Diverse Reds for Duck Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Diverse Reds for Duck Inn Hot Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Returning from a overnight trip to Indiana, a day in Lafayette and a day in Indy, we stopped in St John to visit fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan and Linda for a impromptu dinner. Dan grilled 'Duck Dogs', produced by Duck Inn in Chicago as a tribute to the classic Chicago Hot Dog, all beef hot dogs with a small amount of duck fat, and grilled sirloin beef burgers. Both were delicious.

The Duck Inn Dog has received numerous local and national accolades, including being named Top Dog by Food Network and Best Hot Dogs in Chicago by Food & Wine magazine.

We dined at Duck Inn with the Pour Boys together back in 2021 as presented in this blogpost - Duck Inn Chicago Unique Dining Experience.

With dinner, Dan pulled from his cellar a medley of diverse reds. Putting a call out for requests, I asked if we could start with a California Pinot Noir, following our recent tastings of a flight of such wines. 

Dan served an ultra-premium Seasmoke Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, followed by an ultra-premium Aussie Shiraz.

SeaSmoke 'Ten'  Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2015

This is from Sea Smoke's estate vineyard in the Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills AVA.

Dan is a member of their wine club and gets access to these highly allocated very popular wines.

Owner/producer Bob Davids acquired the property in 1999. They produce Pinot Noir grown exclusively on the south-facing hillsides of the estate vineyards. 

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. It is known to have the perfect microclimate for growing world-class Pinot Noir, with crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soils. The Santa Ynez River canyon funnels the cool maritime fog layer (sea "smoke") across the hillsides, slowing the ripening process and providing the extended maturation period essential to the development of top-quality Pinot Noir. The shallow clay soils are planted to French clones on vigor-reducing rootstocks, resulting in fewer grape clusters of intense flavor, ripening optimally while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance. 

Sea Smoke's "Ten" is named for the ten different Pinot Noir clones planted in their estate vineyard which all find their way into this bottling. 

Sea Smoke notes is "the most masculine wine of their multiple labels, brooding and intense, with firm, mature tannins and a long, velvety finish. Ten is not for the faint-of-heart and has been known, on occasion, to convert even the most fanatic Cabernet lover."

Winemaker Don Schroeder explains, “The wealth of clones at our vineyard is one of the keys to the complexity of our wines.” This bottling is made from all ten clones farmed directly from the organic- and Biodynamic-certified estate vineyard: Aged 16 months in French oak, it shows scents of chocolate syrup and baked plum pudding. A solemn Pinot, it remains extravagant with flavors of black cherry washed with rose petals and rhubarb. Tilled soil, beet root, and firm tannins prove its profundity."

 

Winemaker Notes - A brooding and intense wine. The dark fruit dominant aromas begin with notes of cola, Black Cherry and Blueberry, then some Asian spice, chocolate and a hint of Rose petals. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten’s ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish. 

The wine was aged for 16 months in 60% new French oak before bottling. 

This was rated  95 points by the Tasting Panel and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and a Cellar Selection.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright concentrated black cherry and black plum fruits with notes of clove spice, vanilla bean, pepper and earth.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2612871

https://www.seasmoke.com/

Next Dan pulled one of our favorite labels, a big hearty Aussie Shiraz.

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah McLaren Vale South Australia 2011

I wrote about this label in an earlier blogpost. "This vintage release of this label was not as big or fruit filled as the other releases I have tasted, taking on a little bit more menthol and acidity than the more complex concentrated fruit flavors of the 2004 that we paired and compared. One Cellartracker reviewer MMack gave it 92 points and compared it to a CDP (Chateauneuf du Pape). Vivino reviewer DcLaxFan also likened it to a Rhone, he wrote "From a winery founded by a biochemist, the Syrah opens with a nose of smoked meat, mulberry, tapenade, and plum. Savory mouth of prunes, brisket, cassis, and earth. A wild, smoky, meaty feel like a Rhône Vacqueyras."'

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1953014

Dan then pulled from his cellar this surprise label. We both acquired this label as part of our wine club allocation from the producer. Linda and I actually took this label to Florida on our recent trip to enjoy but never got the chance to drink it and brought it back to have at a future occasion. Tonight, we got to try this new label bottling we've been eager to try! 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

This is from Force Majeure, an ultra-premium producer winery located in the Walla Walla Valley, specializing in estate-grown, single-vineyard Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines. Force Majeure wines are the handicraft of Todd Alexander, former winemaker for Bryant Family Vineyards and a couple of other notable Napa producers. He and his wife Carrie relocated their family to Walla Walla to take on the Force Majeure estate and brand. I featured Todd in these pages when he took on that role back in 2016 - Todd Alexander joins Force Majeure Winery.

We visited the Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate back in 2018 and wrote about that visit in this blogpost at the time - Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting, as part of our Walla Walla AVA Visit that provided the opportunity to visit this vibrant emerging wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and experience the best of Red Mountain and Walla Walla appellation wines. We walked the estate vineyards, source for this wine with the rocky soil, and thus were excited to eventually receive this release of this wine as part of our club allocation.

