Delightful wine lunch at Vintij Grand Boulevard

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental home, we had a delightful wine lunch at Vintij Wine Bar at Grand Boulevard shopping center in Sandestin, one of favorite outings we try to take in every trip. 

We had a delightful lunch sitting outside on the patio at Vin’tij Wine Bar in the tony Grand Boulevard shopping center, where you can purchase a bottle and enjoy with small bites, lunch or dinner. 

I wrote about Vin’tij and their extensive wine shop selection in this blogpost last autumn - Wine tasting at Vin’Tij Grand Boulevard (San)Destin.

Before lunch we had the delicious Bread Basket with olive oil, Roasted Garlic, Marinated Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Fresh Basil and Parmesan Cheese.

For lunch, Linda order the Seared Ahi Tuna with marinated cucumber Marinated Cucumber Salad, Sriracha Kewpie Mayonnaise, Chili Oil & Ponzu.

I order the Mango Ginger Salmon with stir fried vegetable cous-cous. It was delicious, as good as any salmon entree I’ve ever encountered. 

We purchased in the wineshop this Napa Valley Chardonnay from a favored producer we know well. 

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023 

Pride Mountain Vineyards sits high atop Spring Mountain, above St Helena at 2,100 feet, at the mountain summit above the town of St Helena in the Mayacamas Range that forms the western wall of Napa Valley. 

Pride is one of two Napa/Sonoma Valley producers whose vineyards span the summit which is the border between Napa and Sonoma Valleys. 

While this wine is sourced from Napa Valley and therefore labeled as such, some Pride labels are designated Napa/Sonoma Valley. The other producer is Constant Vineyards, high atop Diamond Mountain, at the north end of the Mayacamas range.

We own several vintages of Pride Napa Valley wines, mostly reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

We visited the Pride Mountain Vineyards high atop Spring Mountain back in 1999 and 2000 when we tasted and acquired a case of their wines.

The vineyards and wine production date back to 1869 according to archived records. The original structure was destroyed by fire after Prohibition. Pride Mountain Vineyards built the current building as part of a complete renovation of their estate in 1997.

Due to the property's unique location at the summit, atop the mountain straddling Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west, the winery is required to maintain two separate facilities, one in Napa and the other in Sonoma. The property line is divided down the center of the crush pad.

As mentioned above, Pride Mountain Vineyards labels may be designated Napa Valley, Sonoma County or both, depending on the source of the blend. Pride Mountain Vineyards brands their estate, "One Ranch, Two Counties."

Pride Mountain Vineyards consists of three vineyards totaling 235 acres on Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas mountain range that separates the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Their distinctive terroir with their high elevation includes soil of volcanic rocks, gravel loam and stones along with some clay. There they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay and Viognier in 40 different blocks produced in fifty lots of wines that varies from vintage to vintage.

This wine is 100% Chardonnay, sourced from multiple vineyard sites, produced mainly from purchased fruit, primarily from Carneros, 30% of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation. It was aged in 90% Neutral Oak and 10% New French Oak. Production of this release was 2617 cases.

James Suckling on JamesSuckling.com rating this release 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it 92 points, Antonio Galloni of Vinous rated it 91, and Jeb Dunnuck gave it 90 points. 

Winemaker notes - “The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay is a beautiful, generous expression of Napa Valley fruit at its freshest and finest. The 2023 growing season was long and even, which layered in profound complexity to this wine. Overflowing with aromas of juicy pear and nectarines, the first sip is dominated by mouthwatering minerality, balanced by a delightful salinity, and accented by an intriguing touch of lime zest. While this wine is perfect for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner or fresh Dungeness crab, it will equally captivate you when enjoying a glass or two on its own.”

Pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, nice ‘balance between power and finesse’, bright, ‘focused and quite steely’, notes of citrus fruits with hints of pear and orange blossom, white flowers and bit of cinnamon with bright acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 91 points 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5146159

https://www.pridewines.com/wine/our-wines/pride-chardonnay/2023-chardonnay/

https://www.pridewines.com/

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s

Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin/Miramar Beach

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental, we dined at Captain Dave’s, a favorite, a local institution, and a short walk down the beach from our house. 

Captain Dave’s On The Gulf is the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, (FL), family owned and operated since 1968. It offers beach front views from the spacious high ceiling dining room overlooking the gulf. 

