By the time we reached the blends, we had tried a variety of different varietals that in some cases were very different from block to block. When you had as many different Merlots, as many different Zinfandels, you end up with a lot to work with. As Lisa had been there before and had given all of us a heads up to the amazing blended wines they did. I knew we were curious what they would be like.

2006 Sonoma Valley Legend  (One of Lisa’s Favorite at $40.00)

Legend is a unique blend of Merlot and Zinfandel that Ledson has produced since 1999. Ledson lets this vintage age in the barrel for an additional 7 months. On the nose, there were aromas of raspberries, cranberries, and creamy vanilla.  My first thought was the swirl candied lollipops. Beautifully structured with medium acidity and layers of cocoa, tobacco and pepper, this wine can easily age another 10 years!

This brilliant wine would pair well with Blue Cheese Crostini to Beef Wellington and Puff Pastry.

2006 Alexander Valley Ti Amo  (Lisa’s Favorite at $74.00)
5 cases left

Nothing says “I Love You” more than a great bottle of wine, said the wine maker.  This is their richest and most elegant Bordeaux blend, Ti Amo. This is a classy Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Alexander Valley.  Every descriptive word from the wine maker himself tells the story of how the Cabernet Sauvignon provides body, depth, and smooth tannins, all of which offer a sturdy base for the wine. Blending in the Merlot brings flavors of dark cherry and boysenberry fruits, and the final inclusion of Cabernet Franc adds subtle floral aromas and a slightly earthy finish. It’s a rich, supple wine, deep in color and remarkable on the palate. In Ti Amo, the “I love you” is really all about these wines getting along so well in the blend.

This wine would pair well with a Robust Pasta dish to a nice Rib-eye Steak.

Thank you Guy Lasky for a lovely afternoon and plenty of tastings.  We could have easily stayed a few more hours on your beautiful Ledson Estate.

2006 Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel, Krissy’s Vineayard (Lisa’s favorite – Sold out $40.00)
Gold Medal – 2009 San Francisco Int’l Wine Competition

For those of you who love the smell of a toasty barrel and cigar, this wine is the most appropriate.  With it’s blend of tobacco and wooden oak, it’s like you’re in a smoke shop or better yet in Europe in a room full of elegant cigars and tobacco.  In France, Lisa walked into a smoke shop that was dark but most fragrant of any smoke shops in the U.S..
Krissy’s Vineyard in the Russian River Valley consists of 75 year old vines that produce a wine with a ripe fruit flavor such as blackberries and sweet cherries. This dark and luscious Zinfandel would pair well with lamb or hearty meals with a lot of spices.   After that hearty meal, you might even want to light up a cigar.


2006 Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel (Sold out $44.00)
92 Points/Cellar Selection – April 2010 Wine Enthusiast

This Zinfandel is from a small vineyard in the Russian River Valley. We were lucky enough to taste this fabulous, complex and full bodied wine.  With it’s smooth tannins and a long finish of
cherry and blackberry, this Zinfandel is much desired as sipping wine after dinner.

2007 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Elegance (Sold out $58.00)
Unfortunately we were unable to taste this wine.

2006 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($64.00)
92 Points – 2011 California State Fair Wine Competition

This Cabernet Sauvignon, which received high ratings in the past, comes from fruit Steve Ledson handpicked from the Dry Creek growing region. This rich and dark toasty aroma was of brown sugar and tartness of rhubarb.  Pepper and blackberries reveals a toffee flavor and coffee flavor to the finish.   Dark chewy cherries together with the toffee lead to lingering tannins, yet lighter than a — Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine pairs nicely with a strongly seasoned beef prime rib.

Ledson Winery and Vineyards

We started with their 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($58.00), which had aromas of bright cherries, a bit of caramel, floral scents of roses, and tobacco.  As it was very light red in color, it seemed well balanced with medium boldness and a bit of tartness and vanilla on the palate.  A nice finish of strawberries, cranberries, and a bit of cinnamon.  A very popular delicate wine and has sold out after our visit.  There were approximately 2,200 cases produced.

2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($60.00)
92 Points Gold Medal – 2010 World Wine Championship
Gold Medal – 2011 San Diego International Wine Competition

This Pinot Noir was earthy on the nose as there was aromas of soil, dark cherries and herbaceous greens.  On the palate were bright red cherries, a pop of tartness and spiciness at the tip of the tongue.  There was a bit of citrus and strawberries that lingered quite long at the finish.

