Very busy holiday season here to close out ‘23 but wanted to take a moment to recognize all the great grapes I haven’t had a chance to profile in Notes down the stretch. Below are a few of the leading contenders.
2020 Attila’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2020 Locations 10, California, St. Helena, California, USA.
2018 Merlot, Buena Vista Winery, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Crossbarn Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Justin Vineyards, Paso Robles, California, USA.
2021 Eight Years in the Desert, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.
2019 Attila’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2020 Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Chateau de L’Annonciation, Bordeaux, France.
2019 Machete Red Wine, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.
NotesOfNote has suffered throughout 2023 because of my various distractions and competing priorities, but having sampled this Jeff Runquist over the past week it’s high time to get back to spreading the joy of good grapes. Any reasonable reader of Notes may be aware that his 1448 is a go-to weeknight wine for this oenophile. On rare occasions, though, I’ve had the great pleasure of sampling the next tier of Runquists.
2021 R Petite Syrah, Salman Vineyard, Jeff Runquist Wines, Clarksburg, California, USA.
To read previous reviews of the 2017, please be sure to view here or more fully here. Thanks, as always, for coming along for the ride here with Notes.
For this guy, there’s nothing like a great bottle of California Cab…except perhaps when it’s a GIFT bottle like this 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, from Bonnet Hill in Healdsburg. According to my favorite wine store, the 2021 Bonnet Hill has jumped onto the scene in June of this year because of its incredible wine country pedigree.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonnet Hill, Healdsburg, California, USA.
You have to know that the fruit for the Bonnet Hill comes from Andy Beckstoffer’s Crimson Ridge Vineyard in Lake County. It’s just to the north of Napa and slowly emerging from its sleeper status for Cabernet. Elected to the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintners Hall of Fame in 2010, Beckstoffer is a legend in Napa for his family-owned Beckstoffer Vineyards, numerous contributions to the quality of Northern California grape growing, and land prescrvation advocacy throughout the Rutherford Viticultural Area. Beckstoffer started investing in the Lake Country region several years ago, purchasing a 1,200-acre vineyard he named “Amber Knolls” in the Red Hills AVA—which is from where this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon originates.
It’s amazing value in the glass, a deep, ruby red that shares whiffs of cherry and plums…innate, inky mouthfeel that rings authentic and terroir as you taste it. Didn’t need to breathe; it was ready to go right out of the glass—no aeration, either. Bottled as Bonnet Hill, this 2021 is complex and had far less tannins than I expected…very easy drinking and a gentle finish.
The first Beckstoffer Crimson Ridge wines all released at over $80 per bottle, as spotlighted here. The 2021 Bonnet Hill is an absolute gem, priced well below that audacious marker, and I’m going to have to head back for more right away. It’s fantastic juice at a fantastic price!
Next time you’re shopping for vino and find yourself lost in a sea of red and white options, here’s a recommendation: try sampling the Hillside 2021 Calistoga Reserve Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. It’ll take you away from the masses and steal you away for a little quality time.
2021 Calistoga Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside, Napa Valley, California, USA.
I know I’ve been away from Notes for awhile, but suffice it to say I’ve been well acquainted with new world reds throughout. This one, a 2021 Reserve and a limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon (100%), is grown in a “prominent” vineyard in Calistoga, Napa Valley. It reportedly grows in a special block where red volcanic soils merge with volcanic ash—my sense of terroir kicks into overdrive at such notions, and the grapes here show these characteristics in a tangible way. The 2021 Calistoga Reserve is not red and not purple in your glass but rather straddles the line between them.
The Hillside 2021 Calistoga Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is created with attention to detail, produced from grapes that were exposed to draught conditions. Winemaker Nicholas Bleecher indicates that growing pattern “resulted in a more natural load on the vines, requiring less pruning and dropping of fruit”—and also packs the grapes full of flavor.
What about a few notes, you say? The 2021 Calistoga Rserve is plums, blueberry—dark fruits for sure—and has little interwoven hints of earth and spice. Its tannins are very gentle, and this is a full-bodied, pleasurable red. I’ve sample in a variety of ways, accompanying meals and soloing after a long work day. Lot of the latter lately, and not enough of these fine wines. Here’s to the rest of the summer fixing those types of inequities!