Force Majeure had recently acquired two new vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. The site is within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, just across the Oregon side of state line border. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA.

The Rocks District is named for the rocky deposits left by the Walla Walla River where the river exits the foothills of the Blue Mountains and enters the Walla Walla Valley. It resembles the gravelly soil of the Southern Rhone River Valley in Chateauneuf du Pape. The Rocks District of Milton Freewater is the country’s newest AVA. Wine Spectator calls this AVA “perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir."

The unique riverbed of cobblestones and pebbles is as much as two hundred feet deep, formed 12,000 years ago from massive floods that swept through the region caused by ruptures in the ice dam that held Montana's glacial Lake Missoula. The Rocks District is a 12-square mile alluvial fan of 3,770 acres. 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

The property is partially within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, on the Oregon side of the border, and is located adjacent to the site of our new winery. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Rocks District is an alluvial fan, and the cobbles that define the area are a result of deposits left by the Walla Walla River. 

This vineyard was planted between 1992 and 1994, and has a diverse soil profile covering the cobble stones, highest at the north end of the property and most shallow at the southern end. This gives us a lot of diversity within a small area, and the grapes will have different characteristics depending on the soil composition where they are grown. This vineyard is in an area proven to have very distinct terroir.

The unique topography and geological variants in these vineyards provide fruit characterized by stunning intensity, depth, concentration and complex flavors.

This wine was rated 20/20 points, Rand Sealey, Report on Washington Wines 

All Syrah that saw 30% stems and roughly 30% new barrels,

Inky dark purple garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant complex black cherry with some blue fruit tones, with notes of earth, violet, pepper and herbs, with chalky minerality and tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4624205

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/ 

@ForceMVineyards

Family Celebration Dinner - Smoked Ribs, Big Reds, Champagne

Family Celebration Dinner - Smoked Ribs, Big Reds, Champagne

Son Ryan and d-in-law Michelle hosted a family celebration dinner for Erin's birthday and my recent transformational business transaction that is a page turner in closing out my career in Enterprise Software to focus on family and my various interests. 

Ryan smoked and grilled ribs and chicken for dinner accompanied by potato wedges, salad and haricot verts.  

Ryan pulled from his cellar an ultra-premium special edition blended Champagne to kick-off the celebration. We then had an extraordinary flight of big reds to accompany the bar-b-que dinner. 

Prior to dinner we brought and had some fabulous 14 year aged cheddar and some blue cheese, and Linda zuchini bites with parmesan, red pepper and red onion. 

Ryan opened with a limited release Cliff Lede Rock Block Napa Cab. I supplemented our wine flight with a Tensley single vineyard designated Shiraz big red.

Krug "Grande Cuvée" 168 ème Édition Brut Champagne 

 Each 'Édition' of Krug "Grande Cuvée" is uniquely crafted each year since 1843 to produce their finest flagship blend regardless of annual variations in the climate. It is typically blended from considerably more than 100 different wines, the result of six months of intensive tasting by the Krug team. The aim, as Cellar Master Eric Lebel describes it, is not to produce the same wine each year, but to produce the best possible wine each year, so every rendition of Grande Cuvée is different—differences that are now highlighted by Krug's laudable decision to enumerate each successive release. 

Crafted by Krug team lead by the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and is grooming his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006.

In line with the producer’s practice, each bottle and bottling of its flagship Grande Cuvée are individually numbered, this is the 2020 release.

Krug’s NV Grande Cuvée 168éme Édition was based on the 2012 vintage harvest, complemented by fully 42% reserve wines, Pinot Noir from Verzenay and Chardonnay from Avize, a blend of 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier, across a staggering 198 different wines from eleven vintages going back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996, making up the remainder 58% of the wine. It was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims.

It should be noted that 2012 yields were down more than 20% at Krug – there was no vintage 2012 bottling. 

Winemaker notes: "2012 was a beautiful year for wine with a low yield due to the full spectrum of climatic events that hit 2,100 parcels in the vineyards of Champagne. Growers had to be particularly attentive to the vines to ensure a great harvest. In the end, the wines were round and elegant with pastry notes, which is why for the 168ème Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée I looked for reserve Chardonnay with freshness and vivacity from plots in Avize and Marmery and Pinot Noir from plots on the Montagne de Reims Nord and Verzenay to bring the right amount of tension. I love this Édition because it illustrates the importance of listening to the land. A light golden colour and fine, vivacious bubbles, holding a promise of pleasure. Aromas of flowers in bloom, ripe, dried and citrus fruits, as well as marzipan and gingerbread. Flavors of hazelnut, nougat, barley sugar, jellied and citrus fruits, almonds, brioche and honey." - Eric Lebel, Krug Cellar Master.