An excellent wine that would pair well with Turkey, Salmon, Duck, Pork or Ham.

2006 Sonoma Valley Estate Merlot ($40.00)

Known for their Kenwood Estate Merlot grapes, Ledson produces ripening fruit and seems to be one of our favorite, “Big Style Bordeaux” in the area.  On the nose was dark cherries, tobacco, white pepper, and a bit of vanilla.  Much of the fruitiness comes out in the begining and then nutmeg, sweet black cherries and a hint of chocolate proceeds through, adding complexity in the end.

Truly a fine wine that pairs well with Bacon, Pork Chops, Scallops, or even Onion Soup.

2006 Sonoma Valley Estate Merlot Reserve  (Patrick’s favorite at $56.00)

This estate’s vineyard, known for their rocky volcanic soils of the Ledson Estate, is a two-acre block of vineyard that produces the majority of the fruit for this Reserve Merlot.  This dark, delicate, yet richly intense Merlot coats your palate with flavors of dark chocolate, gentle sweet raspberries, a bit of tobacco, and toasty vanilla .  It’s soft, yet firm tannins linger long at the finish and beyond.

No case discount on this wine.  This wine pairs well with Chicken Caciatori, Hearty Beef Stews, or nice bowl of Chili.

To be continued next week…

The newly released 2007 Miramonte Sangiovese ($27.95) had aromas of dark cherries, cranberries, and blackberries. Very dark and rich in color, this wine was spicy on the palate like a good Sangiovese is suppose to be. Just a thought; a hearty pasta with spicy sausage would pair nicely.

Miramonte’s Numero Uno Sangria ($17.50) had aromas of a bowl of fresh fruit. There were aromas of blackberries, peaches, plums, oranges, cherries, pears and much more. At Miramonte’s however, they like to blend it with a sparkling wine, maybe a shot of brandy and or fresh fruit like most Sangria are served.

The next step was to find a restaurant nearby to pair this ultimate Sangria and we found the Gourmet Italia Restaurant in Temecula, California.. After reading reviews of this restaurant before we arrived, we found it to be grand family affair. We were seated in front of Louis Armstrong’s photo wall and of course jazz music was being played throughout.

Our waiter made recommendations according to his favorites and we were most satisfied with our dishes. We ordered the Antipasto Italiano, which consisted of their selection of imported Italian Cured Meats, Cheese, Olives, and Vegetables such as Roasted Eggplant and Red Peppers.

We were told that the waiter’s favorite was a life-changing pasta called Fusilli al Filetto. This was a Corkscrew Pasta with Filet Mignon Tips, and Mushrooms in a Red Wine Tomato Cream Sauce. We also ordered a Seafood Medley Special of the day, which consisted of Mussels, Clams, Prawns, and Calamari.  To round out our family luncheon, we ordered a Margherita Pizza.

In 1980, Joe and Nancy Hart of the Hart Family Winery built their winery in beautiful Temecula. Today, Joe and his son Jim produce over 5000 cases of wine and are certainly proud of their accomplishments.

The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($18) was their newest release. On the nose was pineapple, grapefruit and citrus notes. A nice dry wine on the palate and coats the tip of the tongue to a lingering finish. I would pair this wine with steamers – Clams, Grilled Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, Vietnamese Spicy Mussels, or Lemon Grass Thai Chicken over Jasmine Rice.

The 2010 Blanc d’ Franc (a $16 favorite of mine) was their new Rose’ produced from their Cabernet Franc grape. On the nose was aromas of strawberries and raspberries. On the palate, it was dry and the tartness of the fruit came through. By far not a sweet wine, but a drinkable wine by the pool or picnic with Fried Chicken, Pasta Salad, and a Pear Tart for dessert.

The 2008 Tres Hermanos ($22) comprised of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah, was an interesting Rhone style blend. It’s complexity was subtle, yet not as tannic as first thought. Although this wine had character, my belief is that that this wine needed to be laid down a bit longer. That said, give it a few more years and it should be great!

The 2009 Mourvedre ($28), Temecula Valley was very nice on the nose. Subtle hints of blueberries and dark cherries made this dry but smooth and long lingering finished wine perfect for a sheep’s milk cheese like Brebirousse D’ Argental.

The 2007 Driveway Red (another favorite at $20) was a Bordeaux-style blend with 42% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc. These grapes were from a block of vines above their parking lot. On the nose were raspberries, blueberries, and cherries. On the palate , this medium bodied wine had the right combination of herbaceous qualities and Cabernet Franc that I love in a Bordeaux style blend. This wine would pair well with meaty stews, roasted vegetables, or pesto pasta, as well as, grilled beef or lamb.

