Croix de Beaucaillou at Suzette's Creperie

Croix de Beaucaillou, Ducru #2 BYOB at Suzette's Creperie

Thursday night out, we dined at Suzette's Creperie, our favorite suburban French Bistros, in Wheaton (IL). Unfortunately, it was an off-night for Suzette's. Perhaps they were overwhelmed, or distracted by their hosting a wine tasting dinner in the main dining room. 

In any event, they were not able to serve either of our first entree choices, our usual favorite, the Sole Meunière, or the filet of beef. As a result, we both had to resort to an alternative choice on what is already a somewhat restricted, limited menu. 

I ordered my usual favorite starter, the Pate' plate, followed by their Three Cheese Souffle. The souffle was delicious. Three Cheese Soufflé - Goat, Blue and Gruyere Cheese flavor this glorious bubbly Soufflé.

Linda opted for the Pork Tenderloin, not her favorite, and she was disappointed in the lackluster dish that was more mundane than it looked, or sounded - Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples in a Brandy Crème Sauce, served with Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. As the daughter of a beef cattleman farmer, its anathema for her to indulge in pork. 

The highlight of the evening, besides my souffle, was our wine selection, from our home cellar, BYOB, the Ducru St Julien Bordeaux wine. 

Croix de Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 2009

Since 2005 the Croix de Beaucaillou has been made each year from a specific section of the estate’s vineyards up on the plateau. This truly is a second wine of the estate, rather than a second label for the younger vines from Ducru-Beaucaillou. 

At a decade, plus, the 10-12 year mark seems to be is just about perfect for such a great second wine in an exceptional vintage. The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine, and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate stated, 'The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted.'

We actually first discovered this label during our visit and tour to Château Ducru Beaucaillou in St Julien Bordeaux. 

Ducru Beaucaillou produces two wines. The flagship grand vin Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and this Croix de Beaucaillou, a second wine, first introduced in 1995. This allows the finest lots to be dedicated to the grand vin, with lesser-quality lots relegated to the second label. This practice of having two tiered labels in the brand is customary with all the notable producers in the Medoc including the super premium first growths, and the 'super seconds', such as Ducru.

All the Ducru wines are aged for 18 months in 50% to 80% new oak barrels, depending on the richness of the vintage. The batches are racked every three months to remove sediment and to top off the barrel filling in the void of evaporation. We watched them rack the barrels during our visit, which allowed us the opportunity to taste the 2018 vintage, from the barrel. 

These regular toppings-up are carried out during the first six months of ageing. The wines are racked from the bottom of the barrels every three months for a total of seven rackings during the ageing period. They are then fined with egg whites, lightly filtered, and then bottled. Bottling takes place in a sterile atmosphere under inert gas.

 This release of this label was awarded 94 points by Decanter, 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast, and 91 by Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Last time we tasted this back in 2021 I noted a bit of green pepper that I noted as off-setting. when I wrote, "Dense dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, rich concentrated textured black berry and black cherry fruits, notes of creme de cassis, exotic spices, tobacco leaf, black tea, black truffle and hints of green pepper, wood, smoke and earth that tend to be offsetting a bit on the finish, detracting from the overall experience."

Jancis Robinson noted a similar experience, "Maybe a very slight bitterness on the finish, hence the minus."

This diminution from the funky layer was less so the second day and perhaps could've been avoided with decanting and aeration some time before tasting. I purchased a six pack so we will have more opportunities to determine the optimal tasting approach and whether this was simply a bottle variation from that first bottle.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/08/croix-de-beaucaillou-2009-i-picked-up.html 

This night there were no indications of this funkiness. Hence I awarded this a higher rating, from 89 previously, to 91 points. 

Dark garnet colored with slight purple hues, medium-full bodied, s 'smaller', less complex and slightly more modest version of the grand vin (albeit at a fraction of the price, so as to be a great value - hi QPR), still elegant and smooth with polished blackberry and black cherry fruits, textured with notes of creme de cassis and black tea with hints of smoke, earth, spice, hint of truffle, with firm tannins and a bit of mineral on a chewy finish.

RM 91

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3004572

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/  

 

https://twitter.com/DucruB 

 

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Guy Amiot Chassagne Montrachet At Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

Guy Amiot Chassagne Montrachet At Suzette's Creperie Wheaton 

We dined at Suzette's Creperie in nearby Wheaton (IL) our favorite suburban French Bistro.