This release was rated 97 points by James Suckling #56 Top 100 Wines of France 2020, 19 of 20 by Jancis Robinson,  96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast and Decanter, and 95 points by Wine Spectator and 93 points by Vinous.. Amazingly one attributes the Drinking Window 2020 - 2037.  

Golden colored, medium-full bodied quite rich, nicely integrated and balanced with layers of fruit apple, pear, toasted nuts and hints of pineapple with what one pundit called 'pie crust and biscuit' another 'crème pâtissière' dominant, and another referred to 'freshly baked bread', with lively backbone of acidity on the finish.

RM 94 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3429982

https://www.krug.com/champagne/krug-grande-cuvee-168eme-edition

Based on this unique bottle number ID - 

https://www.krug.com/krugid/krug-grande-cuvee/419034

https://www.krug.com/

@krugchampagneus 

Cliff Lede ‘Roundabout Midnight’ Rock Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Cliff Lede grew up in his family’s construction business in Canada, and became enamored with Napa Valley while on a business trip in the 1990s. A collector of top Bordeaux, he saw great potential in the Stags Leap District and founded Cliff Lede Vineyards 2002 with the acquisition of 60 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. 

Cliff engaged industry experts to redesign and replant the majority of the estate. The estate was split into two distinct vineyards in the northern corner of the Stags Leap District appellation. The steep, southwest-facing hillside vineyard that surrounds Poetry Inn is the Poetry Vineyard reaching  from the valley floor up to the highest elevations of the appellation. It is the sole source of Lede flagship Poetry label. 

Next to the hillside, shown above the Twin Peaks Estate vineyard sits on the valley floor surrounding the tasting room and winery. Twin Peaks Estate is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon.

The resulting plantings were so specific and precise to each soil type and exposure that, to keep track without having to refer to a clipboard, Cliff decided to name each block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums. From “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” he created what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks.” The winemaking team gets creative with this innovation, annually crafting a small-lot Rock Block Series “mash up” of two or more blocks, featured in the tasting room and wine club.

Our visits and private tours and tastings have been the highlights of several of our Napa Valley visits dating back to 2009 - before I started this blog. 

Overseen by Director of Winemaking Christopher Tynan and Winemaker Travis Bullard, CLiff Lede produces a portfolio that includes Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - one of our favorite labels of this varietal; Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District; Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard; the Rock Block Series, Stags Leap District; Songbook, Napa Valley; and the flagship wine, Poetry, Stags Leap District, among others that are offered only to wine club members.

Each year Cliff Lede produces the Rock Block series, crafted from their estate vineyard blocks and named after Cliff’s favorite rock songs and albums. The name of this blend is derived from Yes’ “Roundabout” in their Twin Peaks vineyard and from Eric Clapton’s “After Midnight” from the legendary top flight Poetry vineyard. 

Ryan obtains these special release labels as part of his wine-club allocation. This label was highlighted and showcased at the Cliff Lede 20th Anniversary celebration and 2019 release party tasting.

Winemaker Notes: "The Cabernet Sauvignon in “After Midnight” is planted in shallow volcanic soil and farmed to low yields, contributing structure, concentration, and classic Stags Leap character to the backbone of the blend. “Roundabout” is a block of Cabernet Sauvignon that contributes a luxurious perfume, flavors of ripe, dark fruit, and plush texture.'

Winemaker's Notes: "This hedonistic elixir unleashes an exceptional fragrance of violets, blackberry preserves, slate, and unctuous warm plums. Dark and brooding, the satiny entry continues seamlessly across the palate whilst flavors of cedar, lilac, and black licorice candy dance and sing effortlessly to a long and energetic finish." – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking

This release is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 74% of which were new.

This release was rated 98 points by Wine Enthusiast Virginia Boone, 95 points by Owen Bargren and International Wine Report. 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, dense and concentrated, round, rich core of black currants and dark cherry fruits accented by creme de cassis, notes of tobacco, spice, cocoa, graphite and crushed gravel. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4291471

https://cliffledevineyards.com/

https://twitter.com/CliffLedeWine 

@CliffLedeWine 

Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah 2020

I pulled from the cellar, perhaps the current best drinking bottle in our collection meeting the profile to enjoy with smoked BBQ, this Colson Canyon Syrah from Tensley Wines.  

Tensley Vineyard off Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

 

We discovered and acquired this and several other Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines, that I wrote about here, and replay below, during our Santa Barbara County Wine Experience earlier this year. This was the standout of that tasting and best represents the style that we love.

Tensley Vineyards tasting room
downtown Los Olivos

Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah 2020

Winemaker Notes: "Everything we farm in house is something very special to us. This site is one of the most unique and special places in the world of wine. High (1400 elevation) in the hills north of the Santa Maria Valley with some of the most iron-laced soils I have seen in Santa Barbara County.'

"This wine always delivers juicy round seamless edges. This is the only wine we add some new French oak, as its weight and power integrates with the oak, adding a bit of toasty buttery complexity. Colson Canyon is such a beautiful example of fruit forward juicy California Syrah. Open it anytime and enjoy its blueberry, cassis and chocolate nuances or leave it 20 years and enjoy its leathery, almondy notes. It does not really matter when you open it, it will deliver."

