Extraordinary Dinner Hawaiian Fresh Fish and Finest Wines

Hawaiian Fresh Fish Specialities with Fine Wines for an Extraordinary Dinner

Our adventure in Kauaii, Hawaii continues with a dine-in evening of fine wines and fresh seafood. Son Ryan picked up at the local fresh market and prepared Ono and Monchong fish for dinner. 

Monchong is a deep-water fish found in the Pacific Ocean in Okinawa, Fiji, and Hawaiian waters. In the Indian Ocean it is can be found in the western part of the equatorial zone. 

We’re told Monchong is a rare delicacy, harvested in small quantities because its not targeted by fisherman, but caught when fishing for tuna at deep water depths greater than 900 feet or using other techniques, deeper than 1200 feet. 

Monchong range from about 4 pounds to over 25 pounds, but the prime market sizes are fish over 12 pounds.. It is sold primarily to restaurants as an exotic fish to add variety to their menu.  

Monchong, also known as Hawaii Sickle Pomfret, has a highly transparent, clear, white flesh with pinkish tones, white when cooked. It is firm in texture and moderate in flavor. 

It is rich in nutrition with a high oil content, it is an excellent source of healthy, extra lean protein, low in saturated fat and low in sodium. It is rich in niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium, it is a good source of iodine. 

We also had Ono, which not coincidentally is both an edible fish but also the Hawaiian word for delicious. Ono, aka “wahoo,” is versatile like mahi mahi but more mild in flavor — kind of sweet and buttery but firm and smooth in texture. 

Both fish were as fresh as one could possibly experience, and absolutely delicious, the Monchong was especially succulent and delectable. 

Ryan and Michelle also prepared with the dinner a fresh salad, cooked carrots and haricot verts, served with fresh sourdough bread with mango marmelaide.  

After dinner we fresh fruit and macademia nut chocolates. 

With the spectacular dinner we had two extraordinary ultra-premium wines. Ryan brought from home an aged vintage Napa Valley Dominus.

For pairing with the seafood entrees, I went into town and found at Princeville Wine Market an ultra-premium Sonoma County Chardonnay which was fabulous, perfectly paired to enhance the enjoyment of both the food and the wine.   

The spectacular dinner was fitting for the idealic setting of a magnificent Hawaiian sunset.

Kistler Vineyards “Les Noisettes” Sonoma County Chardonnay 2022

This is from Kistler Vineyards, a small, family established and privately owned and operated winery that are considered one of the top legendary and most revered producers of world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir using old world Burgundian techniques. 

Kistler Vineyards craft Burgundian-style wines that reflect the unique terroir of its vineyards, employing a single-clone approach, meticulously sourcing grapes from estate and leased vineyard sites spanning the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros.

Kistler Vineyards was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. The first vintage in 1979 produced 3,500 cases of wine and since then the winery has slowly grown to the planned production level of about 35,000 cases per year.

Steve Kistler retired in 2017, passing on the baton of winemaker to Jason Kesner who had performed a long apprenticeship as assistant winemaker. Mark Bixler passed away in the fall of 2017.

Kistler specialize in and focus on producing wine crafted from but one heritage clone of Californian Chardonnay (old Wente) that is planted across no less than fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. The majority of the sites are owned and farmed by Kistler. From those sites they produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays.

This label, ‘Les Noisetiers’ is Kistler’s multi-vineyard Chardonnay bottling crafted from a combination of specific lots of designated quality from 30 year old vines from Kistler’s vineyards - Vine Hill, Trenton Roadhouse and Dutton Ranch, that are all situated in far western Sonoma County, near the coast.

They began creating Les Noisetiers upon noting that there was an inherent mineral tone which they loved in the lots from their vineyards planted in these coastal sandy Gold Ridge soils.

"Noisetiers" (pronounced Lay Nwaz-tee-yay and is French for "hazelnut") refers to the toasted hazelnut characters found in the wine year in and year out from the three vineyards represented within this bottle. This cuvee is an appellation-focused Chardonnay with hearty mineral and bright acidity. 

It is barrel fermented and aged on the lees in 25% neutral French oak barrels for 11 months & stainless steel for an additional three months.

Winemaker notes - “Kistler is a true standard bearer of quality in California. Blossom and white flowers on the nose and loads of dense but well balanced fruit – peach, apricots, pineapple and pear – on the palate. A fine and complex smorgasbord of fruit. The 11 months of oak aging is present but it is not the focus with white flowers and stone fruit aromatics leading to a full bodied, juicy core, loaded with flavors of peach, apricots, pineapple and pear.”

Native yeast fermentation in French oak barrels. Aged on its lees in the same French oak barrels for 11-18 months in their subterranean, gravel floor barrel rooms. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 422 barrels produced.

This was fabulous = a perfect complimentary pairing with the wholesome fresh fish. 

Deep, dark golden colored, full-bodied, full round, complex and concentrated, dense yet polished and well balanced, notes of peach, apricots, pear and apple with hints of pineapple and citrus fruits and mineral with a long, full lingering finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4879399

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/

https://x.com/KistlerWine

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2009

Dominus Estate is the Napa Valley property of Bordeaux producer Christian Moueix. It is as close as it gets to fine wine supremacy or ‘royalty’. Son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer from Libourne, France, the family produce some of the world’s finest, legendary (and most expensive) wines including Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion.

