[ad_1]
Phillippe Melka ‘CJ’ Napa Valley Cabernet BYOB at Carnivore & Queen
We went out to dinner with son Sean and d-in-law Michelle and dined at Carnivore & The Queen in adjacent Downers Grove, IL. I took from our wine cellar BYOB this Napa Valley Red wine to accompany our entree dinner selections – NY Strip Steak and Bone-in Veal Chop.
Closing in on celebrating our grandaughter’s, Sean and Michelle’s daughter, Lavender’s first birthday, this was a fun choice with its whimsical label with the child’s hand-prints on the label and foil, as this label is named for and dedicated to the winemakers’ two children.
There’s another reason I selected this label, from producer Phillippe Melka, a producer we know well and hold several of his labels across two decades of vintages. Phillippe was the mentor for Eric White of Galena Cellars Vineyards and Winey in Galena, IL, whom we met during our stay in the estate guest house during our getaway holiday week before last.
Philippe and co-proprietors and co-winemaker for
Melka Estates, wife, Cherie Melka produce four distinct brands that
reflect their philosophy of soil driven wines: Métisse from Napa
Valley, Mekerra from Sonoma Valley, Majestique from sites around the
world and CJ, also from Napa Valley.
Both Philippe and Cherie
are both academically prepared for their distinctive careers and achievement in winemaking. Philippe having degrees in Geology, Agronomy
and Enology; and Cherie in Microbiology from the US and a diploma in
French Studies from the University of Bordeaux III.
Philippe learned winemaking and vineyard
techniques from legendary prestigious estates such as Haut Brion, Chittering
Estate, Badio O Coltibuono, the Moueix domains and Dominus. Cherie
was more self-taught as a enologist gaining her wine knowledge from equally
impressive estates such as Ridge Vineyards, Beaulieu and Silver Oak
Cellars. Their combined science backgrounds and extensive experience in
the industry make them a perfect team in their winemaking endeavors.
The Melka brand started in
1996, when Philippe and Cherie moved back to Napa Valley from
France and set out to produce their own
brand, despite each working for different wineries. They started
modestly with only two wines in 1996, Métisse and CJ for a total case
production of 500.
After years of consulting,
Philippe and Cherie opened up Melka Wines, in 1996, celebrating their
first vintage of a Bordeaux styled Red Wine labeled Melka Metisse with a total production of 500 cases. Soon
after, Melka’s success would eventually lead him to 3 more labels, the
Mekerra, Majestique and the
first vintage of CJ in 1996, the year Jeremy was born with production of only
200 cases.
Melka Estates started with Philippe and Cherie
Melka sourcing fruit for their first two labels, two wines named
in honor of their two children Chloe and Jeremy and Metisse. They have
since grown to four collections, CJ (a red blend very approachable in
its youth sourced from premium vineyards throughout the Napa Valley),
Metisse (a word that means ‘blend of cultures’ with wines from the Napa
Valley), Mekerra (from the property they own in Sonoma County) and
Majestique (single vineyard wines from outside of the Napa Valley). As a
footnote, one quickly realizes the affinity the Melka’s have for the
letter ‘M’.
Philippe grew up in Bordeaux, earned his
degree in Geology at the University of Bordeaux and later his Master’s
degree in Agronomy and Enology. His first wine job was at Château Haut
Brion in Bordeaux. His first introduction to the Napa Valley came in
1991 as an intern with Christian Moueix, proprietor of Chateau Petrus in
Bordeaux and Dominus in Napa Valley. Philippe came to Dominus to study
soils – then spent a few years as a traveling winemaker and ultimately
settled in the Napa Valley in 1994.
Melka CJ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Cherie earned a degree in Microbiology at
Northern Arizona University and worked for a while in pharmaceuticals
as a laboratory technician. In 1989, she moved to
California and took her first winery job for Paul Draper at
Ridge Vineyards where she ran the lab for five years. It
was here that she met Philippe who was working the vineyards.
The list of Napa wineries that Philippe has worked with over the years
reads like a whose whose list of the valley – Alejandro Bulgheroni
Estate, Brand, Bryant Family, Dana Estates, Lail, Hundred Acre and Tusk
Estate among
many other well-regarded brands.
The vineyards that contribute to the making of Melka wines are sourced from relationships with growers over the 20 years that they’ve
been making this wine. Two primary sources of
fruit for CJ are Soda Canyon, a unique area in Napa
Valley near Oakville with hillside fruit, and Broken Rock has brought
more fresh crushed rocks, good acidity and more massive tannins.
This was a perfect complement to my NY Strip grilled beefsteak and sauteed portabella shiitake mushrooms with red wine reduction, and, the Dark Chocolate Flowerless Torte cake for dessert.
At eighteen years, the fill level, label and cork were perfect. This was most likely at the apex of its drinking window and profile and will not likely improve with further age, but should last up to another decade.
This is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot.
This release got 92 points
from Wine Spectator.
Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, firm, structured, tight, concentrated ripe, rich and lush
blackberry and wild berry fruits with pointed notes of gritty eucalyptus cedar notes, black tea, dark mocha and cigar box with firm focused tannins on the finish.
RM 92 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=283194
https://twitter.com/MelkaEstates
https://carnivoreandthequeen.com/
