 wine in the top 100 wines! Wine wholesalers still show a pricing ranging from $140 to $170/bottle but few bottles are available.
Tom Rinaldi is still producing wines as a winemaker and consulting winemaker at Patent Wines and Pellet Estate. I have not reviewed or tasted their wines but hope to do so shortly. I can only assume with Tom at the helm, the wines will be delicious.
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 seared and BBQ’ed filet mignon served medium rare and topped with Point Reyes Blue cheese. Accompanied by seasoned and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, Brussel sprouts and garlic French bread.
Sláinte,
Michael