Christian Moueix attended the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix in the 1960’s where he discovered and fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. 

In 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 134-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard and, in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name 'Dominus' or 'lord of the estate' in latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.

The historic Napanook Vineyard sits just west of Napa County Hwy 29, St Helena Highway, mainstreet of Napa Valley, located at the foothills of the Mayacamas mountain range that forms the west wall of the famous valley. The original vineyard was planted in 1838 and has been redeveloped and continues to managed under the stewardship of Christian Moueix. The estate’s Bordeaux varietals benefit from the Yountville microclimate where temperatures are moderated by cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The resulting wines are carefully crafted to showcase the distinctive expression of this special ‘terroir’ - all the elements of climate, soil, sun exposure, drainage and so on, the manifest the grapes grown on the site.

Napanook is a historic vineyard that dates back to 1836 and is the oldest in Napa Valley. The Napanook vineyard encompasses 134 acres, 102 of which are presently planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its gravelly clay loam soils gently slope 3-10%, ensuring natural drainage.

This classic wine was rated a near perfect 99 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate,  98 points by Jeb Dunnuck and JamesSuckling.com, and 97 by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media.

James Molesworth of Wine Spectator gave it 94 points and said it should be best from 2025 through 2035 meaning it should be left alone for 16 years before it reveals its true potential. 

I recall purchasing a case of 1986 Dominus back in the late 1980’s upon release. I tried a bottle every couple of years and found it a bit closed and in-inspiring. Then at nearing twenty years it seemed to awaken and show its completeness, elegance, refined polish. Notably by then, two thirds of the case had been consumed with but a few bottles to enjoy the wine in its prime. This is a long lived wine built for cellaring and aging before revealing its primacy. 

Tonight, at sixteen years, this wine is approaching the apex of its drinking window, but will no doubt age gracefully for prime drinking for another decade or more. Jed Dunnuck in 2017 said ‘it will last another two decades or three’.

Vinous wrote in 2012, “The 2009 Dominus has closed down quite a bit since I last tasted it. Today, all of the glorious fruit of the vintage is hiding behind a serious wall of tannin. The 2009 still possesses gorgeous inner perfume and plenty of sweetness, but little of the sexiness that will emerge over time. From time to time, the utter genius of the 2009 shows a glimpse of its potential. There is little doubt the 2009 will be a jewel once it awakens from what might very well be a long slumber. This is another wine that begs for patience.” 

Unlike fruit bombs or bright vibrant, expressive wines we love so much, near perfect wines like this are subtle and restrained. Their perfection is in their harmony, complexity and integration, their lack of any flaws or detractions. Suckling called it ‘subtle and intriguing’. 

This is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

Producer’s Notes - “The Dominus 2009 exemplifies the finest qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon from an ideal vintage. The nose, at once powerful yet restrained, is dense and filled with pure dark berry fruit and hints of sandalwood. On the palate is a harmonious blend of fresh plum and focused minerality with tannins that are firm, round and elegant. Spherical in quality, this wine is complete from start to finish. A sublime vintage.”

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, refined, elegant, polished, wonderfully balanced and finely integrated blackcurrant, black raspberry and plum fruits with symphony of notes of subtle licorice, mocha-chocolate, violets and hints of graphite, earth and camphor with layers of silky, finely grained tannins on a long finish. 

RM 96 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1140345

https://www.dominusestate.com/

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap

Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Amber Beer on Tap, and Everyday Pinot Noir   

First night in town for our winter retreat to The Cove, our vacation rental home getaway in Destin (FL)*, we dined at this neighborhood restaurant that is easy walking distance from (our second) ‘home’. Even though it’s a short walk, we hadn’t yet dined there yet, during  our exploration of the broad selection of restaurants in the area.

Jackacuda’s has a cozy relaxed neighborhood feel, not too big, with somewhat limited seating at and adjacent the bar, and the adjoining dining room, and affable banter between patrons, known and unknown - nice for a casual friendly meal. 

Jackacuda’s history is intertwined with the lore of Destin which is branded the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

Part of the allure of fish and fishing in the area is due to the Tenaco 80 that was dropped back in the mid-1980’s to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly became the spot to catch monster amberjacks.

As the story goes, one day local legendary Destin Charter Boat Captain Dale Beebe set out to catch the celebrated monster amberjacks, only to catch that summer day barracuda. Barracuda have a way of putting on a spectacle and the fish jumped in and out of the water delivering a show for all that were on the boat. On his way back from the trip, surrounding local Captains jumped on the radio to see how Captain Beebe fared and his response was “All I caught today were Jackacudas!” From that day forward the Teneco 80 spot was reborn as the Jackacudas Spot! And the Jackacudas moniker was born along with the founding of the popular local restaurant Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi.

The original restaurant was located on the legendary HarborWalk Village downtown Destin, but relocated when it was merged into another existing restaurant after an extensive renovation in 2017, also owned by Jackacuda's owners Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis, down the road on Emerald Coast Parkway (Hwy 98), just outside the gate of our community.

They also are partnered with these other restaurants in the area: 

• Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer
• Eastpass Seafood & Oyster House
• Coastal Kitchen Catering & Events

The Jackudas menu highlights ‘All You Can Eat Sushi - Traditional Rolls, Signature Rolls and Deep Fried Rolls,’ and their ‘All You Can Eat Snow Crab’ as their “Specials”. Their Happy Hour Specials features a selection of FlatBreads, Seared Tuna, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw, Ginger Dressing, Savory Glaze and Sesame Seeds, and Meatballs with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and crostini. 

