For over 40 years, I have been traveling to NW Arkansas, typically in the fall to visit dear friends who also head up a professional health care organization that I have been involved with for 42 years.
Along with the extended families, these folks are like family to me and it is always extra special to be in their space and share the love and many passions we have in common.
One of those passions is wine and for my most recent trip this October, I pulled some bottles from my cellar to take back and share.
Amongst many events including a Razorback football game, soccer games for some of the kiddos, a fall fest farm party, dinners in and out, trips to the cabin on the lake and boat rides on two different days exploring parts of the ~500 mile long shoreline of Beaver Lake, taking in the change of the fall colors and more, we enjoyed some fine wines and this is about some of those.
Here’s some notes organized by type:
2017 GRAND NAPA VINEYARDS BRUT ROSE- the fruit for this fine sparkling rose was sourced from Carneros in Southern Napa Valley; it had lovely strawberry fruit in the nose and the taste with some red cherry/ berry, peach and red apple backing it up while being delivered in a soft and smooth textured medium; it had bright acidity, some body and depth and finished nicely with all of its goodness coming together. This is an unusual blend comprised of 54% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Gris aged 3 years on the lees before disgorgment and dosed at 6 gpl..
NV ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT- this consistently fine release with every vintage featured nice acidity with lemon and lime fruit most prevalent and some yellow peach, pear and green apple in the background; it is made of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, about 10% of which includes cask aged reserve wines from 5-7 vintages from 2-7 years old.
NV TAITTINGER LA FRANCAISE BRUT- this is comprised of a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier sourced from at least 35 villages; the high proportion of Chardonnay is unique among fine nonvintage Champagnes; also unusual for a NV champagne is that it spent close to 4 years on the lees; it was dosed at 9 gpl; consistent with recent notes made for the last bottle, this was nicely refreshing with mild, but enough acidity to cleanse the palate with fresh citrus fruit all the way through while being delivered in a frothy, almost cotton candy like mousse.
2019 ROEDERER ESTATE L’ERMITAGE BRUT- I like the analogy used by one wine critic who stated “if sunshine could be bottled, it would be this”; it is bright and fresh and features delicate rays of citrus, apple and peach fruit with accents of minerals and baking spices; its elegance is enhanced by a creamy mouthfeel which serves to lengthen the finish gracefully and gratefully; this release sees one more year of lees contact, 4, than the NV brut, is made up of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir and also includes a reserve of 3.9% Chardonnay from 2016; it was disgorged 2/24 and dosed at 6.5 gpl. My blind wine dinner group had the 2018 version and called it champagne from a big house. This vintage is even better IMHO and a candidate for my wine group to get challenged again.
2006 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT- this bottle was opened with 4 of my dear friends prior to going to dinner; it was a great rendition of the 2006 vintage and consistent with previous notes earlier this year; it is comprised of 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay; dosage near 9 gpl; 20% of the wine was aged in oak; sees no ML; this vintage has matured into one of the finest of all of the more recent Cristals since 1996 IMHO and it still has a long way to go before reaching its apogee; the color was a rich yellow gold and the nose offered ginger and spice infused citrus fruit with lemon and lime most evident; the taste had more of the same and eventually, some delicious yellow apple joined in; it had an amazing mouthfeel with its oily, viscous texture that had some weight that was immediately noticeable and appreciated; this was simply outstanding in every way; it had class and elegance, sophistication, charm and reeked of royalty; it was enjoyed by all.
1994 OPUS ONE- this was such a great treasure my friend pulled from his cellar to take to the dinner the 2006 Cristal preceded; it is comprised of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Malbec which was the first time this varietal was ever included in the blend; it was aged for 18 months in new French oak; following its dark red purple color came aromas of barnyard, bandaid, earth and leather laden black currant suggestive of some 4-ethylphenol Brettanomyces influence which was less evident once tasted and beyond; some milk chocolate and licorice provided the perfect accents to the fruit profile that also included some blackberry notes; it was full bodied with lots of depth and complexity and finished long and sublime.
2006 HOURGLASS BLUELINE ESTATE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA- I have treasured this and other wines made by Mike Smith ever since meeting him in 2008 when he attended one of our wine group dinners in Santa Barbara, and a few subsequent ones, at which times he brought some of his wines to share and we loved them so much, we all bought a bunch; decanted for 2+ hours, this had a youthful, vibrant dark red purple color and offered aromas of cedar, spice and anise laden blackberry and black cherry, all of which continued on all the way through; it was super soft and smooth with layers depth and seemingly gathered momentum over time while building up for a magnificent crescendo that impressively finished the wine.
Here’s some background on the winery, vineyard and Mike Smith:
2016 BLACK CORDON VINEYARDS SIXTEEN X TWENTY CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA- this 100% Cabernet was made by Paul Hobbs who aged it for 24 months in 75% new oak barrels; the oak influence was detected in the nose and taste profile, but not so far out of balance to be a negative; the fruit notes consisted of blackberry, black cherry and black currant with some plum at the end and cedar and oak spice throughout; it was full bodied with lots of layered complexity and finished more in balance than experienced beforehand.
2012 MARITAS VINEYARD SOMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA- sourced from a vineyard in the southern portion of Napa Valley located in Coombsville, this fine wine featured a fruit forward profile that included red and black raspberry, red and black currant embellished with oak spices, vanilla and chocolate; it was full bodied, round and seamless and drinking quite well now with promises to evolve and mature into an even more wondrous wine within a few more years.
2002 FLOWERS ANDREEN-GALE CUVEE SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR- this wine was so ready and willing expressing the best off cool climate Pinot Noir that the Sonoma Casot is renown for; still quite youthful and viable, there floral nose was replete with ripe red dn dark fruit with red and black raspberry most prominent early on and black raspberry and black cherry coming ion about mid palate; it had a creamy mouthfeel, was full bodied and in perfect balance; if the following wine, ’95 Hartford Court RRV was not, this was the best Pinot Noir consumed on this trip.
1995 HARTFORD COURT RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR- this had a still youthful dark red purple color and the nose offered ripe red and dark fruit which on the palate translated into red and black cherry and black raspberry with some cola and spices providing the perfect accents; it had a viscous mouthfeel and a fine finish that sealed the deal in this still viable and lovely 31 year old new world Pinot Noir; a great bottle.
2008 WOODENHEAD WINERY RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR- this wine is made by Nik Stetz, a protege of Burt Williams of Williams Selyem fame for 17 years who I met through Burt and have stayed in touch with beyond Burt’s passing 7 years ago; Nik’s wines are quite approachable early on, but I prefer them with some age and this bottle served to confirm my preference as it was stupendous; sporting ripe spicy red and black raspberry with some red cherry coming in at the end, it graced the palate gently with an extended finish; the oak influence has perfectly integrated and there’s enough acidity to assure many more years before it reaches its apogee.
2018 GARY’S PRIVATE RESERVE SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR- this bottle was given to me by Gary Pisoni of Pisoni Vineyards fame and I believe it was a special limited production bottling that may not have been released to the public; nonetheless, it was fantastic and I was happy to have opened it with the right people at the right time; its color was a youthful, dark red purple and the nose included aromatics of red roses, red cherry and red raspberry; once tasted, those notes were joined by oak spiced black raspberry and blackberry fruit while being delivered in a super smooth textured medium; it got better in the glass when I thought it was already as good as it could get.
As all of us know in this wonderful world of wine, it is the ultimate joy to share good wines with others and it is even more special when they show well as did all of these wines.
Cheers,
Blake