Radio Coteau Sonoma Coast Los Colinas Syrah 2019

Radio Coteau Sonoma Coast Los Colinas Syrah 2019

For casual mid-week sipping some wine with a cheese plate and fresh fruit, I pulled from the cellar this recently acquired Sonoma Coast Syrah. We love big round concentrated fruit forward wines. I picked up a six pack of this label and wanted to try it to see its tasting profile and determine what my cellaring aging plan should be. 

Radio-Coteau Las Colinas Syrah

The moniker Radio-Coteau (rā’ dē ō – kō tō’) is a French colloquial expression suggesting “word of mouth” , which literally translated means “broadcasting from the hillside”. Ironically, the origin of use of the term is from the French Northern Rhone wine region. The odd name is reminiscent of one of our favorite producer, Vieux Telegraph, ironically from the Rhône River Valley, but deriving its name for a different historical reason, 

Originally named Joseph Morelli & Sons before Prohibition, the Lemorel winery (as it was later known) dates back to 1892, when the first vines were planted. The current owners acquired the  Radio-Coteau historic 42-acre Estate vineyard and ranch located on a ridgetop above the town of Occidental in 2012. 

Eric Sussman is winegrower and proprietor of the the property going back to the early 2000s. While scouting vineyard sites for the first Radio-Coteau vintage, he met and began a relationship with Robert Von Weidlich, the owner of the property at that time. The 2002 Radio-Coteau Von Weidlich Zinfandel was the first product of that collaboration.

Eric, a New York State native, developed his passion for winegrowing while studying agriculture at Cornell University. After spending several years in Washington’s Yakima Valley, he worked in France as an apprentice working the 1995 vintage in Bordeaux at Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Pauillac, and 1996 in Burgundy at Domaine Comte Armand of Pommard and Domaine Jacques Prieur of Meursault. There he gained respect and appreciation for the intrinsic connection between land, people and the wine they produce.

Returning to the US, he spent a year at Bonny Doon Winery in Santa Cruz, before settling in Western Sonoma County where he spent four years as the associate winemaker for Dehlinger.

Eric established Radio-Coteau in 2002, focusing on the north coast vineyards of western Sonoma County and the Anderson Valley. 

The estate lies ten miles from the ocean on a ridgetop above Occidental, situated 800 feet above sea level, the property is a diverse agroecosystem, or terroir, with beneficial Goldridge soil.  The benchland location

is comprised of the fine sandy loam Goldridge soil, remnants of an ancient seabed, which provides excellent drainage and moderate fertility.

As part of the Sonoma Coast AVA, the site borders the Green Valley and Russian River Valley AVAs. The area experiences moderate rainfall seasonally through the winter months, and overall cool, coastal climate due to the marine air and fog, which provides for extended ripening and good flavor development in the grapes. 

Radio-Coteau has established blocks of Syrah and old-vine Zinfandel, and recently replanted existing acreage to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling. The estate has three vineyards.  

Radio-Coteau Las Colinas Sonoma Coast Syrah 2019

This Las Colinas Syrah is a single vineyard designated label showcasing the cool-climate site, the essence of the western Sonoma Coast appellation Las Colinas vineyard.

Winemaker notes for this release - “Medium garnet in color with an alluring ruby core, the 2019 Las Colinas Syrah fills the glass with fresh blueberry and crushed violet notes interwoven with hints of sweet clove, earthy sous bois, and dried bay leaf. Gliding tannins seamlessly pull together bright traces of huckleberry and spicy black peppercorn, leading into a long and compelling finish.”

There is similarity to the following release which is worth noting. 

Winemaker notes for the 2020 vintage release - “The 2020 Las Colinas Sonoma Coast Syrah opens with darker fruit notes of boysenberry, blueberry, and black cherry that charmingly balance a seductive underlying sauvage character. A sweet whisper of smoked cherry wood bacon follows the fruit, alongside hints of leather, espresso, and black olives. Slightly dusty, chewy tannins complement a lively acid backbone, making the 2020 Las Colinas ready for immediate enjoyment while also poised for graceful aging.”

Our experience tasting with this wine is expressed perfectly by fellow Cellartracker KINGSLEYZISSOU 93 Points who like the wine and rated it 93 points. He wrote “I may have opened this a touch too early, but delicious regardless and a great example of Radio-Coteau’s more old world sensibility. The nose shows incredible concentration of rustic, savory fruit, notably lush black olive, dried tomato with considerable spice underlining it — herbs de Provence and black pepper. Consider cellaring this for another 2 years at least — needs some more time to develop the tertiary complexity it’s capable of.”

We gave it 92 points, but that reflects personal taste perhaps and I don’t disagree with his rating at 93 fore those that prefer the old world style. 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous gave it 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4393479

https://radiocoteau.com/

https://twitter.com/RadioCoteauWine

@RadioCoteauWine

Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner

Sea Market Crab Cakes anchor wine dinner with broad flight of white wines

On Friday evening of our gala SoWal (South Walton Beaches) Wine Festival weekend with our Pour Boys Wine Group at The Cove Vacation Rental in Destin (FL), we prepared John’s Famous Crab Cakes from John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin.

What fun that this week, Taylor Swift released her latest double album to massive fanfare, which we listened to on Satellite Radar on our drive down, and she mentions DESTIN in one of her songs, FLORIDA.

Bob and Gloria brought a selection of artisan cheeses that we served with mixed salad and white wines prior to dinner. 

Destin is called “the world’s luckiest fishing village” due to its historic reputation as a destination for gulf coastal and deep sea fishing. 

Destin’s immediate history is attributed to a fisherman, Leonard Destin, who moved down from New London, Conn., and settled in Northwest Florida about 1845. For decades, he and his descendants fished and navigated the only channel passage to the Gulf of Mexico between Panama City and Pensacola, known as Destin’s East Pass.