Before dinner we sat on the deck overlooking the beach to watch the sunset with a Captain Dave’s Rum Punch. 

Tonight was a replay of a previous visit to this restaurant from last fall, when we even ordered the same entrees as tonight - Nickel & Nickle Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin.

We each ordered our favorite entrees - Linda the Coconut crusted shrimp …. 

… I ordered the Captain Daves signature Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi. 

We took BYOB this Chardonnay from Sta Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County that we just picked up at Wine World in Destin. It proved to be a huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio value for easy sipping Chardonnay. We liked it so much, we went back and picked up a couple more bottles.  

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to produce wines that reflect the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of California’s Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County.

Sant Rita Hills has one of the coolest climates on the west coast, Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, with a long growing season, making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The unique topology where the valleys run perpendicular to the coast funnels the maritime influences through the hills to the small appellation that is filled with variations in soil, aspect and micro-climates to produce terroir ideal for those varietals. 

Greg Brewer also produces Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay which we have enjoyed in the recent past, another high QPR easy sipping Chardonnay. We wrote about it in these pages in this recent blogpost - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.

We visited the Brewer Clifton tasting room in the town of Los Olivos during our Santa Barbara Country wine experience back in 2023. 

Jeb Dunnuck gives their Sta Rita Hills estate Chardonnay 95 points and writes, “I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.”  That release was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 93 points by Wine Spectator.

This was pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, crisp, clean and pure with bright vibrant, intense Meyer Lemon citrus, accented by notes of pear and hint of green apple fruits, with tangy acidity, and expressive mineral on and a great lingering finish. So bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. 

It was so bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood, which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. It was great with our seafood entrees.

This release was aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels but any sense of oakiness is muted. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5299506

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/brewer-clifton

https://www.captdavesonthegulf.com/

Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

Great QPR in this Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

Over the course of a couple evenings, we enjoyed this crisp clean un-oaked central coast Chardonnay, first with baked chicken with potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, then with some artisan cheeses and fresh fruits. 

This is from accomplished producer/winemaker Greg Brewer, who produced his first vintage in 1996, Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs - raised in neutral barrels with whole cluster fermentation. He also “acts out his almost deviant desire to go outside his Brewer-Clifton paradigm to explore a new muse – Syrah” produced under his Ex Post Facto label.

This moderately priced Diatom label by Brewer, comes from the Mission Mills Vineyard just outside of Los Alamos. As noted on the rear label, Diatom is named for the fossil-rich diatomaceous earth in which these vines grow. 

Brewer’s wines are showcased at his tasting room in Los Olivos, by appointment only. 

We visited and wrote about Los Olivos and the large number of tasting rooms there in our blogpost back in 2022.   

This label was wine #37 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2023 and #18 in the Top 100 Wines of 2025. 

This 2023 Diatom Chardonnay can be had for under $25 and provides great QPR - quality price ratio at that price point. 

Vinous writes, “This is a stunning wine for the price and for its production of around 40,000 cases.” With that level of production, it should be readily available in local wine shops as well as the big box beverage marts. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes, “This impeccably made Chardonnay should be snatched up by readers, as it competes with wines at two to three times the price, a no-brainer purchase for those who love Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. ”

Decanter wrote; “One of the region's perennial top-value Chardonnays that retains the truest sense of place.”

Linda especially loved this unoaked and fermented in steel tanks Chardonnay with its full-bodied but balanced and amazingly rich in ripe fruit. 

Wine Enthusiast wrote - “This wine made by the legendary Greg Brewer offers a very affordable taste of his mastery.”

All of this fruit is from Mission Hills outside Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County.

 

Winemaker Notes - “ Our singular focus is to present a pure and precise expression of Chardonnay. The Diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay offers aromas of lemon, citrus blossom and wet sand with flavors of saline and white peach on the palate. A precise, balanced wine. winemaker Greg Brewer calls the wine ‘big and neutral, blurring the lines of expectation.’”

This release was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, 93 points by Decanter and Wine Spectator who calls it a ‘Smart Buy’, and 92 points and “Editors Choice” by Wine Enthusiast.

Golden colored, medium full bodied, crisp, clean, pure, round but nicely, balanced, smooth flavors of citrus, green apple, cardamom and floral with subtle pineapple mangoes, and chalky mineral, with soft tangy acidity, on a smooth balanced finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4948763

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/

 

 

The George Tavern Naperville Replay

The George Tavern Naperville Replay

We loved the atmosphere and vibe of The George Tavern in Naperville so much, the other day, that we returned for late lunch, casual small bites and wine. 

