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There have been very few times in my life when I’ve tasted a grand bottle of wine (by grand, I mean it’s literally worth $999……and by few times, I mean just this one time), but let me tell you, ZD’s Abacus is worth every penny. This exquisitely complex, multi-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon is a one-of-a-kind concept with very limited production.

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The Story

Here’s the story behind this vin extraordinaire:

The concept was born when ZD Winemaster, Robert and his brother, Brett were enjoying a wonderful aged Cabernet Sauvignon. They agreed that the deep complexity and subtle nuances that develop in older wines are always accompanied by a loss of fruit. What if there was a way to blend the elegance of an older Cabernet Sauvignon with the intensity of fruit found in a younger wine?

Always eager to accept a challenge, Winemaster Robert deLeuze took on the task of creating such a wine, unlike any other produced in the world. The result is a “solera style” multiple-vintage blend of every ZD Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ever produced, which is held in barrel until bottling.

The first bottling, with the 1992 – 1998 vintages, was released November 1, 1999. Approximately 15% of the total blend was bottled in distinctive custom bottles, totaling 200 cases. The remainder was returned to barrel to await the next infusion of youthful fruit. Prior to the second bottling, the 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was added to the blend. This is the ongoing cycle of the ever-evolving solera; each year Abacus will increase by one vintage, gaining more and more complexity. It truly stands as a legacy to all future ZD winemakers.

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The Name

The name of the wine refers to the ancient counting device. Attached to the neck of every custom-made bottle is a medallion embossed with an Abacus which identifies the first and last vintage in that bottling.

ZD’s website even describes how to read the Abacus on your bottle’s medallion:

The traditional abacus is divided into two parts, with five beads in the lower section and two in the upper section. Each lower bead is worth one unit, and each upper bead is worth five units. The beads are only counted when they are pushed against the crossbar dividing the abacus into its two sections. To read the abacus, which depicts the first and last vintages in the Twentieth Bottling of ZD’s Abacus (1992-2017), add the value of the beads above the crossbar to the value below for each row. There is a zero row separating the two dates.

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Abacus XX

Every year since 1999, the innovative ZD winemakers have added the previous vintage of their lovely Reserve Cabernet to their Abacus blend. This means the most recent bottling, Abacus XX, is a masterful mix of 26 vintages from 1992 through 2017. Only twelve caskets of this twentieth anniversary batch were produced…and Blue Plate is delighted to offer it on our wine list.

One of our servers likes to include this in his usual “daily special” spiel when greeting his tables: “And tonight, we’re offering the limited Abacus XX for a wonderful steal at $999!” Some of our patrons respond with laughs, while other glance at their wives & husbands like, Can we, please? These are the ones who understand the worth of this unique & unequaled bottle.

During one of our many staff wine training sessions at Blue Plate, we were visited by ZD’s vice president of sales & marketing, Teresa D’Aurizio. She told us about their vineyard & philosophy. Then, she cracked open a bottle of Abacus, and we all held our breath. We passed around a tasting glass, taking sips & snickering about who was gulping more than necessary, but the arguments quickly turned to a lively discussion of the wine’s excellent flavor profile. It boasts the best qualities of both a well-aged & youthful red, rich yet vibrant. Elli has indeed given it her sex-in-a-bottle stamp of approval.

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ZD Winery

Of course, Elli had already swilled this superior blend when she visited the ZD Winery last fall during her tour de Napa. Situated in picturesque Rutherford, the winery is surrounded by gorgeous vineyards as far as the eye can see. After being graciously welcomed by the staff, touring the wine-making facilities & tasting various excellent vintages with food pairing, this quickly became one of her favorite experiences of the trip.

This wine is wonderful for special occasions or simply a Friday night with your best wine-o buds. Do not delay in snagging one of our bottles! We’re the only restaurant serving it up in the Vail Valley, and it’s in very limited supply.