The entrees menu features several Sushi courses, with Shrimp, Tuna, and or Salmon, New and Traditional Rolls and Poke Bowls. They offer a selection of specialities including Angus Beef Burger, Local Catch Fish of the Day Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Blackened Snapper, Shrimp & Grits, Teryaki Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, their Specialty Steamed Snow Crab, and their award winning** Mac-n-Cheese. They also offer traditional appetizers, salads and desserts. 

** Jackudas participate in the Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held at the Destin Commons retail center just across the highway which raised $60,000 in support of local club kids. “The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the south’s favorite comfort food while local restaurants competed for the best mac and cheese in town.” Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi entry won the People's Choice Award of the entries submitted.

We’re not sushi aficionados, so we have a difficult time judging the menu at Jackudas. It feels like they have a bit of an identity crisis, determining and then executing on their branding and mission - Seafood and Sushi. The seafood selection is limited, lacking the usual offerings including the highlight daily fresh catch, common along the coast. And, the sushi isn’t apparent, hidden away in the kitchen, unlike Sushi Bars where it is prominently displayed and visibly produced.

 

In any event we had a delightful meal - Linda ordered a burger and I had the Teryaki Bistro Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Asparagu and Teriyaki Glaze. I love Mashed Potatoes and found them delectable, a highlight of the meal, loaded with shallots, cheese and bacon bits.

They serve a selection of beers, including my typical request/choice, an Amber, and on tap! This deserves high marks in of itself. 

Forgive me as I digress here, and pontificate, perhaps on a tirade, about beer, despite this being a ‘wine’ blog. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to order an ‘amber’ beer in restaurants and bars - Dos XXX Amber, Fat Tire, Samual Adams, and what has emerged as one of my favorites, Shiner Bock, my staple at home - from Shiner, Texas. (Gone is the old Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and others.) 

My actual quest is for a traditional English Bitter which is not to be found this side of the ‘pond’. A hundred plus trips to the UK, I grew to love their traditional brew, and searched for it long and far on our shores, to no avail. (Several stories here, for another time.)

In my search for a ‘bitter’ I came to ask for an amber, still with an amazing and frustrating amount of difficulty. Then, on a trip to Texas, I found Shiner Bock, called “American-style amber lager” by brewer Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, a small town (population 2127, roughly equidistant between San Antonio (90 miles east), Austin (87 miles south), and Houston (125 miles west)).

Shiner Bock is brewed with rich roasted barley malt and German specialty hops. But, notably, it is not overly hopped. I find too many American brews are hyper hopped - akin to mustard on a hot dog … it’s a condiment, not the main course! (My kids all tire of this tirade, until they too traveled to the UK and discovered English Bitter. At least now, they understand, but still think I’m tyrannically obsessive on this subject (as witnessed here)).

Founded by German and Czech immigrants in 1909, they found a local brewmaster, Kosmo Spoetzl, classically trained in Bavarian, who brought his old world recipe that had been in the family for generations, which he first brewed for them in 1913. Shiner Bock was originally a seasonal favorite, but patrons demanded it year-round, hence, which it has been offered since 1973.

Brewers tasting notes of Shiner Bock - “Bock has a tan, dense head with a crystal-clear amber color and a sweet aroma with a subtle roasted maltiness on the notes. The taste is slightly sweet with notes of roasted nuts and caramel. Lightly hopped, this amber lager goes down smooth.” 

For pairing with my Teriyaki Steak, I tried the amber beer which they had on tap. While close to what I sought/seek, perhaps crave, it was a bit over hopped. After all that, in the end, I opted for some red wine, to accentuate the teriyaki glaze and the steak!

From their limited wine list, I ordered this California red blend. 

Meiomi ‘California’ (not Sonoma or Santa Barbara or Monterey County) Pinot Noir 2022

I first featured Meiomi in these pages back in 2015 in this blogpost about their Chardonnay - Meiomi California Chardonnay 2013, excerpted here.

Meiomi gets its name from the native American Indian word for “coast” from the Wappo and Yuki tribes who lived along the central/northern California coasts in the early days. The Meiomi wine label began in 2002 with their release of Pinot Noir, in a quest to deliver reasonably priced good QPR (quality price ratio) easy drinking wines that are approachable and ready to drink while young. I've written often and regularly in this blog about the challenges of finding such a Pinot Noir. I've tasted the label several times but have never been moved to write of the experience, until now (circa 2015).

Meiomi is the handiwork of fifth generation offspring from the legendary Napa Valley winemaking family. Founder and winemaker Joseph Wagner is the son of Chuck Wagner, winemaker of Caymus Vineyards, who is the son and co-founder with principles Charlie Wagner and Lorna Wagner who started Caymus Vineyards in the early seventies.

Joe's first wine enterprise was Belle Glos, named for Chuck Wagner's great-grandmother who first acquired the Napa Valley estate, followed by this label, Meiomi.

From the Meiomi website - “All of Meiomi's vineyards can be found in California’s sought-after, cool-climate coastal appellations of Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties, which have proven ideal for producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé. By blending fruit from these three regions together, they create richly layered wines of bold character and exceptional balance, every vintage. These wines are always rich and ripe, yet elegantly expressive, with depth and complexity”

“California provides the perfect combination of earth and elements, contributing to each Meiomi wine, representing the best the Golden State has to offer. By combining California's exemplary qualities into a single wine, Meiomi achieves unforgettable balance, complexity, and richness of flavor.”