As featured in an earlier blogpost of our visit, The George American Tavern, Naperville, we sat in the tony, chic, comfortable, cozy Pontiac Lounge. 

We wanted to treat, and share the experience with sister Jan, visiting from SoCal. 

We ordered the BRÛLÉE FRENCH ONION soup, 12-hr onions, gruyére in rich beef broth, and the THAI CURRY MUSSELS, coconut broth, red curry, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, lime, with charred bread. Both were delicious. The creative Thai Curry Mussels exceeded our expectations and were especially good.  

As I wrote in that blogpost of our recent visit, The George American Tavern, Naperville, excerpted below, The George is named for several historic Napervillians, all named George. As we left the restaurant and walked down the street, we revisited the historic mural painting and marker plaque affixed to the adjacent building, outside neighboring Sullivan’s Steakhouse, at the opposite end of the block. These have new significance now, given the history of the site, and the memorializing of the earlier Georges, proprietors, citizens and patrons that frequented there, namesakes for The George.  

The mural shows Judge George Knoch, and the plaque memorializes George Laird and the Preemption Inn & Tavern that stood on the site, nearly two centuries earlier. 

Like our earlier visit, we tasted the Russian River Valley Chardonnay, this time from bottle, which was an ideal pairing with the soup and mussels. 

Davis Bynum River West, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2022

The Davis Bynum estate and River West Vineyard, is located on Westside Road on a low riverside bench in the far northern end of the valley. 

Initially they combined grapes from Napa with local Russian River Valley fruit, until they sold the Napa property in 1976. Their first Pinot Noir, the 1973 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir was sourced from the Rochioli Vineyard and was the first Pinot to carry a Russian River designation.

Today, Davis Bynum Winery produces about 15,000 cases of wine annually under the Davis Bynum label. While Davis oversees the vineyards and business, winemaking in managed by winemaker/producer Gary Farrell and Bynum winemaker is Greg Morthole. Bynum’s son, Hampton, manages daily operations, sales, and assists with winemaking and production.

Davis Bynum crafts wines that showcase the estate with its Yolo sandy-silt loam soil with a pocket of gravelly Cortina soil in one block, and near coastal moderated climate cool foggy climate.

This is the entry level, basic Chardonnay, part of the broader Bynum portfolio of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir labels. It offers good QPR (quality price ratio) for every day casual sipping and enjoyment, ideal for a WBTG (wine-by-the-glass) selection. 

It was rated 90 points by Wine Spectator

Winemaker’s tasting notes - Aromas of lemon curd, apple pie and graham cracker, along with flavors of baked golden apple, pie crust and a sweet floral undertone. French and Eastern European barrel aging brings a measure of dusty oak tones and notes of butterscotch, tempered by a balanced acidity. 

Light straw colored, light medium bodied, crisp, nicely balanced, zesty green apple, pear, citrus and notes of pineapple with floral, vanilla, stone fruit, toasted almond and mineral notes on a bright lingering finish.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4865246

https://www.davisbynum.com/

https://www.georgenaperville.com/

The George American Tavern, Naperville

Casual Dining at The George American Tavern, Naperville 

Downtown Naperville for a business meeting and shopping, we had an impromptu late lunch at the new, recently opened “George American Tavern” and adjoining Pontiac Lounge. Stop in for a trendy lunch, casual dinner, or late evening snack, and drinks, in a comfortable, cozy, stylish setting. 

The George is the rebirth and renovation of long time eateries at this landmark (pun intended) location, dating back decades - the Landmark, then Jimmy’s Grill that occupied the space for 24 years, then Bev’s, from 2022 thru late 2024.

The property, in the heart of downtown Naperville, was acquired by the Empire Restaurant Group, operators of Empire Burger & Brew, the Northcott and Hizemans. It is a project of Will Cullen and partner Dave Miller, operator of the Elements event space in the nearby Hotel Indigo, and Chef by Request, a special event catering company. 

The George is named for several historic Napervillians including local landmark names, early settler and first pre-emption house hotel/tavern owner, George Laird, (19th century Circuit Court Judge George) Knoch (Park), early settler (George) Martin (Avenue), and in recent times, the gregarious popular long-time native, former policeman turned Mayor George Pradel.

