Grilled beefsteak dinner with summer vegetables, fine wines
Grilled beefsteak dinner with summer vegetables and fine wines
We enjoyed a medley of fine wines before and with dinner.
The fine wine flight of ultra-premium wines included a sparkling white wine and a single vineyard Sonoma Chardonnay before dinner, and a Napa Cab for pairing with the food.
“The 2019 Sonoma Coast Ovation Sparkling Wine opens with vibrant aromas of Meyer lemon, ripe pear, apricot and freshly baked brioche, complemented by delicate notes of white flowers. On the palate, this wine displays elegant textural complexity with silky layers of golden apple, nectarine, lemon curd and toasted almond, finished with a subtle mineral edge. The 2019 showcases bright, refreshing acidity and excellent structure, with the potential to develop further complexity and depth through extended bottle aging.”
I brought from our home cellar a premium Sonoma County Chardonnay from the same area.
Wayfarer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2019
Wayfarer is the project of legendary Napa Valley wine producer Jayson Pahlmeyer, and his daughter Cleo Pahlmeyer.
Jayson Pahlmeyer crafted his first wine in 1986. Working with viticulture professors at the University of Bordeaux, Jayson obtained and planted French vine cuttings in Napa Valley in 1981. Working with another legendary winemaker, Helen Turley, they produced the award winning Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red.
Helen Turley discovered the Wayfarer Sonoma Coast estate for sale in 1998, which she shared with Jayson who sensed it had the essential elements to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Jayson acquired the property and recruited renowned vineyard developer David Abreu to plant Wayfarer, which he completed in 2002. For several years, Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were blended with fruit from Russian River vineyards and bottled under the Pahlmeyer branding.
In 2012, Jayson’s daughter Cleo Pahlmeyer, who had been working by his side since 2008, founded Wayfarer and released the first Wayfarer estate wines in 2014.
Wayfarer Winemaker is Todd Kohn who grew up in Northern California and graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, He worked at Napa sparkling white wine producer Schramsberg, then gained further experience in the vineyard, lab and cellar, gaining knowledge of winegrowing and winemaking working at several premiere Napa Valley wine producers including Opus One. He then worked at Moorooduc Estate on the Mornington Peninsula region of Australia, where he gained insight into growing and crafting world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Todd joined Wayfarer in 2013 as Assistant Winemaker working with the Consulting Winemaker and took over as Winemaker in 2017.
The Wayfarer vineyard spans 30 undulating acres on a remote reach of the Sonoma Coast. This distant landscape tucked in between redwoods gets the Pacific fog which cools the grapes at night extending the growing season, ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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| Producer photo of Wayfarer Vineyard |
“2019 began with several months of heavy rainfall. Total rainfall for the year was 78 inches, second only to record-setting rainfall in 2017. With a warm April, shoot growth advanced quickly, and energy was plentiful in the soil after heavy rainfall in May. Flowering was also a week later than normal, but aligned wonderfully with a change in the weather, as rain clouds gave way to beautiful sunshine in June. The summer of 2019 was full of sunshine, yet temperatures were moderate to cool. The average high temperature through July and August was 81oF, perfect for gradually ripening the Chardonnay. By the time veraison began on August 4th, the vines were tracking only three days later than normal. 40 days later, we picked our first Chardonnay on September 13th, and concluded harvest on October 5th.”
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes, “Aromas of star jasmine, white peach, lemon zest and meringue emerge from the glass, along with roasted almond, coconut and baking spice. Graceful and subtle in its richness, this wine has plenty to offer. The dense palate is beautifully balanced with fresh acidity and salinity. An elegant chalky texture lingers on the finish, indicating great aging potential.’
This release was awarded 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 95 points by Erin Brooks of Wine Advocate, and 93 points by Antonio Galloni, Vinous and Kim Markus of Wine Spectator.
Dunnuck wrote, “This is just about as good as it gets in 2019 with regards to Chardonnay.”
Golden straw colored, full bodied, Burgundian styled with smooth polished, layered but perfectly balanced, creamy notes of peach, honeycomb, nutty almond and touches of citrus, green apple, flint and chalky minerality, with pleasant integrated acidity on the very long finish.
RM 95 points.
For the dinner course Dan offered a selection of different ultra-premium labels from his cellar collection including Shoup Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Chateau Palmer Margaux 2015 and this California Cab 2008. As part of proper cellar inventory management, I selected the oldest vintage, the California Cabernet, which was likely at the apex of its drinking window, and not likely to improve from further aging, vs the other’s that have a decade or decades of life yet, and likley to mature and improve further.
Stag’s Leap Cellars “SLV” Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
We tasted the recent release of this label at the producer’s dinner recently featured in this blogpost Italian Village Wine Dinner.
We were joined by fellow Pour Boy, Lyle and Terry, along with Dan and Linda,.
This is from the legendary “S.L.V”. Vineyard, also known as Stag’s Leap Vineyard, the winery’s first vineyard, planted in 1970. The vineyard is home to 35 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5 acres of Cabernet Franc, and is composed of predominantly volcanic soils with healthy drainage.
Producer’s notes, “The majority of the 1970s-era vines have aged past their grape-producing prime and have been gradually replanted, perpetuating the life of this historic vineyard. Yes, the notable vineyard, S.L.V. Block 4, planted in 1972, still sourced grapes for this blend. This block on the eastern side of S.L.V. is composed of rugged volcanic soils gives this wine its structure and notes of minerality along with concentrated dark fruit fl avors and ripe, elegant tannins. Vines in alluvial soils in the western part of the vineyard add accent notes of vibrant fruit fl avors and heady aromatics.”
Each lot was vinified and aged separately in small French oak barrels for 24 months.
Producer’s vintage notes – “The 2008 growing season was like a scary movie with a happy ending. A hard frost in April and a heat spike in May during bloom greatly reduced vineyard yields. Another heat spike in the first week of September caused concern, yet a reprieve of a cool, calm harvest the rest of the way. Although yields were lower than normal due to poor bloom and set, the concentration and flavor development in the grapes was outstanding, resulting in a beautiful wines despite the challenges.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate wrote, “It is one of the better and more complete of the 2008s“
Winemaker Notes, “The 2008 S.L.V. is the 35th vintage since the 1973 S.L.V. won the Paris Tasting in 1976. This rich and generous Cabernet Sauvignon opens with crushed blackberry and ripe plum aromas, accented by notes of anise, fennel and cedar. Full-bodied and supple, the wine flows smoothly across the palate. The wine’s texture is reminiscent of enjoying a dark chocolate covered caramel with sea salt. Dark fruit and spice linger on the finish.”
Garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant and refined ripe blackberry, dark plum and black cherry fruits with notes of cassis, new oak, smoke and tar turning to sweet tannins on the finish.
RM 92 points.