2019 Attila’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista Winery, California, USA; 2019 Machete Red Wine, Orin Swift Wines, California, USA; 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, M by Martellotto Paso Robles, California, USA; 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Robert Story Reserve, Napa Valley, California, USA; 2019 Shirttail Ranches Cabernet Sauvignon, Hess, California, USA; 2018 Bodega de Edgar Migrant Red Blend, Paso Robles, California, USA; 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Prima Materia, California, USA. 2020 Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California, USA; 2019 Grenache McKahn Family Cellars, Amador County, California, USA.
For this guy, usually it’s the wine that makes the memories. The wine that marks time, shines a light on special occasions. And while wine was part of this year’s holiday celebrations, it was more about the unusual circumstances that makes the 2017 Napa Bridge Red Wine stand out from many Napa reds I sampled in ‘22.
We’re in Brockport, having snuck into town among the unfriendly swells of a big rainstorm that accompanied Cara and I all the way up the 95 corridor. We started our trip in the unfriendly “green” radar of RDU and flew with the storm all the way up to Washington and then again to the ROC. Good pilots and friendly attendants balanced out rolling turbulence until we were on the ground and headed for family and Christmas treats. As the temperatures plummeted and precipitation picked up last night, flight cancellations were suddenly national news and made us feel lucky to beat the storm into town.
This morning we woke early and did a walking tour of the neighborhood before the storm really took hold. The pavement was wet and skies ominous, but that was all just prologue to the real weather events of Christmas weekend in western New York. We had just started clearing breakfast dishes when the power flickered for a few hesitant moments and then died. Looking out through the snowflakes to the neighbors’ houses it was obvious the entire ‘hood was impacted.
2017 Red Wine, Napa Bridge Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, USA.
Early afternoon, I bet the power would be restored by 4:05pm (it wasn’t!). We checked the local power company websites (not by WiFi obviously!) and saw the confirmed outages affecting much of the area, and many others. The snowfall didn’t seem to be the chief factor, but rather the howling gusts that bent limb and landscape to their will. At that point, I was pleased Mom’s recent siding and window project was complete, as you could almost see the house bleeding heat to the elements.
Funny moments? Those were the times you checked an appliance for the time, or when you automatically flicked a light switch when entering a room. Those moments when great neighbors called to check in on us, or when we reflected back on the last time (1991ish?) power was lost for an extended period. Less fun was reading that power crews are not able to get up poles and bucket loaders when winds exceeded 35mph, readings I was positive we exceeded several times each minute, or when your brain wondered how long the outrage would really last.
We broke out a puzzle and then cards, throwing hearts and that queen of spades hammer until it was so dark that we were calling out our discards to one another. Then it was Parcheesi by candlelight, wrapped in blankets and warm hats, until finally this guy had to break out the Napa Bridge. Maybe this was to fight through the doldrums of the powerless afternoon, maybe an appeal for warmth, or just because I knew several were ready, willing, and able?
At first taste, I was not overly impressed with this 2017 Red Wine from Napa Bridge Vineyards. Vanilla notes (not always my favorite) were definitely present, and the wine was slightly dry, tannic, and acidic. Red fruit flavors of cherry, and maybe blackberry were notable. Having ordered this online several weeks prior to Christmas I had anticipated a welcome treat that could be shared with the entire family. Check…ish? I would have bet it a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and maybe Cabernet Franc—at least upon initial sampling? Generally I found it “meh” but, since our entertainment options were limited by Mother Nature’s fury, I sunk into this reality and enjoyed it with the great family time.
Once the wine had an opportunity to breathe, it was much more enjoyable. Since a powerless afternoon zapped us of stove or appliances, we opted for local pizza dinner (thanks Steve!) and carried the Bridge into the evening hours. The house was a balmy 51 degrees when power was finally restored around 730pm. Phew! Special thanks to all the dudes braving the swirling snow and icy winds to get back our comforts of home.
Later on, I discovered that Napa Bridge Vineyards combined nearly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot for this fruit-driven 2017 Red Wine. Other reviewers described its plum and cherry notes as well as “cedar and herbal inflections in this mouth-watering, velvety blend.” I would not use “velvety” in my recap but warmed to this vintage over several subsequent tastings over the weekend.
Be assured, I know the day was nothing like Buffalo residents faced, nor those traveling by Southwest Airlines during Christmas 2022. It was inconvenient at times, to be sure, but somehow melded us all together more closely. It’ll be a Christmas that we’ll be talking about well into the future, and that’ll always be the place I keep too the 2017 Red Wine from Napa Bridge Vineyards. Happy holidays, friends!