The decorating is stylish, clubby, warm, cozy and comfortable, akin a polo/country club lounge, bar and dining room. 

The dining room was decked out in festive holiday decor.

We sat adjacent the cozy fireplace in the adjacent Pontiac Lounge. 

One of the Georges, the late, former Naperville Mayor George Pradel, is memorialized in a couple of namesake entrees, and is pictured amongst the many stylish, whimsical, comical and historic prints and photographs that adorn the walls. 

The all-day menu is club oriented, upscale ‘tavern’ food, small bites, starters, and a focused set of special entrees such as Short-rib Stroganoff, served with pappardelle noodles, cremini mushrooms, in a mushroom-ricotta sauce, Fish & Chips, Smash Burgers, Sliders, and Bourbon-Maple Salmon with crispy onion straws, french haricot verts and whipped potatos.

There is a craft cocktail list, and a small but carefully and thoughtfully crafted wine cellar/list featuring a few selections by the glass, and a bottle selection of mostly premium and ultra-premium California labels from popular producers such as Cade, Darioush, Lewis, Plumpjack and Shrader.

Linda had the Sliders with a craft cocktail and I ordered the Salmon with a California Chardonnay BTG (By-the-Glass). 

Davis Bynum River West, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2022

Davis Bynum was a pioneer and champion of the Russian River Valley producing award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for over fifty years.The Davis Bynum Winery initially began in 1951 when Davis Bynum, a young journalist with the San Francisco Chronicle, bought 50 pounds of grapes from Robert Mondavi and made 3 1/2 gallons of Petite Sirah.

In 1971, Davis acquired vineyard land near St. Helena in Napa Valley. Unable to develop the property due to the anti-growth moratorium on new winery construction by the Napa county planning commission, the Bynum Family purchased the 83-acre River Bend Ranch in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County where they established a winery and permanent home.

The Bynum estate and River West Vineyard. is located on Westside Road on a low riverside bench in the far northern end of the valley. 

Initially they combined grapes from Napa with local Russian River Valley fruit, until they sold the Napa property in 1976. Their first Pinot Noir, the 1973 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir was sourced from the Rochioli Vineyard and was the first Pinot to carry a Russian River designation.

Today, Davis Bynum Winery produces about 15,000 cases of wine annually under the Davis Bynum label. While Davis oversees the vineyards and business, winemaking in managed by winemaker/producer Gary Farrell and Bynum winemaker is Greg Morthole. Bynum’s son, Hampton, manages daily operations, sales, and assists with winemaking and production.

Davis Bynum crafts wines that showcase the estate with its Yolo sandy-silt loam soil with a pocket of gravelly Cortina soil in one block, and near coastal moderated climate cool foggy climate.

This is the entry level, basic Chardonnay, part of the broader Bynum portfolio of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir labels. It offers good QPR (quality price ratio) for every day casual sipping and enjoyment, ideal for a WBTG (wine-by-the-glass) selection. 

It was rated 90 points by Wine Spectator

Winemaker’s tasting notes - Aromas of lemon curd, apple pie and graham cracker, along with flavors of baked golden apple, pie crust and a sweet floral undertone. French and Eastern European barrel aging brings a measure of dusty oak tones and notes of butterscotch, tempered by a balanced acidity. 

Light straw colored, light medium bodied, crisp, nicely balanced, zesty green apple, pear, citrus and notes of pineapple with floral, vanilla, stone fruit, toasted almond and mineral notes on a bright lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4865246

https://www.davisbynum.com/

https://www.georgenaperville.com/

Beau Vigne “Persuasion” Chardonnay with Chicken Ciaccatore

Beau Vigne “Persuasion” Chardonnay with Chicken Ciaccatore 

We just received our club shipment of “Persuasion” Chardonnay from Napa Valley producer Beau Vigne. Eager to try this new label, Linda prepared Chicken Ciaccatore for dinner for a food wine pairing. 

This proved to be a good pairing of the bold expressive Chardonnay with the Herbes de Provence, oregano and rosemary spices with tomatoes, mushrooms and wild rice of the chicken dish. 

We have featured in these pages several Beau Vigne big reds from this emerging, interesting Napa producer, who produces a wide portfolio of wines from estate and contract growers, and purchased lot sources. This is our first introduction to a white, in this just released Napa Valley Chardonnay. 