If you’ve asked for a dinner recommendation at Blue Plate, you’ve likely heard the spiel about our New York Strip. It’s literally one of the most tender & juicy steaks I’ve ever personally devoured, and here’s why:

King Natural Beef

We procure our steaks & burgers from King Naturals, a conglomerate of Californian ranchers who are committed to raising clean cattle naturally. Here is their explanation from their website:

King Natural Beef cattle are raised on family owned and operated ranches in the highly desirable Imperial Valley region of California. The Imperial Valley eco-system is renowned for its clean air and water and its consistent year round climate. These conditions are optimal to raise high quality beef.

Our California Natural and Natural Angus cattle are raised without added hormones or steroids…. ever. We insure that our beef is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients. King Natural Beef Cattle are raised on a 350 day 100% vegetarian diet with absolutely no animal by-products. Our process and our commitment to consistency has resulted in a truly exceptionally flavorful and tender beef.

Taste the Difference

These ranchers are committed to their cows’ health & happiness, and you can truly taste the difference. But don’t merely take our word for it! One of our longtime waitstaff members, Chris McGurk, enjoys telling the story of a personal review he received from an eater of our New York Strip. This particular Blue Plate patron had owned a cattle ranch for more than 30 years and was slightly skeptical about the superior taste of natural beef. One bite into his King Natural steak and the man retracted his doubt profusely. He humbly confirmed this was the best steak he has ever eaten – and he’s eaten a LOT of beef in his lifetime! In fact, he returned the following night for another round.

We believe in putting delicious dishes with quality ingredients on our table, and our beef is the perfect example. Not only is natural beef better for our bellies, but it simply tastes better. Come in & taste the difference for yourself!

To make a reservation, click here.

The best way to learn about a wine is to hear its story from its maker’s mouth. The narrative becomes more passionate, more intimate & always more interesting. And this winter, we were lucky enough to hear the story of the RAEN winery from one of its founders, Carlo Mondavi.

Origins

You may have heard of Carlo’s grandfather, Robert. The Mondavi family has been in the business of making wine since they voyaged to the United States from Italy in the early 1900s. They first opened a bottle shop in Minnesota. However, with the suppression of Prohibition, they could no longer procure wine, so the family moved to California to make it themselves. They bought several small wineries before founding their own, The Robert Mondavi Winery. For 30 years, Carlo’s grandfather produced beautiful, world-class wines with the help of his son & lead winegrower, Tim.

In 1996, Robert & Tim decided it was time to begin imparting their wisdom unto the next generation, Carlo & his brother Dante. Carlo recounted playing in the vineyards as a boy and learning about the grapes. His family was always so passionate about their fields, so involved in the process, that it was impossible for him & his brother not to share the same joy. The brothers then founded their own winery, RAEN, on the western boundaries of the Sonoma Coast in 2013.

The Wine & its Maker

Carlo’s relationship with wine & its natural production can only be described as poetic infatuation. One needs only look at the origin of their winery’s name:

Pronounced “rain”, our name reminds us that wine was rain first. It only becomes wine in our vineyards after being filtered by the rocks taken back up by the vines and sweetened by the sun. The unique spelling is our society and ethos, which is translated to Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally.

RAEN’s fields overlook the Californian coastline, hailing cooler temperatures with ocean breezes. Here is a wonderful description of their Sonoma Coast field:

On summer mornings pacific fog engulfs the vineyard, covering the fruit with essential ocean mist. The fog recedes back in the late mornings drenching the vines in afternoon sunlight and warmth ripening our fruit.

The terroir of the coastal vineyard yields fruit with depth & character, which gives their wines greater complexity. As Carlo meandered through the profiles of his pinot noirs with us, the elegant verse continued. He would not simply spit out pretty words or fruits or flavors; he would paint a scene.

Take a sip. Imagine a mossy forest floor after a rain, earth wet with fresh water, then the sun slowly warms the rocks & soil, and the droplets begin to evaporate.

Carlo Mondavi’s descriptions of his wines were the most compelling interpretations I have yet heard. They were not mere explanations; they were illustrations. And it made me want to drink more wine.

Environmental Consciousness

Perhaps Carlo’s poetic nature stems from his environmental consciousness. RAEN believes in producing wines as naturally as possible.

“In the vineyards our farming is reverting back to what we might have seen when our family began farming and working with pinot noir 100 years ago and perhaps closer to the way the monks farmed it hundreds of years ago. Our goal is not just to honor the fruit we grow but also the nature in which it is growing.”

