WBTG dining at Entourage DG

WBTG dining at Entourage DG

We dined alfresco with Linda’s college sorority sisters, Pat and Debbie, with her husband Denny, visiting from Florida. We arranged to meet at Entourage DG (Downers Grove, IL), that has become one of our favorite go to eateries in the CHI western suburbs - Entourage has been featured prominently in these pages in recent blogposts. 

Taking advantage of the Social Hour, ‘early bird and Late Night’ specials, we ordered several of our regular favorites including the Rosemary Focaccia Bread - “Made Fresh Daily”, served with Mediterranean Olives and Sea Salt Butter. While it may be easy to discount this as a simple bread plate, it’s delicious! 

We also started with the Entourage Deviled Eggs - Traditional Deviled Eggs with Kona Coffee + Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon, Maple Syrup and Chives. Once again, these are delicious - the Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon - amazing ! 

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

The ladies all ordered from the Social Hour menu the Entourage Waygu Filet Mignon Sliders - Two 2oz. Filet Medallions with Horseradish Cream, Pickled Onion, Oven Roasted Roma Tomato and Arugula on a Mini Brioche bun.

I ordered what is one of my favorite dishes on the menu, their signature Wagyu Meatloaf Sundae - Truffle + Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Brioche, Wild Mushroom Gravy,  Vegetable Succotash topped with Crispy Onions.

Denny ordered from the Social Hour menu the Sweet Chili Calamari - Flash Fried with Cherry Peppers, Banana Peppers, Shishito and Sweet Chili Firecracker Sauce

While I brought from home two bottles, a red and a white  to open BYOB, we all took advantage of the Social Hour special pricing on WBTG - Wines By The Glass. While the wine list is limited, each of these offered good value pleasant drinking, appropriately matched to our starter and entree selections. 

Having fun with our collective Indiana heritage and roots, and at my suggestion, the ladies each ordered the WBTG Sonoma County Chardonnay. 

Kokomo “Peter’s Vineyard” Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast California Chardonnay.

As featured in earlier blogposts … 

Family owned and operated Kokomo Winery was started by Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller in 2004, a fellow Hoosier who named it after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, which is near Linda’s hometown and family farm in North Central Carroll County, Indiana. (Funny, they showcase their “Boilermaker” collection of wines, honoring the Purdue Boilermakers’, mascot of the Big Ten University not far from Linda’s family homestead, arch rival to our beloved Indiana University “Hoosiers”, but the one she grew up supporting.) 

The Winery sits on the East side of Dry Creek Valley, twenty miles north of Santa Rosa, off the main route 101, midway between the towns of Healdsburg and Geyserville. The winery and tasting room is located at Timber Crest Farms, sitting amid 120 acres of vineyards, overlooking the valley.

Kokomo produces over a dozen different varietal wines and several single vineyard designated labels which are farmed by his partner in the winery, grower Randy Peters. Kokomo Wines strive to showcase the terroir of the their vineyard sources in the three distinctive appellations of Sonoma County - Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. They also offer some wines sourced from the Sonoma Valley Moon Mountain District. 

This Peter’s Vineyard Designated label is 100% Chardonnay sourced from a site in the Russian River Valley, west Sebastopol, next to Luther Burbank's Farm where the soil is rich with Goldridge sandy loam. There the vines are exposed to consistent coastal fog, which calls for extended hang time and more development for the fruit. 

I was a bit hesitant to order this bottle, especially to be paired with such a magnificent dinner, since our awareness of Kokomo is more modest entry level wines, less discriminating than the premium and ultra-premium labels we tend to enjoy. 

We see their entry level labels widely distributed but have never had any of their more premium labels. Note they show two dozen different offerings on their website. Never-the-less I gave it a shot and found it to be an over-achiever to my perception of the brand, meeting our hopeful expectations for suitably pairing with our dinner. 