Being early diners on a weeknight, we were able to secure the desirable and preferred table adjacent the front window, next to the festive Christmas tree. 

 

 

We had our usual favorite dishes,the Pâté plate - a slice of smooth Chicken Liver Mousse and a slice of Country Style Pâté served with Dijon mustard, Cornichons and delicious Red Onion Marmalade  with Toasted Brioche on the side, and for entrees, the delectable Sole Meunière, Delicate Sole Filet in a Butter-lemon Sauce, served with Potatoes du Jour & Seasonal Vegetables.

 

Tonight we tried the Three Cheese Soufflé - Goat, Blue and Gruyere Cheese in a fabulous bubbly Soufflé, which was delicious and will certainly be part of our regular faire going forward. I don't know how we have overlooked this in the past! 

Three Cheese Soufflé - Goat, Blue and Gruyere

Chicken Liver Mousse and a slice of
Country Style Pâté

Sole Meunière in a Butter-lemon Sauce
with Potatoes du Jour & Seasonal Vegetables

Tonight, the sole was doctored with Thyme and Rosemary spices which severely detracted from the crisp butter and lemon authenticity of the dish that I would much prefer.

From the winelist we ordered this French Burgundy Chardonnay - Guy Amiot Et Fils Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vigne 2016

Domaine Amiot was founded in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet in 1920 by Arsene Amiot when he acquired select parcels of vines or “climats” in Chassagne including Vergers, Caillerets, Clos St. Jean and in what is today Le Montrachet. 

Under Aresene, Domaine Amiot became one of the first domaines in Burgundy to bottle their own production. In the 1930’s the domaine estates passed to Aresene’s son, Pierre, who continued to add vineyards in nearby sites Champsgains, Macherelles, Maltroie and a tiny parcel in Puligny, Les Demoiselles. 

Pierre’s son, Guy, took control in 1985 and further established the reputation of the domaine for producing exceptional quality wines from the collection of top vineyard sites. Guy’s son Thierry took over as  winemaker in 2003 and continues crafting wines that express the distinctive terroir or character of each vineyard site while striving to achieve the highest quality of the wines.

The Chassagne-Montrachet appellation is located south of Côte de Beaune and covers 865 acre of clayish limestone. Most of the wine produced in the village is white wine from the Chardonnay grape, with a small amount of red wine made from the Pinot Noir grape.

The village includes the Grand Cru vineyard of Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet within its boundaries and shares two Grand Cru vineyards - Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet - with the neighbouring village of Puligny-Montrachet. These three vineyards produce some of the most expensive and long-lived white wines in the world.

Guy Amiot Et Fils Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vigne 2016

Of course French wines are labeled for the site of origin of the grapes as opposed to American wines which are labeled for the type of grape in the bottle. Its up the consumer to understand which grapes are grown in the region or the specific 'appellation'.

This is 100% Chardonnay from 45 year 'old vines', (Vielles Vigne) in the the 2 1/2 acre Thierry and Fabrice producers' (Guy) Amiot vineyard in the Burgundy Appellation of Chassagne-Montrachet. 

There were 6,500 bottles, 540 cases produced. 

This is designated a Grand Vin De Bourgogne (Burgundy).

Suzette's winelist is predominantly French and a California Chardonnay would've likely provided a better wine value. Never-the-less, we love the authentic French cuisine and accompaniments - all part of the experience.

Winemaker Notes: "Brilliant yellow gold and straw with green reflections in a bright and clear. This wine has an expressive nose of yellow fruits with a touch of vanilla. The aromatic richness of the nose is reinforced by a creamy palate with fresh flavors of apples, pear, peaches, honey and almond. The vineyard site receives full morning sun, giving a freshness and a stony, mineral foundation to the wine."

Light golden straw colored, medium bodied, complex crisp, slightly tart pear, apple, grapefruit fruits with hints of peach accented by creamy butter, vanilla and almond notes with a stony, mineral finish.   

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3039258

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Signorello Hope's Cuvee BYOB at Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

 Signorello Hope's Cuvee BYOB at Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

Saturday night, date-night dinner out, we dined at Suzette's Crêperie Wheaton for authentic French cuisine in intimate casual setting. We've featured Suzette's Crêperie Wheaton several times in these pages, most recently back in May in this blogpost. 

This is pretty a replay of those earlier posts,  Suzette's Crêperie in nearby Wheaton (IL), is one of the few authentic French cuisine eateries in the western suburbs, and one of our favorite go-to casual fine dining sites. 

