Elle’s Italian Dining in Western Springs, IL

Elle’s Italian Dining in Western Springs, IL

As summer winds down, we had an impromptu lunch at Elle’s Italian Pub Restaurant in Western Springs, IL with daughter Erin who walked there with Linda from her home in the neighborhood. Elle’s is situated downtown in the heart of chic tony Western Springs, adjacent the Post Office, just off Burlington Street and the Metra Rail Station. 

Elle’s is in the former Vie Restaurant with a completely renovated  and reconfigured bar and dining room, and sidewalk outdoor seating for alfresco dining, which we took advantage of on a perfect late summer afternoon. 

Elle’s specializes in made from scratch Roman Pizzas with hand crafted dough, and a broad selection of Italian Specialties. They offer a daily lunch menu and an all-day main menu, from which the girls ordered the Arancini alla Vodka - crispy risoto, roasted garlic, herbs, house mozzarella and Parmigiana Reggiano, and the Salmon Quinoa Salad - leafy greens, basil, mint, mango, avocado, tomatos, cucumber, organic quinoa and lemon basil vinagrette. 

Linda and I shared the Heirloom Beets and Ricotta Cheese salad - organic beets, whipped ricotta, pistachios, EVOO, Arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Vinagrette.    

I ordered the Beef Short Ribs and Polenta with spinach, garlic, mushrooms, tomato Demi and Parmiagana Reggiano. 

Everything was delicious, thoughtfully prepared and presented with fresh bread and honey comb. 

Taking advantage of 1/2 price bottle Wednesday, we ordered a bottle from the carefully selected, primarily Italian Wine List.

Bacci Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico DOCG 2022

Castello di Bossi dates back to the 9th century in a historic ancient Bossi Castle, located in the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost appellation of Chianti Classico, in the province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany. It is located about 30 miles southeast of Florence and about 9 miles east of Siena. 

Castello di Bossi is owned and managed by Marco Bacci who oversees all operations, from beginning to end, with careful attention to detail. With his brother Maurizio, Marco owns one of the best collections of estates in Tuscany, and is creating high-quality wines from some of the top Tuscan appellations. 

In addition to Castello di Bossi, they also own and manage these Tuscan estates: Castello di Bossi, Tenuta di Renieri and Barbaione in Chianti Classico, Renieri Brunello di Montalcino and Terre di Talamo on the Tuscan coast in the Morellino di Scansano denomination, the Maremma. 

Bacci Wines represents Tuscan excellence in the world of wine, with a focus on the most renowned DOCG, DOC and IGT designated wines of the region: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Morellino di Scansano. 

Bacci produce a diverse range of wines with over twenty labels of reds, a half dozen whites, a couple rosés and sweet wine passitos. Total production is 800,000 bottles annually. 

With the purchase of Renieri in Montalcino, Marco became recognized as the producer of the third best wine in the world with Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2010. After three years, his 2015 Brunello di Montalcino was recognized as the second wine in the world. 

Beyond Tuscany, Bacci also produces wines in Sicily at their Terre Darrigo estate located on the slopes of the Etna volcano in the denomination that bears the same name. Marco Bacci's latest project is in Sardinia in Barbagia in the Municipality of Mamojada.

Marco Bacci was born in Florence in 1959, into a family that has always been linked to Tuscany. During his first successful career in clothing, he developed a passion for wine and purchased Castello di Bossi in 1984. Over time, his wine interests evolved from an important hobby to his primary business ans he made Castello di Bossi his home in 1998. The first bottle of Corbaia from Castello di Bossi was released with the 1985 vintage. 

Following in his father's footsteps, Marco's son Jacopo joined the company in 2004, first on the production side, then active in sales in the US and Asian markets.

The wine consultant is Alberto Antonini and Federico Curtaz is the agronomist. 

Castillo di Bossi is labeled Chianti Classico. One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716. 

In the 1930s the Italian government appended this historic zone with additional land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. In 1996, Chianti Classico became autonomous when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti. 

Chianti Classicos designated wines are typically made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. 

Marco Bacci’s vision as he has brought Castello di Bossi to the highest ranks of international wine. The Castello di Bossi estate and vineyards are located in the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost appellation of Chianti Classico. Amid evergreen woods the long rows of vines cover an area of 370 acres. 

The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.

This Chianti Classico is made from 100% Sangiovese, remaining true to the terroir of Chianti it is grown in soils with high chalk content, this wine shows just how good this varietal can taste. Designated a DOCG wine, it represents great QPR - Quality Price Ratio at a retail price of about $30.  

This release was rated 93 points by James Suckling.

Winemaker Notes - “Deep, ruby-red in color, this Chianti Classico offers aromas of ripe cherries and red plums, with subtle notes of toasted vanilla beans and purple flowers. On the palate, the wine displays a superbly structured character with bright acidity and a pleasantly savory finish.”