Kokomo “Peter’s Vineyard” Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast California Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker notes for this release - “Planted in West Sebastopol, this is a premier location for Chardonnay. The vineyard is next to Luther Burbank’s Farm and the soil composition is rich Goldridge Sandy Loam. With the consistent coastal fog extending hang time well into October, this fruit is fully developed and loaded with complexity. The Chardonnay is comprised of Clones 4 and 76.’

Continuing, Winemaker notes for this release remain the same as with the previous vintage: “Reminiscent of a classic white Burgundy but with a California twist, this Chardonnay displays vibrant minerality accompanied by the mouth-watering natural acidity typically found in Peters Vineyard. Stirring the lees (Sur Lie) was performed to this lot consistently once per week through malolactic fermentation. We feel like this gives the wine body, texture and depth while maintaining its graceful acidity and restraint. This Chardonnay is elegant enough to pair with delicate foods and delicious enough to drink by itself after a long day.”

This is 100% Chardonnay, Sourced from Russian River Valley Appellation, and was aged 11 months in 100% French Oak, 30% New..

While I gave it the same rating, this release had a slightly different profile.

Straw colored, light to medium bodied, tangy crisp acidity highlights a predominant layer of vanilla that overshadowed the subtle pear, spice and peach tones of the earlier release, accented by light sprites of oak on a pleasurable moderate finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5165863

https://www.kokomowines.com/store/?view=product&slug=23ch

https://www.kokomowines.com/

With my entree I ordered from the WBTG selections this Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This was a new producer and label discovery for me and proved to be a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio selection. 

Lingua Franca "Avni" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022 

This is from producer Lingua Franca, pronounced lin·gua fran·ca which means “a universal language used to connect people of diverse backgrounds”, a metaphor for extraordinary wines.

Lingua Franca began in 2012 when Larry Stone, the ninth Master Sommelier in the US, and the first American to win the prestigious Best International Sommelier in French Wines competition in Paris, acquired the 150 acre Janzen Farm in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of Willamette Valley, Oregon. 

Previously, Stone spent 30 years as a restaurateur and sommelier at the Four Seasons, Charlie Trotter’s here in Chicago, and Rubicon Restaurant among others. Rubicon, opened in SFO in 1994 with financial backing from Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, and Francis Ford Coppola, was named after Coppola’s signature wine. Under Stone’s leadership, Rubicon became famous for its exceptional wine program, winning a Michelin star, Ivy Award, and multiple James Beard honors for outstanding wine service. He was recruited to Rubicon from Charlie Trotter’s.  

In 2015 Stone partnered with David Honig, and Dominique Lafon to develop Lingua Franca to produce exceptional wines representing the terroir of the Oregon vineyards. 

Dominique Lafon is best known as the namesake, director, and winemaker of one of the great estates of Meursault, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, having taken over the family domaine in 1984. Dominique was a descendant of Jules Lafon, who founded the estate and created the revered French wine festival, La Paulée. 

Dominique Lafon also founded Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon in the Mâconnais in 1999, focusing on upper hillside high-altitude, old-vine Chardonnay, further extending his impact beyond the Côte d’Or to the wider Burgundy region. He is active internationally, consulting with wineries such as Lingua Franca, and is a respected mentor to many younger winemakers in both France and abroad

They hired as Winemaker Thomas Savre, who had worked with and gained experience at some of the best domaines in Burgundy, and as Assistant Winemaker, Enologist and Assistant Vineyard Manager at Evening Land, directly adjacent to Lingua Franca, where he worked closely with Lafon to create superb Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Seven Springs Vineyards.

The Lingua Franca 66 acre vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, is surrounded by notable neighbors like Seven Springs and Lone Star Vineyards. The area benefits from ideal easterly exposure and rocky volcanic soils and cooling winds funneling in from the Pacific Ocean. This unique terroir produces intensely mineral driven wines with vibrant acidity.

Larry planted exclusively Dijon and heritage clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, sourced from esteemed vineyards like Le Montrachet. The Chardonnay grows in stony soils for distinctive minerality, while the Pinot thrives in silty loam "Jory" and marine fossil Nekia soils.

