Pistache Bistro dining in Palm Beach
Visiting Palm Beach with friends, we dined at Pistache French Bistro for authentic French bistro cuisine and surprisingly, also an authentic French Bistro atmosphere, setting and vibe!
The ambiance of Pistache exceeded our expectations in its authenticity, warmth, comfort and setting.
Despite the chic and fun dining room (s), we opted to dine al fresco, outside on the patio, overlooking the nearby park and inter-coastal waterway in the distance.
What fun! It felt like we were in San Tropez on the Côte d’Azur in the south of France, sans the men playing bocci in the park!.
And the menu was equally authentic!
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The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winning winelist featured a selection of French as well as American labels, with selections in each wine group, at the range of price points from budget to ultra-premium.
I spent a fair amount of time studying the wine list on-line before hand, and selected a Champagne, a white and a red wine considerations for our dinner accompaniments/pairing.
Not knowing what which entrees and thus associated pairing would be selected, or whether the wines would be available, I took along two bottles, BYOB, just in case, as back-ups. Notably, I selected, and took along, somewhat moderately priced, but high QPR labels in deference to our friends.
In the end, each of my preferences were no longer available, and with the blessing and consent of our server, we opened both of my BYOB bottles. Typically, I would purchase a bottle from the winelist, in addition to opening a BYOB label, not offered on the winelist. The corkage fee (s) more than compensated for my bottles.
I can’t help but partake of French fine cuisine delicacies, I started with the PATÉ DE CAMPAGNE, with House Made Pickles, Mustards, Petite Salad, Toasted Crostini, along with the SEARED FOIE GRAS, with Roasted Apple, Grapes, Cranberry Reduction and Brioche Toast. Both were delicious although the Foie Gras would’ve been better had it been served warmer, or hot.
For our entrees, our friends selected the
Coq Au Vin and the Roasted Chicken entrees.
Linda selected the Branzino, which was by far the selection of the evening.
For my entree I selected the Beef Borgogne.
The white wine was an ideal pairing all the others’ selections, aside my Beef Borgogne.
Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay 2023I challenged Bob at Total Wine in Palm Beach Gardens for a rich, full, round Chardonnay, in a forward but ‘well behaved’ or balanced style - a poor man’s version of two recent Chardonnays featured recently in these pages - Kosta Brown One - Sixteen, and the David Arthur Carneros Chardonnay. He without hesitation pointed me to this top seller favorite, from a notable Winemaker.
Winemaker Rob Lloyd and his wife Bonnie Lloyd founded Lloyd Cellars in 2009 with the mission: “to make the wines we love – big, flavorful, and deeply connected to California’s best vineyards”. They partner with leading growers in Napa Valley Carneros, Sta. Rita Hills, Clarksburg, and the North Coast to source grapes to craft expressive, small-lot wines that “punch way above their weight”.
Rob Lloyd became one of California’s most respected winemakers, honing the craft over decades working from the lab to the vineyards in several notable wineries including La Crema and Rombauer.
Rob earned his Master’s degree in Enology from the University of California, Davis in 1999.
He began working at La Crema in Sonoma working as an Enologist and Assistant Winemaker, where gained invaluable experience producing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Rob worked at well known Rombauer Vineyards from 2001-2008, progressing from Assistant Winemaker (2001-2003) to Associate Winemaker (2003-2006) and eventually Head Winemaker (2006-2008).
Since 2008 when Rob and his wife, Bonnie Lloyd, founded Lloyd Cellars, they have pursued a shared vision to produce rich, full-bodied wines, specializing in expressive Chardonnays and balanced Cabernet Sauvignons, sourcing from the best vineyards across California.
From 2009-2014, Rob worked as Co-Founder and Winemaker of JaM Cellars, becoming one of the best-selling wine brands in the country.
Since 2009 Rob served as Executive Winemaker at Handwritten Cellars, and Jessup Cellars, and since
2014, as Owner and Winemaker at Prescription Vineyards, crafting wines that showcase the unique terroir of the Clarksburg region, with a focus on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This Lloyd Cellars 2023 label is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Sangiacomo Vineyard in the Los Carneros AVA (appellation). Spanning the southern end of both Napa and Sonoma counties, down near San Pablo Bay, the area’s cool growing conditions produces some of California’s best-known Chardonnays.
It was barrel-fermented, 100% malolactic fermentation, aged 10 months left on the lees in American oak barrels.
It was rated 94 points by Tasting Panel Magazine.
Winemaker’s rating notes - “ This is a white wine for people who drink red. Big, rich, and unapologetically bold, with tropical pineapple and toasted coconut on the nose and ripe apple and pear bringing the acidity that most Chardonnays in this style never find. Full malolactic and generous oak aging build a creamy, full-bodied palate, but the acidity runs underneath the whole thing and keeps it alive from the first sip to the last. That's the balance. That's what makes it worth finishing the bottle.”
Golden straw colored, medium plus bodied, rich, creamy, and buttery, bold, expressive, aromas of yellow apple, butter, toast, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, brioche, with notes of oak and vanilla and hints of spice, caramel and butterscotch, with moderate acidity on a long finish.
RM 90 points.
For my Beef entree I took BYOB this Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend.
Robert Craig Affinity 2022 excepted here.
Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2022
We hold more than two decades of this label dating back to the inaugural release in 1993. This is part of a case we acquired of this label at the release party at the winery high atop Howell Mountain, so it is one we know well.
I have written about Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in these pages many times including this detailed blogpost back in 2019, and again in 2021 in this post - Tomahawk Rib-eye Dinner features Robert Craig Affinity Duo, both partially excerpted below.Robert Craig is one of our favorite Napa Valley producers and represents one of our largest holdings in our cellar. We've held many wine dinners with Robert and Lynn Craig and attended many events at the estate and winery. We have many fond memories of those dinners, lunches and other tasting events, and hearing Robert talk about this label.
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| Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons |
Affinity is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio such that Robert always took immense pride in this label, as the entry level introduction to his 'three mountains and a valley' appellation select Napa Cabernets, referring to his appellation designated premium labels from Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Spring Mountain. There were also bottlings from Atlas Peak and Mt George and in later years he would say ‘five mountains and a valley’. He took pride in this providing early gratification quality drinking at an early age, yet as shown tonight, it has some longevity for aging for a decade or more.
I recall many times, Robert speaking fondly of this label and the QPR - quality price ratio it provided, as he strived to hold the price point of this wine to provide excellent value and be a draw to the Robert Craig brand. The appellation designated labels sold for twenty to thirty percent more. I wrote recently about the discontinuation of the Mt Veeder label after two decades of being one of the flagship labels. This was especially poignant as this was Robert's favorite label of the portfolio, having started his career on Mt Veeder. Sadly, Robert passed away in 2019 and I wrote about him in a Tribute Blog at that time. I opened a 2007 vintage of his favorite label, Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon that evening.
I wrote back in 2019 about Robert's passing in a Tribute to Robert Craig, when the business turned over to new leadership.
Robert never promoted or played up the fact this label was a carefully crafted Bordeaux Blend comprising all the Bordeaux varietals, rather he focused on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.
Producer’s note - “The 2021/2022 bottlings of Affinity marks our departure (at least for the next few years) from the La Londe Vineyard in Coombsville. For this vintage, we looked to our mountain estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder to provide the backbone of the wine, rounded out by a handful of longtime Napa Valley growers who have long contributed to this hillside Bordeaux blend. We continue to produce a wine that is powerful and ageworthy, yet supple enough to be enjoyed upon release. More so than ever, Affinity provides savvy Craig lovers with a Napa collectible at a tremendous price point.”
This is sourced from numerous Craig Vineyards: Winery Estate Vineyard, Candlestick Ridge Vineyard, Amentet Vineyard and Temple Vineyard in the Napa AVA’s (appellations):Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Pope Valley, and Napa Valley
The blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
Producer’s tasting notes - “ The 2022 vintage of Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon is marked by an increase in power and complexity over more forward-fruit driven wines from Southern Napa in previous vintages. For this vintage, we looked to our mountain estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder to provide the backbone of the wine, rounded out by a handful of talented Napa Valley growers who have long contributed to this mountain and hillside sourced Bordeaux blend. We continue to produce a wine that is powerful and ageworthy, yet supple enough to be enjoyed upon release.”
“A powerful yet slightly restrained wine with sweet spices on the nose and generous dark-fruit flavors on the palate. A full body and fine-grained tannins support black cherries, star anise, black licorice, iron and blackcurrants. Drinkable now but best from 2028.”
James Suckling awarded this 93 points and Vinous gave it 92 points.
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright, expressive, round concentrated black berry, black plum and black currant fruits accented by notes of black tea, anise, hints of tobacco leaf and leather with polished fine grained tannins on the lingering finish.
RM 91 points.