Destin is a place where highest quality freshest seafood is readily accessible - direct off the many charter and commercial fishing boats in Destin Harbor, through numerous fresh seafood markets, and of course, at a myriad of daily fresh catch seafood restaurants. 

One of many seafood markets is Sea Market. own and operated by John, a commercial fisherman in his own right. At the Sea Market he sources fresh catch seafood through exclusive arrangements with a dozen local fishing boats - wherein he guarantees to take 100% of their daily catch, and hence has assurance of supply to service his retail and wholesale customers. 

In addition to the fresh local daily catch that regularly includes Grouper, Mahi Mahi, Pompano, Snapper, Cobia and Sea Bass, he also offers shellfish such as Stone Crab and Wild Caught Scottish Salmon which is flown in fresh from Scotland, and prime and exotic meats.

John prepares John and Araya’s Seafood Gumbo, and Chowder, and they are especially known for his “John’s Famous Crab Cakes”. His wife Anaya produces a collection of sauces including Araya’s Seafood Sauce, Tuna Dip, Araya’s Thai Steak Sauce, and John’s Roumalade, for pairing with the seafood. 

On this day, they had already sold out of the Gumbo and Chowder and Crab Cakes but John prepared a new batch of crab cakes for us. 

Pairing with the Crab Cakes we opened a flight of white wines that also featured a medley of premium Chardonnays. When our Pour Boys wine group meets, we have many shared wine experiences so its fun to not only taste fine wines with food, but invariably, it’s a chance to re-live many memorable shared experiences of winery estate visits and previous tastings.   

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2016

This is the Sonoma County project of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. We visited the magnificent Joseph Phelps winery and tasting facility overlooking Phelp's vineyards nestled in its own Spring Valley above St Helena on the western facing foothills of the Vaca range that form the eastern face of Napa Valley. It was a highlight of our Pour Boys 2017 Sonoma/Napa Wine Experience.

This is a more recent vintage of this label that we have shared together and which I wrote about and featured in these pages in an earlier blogpost, excerpted below.

While Phelps produced Napa Valley and Carneros Chardonnays from 1974, they sought a site more suited to Chardonnay. They explored sites across Sonoma County finally settling in the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where, in the late 1990’s, few vineyards existed.

In 1999 they purchased land in Freestone when the area was primarily comprised of cattle, pasture and forest land. The area - just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean - was socked in by fog that lingered into the early afternoon on most summer days. The climate and Goldridge soils were thought to provide a terrior suitable for Burgundy varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 2000, the Pastorale Vineyard, a former dairy farm, was planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2007, the Freestone Winery was built by the Hensel Phelps Construction Company, the company originally founded by Joseph Phelp's father and managed by Joe for decades until he sold the business in the mid-eighties to focus solely on winemaking. Joe Phelps stepped down as Chairman of Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 2005.

Winemakers notes for this release: “The 2016 Chardonnay has a fragrant bouquet mix of honeysuckle, green apple and lemon peel with richly layered baked apple, stone fruit and a light toasty oak influence. A bright and focused wine with a pleasing mouthfeel and a delicate tropical touch to the finish.”

This release was rated 95 points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Light straw colored, medium to full bodied, with crisp tangy acidity, flavorful green apple with creamy tones of minerality and hints of Meyer lemon and lime with a lingering savory finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2683432

https://www.josephphelps.com/sonoma-coast/

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021

This is another producer with which we have a long history going back decades. Bill and I both hold deep vertical collections of this producer and enjoy sharing and comparing them when we get together. Bill and Beth and we toured the winery and obtained wines from their library for a special celebration dinner at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2008.

Later, this weekend at the Wine Festival, we met representatives from Freemark Abbey, (now part of the extensive Jackson Wines portfolio), and tasted some of their premium recent releases. Bill mentioned his long relationship with the brand, and many meetings with wine manager Barry Dodds, so the rep texted Barry a picture of all of us together to which Barry immediately responded citing fondness for Bill and remembrance of many times together. 

According to the producer, “Our 2021 Napa Valley Chardonnay is intended to be the best of both worlds stylistically. The nose opens with rich and layered aromas of pear, mandarine, tuberose, vanilla and oak spice. The palate is met with flavors of brioche, apple pie, lemon curd and fresh pineapple. It has a creamy texture reminiscent of creme brulee with a finish that is bright and complex with incredible length.”

This is sourced from the Ahmann Vineyard in Carneros (38%), the Rancho Sarco Vineuyard on the north east border of the town of Napa, and The Huichica Vineyard located off of Duhig Road in the Napa Carneros subregion, AVA.

The Ahmann Vineyard is located near the Huichica Creek and has that Carneros attributes of a cool growing season complemented which provides long slow ripening that tend to create flavors of apple and citrus.

The Rancho Sarco Vineyard has gravelly clay loam soil that supports Chardonnay ripening to produce flavors of pineapple, apple and peach.

Golden straw colored, medium body, full round flavors of apple and hints of pineapple, peach and lemon citrus with creamy buttery spice and oak on the long finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4468327

Gary Farrell Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021

This is another producer that we have visited together and have a history and relationship with since we toured there together as part of our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

I wrote about the Gary Farrell portfolio of Chardonnays in this blogpost about a year ago based on another wine dinner with Pour Boy Dr. Dan, excerpts below.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/05/pour-boys-coq-au-vin-and-wine-dinner.html

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard.

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County.

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. 

Label from 2017

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. 

Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork.

Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014

Visitors to Napa Valley can’t miss the iconic winery estate and Chateau on the highway just north of St Helena. No winery or vineyard embodies more the timeless appeal and seductive flavor of Napa Valley than Beringer Vineyards, Napa's benchmark producer since the establishment of the vineyard in 1876.