Grapes are carefully sorted in the winery, and whole clusters are used to enhance complexity. Traditional pigéage (foot punching) is employed for better results. The range includes estate wines and fruit from single sites, embodying classic Oregon elegance with pure fruit, spice, and earthy notes.

Nearly 32% of this 2022 Avni Pinot Noir comes from selected blocks of the Lingua Franca Estate. The remaining 68% comes from select best neighboring vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, including Hope Well and from the South Salem Hills and Yamhill-Carlton to the north. 

Winemaker notes - “The 2022 AVNI Pinot Noir will count among the most regionally representative we have ever made, focused and flavorful, yet harmonious and balanced, with an overlying elegance and velvety mouthfeel. Red fruits dominate the flavor profile with some Black Cherry, spice, black tea, fresh herbs, and a hint of Black Cherry, tar and rose petal, finishing with a round texture.”

“Hand-harvested, sorted and destemmed, the grapes were fed bin by bin (not pumped) into medium and large sized stainless steel and cement fermenting tanks and then spontaneously fermented with wild yeast. 10% of the fruit for Avni Pinot Noir 2022 was not destemmed and went whole cluster into airtight tanks.” 

The wines aged in 27% new and 73% old French oak barriques for 12 months, and 4 in tank as the final assemblage prior to bottling.

This release was awarded 94 points by Decanter, Wine Spectator and James Suckling, and 92+ points, by Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck.

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, expressive complex redcurrant, cherry and raspberry fruits with notes of lavender, clove spice, dusty chalky stone minerality, smoke and herbs, with finely integrated tannins and acidity, on a pleasant lingering finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4904396

https://www.linguafranca.wine/

Linda ordered from the WBTG list this big red full bodied Zinfandel from a well known classic Zinfandel producer. 

Seghesio Angela’s Table Zinfandel 2022

This is from Seghesio Family Vineyards that date back 125 years when family ancestors first planted vineyards in Sonoma County in 1895. Over the next five generations, they persevered through prohibition, earthquakes, fires and droughts.

Seghesio Family Vineyards today encompass more than 300 acres of certified sustainable vineyards across Sonoma County’s most preeminent growing regions including the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys. They also source grapes from San Joaquin, and Contra Costa counties.

Seghesio Family Vineyards has become synonymous with high quality Zinfandel wines, they still farm a number of the original founding blocks of Zinfandel planted at the Home Ranch Vineyard dating back to 1895. They also maintain the oldest blocks of Sangiovese in North America in their Chianti Station Vineyard. These Sangiovese vines represent an heirloom clone that has otherwise gone extinct and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I look forward to finding and tasting their Sangiovese wines.

While “Old Vine” may be an unregulated term, they have devised our own strict guidelines for using the phrase. For Seghesio, “Old Vine” indicates a minimum age of 50 years, but they exceed those guidelines with their “Old Vine Zinfandel” which is produced from vineyards with an average age closer to 75 years.

Seghesio are known for their stewardship and preservation of old vines, so much so that, in 2011, they purchased the historic Montafi Vineyard in Russian River Valley, in large part to ensure that the 94-year-old Zinfandel vines planted there would stay in the ground. A small amount of wine is produced from that site exclusively for their tasting room and wine club.

2018 Sonoma
from Cellar

Seghesio’s winemaker is Andy Robinson who joined Seghesio as enologist in 2003. In 2004, he took a working vacation to Marlborough, New Zealand, in order to learn how best to develop a California warm climate Sauvignon Blanc. 

To try new wines and learn about different regions he has since traveled to Baden in Germany; Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Lanquedoc in France; Toro and Rioja in Spain; Veneto, Campania and Tuscany in Italy; Wachau, Austria and Oporto and Alentejo in Portugal. 

Andy grew up in North Tonawanda, NY, in between Buffalo and Niagara Falls on the Niagara River — between New York’s Finger Lakes region and Ontario’s Ice Wine regions. His interest in wine began while studying for his Chemistry degree at SUNY Geneseo, where three of his chemistry professors were involved in winemaking or wine-related research topics. 

