Big Reds Celebrate Big Red Win
We gathered at son Alec’s to watch the B1G TEN Championship - IU, Indiana vs OSU, Ohio State. I took a special vintage Big Red wine for the occasion. Son Ryan brought another Big Red from one of our favorite, legendary producers, for a fabulous comparison tasting, and pairing with a selection of pizzas.
I also took a Alec’s birthyear vintage label that has a legacy tied to Ryan’s employer for a special tasting celebrating our father-son family gathering for a special occasion.
We ordered a selection of pizza’s from nearby
Freedom Brothers Pizza at Market Meadows, Naperville.
Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990
This is from Oakville Ranch Vineyards and Winery, a hillside property in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains on the far eastern edge of the renowned Oakville AVA just above where Silverado Trail at Oakville Cross Road.
This producer has some special significance due to its historic legacy. The property was purchased by the late Bob Miner, co-founder or Oracle Corp, and his wife, Mary Miner, in 1989. the same year the Miner’s harvested and produced their first wine from the property. The original property was a rugged 370-acre estate, tucked into a rocky shelf 1000 feet above the Napa Valley floor consisting of primarily chaparral, woodlands made up of scrub oak, manzanita and other drought tolerant evergreens.
Bob remained with Oracle until 1993, and after he succumbed to cancer at age 52 in 1994, Mary took over the management of the property.
Since then, the principles increased vineyard plantings to 70 acres of predominantly Bordeaux varietals. In 2020 Oakville Ranch purchased the neighboring Saunder’s Vineyard and its approximately 10 acres of vines. The remainder of the ranch remains in its natural state, with indigenous grassy meadows, native woodlands and winding streams sustaining native flora and fauna. Today, they produce five wines and a total of 750 cases.
At 1,000 feet above the valley floor, the Oakville Ranch vineyards produce grapes that speak from the appellation’s signature red volcanic soil with a mountain accent. The property is among some of the most premium vineyard real estate in the valley – with several prestigious wineries as neighbors (including Ovid and Dalla Valle).
The name Oakville Ranch predates the Miner family ownership, dating back to the early 1980s. The ranch was purchased in 1980 by five different ownership parties including John Scully and Don Kelleher, owner of Kelleher Family Vineyard and owners of Brix Restaurant just north of Yountville. For several years, the property was rented out as a retreat.
Prior to the 1980’s, the property was owned by lawyer William (Bill) McPherson of the Fairfield based firm, McPherson & Barnett and his wife Kim, who unsuccessfully ran for state senate in 1973. He maintained existing vineyards on the property.
In the early 1940s the property was associated with Mert E. Robertson and a J.P. Twomey. According to an article from the Napa Journal in 1942, the U.S. Army raised horses on the property, intent on improving the quality and quantity of riding horses in the county.
The Miner’s also used to own the property that is now home to Miner Family Winery which is owned by Dave Miner, Bob’s nephew, who for some time managed the operations at Oakville Ranch. There is no physical winery on Oakville Ranch, the wines are produced at a facility in the Oak Knoll District. Farmer Phil Coturri has overseen the management of the Oakville Ranch vineyards since 2007.
The property ranged in elevation from about 600 feet to around 1,100 feet. Most of the property is in the Oakville sub appellation but a very small section is in Pritchard Hill. The shallow red, rocky soil is low in nutrients, ideal for producing small bunches of grapes with higher skin to juice ratios, with yields extremely low compared to valley floor grown fruit.
Oakville Ranch sources from specific vineyard blocks for their own wines. The remainder of the fruit produced on the property is sold under contracts to a select number of premium winery clients and noted winemakers including Rosemary Cakebread, Helen Keplinger and Andy Erickson.
Oakville Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1990
This release was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and 92 points from Robert Parker.
At thirty-five years of age it was still holding its body, color and fruit and was showing minor signs of diminution from aging. The cork was moist and saturated and was extracted in parts with and ahso two pronged cork puller.
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright expressive concentrated but nicely balanced and integrated black currant, cherry and plum fruits with notes of cedar, cassis, spice and oak with moderate balanced tannins on the long finish.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=83701
https://www.oakvilleranch.com/
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@OakvilleRanch
I then opened another vintage aged Napa Cab from our cellar.
Outpost Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
This Big Red is from Outpost Winery, located high atop Howell Mountain on Summit Lake Drive about 10 minutes outside of the small town of Angwin. At an elevation of 2200 feet the property is above the Napa Valley fog line at 1200 feet, the demarcation point between Napa Valley and Howell Mountain AVA designations. This elevation even experiences occasional light snowfall in the winter – in February 2022 up to 14 inches fell on Howell Mountain, blocking roads and causing a significant number of trees to fall.