1925 Cases Produced

This was awarded 94-96 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 96 points by Wine Advocate.

Might I consider this the Tensley 'flagship'? This reminded me of a couple other memorable highly rated Syrahs, Kongsgaard Carneros Hudson Vineyard and Penfolds Grange. Both are flawless, seamless, and notable for their smooth, polished, balanced profile. While not to that level of perfection perhaps, this is close and evokes the same experience. This bottle was from the Wine Club allocation we received from that visit. We're anxiously awaiting our fall release shipment that we're told was shipped this week.

Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, thick concentrated unctuous juicy black and blue fruits with layers of cassis and chocolate nuances with notes of oak, leather and tobacco on a tongue coating lingering finish. With the perfect BBQ rib pairing ...

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4090797

https://tensleywines.com/ 

@tensleywine

Family Holiday BBQ Wine Cook-out

Family Holiday BBQ Wine Cook-out Features Family Favorites

Son Ryan and D-in-law Michelle hosted the family for a traditional Independence Day holiday cook-out and we opened several nice wines for the occasion. 

We enjoyed family, yard games with the traditional competitions in 'bags' and other, and culminating the day with celebratory fireworks.

Ryan smoked beef brisket and chicken and opened from his cellar a medley of whites and reds and I brought a couple reds for the occasion.

 

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2019

We've written much about Cliff Lede wines in these pages, one of our favored producers. The Cliff Lede winery estate and vineyards with their picturesque sculpture gardens at Yountville Cross Road and Silverado Trail are one of our popular visits during our many trips to Napa Valley. One of the more memorable was our private tour and tasting during our Napa Wine Experience 2009.

Normally one of our go-to wines we keep stocked for pleasurable casual sipping, today, we were introduced to a new label (below) from down under, one Ryan considers one of his go-to wines. 

This is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Sémillon, 3% Sauvignon Vert.  The juice was fermented in 68% French oak barrels, 30% stainless steel tanks, and 2% concrete eggs. 

This was awarded 93 Points by Wine Enthusiast and 90 Points by Wine Spectator.

Straw colored, light bodied, complex and structured but rather restrained, notes of melon and apple with hints of lemon meringue, tangerine with crushed rock and stone on the finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3710508

https://cliffledevineyards.com/

@CliffLedeWine 

 

Cloudy Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2020 

I failed the blind tasting of these wines even with a fifty fifty chance of getting it right. I swore the Cloudy Bay was the Cliff Lede with its sprites of peach fruit. This overshadowed the Lede, normally one of my favored Sauv Blancs. 

Founded in 1985 by David Hohnen and winemaker Kevin Judd their Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand wine on the map. Cloudy Bay joined Veuve Clicquot in 2003 and became part of the LVMH family in 2010.

Cloudy Bay’s legacy began in Marlborough with Sauvignon Blanc and now includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pelorus méthode traditionnelle. The spirit of adventure continues with Te Koko, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, and Te Wahi, a sophisticated Central Otago Pinot Noir from their two special southern vineyards.

Winemaker Notes: "The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc is bright and focused, with appealing and expressive aromatics of ripe grapefruit, makrut lime and passionfruit on the nose. The palate is mouth-watering , with zesty lime, lemongrass and juicy stone fruit characters melding together, underpinned by a subtle minerality. The vibrant concentrated fruit and freshness bestow poise and balance, and lead though to a long and impressive finish. A wine that will age gracefully for many years."

Straw colored, light bodied, aromas of floral, fresh and vibrant with aromatics of bright citrus, kaffir lime, orchard blossom and passion fruit, flavors of peach predominate with a crisp clean sharp tangy finish.

RM 91 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3767494

https://www.cloudybay.com/en-us/

@CloudyBay 

Philip Melka CJ Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

For a family gathering I brought from our cellar a family oriented wine, this label a tribute to Philippe and Cherie Melka's children with its child's handprints on the label. I took this in tribute to our two new granddaughters additions to our family this year, Lavender and Marylin.

We've recently been enjoying Philippe Melka's handicraft in the Long Shadows Vintners Series with his Pirouette label. 

When I last wrote about this label a year ago I said, 'at twenty years this is clearly past its prime drinking window and starting to diminish from age', but that was refuted tonight with this bottle. 

The fill level and label were perfect and the cork was near so as well. There were no signs of the cloudiness reported in that earlier note, leaving me to believe that tasting was an aberrant bottle. Tonight, this resembled and was consistent with previous, earlier tasting notes.

This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, the vibrant dark blackberry fruits were accented by earthy flavors of cedar and tobacco with notes of tar, smoke and hints of mocha.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19571

https://www.melkaestates.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/07/phillip-melka-cj-napa-cab-2001.html

@MelkaEstates

Fleury Estate Lauren Bryce Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Ryan collects this wine as a member of their wine club and has amassed a vertical collection of their various labels. We first met Brian and Claudia Fleury at a Del Dotto event in their earliest days when they were just starting Fleury Estate back in 2000.