Carlo & Dante take this a step further by utilizing the environment to make their wines better. They gather their fruit according to the cycles of the moon (and always in the moonlight), and they label every cork with the date and the moon’s phase in which the grapes were picked.

 

The Mondavi brothers also encourage the cultivation of their vineyard’s natural flora & fauna. Last year, they were able to rescue an abandoned lynx kitten from their fields. They named her Doris. (And unfortunately, we lost the photo!)

Blue Plate’s Bottles

The flavors of the brothers’ wines truly reflect their environmentally conscious ideals, and we were lucky enough to obtain three different bottles:

RAEN Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert, Pinot Noir, 2016

The Royal St. Robert cuvee is dedicated to our grandfather Robert Mondavi, who taught us to be committed to excellence. Our 2016 RSR cuvee comes from the true Sonoma Coast behind Bodega Bay and is a marriage of special lots that we feel are the best in our cellar. This wine opens with wild strawberries, crushed bing cherries, and rose petals that fill the bowl with sweet resin, white tea, thyme, forest floor and wet rock. The texture is rich, complex and leads to a long sumptuous finish.

RAEN Fort Ross-Seaview Home Field, Pinot Noir, 2016

Our Home Field Vineyard is our pretty lady. Pure elegance. Situated on a remote hillside, planted under two miles from the cool Pacific Ocean and perched at 1,400 feet, Home Field offers a delicate message from its beautiful raw expanse. This wine opens with sweet wild raspberry, orange pith, and rose petals that combine to fill the bowl with sweet resin, coastal moss, green tea, wet rock, and candied orange. The finish is persistent and fades to notes of raspberry and dried herbs as this coastal site lingers on your palate.

RAEN Fort Ross-Seaview Charles Ranch, Chardonnay, 2016

The Fort Ross-Seaview Chardonnay bottling is from the rugged 35-year-old Charles Ranch hillside vineyard, with some of the older pre-phylloxera plantings of chardonnay in California. Between 1,100 and 1,200 feet of elevation, the vineyard sits on well-drained, rocky clay soils. These old Sonoma Coast vines yield naturally shy crops that offer incredible depth, density, concentration, and finesse. Notes of stone fruits, lime blossom, white flowers, wet gravel and rock minerality are delicately laced throughout this wine. Fine, yet focused, acidity balances the rich mid-palate, giving way to a long-lasting finish.

They are Elli-approved, beautiful vintages (and are very limited!). Definitely consider pairing a bottle with your next meal at Blue Plate.

We are so thankful we were able to chat with Carlo and hear his story. He was a very humble, down-to-earth fellow with an environmental conscience. And he makes wonderful wine.

We are PROUD to announce that Blue Plate’s Pink Vail Team, Double Stuffed, raised the MOST for Pink Vail 2019!

On Saturday, March 16, we PINK’D ourselves up & hit the slopes of Vail for this year’s official Pink Vail event. Robyn Specthrie, Captain of the Double Stuffed Team, provided mountains (literally, mountains) of hilarious pink costumes, doodads & trinkets with which we accessorized our ensembles.

With our bellies full of donuts & coffee, we paraded around the mountain, gathering raffle punches on our passes, swinging our hips to live music & slapping bags of wine. We got a lot of high fives & a great deal of laughs (especially when some of us, ahem, face-planted in the back bowls’ mashed potato fields). All in the name of kicking cancer’s butt! It was a jolly good time.

After all the good times there were to be had were had, we gathered to find out the results of all our hard work…drumroll, please…

This year, Pink Vail’s donations totaled more than $850,000!

As a team, Double Stuffed raised $46,781 (that’s the TOP fundraising team!! but you already knew that 😉 )!

Blue Plate’s Pink Vail Benefit Party contributed more than 50% of these funds by raising $25,020 alone!

So, once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone to helped Pink Vail, the Double Stuffed Team & Blue Plate reach their goals this year. It seriously feels so amazing to make a difference & contribute to such a wonderful cause! See ya next year, Pink Vail!