The 2008 Aleatico ($48), Palmador Vineyard, Temecula Valley was produced from the Aleatico grape, native to Italy’s Puglia region. It brought back memories of my visit to Poggibonsi and below Volterra, where there were beautiful vineyards of Muscat grapes. This jammy and charming, fortified wine could stand alone after a fine meal or an addition to vanilla bean gelato.

Special thanks to Jay Weseloh for the fine hospitality and stories of Temecula Wine Country’s history.

A couple wines stood out and made us take notice when were at the Cheers to Taste event at Sterling Vineyards.

As Napa Valley is known for their fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon,  Beaulieu Vineyard’s Private Reserve Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 07  was one that was distinguished, set apart from all others that evening.   We found ourselves loving the pairing between this Cabernet and a Lamb Tenderloin in a Rosemary wrap with freshly made Aioli.  Served with Crispy Pixie Stick French Fries, these hand held delicacies brought out the lovely depth in this newly released Cabernet.

The second wine that we admired was the Rosenblum Cellars Chocolate Late Harvest Zin Port, which should of been no surprise, as we had first sampled their tasty Zinfandel just minutes earlier. This we paired with tasty cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes.  Patrick found the port stood on its own as a lovely sipping port, while Lisa spent a lot of time enjoying and sampling it with each cupcake (A Chocolate with Chocolate frosting, Lemon with Vanilla frosting and Vanilla with Coconut frosting) and she found it hard to decide which she loved best, yet ended up deciding she liked the combination with the slight tang of the lemon and the richness of the chocolate port.

Patrick and I recently paid a visit to Castello di Amorosa, a beautiful castle atop the hills of southern Calistoga.  We were invited to Cheers to Taste, a social network of hospitality and industry people in Napa Valley.

Owner of this romantic and medieval castle, yet working winery is Dario Sattui.  His passionate dreams of  an architectural and authentic 12th century Tuscan style castle had came to light and construction of this 121 square feet genuine labor of love began in 1994.  There are five towers, courtyards, a church, guardhouse, and many corridors that make up this regal castle.

The event was held in the Great Hall and murals of the 15th century covered the walls.  Down a level was one of 107 rooms, an authentic torture chamber room consisting of– three prison cells, stretching rack, nail covered chair, and even an Iron Maiden just like in Tuscany, Italy.  There were many underground passageways and then there was the biggest room, the Grand Barrel cellar which is 12 thousand square feet with 40 cross-vaults and ribbing.  This room holds as much as 2000 barrels of wine.

“The main rule of Castello di Amorosa is to provide a unique, unparalleled and consummate winery experience for every guest who visits the estate.” They produce primarily Italian style wines, as the red grapes are grown in Napa Valley and on the estate grounds, Sangiovese grapes surround the property, and white grapes are grown in the Carneros district of Napa Valley or Anderson Valley, where these areas are nice and cool.  Some grapes are purchased from other select growers around the region.  They use a sustainable approach to managing pests and diseases in their vineyards.

Off the Grand Hall, one of the featured foods for this event was wood-burning pizza made by Chef Todd Humphries (opening the “Kitchen Door Restaurant” at the Oxbow Market, Napa).  This was an excellent pairing for the 2009 “Gioia”- Rosato di Sangiovese, an Italian style Rose’  that was gorgeous with pink and bright red tones in color, as well as, apples and plums on the nose. The taste of Strawberries and Cranberries were lovely on the palate.  2058 cases were produced, retails for $24.00 a bottle and excellent for sipping during warm months.  This particular Sangiovese Rose’ comes through as almost a strawberries and cream effect with a bit of raspberry at the finish and would pair well with Smoked Salmon or a Smoked Pork Loin.

Down below in the tasting room, there was a retail area and most people were having fun trying on crowns and looking at medieval artifacts.  Another wine being offered was the 2009 Gewurztraminer “Dolcino” of Anderson Valley and it had aromas of floral, spice, apricots, cinnamon and sweet honey.  On the palate, a bit of sweetness and complex with the spiciness and nuttiness but balanced with it’s crisp acidity.  571 cases were produced and retails for $22.00 a bottle.  Generally, this wine would be too sweet, but it was very nice and light.  A nice sipping wine or served with Spicy Thai Chicken with coconut milk sauce.  Thanks to Todd for another successful Cheers to Taste event.