Sited downtown Wheaton city centre, adjacent the convenient muni parking garage, a block from the Metra station, Suzette's offers intimate casual fine dining, al fresco dining out front or on the rear patio, a private dining room for special dinners, and a bar, adjacent the authentic Suzette's Boulangerie & Pâtisserie, a French inspired bakery. 

We're delighted to see Suzette's has survived and started return to pre-covid normalcy, offering once again their broader menu entree selections beyond their namesake specialty Crêpe menu.

As with our recent visits, again tonight, I selected the 'daily special' Sole Meunière, which is one of my favorite dishes, along with the Country Style Pâté, another of my favorites.

As featured in recent previous posts in these pages, the Chicken Liver Mousse and slice of Country Style Pâté  are served with Dijon mustard, Cornichons and delicious Red Onion Marmalade with toasted Brioche on the side.  

Suzette's Sole Meunière is served in the classic French style, Filets of Sole were dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter herb sauce, parsley and lemon, alongside spring vegetables and mashed potatoes. Wonderful, delicious, as usual. 

Knowing we would be ordering the Sole, we brought BYOB from our home cellar one of our current favorite rich Chardonnay's as an accompaniment, Signorello Hope's Cuvee Napa Valley Chardonnay.

This is the same wine we took BYOB on another earlier Saturday dinner outing that I featured in a previous blogpost Signorella Hope's Cuvee at Marco's Kitchen back in June.

Signorello Hope's Cuvee Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

As posted in an earlier blogposts, we discovered and acquired (the then current release vintage of) this wine during our visit to the Estate on Silverado Trail in Southeastern Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2013. At that time I wrote about this label: "I am predominantly a red wine drinker and while I enjoy an occasional glass of white, most often with appropriate food, I don't normally get excited about a white wine. This chardonnay was the exception,  memorable and special."

We're getting down to the last few remaining bottles of the label that we've acquired over time.

(Former) Signorello Estate overlooking vineyards
and valley floor.

The Signorello winery sits at the very southern end of Napa Valley and has 43 acres of vineyards, including some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in all of Napa Valley - fruit from 37-year-old vines goes into his Hope’s Cuvée.

The magnificent Estate was destroyed in the fires that engulfed much of sections of Sonoma and Napa in 2017. Fires came down the foothills to the property that sat up the hill back from the highway.

The fire reached the winery and completely destroyed the hospitality center that also housed offices, a wine lab and a family residence upstairs. The adjacent  crush pad and stainless steel tanks survived intact along with the barrel cellar and equally if not most importantly, the vines of the adjacent vineyards. 

In the wake of the destruction from Napa Valley’s October 2017 Atlas Peak Fire, Ray Signorello vowed to rebuild. We're relieved to read about the Phoenix of Signorella Estate, rising from the ashes, literally, and being rebuilt, even grander and larger than before. Signorello said he viewed the tragedy as an opportunity to do something new and exciting and is rebuilding with a larger fermentation facility, wine caves and a stunning expanded hospitality center.

The winery has kept almost all of its team employed as an interim step toward returning to normalcy and they have been operating out of a modular building was brought in to serve as a temporary hospitality center.

The adjacent Darioush property nearby the sits at the valley floor closer to the highway and similarly situated properties were untouched.

Signorello "Hope's Cuvée" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave the 2015 release 98 points and said, "The best Chardonnay I have ever tasted from Ray Signorello has to be the 2015 Chardonnay Hope’s Cuvée." Vinous gave it 91 points.

Tonight's tasting was consistent with earlier tastings of this label. This Hope's Cuvée Chardonnay was full bodied but nicely balanced and polished for very pleasant drinking. It is bursting with flavorful fruit with layers of peach and poached pear giving way to hints of honey, almond, nutmeg, vanilla and creamy soft spicy oak. There is very pleasant full mouth-feel with rich texture on the palate with a long lingering finish of sweet mellow oak.

Golden colored, full bodied, rich and concentrated caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, white peach, pear and melon notes with a touch of almond and brioche.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2806461

https://www.signorelloestate.com/

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

Suzette's Creperie Wheaton for authentic French cuisine in intimate casual setting

Thursday night out, we dined at Suzette's Crêperie in nearby Wheaton (IL), one of the few authentic French cuisine eateries in the western suburbs, and one of our favorite go-to casual fine dining sites. 

