THURSDAY JULY 26: “UNDER THE STARS!” OUTDOOR WINE DINNER WITH HARTFORD FAMILY WINERY

ATTN: EVERY SUMMER STELLINA SPONSORS A WINE TASTING SERIES ENTITLED “UNDER THE STARS!” GREAT WINES ARE TASTED OUTDOORS, IN THE SHADE OF OUR VERY OWN GRAPEVINES, ACCOMPANIED BY FOOD FROM OUR KITCHENS. AND THIS YEAR THE SERIES CONTINUES…..

Wine lovers will want to be here on THURSDAY JULY 26 at 6:30 as Stellina pours a cross-section of wines from perhaps the MOST HIGHLY RATED WINERY that we’ve ever presented.  Join us when we celebrate the incredible wines of the HARTFORD FAMILY WINERY of the Russian River Valley in California.

Without exception, Hartford’s wines are intense, thought provoking and expressive of both variety and terroir. They have been served at the White House on many occasions and are staples on “Reserve” wine lists around the country.

Hartford’s wines are rare. Year after year, they rank among the most sought-after collectables from California. Since the 1994 vintage, owners Don and Jenny Hartford have built the winery’s reputation on limited-production, handmade, single-vineyard Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Old Vine Zinfandels from some of Northern California’s greatest vineyards.

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This Dinner is held outdoors in our Italian Garden. It will consist of five wines served alongside five courses, plus a complimentary dessert. Cost for the evening, including all food and wine, is $65 per person. Reservations are required. Please call 617-924-9475 to make your reservation in person and insure prompt confirmation.

MENU

FRITTO MISTO WITH TROPICAL FRUITS

SEASCAPE CHARDONNAY

GRILLED TUNA WITH AVOCADO PESTO

VELVET SISTERS PINOT NOIR

SICILIAN LAMB WITH POLENTA FRIES

WARRIOR PRINCESS PINOT NOIR

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BOK CHOY AND ROASTED BEET BUCATINI

JOLENE ZINFANDEL

FILET MIGNON WITH WELSH RAREBIT

HARTFORD VINEYARD ZINFANDEL

PANNA COTTA

Hartford Family Winery was founded in 1994 as a result of Don and Jennifer Hartford’s appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home. Located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, the winery is about 15 miles from the cool Pacific Coast.

In recent vintages we have made about 25 different single vineyard bottlings. Small and low-yielding vineyards deliver expressive and personality-rich wine. Our single vineyard Hartford Court Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays total as few as 93 cases, up to about 800 cases. Likewise, our Hartford Old Vine Zinfandels are produced in small quantities. Our single vineyard wines are highly allocated.

Since 2011, Jeff Stewart, a specialist in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, has been in charge of winemaking.

DON HARTFORD, PRESIDENT

JEFF STEWART, WINEMAKER

__________________________NOTES FROM THE WINERY____________________________________

Pinot Noir

We love Pinot Noir and in many years make about 15 of them with fruit from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley, Marin and Oregon appellations. We feel that Pinot Noir makes the most seductive red wine, notable for its supple, silky texture. Pinot Noir is also known for expressing vineyard site characteristics in a transparent manner.

Chardonnay

Cool climate Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Chardonnay vineyards are singularly expressive. Those that are planted with multiple clones, specially matched to their sites, also reflect the distinctive terroir in these high-risk, high-reward locations.

Old Vine Zinfandel

Our 80-100 year old Zinfandel vineyards are irreplaceable treasures. We source our vineyard-designated Russian River Valley Zinfandels (150-500 cases) from some of the oldest Zinfandel vineyards in California. The complexity and depth of flavors from these vineyards produce the most consistently bold and unctuous Zinfandels found anywhere.

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TASTING NOTES:

HARTFORD COURT CHARDONNAY “SEASCAPE VINEYARD”     

The Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay shows keen acidity with Meyer lemon and exotic floral aromas backed by subtle saline nuances.  These complex aromatics are complemented by chamomile, Mandarin orange and key lime flavors, with a lingering finish of green apple and underlying mineral flavors – a truly unique expression of terroir along the western edge of Sonoma County.

“­The 2014 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay is from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California. On a ridgetop close to the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay in the Pacific Ocean, it is often the last to ripen – and sometimes as late as late October or November. A deep golden color, exotic tropical fruits, crushed rocks, and an almost saltiness characterize this rather nutty and strikingly Meursault-like Chardonnay that will be somewhat controversial compared to the more classic aromas and flavors of the other five offerings, but it is still a brilliant, somewhat idiosyncratic Chardonnay.”