He then earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University in NYC. There, he met fellow chemical engineering student, Rosie Conception who was Seghesio’s Enologist from 2000 to 2003. She would later introduce Andy to Seghesio wines and convince him to move to Sonoma to pursue his interest in wine.

In 2001 he worked at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena as harvest intern/ vineyard sampler and lab technician before joining Seghesio as enologist in 2003.

It’s often said that Zinfandel is the only truly American grape, Zinfandel produces wines that are bold, complex and age-worthy. Seghesio produce a broad portfolio of more than a dozen Zinfandels including Single Vineyard Designated and Old Vine labels. 

This label, Angela’s Table, is essentially the same wine as the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, with Angela’s Table being produced specifically for wholesale including restaurants and certain retail/outlets, while the regular Sonoma Zinfandel is sold direct-to-consumer (DTC) and major retail. The label “Angela’s Table” often appears on the back, sometimes without a barcode, and is commonly distributed to restaurants and independent wine shops rather than supermarkets.This release is sourced from Sonoma, San Joaquin, and Contra Costa counties.

The 2022 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel is a blend of 88% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah, 1% Alicante Bouschet, and 6% Mixed Reds

Winemaker Notes - “The 2022 Sonoma Zinfandel captivates with a complex fusion of blackberry, black currant, plum, cherry, and baking spice aromas. Its lively palate showcases succulent fruit interwoven with supple tannins, persisting from mid-palate to a gratifying finish.”

It was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator

Dark garnet colored medium full bodied, bold expressive, concentrated briary blackberry fruits iwth notes of anise, smoke, creosote with a zesty lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4802396

https://www.seghesio.com/

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

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/

Lewis Chardonnay BYOB at Henderson Beachwalk Cafe

Lewis Chardonnay BYOB at Henderson Beachwalk Cafe

Vacationing with Sister and Brother in-laws, Pat and Rodger at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we took them to one of our favorite notable dining spots in the Destin area. 

On our last weekend night together, we dined at scenic Beach Walk Café, Henderson Park Inn, Destin, with its picturesque views of the Gulf Coast beach and off-shore horizon, and the towers of Destin across Henderson State Beach Park in the distance, arguably one of the best views along the Emerald Coast.

I wrote about Henderson Beachwalk Cafe Dinner with a view in this blogpost during our visit there last fall, excerpted below. 

While we love the atmosphere, ambiance and menu selections, their wine list is limited, especially for pairing with coastal seafood. So, tonight we brought from our home cellar BYOB our own Lewis Cellars label, their limited release special Sonoma County Chardonnay. 

We had with the starter course beet salad with arugula, goat cheese and mandarin orange slices, and Wedge Salad, big enough to share for two. Last time we dined here, we had the Seared Blue Crab Cakes with Mixed Greens and Jalapeño Horseradish Aioli, which was delicious. Tonight, the girls both ordered it for their entrees. 

For dinner I ordered from the menu fresh seafood local catches their signature dish, Grouper Vince with Pecan Crusted, Crispy Potato Cake, Haricot Verts, Honey Worcestershire Sauce.

After dinner, we enjoyed the Key Lime Pie and the Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream for dessert. 

With the dinner course, we enjoyed from our home cellar, BYOB, one of our favorite full flavored Chardonnays, and ideal pairing with the seafood selections.

Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay 2018

We write often in these pages how we have fun with the alphabet labels, “V” from various producers for Vivianna, and the “L” labels from Lewis Cellars, and others, for Linda, Lucy (grand-daughter, and in this case her namesake Great Grandmother Lucy), grand-daughters Lavender and Lilac. 

We also pay respects to our Indiana heritage and the legacy of Lewis Cellars’ founder/producer Randy Lewis, former Indianapolis 500 racer. 

So it was fitting that we brought this label, for the sisters’, Linda and Pat’s Mom, Lucy, and our combined Indiana, Hoosier heritage, and with Pat and Rodger hailing from Indianapolis. 