The Fleury Estate lies just south of St. Helena in Rutherford with a tasting room, winemaking facilities and a 11 acre estate vineyard. Fleury Estate Winery also owns 50 acres of premium vineyard land in the key locations of Napa Valley with vineyards in different appellations and elevations which enables them to craft consistent, high quality Napa Valley wines year after year. 

The cork of this thirteen year old disintegrated upon opening and the bottle had a slight funk to it which blew off for the most part after a while - but the bottle was clearly an off bottle. Never-the-less I found it enjoyable and notable drinking for the occasion. 

I defer to my tasting notes from this label from two years ago since it was somewhat consistent and perhaps a more fair representation. 

From earlier tasting in 2018: This (vintage) was dark blackish inky colored with full body, rich concentrated bright, vibrant, forward unctuous fruits of sweet ripe dark berry, black raspberry and currant fruits with notes of dark mocha and sweet toasty oak turning to nicely integrated tannins on a full chewy lingering finish.

This was delicious, very much my preferred style and profile, but perhaps too sweet for some folks' palette! That day I gave this 94 points. 

Today, likely due to bottle variation I give it a 91.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/fleury-estate-napa-valley-cabernet_8.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1491336

https://www.fleurywinery.com/

@FleuryWinery

Mollydooker Carnival of Love 2017

We have fun with the whimsical labels of Mollydooker with their cartoonish characters and circus poster themed labels. But, there is nothing whimsical about their big full-throttle Shiraz in their premium label Carnival of Love. We adopted this and the companion Enchanted Path labels years ago for family celebration dinners.

This is one of our family favorites that we collect and serve at special family occasions. I featured this producer and label in an extensive blogpost back in 2018, and in an broader exposition of their portfolio earlier back in 2014, and most recently in February of this year.

'Carnival of Love' has become one of our family tradition wines which began when we started serving at wife Linda's and then family birthday parties, since Linda is a Lefty. We love this style of this big opulent forward Shiraz.

The Carnival of Love Shiraz is one of their best and has made the Wine Spectator's "Top 100" twice, the 2012 was #2 in 2014, recognized as the #2 Wine in the World, and that year, Mollydooker was named Winestate's Wine of the Year for 2014.

Winemaker notes for this release: "This McLaren Vale Shiraz is powerful and expressive. Lifted aromatics of dark berries and smoky oak leap boldly from the glass. With a satin like palate; cherry and satsuma plum flavors develop into decadent dark chocolate and licorice. Complex flavors, phenomenal depth and perfectly polished tannins are what makes this Carnival of Love one to be savored and celebrated."

This is 100% Shiraz. The grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale, and the juice was barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak and 100% new. 

This release was awarded 94 points by Wine Advocate and 93 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark purple garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, textured, juicy velvety smooth raspberry and cherry fruits with notes of caramel, cedar, oak and spice on a tongue coating lingering finish.

RM 93 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3097884

 

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/  

@MollydookerWine

 

Ryan also served Mollydooker Two Left Feet Shiraz Cabernet and Austin Hope Paso Robles Cabernet. I'll feature them in a follow-on tasting post. 

 

First Drop "Mother's Milk" Shiraz 2020

First Drop "Mother's Milk" Shiraz 2020

For a Sunday night dinner we ordered in pizza and opened this Barossa Valley Shiraz. We picked up this bottle from the email promotion from Wine Disount Center, vinchicago.com - easy and simple since they deliver curbside pickup just down the road from our house. 

From the vinchicago promotion mailer: "Recently named "Value Pick of the Week" by Wine Spectator, the 2020 Mother’s Milk is not just bold, but also impressively elegant. From 1998 through 2006-ish, Australian Shiraz was the hottest category in wine. This one shows that they still deserve your attention. There is so much to like about this wine. You will find yourself quickly pouring a second glass!"

This is from producer First Drop, founded in 2004, they produce single vineyard shiraz's sourced from distinct vineyard sites in the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa.

They operate out of the First Drop Wines Cellar Door & Tapas Bar at The Home Of The Brave, housed within the walls of the historic striking 1930’s built distillery on the Provenance Barossa Precinct (previously the site of Penfold’s winery).

They have a broad portfolio, perhaps best known for their premium "Eden Valley" series sourced from the higher elevation above the Barossa Valley that "embrace the funk to make even more diverse expressions of Syrah that speak of their unique sites", and their ultra-super premium "Fat of the Land" series of Shiraz' that "showcase the sub regions of the Barossa, and the contrasting styles of Shiraz that can be made (t) here. One can make such varied expressions of Shiraz, due to the different meso-climates of each subregion, the elevation range, and the myriad of soil types that are to be found throughout the Barossa." 