I wrote about and featured this producer in earlier blogposts, such as this one, Beau Vigne Napa Valley Red Blend 2013, excerpted here:

If the pedigree of the winemaker says anything, then Beau Vigne is in a distinguished class with 100-point winemaker Julien Fayard (Lafite Rothschild, Smith Haut Lafitte, Melka, Quintessa, Realm, Covert Estate), and where Dave Phinney was the founding winemaker! Note also, the collaboration with Philippe Melka, and contribution of another of our fav’s, winemaker Kirk Venge. 

I featured Beau Vigne in detail in a more extensive blogpost last summer - Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red, and several other blogposts such as the one’s below.

The producer writes - “Our Napa Valley winery is devoted exclusively to making influential luxury Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Blends. Taking inspiration from our founding winemaker Dave Phinney who sought out to make red wines that would compete with the greatest wines of the world. This tradition was enhanced by the addition of winemaker Kirk Venge in 2008 through 2018/19 who obtained a perfect 100 Points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Present-day winemaking is now in the hands of Julien Fayard who hails from the legendary first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild and Atelier Melka before becoming the brilliant up and coming new winemaker in Napa Valley.”

Beau Vigne was taken over by Charles Bartlett when he purchased the brand in 2019 with the intent to carry on the dream created by Ed and Trish Snider, whom he has known for many years. Charles has worked in Napa since the late 1970s and has built a successful wine trading company, working with many of the top names in the mountain AVAs. 

Bartlett hired Julien Fayard to establish and oversee modern practices in the vineyard and in the cellar. The release of beau Vigne CULT Cabernet Sauvignon, beacme one of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed labels with year-over-year 93 to 98 points from critics. Beau Vigne continues the tradition of hand-harvested grapes planted and grown on Atlas Peak, the Pritchard Hill region and other viticultural areas of Napa Valley including Howell Mountain, Oakville and Rutherford.

We featured other tastings from the Beau Vigne portfolio in these other earlier blogposts:  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/beau-vigne-reserve-proprietary-red-wine.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/beau-vigne-proprietary-red-byob-at.html

This producer first caught my attention when buddy Bob brought it to our Pour Boys OTBN - "Open-That-Bottle-Night" 2022 in Charleston and I pegged it as WOTN - Wine of the Night, my personal favorite. Bob picked up the bottle at his local Total Wine beverage superstore in Boca Raton Town Center. I saw the label when there and also at the new Total Wine in Indy. 

Beau Vigne (pronounced bo-veenya), was founded by Ed and Trish Snider with their first vintage release in 2002. Translated from French it means beautiful vineyard in French.

Ed’s family had a long history in Napa Valley dating back to his Swiss Italian grandfather Martin Garzoli who arrived in Napa in 1913. He grew up on a ranch in Carneros and worked on farms in Napa and Sonoma. Martin made his own wines at home in the evenings. His son John Garzoli played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 and went on to coach football at St. Helena High School in the center of Napa Valley where children of many vintners attended school. A number of Ed’s former students are now in the wine industry.

In 2018, they sold Beau Vigne to Don Dady and Jason Kyle from Arizona. Jason was a former NFL football player, a long snapper for five different teams including the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to his wine interests, Jason is co-owner of Press Coffee Roasters with locations in Arizona.  Partner Dady is co-founder of Annexus, a financial company in Scottsdale and also owns Seven Apart Winery in Napa Valley just north of the city of Napa. 

Beau Vigne sourced fruit for their estate wines from their 10 acre Stags Ridge Vineyard at the top of Soda Canyon Road on the slopes of Atlas Peak at about 1650 feet elevation. The site was planted to 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Ed sold the vineyard and it is now a part of Seven Apart Winery’s estate. Beau Vigne continues to source grapes from there and other premium vineyards in Napa Valley. 

Since 2019, Beau Vigne has partnered with Appellation Trading Company to distribute Beau Vigne as part of their portfolio of brands. 

Over the years, Beau Vigne has been crafted by several highly regarded Napa Valley winemakers. Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney who went on to develop several successful brands, most notably, Orin Swift Cellars and the Prisoner portfolio of wines. One of our favorite winemakers, Kirk Venge of Venge Vineyards has also crafted Beau Vigne wines. Today the winemaker is Julien Fayard.