In an earlier blogpost on this label, we wrote about our visit to Lewis Cellars Napa Chateau and our private Tasting back in 2017.

We have an extensive cellar collection of Lewis Cellars’ wines including this Chardonnay label, their Cabernet Sauvignons, Mason’s Blend, Ethan’s Syrah and one of our signature favorite wines since it happens to be the namesake of our son and the Lewis’ first grandson, Alec’s Blend.

We’ll likely scale back our collecting Lewis wines since the family has sold the business and brand to a major consolidated producer. In 2021 Lewis Cellars was acquired by Justin Vineyards & Winery of Paso Robles and its owner, the Wonderful Company.
As a $5bn privately-held group founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the Wonderful Company also owns Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma County and JNSQ rosé wine, as well as the Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful brands.

Since this blog is also partially about branding and strategy, I’d be remiss to not mention the self-inflicted branding fiasco Fiji brought on themselves a few years back - memorialized in these posts - enough said…

https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/biz2/0701/gallery.101dumbest_2007/20.html
https://www.cleveland19.com/story/34514441/is-bottled-water-better-than-clevelands-tap-water-not-really/
https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-cities-tout-municipal-tap-water-as-better-than-bottled.html

Lewis Cellars makes around 9,000 cases of wine per year and is known for high-end wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Justin Vineyards said Lewis Cellars will continue to be led and run by the existing team, including Randy Lewis and his stepson, Dennis Bell.

The strategy is to leverage the larger group’s marketing, strategy and sales teams to reach new audiences, such as via wine clubs or restaurants.

Tonight, this Lewis Cellars Chardonnay was a perfect pairing with the dinner, showing incredibly well, perhaps the best tasting of this label ever. Perhaps it was the ideal pairing that accentuated the delight of both the food and the wine. 

 

We brought this bottle to Florida from our home cellar and had been holding it for quite a while waiting for the right occasion and the right pairing. 

This was the third bottle of this label from our collection that we have consumed and this was the best showing of this wine to date. 

This 2018 release of Lewis Chardonnay was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator and 92 points by Connoisseurs' Guide and Wilford Wong of Wine.com

Winemaker Notes - Like a silk robe or satin sheets the 2018 Napa Chardonnay seduces with thrilling texture. Creamy pear, crème brulee, white nectarine and gardenia blossom sprinkled with vanilla spice, it is simply delicious and irresistible. Finely structured yet opulent to the core, it is graced with a long, luscious finish.

Golden colored, medium bodied, full, round and structured, with rich brilliant flavors of ripe pear and apple fruits with butterscotch and creamy toasty notes on the tangy acidic lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3390102 

https://www.lewiscellars.com/

To close out the dinner, we shared the Key Lime Pie and the Chocolate Tort Cake with berries and ice cream. We’ve wished for a Latte’ or Cafe Au Lait accompaniment but it isn’t an option. 

https://www.hendersonparkinn.com/dine/beachwalk-cafe/

Christmas family dinner features La Sirena Chardonnay, lobster and pasta

Christmas family dinner features La Sirena Chardonnay, lobster and pasta 

Continuing our tour of the kid’s homes on Christmas Day, following our Christmas revelry ultra-premium wine flight at son Ryan’s, we proceeded to son Alec and Vivianna’s and ended staying for early dinner. Alec prepared his hearty Rigatoni with Lobster medallions and Vodka Cream Sauce. 

With dinner, Alec pulled from his cellar this limited production/release premium Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Chardonnay from a legendary producer. 

La Sirena Russian River Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay 2021

We’ve had several La Sirena wines over the yesrs, but never a white. Alec acquired this at auction. La Sirena is the personal brand and label of legendary winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett, one of the world’s most renowned and respected winemakers. 

Since the 1980s, she has created some of the Napa Valley’s most famous wines, including Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Paradigm, and many others. She started her own brand, La Sirena, in 1994, and began her collaboration brand, Barrett & Barrett, with her husband, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, in 2008.

