Windsor Oaks Vineyards 2007 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Smack dab in the middle of the county, this vineyard estate is like some kind of equal-opportunity wonderland for grapes: From each according to their abilities—Windsor Oaks sells tons of the mountain-grown grapes to area wineries; and to each according to their needs – Pinot Noir gets the cooler spots in the Russian River Valley corner of the estate; Cabernet Sauvignon basks on sunnier slopes. All of the grapes get a hit of cool air, says winemaker Julie Lumgair, from the cut that the Russian River makes between the hills and the sea.

Lumgair has her pick from 250 acres of estate vineyards to make a nine-barrel lot of Reserve Cab. “It decants like a dream, and it’ll lay down like a dream,” Lumgair says. Having just bought a new decanter – besides feeling a bit thirsty – I chose the former.

After a brief decanting, the Windsor Oaks Vineyards, 2007 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) shows aromas of cedar, licorice, brandied plums, stewed cherry, with a hint of meaty, smokey aromas; pot pie with game and blackberries. Somewhat soft and warm on the palate, with flavors of dried red fruit roll-up, it’s got an undercurrent of acidity that cleans and refreshes, so the fine-grained, dusty tannins do not overwhelm.

But that’s not all: as Lumgair has promised, “In the glass it’ll keep on blooming forever.” Indeed, within an hour or so, it’s all knitted together into a complex, but bright-toned, fine-grained sipper.

Tellingly of this wine’s style, Lumgair says that she’d originally paired her mom’s original lasagna recipe with their “Super Tuscan” blend, but she loves it with the Cab, too. When I asked for the recipe, she said it was the first time it’s been typed out. An enthusiastic talker with a Tennessee lilt, Lumgair always has a lot to say about her mountain wines, so I’ll leave the rest of the story to her:

“Cab Perfect” Mom’s Homestyle Lasagna
From winemaker Julie Hagler Lumgair, Windsor Oaks Vineyards & Winery

“Since I was a kid, growing up on a fifth generation farm, I can remember coming home to the aroma of a home-style, rich lasagna baking in my mom’s kitchen after school. Our town was over one hour round-trip by car back then, so I recall looking forward to this treat.

“What I didn’t know then was my own future destiny! How amazing the pairing of Mom’s lasagna matches up when pairing bright acids of her tomato based, seasoned red sauce and the creamy elements of cooking over time with the fundamental elements of my own barrel and bottle-aged Cabernet Sauvignon …

“So, with a toast to my mom, this was the very first recipe I ever asked her to write down for me when I finally had my own place (and oven to hold the pan!) many, many years (decades …) ago.  What a joy to have the privilege of sharing that magic pairing of food and wine that has been a mainstay of both our homes ever since!  We share it with passion and pride with you – bon appetite and cheers!”

But wait, there’s more:

“P.S. Honestly, my mom’s perfect blackberry and peach cobbler was a close second for best recipe in my kitchen … that’s another story meant for Windsor Oaks’ dessert wines!”

Fits 12 x 16 inch big lasagna baking pan. Fits standard oven. Serves 8 to 12, depending on who is at the table.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated thin (standard block of solid packaged square style – NOT the other style of round balls in liquid)
• 16 oz. cottage cheese (or bit more to taste)
• 2 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
• 24 oz. canned tomato sauce
• 28 oz. canned crushed  or stewed tomatoes, pick your own texture
• 1 pack  favorite brand of Thick & Zesty spaghetti sauce mix with garlic, oregano, basil
• Extra spice to personal taste (oregano, basil, diced garlic, white pepper, other to taste – add the regular ingredients and then just dash a taste of this and that in the pot of sauce before layering in baking pan)
• 12 to 14 standard lasagna noodles, boiled al dente, layered with or without a bit of overlap
• Parmesan cheese (to grate & sprinkle on top of final red sauce layer)

Assembly:

1. Pre heat oven to 375 F degrees.

2. Brown beef in skillet (while boiling noodles separately but at same time in water  to save time)

3. Drain fat from beef and add tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes

4. Cook noodles in boiling water with dash of salt and olive oil

5. Layer in three layers, meat sauce on bottom of pan (important: reserve the last 1/3 of sauce for the top layer)

6. Then, in repeating two layers on top of the original meat sauce base, layer:

• lasagna noodles
• sliced or grated mozzarella
• cottage cheese
• next layer of meat sauce

7. Sprinkle top of final and third meat sauce layer with Parmesan cheese

8. This will really top off the baking pan – just tuck in the edges of the cheese and sauce with a spatula and expect a touch of overflow.  Rotate once in oven while cooking if browning is not all the way even.

9. Bake 1 to 2 hrs. If top is brown and the middle bubbly, then done. Cool at least 45 minutes to serve.   (Best if sets up one-plus hour before serving, and fabulous when microwaved for seconds.)