Merryvale Wine Dinner at Steak 954 Hosted by Winemaker Simon Faury

Thursday, March 23, 2017 - 07:00 PM

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The memory of some bottles can stay with your for life. While the wine doesn't have to be old and rare, a great old bottle can be like a time capsule, capturing in its flavors and aromas the time and place of its creation.
MIREILLE GUILIANO, French Women for All Seasons

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We have a lot of great events coming up in the month of March and we start next week off with two of Napa Valley's best producers. 

On Thursday, March 23rd we have the winemaker from one of the top wineries to visit in St. Helen, Merryvale Winery.  Some of our wine drinking people with stronger constitutions would tell you the reason is because Merryvale’s tasting room is open till 6pm so you tasters that never want to quit usually end up here as it is one of the only wineries in Napa open past 4:30. 

But… the wines are also outstanding with their top iconic Bordeaux blend, Profile being one of the best wines in its class in any given vintage.  We just put the 2006 vintage of Merryvale Profile into our California Cult tasting featuring; Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Scarecrow, Araujo, Shafer Hillside Select and more.  These wines were all tasted blind and the winner in the 2006 vintage flight was Scarecrow, in 2nd place was the Harlan Estate and in a close 3rd was the Merryvale Profile at 1/5 the cost of the first or second place winner.

Then the next Friday night, March 24th we have Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical tasting featuring ten vintages of this iconic wine back to the 1986 vintage.  We will also take a bottle of Insignia as payment if you want to come to this event – I would rather have another bottle of Insignia than $275 pieces of green paper.  Check out our web page for a list of vintages that we will be showing for this tasting. 

To finish off next week we just added a 1990 vintage Burgundy tasting on Saturday, March 25th and the wines on the list for this evening are AMAZING with several grand cru reds like; 1995 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny, 1996 Dujac Clos De La Roche, 1995 Clos De Tart 1995 and 1996… just to name a few.  This tasting is only $275/pp + tax and will sell out quickly!!

 

Merryvale Wine Dinner at Steak 954
Hosted by Winemaker Simon Faury
Thursday March 23rd

 

Simon Faury, Winemaker

 

Meet and Greet Bubbles

2012 Solstice Sparkling Wine

First Course
Crudo Local Yellow Tail Snapper, Indian River Grapefruit, Basil Aioli

Image result for 2014 Merryvale Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

2014 Merryvale Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
Price: $24.00       Sale $21.12          Case $245

(90 Points) Vibrant and juicy lemon notes are mouthwatering up front, with layers of  apricot, melon and yellow apple flavors leading to succulent peach and green apple accents on the finish. Shows terrific clarity and intensity.” -MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator December, 2015

Second Course

Little Gem Elderflower, Asian pear, Pistachio, Goat Cheese, Crème Fraiche Vinaigrette, Fines Herbs

Image result for 2014 Merryvale Chardonnay Carneros

2014 Merryvale Chardonnay Carneros
Price: $33.00       Sale $29.04          Case $337
A vibrant gold color, this wine is alive with aromas of ripe, sweet pear, pineapple, popcorn, golden delicious apple, toffee, and vanilla bean. Showcasing the balanced 2014 growing season, the smooth, bright entry offers the prelude to a fresh and delicate wine with lots of personality, weight and volume. The acidity is well framed by the flavor and texture of the wine. Naturally sweet flavors and aromatics are accented by complex barrel notes, leading to a lengthy, sophisticated finish.

 

Third Course

Duck Pan Roasted Breast, Carrot & Coriander Velvet, Baby Vegetables, Jus

Image result for 2013 Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros

2013 Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros
Price: $36.00       Sale $31.68          Case $368

Deep ruby in color with notes of  red cherries, earth and orange rind in the aroma.   Medium density, with intense fruit flavors and strong floral notes. A soft and delicate palate resolves into smooth velvety tannins. As this wine evolves, further floral flavors will emerge along with notes of  tobacco. Properly cellared, this wine will grow and develop over the next 10 years.

Fourth Course

Lamb Porter house, Crispy polenta, King Trumpet Mushroom, Blueberry Gastrique, Chive Oil, Pea Tendril

Image result for 2012 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2012 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Price: $63.00       Sale $55.44          Case $643

(91 Points) "Elegant and savory, with plenty of finesse and complexity, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa shows all the friendly sides of this vintage. Beautiful brightness, purity, potential balance and equilibrium, power without excess and sweet tannin, this wine is a rather classic Cabernet Sauvignon. With lots of black fruits, flowers and no hard edges, it’s not a blockbuster, but very well-crafted. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. " The Wine Advocate

Fifth Course

Wagyu Boneless Ribeye, Vanilla scented Parsnip, roasted Romanesco, Yellow Corn Shoot, Classic Reduction

Image result for 2013 Merryvale Profile Napa Valley

2013 Merryvale Profile Napa Valley
Price: $202.50    Sale $178.20       Case $2066

(92 points) The flagship wine at Merryvale is their Profile, and the 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Profile carries a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Beautiful blueberry, white flowers, black and red currants, as well as some incense and camphor jump from the glass of this stunningly proportioned, complex wine. The mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied with superb purity, enticing texture and oodles of beautiful ripe fruit that cascade over the palate. I think of it as a gracious and somewhat restrained, but authoritative Napa Red Wine. It should drink well for 12-15+ years. (10/2014) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Dessert

Caramelized Pear and Walnut Tart Gorgonzola Dolce Ice Cream

Image result for Merryvale Antigua Napa Valley

Merryvale Antigua Napa Valley
Price: $38.25    Your Price: $33.66

A modifed solera made from Muscat, has notes of flowers, honey, almond and dried fruits on the nose, apricot and sundried raisins. Very sweet on the tongue but has a nice balance of acidity and an oxidated nutty character that adds complexity to the finish along with brown spice. Finish 35+ Very Good +

 

$145, Sales Tax and Gratuity Not Included
Please contact Steak 954 Beverage Manager, Simeon Humphreys Directly for booking VIA email Simeon.humphreys@starr-restaurant.com

A bit about Simon Faury:
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Simon Faury’s early years were divided between Lyon, Champagne and the Alps. Needless to say, growing up in France – especially the Rhone Valley – gave him access and exposure to some of the world’s greatest wines. In 2002, at the age of 17, a tasting of Côtes Rôtie and Condrieu inspired him to pursue a career in the wine industry.

 

Simon studied Agronomy and Viticulture in Turin, Italy before earning his Winemaking Masters in Bordeaux. After school he traveled extensively working in some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions including Barbaresco, Barolo, Bordeaux (Domaine de Chevalier, Château Pichon Longueville Baron) and Mendoza (Bordega Michael Rolland). In the Napa Valley his resume includes Robert Mondavi, The Napa Valley Reserve, Harlan Estate and Merryvale.

 

Working with a number of varieties under diverse growing conditions has had a major impact on his philosophy and understanding of wine. “Great wines possess refinement, depth, character and personality. They elicit joy and emotion. They are the result of attention to the vineyard and respect for the fruit.”

 

As Winemaker, Simon is in charge of production at the St. Helena winery. He works closely with Senior Winemaker Sean Foster, who oversees all winemaking operations for Schlatter Family Wines, and consultant Craig Williams. Simon focuses on terroir and understanding soils, develops and implements winemaking techniques, creates and fine-tunes the blends, and manages quality during bottling. Viticulturally, Simon is very involved in the farming at the Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard and works directly with the growers from whom Merryvale sources fruit. He has input and/or control over irrigation, organic farming, pruning, canopy management and crop loads.

Cask Room of Merryvale, Napa Valley

“Merryvale’s Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard is one of the finest sites in Napa. It is a beauty capable of producing tremendous Cabernets from its diverse terroir. As we expand our understanding of this extraordinary hillside property we can refine our viticultural and winemaking practices to develop even more depth, density and smoothness in our wines.”

 

Other wines from Merryvale available:

Image result for Merryvale Silhouette Chardonnay 2014

Merryvale Silhouette Chardonnay 2014
Price: $67.50       Sale $59.40          Case $689
(94 Points) "Their flagship wine, the 2014 Chardonnay Silhouette has a greenish hue to its light gold color and offers up orange peel, tangerine, citrus, apple blossom, crushed rocks and a touch of spicy oak. It is full-bodied, backward, but beautifully delineated and vibrant. It could pass for a grand cru from Burgundy’s Côte d’Or in a blind tasting. Drink it over the next decade." The Wine Advocate

Image result for Merryvale, Merlot Napa 2013

Merryvale, Merlot Napa 2013
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

Created from 100% Merlot grapes, this wine displays flavors of cocoa, cranberry, orange zest, cherry and pipe tobacco. The palate shows a velvety texture and good length, round and balanced without being oppressively heavy. Enjoy now and for ten years from vintage.