Anyone Remember Black Bart?

I remembered him as a robber, but had forgotten just what he did and when. Black Bart was an outlaw known for his poetic messages that he left after his Wells Fargo stagecoach robberies in and around Northern California in the 1870s-1880s. He was finally caught because he had to quickly flee the scene of the last robbery leaving behind several belongings, one of which was a handkerchief. This handkerchief led to his capture because the laundry mark on it was traced by a Wells Fargo detective. This led to his address and he was arrested, convicted and sentenced to six years in San Quentin Prison. His stay was only four years long for good behavior. Go figure!

Enough of history! On March 21 my husband and I met some friends at the DCC for a wine dinner featuring the wines of the Krupp Brothers Vineyards from Napa Valley. Now, my husband is a lover of Sonoma and I know that I mention wines from Napa all the time. In fact, if we go to California to do some wine tasting, it will be in Sonoma ninety-nine percent of the time. (He took me to Napa once.) I have a lot to say about Sonoma, but not now!

The reason I mention Black Bart is because Dr. Jan Krupp, the man who had the vision for this winery, has a brother named Bart Krupp. He has an equal devotion to wine also.
At the dinner, the brothers gave the history of their vineyards and how it has grown into what it is today. They also mingled with the guests which I thought was a super way to get to know their future buyers.

The first wine served was the Chardonnay, 2009 and a "Veraison Red" Blend, 2008 at the reception before the dinner. The Chardonnay is very balanced and loaded with fruit. If you like blackberries, cherries, and spice, then try the Veraison Red blend. I didn't try the Chardonnay because I had given white wine up for lent. Haha!

At the dinner in the ballroom,  the wines served were paired with an elegant menu by the chef on staff. He really knows what he is doing! For example, we began the meal with house cured duck pastrami-corned duroc pork belly, artichoke preserved lemon vinaigrette, and roasted carrot puree. The wines paired with these foods were Black Bart's Bride Viognier/Marsanne, 2008 and Black Bart's Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah, 2008.

The menu continues on and I won't bore you with all the details of it, but we did end up trying a Meritage, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a port. Here's what we bought:

Krupp Brothers

The Veraison Cabernet 2007 is a "silky impression of black currant, fresh rosemary,  and dark cocoa. The exotic aromas of frankincense, espresso beans and tobacco leaves are evident" when sniffing your first glass.

The Black Bart Syrah 2008 pictured to the right has a "dense, dark color with bold dark fruit, vanilla, blueberry, and dark raspberry flavors." These happen to be my favorite three things to eat! It is so good!

If you get a chance to purchase some of this wine, you will be happy you did! The link takes you right to their site. Look at the history of the vineyards. It's very interesting! Enjoy!