Meiomi wines are the handicraft of Winemaker Jason Becker, who has an extensive and impressive background at some of California's top wineries. Jason approaches his role as a regular exercise in balancing the best fruit that California has to offer. He strives in his blends of cool-climate grapes to produce wines with bold character and harmony – ripe and rich, with expressive depth and taste.

Meiomi California Chardonnay, and this Pinot Noir, are blends from “reputable vineyard sites in three different California regions - Sonoma County, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties”. Such a blend, lacking a sense of terrior or place, without predominance from one site or another, therefor warrants the 'California' designation for its origin, which they now use in their branding. This versus a more granular specificity such as Sonoma County, or even an appellation specific Russian River Valley, or Santa Rita Hills. Or, an even greater specific designation of a particular vineyard selection, which one often finds highlighted in these pages. The source designation on the label indicates the origin of at least 75% of the fruit represented in the bottle. 

I’ve written before in these pages, that while providing affordable every day drinking, these wines lack ‘terroir’, or the essence of any particular site, since the blend is from a myriad of sites, from diverse regions, topographies and climates, and that will change from vintage to vintage. The practice that provides a supply of quality bulk wine at a reasonable price, loses the selectivity of the finest fruit and consistency of place from one vintage to the next. That difference separates a $20 bottle from a $40 bottle - an appropriate wine for the price point and the occasion.  

This mass market affordable QPR concept was popularized by Jess Jackson which is brilliantly chronicled in the book, featured in this post - Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.

I wrote back at that time that was our first tasting of this label which was the second vintage release of Meiomi Chardonnay. That was surprisingly flavorful showing the essence of the Chardonnay descriptors of creamy and buttery in a nicely balanced pleasant drinking wine at a good QPR affordable pricepoint; this also applies to this Pinot Noir - casual easy sipping, at a affordable every day price. This was a nice complement to tangy Teryaki and beefsteak, and great QPR.

Winemaker Notes - “The wine owes much of its complexity to its varied upbringing, unifying grapes from California's most notable winegrowing regions. Meiomi Pinot Noir brings you structure and depth seldom seen in a Pinot Noir wine, thanks to its unique and meticulous aging process. Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this California red wine's juicy strawberry flavor and notes of dark berries and toasted mocha add complexity and depth on the palate.” 

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, straight forward, while the winemaker stresses complexity, due to its blending from several sites, I call it a cacophony of flavors, competing for primacy, lacking balance and a bit too sweet. Ripe raspberry, currant and strawberry fruits with earthy spice, clove and vanilla notes with moderate tannins on the finish. 

The overt sweetness was moderated and tamed by the tangy teriyaki glass resulting in a nice enjoyable pairing. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4317908

https://meiomi.com/

https://x.com/MeiomiWines

https://www.jackacudas.com/

*PS - Anyone that might think our primary residence is a potential target while we are traveling should note it has significant physical security monitoring, but more importantly, is occupied by house-sitter when we are gone. 

Gulf view dining at Camille’s Crystal Beach

Gulf view dining at Camille’s Crystal Beach Restaurant

Vacationing at The Cove, our vacation home getaway in Destin (FL), we love it that we’re walking distance to nearly a dozen restaurants. Tonight we walked down the beach boulevard to Camille’s Crysal Beach Restaurant for Gulf front sunset dining. We timed our dinner and walk to enjoy the sunset enroute to the restaurant which opened shortly thereafter. 

Camille’s at Crystal Beach is located on the Scenic 98 beachfront highway at Crystal Beach, down the street from our community/enclave. Camille’s is upstairs above Camille’s Cafe located on the ground level, a popular trendy gathering place that offers coffee, breakfast, lunch and cocktails and features popular live music on the sidewalk opposite the beach walk. 

Founded in 2003 by Charles Morgan, Camille’s at Crystal Beach was named after Morgan’s grandmother and mother, referred to as Big Camille and Little Camille, respectively, two women who made a great impact on him. 

Camille’s is a sister restaurant to Harbor Docks Seafood Market that sources the freshest possible Gulf seafood that is caught in local waters by local fisherman and unloaded right on the dock, to a dozen local restaurants, ensuring a ‘Gulf to Table’ experience. The Catch of the Day is served blackened, grilled or fried. 

Besides the local fresh catch, they’re known for their sushi prepared by Executive Sushi Chef Yoshie Eddings who is well known internationally as having catered to an A-list celebrity clientele. Eddings trains all of the sushi staff at Camille’s and at the sister restaurant locations, maintaining the highest quality and standards possible to ensure that each bite will be the freshest and most delectable possible. 

We dined on the small outside veranda that overlooks the beach rode and Gulf beach opposite, at sunset for a colorful dusk sky. 

As a starter we shared the house salad which we delicious - mixed greens, grape tomatoes, figs, roasted pecans, bacon, goat cheese, house croutons, creamy vinaigrette.

Tonight, the daily fresh catch was Grouper or Red Snapper. We ordered for our main course from the menu the regular feature, Macadamia Nut Encrusted Snapper with blood orange cream, butternut squash medley, bacon & toasted coconut risotto. It was delicious. 