Sited downtown Wheaton city centre, adjacent the convenient muni parking garage, a block from the Metra station, Suzette's offers intimate casual fine dining, al fresco dining out front or on the rear patio, a private dining room for special dinners, and a bar, adjacent the authentic Suzette's Boulangerie & Pâtisserie, a French inspired bakery. 

We wish they'd offer a broader selection beyond the Crêpe centric menu, beyond the two nightly specials, which often aren't published or revealed until opening time. But hey, its Suzette's Crêperie, inspired by and built to bring to America authentic Parisian Crêpes.

Notably, it's difficult enough for restaurants to carry on in the post covid era with reduced limited staff, Biden induced inflation increased costs, and budget conscious diners. 

C'est la vie. 

Tonight, I selected the 'daily special' Sole Meunière, which is one of my favorite dishes, along with the Country Style Pâté, another of my favorites. 

As featured in recent previous posts in these pages, the Chicken Liver Mousse and slice of Country Style Pâté  are served with Dijon mustard, Cornichons and delicious Red Onion Marmalade with toasted Brioche on the side.  

Suzette's Sole Meunière is served in the classic French style, Filets of Sole were dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter herb sauce, parsley and lemon, alongside spring vegetables and mashed potatoes. Wonderful, delicious, as usual.

Linda order the Ham & Cheese Crêpe, which described in the menu as simple but delicious, and it was, delectable, exceeding both our expectations. 

I had already ordered this Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage Northern Rhone Syrah to accompany my Country Style Pâté starter, before selecting my Sole Meunière entree, otherwise, I would've opted for a white wine. Never-the-less it went well with the my starter and Linda's entree. 

This was a wine we had ordered in a previous visit from their somewhat limited but artfully and carefully selected wine list. The Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence wine list offers close to a hundred French wines from an inventory of nearly 600 bottles, as well as champagnes, sherries, French beer, French Ciders, Cognacs, Armagnacs and spirits. They offer wines in all price ranges from modest house W-B-T-G (wines by the glass) or bottles from basic to to super premium vintage first growths.

Marlène & Nicolas Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes Hermitage 2018

I wrote about this wine and this producer in an earlier blogpost. This Tain-Hermitage, Domaine Chevalier is produced by brother and sister team of Nicolas and Marlène Chevalier. Nicolas tends the vineyards and crafts each cuvee, while Marlène handles all of the sales and marketing for Domaine Chevalier.

Marlène and Nicolas Chevalier farm three small vineyards at their meticulously tended family property comprising 3 1/2 acres in Crozes-Hermitage from which they produce on average 500 cases of red and white Rhône wines in tiny lots which are highly allocated. Their wines are found only in a couple of importer direct wine clubs and renowned restaurants in North American.

The 2018 vintage was top rated in the Northern Rhône.

 

Importer notes: The 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage sports a brilliant purple robe and a captivating aroma redolent with the scents of blackberry, plum, violets, and exotic spices. Sensuous and seductive in the mouth, the 2018 Les Voleyses graces the palate with a silky texture and pure floral, fruit, and forest floor flavors that have aptly been described as hedonism in a glass. Moreover, the 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses is juicy and harmonious to the finish, as it makes an exit with joyful panache.

 

The Voleyses Cuvée is 100% Syrah made from younger vine fruit and aged in stainless steel.

Consistent with my earlier tasting notes, Deep inky purple colored medium-full bodied, full round layers of blackberry and plum fruits, notes of black tea, spice and leather overtake the fruits, turning to soft chewy textured tannins on a medium finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3495672

http://suzettescreperie.com/index.html

Sole Meunière Santenay Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

Sole Meunière and Santenay at Suzette's Creperie Wheaton

After the wonderful Chicken Liver Mousse that I enjoyed so much at Queensyard, Hudson Yard, NYC last week, I had a taste for more, and am always up for french faire, so, we dined at Suzette's Creperie in Wheaton for Friday night dinner. 

Fortuitously, the dinner special was their delectable Sole Meunière, one of our favorite entrees. 

Served in the classic French style, Filets of Sole were dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter herb sauce, parsley and lemon, alongside spring vegetables and mashed potatoes. Wonderful, delicious, (if only served hotter/warmer).

For a starter course we ordered the slice of smooth Chicken Liver Mousse and a slice of Country Style Pâté served with Dijon mustard, Cornichons and delicious Red Onion Marmalade with toasted Brioche on the side. Not quite as delectable as that served at Queensyard, but it met the call at least. 

