At the Winery
Last month, our team carefully hand-bottled, corked, and waxed every bottle of the newest addition to our portfolio, our first-ever dessert wine, a beautifully aged 10-year tawny. If you are not familiar with this wine, it is better known as port. However, as with “Champagne”, “Port” is a protected place name. So to be labeled as a “Port,” the grapes and the wine must come from Portugal’s Douro Valley. Port-style dessert wine is made by adding brandy to the base wine during fermentation. This fortification stops fermentation early, preserving natural grape sugars and creating a wine that is both sweeter and higher in alcohol.
Tawny Port is aged in oak barrels, which allow gradual exposure to oxygen. Over time, this aging process transforms the wine’s color from deep red to amber hues. The flavors evolve from fresh fruit to notes of toasted nuts, caramel, dried fig, baking spice, and toffee. Tawny Ports are often labeled with an average age statement such as 10, 20, 30, or 40 years, indicating the style and maturity of the wine. Tawny Ports do not tend to age in the bottle and are ready to drink on release.
In the Kitchen
Chef has a real treat in store for you with this pairing menu. Highlighting vineyards from Sonoma and Napa with our most popular white wine blend and 4 different single varietals to enjoy with delectable B Bites. Some favorites are making their return to the menu, along with a brand-new dish inspired by Chef’s trip to Thailand last year. It all comes together for another truly exceptional pairing experience.
2024 Blend 23
Crab Salad with Citrus Aioli, Cucumber, and Avocado Purée
2022 Star Vineyard Chardonnay
Fish and Chips with Tangerine Coleslaw and Tartar Sauce
2022 Calesa Vineyard Pinot Noir
Pho with Shaved Filet, Bean Sprouts, and Herbs
2023 Game Farm Vineyard Sangiovese
Italian Sausage Calzone with Roasted Peppers, and Fresh Mozzarella
2021 Ehrlich Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Grilled Ribeye with Truffle Goat Cheese Macaroni and Blackberry Gastrique
2023 Beckstoffer Heritage Release
Twenty years ago, Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys approached Andy Beckstoffer with a bold idea: to start a winery and purchase Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary To Kalon Vineyard. Though initially skeptical and convinced the winery wouldn’t last two years, Andy agreed to sell them two tons of fruit from the famed vineyard. That small beginning marked the start of a lasting partnership.
With the 2023 vintage, B Cellars celebrates 20 vintages working with Beckstoffer Vineyards. Since 2014, we have been proud to produce a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from all six Heritage Vineyards. And today, we also produce a single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from both the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard and the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, along with Petite Sirah from the Bourn Vineyard.
The 2023 vintage is one of Napa Valley’s most balanced in recent memory, with a mild growing season and extended hang time producing wines with vibrant acidity, plush tannins, and remarkable depth.
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