They also produce some super ultra-premium labels of Cabernet Sauvignons from McLaren Vale, 'Dragon's Blood' and 'Votum', they cite as an ode to the Penfolds style, rich, intensely structured McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon, both promoted with a release price of $350AU. 

First Drop "Mother's Milk" Barossa Valley Shiraz 2020 

This release was awarded 94 Points by James Suckling and 92 Points by Wine Spectator

Nice easy sipping with pizza, I wouldn't save it for a grilled beefsteak dinner lacking elegance and polish. But hey, screw top simple and enjoyable pleasant sipping with a great QPR - Quality Price Ratio!

Dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, full round, dark plum, blackberry and black raspberry fruits with bramble, pepper, earthy spice, black tea and what Suckling describes as slate, with tangy acidity on a moderate firm tannin laced lingering finish.

 RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3996033

https://www.firstdropwines.com/

https://twitter.com/firstdropwines

@firstdropwines

Hugh Hamilton Black Sheep Shiraz Saperavi

Hugh Hamilton Dark-Arts Black-Ops South-Australia Shiraz Saperavi 2017

For our family gathering for my birthday bbq, we also opened this South Australia McLaren Vale Shiraz. I found this interesting blend at Binny's, Chicagoland's big box beverage super store and picked up a couple bottles to try. It proved to provide good QPR - Quality Price Ratio with its $22 pricepoint. There were 1,200 cases producer of which only 180 were imported.

This is from Hugh Hamilton Wine, a family owned producer for six generations spanning 180 years. Current owners Hugh Hamilton and his daughter Mary Hamilton are the 5th and 6th generation of the Australian Hamilton wine dynasty that stretches back over 180 years. In 1837 Hugh’s great great grandfather Richard emigrated to the new colony of South Australia and planted Australia’s first wine grapes starting perhaps South Australia’s first wine dynasty that continues to this day.

Before emigrating to South Australia, Hugh’s great, great grandfather Richard was a tailor on the high streets of Dover, England. He was also known to be engaged in smuggling contraband Bordeaux from France. Hamiltons speculate his dark secret caught up with him because Richard, with his wife Anne and eight children packed up and left the country, emigrating to Australia where they settled on 80 acres of remote rural land. There he planted what may have been the region's first wine grapes. 

Hence, the Hamilton brand plays on the sordid past of a 'black sheep' character. 

I've written often in these pages about the Australian sense of humor and some of their whimsical branding and labels (Mollydooker). This label is one of those whimsical fun play on words labels: "As with all families one is a Black Sheep and (co-owner-producer) Hugh is it. Hugh Hamilton wines are far from ordinary. Hugh has a clear vision about the way he sees wines and he produces accordingly. Hugh’s legacy continues as Mary is now the CEO of the family winery and brings insight, energy and enormous talent to this exciting winery." 

The Black Sheep branding carries over to their Wine Club, the Black Sheep Club, where they offer special and limited production labels, "and our premium range of eclectic wines designed by the family themselves to be of an outstanding quality".

Today, Hugh and Mary produce a own unique trio of wines, a Grenache, a Shiraz and a Pedro Ximenez in honour of their forebear, Richard Hamilton along with this interesting Red Blend, 60% Shiraz and 40% Saperavi. I admit I had never heard of our encountered this varietal before and knew nothing of it. 

The Saperavi grape roots (pun intended) trace back to Georgia where the name translates literally "paint, dye, give color". It is a hardy variety able to handle extremely cold weather and thus is popular for growing in cold climate inland regions.

It is the most predominant varietal in Georgia and is also found grown throughout the region east of Europe in Russia, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. It is the basis for the region's most popular wines. It has also been imported and is grown in the Niagara and Finger Lakes regions of New York State and the Erie region of Northeast Ohio. 

 

Seperavi produces an extractive wine with a characteristic bouquet, a harmonious taste, and pleasant astringency. Saperavi grapes produce very deep red wines that are suitable for extended aging. It has the potential to produce high alcohol levels, and is often blended with lighter varieties. 

 

Hamilton vineyards are on the north-eastern fringe of the broader McLaren Vale region in the Blewitt Springs sub-region. There the higher elevation and distance inland from the sea have a cooler climate and later-ripening than the main region, hence the use of Separvi is found in conjunction with Shiraz. 

 

The Hugh Hamilton ‘Black Sheep’ vineyards are planted mainly to Shiraz, Grenache, Saperavi and some Cabernet, each of which is divided into smaller sub-blocks according to the patchwork of soils. Many of the vines are what Hamilton calls ‘Old’ Shiraz, differentiated from the ‘Ancient’, with vineyards dating back well over 60 years old. The Cabernet date back as much as 25 years.

Hugh Hamilton Dark-Arts Black-Ops South-Australia Shiraz Saperavi 2017

This is sourced from the Church Vineyard which stands east of the winery surrounding on three sides the old Bethany Chapel for which it is named. It is planted to Shiraz, Saperavi, Merlot and Sangiovese. The soil is alluvial as the vineyard is an ancient creek bed  with a deep, winter-only creek in a distinct very shallow gully which cuts across the Merlot and Shiraz vineyards; and at the western end has a band of soil which is shallow and tough, with bits of quartz and scattered ironstone. The rows run east/west, which provides maximum shade from the sun during heatwave conditions.

Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast both rated this label 88 points. 

 

Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, muscular, rich blackberry and black plum fruits are accented with herbal notes of black olive, bell pepper, black pepper and hints of spice and mint with a full firm lingering finish. 

 

RM 89 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3303145 

https://hughhamiltonwines.com.au/product/black-ops-shiraz-saperavi-2020/

https://hughhamiltonwines.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

Deci-significant Old Man's Birthday Wine

Deci-significant Old Man's Birthday Wine

For my deci-significant birthyear birthday celebration, I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage aptly-named top rated super premium Barossa Valley Shiraz for the occasion. 

This is the flagship wine of Kaesler, one of the traditional old vine family names of the Barossa Valley, South Australia with vineyards dating back to 1893. 

The first owners of the Kaesler vineyards were Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s and took up 96 acres in 1891. By 1893 they had planted the entire acreage with Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) and White Hermitage vines. Some of the gnarled dry-grown Shiraz still remain and provide the backbone of a family of intense wines.

The Kaesler family first purchased several blocks 1893 and operated the property until 1986. In those early days, much of the fruit was sold to Seppeltsfield for port and sherry production.

By 1917 with grape sales flagging, various blocks were pulled up and replanted to orchards including apricot, peach and plums. The remaining vines mostly consisted of red and fortified varieties, some Grenache added in the 1930’s and more Shiraz planted in the 60’s and 70’s. These plantings account for the celebrated aged Shiraz produce to today.

In 1944 the family holdings were divided between the three Kaesler brothers, two selling off their properties, but Arthur Kaesler (the youngest brother) held on to the home block converting orchards back to vineyard and maintaining its old vines. Kaesler sold the property in 1986 to private owners who continued to sell the fruit to local wineries including Penfolds, Seppelt and Orlando. 

At the time, the Kaesler vineyards consisted of over 70% red wine vines, all 40 years of age or more.  

Winemaker Reid ‘Boz’ Bosward heard of the remarkable qualities of this special vineyard when he managed to get his hands on some of the grapes and produce a special batch of the first Old Bastard Shiraz in 1998. 

In 1999, Bosward seized the opportunity to become the head of the new Kaesler family property when he and his partners bought Kaesler, becoming the third owners of the property. Teaming with Swiss banker Edourd Peters, they formed a syndicate and purchased and consolidated two of the three original historic old vine Kaesler Blocks, and Old Bastard was born.

The revered 2.5 acre (12 row) vineyard consists of 125 year old vines that sit just outside the back door of the winery, Kaesler Cellar Door; an old brick horse stable now is a private tasting room, an old cow shed now the Kaesler Kitchen restaurant, and Ernst Kaesler’s old house, now the Kaesler Cottages B&B.

One of the most famous patches of Shiraz vines in the Barossa, sourced from a unique clone of French Rhone Valley Shiraz (now extinct in France) they produce a unique flavour characteristics and distinctive profile that makes the Old Bastard what it is.  It has become recognized as one of Australia’s most highly regarded Shiraz wines, consistently rated as one of the Barossa’s benchmark Shiraz wines and is highly sought after by wine collectors around the world.

Consistent wine making since 1998, focusing on meticulous vineyard management and using the highest quality Burgundian oak for 12 to 19 months depending on the character of the vintage, Kaesler Shiraz is bottled “au naturel”, with no fining and filtration. The result is fruit driven to the core, elegant with density and richness, savoury muscular tannins and underlying oak.

Kaesler "Old Bastard" Barossa Valley South Australia Shiraz 2005  

 

The whimsical label features a distinctive Ralph Steadman caricature.  

 

My records show we also drank the 2001 vintage of this label for my birthday back in 2004 and then again at our OTBN event in 2013 (Open That Bottle Night,)

 

This '05 release was awarded 98 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and WS Forum, 94 points from Wine Spectator.

 

Dark inky purple, full bodied, round, full throttled, tight, ultra-concentrated thick forward raisiny spicy blackberry and blueberry fruits with with notes of bacon fat, bramble, game, licorice, pepper, cedar and spice with firm long lasting tannins on the finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=428470

 

https://kaesler.com.au/kaesler-old-bastard/

 

https://twitter.com/kaeslerwines

 

Amon-Ra Aussie Big Shiraz for Tomahawk Dinner

Amon-Ra Aussie Premium Big Shiraz for Tomahawk Beefsteak Dinner

Friday night dinner culminating a week of celebrations, Linda prepared a fabulous dinner of Tomahawk Ribeye beefsteaks, with twice baked potatoes and a delectable sauteed spinach in her incredible special sauce of shallots, nutmeg, clove of fresh garlic, cream and shaved sharp cheddar cheeses, pinch of cayenne pepper offset with honey.

I pulled from the cellar a premium label Aussie Shiraz, one of Linda's favorites in the big bold expressive style that she loves. 

Ben Glaetzer "Amon-Ra" South Australia Barossa Valley Shiraz 2005 

When I brought this up from the cellar, Linda immediately cited "Hoboken", reminiscing a memorable getaway weekend dinner we had where we took this wine BYOB while visiting son Alec in NY/NJ.

I wrote in my blogpost about Hoboken dinner that night, that this big powerful big red overpowered the Italian dinner. 

Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 - Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 Overpowers Italian Dinner

I chronicled this wine in that blogpost October 26, 2013:

"If you read this blog, you'll see continually that we, and especially Linda, love big bold Shiraz, so she selected this label for tonight's dinner. This was our first adventure tasting the classic AMON-Ra and this is indeed a BIG wine ...  not for the feint of heart!  While it overpowered our Italian fare and begs for a big steak, dark chocolate or hearty cheese,it was delicious none-the-less.'

"AMON-Ra is the flagship wine of the Glaetzer Family who have been producing Barossa Valley wines since 1888. We hold several Glaetzer wines going back a decade including one of our favorites, GoDolphin, which has since been discontinued, Wallace, Annaperenna and Bishop. The branding and labels for these wines all feature hieroglyphic symbols from ancient Egyptian mythology.'  

Note - Ben Glaetzer was named New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006.

"Since AMON-Ra was considered to be the king of all gods, winemaker Ben Glaetzer chose that symbol for his flagship, top of the line ultra-premium label. Perhaps this is fitting since the temple of AMON-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple.'

"The eye on front of the AMON-Ra label is the all-seeing eye of Horus or wedjat ("whole one") - a powerful Egyptian symbol of protection. It is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to what Egyptians regarded as the six senses; touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought.
Ben created AMON-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses. And it certainly does!'

"Fruit for Glaetzer wines is sourced from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley called Ebenezer. Some of the vines are as up to 80-120 years old.'

Note, that night in Hoboken we drank the 2008 vintage release. My blogpost from then continues: "The 2008 release of AMON-Ra Shiraz is the eighth release of this label. The 2008 vintage in the Barossa was a difficult year for wine producers due to a heat spike during the vintage. As a result, Glaetzer limited the total production of AMON-Ra to maintain the quality of the wine. The strict fruit selections were rigorous and uncompromising to sacrifice quantity for quality resulting in the smallest volume released since the tiny 2003 vintage, lower than the 2007 production. This required carefully monitoring the vines and making multiple passes through the vineyards carefully selecting only grapes with the right intensity of fruit and balancing different levels of ripeness before the heat spike overstressed the fruit."

"This release was produced by winemaker Ben Glaetzer who was New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006. According to the producer, "the 2008 vintage shows great purity of fruit and firm but fine tannins, giving great structure and power to the wines."

Tonight we drank the 2005 vintage release of this label. This release was awarded 98 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Wine Enthusiast, 93 points James Halliday, and 92 points from Wine Spectator.   

Dunnuck calls this 'a monumental wine', the 2005 Glaetzer Amon-Ra Barossa Valley Shiraz is from a single vineyard in the Ebenezer region, 100% old vine Shiraz, dry-grown 100-110 year-old Shiraz vines, aged 14 months in 100% new oak, 20% American and 80% French (70% hogsheads & 30% barrique.)

I tasted and wrote about this label's 2005 vintage in my wine journal pages, back before I started publishing this blog.

"March 27, 2007 - Ben Glaetzer Barossa Valley Amon Ra 2005 - RM 93 RP 98 - $59 - Dark berry, graphite, mineral, cassis and a hint of vanilla with long silky firm tannins on the finish. Tasted at Vino Volo at IAD."

While Linda loves and prefers this big bold style, I would prefer and opt for a more balanced, elegant, complex style such as a Bordeaux varietal blend for a beefsteak or other fine dining experience. Never-the-less, this was awesome with tonight's dinner. 

At seventeen years, the fill level, foil, label, and most importantly, the cork, were all perfect. The cork was firm, tight and dry. This is probably at the apex of its drinking profile, but not likely to improve with further aging, it still has life left and should go for another five years and perhaps a decade.  

The Winemaker's Notes: "Brooding, vibrant black with bright purple hues. On the nose, absolute purity with black fruit aromas complemented by notes of fragrant spice.Seamless, rich and full-bodied with black plum flavors intermingling with dried spice and finely balanced supple tannin. Impressive yet restrained."

My rating tonight was consistent with that earlier post in 2007 for this label.

Deep garnet in color, with hues of inky blackish-purple, full bodied , muscular with firm grainy tannins, a bit of alcohol heat, rich, dense yet balanced, blackberry and black currant fruits, bramble, spices, bitter dark chocolate, licorice, savory soy with hints of pepper and cedar, fresh crisp acids on a bright vibrant long finish.

RM 93 points.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=262071

http://www.glaetzer.com/