An important goal for this trip was a stop at Mamma Maria, a well-regarded mainstay of Boston’s North Square and part of our ongoing quest for great Italian. This one checked all the boxes! I’ll never forget its amazing windows and striking views of downtown Boston—along with our fantastic eats and vino.
Our beef carpaccio (with shaved black truffles!) and braised rabbit ragu with homemade pappardelli were perfectly prepared and highlights of a night spent wandering through Cara’s former stomping grounds in the North End. The lines outside the bakeries and the merriment of all the customers will be in my memories for years to come, just like the 2017 Boggione Claudio Brunate Barolo.
As I have but limited experience with old world wines, I was not entirely sure what to expect from the Barolo. We ordered it in part based on the reputation of Piedmont region wines, its price, and the Barbaresco selection we’d made just two nights prior (we wanted to switch it up with a more substantive pick)! It’s produced from Nebbiolo grapes, and we savored the wine’s red cherry goodness while overlooking cobblestones and city streets once walked by Cotton Mather, Paul Revere, and Charles Dickens. Headsy stuff!
We had a fantastic waiter, and he was attentive to our glasses and generous with his pour. This Barolo had plentiful red cherry and leather notes along with a bold finish. Ample tannins but not to the point of overpowering…
Quick sidebar for you on the Boggione family: they sold grapes from their Barolo Brunate parcel to notable winemakers until 2008, when they decided to bottle under their own label. Brunate is one of the most famous vineyards in all of Italy, and the Boggiones only produce 6,000 bottles annually. Their production is free of pesticides and herbicides and also embraces traditions and techniques true to the region. The resulting Barolo is structured and sooo enjoyable.
The wine, the ambiance, and night out will stay with this fella for years ahead.
From my modest dining experiences past, I’m trying to recall if I’ve ever waited nearly 2 hours for a table at a trendy restaurant. Not sure? I mean, who doesn’t take reservations in an era of Open Table and online ordering?
Neptune Oyster, for one. This hot spot in the North End has just 37 seats (including the bar, which stretches from the doorway to the rear of the house) beneath its pressed tin ceiling, and each one of them was filled from the moment we arrived around 6pm until our seating (at about 7:45pm) and eventual departure (9:15pm) last night. Was Neptune’s Oyster, one of the city’s best-known eateries, worth the wait?
Opened in 2004, Jeff Nace’s Neptune Oyster has a stellar reputation and regularly has patrons lined up in the streets to score a table in this trendy North End hot spot.
We each ordered the Julie Benau Picpoul de Pinet 2020 from among the coastal European wines that populated the extensive wine list and wrapped around the bar. With seafood on the brain, this light white from France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region seemed like an appropriate selection—I’m sure Cara and I each picked less from standpoint of familiarity and more from our waitress’s description of its crisp, citrus notes and minerality taste. Notes’ readers know my background in white wine is far from extensive and I was pleased to have her recommendation and enjoy the glass.
I also loved the oysters (great salty finish, even if i overloaded the horseradish!) and the johnnycake that we had as appetizers; the latter was particularly amazing. A salty, crispy cake tapped with smoked bluefin tuna and sturgeon caviar, the johnnycake was striking and something I will remember for a long time. For her entree, Cara opted for the North End Cioppiono, a spiced stew inclusive of shellfish, saffron rice, shrimp, monkfish, and topped with Maine lobsta. A rich, delicious brew! I did bluefin tuna, just kissed by the grill and served with haricot verts, Nicoise olives, white anchovies, and a Dijon vinaigrette.
Just offscreen and accompanying these oysters so capably is the Julie Benau Picpoul de Pinet 2020, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
The food was delicious—did I mention the johnnycake?—and I enjoyed the “green apple” vibe of the Julie Benau Picpoul de Pinet 2020 very much. As I reflect on the evening, however, I’m not sure the time we spent lined up in the street lived up to our expectations of Jeff Nace’s well-regarded establishment. The music was booming and it was extremely difficult to hear your date or even make conversation. And that’s sort of ironic because, crammed as we were into the close quarters of the restaurant, I was close enough to neighbors to flinch at every hacking cough, hear every story about their Jira-based workflow, and be blinded by fellow restauranteurs who needed their cell phone flashlights to read the menu and simultaneously check us for cataracts.
I’d grade the ambiance as meh, the wine as good, the food better, and the company as the best of all. Thanks, love, for the new food adventure and looking forward to so many more.
NotesOfNote 