The property was originally part of Lamborn Family Vineyards, which sits across the road, started in 1971 when Bob and Mike Lamborn, father and son, purchased 40 acres on Howell Mountain. Eight of the acres were planted to vines. Grapes were planted here as far back as the 1880s. The first debut vintage release in 1982, made by winemaker Randy Dunn, a friend and neighbor. The legendary acclaimed winemaker Heidi Barrett started making Lamborn wines in 1996.
In 1998 the Lamborns sold this property to Terry and Juli Pringle, who founded Outpost, built what is the current winery building, and produced their first wine that year. The first release was 400 cases of Zinfandel, produced by winemaker Ehren Jordan (of Failla Wines). It was produced at Turley Wine Cellars where Thomas Rivers Brown was assistant winemaker who became winemaker for Outpost in later vintages, including this one.
Winemaker Thomas Brown continued to oversee production of the Outpost Wines, but he also made wine for a number of other premium labels and remains as consulting winemaker.
Outpost is primarily known for their organically farmed Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon on the 42-acre estate (28 acres are planted to grapevines). Nearly all their wines are 100% varietal. Howell Mountain is a noted Zinfandel growing region in Napa Valley and a number of small ‘neighboring’ wineries also produce wines from this variety.
Contributing to concentrated and rich wines are the property’s high elevation with its rocky and iron-rich soils combined with gentle cooling breezes and sunny western exposure.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says: "The Outpost wines have very distinct personalities, and stand quite apart from most of what is being made in Napa Valley today. The estate is located on Howell Mountain, in a very distinct microclimate that features a condensed growing season."
The Pringles sold the property in 2003 to Frank and Kathy and Dotzler, a native Chicagoan who ran a computer equipment company. They shared a passion for wine and honeymooned in Napa Valley in 199 which lead to their purchase of a twenty-acre site on Howell Mountain which they named True Vineyard. They planted nine acres planted to Bordeaux varieties and released their first vintage in 2008. Exploring building their own True Vineyard winery, they purchased the neighboring Outpost property with the existing winery.
In July of 2018 the winery and the Outpost and True vineyards were sold to France based AXA Millésimes, owners of prestigious wineries across the globe, including Bordeaux's Château Pichon Baron, Château Pibran, and Château Suduiraut; Burgundy's Domaine de l'Arlot; Portugal's Quinta do Noval (Douro); Hungary's Disznókő (Tokaj); and in the U.S., besides Outpost Wines (Napa), Platt Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast.
After the sale of the vineyard to AXA Millésimes grapes from the 2021 vintage were produced and then the vineyard was completely replanted by mid 2022, overseen by Matt Hardin and Josh Clark of Hardin Clark Vineyard Management. The site was replanted to primarily Cabernet Sauvignon but also with smaller blocks of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Outpost Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
At twenty years of age, the foil and most importantly, the fill level and cork were pristine, as shown, and the painted glass overweight bottle had no paper label.
International Wine Cellar rated this 91 points and noted it was blended with 5% Cabernet Franc.
This was aged on seventy-five percent new French Oak.
Dark inky purple, a hint of bricking starting to show at the edge, full bodied, concentrated, expressive, complex, full round blackberry and black plum fruits with notes of cassis, dark mocha chocolate, spice, tobacco and leather with subtle note of graphite with firm round tannins on the long finish.
RM 92 points.
Ryan then opened from his cellar this ultra-premium Napa Cabernet from one of our favorite producers.
Melka "Metisse - Jumping Goat Vineyard" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
We’re huge fans of Phillip Melka and his wines which we have featured and written about often in these pages - such as these blogposts:
This is from the Melka Estate St. Helena Jumping Goat Vineyard, located on the eastern side of Saint Helena, at the base of the Mayacamas mountain range that forms that eastern wall of Napa Valley. On the valley floor, the old river bench site is mostly large gravelly sediments and a small portion of thinner clay and is protected from the northern and western winds. The 3 1/2 acre estate was planted in 1999, and is said to be reminiscent of the Graves area of Bordeaux.
The 2014 Métisse Jumping Goat is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. It was aged in 70% new French oak for 18 months, just 385 cases were produced.
This blockbuster, limited production, highly allocated wine was rated 96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points by Vinous.
Winemaker notes - “This wine has our most loyal following and it is no surprise as to why. Similar to the Graves region in Bordeaux, the wine is perfumey, with a velvety texture so signature of the Jumping Goat. Aromatics of dark fruit, graphite, tar and creosote are complimented in a wine that exhibits opulence and softness harmoniously. The finish on this fabulous 2014 is bigger than previous years and we suggest decanting a good three hours prior to serving.”
Dark inky garnet colored, full-bodied, dense, concentrated and complex yet silky smooth elegant and polished, ripe blackberry and dark plum fruits with aromatic floral perfume, notes of creosote, leather, smoke, bittersweet chocolate, licorice and spice with hints of camphor and graphite, finishing with moderately sweet, refined tannins.
RM 94 points.