For some great wine focused entertainment, and to learn about more about the legendary Judgement of Paris, and about Bo Barrett and Chateau Montelena, watch the movie “Bottle Shock” (Trailer),  (“Bottle Shock” You Tube Stream)! 

From her winesite, we learn, “Heidi got her start at a young age. Her father, Dick Peterson, is a scientist-winemaker, and her mother, Diane, an artist. She gravitated toward both fields, and found that the world of wine was an ideal place for her to explore and combine these passions. Growing up, she worked in numerous vineyards and wineries alongside her dad, and decided to pursue it as a career. She attended UC Davis for fermentation science and went on to several internships and positions in the industry. Her career took off in the late 80s when she began working for Dalla Valle as an “independent winemaker”’
.
She began to develop a tiny project called Screaming Eagle shortly afterwards, and from there, things escalated quickly. With 5 perfect 100-point scores for her wines in the span of just a few years, Heidi skyrocketed to international fame, setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine ($500,000 for a 6L of 1992 Screaming Eagle at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000).

Today, Heidi maintains a stable of ultra-premium client wineries, including Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, Fantesca, and Mars Estate, as well as her own brands La Sirena, Barrett & Barrett, and Aviatrix. She and Bo live among their vineyards in Calistoga. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving, skiing, flying her helicopter, making art, and gardening.

She named her brand and label La Sirena, which means “the Mermaid” in Spanish and Italian. She chose it because she’s a loves the ocean and scuba diving and wanted a winery name that was fun & magical (like wine). The first vintage of La Sirena was 1994, with the first Cabernet Sauvignon made in 1996. The current portfolio consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Moscato Azul (dry Muscat Canelli), Rosato (rosé of Primitivo), Chardonnay, Malbec, Barrett Vineyard Syrah, and red blends, Studio Series and Pirate TreasuRed. Production is always small, focusing on fine wines of purity and excellence.

This wine is sourced from the original 1969 planting of the Rued clone of Chardonnay, known for its somewhat tropical aromatics (some even refer to it as the Muscat clone of Chardonnay), and blended with fruit from the Bacigalupi Paris Block, one of the sources for the Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting. 225 cases produced

Duane Hoff, proprietor of Fantesca told us when they hired Heidi as consulting winemaker, their Chardonnay was the first one she had ever crafted. Of this label, Heidi says, “I have made Chardonnay a number of times for my clients over the years, but I was not compelled to make my own until a special vineyard source became available in 2016 - the Rued family original vineyard planted in 1969. The offer was intriguing, so I went to have a look, and was immediately taken with the magnificent old vines and their large gnarled trunks & arms. For the first time this vintage, I also blended in some Chardonnay from the famous Bacigalupi Paris Block, one of the sources for the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting.”

Hence, this is 100% Chardonnay,  60% of this Chardonnay comes from Valdez Vineyard and 40% from Bacigalupi Paris Block. It was aged in French oak barrels 10% new for 10 months. Production was 225 cases.

Winemaker notes - “Brilliant light golden straw in color with gorgeous fruit aromas of crisp pear, pineapple, delicate melon, a whiff of green apple and citrus, with nice minerality and complementary notes of caramel, beeswax, and a kiss of vanilla. A very light touch of of toasty French oak enhances the aromatics and fruit flavors across the palate. The mouthfeel, texture and flavor profile is just delicious, with nicely balanced acidity and richness that lingers in an extraordinary finish.”

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, full, round textured vibrant peach, lemon and pineapple fruit tones with a rich crème brulee’ layer with a crisp silky smooth lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4915068

https://www.lasirenawine.com/

https://twitter.com/LaSirenaWinery

Fine dining at 360 Grille Florence Alabama

Fine dining at 360 Grille Florence, Alabama 

We traveled to Florence, Alabama to tour the Rosenbaum House, designed by iconic American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, a Usonian style house, the only Wright building in Alabama, considered "the purest example of the Usonian” concept.  

(Read more about my work as a Docent/Interpreter and Researcher for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust on my Wright-site at http://www.mcnees.org/flw/).