For a wine accompaniment we ordered from the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winelist, this classic authentic French Burgundian Chardonnay - a fun wine with a remarkable tradition and history.

This is from Guy Amiot et Fils, self proclaimed "winegrowers" since 1910, the family-owned and operated winery and vineyards produce 25 wine labels in the Burgundy appellations of Beaune, Chassagne & Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, St-Aubin and this one from the village of Santenay.

The Amiot family has been producing premium wines in the legendary Chassagne-Montrachet terroir for generations. Founders, Flavie and Arsène established a winegrowing tradition passed down to their son Pierre, then to their grandson Guy, and today to the 4th generation great grandsons, Thierry (1969), Fabrice (1973), and the 5th generation embodied by Thierry’s daughter, Héloïse (1995).

The broad portfolio of family produced wines are a tribute to Flavie and her husband, Arsène, originally from Paris, who founded a wine estate in Burgundy.

The quaint family history dates back to the 1900s, Flavie Amiot was a businesswoman, owner of a fine linen laundry in Boulogne, just outside Paris. Looking for a nanny to look after her unborn children, she asked the postwoman who told her that “my sister is a nanny in Chassagne-Montrachet”! 

Flavie and Arsène moved to Burgundy and (1887-1969) founded the estate, purchasing the vines, house, raising a family and educating the children. Simone (1922-2009) devoted her life to working in the vineyards, the wine cellar and the kitchen to welcome customers and wine aficionados.

Marcel, Pierre, Lucienne and Robert, born in 1909, 1910, 1912 and 1914, were therefore brought up in Burgundy where their parents acquired houses, outbuildings and vineyards in preparation for their retirement in the 1950s.

Through the 1920's they acquired plots in Chassagne-Montrachet - Les Caillerets, Les Vergers, Clos Saint Jean and Dents de Chien (Dogteeth, which became Le Montrachet grand cru in 1937.

Arsène’s son, Pierre, took on his father’s domaine in 1935. Second generation Pierre Amiot, born in 1910, studied at the Beaune viticultural college and became a winegrower in 1935-36. Thanks to the wealthy Parisian clientele of his parents’ laundry, direct sales to consumers developed. A wine shop was opened in the 17th arrondissement of Paris that sold bottles of Domaine Arsène Amiot until 1941. 

 

The vineyard expanded with the acquisition of plots from Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie, Les Champgains, Les Macherelles (1er cru) and Les Chaumes (Village).

When Pierre died in 1985, Pierre’s son, Guy, carried on the tradition, a trained oenologist, he gained experience in winemaking outside Burgundy (Jura, Provence), and produced remarkable vintages with a new style from 1985 to 1995. 

 

Today: the tradition continues with the 4^th and 5^th generations: Thierry and his daughter Héloïse for the vineyard and the cellar, Fabrice for the sales.

Guy Amiot' two fourth generation sons manage the estate: Thierry the vineyard and wine-making while Fabrice manages the business.  Passing on wine production to the next generation, Thierry’s daughter, Héloise, born in 1995, also studied viticulture at the Beaune wine school, worked in a winery in Australia and graduated in oenology at the University of Dijon… Says the winery of their rich tradition and legacy, "After Flavie and Simone, the final words of the Amiot women have not yet been spoken!"

Today, the family of Guy Amiot family owns two seventeen different plots of Montrachet Grand Cru in Chassagne-Montrachet and others in the surrounding communes, most a fraction of an acre each. They produce 26 different labels, eighteen white including a grand cru and 8 premier crus in white on 200 ha, as well as 2 premier crus in red on 100 ha of  Chassagne-Montrachet vines. 

Domaine Guy Amiot et Fils Santenay Vieilles Vignes 2017

This label is produced from grapes from the best plots of  .8 acres of vineyards in the commune of Santenay, Sous la Roche, and Comme Dessu.  Guy Amiot ... et Fils means, 'and sons' while Vielles Vigne translates to 'old vines' in English.

This is from the 2017 vintage. a very good wine year thanks to constant sunshine which delivered healthy, ripe grapes full of aroma. The water stress forced the old vines to draw nutrients from the subsoil resulting in rich concentrated fruit. 

 

This was straw colored, medium bodied with sharp flavors of green apple, pear, hints of citrus, peach white stone and almond. 

 

RM 90 points. 

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3351940

https://www.domaine-amiotguyetfils.com/

https://twitter.com/AmiotGuy