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, full round bright cherry and plum fruits with notes of cedar, truffles and chalky mineral with a pleasant flavorful finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5272357

https://www.bacciwines.it/

https://www.ellasitalianpub.com/

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe’

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classe with Waygu Beef at Entourage DG 

Having been traveling for much of the month of July, Friday night dining out, we returned to Entourage Restaurant in nearby Downers Grove, which has become our favorite go-to eatery with a diverse menu of delectable selections. This was a return visit for us with friends/neighbors Richard and Adessa. 

We’ve featured Entourage numerous times in these pages, most notably our Pour Boys Wine Group dinner at Entourage last fall. This is the same restaurant group that has a sister restaurant in Naperville, also featured in these pages in  Plumpjack Reserve Napa Chardonnay at Entourage Restaurant Naperville.

After dinner, we enjoyed the live band performing on the fountain square at the train station, immediately across the street. This is a bonus for those dining outside at Entourage!

Prior to dinner we enjoyed two favorite features … taking advantage of the Social Hour, ‘early bird’ specials, we ordered the Rosemary Focaccia Bread - “Made Fresh Daily”, served with Mediterranean Olives and Sea Salt Butter. While it may be easy to discount this as a simple bread plate, it’s delicious! 

Additionally, prior to our main course, we enjoyed the Roasted Beets and Whipped Goat Cheese Salad - Arugula, Baby Gem with Spicy Pecans, Fennel, Hot Honey and Grapefruit Citrus Vinaigrette. As always, this was delicious - a wonderful pairing of flavors.

For dinner, I had one of my favorite dishes that I look forward to, but can only take occasionally, which is understandable when you see the sensational presentation! 

This signature entree continues to be amazing! It’s enough for two dinners, tonight, and then a follow on with the take-home leftovers. On occasion, we’ve actually ordered a second one for carry out to take home. 

Entourage Signature Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

This was delicious and with ample portions - enough for a follow on take home meal with two large slices of meatloaf, but not enough of the delectable pomme puree’! But where would you put it in that tower, or what they call a ‘Sundae’!

Linda ordered what has become one of her favorite entree’s, Entourage classic signature Shrimp and Grits -  Spicy Shrimp & Jalapeno Grits - Blackened Wild Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Charred Jalapeno, Charred Corn, Baby Peppers and Creole Cream. Richard also ordered this dish on her recommendation and loved it as well. 

Adessa ordered the Waygu Beef sliders and loved them. 

To pair with my Waygu beef meatloaf, I brought BYOB from our home cellar this aged vintage Right Bank Bordeaux for a perfect food-wine pairing. 

Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

Grand Cru Classe’ producer Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 25 hectares of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991. 

Looking back at our CellarTracker tasting notes, and blogposts in these pages, this is the fourth bottle of this label we’ve enjoyed over the recent past, as we consume our remaining holdings of this label in its twentieth year, arguably at the prime, or reaching the end of its prime drinking window. We have one more remaining bottle from this vintage and I’ll miss this enjoyable label. (Records show we acquired no less than twenty bottles upon release - a great QPR - quality price ratio selection.) 

At twenty years the fill level was still fine but the cork was beginning to lose integrity as it pulled apart using a traditional corkscrew. I took my Ahso two pronged cork puller which would’ve most likely removed the cork in-tact, but I was too late and the cork disintegrated on the server who did his best to save it. 

Our server, Jason, is a Sommelier and relished the challenge and handled it well. In the end, feeble efforts to use a coffee filter, to remove the crumbled cork in the bottle,  I managed to pour the wine slowly, carefully into a decanter for serving. 

I wrote back in 2020, “It's hard to believe its been five years since I last tasted this label when I wrote,' at eleven years of age, I sense this is approaching the end of its prime drinking window as the fruits seem to have given way slightly to the emergence of the non-fruit flavors based on earlier tasting notes from three and five years ago'.

“We still hold three bottles of the case we acquired upon release. We'll need to consume these in the intermediate term, but it still has several years to go, yet.” 

My published tasting report notes for this label show nine postings with one a year ago when my notes were consistent with earlier tastings and project life still left in this release.

This vintage release was a blend of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).

Consistent with earlier notes … Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather, hints of cedar and spice, (earlier reports of mocha were not apparent), on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish - fruits slightly diminished from earlier tastings with seemingly increased acidity.

RM 89 points.*

*PS. A postscript to an earlier tasting, after a couple days open in the bottle, chilled, this wine returned to its earlier elegance, structured balance and fruit, regaining earlier rating of 89 points. Once again, I shouldn't P-n-P, pop and pour these complex aged wines, rather, give them respect, open them and allow them to breathe at least a couple hours before diving in! 

