A small group of Graileys members are invading the wine country for a long weekend and a dinner featuring the wines of Gargiulo Vineyards kick started the party on Thursday night. Majority of our group hit Bouchon Restaurant for a light lunch and beers earlier that afternoon careful not to ruin our appetites for an evening of great wine and food. We met our members with a glass of the dry, vibrant, and super fresh 2010 Gargiulo Vineyards Rosato di Sangiovese as they trickled in for the cocktail hour. The fresh aromas of red fruits (cherry, strawberry, raspberry) that carried to the medium body, rounded mouthfeel and tangy acidity was just the wine to complement the decidedly serene environs of Bardessono Hotel’s terrace where dinner was set up. The rose is produced from 100% Sangiovese of which 2.5 acres are planted in the Money Road Ranch vineyard. Yes, Sangiovese in Oakville! There is much to be said for a man who sticks to his guns… he maintains Sangiovese vines in prime Cabernet land because he enjoys drinking it. Well, here’s to you Jeff Gargiulo! Jeff and his daughter April joined us for pre-dinner drinks and shared tidbits about their prime estate vineyards in the heart of Oakville namely, the Money Road Ranch and 575 OVX. Justin Dragoo, Gargiulo Vineyards President and General Manager, led the wine tasting.
For the salad course, we polished off more rose before following it up with the 2010 Gargiulo Vineyards Aprile. This is the family’s homage to the super-Tuscans and Brunelli of Italy. Gargiulo’s sangiovese vines are cuttings from Sangiovese Grosso, the clone responsible for Brunello di Montalcino. Aprile is a blend of 96% Sangiovese and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. This was simply delicious; aromatic with bright cherries, strawberries, black raspberries, spice and fig notes that led to a juicy, velvety-textured and broad palate. Beautiful acidity and persistent length.
We next tasted the 2009 Gargiulo Vineyards Money Road Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. This has been a bane in my existence as a handful of clients have been begging for more of this wine but we have been sold out since fall of 2012. Justin was generous enough to pull a few bottles from their library to share with us and tasting this wine again tonight, it is easy to remember why this wine has a serious following. Bold and upfront fruitiness reminiscent of fresh blackberries, plums, blackcurrants along with toasty/sweet oak nuance characterize the nose. In the mouth, this is full-bodied, fleshy and smooth-textured yet not overtly extracted. Ripe, well-integrated and silky tannins make this wine appealing to drink now. Yet there is no denying the underlying structure in this wine; can easily develop more complexity and nuance with another five years of bottle age.
Next poured was the 2009 Gargiulo Vineyards G Major 7 Cabernet Sauvignon from selected fruits coming from the 575 OVX vineyards which lies adjacent to the cult winery Screaming eagle. The wine is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated with additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot in the blend; the name pays homage to G Major 7’s four chords accentuating the four traditional Bordeaux varieties that go into the blend. This wine showed more density and extraction than the Money Road Ranch with higher levels of tannins. Notes of cedar, roasted espresso with blueberry, plums, black cherries, baking spice and a floral component were consistent both on the nose and palate. Although this wine’s balance and velvety mouthfeel make this approachable now, I think it’s more beneficial to lay this down for another decade in the cellar. Very primary right now.
This being a Graileys event, we also shipped a few of our own inventory to share around the table. So just to cap the night of, Simon opened the 1994 Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets which was surprisingly good. This was definitely at peak now showing pronounced roasted yellow fruits, spice, honey, nuts and butterscotch aromas and flavors and a palate that was creamy with a touch of flinty minerality. It seemed short on the finish and lacking in substance but definitely a decent wine.
This was followed by a 3-liter bottle of the 2001 Valdicava Madonna del Piano Brunello di Montalcino that stole the show with its intense smoky, graphite, dried rose petals, cured meat, clove spice and a hint of meaty notes. Impressive complexity. Powerful palate, full-bodied with tremendous flavor depth and vibrant acidity. This was a baby showing some sappy, drying tannins on the finish. This will benefit from another decade or two of further cellaring but an impressive wine nonetheless. I suppose it deserves its place in the 100-point wine club.
And with that most of us called it a night….