Seafood dinner at Parker’s American Grill Downers Grove IL
Returning from an outing in Oak Brook, IL, we stopped for an early dinner at Parker’s American Grill in Downers Grove IL.
I had a taste for a seafood and wine dinner, ideally a light white fish such as one of my favorites, sole muniere’.
We chose to dine outside on the terrace and were the only patrons to do so, having the whole patio to ourselves. The venue feels a bit old and tired and frankly is showing its age, perhaps needing a refresh.
For starters we had the Marinated Beets and Goat Cheese with Greek Yogurt, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Basil and a surprisingly interesting and tasty Pomegranate Molasses; the Roasted Tomato and Burrata Crostini on Tasted Sourdough with Basil Oil; and the Lobster Bisque Garnished with Lobster Meat & Chives.
I regret to say, these were generally uninspiring given their prices, especially the Crostini which was overly soggy such that it was difficult to eat as a toast point.
For the main course, Linda chose a starter as her entree, the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Mango Salsa, Sriracha Aioli and Yucca Chips. This was delectable.
For my entree I selected the Cedar Plank Roasted Lake Superior Whitefish, served with Whipped Potatos, Charred Lemon, Sautéed Garlic Spinach in Lemon Butter Sauce.
The whitefish was served hot with a nice presentation but was also an uninspiring, perhaps I was hoping for a brighter, bolder sauce.
We each chose a WBTG (wine-by-the-glass) selection for our entree wine accompaniment from the extensive wine list - a Wine Spectator Best of Excellence Award with a broad and deep selection of California French and Australia wines, with offerings from Italy, Germany and the new world as well.
The Wine Director is Kyle Chambers and Sommelier is Fred Gore who oversee and manage the collection of 360 different labels from an inventory of 2,680 bottles. They also offer an appropriate and fair corkage fee of $25.
Parker’s American Wine List - download - https://parkersamerican.com/bar/#menu-wine-list.
Linda selected the Jean Marie La Villaudiere. Sancerre’ 2023
This is Sauvignon Blanc from the upper Loire River Valley, synonymous with Sancerre, it is the home to Sauvignon Blanc in Europe producing wines that are crisp and fruity, with racy acidity.
The Loire valley soil is composed of limestone and fossilized seashells, which gives the wines their signature minerality.
Domaine de la Villaudiere has been handed down through several generations to current generation owner producer Jean-Marie Reverdy. Jean-Marie manages the estate with his wife, Catherine, and their two sons, Guillaume, who serves as winemaker, and Baptiste.
The 35 acre family estate is surrounded by vineyards and overlooks the village of Verdigny offering picturesque views of the famous Sancerre hill and its vineyards.
The vineyards consist of 68 plots featuring vines averaging 40 years in age, with ideal southeast exposure that ensures gradual ripening. This white Sancerre combines two unique terroirs: Terres Blanches clay-limestone slopes for complex, structured wines, and Caillottes dry limestone slopes for lively, fruity expressions.
Importer notes - “This wine displays a limpid, pale yellow hue with golden highlights. Expressive on the nose, combining floral fragrances with aromas of white peach and exotic fruit (pineapple, passion fruit). Well-balanced and honest on entry, the wine is underpinned by freshness and powerful, long-lasting acidity on the finish, revealing a lovely minerality.”
Producer’s Notes - “A clear, light yellow colour with golden tints. The nose is expressive, combining floral aromas with white peaches and exotic fruit (pineapple, passion fruit). A bold attack harmoniously combines with freshness and tension on the palate, and is followed by a long powerful finish, bringing out a beautiful minerality.”
Straw colored, light bodied, soft notes of peach, passion fruit and hints of apple with chalky minerality on the crisp finish.
RM 88
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4986591
I selected the
2022 Chalk Hill Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Chalk Hill Estate was founded in 1972 by Fred Furth when he discovered the natural amphitheater carved into the hills of eastern Sonoma County, sitting on Chalk Hill Road just east of California Hwy 101, 20 miles north of Santa Rosa, 10 miles south of Healdsburg with elevated views of the Russian River Valley to the west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the east.
Most of the the 1300-acre Chalk Hill Estate remains uncultivated with wilderness areas amidst the culinary garden, residence, stables, equestrian pavilion, sports fields, fishing and swimming ponds, and of course the vineyards, winery and hospitality center with guest houses.
The estate sits in the namesake Chalk Hill AVA, which has the climate and soils perfectly suited for growing wine grapes. The unique terroir distinguishes Chalk Hill from the neighboring appellations – the cooler Russian River Valley to the west and the warmer Alexander Valley to the northeast. Elevations in Chalk Hill are higher; soil fertility is lower with its distinctive layer of chalk-colored volcanic ash which inspired the name of Chalk Hill, the appellation, and the estate.
The diversity of the Chalk Hill topography creates a broad spectrum of different sites across which can be planted both red and white varieties. The lower, cooler sites are perfect for Chardonnay while the steeper, warmer, south-facing slopes are superbly suited to ripen Bordeaux varietals.
Chalk Hill Estate was one of the first wineries in the area to focus on Chardonnay as its flagship wine. The first vineyards planted on the estate were 11 acres of Chardonnay known as the Founder’s Block.
Beginning in 1996 Chalk Hill partnered with UC Davis to research Chardonnay clones. Through extensive trials, 17 clones were harvested separately from which they made, bottled, and evaluated the wines for 5 vintages – 1999-2003. The top-6 clones were selected to replant the rest of the Estate. Today Chalk Hill is now home to 23 different clones of Chardonnay, including the proprietary “Chalk Hill Chardonnay Clone 97”.
Today, 300 acres of vineyards are woven through the native foliage and contoured to fit the intricate terrain, planted two-thirds to Chardonnay along with Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and red wine varietals Pinot Noir and lesser amounts of Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Chalk Hill was declared an AVA, American Viticulture Area in 1983, the Chalk Hill appellation being one of 13 across Sonoma County.
In 2010 Chalk Hill was acquired by Foley Family Wines. Bill Foley
Starting in 2011, they produce this Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, and entry level offering, crafted from the Bill Foley wine estates in Sonoma, blended with fruit from various sites across Sonoma Russian River Valley and Carneros.
Winemaker notes - “ Our 2022 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is bright, forward, balanced and approachable. Enticing aromas of red apple, spice, nectarine, and baked bread lead into a broadtextured, and creamy palate. With its cool-climate influences, this chardonnay has remarkable varietal intensity, balanced acidity and mineral notes that complement the flavors of fresh peach and honey.”
The 2022 vintage was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 91points by Wine Enthusiast.
Golden straw colored, medium bodied, round notes of subdued green apple and pear with a layer of chalky mineral and brown spice on a moderate finish.
RM 88
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