**PPS: And of course, pay attention to the cork condition and use appropriate instrument for extraction! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693

http://www.chateau-soutard.com/chateau-larmande-.aspx

https://entouragerestaurant.com/downers-grove/

Earlier, recent reviews of this label ….

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/chateau-larmande.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/chateau-larmande-2005.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/04/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html

Zuccardi Poliganos Malbec with pizza

 Zuccardi Poliganos Malbec with pizza 

Linda prepared a delicious homemade pizza with bacon, onion, chives, basil, honey cooked tomatoes and Parmesan. Following a delightful Malbec we had at lunch the other day, I pulled this Argentine Malbec for an accompaniment. As I have written often in these pages, an ideal food and wine pairing, such as this, accentuates and amplifies the enjoyment of both! 

Zuccardi San Pablo Poliganos Malbec 2021

Malbec is one of the five sanctioned Bordeaux varietals. It has found a home in Argentina where it has gained wide adoption and popularity as being ideally suited to the terroir there and is the number one grape varietal in the emerging burgeoning wine market.

We did a Malbec wine tasting with Linda’s woman’s social group last year wherein I wrote about the producer of this label, Zuccardi - Woman’s Social Group Argentine Wine Tasting.

One of those labels, like this one, was from the Zuccardi Family Winery in Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina. Today it is run by winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi whose grandfather planted the first grapevines in 1963 and has grown to become a leader in Argentine wine production.

From his father, José Alberto Zuccardi, Sebastián inherited the determination and desire to constantly strive for excellence.

Sebastián, third generation of the family, follows his father, José Alberto Zuccardi, leading a team of agricultural engineers and enologists, in producing some of the the highest quality wines in the Uco Valley.

The winery has had a research and development area since 2008, dedicated to studying the terroir and the diverse variables that affect wine quality. The goal, in Sebastián’s own words, is “not to strive for perfect wines, but wines that express the place, the region.”

The Zuccardi family have been exploring and experimenting with the potential of Malbec in the winery with new fermentation and aging vessels, and in the vineyard by challenging the accepted wisdom of the limits of viticulture and have moved their vines (and winery) closer to the Andes.

Poliganos is a family of Zuccardi wines, six white and six red from several sites across the Uco Valley representing a selection that expresses the particular characteristics of different terroirs within the Valley. 

The wines and the selection of vineyards account for the differences in altitude, soil and climate that characterize the subregions of San Pablo, Paraje Altamira and Tupungato. 

According to the rear label, the name “Poliganos refers to the many sides of a vineyard. Sebastián Zuccardi explores those many sides with grape selections from the micro regions of Mendoza, discovering how they impact the wines in their unique ways.”

Zuccardi Poligonos del Valle de Uco San Pablo Malbec 2021

This is 100% Malbec grapes from estate vineyards in the San Pablo Geographic Indication (GI), Tunuyán, Valle de Uco, Mendoza at 1,400m – one of the coolest regions in the Uco Valley.  Of all the Malbecs in the Polígonos range, the 2021 Polígonos San Pablo Malbec is the lighter and lowest in alcohol, coming from the cooler place, it is always the last Malbec to be harvested. A new addition to the Aluvional series is the 2021 Aluvional San Pablo, derived from vines planted in 2013 and entirely destemmed.

Located between 1,200 and 1,700 meters above sea level, and only 600 meters away from the mountain front, San Pablo has a cold and extreme climate, with very low minimum temperatures. Trees and streams abound in its landscape, configuring a true oasis in the foothills. Its alluvial soils originated in the Las Tunas River and present a layer of medium-sized gravel covered with calcareous material at approximately one meter deep. 

The whole Polígonos range represents very good value, all from owned vineyards that are worked organically but not certified. It is fermented with native yeasts in concrete vessels and aged in concrete.

This release was rated 95 by James Suckling and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 pts by Decanter and 93 pts by Vinous.

Winemaker Notes - “2021 was a great harvest. With cool and humid weather, the grape clusters had the necessary time to reach maturity with a perfect balance of sugar and acidity, and a strong tannin structure. Our meticulous work of separating plots and soil types for harvesting (which has been ongoing for over a decade) allowed us to harvest every corner of our vineyards at the perfect moment and thus showcase the great diversity that characterizes the Uco Valley.’

“Red in color with violet hues, the 2021 San Pablo Malbec expresses a great herbal character with notes of fresh red fruits. Lively acidity and subtlety of tannins in the mouth.”

This wine provides high QPR - Quality Price Ratio, being from Argentina, and being a Malbec, the least known varietal of the Bordeaux grapes. 