We stumbled upon a Four Sisters Inn in Yountville, California, called Maison Fleurie (flowering house”).  This quaint French Inn, reminiscent of southern France was directly across from the Cheers To Taste event, located at the new Bardessono Resort and Spa.  It made Lisa miss Paris, France and its charming, yet small cafe’s.  A big thanks to Karen Gary for pouring us some awesome Rocca Family Vineyard wines and grand smiles on such a cold Spring evening.

2007 Rocca Cabernet Sauvignon:
Deliciously rich, the 2007 Rocca’s Grigsby Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was smooth in texture with notable symmetry.  It’s deep red color blend was of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% of Petit Verdot.   On the nose, this wine illustrated a beautiful touch of sweet cherries and a bit of vanilla.  On the palate, this Cabernet was thick and silky as the medium tannins danced with a sweet fruit of blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, and a creamy caramel finish.

Cases Produced: 491
Appellation: Yountville, Napa Valley
Retails for $75.00

Wine pairing suggestions:
Appetizer: Cream of Broccoli Soup or Spinach Salad with bacon, eggs and tangy Catalina dressing.
Entree’:  Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction and Rosemary potatoes
Dessert:  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

2007 Rocca Syrah:

Truly complex, this 2007 Rocca’s Grigsby Vineyard Syrah was rich in texture.  There were aromas of sweet fruits such as dark cherries, prunes, spices, and hints of dried flowers.  Mild on the palate, this wine was supple and displayed layers upon layers of tannins at the finish.

Cases Produced: 349
Appellation: Yountville, Napa Valley
Retails for $45.00

Wine pairing suggestions:
Appetizer:  Aged Cheddar Cheese
Entree’:  BBQ Ribs, Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers
Dessert: Goat Cheese Tart with Apricot and Orange Blossom Honey

The Kreuse Canyon Vineyard, a hillside Cabernet vineyard, located in South East portion of Napa Valley is known as the Tulcay-Coombsville region.  The characteristics of the grapes from this vineyard are fruity and smooth with just the right amount of tannins.

The Monticello Vineyard, near the Silverado County Club, is also a Cabernet vineyard. Additional Bordeaux varieties of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc were also planted and those grapes were used to blend with the Cabernet and Merlot grapes to produce a classic Bordeaux blend.

The Hardman Vineyard is a Merlot vineyard, located in the Eastern portion of the mid Napa Valley.  These grapes are used for Merlot Wine and also used to blend into the Cabernet wine. This vineyard produces smooth and fruity, yet bold Merlot.

Consulting Winemaker Paul Hobbs, Winemaker Julian Gonzalez, and Crossbarn Operations Director Jason Valenti are now producing the Ahnfeldt and Carducci lines of premium wines.  Bruce Ahnfeldt and Celeste Carducci-Ahnfeldt are very pleased and enthusiastic about their new wine making relations with the Hobb’s Team. Paul’s wines have achieved national and international acclaim, and he is recognized for his vineyard knowledge, winemaking philosophy, and his passion for making single vineyard wines. Paul attended the University of California at Davis in the enology department. This led to employment at the Robert Mondavi Winery where he was the Head Enologist on the Opus One team in 1981. He founded the Paul Hobbs Winery in 1991.

We came across an open house event at the Uncorked at Oxbow, just off a few blocks from downtown Napa.  Lisa’s favorite wine of the evening was the 2005 Quid Pro Quo, a Bordeaux style blend of 60% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon (from both vineyards), 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.  This wine had aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, prunes, and licorice. The color was of a dark garnet red.   The Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot added complexity, yet smooth, silky tannins and a bit of spice as the long lingering finish appeared in layers upon layers of the makings of a great solid wine on the palate.  A pairing suggestion would be a Coq au Vin or a nice thick T-bone or Rib-eye Steak.

Patrick’s favorite pick was the 2006 Provocative Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Syrah, and 1% Petit Verdot.  The color was beautiful like a Black Forrest Cake.  Dark Chocolate cake with dark cherries and whipped cream was on the palate.  The whipped cream was more of a caramel center of the cake and milk chocolate shavings on top.  It wasn’t a dessert wine by any means, but a carefully long medium bodied wine, that was approachable and was elegantly showcased in a glass.  A pairing suggestion would be Lamb burgers and a nice layered chocolate cake for dessert.

Thank you Bruce and Celeste for an entertaining evening and sharing your special wines with us.