We arrived the night before and dined at 360 Grille at the Marriott Shoals Hotel, Spa and Conference Center. 

360 Grille is a circular revolving restaurant atop a 300 foot 27 story tower overlooking the lock and dam on the scenic Tennessee River, the entire community of Florence, (Alabama), and the town of Muscle Shoals across the river, as it revolves slowly. It is Alabama's only revolving restaurant. It offers a unique and distinctive fine dining experience with ‘American chef’s creations’ and a Wine Spectator award winning wine list. 

In the end, while a technological and engineering marvel, with a 360 degree vista of the region, aside the river view, there is no skyline or cityscape to offer any sense of view - it might as well be in the middle of a forest as most of the scene is treetops in almost all directions other than the river. Of course, we are immensely spoiled being accustomed to one of the most spectacular cityscapes and skylines on the planet in Chicago! Alas, many Chicago restaurants offer memorable, world class views - too many to mention here.

As is customary, I spent much time researching and planning all the details of our trip and travel including evaluating dining options based on site and location, and primarily food and wine offerings based on published menu’s and wine lists ahead of time, as part of selecting a dining venue in the region.

360 Grille published their menu and wine list on-line which offers the chance to plan such an event. The menu was essentially up to date and accurately reflected what was on offer. The wine list however, was a bit chaotic with multiple listings for several wines including several conflicting or duplicate labels, and the typical challenge of out of date vintages and prices. 

The (historical) Wine Spectator Award Winning winelist, published on-line, shows about 75 Red Wines, 45 White Wines and Seven dessert or after dinner wines. As shown, they are arranged in a very haphazard confusing manner, and priced ranging from $30 to $375, with price points ranging from slightly over one times retail to five times retail prices. 

As I expected, the actual wines on offer bore only slight resemblance to what was published on-line. Interestingly, case in point is a wine we know extremely well, having visited the Chateau and estate in France, and holding a not-insignificant collection of the producer’s labels in our home cellar. 

Looking to support one of our favorite producers, ordering a wine we know well, we had hoped to possibly order Château Vieux Télégraphe, Châteauneuf Du Pape. I was prepared to be disappointed, though, when they also published on-line Château Vieux Télégraphe ‘Télégramme’, Châteauneuf Du Pape. Télégramme is the ‘second’ label and wine from this producer, which sells for half the price of the grand vin, but both were posted at the same price.

Ironically, this was a replay of a similar situation we encountered last year where the wine on offer was the grand vin, while the wine served was the second label. In this case, the actual wine list corrected the duplication error, offering only the second label, however at an even higher price point than the grand vin published on-line. I wrote about this similar experience in this blogpost in these pages - The James Geneva features wine friendly menu and fine wines.

The result, tonight, was a wine sold at five times the retail price, versus two times the retail price as advertised! 

There were several other errors and anomalies between the published list and actual current list in the restaurant. I wasn’t surprised and expected as much having seen this many times before, but not to this level of breadth, depth and magnitude. 

Being from Chicago, we’re used to sophisticated, upscale fine dining experiences, which we perhaps take for granted. The disparities become apparent when you visit arguably the top establishment in a small remote third tier town like Florence. The folks at 360 Grille exuded an abundance of warm friendly southern hospitality, and the venue a spectacular site experience, still, the vibe was as much akin a diner or coffee shop as it was an upscale elegant restaurant.     

For our dinner, we ordered as a starter the Baked Brie, and for entrees, I ordered the filet of beef while Linda selected the fresh seafood special selection, grilled Wahu. 

Diners were treated to an Amouse Buche of crabmeat on a small bread crust. 

For a starter, Linda ordered the Oven Baked Brie with Toasted Pecans and Apricot Jam. This is a dish we know well from several restaurant experiences, and which she personally prepares often, based on some of our favorite preparations and presentations. I wrote about her baked Brie, and some of the inspirations for it in this blogpost -  Baked Brie Tranche Slice of Pape Blanc Columbia Valley White Blend. Tonight’s presentation while imaginative and nicely done was a bit uninspiring with a somewhat simple preparation of cheese with the fruit topping. They might take note from this blogpost. 