Deep inky garnet colored, full bodied, dense, rich, concentrated black berry and blue berry fruits accented by savory notes of black tea, herbs and tobacco leaf on a lively acidic tannin laced finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4533211

https://zuccardiwines.com/en/ 

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

Another quiet Tuesday night at home, we settled in to watch our time-phased recording of “The Voice” with a selection of artisan cheeses and bold sipping Shiraz wine - much like last week as featured in this post Long Shadows Sequel Syrah w/ Focaccia & Murray’s Cheese. 

Like last week, we had a selection of Murray’s and other cheeses, fresh whole berry jams, and fresh cut Chive herbs, with toasted sourdough bread. 

Tonight our cheeses included aged blue cheese, Gruyère, Beemster Swiss, aged white cheddar and aged sharp cheddar, 

For a wine accompaniment we pulled from the cellar this big bold everyday Australian Shiraz.

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

This label is from the partnership of two global beverage heavyweights, global wine producer and distributor Terlato and French based global producer Chapoutier. 

Suburban Chicago based, family owned, Terlato started as a retail store in 1938 and has grown into one of the world’s leading importers, marketers and producers of luxury beverage brands. Their global portfolio includes more than 85 fine wine and artisanal spirit brands from world-class producers in more than a dozen countries and is the leading fine wine & spirits marketer in the U.S. Some of their well known brands include Chimney Rock, Rutherford Hill and Rochioli in the US and I’ll Poggionne, Feudi di San Gregorio in Italy. Notably, they are the exclusive distributor of ultra-premium Gaia wines in North America and the portfolio also includes Champagne Roederer,Joseph Drouhin and Louis Latour.

Maison Chapoutier, founded in 1808, has vineyards throughout France, primarily the northern and southern Rhône river valleys, as well as in Portugal, Australia and Spain and produces iconic brands with over two hundred labels.

The Terlato & Chapoutier partnership dates back to 1987. Michel Chapoutier joined forces with the Terlato family (the company’s American distributor) in 2000. This domain brand is the company’s third project in Australia, and the second domain in Victoria, to the north-east of Melbourne. 

This is a single vineyard designated wine from the Pyrenees appellation in the Western Victoria sub-region of the Victoria wine region of Australia. While Victoria may be Australia’s second smallest state, it’s home to over 600 cellars, the largest number of individual wineries. 

Not to be confused with the Pyrenees region bordering southern France and Spain, the Australian appellation is the most prolific of three appellations in the sub-region, and is home to 50+ wineries that produce over 600 wines. 

The project is in the Central Highlands region in Western Victoria, Australia, about 198 kilometres west of Melbourne, on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera in what is known as the Grampians wine region.

The ares’s proximity between 100 -200 kilometres to the Southern Ocean provides a Mediterranean climate with cooling influence during summer.

This label, Lieu dit is a French term referring to a specific part of a vineyard or region recognized for its own topographic or historical specificities, commonly used in Alsace, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley. It is a bit disingenuous for Chapoutier to use it outside of France. 

The Grampians wine region’s primary variety is Shiraz. The region also produces Sparking Shiraz, Riesling, the best performing white variety in the region, along with Chardonnay that can also be found. Cabernet Sauvignon is found in some of the older vineyards, and Pinot Noir is starting to gain a foothold as a straight varietal. In recent years, Italian varietals such as Pinot Grigio (or Gris), Sangiovese annd Dolcetto are making their mark with a growing legion of fans.

The region is know as Shiraz Central in the Victoria Highlands, and it is grown throughout the region in the towns and sub-appellations of Ballarat, Bendigo, Goulburn Valley, Grampians, Heathcote, Macedon Ranges, Pyrenees, Strathbogie Ranges, Sunbury and Upper Goulburn.

Scattered among the old gold mining towns, 250 wineries benefit from long sunny days and cool nights that produce a cool, spicy Australian shiraz, notable for their complexity and finesse.

Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu-Dit-Malakoff Shiraz 2019

Winemaker notes - Deep ruby. Highly aromatic with black fruit aromas (black cherry and black currant) and undertones of dark chocolate, white pepper and eucalyptus. Explosive black berry and black plum flavors with perfectly matched, elegant tannins that give the wine a long, lasting aftertaste. Full bodied and rich. A treat to drink now and will age well for 7-10 years.

This label is widely distributed and can be found priced from $10 in special sales, all the way to $40. At its moderate prices it provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio for every day sipping.

Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated, wild black berry and black currant fruits with notes of earth, spice and hints of black tea, tar, pepper and bitter dark chocolate, with moderate tannins on a long persistent finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4722048

https://terlato.com/s/

https://www.chapoutier.com/en/

La Crema Coastal Chardonnay with Homemade Chicken Piccata

La Crema Coastal Chardonnay with Homemade Chicken Piccata

Sunday afternoon dinner, we prepared homemade chicken piccata with corn, peas, carrots and pasta. I opened a basic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to pair as an accompaniment. 

