Spoto Family wine dinner under the stars: always a fun night with Stuart and family!
DINNER WINES
2021 Spoto Oakville cabernet rose
2019 Spoto Godfather red....a blend you can't refuse.
2019 Spoto cuvee Christiane
2018 Spoto Beckstoffer amber Knolls malbec
2018 Spoto family reserve cabernet
2015 Spoto late harvest viognier
Also:
2004 Las Cases
2005 Pichon Baron
2009 Cos d'estournel
2012 La Mission Haut Brion
2005 Spottswood
1989 clerc milon
2005 Spoto private reserve
2001 clos du val
FOOD
Oysters, lamb lollipops, feta skewers
Tomato and nectarine panzanella
Ricotta, summer pea and corn agnolotti
Wood fired gulf prawns
Five spice grass-fed short rib, Yukon potato
Apricot and vanilla custard tartelette — 8 months ago
This was served during my annual WWC hosting. Typical format of sparkler, three whites, four reds, one dessert, all served blind.
My goal was to compare this 2003 next to the 2003 Pichon Baron. I’ve had the 2002 Mondavi VHR a few times and have been floored how good they’ve been. Read a review from WA and it said the 2002 was a spitting image of the 2002 Pichon Baron, so I figured I’d see if the 2003 was worthy of the same comparison.
Decanted an hour. Whoa! Much more Bordeaux like than the ‘02, and a touch lighter. Mushroom, pipe tobacco and fig, with mineral/graphite note on the nose too. Mocha dusted red and black berries, currant, herbs and saddle leather. At the end of the lunch, this eventually turned to a more resolved (and deeper core of fruit) with the tannins integrating beautifully. Really enjoyable. Pop and enjoy. — 8 months ago
The 2011 vintage was less challenging in Santa Cruz than it was in Napa. This is a nice wine from a lean producer and opens up to pure cassis, like a blackcurrant pastille, a little vanilla that hasn’t quite integrated, and a nice overall mouthfeel that expands with a few hours of decanting. This was noticeably reduced on opening and that blew off over two hours. This reminds me of Corison. Also reminds me of an 88 Pichon Baron - what a good producer can do in a not-so-ripe year - good but definitely not epic.
Hanging out in Vero Beach with the in-laws and picked this bottle up locally for $60. — 4 years ago
Stefan Dolhain
2019 vintage. A bit more Merlot than Cabernet, but the latter seems to dominate the nose. — 10 days ago