And now for something completely different! The gorgeous Notre Vu Estate sits just south of Healdsburg in Sonoma County stretching along a high ridge where the Chalk Hill appellation meets the Russian River Valley. The property encompasses a stunning 710 organically-farmed acres, 350 of which have been preserved wild as a heritage site and some 250 planted to vines to create a Bordeaux-styled estate. Vines have been grown on the property since the nineteenth century, but its current owners, since 1992, are Bob and Renee Stein.  They oversaw the planting of 16 varieties, including, among others, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot which are turned each vintage into a very impressive Estate Red. The 2019 resembles, perhaps, more a Mendoza-styled blend than one from Bordeaux as it is based on 36% Malbec which gives it a dark, earthy duskiness that separates it from many of the other similarly conceived wines we try. There’s nearly as much Cabernet in the blend and that adds a veneer of Kirsch-y black currant fruit and graphite as well as the ultra-fine grained tannins that marry beautifully with a bit (8%) of Cabernet Franc and Merlot (also 8%). The rest of the blend is Petit Verdot which, besides its dark-as-pitch color, acts like a squeeze of fresh lemon on a beautiful piece of fish, bringing everything together into a lovely, seamless whole that also gains complexity from a judicious dose of nutmeg and sweet vanilla from wood and some nice fresh acidity and tannin. We taste a lot of Napa and Sonoma reds these days- many of which that cost twice or three times this- but Notre Vu brings with it some unique, savory and really delicious flavors and a savior faire all its own: truly a Meritage with a difference, I guess you could say. Your next grilled steak will love it! Bob Stein, the original founder of the estate and preserve, tragically passed away in 2021, but wife Renee has been passionately up to the task of running the business and overseeing the production of this, one of the more interesting wines of this type we’ve seen in a while and, at this Brave New World pricing, very highly recommended.