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 

This is from a historically family owned and operated winery that was originally named, La Crema Viñera which means "best of the vine," founded in 1979. Over the ensuing 35 years, they focused exclusively on cool-climate appellations and single vineyard sites, from their original home in the Russian River Valley, to Monterey and, now, the Willamette Valley. 

Through rigorous vineyard site selection and boutique winemaking techniques they consistently produced affordable balanced expressive wines such that they were named Winery of the Year in 2024 by Wine Enthusiast.

But the real story here is that La Crema is part of the vast Kendall Jackson portfolio of vineyards, wineries and brands. I wrote about the meteoric rise of Kendall Jackson to the pinnacle of the US wine industry, as it was featured in an earlier blogpost - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2018, excerpted below. 

Building on the premise of affordable quality wines, Jackson Family Wines have amassed no less than forty leading brands including historic widely popular labels such as Freemark Abbey to ultra-premium labels/brands such as LaJota, Cardinale, Mt Brave and Lakoya. One can’t say enough about the astonishing powerhouse Jackson Family has become in the global wine industry.

The whole story is chronicled in the book A Man and His Mountain, the story of self-made billionaire Jess Jackson and his pursuit of his dream to build a brand of premium varietal based wine for the mass market. His accomplishments over the ensuring two and a half decades exceeded all expectations achieving the art of the possible building a multi-billion dollar wine empire. 

While the book focuses on Kendall Jackson Reserve Chardonnay and its rise to the number 1 selling Chardonnay in America, the same story and principles apply to and strongly parallel La Crema as well. 

The Jackson family acquired La Crema in the early ‘90s, with a belief in “dreaming big (our entrepreneurial energy is intense) and an unwavering commitment to wine quality”. The family cultivated La Crema, as told by Jackson’s daughter, Jenny Jackson Hartford:

“When my father, Jess Jackson, and Barbara Banke acquired La Crema in 1993, my husband, Don Hartford, with my sister Laura and I, set out on a mission to craft wines that truly express the essence of cool-climate vineyards. We were hands-on in those early days, managing operations, building the winery where we still make wine today, and sharing our passion with wine lovers across the country. That vision lead to recognition with the award of  “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

The Kendall-Jackon Jess Jackson Story

In 1974, Jess Jackson purchased an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard up in Lake County, California, just north of Napa Valley, and replanted it with Chardonnay grapevines. In 1982, Jess and his family set out to make a premium, yet affordable, California wine.

In 1982, he set out for New York City to establish distribution for his new concept wine and unknown brand. That same year, that inaugural vintage of Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay won the first-ever Platinum Award for an American Chardonnay at The American Wine Competition.

Soon thereafter, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy, native Californians, wanted to serve a California wine in the White House. Nancy discovered and fell in love with the taste of Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay and selected Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay as their 'house wine'. San Francisco Chronicle's Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Herb Caen, caught wind of the story and wrote a column about the wine referring to the Chardonnay as "Nancy’s wine." The brand was established, demand exploded, and the company grew exponentially.

By 1991, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay had become the #1 selling Chardonnay in America, and remains so to this day.

In 2007, Jess Jackson was honored with the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded each year to the individuals and companies that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and beverage world. Jess Jackson was one of the first and largest winemakers to introduce America to varietal-specific wine, not only increasing the public’s understanding and appreciation of wine, but also making it affordable.

Jess Jackson passed away in April of 2011.

In 2013, Wine Enthusiast named Barbara Banke, Jackson's second wife and long-time partner who helped him build the business, and succeeded him as its leader, as its 2013 Wine Person of the Year. The first woman to win the award, Barbara shares it with Jess, the magazine’s inaugural recipient in 2000.

In 2017 Kendall-Jackson was awarded Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

https://www.kj.com//wine/grand-reserve/chardonnay

Like Kendall Jackson, La Crema was a pioneer, begun at a time during which few wineries in California were making Pinot Noir, and even fewer were doing so with a single-vineyard focus. A group of wine lovers ran the show back then using old-world techniques such as whole-cluster pressing and open-top fermentation. This was the basis for making fine wines, but with stellar fruit from exceptional vineyard sites. La Crema, like KJ took a different approach. 

That evolution took shape in the early 1990s when Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke instilled in the winery the artisan ethos and simple vision: “That Pinot Noir should be as popular as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and La Crema could be the vehicle to do that.”

Jackson and Banke purchased La Crema in 1993 and produced the first vintage in 1994. Two years later a new winery was constructed in the fog-shrouded, redwood-lined Russian River Valley appellation. Jackson’s daughters, Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford, along with his sons-in-law, Rick Giron and Don Hartford, took on leadership roles at La Crema: managing the day-to-day operations and representing the winery out in the market. 