Now in its third century of crafting classic wines from Napa's finest appellations and vineyards, Beringer today is guided by the partnership of legendary Winemaster Emeritus Ed Sbragia and Winemaker Laurie Hook. Together, they craft Napa Valley wines that showcase the rich heritage of the Beringer Vineyard, while offering cutting-edge quality and contemporary elegance. Beringer Vineyards’ wines display the dedication and excellence instilled by its founder, Jacob Beringer.

This is the flagship Chardonnay from one of the most storied producers in Napa Valley. Beringer dates back 1868, when Jacob Beringer, emigrated from Germany, and settled in Napa Valley 1869 where the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor resembled that of vineyards back home in Germany. He became cellar foreman for Charles Krug, one of the first commercial winemakers in Napa Valley. In 1875, he and his brother Jacob purchased 215 acres adjacent to Charles Krug in St. Helena for $14,500. The Beringer Brothers' first harvest and crush followed in 1876 producing nearly 40,000 gallons of wine, or 18,000 cases, that first year.

The Beringer Cabernet was named #1 Wine of the Year for the 1986 Cabernet by Wine Spectator (1990 edition). Six years later, Wine Spectator named the 1994 Chardonnay #1 Wine of the Year(1996 edition) - this is special because not only is it the first time a white wine has ever garnered that top spot, but Beringer was the first and only winery to ever have both a red and a white wine in that top slot.

Former Chief Winemakers Myron Nightingale and Ed Sbragia created the Private Reserve program in 1977 as the flagship labels of the portfolio. The Private Reserve Chardonnay was introduced with the 1978 vintage, and together these wines have earned three decades of extraordinary accolades, including two "Wine of the Year" awards.

Always one of the best white wines for the money out of California, Beringer Private Reserve Chard is a big, lush wine that showcases the best of Napa Valley terroir and the vintage. Often a single-vineyard Chardonnay this 2014 was primarily sourced from the Gamble Ranch, located near the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA, this wine highlights the richness and complexity of this varietal and has been a benchmark Chardonnay since its first vintage in 1978. 

Some of the fruit for this vintage release is also sourced from the Home Vineyard on the Beringer estate just on the outskirts of St. Helena. This vineyard was part of the original 215 acres Jacob Beringer purchased in 1875. The Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the sloped sedimentary soil of this 48-acre vineyard has been a key component of our Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon since 1982.Winemaker Notes - “Aromas of grilled pineapple, ripe pear, lemon oil, hazelnut and toasted brioche. A bright fruit core is accentuated by a silky texture and flavors of yellow apple, Asian pear, meyer lemon and a lush, continuous finish.”

This release was awarded 95points by Decanter and James Suckling, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 91 points by Vinous. 

This Private Reserve is almost all Gamble fruit and saw about 75-80% new French oak. In 2014, the Private Reserve is a touch restrained, but it is quite attractive just the same. 

Winemaker's tasting notes: "A richly layered wine with aromas of crème brulee and rich citrus and fruit flavors."

Deep golden colored, showing its decade of age, this is nearing the end of its prime drinking window and ready to drink, full bodied, dense, complex, full round flavors of apple with notes of apricot and peach, toasted oak, smoke and toffee and hints of lime on a long finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2256991

https://www.beringer.com/

Benziger Family Vineyards Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2021 

This is another producer we know well, that we have visited with fellow Pour Boys. We became acquainted with Benziger Family Sonoma Valley wines when we met Erinn Benziger of Benziger Family Winerywhen she visited Chicago and presented at Binny's Beverage Depot Midwest Wine Expo. We all then visited Benziger Family Estate Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma Valley in the Autumn of 2009 during our Sonoma Wine Experience. Today over a dozen different family members are active in the extended family wine business that prides itself on the extent of its 'green' initiatives - certified sustainable, organic or Biodynamic© wines. A visit to their Sonoma Family Estate is a study in the practice with their numerous exhibits and self guided and formal tours of the property.

Bill and Beth find their premium Sauvignon Blanc as one of their favorite Benziger releases. I found their limited production release cabernet blends to be their most memorable such as their 'Tribute' and 'Signaterra' blends which were the highlight of their Binny's Expo tasting, along with the Sauvignon Blanc. 

Winemaker Notes “Fresh and elegant, this Sauvignon Blanc invites you in with aromas of bright lemon, fresh grass, grapefruit and melon. Enticing citrus flavors are followed by complex minerality. The wine’s acid is both balanced and integrated, giving it a textured mid-palate and an elegant softness.”

Pleasant casual easy sipping nice starter wine to kick off the evening with salad and artisan cheese course. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4832520

https://www.benziger.com/

Greywacke New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2021 

Lyle brought from his home cellar this spectacular Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, one of our favorites, and at the end of the night/weekend, we hadn’t gotten to it and it was still in the wine cooler. We’ll hold this for a future tasting when we meet again!

https://www.destinvacation.com/rentals/unit/the-cove

https://www.destinvacation.com/blog/2016/6/2867/best-seafood-markets-in-destin

Several other great places to buy seafood in Destin are Sexton’s, Blalock, Where Y’At, Joe Patti’s, Harbor Docks, Destin Ice, and Willing

Sexton’s Seafood Market is among the oldest and best seafood markets in Destin, Florida. It’s been around since 1978 on Harbor Boulevard. Their best seller is fresh shrimp, but they also offer other seafood and shellfish such as crab, oyster, tuna, snapper, cobia, and grouper.

Blalock Seafood Market is family-owned and located on the street across Big Kahuna’s Water Park. 

Bestsellers are fresh-caught snow and king crab, oysters, lobsters, scallops, and shrimp. However, they also sell seasonings and sauces, freshly-baked bread, cheeses, local frozen pies, wines, Angus steaks, and Cajun products.

Where Y’At Seafood Market near the Harborwalk is among the unique seafood markets in Destin with its highlight food trailer.

Joe Patti’s, considered one of the best seafood markets in Destin for live seafood market, which can be ordered online. They ship only the freshest catch and guarantee the highest-quality seafood - on-demand fish from them such as lobsters, shrimps, crabs, clams, fillets, and calamari.