Additionally, we ordered the Jumbo Lump Crabcakes which were a bit disappointing seeming less than fresh or slightly fishy.

With dinner we ordered to two WBTG - Wines By The Glass, from the modest and limited wine list two glasses, a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. 

Raeburn Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021 

Raeburn Winery hails from the Russian River Valley in west Sonoma County. Its name originates from Olde English meaning the stream where one drinks - apropos for a wine crafted in this unique watershed which provides habitat for grapes and creatures alike. “A fitting nod to those who prefer to slow down to observe, appreciate and flourish in nature’s surroundings,” says Derek Benham, owner. 

Raeburn Wines are the handiwork of owner/winemaker Derek Benham, inspired by his mother, Phyllis Benham, who preached to “appreciate nature’s gifts, but ‘to leave well enough alone’”. Benham takes that approach when making wine, a task made easier because he selects grapes from Sonoma County’s finest vineyards and carefully crafts wines. “Rather than engineer, we guide the grapes toward the best version of themselves.”

This cool, marine-influenced region is perfectly suited to exceptionally flavored Chardonnay. Fresh layers of green apple, and pear are accented by a creamy richness due to sur lie aging. A glass of Raeburn Chardonnay is the start to a beautiful friendship. - Derek Benham, Owner.. 

Raeburn produce Sonoma County AVA wines but source grapes not only from the Russian River Valley, but also Monterey, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Carneros, Dry Creek Valley and small amounts from Lodi and San Benito County.

This Raeburn Russian River Valley Chardonnay was crafted from our winemaker’s favorite vineyard lots in the Russian River Valley and aged for 11 months in a combination of French, American and Hungarian oak barrels; the result is a supremely structured and flavorful wine that offers an elevated expression of Raeburn Russian River Valley Chardonnay.

Winemaker notes - “Raeburn Rassian River Valley Chardonnay is a nod to classic California Chardonnay—elegant and expressive with bright fruit character, creaminess and toasty vanilla.”

It was rate 89 points by Wine Spectator. 175,000 cases were made

Golden straw colored, light medium bodied, peach and citrus flavors with notes of mango and vanilla on a tangy finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://raeburnwinery.com/

Black Cottage New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Black Cottage estate and vineyards are situated along the Marlborough’s Ōpaoa River, owned by founder Dave Clouston and crafted by Winemaker Sanna Stander. They produce sustainable New Zealand wines sourced from select parcels from Marlborough, Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay. Their portfolio offers moderately priced Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris whites, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Merlot reds, and a Rose’.

This Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the New Zealand Wairau & Awatere valleys.

Producer’s notes - “This year’s vintage is one of the finest in the last ten years. A cool summer allowed the grapes to ripen gently and evenly and show concentrated and distinctive flavours, The nature of this season allowed for optimal picking decisions. Our Sauvignon Blanc is vibrant and expressive in character, with refreshing acidity and a refined structure on the palate. We achieve maximum fruit purity and varietal character through cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks, aged on lees for 2 months to add texture and complexity.’

Producer’s Tasting notes: “Pale straw in colour, this sauvignon blanc has a complex nose of paw paw, passionfruit, pineapple and a touch of cut grass and crushed herbs. The juicy palate is packed full of tropical fruits and lime zest with a hint of sweet pea and crunchy red capsicum. Good balance and refreshing acidity complete this expressive wine.”

Light straw colored, light bodied, crisp acidity highlights zesty citrus and stone fruits.

RM 87 points. 

 
https://www.blackcottagewines.co.nz/

https://www.camillesatcrystalbeach.com/

Jordan Chardonnay at Louisiana Lagniappe Destin Seafood

Jordan Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020 at Louisiana Lagniappe Destin, FL

During our getaway week to our Destiny Cove vacation rental, with our daughter and grandkids, we dined at Louisiana Lagniape on the inner Destin Harbor in Destin, FL. Louisiana Lagniappe Destin is one of our favorites and a must try for spectacular fresh seafood when in the area.

As I wrote from our last visit back in May, Louisiana Lagniappe is somewhat of an institution in Destin, FL, opened in 1984 and established inside the Sandpiper Cove condominium community on the waterfront of the Destin Harbor lagoon.  Since then, Louisiana Lagniappe has developed a loyal following due to the quality of the food and the attention to detail of the service, consistently serving only the freshest Gulf seafood and steaks prepared with a Creole flair.

 

 

 Lagniappe is consistently ranked in the Top 10 restaurants on TripAdvisor and wins the Award of Excellence every year. 

As is necessary to get a table, especially with a group or with kids, we arrived shortly before 5:00 pm and were seated immediately on the outside deck overlooking the waterfront. By the time we left, the huge dining room inside and all the others were full and there was a line outside waiting for tables. There was a long line of cars waiting to be parked by the valet parking associate. 

Their extensive menus offers ten appetizers, ten 'Chef's Selections', eleven 'Lagniappe Favorites', three fried seafood and four steak offerings - all served with their delicious homemade hush-puppies, house salad and twice-baked potato.

With twenty delectable mouthwatering seafood dishes Louisiana Lagniappe is a landmark for finest Seafood in the area. 

For starters we had house salads, the Lagniappe favorite Corn & Crab Bisque - A rich, cream soup with jumbo lump crabmeat and fresh yellow corn and the Oysters Lagniappe - Baked Lagniappe stuffing and jumbo lump crabmeat. Each of the entrees comes with their delectable hush puppies and a choice of twice baked potato or rice.