Right after the new millennium, La Crema set out to nurture an estate vineyard program comprising the best cool-climate sites along the West Coast. The winery began working extensively with fruit from appellations including Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Anderson Valley, and Los Carneros, extending its reach into Monterey in 2008, and then to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2012.

Over the next decade, the winery added wines from cool-climate vineyards in California and Oregon. In 2013 they bought the historic Sonoma Valley property owned by Richard and Saralee McClelland Kunde. They launched a three-year rehabilitation of the circa-1900 barn on the property and reopened it as the La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in 2016. Today, this serves as their hospitality center and modern tasting room in downtown Healdsburg.

Since 2009, the winery operated under the expertise of Head Winemaker Craig McAllister overseeing production from Willamette Valley in Oregon to Sta. Rita Hills in California. McAllister samples grapes from every block of every vineyard, tasting each lot to craft the best wines possible, applying high-touch but low-intervention, something that’s a rarity for wineries at La Crema’s scale.

A New-Zealand native, Craig McAllister spent his first 20 years in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Lincoln University in New Zealand, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in viticulture and enology.

Craig pursued his passion for winemaking traveling from New Zealand to Australia, Chile and Cyprus before coming to the US and joining La Crema team in 2007 as the Harvest Enologist, and then full-time in 2009. He was promoted to head winemaker in 2017.

La Crema’s story follows the long legacy of chairman and proprietor, Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson, who discovered new vineyard terrains to establish and grow the brand. Today it is operated by the next generation Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford, Jess Jackson’s eldest daughters, along with Jenny’s husband. Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, daughters of Barbara and Jess, and Hailey Jackson Hartford Murray, daughter of Jenny and Don, are the next generation to carry forward the family’s legacy and business going forward. 

Hailey Jackson Hartford Murray, granddaughter of the legendary Jess Jackson, and daughter of Jenny Jackson Hartford and Don Hartford, grew up in the iconic wine family, growing up amidst the century-old Zinfandel vines in her Sonoma backyard. After working harvests in France, Chile, and the Russian River Valley, she chose to leave her biology degree to dive fully into winemaking. She participated in harvests at Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale, Australia, and Château Lassègue in Bordeaux. Today she works at La Crema and lives with her husband, Max Murray, and their two children where it all started: Sonoma County.

Sonoma County native Lisa Valtenbergs serves as Facility Winemkaer at La Crema. Inspired by Sonoma’s agricultural traditions, she got her degree in Agriculture Business with a minor in Viticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She studied international wine marketing at the University of Adelaide in South Australia and earned a Winemaker’s Certificate from UC Davis.

After stints at several wineries in California, Lisa re-joined Jackson Family Wines as a production enologist for Kendall-Jackson in 2004, and in 2006, she was promoted to assistant winemaker. In 2008, she became assistant winemaker for Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, then eventually winemaker in 2014, producing a string of six vintages of widely-acclaimed high elevation Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Following a year-long global travel sabbatical with a vintage in South Australia’s McLaren Vale, Lisa joined the La Crema winemaking team in July 2022. 

Lisa is joined by Winemaker Eric Johannsen, a native of Santa Cruz Mountains wine country in Northern California. After receiving undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy, with some restaurant work on the side, Eric began to pursue a Master of Science in Enology at the University of California, Davis.

Before joining the La Crema team in 2004, Eric worked at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cuvaison Estate Wines in Napa, and Williams Selyem Winery in Healdsburg. Eric has pursued understanding of wines from around the world visiting Argentina, Australia, and France, including the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy.

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker notes - “Nose of Meyer lemon, white flowers and subtle hints of oak. Golden peach and pineapple, are followed by flavors of graham cracker crust, with a vibrant and concentrated acidity that drives a lingering ‘

“Aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and white flowers are supported on the nose by subtle hints of oak. Followed by flavors of crisp apple, golden peach, and pineapple. On the palate, flavors of graham cracker pie crust add a vein of richness. Fleshy, vibrant, and concentrated, juicy yet a balanced acidity drives a lingering finish.”

Good QPR - (Quality Price Ratio) in this entry level every day Chardonnay. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, full round crisp fruit flavors of peach peak through the subdued lemon citrus background with notes of apple and hints of pineapple with pleasant balanced acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5091822

https://www.lacrema.com/

https://twitter.com/LaCremaWines

Faust Napa Cab with St Pat’s Dinner

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with St Pat’s Dinner

Son Alec, D-in-Law Viv and their kids came over after church for traditional St Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Alec brought along this bold Napa Cabernet to share for a wine accompaniment. 