Harbor Docks is a restaurant and a seafood market with seafood that’s always fresh and never frozen -
hours may vary since they’re dependent on the fishermen selling their newly-caught fish.Destin Ice offers hghest quality seafood that’s either live, cooked, or ready-to-cook from its site on Harbor Boulevard alongside the other great seafood markets - offering Grouper, tuna, bass, cod, snapper, shrimp, crab, scallop, and salmon, and a meat section with quail, rabbit, duck, venison, steak, lamb, and pork.

Willingham Seafood was started by a fishing enthusiast who used to sell shrimp to Destin’s locals and is the only waterfront seafood market in Okaloosa (County), to both retail and wholesale.

Elmhurst fine dining caps day of suburbs' museum tours

Elmhurst (IL) fine dining caps day of suburban museum tours

Linda and I visited the Lizzadro Museum in Oak Brook, then the Picasso Exhibit at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Following our museum outings, we visited downtown Elmhurst and dined at Victory Restaurant. 

As a I child, I grew up in Elmhurst and attended Hawthorne Elementary School across the street from the original Lizzadro Museum and the current day site of the Elmhurst Art Museum. Back then, the museum site was a street and a block of aging homes that I would walk and pass enroute to school. It was during that time that the original Lizzadro Museum was built in Wilder Park directly across from my school. 

So, it was heartfelt to revisit my childhood neighborhood and hometown. Also, Linda was touched by the history and legacy of the Lizzardro Museum, so we joined and became supporting members. This pays homage to ancestors, one of whom was a stone mason in southern Indiana who worked on the National Cathedral In Washington DC, her brother, a geology major in college, her mother Lucy, an artist who painted, drew, and did work in ceramics and some in lapidary arts, and Linda's several years selling fine jewelry for a major department store, more for recreation and enjoyment than the remuneration.

While in the Elmhurst neighborhoods, we visited two historic, architecturally significant homes - driving by the FB Henderson House by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and then while visiting the Elmhurst Art Museum, we toured the McCormick House, by another legendary architect, Mies van der Rohe. This was especially interesting since we visited the notable Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House earlier this summer. Also, readers of these pages know I give tours at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in suburban Oak Park.

Our visit to the Elmhurst Art Museum was to see the Picasso exhibit, which was a precursor to our visit to the magnificent Art Institute of Chicago and the Picasso exhibit there, the follow day which included a Pour Boys Wine Group Dinner at Italian Village Chicago.

Visiting downtown Elmhurst we visited Tannins Wine Shop and Wine Bar and met proprietor and Certified Sommelier Mike Allas. He has a carefully selected offering of wines for sale and for sipping on-site, with a broad selection of WBTG - Wines By The Glass. The retail selection included wines from Chateau La Nerthe, one of our favorite producers from the Rhone, which we visited a couple of times. It also included a couple labels from HourGlass Vineyards in Napa, some of which we hold in our cellar, but also a label we've not seen before which we're eager to try at some point. 

The real crown jewel of the establishment may be the Reserve Wine List which is available on request. It includes for retail sale a who's who of Napa Valley ultra-premium labels with the usual suspects included - Shafer Hillside Select, Opus, Joseph Phelps Insignia and Dominus, to name a few. We'll look forward to visiting Tannins again soon for causal wine sipping and small bites.

We then went next door to dine at Victory Meat and Seafood Restaurant.  

They offer a formal fine dining room adjacent the bar, and a more casual dining seating area at, along and to the rear of the bar. As the first diners of the evening we were seated in the rear. Next time we visit, we'll seek to sit in the nicer more formal dining room.

The menu offers a selection of seafood, steaks, chicken and pasta dishes, soups, salads, appetizers, oysters, and desserts. 

There is a limited but adequate, carefully selected wine list with several offerings of WBTG - Wines By The Glass.

For starters, in consideration of being their 'first diners of the New Year', we were treated to Lobster Bisque! It was delectable, rich, warm, flavorful with ample chunks of fresh lobster meat. 

Linda ordered the Baked Oysters, sourced from the Northeast Atlantic coast which we were advised, are considered the most delectable and sweetest by the chef. 

For our entrees, Linda had the Maryland Crabcakes and I the SeaBass. 

Maryland Crab Cake

Linda loved the hearty rich crab filled preparation. The smaller portion size was due to the fact it was a starter, which she selected for her entree. Even then, it was sufficient for her dinner. 

Seabass - Broccolini and EVOO

The Sea Bass was prepared and presented nicely and properly, the brocolini and beans prepared with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) accompaniment was filling and tasty, but suffering from a comparison with the extraordinary Sea Bass with black truffle risoto we had the other evening at Entourage Restaurant in Naperville. 

For wine pairings we ordered from the ample BTG - By The Glass offerings a pair of two current release young Sonoma County Chardonnays. 

Neyers "304" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2022

This is from namesake Bruce and Barbara Neyers, originally from Delaware, they moved to Northern California in 1970 and ultimately purchased the Conn Valley Ranch in 1984 and established Neyers Vineyards in 1992.

In 1999, they purchased the winery and thirty-acre parcel in 1999, in the Sage Canyon area of Napa Valley. They renovated the estate building a modern winery. They produced their first Neyers Vineyards vintage in the new facility in 2000 and in 2002 were named Artisan Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits Magazine.

On their 50-acre Conn Valley ranch estate they grow Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which accounts for about 25% of their production. They also purchase grapes from a select group of growers including the Sangiacomo family of the Carneros District, Will Nord of Napa, the Rossi Ranch of Sonoma County, Markus Bokisch and the Evangelho family. 

Bruce started his career as a chemist, but pursued a career in wine starting at Mayacamas Winery in the Napa Valley in 1972 where he spent two years as assistant winemaker while studying in the wine program at University of California, Davis. He and Barbara spent two years in the Nahe region in Germany where he worked as an apprentice winemaker. Returning in 1975, he joined Joseph Phelps who was just starting his winery, and worked there for 17 years, leaving in 1992 as general manager.