HARTFORD COURT PINOT NOIR “VELVET SISTERS VINEYARD” 

96 POINTS

“Coming from a site on the northern end of Anderson Valley, the 2015 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters (from a mix of Dijon clones) was completely destemmed and spent 16 months in just under 30% new French oak. It has a rich, broad, expansive blue-fruited bouquet of spiced plums, blueberries, vanilla, and dried flowers. One of the richer, more full-bodied, opulent and sexy wines in the lineup, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming decade.” – Jeb Dunnuck, June 2018

2014: “Outstanding” 91 points, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2014 “Very Highly Recommended” 92 Points, CA Grapevine

2013: “Outstanding” 92-94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2013: “Extraordinary” 96 points, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2012: “Outstanding” 90 points, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2012: “Outstanding” 91 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

2011: “Outstanding” 90 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2011: “Outstanding” 92-93 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

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HARTFORD COURT PINOT NOIR “WARRIOR PRINCESS” (WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON)

The 2015 Warrior Princess Pinot Noir is our second release from the Willamette Valley and is sourced from Oregon’s renowned Zena Crown Vineyard, which is situated near the Oregon ghost town of Zena, in the hills between Eola and Amity, Oregon. Our blocks are planted to several clones, including Pommard, Dijon 667 and 777.

The wine has a deep ruby hue with complex aromas of Chinese five spice, sandalwood and dried rose petal; the framework of the wine’s aromatic profile is dark blueberry and blackberry. Focused aromatics are followed by complex flavors of fresh cherry, berry liqueur, violet pastille, allspice, and juniper. Fine grain tannins shape the persistent, spiced finish.

94+ POINTS

“This is the the second vintage produced of this wine. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Warrior Princess opens with warm, red currants, black cherries and violet notes with touches of black soil, stewed tea, garrigue and dried herbs.  Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, with a refreshing backbone supporting the intense earthy/savory flavors, finishing long.  – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, December

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HARTFORD ZINFANDEL “JOLENE’S VINEYARD”

This single vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel provides alluring aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, blackberry and cassis. Jolene’s texture is rich and mouth filling with ripe blueberry and tobacco characteristics, supple tannins and a creamy and elegant fin

95-97 POINTS

“The 2015 Zinfandel Jolene’s Vineyard comes from another site for century-plus-aged, head-trained bush vines.  Aged in 100% French oak, it was to be bottled unfined and unfiltered right after my visit.  Inky bluish purple, this wine from a vineyard on Olivet Road has loads of pepper, roasted meats, Provencal herbs and loamy soil undertones unterwoven with blackberry, black cherry liqueur and spice box.  It is a pedal-to-the-metal style of wine, with superb richness, a full-bodied unctuosity, but good acidity keeping everything energized and vibrant.  Drink it over the next decade.” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2016

2015 “Extraordinary” 95-97 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2014 “Outstanding” 94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2014 “Outstanding” 92 points Wine Spectator

2013 “Outstanding” 93 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2012 “Outstanding” 91 points Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

2012 “Outstanding” 93 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

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ZINFANDEL “HARTFORD VINEYARD”

The 2015 Hartford Vineyard is an elegant and powerful Zinfandel with blackberry, boysenberry and allspice aromas that are echoed on the palate. These fruits transition into ripe black cherry flavors with a spicy cinnamon stick finish. Well-integrated tannins layer on top of the massive fruit flavors and help give the wine opulent texture.

“There are 336 cases of the 2013 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard, which comes from vines planted over 100 years ago on the estate vineyard of the Hartford Family Winery. Aged in 100% French oak (35% new), this wine possesses fabulous fruit intensity as well as abundant notes of black raspberries, blackcurrants and cherries intermixed with licorice, earth, vanillin and spice box. Full-bodied and powerful with massive fruit, opulence and a long finish that lasts nearly 40 seconds, this sensational Zinfandel can be drunk over the next 7-8 years.”

Don and Jenny Hartford tend this 100+-year-old vineyard located on seven acres along Wood Road in the Russian River AVA of Sonoma County. The vineyard is head-pruned and produces low yields of about 1 ton / acre. Most vines produce only several clusters of intensely flavored grapes each year. Wood Road has well-drained, low fertility, sandy loam soils about two to three feet in depth over deeper layers of compacted sandy loam of about four to six inches. Since the Italian immigrants who planted the Wood Road Vineyard in the early 1900s wanted to ensure long vine life and moisture for their dry-farmed vines, they placed a blasting cap where each vine was to be planted and blasted through the compacted layer. Today we continue to enjoy the fruits of their ingenuity and celebrate the legacy of “dynamite” Zinfandels. The Hartford Vineyard has also been farmed using organic and biodynamic techniques since 2004.

95 POINTS

“The 2015 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard comes from head-trained vines planted over 100 years ago, and the incredibly low-yielding.  The wine was aged in 100% French oak, of which 50% is new, and like all these wines, was bottled, unfined and unfiltered.  This is a big wine at 15.2% natural alcohol, but there’s not a bit of heat to it.  Its flamboyant, dramatic aromatics consist of black fruits, red fruits, licorice, roasted herbs, and smoked game.  The wine has fabulous fruit on the attack, is full-bodied, and the red and black fruit combo follows through to a long finish of a good 40+ seconds.  This is a stunner to drink over the next 6-10 years.”   – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2016

2015 “Outstanding” 95 Points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2015 “Outstanding” 93 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2014 “Outstanding” 95 Points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2014 “Outstanding” 94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2013: “Outstanding” 95 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2013: “Outstanding” 94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2011: “Outstanding” 93 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate