Showing posts with label Louis Latour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louis Latour. Show all posts

Friday, August 13, 2021

Anniversary Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Anniversary Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park 

For our anniversary celebration dinner we dined at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park, one of our favorite eateries. 

Hemmingway's Bistro' menu combines classic French dishes with the fresh Midwest ingredients crafted by Chef Ala, a certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation with 25 years of professional cooking experience. 

In 1999, Ala was the opening Executive Chef of the Historic Allerton Hotel in Chicago after their 80 million dollar renovation. Ala has also ran Le Meriden Hotel and Chez Paul Restuarant in Chicago.

In Boston, Ala was the Chef of The Colonnade Hotel and Brasserie Jo. In Florida, he was at Boca Raton Resort and Club and spent seven years in the Caribbean working at resorts in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

Ala features daily specials of fresh seafood, typically East-coast seafood flown in daily from Boston, a daily Souffle, Pate or Foie Gras, and each weekend, their signature Beef Wellington. 

They have a thoughtful, carefully selected winelist with a nice offering of WBTG - Wines By The Glass. They also have an appropriate corkage policy and we typically bring a bottle from our cellar to accompany a winelist selection.

I pulled from our cellar a couple of special bottles from which to choose based on our entree selections, but in the end we opted to select a couple of WBTG - wines by the glass, from the winelist, allowing us to each select different wines to accompany our entree selections.  

We opened with Roederer Brut Premier Champagne

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1128546

Linda had their signature Baked Brie in puff pastry with Apricot preserves, wildflower honey and almonds, which she paired with a Russian River Valley Chardonnay

I started with their delectable Foie Gras on a bed of turnips with peaches, balsamic and honey glaze. I paired the Foie Gras with a Bourgogne Marsannay from Louis Latour

 
With my Foie Gras I had this Burgundian Pinot Noir.
 
Louis Latour Marsannay Pinot Noir 2017
 
This is from Marsannay, the village which marks the northern gateway to the Côte d'Or on leaving Dijon, the capital of Burgundy and home to the Ducs de Bourgogne. This village marks the beginning of the Route des Grands Crus which follows the N6 highway through the Côte d'Or.

Wines from Marsannay are generally lively and robust; characteristics that come from the rich iron soil. Marsannay received its Appellation Contrôlée as recently as 1987 in recognition of the consistently high quality of its wine.

Winemaker notes for this release: "Our Marsannay is sturdy and robust due to the rich iron-based soil. The wine has an intense bouquet of red fruit and a silky palate with a distinct gamey character and great tannic appeal."

Reviewers notes for this label: James Suckling gave it 91 points, Wine Spectator 90/100 and a 'Top Value', the Burgundy Report, Bill Nanson (UK), cited "Delicious".

This was an ideal complement to the Foie Gras, 

RM 90 points. 

 
 

Our entree selections were the daily fish special, Striped Sea Bass in a Meuniere sauce for Linda, and I had the Duck A L'orange, served on a bed of braised cabbage in Gran Marnier sauce and pommes dauphine. 

 
After tasting the Burgundian Chardonnay with its clean clear crisp acidity, Linda opted for the Russian River Valley Sonoma Chardonnay for its bigger, bolder, fuller body with a more buttery flavor profile, more suited to the white wine butter Meuniere sauce.

  
 
Lake Sonoma Winery Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018
 
Winemaker Notes: Aromas of tangerine, pear, tropical fruit and creamy oak. Flavors of white peach, Charentais melon, crème brulee with a lengthy orange citrus and vanilla bean coated finish.
 
Wine pundit Wilson Wong of Wine.com gave this 89 points noting its aromas and flavors of dried peach and savory spices.
 
45% of this Russian River Chardonnay was barrel fermented in 30% French oak (15% neutral barrels), with the remainder fermented in stainless steel. 75% of the juice went through a softening malolactic fermentation during its one year of ageing.
 
Gold colored, medium bodied, notes of pear, pineapple, butter, and vanilla with accents of peach, pear, and mandarin orange.

RM 88 points. 
 
 
 
My wine selection for the main course was another Pinot Noir, this time an Oregon Willamette Valley from Roots Vineyards. 
 
 

Roots Wine Company Klee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019

This is a mainstay of the carefully selected Hemingway's WBTG feature offerings. I've had several vintages releases of this label at Hemmingway's over the years, either with their pate', the Foie Gras, or tonight, with the Duck. 

This is from producer winemaker and winegrower Chris Berg, born in Racine, Wisc., and raised in Idaho, Pennsylvania and Illinois. After graduating from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, with a bachelor's in English, he followed his parents, Chuck and Dian Berg, to Oregon from Illinois to work with them in their manufacturing company in Tualatin, Ore. There Chris soon set upon planting a small vineyard.

In 1999, the Bergs planted seven acres of mostly Pinot Noir on the 20-acre property near Yamhill in the Yamhill-Carlton District of the Willamette Valley. Chuck and Dian built a small house on the vineyard, and Chris lived in Portland with his wife, Hilary. They closed the doors of the manufacturing business in 2000, and the Bergs found themselves full-time in the winery business. 

Chris and Hilary moved to the vineyard from Portland in 2001 and in 2002, picked their first harvest of three tons, which were produced 72 cases of Pinot Noir. 

Today, Roots produces approximately 5,000 cases annually, the flagship estate Pinot Noir, as well as eight single vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs, sourced mostly from neighboring vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. They also produce a Grenache, Pinot Gris, Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling named after their son, Theo. Roots' reserve Pinot Noir label, Racine, honors the town in which Chris was born. (The name means "root" in French).

Roots' second label, Klee (named after artist Paul Klee), makes up the largest portion of the case production. 3400 cases were produced of this release. 

This label, akin to an artists series label, pays homage to one of winemaker/owner Chris Berg’s favorite artists, named for the famous Bauhaus artist Paul Klee. 

The artwork on the label is an adaptation of a painting called Solution “ee”. of the Birthday Assignment, 1924. Berg likens this wine to the Bauhaus school where art is for the people, this wine is for the people! 

In homage to one of Chris' favorite artists,
the artwork is their own adaptation of a Klee painting. 

This Pinot Noir is sourced from 14 family-owned vineyards located in the North Willamette Valley, west of Portland, about 40% located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and coming mostly from sedimentary and alluvial soil. 

 

  

Garnet colored, medium bodied, this was bright and vibrant with fruit forward notes spicy ripe black cherry, black raspberry, and plum, with hints of cedar, fresh-crushed herbs, and earthiness. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3902204

Roots Wine Company 

https://roots.wine/ 

We finished the evening with the classic Hemingway's Souffle, tonight's feature raspberry, which we enjoyed with a shared glass of Sambucca!


 

 




Friday, September 23, 2011

Authentic French Wine & Dine Adventure - Le Petit Cafe Redoux

Authentic French Wine & Dine Adventure - Le Petit Cafe Redoux  - 

Imagine leaving the city and driving out to a French country village for an exquisite, quaint dining experience. Such is dining at the French bistro Le Petit Cafe in Bloomington, Indiana which provides an authentic Provencal dining experience as if you've been transported from Southern Indiana to Southern France. You'll not find a more hospitable atmosphere; the food and wine experience is straight out of the Libournais, true to the roots of the owners who also cook and serve. Don't expect elegance and haute cuisine, you'll get honest home style cooking, great food paired with select wines - all at very reasonable prices. For the wine aficionado or gourmand, don't expect a fancy or complex wine list, just ask for wines to accompany the food and leave it at that! You won't be overwhelmed, disappointed or taken for a ride - expect a complete, authentic dining experience at a reasonable fair price. Our complete dinner with wine, shared starter and shared desert was about $30 per person including tip. Don't expect an itemized detailed bill - consider it as a price-fix meal.

The menu is recited by the server or written in marker on the white board if you happen to be seated at that end of the dining room - beef, foul, fish or game, with soup or salad, accompanied by side dishes served family style. With reasonable prices and such authenticity, go for the starter appetizers and deserts to take in all that is to offer for a complete dining experience.

On this visit there were ten of us allowing us too experience everything on offer - steak with blue cheese and butter, steak with olive oil and garlic, white fish with shrimp, rabbit with brown sauce, and chicken with white wine cream sauce. All were delicious, served with a side of cooked carrots and eggplant ravioli with herbs. The appetizers, a memorable pate and a nice delicate puffed pastry with cheese were exquisite. The chocolate gato (cake) desert with cream sauce was sinfully wonderful.

To accompany all the entrees and each course we had four different wines - two Southern Rhones, and two Burgundies. The Burgundies served up as accompaniments to dinner were thoughtfully selected wines, quality easy drinking, wonderfully and appropriately matched to the food.   While they don't boast or profess a wine cellar or extensive winelist, as with each previous visit, we were delighted by the wine courses. On this evening, we were treated to a red and wine Burgundy from the 2000 and 2003 vintages. The other two wines, two southern Rhones from the 1998 vintage were by pre-arrangement. 



The wines:

Domaine Santa Duc, Prestige des Hautes Garrigues Gigondas 1998 - 
This was the biggest of the four wines, even moreso than the Chateauneuf-du-Pape - and was a perfect accompaniment to the pate and the steaks. Dark color - medium - full bodied. As we work through this case in its 12th year, this wine seems to be more subdued but more balanced, integrated and polished than when younger. Still exhibiting full forward black berry, black cherry and hints of anise, slight earthy leather on a moderate firm tannin finish.

RM 90 points. 

 



Domaine De La Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape 1998 -

From one of the biggest private owned estates in Chateauneuf du Pape, this was medium bodied and complex - good with the pate, the steaks and rabbit dish as well as the chocolate desert.  Dark garnet color, medium bodied, with slightly tart red fruit, pepper, berry, mineral, spice nose; it was very tasty, balanced, slightly tart berry, blackberry, black cherry with mineral  palate, hints of earthy tobacco and cassis and a medium-plus finish. The blend is  60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah and 5% Muscardin.