From Phelps, Bruce joined Berkeley-based importer Kermit Lynch serving as National Sales Manager until his retirement in 2017. Working with 100+ French wine producers he learned about viticulture wine-making and production.

Bruce's experience with French wine importer Kermit Lynch and their French producers had an influence on their wines such as organic farming, making wines naturally without use of cultured yeast or lab designed malo-lactic starter, and bottling wines without fining or filtration. Also, Neyers uses French barrels made to their specifications from wood they buy in bulk.

Meanwhile, Barbara taught then pursued her love of food and cooking, eventually managing the heralded Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley for 20 years.

Bruce and Barbara raised three children on their ranch in the Conn Valley area of the Napa Valley, where they now grow grapes while they jointly manage the winery, which is now a joint venture with Trinchero Family Estates.

Tadeo Borchardt is winemaker who oversees the winemaking process along.

Bruce Neyer's says, “No expense has been spared in our grape growing, winemaking practices, or processing equipment, yet customers repeatedly tell us that our wines represent great value in today's highly competitive wine market.”  Bruce Neyers produces the company blog, “Vintner Tales.”

Neyers "304" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2022

Winemaker Notes - "A crisp freshness is the main component the winery looks for, but they enjoy the bright minerality as well, and the naturally low alcohol level makes the wine even more enjoyable. There is no contact with oak barrels during the production, so the charming fruit component is allowed to take center stage."

This was rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast and 90 points by James Suckling.

Light straw colored, light medium bodied, notes of golden apple, pear and hints of peach fruits with wet stone and mineral with a crisp abrupt finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4753140

https://www.neyersvineyards.com/

Hartford Court Sonoma Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2022

This is from Hartford Family Winery, founded in 1993 by Don and Jennifer Hartford, natives of the Russian River Valley. Their vineyards and winery are located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, about 15 miles the cool Pacific Coast in difficult locations along the rugged foothills of the region.

Hartford Family makes wines under two brands, the Hartford Family and this Hartford Court which is labels of small lot single vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express the "high-personality distinctive qualities inherent in each vineyard's terroir" - the interplay of soil, slope, exposure and climate. They produce a dozen different vineyard specific labels sourced from more than a dozen vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations.

This is their estate label, not vineyard specific but a blend from numerous vineyard sources.

Winemaker Notes - "The 2022 vintage, one of Hartford Court's earliest harvests on record, gave them wines with precision and concentration. The Chardonnay has great elegance and bright acidity from the fruit harvested in August, with the fruit harvested in September giving more ripe fruit and richness."

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, rich round complex, ripe apple and pear fruits with notes of sweet papaya or mango, and lemon citrus and tropical fruit notes with hints of oak and medium acidity on the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4808170

https://www.hartfordwines.com/

https://twitter.com/HartfordWines

https://www.victorymeatandseafood.com

Belle Glos RRV Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir

Belle Glos Russian River Valley Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015

Following the pair of Belle Glos Pinots we had at two restaurants on our summer getaway to our Destiny Cove vacation rental the last week, when we returned home, I pulled from the cellar the third label in the series of vineyard designated labels from this producer. We had this with a home grilled pizza and it was a  delicious accompaniment.

Last week we had the Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir at the Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, in Destin FL, then the Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir at Firefly Grill Effingham, IL

We hold all these labels from various vintages in our cellar collection, so we tried the Belle Glos Dairyman Vineyard Pinot with home grilled pizza on the deck for dinner. 

Each of the Belle Glos Pinot Noirs are produced from top growing areas along the California coast: the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County; the Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County; and the Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County. 

The wines showcase the distinctive climatic and terroir differences of the sites, notable for the amount of fog, wind, sunlight and soil type at each site.

The Belle Glos Pinot Noirs are very distinctively packaged with the top third of the bottles being dipped in red wax at an angle to form the  signature capsules protecting the corks.

The name Belle Glos (pronounced BELL GLOSS), honors Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner’s grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards."  Wagner is a fourth-generation winemaker from a family with farming and winemaking roots in the Napa Valley since 1906.  

Belle Glos Sonoma County Russian River Valley Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

As reported in these pages, in the midst of summer, its was a nice departure from the big bold hearty Syrah's/Shiraz's we enjoy, and the robust Bordeaux varietals to the finer, more refined, less bold and burdensome Pinot Noirs. Each of these tastings were delightful and frankly, exceeded our expectations for a ideal accompaniment to our various entrees. 

As noted, each of the Belle Glos labels is from a designated vineyard in the different popular coastal influenced growing regions suited to growing Pinot Noir. This vineyard designated label is from their source in the Russian River Valley in Northern California, Sonoma County. Situated in the southern alluvial plains of the Russian River Valley, Dairyman Vineyard’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean results in a cool morning fog and afternoon coastal breezes that elongate the growing season.

While the Russian River Valley is a large and diverse appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, as it meanders from the inland mountain and foothill valleys westward to the Pacific, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most popular. 

Russian River Valley grapes benefit from the persistent late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. 

Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.

The terroir of the site results in small, concentrated and flavorful berries, producing bright cherry characteristics, brown spices, and a keen minerality overlaid with a rich, velvety mouth feel. Named as a result of its history, once an old dairy farm, the pastureland was planted to Dijon clone Pinot Noir in 2000, preserving the longstanding agricultural history of the property.

Winemaker's Notes - "Dark ruby red in color with satisfying aromas of boysenberry, dark cherry and mulberry along with delicate hints of baking spices, dill, cola, nutmeg and vanilla. On the palate, bold flavors of cranberry, ripe plum, cherry and super-ripe strawberry are uplifted by gentle notes of cocoa powder and sweet fig for a generous and silky mouthfeel. This tremendously complex and broad-shouldered wine finishes with grace."