Originally from France, Julien began his career as a winemaker producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at legendary Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite in Bordeaux before relocating to Napa Valley where he was Philippe Melka’s director of winemaking for a few years before setting out on his own.

Julien earned his Master in Agri-Business from ESA France and his Master in Winemaking from Toulouse France. In 2011, he received his MBA from UC Davis. 
Recently, Beau Vigne became part of a select collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. They showcase wines from an elite group of premier Napa Valley producers who do not have their own tasting rooms. Select bottlings and vintages of Beau Vigne are available for tasting and purchase there. 

Beau Vigne bottles wines under three different brands; the Legacy Series, the Signature Series and the Discovery Series. This new release is from their “new expressions”  Discovery Series. 

Winemaker’s Notes - “Beautiful aromas of golden apple, with hints of lemon and a touch of jasmine. As the wine opens up it shows great characteristics of toasted brioche that will linger. The wine is vibrant with a lot of tropical aromas and a bright acidity.” 

This was golden straw colored, medium bodied, bright expressive and bold flavors of apple and tropical fruits with unique accents of what the producer describes as jasmine and toasted brioche, with bright acidity on the crisp finish. 

This unique flavor profile is an ‘acquired taste’, different from a traditional Chardonnay, but a nice fitting complement to the moderate herbal spices and mushrooms of the dish entree shown above.

RM 91 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5556506

https://www.beauvigne.com/

Jayson Napa Valley Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin

Jayson Napa Valley Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin 

With visiting friends Eric, Cathy, Pat & Rodger, we dined at Captain Dave’s On The Gulf Seafood Restaurant in Destin, FL., a short walk from The Cove, our Destin vacation rental. 

Captain Dave’s On The Gulf is the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, family owned and operated since 1968. It offers beach front views from the spacious high ceiling dining room overlooking the gulf. 

They feature the usual appetizers, soups, salads and sides. Their speciality is American seafood cuisine infused with a ‘contemporary Gulf Coast twist’. - the local fresh catch seafood dishes - Flounder, Grouper, Mahi Mahi, Snapper and Refish as well as shrimp, lobster and salmon as well as steaks and chicken dishes. 

“Captain Dave’s Faves” signature dishes are artfully prepared with imaginative preparations featuring their signature homemade sauces such as their Parmesan Italian Cream Sauce. Our veteran server provided prompt attentive gracious and friendly service. 

I enjoyed their Mahi Mahi with Parmesan Cream sauce last month and was eager to have it again, and, based on my raving about the entree, several of us ordered it as well. Everyone loved it, although, beware, the Parmesan crème sauce is rich and filling. 

I took from our cellar, BYOB, this Carneros Chardonnay for pairing with the fresh seafood dinners. With two attorneys at the table, it was whimsical and fitting that I selected a wine from an attorney turned wine producer. 

I wrote about this producer and label in detail in a blogpost back in 2023, Pahlmeyer Jayson Napa Chardonnay with Grilled Salmon, excerpted here:

We have several bottles in this collection so I pulled this, the oldest vintage to consume as part of cellar management..  

Jayson Pahlmeyer was a successful trial attorney who started becoming hooked by the wine industry and slowly phased out his law practice in pursuit of developing his own wines. He partnered with John Caldwell, owner of a 55-acre site in south-east Napa Valley. Together, they began planting French clones of red Bordeaux varieties.

“All I wanted to do was to create my own ‘California Mouton’ – a rich, powerful Napa Valley Bordeaux blend, a wine that would drop wine lovers to their knees,” says Jayson Pahlmeyer.

He made several trips to France to find some of the highest quality Bordeaux varietal clones, seeking assistance over several years from viti-cultural professors at the University of Bordeaux who analyzed the soil samples, exposure, rainfall and temperature data from Napa. 

Jayson and his partner were able to acquire Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec vines and managed to smuggle their “suitcase clones” through Canada and then took them back to California where he planted his own vineyard.

“My closest advisors, Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer told me ‘If you want to be a first-growth, you have to have your own vineyards,’” says Jayson Pahlmeyer. “I found this property in the eastern hills of Napa Valley that was owned by the Waters family - an incredible parcel with views to the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. John did the soil analysis, David Abreu studied the terrain, and speaking for all of them, Helen proclaimed it ‘paradisal’. It was rocky, desolate, low vigor, with good drainage. Perfect for growing Bordeaux varieties.

“I hired David Abreu to develop it, and Helen and Erin Green, Helen’s protégé and our longtime winemaker, selected the clones, which included those smuggled from Bordeaux that I had been using since my 1986 vintage.”

Planted in 1981, the French cuttings slowly adjusted. Pahlmeyer Wine released their first vintage in 1986 with the help of Randy Dunn, one of California’s foremost winemakers, the Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red was made and launched.

Helen Turley took over winemaking in 1993 and further improved the quality and consistency of Pahlmeyer wines. They started producing wine at the Napa Wine Co in 1994 soon after Napa Wine Co underwent a huge renovation to accommodate production from wineries who do not actually have their own physical winery at the time. 

Jayson’s daughter Cleo joined the team in 2008.

Today, the winemaker is Bibiana Gonzalez Rave. She received her oenology degree from the University of Bordeaux and has worked at estates in Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Santa Barbara County, Sonoma Valley and other locations in addition to Napa Valley. She was named Winemaker of the Year for 2015 by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jason Pahlmeyer understood that making wines with exceptional concentration, complexity, and ageability required venturing to extremes. That’s what drew him to the rugged parcel of vines on the ridgeline of Atlas Peak that would become his iconic estate vineyard. 

 

The Pahlmeyer estate vineyards include Water’s Ranch, Stagecoach, and Antica parcels, that all sit above 1,400 feet elevation where they benefit from three more hours of sunshine per day compared to lower altitudes that are often cloaked in morning fog. This additional sunlight ensures the berries achieve a deep, rich color and complex flavor compounds. 

 

Location, map and technical information for Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard.

We love Pahlmeyer wines and have served special large format bottles of our son's birthyear vintage bottles at his wedding celebration and birthday dinners as posted in these pages -  

Pahlmeyer Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley Red Blend 1990, and,

Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

Pahlmeyer "Jayson" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

Over the years, the portfolio grew to also include the "Jayson" brand that includes several reds, and a Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines that sourced from lower elevation vineyard sites including some on the valley floor and in the Carneros region at the lower end of Napa Valley near San Pablo Bay. 

With daytime temperatures averaging 5-10 F cooler, our mountain vines respire less acidity to produce energy; the acidity retained in the grapes results in greater freshness and balance in the wines. Cooler temperatures also prolong the growing season, allowing the clusters to hang longer on the vine and achieve optimal flavor development. The Pahlmeyer Rancho Chimiles parcel, while slightly lower in elevation, sits close to the San Pablo Bay and enjoys cooling afternoon breezes that moderate temperature.

Tonight this big bold rich Jayson Chardonnay was ideal with our grilled mahi mahi and grouper dinners. 

Ironically, the week of that earlier blogpost, Pahlmeyer Twitter ('X') site features their Chardonnay harvest. 

 

This wine is a marriage of three distinctive Napa Valley regions: bright, elegant Carneros hillside; and rich, ripe St. Helena valley floor; with intense mountain fruit at its core. 

This was vinted by Winemaker Bibiana González Rave and blended by Jennifer Williams

Winemaker Notes - “This wine has brilliant golden straw color and aromas of warm spice, tangerine, and sweet orange; intriguing tropical floral notes carry over onto the palate. Flavors of ripe pear, apricot, and mango peel are accented by warm spice and rich caramel, for a wine that is both weighty and fresh.’

“The grapes were hand-sorted and gently whole-cluster pressed. After settling overnight, the juice was fermented in barrel, including 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged in 35% new French oak barrels for eleven months.”

At eight years of age, the fill level, label, foil and most importantly the cork were all ideal. This was likely at the end of its prime drinking window, not likely to improve, but rather likely to start to diminish going forward, so it was time to drink. 

 

Similar to earlier tasting notes for this label, this was deep golden colored, medium full bodied, rich full bold apple and tropical and stone fruit flavors with hints of pineapple with a rich layer of vanilla and caramel/butterscotch with accents of oak, grapefruit and minerality on a roasted nut finish acidic finish. 