I love meuniere sauce preparations and they have several from which to choose. Tonight, I had the Grouper Pecan Meuniere - Fresh Gulf Grouper, pan sautéed and topped with toasted pecans and meuniere sauce. It was a bit dry, I would prefer more of the meuniere sauce. Need to ask next time!

Following the incredible Shrimp & Grits at The Red Pony in Franklin, TN, Linda went for an encore and had the Lagniappe Shrimp & Grits - Jumbo Gulf Shrimp tossed in a smoked tasso ham cream sauce served over stone-ground cheese grits. It we delicious, not as good as The Red Pony, but delicious none-the-less.

The kids shared the Lagniappe Twin Lobster Tails and Blackened Bay Scallops served with a pineapple-rum butter sauce. After a do-over due to them being far too spicy, despite being ordered non-spicy, they were fine. Generally, that aside, everything was fabulous, perfectly prepared and presented.

With our dinner we ordered from the fundamentally sound basic wine list, an old standby favorite, Jordan Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay. This provides reliable casual easy sipping with great QPR - Quality Price Ratio.

Jordan Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020

Winemaker's Notes - "Not a typical California Chardonnay, Jordan honors the finest white Burgundy with its crisp fruit flavors, vibrant acidity and lingering finish. This balanced, elegant style of Russian River Valley Chardonnay can be cellared for 5-8 years.'

"The 2020 Chardonnay is packed with delicious aromas and flavors. The Fuji apple aromas are always the mark of a good vintage, but the way that it is interlaced with Asian pear, lemon, persimmon and white flower is what sets this vintage apart—along with its mouth-watering acidity and French oak backbone.'

"Delicate aromas of Fuji apple, freshly cut persimmon and citrus blossom entice the nose. Upon first sip, mouthwatering grapefruit and bright lime interplay on the palate. The lively acidity balances seamlessly with French oak nuances, enticing you to take another sip."

"Following fermentation and sur-lie aging in a combination of stainless steel and barrel, this wine spends five and a half months in 100% new French oak, bringing out tropical notes of pineapple and gardenia. Crisp acidity and precise minerality entertain on the bright mid-palate. Tangerine, apple, and mint are focused and edgy yet tempered by that delicate oak influence.'

"The bouquet offers delicate aromas of Fuji apple, citrus, nutmeg, honey, and lightly toasted oak. The Jordan 2020 Chardonnay delivers lively and complex flavors of Asian pear, key lime, and Marcona almond. These refined notes offer a seamless expression of rich, bold flavors with a long, elegant finish. This wine is delicious now and will continue to gain honeyed richness with an additional 3 to 5 years of aging. Serve between 55 and 60 degrees to ensure the full flavor development."

This was aged 5 months in new french oak, 100%.

 RM 89 points. 

https://www.jordanwinery.com/product/jordan-chardonnay-2020

Can't wait to return! Get there early. 

They also have a sister restaurant just across the state line on the Alabama shore at Perdido Beach in Orange Beach, AL. 

http://www.thelouisianalagniappe.com/destin/

 

 

Louisiana Lagniappe Destin for spectacular fresh seafood

Louisiana Lagniappe Destin for spectacular fresh seafood

We spent a week traveling, visiting the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle getting to know the area and evaluating the real estate market and several properties. During our stay, we dined at four local legendary restaurants. In Destin (FL) we dined at Louisiana Lagniappe, Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House, and The Crab Trap, Destin. We also dined at Bijoux in the Sandestin Resort community in Miramar Beach (FL). The wide range of fine and casual dining options in one of the key reasons we're considering the Destin area for a vacation or vacation home. 

Louisiana Lagniappe is somewhat of an institution in Destin, FL, opened in 1984 and established inside the Sandpiper Cove condominium community on the waterfront of the Destin Harbor lagoon.  Since then, Louisiana Lagniappe has developed a loyal following due to the quality of the food and the attention to detail of the service, consistently serving only the freshest Gulf seafood and steaks prepared with a Creole flair.

 

 

 Lagniappe is consistently ranked in the Top 10 restaurants on TripAdvisor and wins the Award of Excellence every year. 

We arrived shortly before 5:00 pm and were seated immediately on the outside deck overlooking the waterfront. By the time we left, the huge dining room inside and all the others were full and there was a line outside waiting for tables. There was a long line of cars waiting to be parked by the valet parking associate. 

Their extensive menus offers ten appetizers, ten 'Chef's Selections', eleven 'Lagniappe Favorites', three fried seafood and four steak offerings - all served with their delicious homemade hush-puppies, house salad and twice-baked potato.

With twenty delectable mouthwatering seafood dishes Louisiana Lagniappe is a landmark for finest Seafood in the area.

We had two seafood dinners, the Twin Lobster Tails and the Grouper Meuniere - Fresh Gulf Grouper, pan sautéed and finished with meuniere sauce. Both were fabulous, perfectly prepared and presented.

With our dinner we had WBTG standard Napa Chardonnay from the fundamentally sound basic wine list. 

Can't wait to return! Get there early. 

They also have a sister restaurant just across the state line on the Alabama shore at Perdido Beach in Orange Beach, AL. 

http://www.thelouisianalagniappe.com/destin/

Tallgrass Lockport Fine Dining

Tallgrass Fine Dining in Lockport IL

Friday date night out, we dined at Tallgrass Restaurant in nearby Lockport (IL). A fixture in town since 1981, it is situated downtown in the picturesque river town on the banks of the Des Plaines river valley. 

The town straddles the valley that contains the working navigable Illinois Michigan Sanitary Canal and the historic Illinois Michigan (I&M) Ship Canal, and the Des Plaines River. The section of the canal that runs through Lockport, includes the remains of the canal's Lock No. 1 from which the town received its name.

The waterways flow from the City of Chicago, meeting with the Des Plaines and continue south past Joliet to meet the Kankakee River to form the Illinois River. 

Following the waterways are the Illinois and Michigan Canal Gaylord and Donnelly Trail along the canal right-of-way that is now the Illinois and Michigan National Heritage Corridor. 

Tallgrass is in a restored turn of the (last) century 1895 red stone and brick Victorian building, in a small narrow single storefront on busy State Street opposite the Roxy Theatre.

The small dining room has rustic dark wainscot paneled walls, authentic ceramic mosaic tile floors, tin ceilings, original gas chandeliers and artglass windows, with a mere eight dining tables adjacent a small bar in the corner, allowing for intimate dining and attentive service.

 

Tallgrass is the work of acclaimed Chef Robert Burcenski and local native Tom Alves. Tom studied oenology in France in the Rhone, Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux wine regions, and worked with winemakers in Oregon, Washington and California, and curates the Tallgrass wine program. 

The dining offerings are solely price fixe with diners selecting three, four, five or seven courses from the menu selections that range from seafood, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, vegetable dishes, salads and desserts, plus a couple of specials for the evening. Diners choose combinations with each offered as an entree or an starter. 

Dinners include a broad selection of fresh baked breads. 

There is a carefully selected winelist of a dozen WBTG - Wine-by-the-glass selections, and range of two hundred labels by the bottle to accompany each entree selection, primarily American. The wines are good values with a 1.5 to 2x multiple of retail prices. Note that while the actual winelist selection was greater than shown on the website, the prices as listed and shown on the website are woefully understated.

Linda selected the onion soup, the mixed green salad and a seafood medley entree selection. 

For my main course I selected one of the day's specials - Beef Tenderloin with foie gras mousse in a dark brown sauce with scalloped potatoes. For my starter I selected a Lump Crab, Lobster and Shrimp cake with Prawn in a lobster creme fraiche sauce. My vegetable course was an imaginative spinach ravioli with truffle and regianno cheese. 

Due to their fair and reasonable wine prices, we did not bring BYOB, which is our usual practice given our extensive personal cellar. We selected from the wine list Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay. 

Miner Family Napa Valley Chardonnay 2018

Miner is a family-owned winery sited up against the eastern hills of the Oakville appellation in the heart of Napa Valley. Founded in 1998 by former Oracle software executive Dave and Emily Miner, Miner Family Winery crafts wines sourced from fruit from estate and select grower's vineyards. This release was sourced from the Napa Valley Holman, Hyde and Genny’s Vineyards.

Winemaker Notes: "Sourced from low-yielding vineyards in Napa Valley, this Chardonnay is characterized by crisp apple, ripe melon and citrus flavors gently balanced with toasty French oak."

This was rated 92 points by James Suckling, 90 points by Wine & Spirits and 87 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Straw colored, medium bodied, rich forward green apple, pear and tangy citrus fruits with notes of mango and mineral on a creamy finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3448852

https://minerwines.com/ 

With my entree beef tenderloin I ordered from the WBTG selection this Raymond "R" California Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Raymond "R" Collection California Cabernet Lot No. 1 2018

This is the budget value collection of Raymond Family wines. The Lot No. 1 refers to the first grape varietal produced by the winery, Cabernet Sauvignon. 

 

The Raymond family arrived in Napa Valley in 1933 and became connected to the Beringer family via marriage in 1936. Roy Raymond worked as winemaker for Beringer from 1933-1970. 

In 1970, Ray and his two sons set out on their own with the 90-acre estate property in Rutherford just south of St. Helena off St Helena highway at Zinfandel Lane where the winery is located. The first Raymond Vineyards label was released in 1974.

Today Raymond is affiliated with the French Burgundy Boisset Collection of global properties.  

This was basic easy casual sipping as a nice accompaniment to the beef tenderloin and dark brown sauce.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3451525

https://raymondvineyards.com/

For the dessert course Linda selected Raspberry Creme Brulee and I the Chocolate souffle.  This turned into a bit of a kurfuffle as they served us the wrong entree's from another table and never really were able to recover in correcting the situation. 

https://www.tallgrassrestaurant.com/

Catch 35 Naperville Seafood and Wine Dinner

Fabulous Seafood Wine Pairing Dinner at Catch 35 Naperville     

We took fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan to Catch 35 - Naperville to celebrate his decade birthday. He brought from his cellar this ultra-premium Chateau Boswell Chardonnay for a BYOB wine pairing. The girls went to the Boswell estate while hiking during our Napa Wine Experience in 2017, the estate  burned down during the raging fires that ravaged the Napa mountainsides during 2020. 

Our dinner at Catch 35 was wonderful - exceptional in every respect - each entree exceeding expectations. Dan and I ordered the Georges Bank Scallops with braised shortrib & red potato hash on black pepper aoli. Both Lindas ordered one of the two daily special Halibut dishes - Sweet and Sour Crispy Halibut with bell peppers, onions and pineapple with jasmine rice, and Alaskan Pan Seared Halibut with Panko, Asiago-Parmesan in cannellinis beans with onions and heirloom tomatoes. 

