This 1994 Rauzan-Ségla was made in a year of major transition for the estate. The winery changed hands several times in the 1900s and was sold to the Wertheimer family (the current owners) in this 1994 vintage. 1994 was also the year when the spelling of the château cemented itself as Rauzan-Ségla-- previous vintages have been spelled both Rausan-Ségla and Rauzan-Ségla. 

Once part of a much larger estate in the 1600s that was split into four different châteaux, by the mid 19th century Rauzan-Ségla wine commanded high enough prices to be named a Second Growth in the 1855 Classification. 

Émile Peynaud consulted and made some changes in the 1980s, but the most evident transformations occurred after this vintage in the late '90s as manager John Kolasa restructured the vineyards, did away with machine harvesting, changed the approach to the cellar, and instituted a second label, Ségla, which drove smaller quantities of the highest quality fruit to Rauzan-Ségla.

The 1994 Rauzan-Ségla is a transition wine. It marks the end of an era, and the beginnings of a new chapter. This is the last time you'll taste most of the Rauzan-Ségla fruit in the wine-- in the following '95 vintage and onward Kolasa gave more serious attention to Ségla, the second label, and the fruit is split more judiciously into a first and second label. This is one of the last vintages where you'll taste this high of a percentage of cabernet sauvignon; Kolasa has since increased the percentage of merlot and added small amount of petit verdot. This is one of the last vintages where you'll taste the co-fermentation of different parcels; Kolasa began fermenting parcel-by-parcel to tease out the micro-differences in the vineyard). 

And though this vintage marks the closing of one era, it was also the baseline vintage that inspired the Wertheimers to initiate certain changes. They purchased this estate in April, right around flowering, and so this vintage was theirs. This was probably the first year they tasted this fruit off the vine, got to try the fermenting must, and marveled at the transformation of these grapes from juice to wine. Though subsequent vintages are markedly different, the genesis for all the changes you'll taste in the late '90s and 2000s can be traced to this 1994. This wine was the starting point which helped lay the roadmap for the last two decades. 

Rauzan-Ségla 1994 (Margaux, Bordeaux, France) 
Complex aromas with characteristics of a dark fruit center, dense meaty overtones, green mosses, dried underbrush, raw steak, baked green peppers, dried mushrooms. On the palate the wine is powerful and full-bodied with soft & developed dry tannins. A bright acidity that is offset by the wine's richness creates an interesting balance and begs for food. It is rare that such powerful wines are so balanced. drinking great right now. 

This is an interesting picture from the archives (circa May 2013). These are 40 year old gewurztraminer vines from Becker Estate in Germany/France (the vineyards straddle the border between the Pfalz & Alsace). By now, the vines have been grafted over to pinot noir, which has become the hallmark of the estate. 

Here are a few photos from a hike to Rippon winery on Lake Wanaka:

The Yarra Valley sits just north of Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, and is one of the cooler climate regions of Australia that is well suited to varieties such as pinot noir and chardonnay. Some of the lovely chardonnays of Australia come from this part of the country. 

The first vines went down at Tarra Warra in 1983. This 'Estate' wine is a blend of chardonnay from across their vineyard holdings, and it's fermented partially in tank and partially in barrel. The oak is evident on the palate, and elegantly so. 

In the future, I wouldn't wait so long to drink a vintage, but I was curious about bottle evolution under screwcap. Whereas most wines chardonnays would be well past their prime after ten years, this one had some life in it, though I do wish I had opened it a few years sooner. 

I'll always remember the first time I had the Arkenstone wines at a lunch circa 2009. They're made by Sam Kaplan-- an inquisitive and thoughtful winemaker-- whose style had that unique balance of power and restraint. When this wine was made these were baby vines, recently planted in 1998, and the 2006 was their first ever release. I'm not a fan of the sauvignon blancs that scream for attention-- but here was one that had depth and power, yet a stoicness to it. It reminded me of a great white Bordeaux. But aside from evokation of other regions, the wine had its own distinct personality. It was quiet, yet full of strength-- just like Sam himself. 

Recently I revisited the inaugural vintage of Arkenstone's sauvignon blanc. The 2006 was richer than I remembered it-- time had worked a number on this one. Tartrates had fallen away, acids had mellowed, and a seemingly riper fruit manifested. Still though, the wine was lush and pleasurable. This is truly a unique producer on Howell Mountain. 

Turkey Flat boasts some of the oldest vineyards in Barossa, and also the world. One vineyard dates back to 1847, originally planted by Johann Frederick August Fiedler. Fiedler was from Selisia, a former region in Central Europe that now mostly covers modern-day Poland and some small areas of Germany. In the mid-1800s many Selisians fled to Australia to escape religious persecution. Many of them laid down vines, some of which still thrive, and pepper Australia with pockets of historic vineyards from this bygone era. In Fiedler's day, the estate was known as 'Turkey Flat,' named for the wild turkeys that once roamed the area. 

In subsequent years, a butcher shop was run on the property, which, today, has been renovated into the cellar doors. 

The grapes for the Turkey Flat rosé come from a dedicated rosé vineyard and are destined for rosé right from the start (and not-- as so many rosés are-- the castoff byproduct of a red pressing in an attempt to make a red wine more intense). 

Turkey Flat Vineyards 2012 Rosé (Barossa, Australia)
67% grenache - 22% shiraz - 9% cabernet sauvignon - 2% dolcetto
The darker side of rosé, as you'd expect from these varieties. Aromas of ripe plums and herbs, with a fruity mid-palate. 

Charlottesville has several interesting inns, B&Bs, and special hotels that exude personality and laid-back luxury. The Clifton Inn in one of them. Once a private home, in 1985 the sprawling property opened as a Bed & Breakfast; the restaurant came later in 1991. Tracing its roots back to the 1700s, The Clifton has several antique-packed historic cottages for overnight stays. The central building includes a kitchen, a formal dining room complete with a grand piano and a fireplace, an expansive veranda that overlooks the countryside (with a great view of the sunset), a private room in the wine cellar, and a small private counter in the kitchen where you may watch Chef Tucker Yoder at work. In years past, I've enjoyed heart-warming family dinners in the wood-panneled wine cellar, and relaxing meals on the crisp, white veranda. On this visit, I sat at the source: the Chef's Counter. Rare in the restaurant world, a warm sense of teamwork emanated throughout the kitchen team. Watching the line, we could feel a steady and grounded ethos of creativity in the kitchen. The dishes themselves were a window into seasonality, and the homegrown or local ingredients seemed to tell a thoughtful story of the bounty of late summer. 

A few barrel-aged cocktails started the night off, and we moved on to some finds on the wine list, including a 2002 Lopez de Heredia Rioja that brought out many subtle flavors in the last half of the tasting menu. 

Here are a some photos of the tasty dishes: