We went vintage for this tasting hosting by Millennial Wine Competition

The Millennial Wine Competition is a fresh take on wine tasting competitions, and we are excited to see the results come through when the judges sip and score some of the hottest new wine and spirits brands on August 26th this year.

We had the chance to treat one of the competition judges Samantha Capadli, AKA Samantha Sommelier in a live Instagram tasting with our winemaker, Patrick Durbin. We dug a little into our cellar to bring out a couple of really great bottles. You know, for quality control purposes! And also because we love seeing our wine “grow up” and sharing it with new friends!

2015 Robert’s Road Chardonnay – Sonoma Coast

Coming from the Robert’s Road Vineyard grown by the Sangiacomo Family, this special lot of Chardonnay has routinely been a “crowd-pleaser” scoring us high-fives from friends, and awards from judges.

Grown the the northernmost vineyard at the base of Sonoma Mountain and at the North End of the Petaluma Gap, this fruit gets incredible influence from the ocean, resulting in bright acidity and perfectly balanced Sonoma-style fruit. It’s what we refer to as a Burgundy style wine from Sonoma Coast.

Patrick’s Perfect Pairings:

  • September Oysters
  • Seared Muscles
  • Grilled Chicken w/ herb butter

Samantha’s Perfect Pairing:

  • Oysters (or any type of shellfish)
  • Creamy Chicken Pasta
  • Roasted Turkey
  • Cheeseboard before dinner

2014 Broken Rock Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley

The 2014 is what we can confidently refer to as “the vintage of the decade” due to its perfectly balanced tannins and plush fruit when it comes to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

We’ve sourced this Cabernet Sauvignon from the Broken Rock Vineyard in Napa Valley, located just off the Silverado Trail at the foot of Atlas Peak. This west-facing vineyard plot soaks up all that lush afternoon Napa sunshine while still benefitting from it’s slope location, lending to the perfect balance of “mountain fruit” structure with rich Valley floor fruit.

Patrick and Samantha unanimously agree that this wine (and frankly, all red wines) are best served with a little chill, shooting for 55-65 degrees, which is essential right out of wine fridge temperatures.

Patrick’s Perfect Pairing:

  • Moroccan Lamb (grilled) to play with the baking spices coming through
  • “Slab & A Cab” AKA any grilled red meat

Samantha’s Perfect Pairing:

  • Netflix (but be careful with it or the alcohol will catch up to you!)
  • Anything on the grill

This wine is showing lovely with lush velvety tannins without too much grit, and just a little touch of baking spice and oak leaving you balanced.

Top takeaway from Patrick & Sam? Leaves your Chardonnay a little less chilled & chill your red just enough.

Click here to watch the tasting over on the Millennial Wine Competition Instagram page!

Want to know the final scores from the competition in August? Make sure you’re signed up on our mailing list where we’ll release scores and new wine releases to The Flock! Simply fill out the contact form below and we’ll add you to the list.