2006 Elu from St. Supery Vineyards and Winery & Chablis Food + Wine

We went to dinner on Friday night and decided to bring a bottle of wine to review. Since it was Christmas weekend, we decided to try a generous gift from one of Steve’s coworkers. She gave us the 2006 Elu from St. Supery Vineyards and Winery in Napa Valley. She knows we love wine and asked us for our thoughts on the Elu.

But first we needed to find a restaurant with low corkage – something not easily found in LA. We googled a few places and came up with Chablis Food + Wine in Tarzana. The Yelp reviews looked decent so we made reservations and headed out.

Upon arriving at Chablis, we noticed it had a lot of large groups. Good for groups – check! The hostess and bartender were very nice. We were seated and then had to stare at this beautiful wine bottle for much too long as it took a while for our server to finally show.

He finally opened our wine, and since the prices were mid-range, we decided to order a filet mignon and some grilled flatbread and a salad. It’s a good thing we were writing up a review as we waited for our meal as the service was quite slooooow at this restaurant.

We noticed the restaurant was big and airy with an exposed beam ceiling and of course, Jane’s favorite: a fireplace. There was a guitar player who was drowned out by the large groups. Overall, the setting was pleasant and cozy on this cold night.

When the food finally came out, we realized that the mid-range prices reflected mid-range food. The filet mignon was cut in half, into two thin portions – something we have never seen – though still tasty. And the bread of the grilled flat bread wasn’t quite cooked all the way. Overall the food was so-so but the wine…Oh My!

 

 Steve Says:

The first thing that hit me was the velvety mouthfeel, this wine is smooth and full bodied.  It has a deep richness and complexity (to go along with its deep dark color) that continues all the way to the finish. Its also distinct in that the balance is really nice, no tannic bite on the finish and the absence of the sugary coated feel you might find in a big Zinfandel or other wine this high in alcohol – 14.3%. I really enjoy a good Meritage (blend) and this is no exception. Kudos to the winemaker for a stellar bottle. The only oddity with this wine is its nose, I’m no expert but I could hardly detect anything. Just the faintest whiff of plum. I suppose the cold weather could be messing with my nose. Finally, I know it may sound like an odd statement but one reason I’m so taken with this bottle is that it’s really ready to drink. It says on the label its good to consume from now til 2016 but it’s so well done, there is no reason to not drink it all now! I don’t  have the fridge space or the willpower to let this one lay down.

4 out of 5 stars

 Jane Says: 

I knew I was in for an awesome experience with the Elu when after the first sip, I found myself saying: “oh wow, that’s reeeeeally good.” I then saw it’s good legs and got even more excited. The Elu is extremely well-balanced. There isn’t much aroma to this wine but what it lacks in nose, it makes up for in smoothness. And it pairs really well with food. It’s not overpowering at all. Instead it helps bring out the flavor in whatever you are eating. I noticed cherry and plum mainly. I want to thank Steve’s coworker for giving us a bottle that we could enjoy while the winds whipped outside and the fireplace roared next to us – it warmed us inside and out! This is definitely a special occasion wine.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Just the Facts Ma’am

2006 Red Meritage Napa Valley, Rutherford AVA, St. Supery

86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot

14.3% alcohol

$65.00/750ml bottle

Available at St. Supery Vineyard & Winery.