 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3105647

https://www.pahlmeyer.com/vintage/2017-jayson-chardonnay/

https://www.pahlmeyer.com/

https://twitter.com/Pahlmeyer

https://www.captdavesonthegulf.com/

Drouhin Chardonnay and Artisan Cheeses …

Drouhin Chardonnay and Artisan Cheeses … 

Watching ‘The Voice, Blind Auditions’ has become one of our enjoyable pursuits spending time together. We pulled out remains of the artisan cheeses we opened the other evening to enjoy. We featured that tasting in this blogpost - Pour Boys tasting red wines with blue cheese assortment.

Linda prepared some Brioche toast points with Shiraz Blackberry preserve/jam and olive oil with shaved parmigiana, and havarti cheese, along with a selection of crackers. 

I pulled from the cellar a rich round Oregon Chardonnay to enjoy for the occasion as wine pairing accompaniment. 

Drouhin Rose Rock Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills Oreon Chardonnay 2022 

This is the American venture of legendary Burgundian producer Maison Joseph Drouhin, whose family have amassed and operated over 250 acres of some of the most prestigious ‘climats’ of Burgundy since 1880, combining the roles of négociant, producer, and above all, owner.

In 1921, Maurice Drouhin purchased his first plot in the terroir known as "Clos des Mouches," located at the southernmost tip of the Beaune appellation area, halfway between Corton-Charlemagne and Montrachet. 

Joseph Drouhin took over a long-established business in the historic heart of Beaune in 1918 at the age of 22 and progressed developing and expanding the estate with the ‘finest terroir’ in the region over the following forty years. 

In the 1950s, Joseph’s son Robert Drouhin studied Law in Paris and then pursued Literature in Heidelberg. He returned to Beaune to succeed Maurice, who was unwell, and became the president of Maison Joseph Drouhin at in 1957, at the young age of 24. Following in his father's footsteps, Robert Drouhin took over and continued to expand the family Domaine acquiring numerous Premier and Grand Crus Chablis vineyards, particularly in the Côte de Nuits. 

In the late 1960s, he expanded Drouhin’s presence there, acquiring nearly over 100 acres in the historic heart of the appellation including the XVIII-century Moulin de Vaudon. He established the House's oenology laboratory with one of Burgundy's first woman oenologists, Laurence Jobard. 

With 250 acres, Domaine Joseph Drouhin is currently one of the largest estates in the entire Burgundy wine region with estates spread across Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais. The estate comprises mainly Grand Crus and Premier Crus, planted with the two iconic Burgundian grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 1987, Robert establish Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with his daughter Véronique. In 1988, fourth generation Philippe Drouhin, the eldest son of Robert, took over leadership of the Drouhin estate. 

Today, three generations continue the legacy of Maison Joseph Drouhin, led by the four great-grandchildren of Joseph Drouhin. Philippe, Véronique, Laurent, and Frédéric, each holding key positions in the operations. Having grown in the vineyards alongside their father, they hold deep understanding of wine. The fifth generation is also beginning to emerge, with Laurène, the eldest daughter of Véronique, joined the House in 2020.

Through judicious acquisitions and family agreements, Domaine Drouhin produce a portfolio of Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Domaine Drouhin Oregon Arthur Chardonnay, and this Drouhin Oregon Roserock Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills.

Their Pinot Noirs include Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène, Drouhin Oregon RoseRock Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills, and Drouhin Oregon Roserock Pinot Noir Zéphirine.

In 2003, Drouhin purchased the Rose Rock Vineyard at the southern part of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, in the southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. The soils are volcanic, ancient, with an elevation between 120 and 260 meters above sea level. The ideal terroir benefits from a rather unique cooling effect called the Van Duzer corridor and which makes it possible to produce classic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, typical of cool climates. 

Drouhin Rose Rock Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay 2022

This single vineyard designated label is from three select blocks of the Drouhin estate Rose Rock Vineyard.

Tasting Notes by winemaker Véronique Boss-Drouhin - “Nice bouquet with intense floral notes and a discreet touch of hazelnuts. Nice dynamics in the mouth. A wine that has a generous breadth and an attractive finish.“

This label release was awarded 94 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast and 92 points by Vinous. 

Pale golden straw colored, light to medium bodied, rich, round, vibrant savory notes of Asian pear, green apples, spiced cinnamon, nut and hints of quince, ginger and rosemary spice on a bright expressive acidic finish. 

RM 92 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4815383

https://www.drouhin.com/en_US/wine/drouhin-oregon-roserock-chardonnay-eola-amity-hills/2022