RM 88 points. Consistent notes w/ earlier tastings.

92 point Wine Spectator: "Beautiful. Black in color, thick in texture, with delicious ripe fruit and silky, sweet tannins. This balanced, full-bodied Châteauneuf delivers harmony and pleasure from start to finish, although it emphasizes fruit over terroir." (11/02). 90 Points Robert Parker: "The 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape boasts a dense, saturated purple color, as well as an enticing, sweet nose of black fruits, licorice, and violets. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, and impressively concentrated, with a long finish, it will be at its finest between 2003-2016."


Gilles Noblet, Domaine De La Collonge, Macon-Fuisse 2003

Very fresh and acidulous nose of exotic fruits - lychee and subtle apple, with violet and white flowers notes. Great balance, ample and round with a mineral touch. Delicate and soft easy drinking to accompany the salad but supple and full enough to go with the fish and chicken dishes as well. 


What a delightful and fun wine. We learn that Domaine de la Collonge is situated in the village of Fuissé,  the heart of the Pouilly- Fuissé Appellation in the southern Mâconnais. This is Burgundy’s southernmost area and one of the most prestigious vineyards of the Maconnais. The estate has been handed down from father to son for four generations and is now run by Gilles Noblet who has improved it greatly. Gilles Noblet is among the most respected of a new-breed of Mâconnais producers. When he is not occupied with the volunteer fire department in Fuissé, he is busy tending the vines and the cellars of his Domaine de la Collonge. Noblet’s Domaine de la Collonge represents the best artisan traditions of the region: respect for the different “terroirs” of the domaine, low yields in the vineyards that total 9 hectares, meticulous winemaking that expresses both Chardonnay fruit and the characteristics of the vineyards’ earth, with a gentle (20-30%) touch of oak.

The Domaine consists of small parcels of approximately 3 hectares each in three appellations in a region dominated by high-volume cooperatives and the labels of negociant producers, Noblet’s wines show the quality that can be attained in this region with a more personal and artisanal approach. They serve as a reminder of why the Mâconnais region, and Pouilly-Fuissé in particular, originally gained popularity and notoriety for producing some of the world’s best loved and best value Chardonnays. The 2006 Pouilly-Fuissé from Gilles Noblet was named among the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2008.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=107292 


Louis Latour, Les Garans Cote-D'Or  Fleurie 2000

From the vineyard of Les Garans, situated to the north-east of the village of Fleurie, acknowledged as one of the finest sites for growing top quality grapes because of its combination of unique soil composition and specific microclimate. This wine is deliciously floral on the nose and possesses great smoothness on the palate with a wonderful balancing acidity. Deep red in colour with a clean and rounded bouquet of ripe red fruits. Structured, balanced and quite sinewy on the finish.  This was a nice balance to the bigger Gigondas and CDP and a perfect accompaniement to the rabbit with brown sauce, yet sufficiently delicate to pair nicely with the chicken.


http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1220396 


Previous visit to Le Petit Cafe.
 

Le Petit Cafe on the web ... http://www.lpc1977.com/home.html


Friday, April 1, 2011

Hoosier Heartland Wine & Dine - B-Town Weekend Getaway

Hoosier Heartland Wine & Dine - B-Town Weekend Getaway 

A visit to Big Ten 'B-Town', Bloomington, Indiana. Weekend getaway to visit son Alec, IU Kelly B-school student, and to celebrate his (21st!) birthday .

Le Petit Cafe - Casual cultural dining - authentic Provencal Country French dining experience - food, ambiance, due to and brought by French hosts. Dinner with L, Erin & Lucy, Alec and buddies Zach and Jordan.

Selections are posted on a white board - a couple of starter selections - pate, cheese credite, entrees - beef, fish, chicken or pork. sides are family style - a starch and a veggie and a medley of deserts.

Wines are fundamentally simple, French - white or red, tastefully and creatively selected to accompany the dinner selections. The husband wife team share duties of cooking and serving.

Service is focused, genuine, attentive, and sincere.   

Louis Latour Morgon Les Charmes Beaune Cote-d-Or 1999

The suggested selection served with our meal. Pleasant easy drinking - medium light bodied - garnet color - black cherry fruits, dusty rose, hint of tobacco on a moderate, short tannin finish. A good value in a Pinot Noir wine.  

Nice complement to cheese, salad and the beef entries.

RM 88 points.










Viader Napa Valley Proprietary Red 1990

Alec's birth-year wine to celebrate his 21st birthday weekend. This wine was pre-arranged to be available for our special occasion dinner.

Very Bordeaux like - subdued black berry fruit, floral, leather, tobacco and a hint of spice layer on a moderate soft tannin finish.  Cabernet Sauvignon 68%, Cabernet Franc 32%.
RM 91 points.

Nice complement to the beef entries, chocolate deserts. 


 
The spectacular Viader Howell Mountain Estate was featured during our Viader Napa Valley Wine Experience 2008.

Delia Viader was featured at a Binny's an evening with Delia Viader vertical wine tasting in Lakeview, Chicago. 



More to come ...