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021  

This label is from Faust Winery, a part of the Huneeus Vintners portfolio lead by wine luminaries Agustin and Valeria Huneeus, both natives of Chile. The portfolio also includes other notable producers Quintessa, Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Illumination, and Leviathan. We visited the picturesque Quintessa estate winery and vineyards during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2003. 

Agustin Huneeus has dedicated his entire professional life to the wine industry from his beginning in 1960 as CEO of Chilean producer Concha y Toro which under his leadership grew from a small winery into Chile’s largest. Augustin and Valeria left Chile for the US in 1971 in light of Chile’s difficult political climate. Moving to NY, Augustin went on to lead global spirits leader Seagram’s worldwide operations, responsible for wineries in seven countries.

In 1977, the Huneeus’ moved to California to pursue careers in the wine business, building a growing portfolio including Concannon in the Livermore valley and taking an interest in Franciscan estates in 1985. In 1999, they founded Huneeus Vintners dedicated to fine wine properties. In 1996, Agustin was awarded the distinguished service award by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Valeria Huneeus, also born in Chile, was a PH.D, Microbiologist and initially intended to study medicine, but also pursued interests in viticulture and enology. When Valeria and Agustin moved to New York and began a family, Valeria gained a PH.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University and spent ten years doing medical research.

Seeking to work more closely with her husband in the wine business, Valeria transitioned into vineyard development at Quintessa Vineyards Rutherford property which the Huneeus’ purchased in 1990 as their portfolio continue to grow.

In 1998. the Huneeus’ founded Faust Winery specializing in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from their estate vineyard in the Coombsville area, Napa’s newest AVA. Located in the southern most part of Napa Valley, east of the town of Napa, close to San Pablo bay, their venture was considered a gamble by many who thought the very cool climate in this sub-region of Napa Valley  was too cold to consistently ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. In time, their risk paid off as this region is now home to some of the most prized vineyards in the valley, producing many serious, structured, and varietally specific wines with volcanic gravel soils and coarse loams, perfect for Cabernet. 

Ryan Woodhouse, wine buyer for Bay Area merchant K&L in Redwood City writes of the Combsville district, “On a personal note, my son plays Little League Baseball right next to this vineyard, so I've spent a lot of time down there, and the site is legitimately cold and windy! It's often 10 degrees cooler than my side of town juts a few miles north west. Fresh breezes come right off San Pablo Bay and morning fog is often particularly thick in this corridor up the eastern bench of the Vaca ranges.”

Faust writes that “Coombsville is not just Napa Valley’s newest AVA, but its southernmost growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled into the rocky ruins of an ancient caldera, its bowl-shaped depression perfectly positions it to collect and hold cool air and fog that’s funneled up from the San Pablo Bay. Volcanic soils, along with the marine breezes, combine to offer polish and structure alongside consistent Napa ripeness. Besides being the latest-to-ripen vines in Napa, the soil profiles are very different given it’s closer to the Vaca Mountain range, so there is a lot of eroded volcanic soil, which means, lots of minerals in the soil.

‘In Napa Valley you get more red fruit, more spice. The tannins can be a bit more rustic. Down in Coombsville you get more intense color, a blue-black fruit profile. A brighter acidity and minerality in the wines. Coombsville is just very unique.”

Winemaker notes on the 2021 Faust Napa Valley - “The wine combines the signature dark graphite and mulberry core of Coombsville Cab with more exotic, plush cassis fruit from Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford that make up the remainder of the blend. A modest use of French oak (only 20% new) but longer elevage in barrel (20 months) has allowed the tannins to become refined and tactile, but without blasting the fruit with over the top oak influence.’ 

“Cabernet's classic aromas and flavors, delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.”

This release was rated 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine Spectator and 93 by Wine Enthusiast, 92 by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com, and 91 by Jeb Dunnuck and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This was a pleasant surprise and  exceed my expectations, this label was a bit under the radar and deserves more attention as it fights above its weight class delivering good QPR (quality-price-ratio)  and has 50,000 cases available of Faust's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It showed  dark garnet color, was full bodied, complex, firmly structured but balanced and approachable, ripe blackcurrants and blackberries, notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, dark mocha, cedar and bark, with firm, polished tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4673339

https://faustwines.com/visit/

https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1688046

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007

Robert Craig Affinity Napa Cabernet 2007 

With grilled beef tenderloin I pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend. 

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.

We visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times with sister Jan and bro-in-law Bill, and wine buddy Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the  valley below shown below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet, Affinity and Robert Craig Zinfandel which they served at daughter Krista's wedding.

With Robert Craig at the estate high atop Howell Mtn 
back in 2008.

As mentioned above, we hold as many as two decades of Robert Craig’s portfolio of labels’ vintages dating back to the inaugural vintage release in 1993. This label, Affinity, represents the Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon based blend of Cabernet Sauvignons and other Bordeaux varietals sourced from the various Napa Valley appellations.