 

Like the earlier Pinots mentioned above, this was delightful, enjoyable drinking, bright ruby colored, medium full bodies, expressive black cherry and plum fruits with spicy notes of nutmeg, vanilla and sweet mocha with a smooth, almost elegant, balanced lingering finish. 

 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2823880

https://belleglos.com/

https://twitter.com/bellegloswines 

Wayfarer Sonoma County Seaview Ross Chardonnay with lobster

Wayfarer Sonoma County Seaview Ross Chardonnay with whole lobster and fresh corn on the cob

Son Ryan discovered and turned me on to this label. While picking up a Bordeaux futures delivery at Binny's, our Chicagoland Beverage Superstore, I found and picked up the last few remaining bottles in stock. 

Linda prepared whole lobsters on the grill with corn on the cob - a perfect pairing with this ultra-premium label Chardonnay. Corn on the cob is a highlight of summer cuisine in the Midwest, one of the things I missed dearly, along with hearty tomatoes and succulent beef, when we lived in Northern California.

This is from well known Napa Valley producer Jayson Pahlmeyer known for his Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red “California Mouton” Bordeaux varietal wines. Jayson collaborated with the great winemaker Helen Turley and together produced consistently award-winning wines. 

We're huge fans of Pahlmeyer wines of which we hold many labels across several vintages in our cellar, which are featured regularly in these pages.

After nearly 30 years as an acclaimed Napa Valley vintner Jayson Pahlmeyer became increasingly entranced by the wines of Burgundy. “Every oenophile eventually gravitates to the wines of Burgundy,” he says. In the early 1990s, Jayson began seeking out the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards in the world.

A close friend, legendary French wine importer Martine Saunier, had located two parcels for sale in Burgundy – Clos de la Roche, a Grand Cru Pinot Noir vineyard in Côte de Nuits Grand Cru, and Corton Vergennes, a Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyard in Corton. Pahlmeyer's notable winemaker, Helen Turley, was to make the wine with the hands-on assistance of the renowned Michel Niellon at his Chassagne-Montrachet winery. However, just after the papers were signed, the deal was nullified by an obscure Burgundian real estate clause that permitted last-minute alternative offers.

Helen Turley discovered Wayfarer, an organic farm on remote ridges on the Sonoma Coast, named for the dream of its owners, Dave and Dorothy Davis, to travel the world. Her own vineyard, Marcassin estate and vineyards were just down the road and Helen understood well the extraordinary character of fruit this land could yield. 

 

When the Davises listed the farm for sale in 1998, Turley brought good friend and fellow vintner Jayson Pahlmeyer to survey the site. Pahlmeyer recognized the proximity to the ocean and cool sea air tempering the brilliant sun, with Goldridge soil with thick forest of redwoods to the east and fog-blanketed bluffs to the west, had the potential to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Helen declared it destined to be “the La Tache of California” and Jayson promptly claimed the land for his own.

Jason selected legendary viti-culturalist and producer David Abreu to plant the Wayfarer vineyard in 2002, and in 2005, Jayson started blending Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with fruit from Russian River vineyards, bottling it under the Pahlmeyer label. By 2012, the vineyard’s exceptional fruit produced wine worthy of its own vineyard designated namesake label. Jayson tapped his daughter, Cleo Pahlmeyer, to oversee Wayfarer.

Wayfarer vineyard's 30 undulating acres lie in the Fort Ross-Seaview 27,500-acre sub-appellation on the far north-western end of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Defined as a distinct appellation in 2011, the extreme landscape is often deemed “the true Sonoma Coast” as it overlooks the Pacific beaches and receives the cool wind and fog from the frigid California Current flowing down the coast. The entire appellation resides above the fog line at an elevation of 800 feet and higher, above the fogline thereby allowing ample sunshine for ripening. Situated on a jagged portion of the San Andreas Fault, most of the acreage is unfarmable due its dramatic terrain.

We visited the area and drove the scenic rugged Sonoma Coast, staying in Bodega Bay, during our Napa/Sonoma County Wine Experience back in 2017. 

Cleo Pahlmeyer, proprietor/general manager of Wayfarer, was raised in Napa in the wine business and culture. After receiving a BA in Art History from the University of Virginia, she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Connoisseurship of Fine and Decorative Art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.

Returning to the family winery in 2008 after working in the international art world, Cleo worked closely with her father to learn every aspect of the family business. Beginning in sales and progressing to manage direct to consumer sales and marketing, then public relations, she went on to be appointed President in 2017.

Wayfarer is a family affair, with Cleo, a mother of three, mentored by her father, and joined by her husband, Jamie Watson, who pours his own passion for wine into Wayfarer. “I must be my father’s daughter,” Cleo explains, “because like him, I have naturally gravitated to Pinot Noir. Wayfarer is a very special place for me personally. It has a soul that can only be felt by breathing in its air, walking on its soil, feeling its warmth."

Wayfarer's winemaker is Todd Kohn who grew up in Redding, three hours north of Sonoma. After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, Todd first worked at the California sparkling wine house, Schramsberg, where he worked in the vineyard, lab and cellar, learning all aspects of winegrowing and winemaking. He went to gain further experience at several premiere Napa Valley wine producers including Opus One. He then spent time in Australia working in the Mornington Peninsula region of Australia where he worked growing and crafting world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Todd joined Wayfarer in 2013 as Assistant to the Winemaker, working the next 5 years with the Consulting Winemaker to establish Wayfarer’s vineyard practices and winemaking techniques, before taking the helm as Winemaker in December of 2017.

Wayfarer Wayfarer Vineyard Sonoma County Seaview Ross Chardonnay 2019

This is the ultra-premium flagship label for Wayfarer Chardonnay. While Cleo Pahlmayer, Proprietor, oversees the operations, Founder Jason Pahlmeyer's signature conspicuously adorns the label.

The 2019 vintage began with several months of heavy rainfall. Total rainfall for the year was 78 inches, second only to record-setting rainfall in 2017. Chardonnay shoots emerged a full week later than normal. A warm April advanced shoot growth quickly feeding on the energy in the soil from the heavy rainfall, which hit again in May.

Flowering began in early June, a week later than normal, but progressed under the bountiful sunshine in June. The summer of 2019 was full of sunshine, with moderate to cool temperatures the gave way to average high temperature through July and August, perfect for gradually ripening the Chardonnay.

In 2019 Wayfarer waited until the vines reached their optimal point, then moved in with canopy work to transition the vines from vegetative growth to fruit maturation. By the time veraison began in early August, the vines were tracking only three days later than normal. Picking started in mid-September and concluded harvest in early October.

This is a blend of four different clones planted on the Wayfarer property, Berlenbach Old Wente, Dijon 95, Hyde and Mount Eden.

This release was awarded 97 Points by Jeb Dunnuck, 95 Points by Erin Brooks of Wine Advocate, and 93 points by Antonio Galloni, Vinous and Kim Markus of Wine Spectator.

Producer Tasting Notes - "Aromas of star jasmine, white peach, lemon zest and meringue emerge from the glass, along with roasted almond, coconut and baking spice. Graceful and subtle in its richness, this wine has plenty to offer. The dense palate is beautifully balanced with fresh acidity and salinity. An elegant chalky texture lingers on the finish, indicating great aging potential."

This was light golden colored, medium full bodied, floral aromatics, concentrated but nicely balanced and integrated, rich full flavors of citrus, green apple and hints of peach with notes of almond and flint with a crisp clean long finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4035229

https://www.wayfarervineyard.com/

https://twitter.com/WayfarerWine @WayfarerWine

Patz & Hall Chardonnay at The Olde Pink House Savannah

Patz & Hall Chardonnay at the legendary historic Olde Pink House Restaurant in Savannah

Despite its large capacity seating in the countless dining rooms, The Olde Pink House in Savannah is one of the toughest reservations to get in town. We dined at the historic colonial mansion turned restaurant, an icon of Savannah's historic district with a history as old as Savannah itself. The Olde Pink House recently celebrated their 250th year anniversary as a building and nearly 100 years as a restaurant.

We were visiting Savannah for the week for a mini-family reunion with Sister Jan from So-Cal. During our short week, we also dined at Husk Restaurant, Chive and several local cuisine eateries as part of the Savannah Squares Food Tour.

 

 

Food & Wine Magazine named it #5 of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America in 2023 with over twenty thousand reviews.

USA Today featured The Olde Pink house as the lone Georgia entry according to OpenTable's 2022 list of the "Top 100 Restaurants" in the United States. The "most beloved restaurants coast-to-coast" were based on 13 million reviews by diners who booked via OpenTable this year and 20,000 diners surveyed in the U.S. and Canada.

Featuring 47 cities across 21 states, the list is "curated for diners" and "by diners" looking for ideas now or in the new year, OpenTable said in a statement. Qualifying restaurants were scored by data points such as overall diner rating, the reviewing accountholder's "clout" on OpenTable, total number of reviews and overall regional rating.

The Olde Pink House Restaurant was the sole mention from the State of Georgia on the list. 

California dominated the list with 21 restaurants, giving the most populous state in the U.S. the most "top 100" restaurants.

Chicago was the city with the largest number of restaurants: all 17 restaurants that ranked from Illinois are in the Windy City. 

The Olde Pink House has a long fabled history in Savannah. It was the residence of  Savannah's James Habersham Jr., a pioneering merchant and wealthy planter, he built the original residence in 1771 on a land allotment granted by the Crown of England. 

In 1811, a decade after his passing, the Habersham property became home to the Planters’ Bank, the first bank in Georgia. Later, in 1864, the house became a military generals’ headquarters for Union troops following Maj. Gen.William Tecumseh Sherman’s Civil War Siege of Savannah

The timeline of the building can be found on the back of restaurant menu, but the menu selections offer much about the history of the City that occurred during the port city’s checkered past: overlooked immigrants, wayward travelers, enslaved peoples brought here against their will.

“The very story we tell through our food is one of survival,” Proprietor Jeffress says. “It’s a way of honoring all of those hardworking people who endured, so that we can be here [today].”

The Olde Pink House features numerous dining rooms throughout, each one appointed with historic decor.

The building is full of history with much care and attention to every last detail. Revived period pieces curated by owner Donna Moeckel fill the walls of The Olde Pink House - Ivy curls around the Palladian portico, crystal chandeliers shimmer in every room and an extensive oil-painting collection tells the story of Savannah through centurial seaside vignettes and portraits of the city’s esteemed citizens.

The menu is extensive with a broad selection of a dozen Appetizers, eight Soups and Salads, more than a dozen entrees, complemented by no less than twenty Sides offerings.

The winelist offers no less than forty wines by the glass WBTG - twenty whites, Sparkling and Rose, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Other Varietals, and twenty reds - Cabernets, Merlot, Pinot Noir and other varietals - all moderately priced. With such a broad selection, there's no need to order a bottle since everyone can order their preferred selection to suit their entry pairing unless one chooses a more premium selection only available by the bottle. We ordered a bottle since it was the best consensus offering as it paired well with all our entrees. 

The basement level has a large cavernous dining room in the bar room. There, is the old vault that today houses a wine cellar, that is more for show than a functional working cellar. The old cellar vault was once used as the bank vault.

Having done the Savannah Food Tour in the afternoon, coupled with an early dinner, we had a light dinner of soup, salads, sides and wine. The staff were understanding and accommodating with gracious, personable, attentive service.

We started with the Cheese Plate with Capital Bee Honeycomb and Fresh Fruit (below).
It was rather minimal and was served with some rather strange crunches that were more akin to Fritos than crackers, too 'big' and thus not well suited to accompanying the cheese or honey selection, in our collective view. The staff were not able to accommodate our request for crackers or bread of any type as an alternative.