The Georges Bank Scallops with braised shortrib & red potato hash on black pepper aoli was a mind-blowing combination pairing, almost like two separate and distinct entrees thrown together. The scallops were perfectly prepared and tasty, but almost overpowered by the somewhat off-putting braised short-rib which was delicious in its own right. The two foods compete with each other for center stage with the bigger bolder braised short rib overtaking the more delicate and subtle scallops.

 

Alaskan Pan Seared Halibut 

 

Sweet and Sour Crispy Halibut

 Our server Denzel, was exceptional, professional, hospitable and friendly, knowledgeable and attentive to the details of astute proper wine service of our wine selections, properly served, chilled and offering appropriate glassware. 

Chateau Boswell Absolutely Eloise Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016

Dan brought this ultra-premium limited release label from his cellar, this from producer Richard Thornton Boswell, who in the 1980's pioneered the concept of a "Boutique" winery crafting small lot French Style wines sold directly to the client, at a time when the other 71 wineries in the Napa Valley sold mostly through distribution. Today, Chateau Boswell remains among the diminishing handful of privately owned family wineries amidst what has grown to 554 wineries in the Napa Valley today.

The fruit is from the Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, bordered by the Russian River and the Mayacamas mountains with the climate defined by its proximity to the ocean with coastal breezes bringing cooling fog through the Petaluma wind gap in the morning and evening, balancing the afternoon heat enjoyed in this appellation. This temperature differential creates excellent conditions for Chardonnays fruit with the long growing season, allowing time for optimum fruit maturity.

The grapes are from the Purrington Rued Vineyard, Ritchie Vineyard, and Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyards, the fruit from each of these vineyards from very old vines which lends the complexity and intense fruit flavors which are key to the composition of memorable Chardonnay wines.

In the early days, famed winemaker André Tchelistcheff graced the Boswell winery with his immense knowledge and directed their early efforts. Building on that legacy and history, Boswell wines today are crafted under the tutelage of consulting winemakers Philippe Melka and Keith Hock who both work closely with Allison Nunnikhoven, Associate Winemaker for Chateau Boswell.

This was straw colored, medium bodied, with a slight haziness, rich, powerful, complex exotic medley of apple pear and apricot fruits, with a unique distinctive layer of dark toasted nuts with hints of dark toffee caramel with a cognac like lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/editnote.asp?iWine=2932507

http://www.chateauboswellwinery.com/ 

Besides the Chateau Boswell, we ordered from the broad and carefully selection winelist an as yet undiscovered label from a well known producer - Dance Chardonnay from Long Shadows. 

Long Shadows "Dance" Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2017

What a surprise to discover this label on the Catch 35 wine list. We've been Long Shadows Key Club Members since our visit to the Woodinville tasting room during our Washington Wine Experience when we visited the winery tasting room in Woodinville back in the fall of 2018. 

We receive a case of Long Shadows wines every quarter and hold several cases of their labels in our cellar and this was the first time we have seen or heard about this label, purported to be the latest addition to the portfolio.

Dance also has specific significance as just this very day we learned our daughter-in-law Vivianna's sister, Grace was engaged to be married. Grace was a career professional performing arts dancer having studied dance at New York Fordham University and then traveling with the world famous Alvin Ailey dance troupe. Indeed, when they toured Illinois, we met them for dinner at Angeli's Italian, our local neighborhood trattorria. 

Based on the enjoyment of this wine this evening, I promptly called Long Shadows and ordered a case of this limited release label, "Dance" as part of my wine club entitlement allocation. We'll look forward to serving Dance with the family at our next gathering, our upcoming Easter celebration dinner. 

This is 100% Chardonnay from the Washington State Columbia River basin Yakima Valley from the Wente Chardonnay clone plantings at two of Washington’s oldest Chardonnay vineyards, French Creek Vineyard, east of Prosser and Boushey Vine at the Boushey Vineyard, the Crawford Vineyard,and the old block at French Creek Vineyard.

Notes from the Winemaker: Introducing the newest addition to the Long Shadows line-up. This unique and wonderfully complex Chardonnay was fermented and aged using proprietary techniques with a combination of concrete eggs and French oak barrels for sixteen months.

The result is a rich, yet refined Chardonnay with a beautiful viscosity that carries the mid-palate while the acidity persists across a lengthy finish.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: Great balance between vibrant fruit and minerality with flavors and aromas of white peach, apricot and baked apples. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, fresh apple and pear fruits with notes of lemon citrus, floral and toast with hints of tropical fruit, pineapple and spicy oak on a tangy acidic finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3322908

https://longshadows.com/

After dinner we retreated back to our house to finish the celebration dinner with German Chocolate Cake. 

With the cake we opened from the cellar Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 1994. The 1994 vintage was one of the top vintages of the century with the top labels including Taylor Fladgate and Grahams Vintage Oporto both getting 100 points. 

At 28 years, this showed no signs of diminution from aging whatsoever, likely at the peak of its drinking window, but with another decade or two of life left yet. The label, fill level, foil, seal and cork were all in pristine condition. sea

This was a nice pairing with the chocolate cake, silky smooth, superbly balanced, ripe sweet fruits for wonderful casual sipping. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12211