Robert Craig flight of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons

This is the Bordeaux Blend of the Robert Craig portfolio 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 also 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.  

He used to speak 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, and was Robert's favorite. 

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 focus on it as an introduction to the portfolio of Robert Craig Napa Valley Cabernets.

Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2007 

This release was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
We first tasted this wine from a barrel sample and acquired this release during the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 back in 2009. 

Robert Parker wrote in 2009, "Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars."

Wine Enthusiast wrote of this release, 'Craig has produced his best bottling since the late 1990s'.
This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 

Back in 2022 I wrote, “this exceeded my expectations for this label and indeed was one of the best drinking Affinity's in memory. At fifteen years, this seems to reaching the apex of its drinking profile. Tonight, this 2007 release was as good as any Affinity I recall ever having - a perfect accompaniment to the grilled tenderloin beefsteaks. At eighteen years this was at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve further with aging, but available for pleasant drinking for several years yet to come. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and smoothly balanced, black berry and black currant fruits with notes of mocha chocolate and spice, hints of cassis, smoke and cedar with smooth silky tannins on a lingering cloying finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=802059

Other related postings … 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/tomahawk-rib-eye-dinner-features-robert.html   

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/robert-craig-affinity-napa-valley.html

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/04/napa-vs-sonoma-2k-cabernet-duo.html  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/robert-craig-tribute.html

https://robertcraigwine.com/

@RobertCraigWine

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1798118

https://robertcraigwine.com/

Visits to Robert Craig Estate - 

Harvest Party 2009 -  
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa-09/napa-09-craig/napa_harvest_09_craig.htm

Howell Mountain Estate Visit - 2008 
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/napa_08_craig.htm

Blason D’Issan Margaux

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

Following the gala UGCB 2022 Vintage Release Tour 2025 Chicago tasting last week of the 2022 Bordeaux vintage release wines, which were generally outstanding, I went to Binny’s, our local beverage/wine superstore and found several labels of the new release already arrived and in stock. I picked up this wine as part of a mixed case of labels to try as I consider my acquisition plans for the vintage. 

With take-out Waygu Meatloal from our visit the other day to Entourage Restaurant in Downers Grove, I pulled this bottle to pair and taste. 

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This is the second wine of Château d’Issan,  a Third Growth of the 1855 Imperial Classification. Château d’Issan is in the heart of the Margaux appellation, less than three kilometers, walking distance from the Chambres de Margaux in the middle of the village, our Bed and Breakfast where we stayed during out visit to the area in the summer of 2019. 

The Château d’Issan enclosure in the middle of the Margaux appellation, sitting midway between the village of Margaux and the Gironde River. The soil there is mainly made up of surface gravel on top of a clay subsoil, which contributes to optimal ripeness and freshness in the grapes. 

The estate is planted to  Cabernet Sauvignon 65% and Merlot 35%. 

Blason d’Issan is the ‘second wine’ of Château d’Issan, first introduced in 1995, and onwards, to enable selection amongst their vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from their youngest vines is used to produce this wine, which represents the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier. 

Second wines, while less discriminating than the grand vin, offer a broadening of the portfolio, taking advantage as an outlet for the younger, and less select grapes, and an entry level wine to introduce the brand, at a lower price point, thereby, especially in years such as this delivers high QPR - Quality Price Ratio.. 

The blend for this release is 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Blason d’Issan ‘22 was aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which were new. Annual production is around 120,000 bottles (10,000 cases).

As I wrote in my review of the UGCB 2022 Vintage Release tasting last week, this is a top rated vintage with many extraordinary wines. As is often the case in such highly rated vintages, ‘all boats rise with the tide’, and there are many great values as the second and lesser labels of the top producers are also of high quality, even shrinking the difference between them and the top flaghip grand vins. This is reiterated by Wayne Kelly of Wine Advocate in his review of this second wine of Chateau D’Issan, Margaux. Kelly of Wine Advocate wrote, “ An attractive effort that shares some of the style and personality of the grand vin this year.”

Similarly, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media wrote, “The 2022 Blason d'Issan is a soft, easygoing wine that shows the more charming side of the vintage off to great effect.”

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This release was rated 94-95 by James Suckling, 92 by Decanter and Inside Bordeaux, and a concensus 89-91 by Wine Advocate, Wine Independant, Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck. 

Deep garnet-purple color. medium to full-bodied, a bit tightly structured, concentrated full round dark blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, notes of dark mocha chocolate, spice, dusty rose, hints of tapenade with cigar box, powdery soft, approachable tannins on a structured finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4641185

https://www.chateau-issan.com/en/