Bill and I started with the Strawberry Arugula Salad with goat cheese, spiced pecans and poppyseed vinagrette.

My main course was the Savannah specialty, "Low Country She Crab" soup. I have to say, it was not as delectable as that served on the Food Tour at Rhett's near the waterfront. 

Linda had the Pulled Pork Sliders with Cheerwine BBQ sauce, vegetable slaw and Bread and Butter pickles. They were lean as she hoped, and as promised.

 

 

Jan had the Fried Green Tomatoes with Grits. 

 

For a wine selection we had from the winelist a bottle of the Patz and Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018

Patz & Hall was founded in 1988 by Donald and Heather Patz, and James Hall and Anne Moses, the collaboration dating back to early 1980s when assistant winemaker James Hall and national sales manager Donald Patz struck up a close friendship while working at Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards. 

They shared a vision to produce rich, compelling wines from fruit sourced from elite, small vineyards. 

James and Anne Moses visited France and Burgundy in 1986, and were impressed by the talented and dedicated vignerons and winemakers who crafted rich and powerful Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. That alerted them to look to cooler growing sites with distinct terroir in Napa Valley for Chardonnay and Sonoma Coast for Pinot Noir, to create a collection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noir that reflected the great wine regions of California.

Patz & Hall have become one of California’s highly regarded wineries with a notable portfolio of exceptional limited-production single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines leveraging close personal relationships with many of California’s finest growers including Larry Hyde, Lee Hudson and the Martinelli and Pisoni families.

Over three decades Patz & Hall have established long-term relationships with the very best small, family-owned world class sites of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in California. They produce a broad diverse portfolio of notable cuvées and sought-after single-vineyard wines from world-class vineyards in the acclaimed Sonoma Coast appellation.

This label is sourced from a "who's who" of the appellation's most renowned vineyards, including Sanchietti Vineyard, Gap's Crown Vineyard, Zio Tony Ranch, Dutton Ranch, and Durrell Vineyard. 

Winemaker Notes - 

The 2018 offering is a collection of fourteen single-vineyard quality sites that could all be bottled on their own including; Dutton Ranch, Sanchietti Vineyard, Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Zio Tony Ranch and Durell Vineyard. The wine has inviting aromas of spicy pear, lemon drop and lime zest. As a cool-climate Chardonnay, there’s a nice tartness on the palate giving the wine great poise, balance and energy. A pretty floral note adds a layer of complexity and melds with the peach nectar and apple flavors on the long finish.

This is 100% Chardonnay sourced from partner grower vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. It was aged in 28% new Burgundian French oak barrels.

This label release was awarded 92 Points by Jeb Dunnuck and 92 Points by Wine Enthusiast.

Golden straw colored, medium-bodied, with rich vibrant lemon, green apple, melon, crushed stone, and white flower-like aromas and flavors finishing with hints of brioche and toasted oak on a long and focused crisp acidic finish.

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3880625

https://www.patzhall.com/

 

https://twitter.com/PatzHall 

 

@PatzHall

Lilac & Kracher Transylvania Romania Icewine 2020 

I was intrigued by and also ordered from the winelist BTG (By-The-Glass) - this Lilac & Kracher Transylvania Icewine from Romania. We hold close to two dozen vintages and labels of Kracher dessert wines in our cellar but have never seen or heard about this label.

This 'Liliac & Kracher' Ice Wine is a joint venture between Rudolf Krizan, the winemaker at Liliac in Romania and Gerhard Kracher from the well-known legendary Austrian Kracher wine family.

Gerhard Kracher and the well-known francen Kracher wine family, who have been making sweet wines for generations. Kracher is considered the genius of the Trockenbeerenauslese category. 

In the late 1980s and up to his early death in 2007, Alois Kracher handcrafted some of the greatest noble sweet wines of the world. His annual collections of numbered TBAs (Trockenbeerenauslesen), produced in Illmitz at the lake Neusiedl, became legends and were often presented and compared alongside the finest sweet wines from Sauternes (namely Château d’Yquem), Tokaji (Szepsi) and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (Egon Müller, Joh. Jos. Prüm). 

Alois’s son Gerhard Kracher continues the tradition maintaining the prolific high level of quality.

Interestingly, this Ice Wine is made from grapes that were grown in Transylvania, in Romania.

Kracher started the collaboration with the Liliac Winery in Transylvania, so as to enhance the climatic peculiarities of the Lechinta region which are optimal for the production of Eiswein. Zwischen den Seen (traditional with fermentation in steel or wooden barrels) and Nouvelle Vague (modern with the use of new barriques).  

According to Stephan Reinhardt of The Wine Advocate, the joint venture between Rudolf Krizan, the winemaker at Liliac in Romania, and Gerhard Kracher of Austrian fame came about because Kracher  asserts that climate change makes it "harder and harder to produce ice wine in the Burgenland." Teaming with Krizan in making a wine in Romania, "this region offers the perfect conditions to produce this kind of wine every single year."

Ice Wine (Eiswein) is made from grapes frozen on the vine. For best results the grapes need to be hard frozen at temperatures of -8°C or less, which makes waiting for a suitable cold snap very risky. 

The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed while frozen, so that the ice (water) is removed, thus dramatically increasing the concentration of sugars and flavours in the grape. The pressed juice is then fermented and matured for 16 months in stainless steel tanks.

The final result is a Ice Wine that shows immense concentration of sweetness and complexity along with a good acid structure. 

Golden straw colored, medium full bodied, rich unctuous sweet notes of white stone fruit, lychee and hints of pineapple, and honey on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4511959

The Olde Pink House also has two sister restaurants:

GARIBALDI SAVANNAH - SAVANNAH, GA

ANSON RESTAURANT - CHARLESTON, SC

https://www.theoldepinkhouserestaurant.com/