I ordered the filet of beef, which came with my choice of two sides, spinach and truffle mashed potatoes. This offering is priced at $34 for lunch, and $52 for dinner. 

The second infraction, or disappointment of the evening, involved preparation of my filet of beef. Regular readers of these pages know I often order filet of beef with a ‘Pittsburg’ style preparation. Fully expecting the waitstaff to not know to what I was referring, I didn’t mention Pittsburg, but rather, described how I wished my steak to be prepared. I stated, slowly and distinctly, “hot pink center, and if possible, and if it doesn’t present any trouble, light charring, so long as it doesn’t result in over-cooking the beef.”  

When my entree arrived, the presentation was nice and well laid out, but it tasted smoked with a strong smoky flavor, (that unfortunately I hate to say, resembled a sense of lighter fluid). Linda, a competent and experienced cook, attributed it to ‘liquid smoke’, a cooking aide, which apparently was applied in the quest to provide the essence of charring. Needless to say, charring and smoking are very different methods of preparation, with very different taste effects and outcomes. 

In the end, Linda loved her seafood chef’s special entree which had an ample portions such that we traded mid-meal and I was able to enjoy the remains of her entree, and she found my filet less off-putting than I did. 

I was prepared and expecting to take the high road, be polite and restrained, yet mention the winelist, and perhaps also the condition of my steak preparation, to anyone in the restaurant that might be interested in feedback and willing to listen. Alas, the assistant manager happened to come by the table and asked about our dining experience, so, I offered to provide some candid and unvarnished feedback. He was a slight bit overwhelmed in the breadth and depth of my research, and expectations relative to the outcomes. In the end, he took it exceedingly well, sincerely and genuinely interested in our candid feedback and evaluation of their standards of offering and service. 

The bright spot of the evening was the Chef's Fresh Seafood Special, Grilled Wahu, served with Creamy Polenta, Spiced Pear Chutney, Frisee, Citrus Vinaigrette and Crispy Beet. This was wonderful, and delicious, although perhaps slightly overcooked so as to be a bit dry. 

With her entree we ordered a Chardonnay B-T-G, by the glass, from the available options. 

With my entree I ordered one of the reds that was available at a slightly more reasonable value - two and a half times the retail price, which I consider a bit high (especially for a place like Florence, Alabama), but acceptable and somewhat ‘customary’ for upscale fine dining establishments. 

Gary Farrell Sonoma Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2021

I selected this as a cross-over wine, one that could go with both Linda’s grilled seafood and my steak dinner. 

Like the Vieux Telegraphe above, we know this producer well and had visited the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.  I wrote about this producer and our visit there in this earlier blogpost.

Farrell produces and is most noted for a wide portfolio of single vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley. 

This is their standard bottling blended from numerous vineyard sources. 

This Russian River Selection bottling is a classic Russian River Valley profile, sourced and blended from several of the region’s top vineyards, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. 

From the Producer - Tasting Notes - “This gorgeous Pinot Noir opens with seductive aromas of cherry liquor, sweet tobacco, fresh fennel, rose petal and boysenberry preserves. The broad, youthful, tangy, yet complex palate offers juicy flavors of blood orange, sour cherry jam, tamarind, raspberry jerk sauce, with a hint of savory green plantains. The firm tannins and tangy acidity create a full-bodied texture, lending to the incredibly long, spicy finish.” 

Vineyard Notes - “Our Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from some of the region’s top vineyards, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. The Rochioli and Bacigalupi vineyards are located in the Middle Reach subdivision, where close proximity to the river awards foggy mornings, warm and sunny days, and cool nights – the perfect balance that characterizes the Russian River Valley. The Martaella vineyard is located in the Santa Rosa Plain, a distinctly cooler and foggier sub-region, while the Hallberg and McDonald Mountain Vineyards, located within the Green Valley and Sebastopol Hills neighborhoods, exhibits even more extreme cool climate conditions. A beautiful expression of the varietal and of the appellation’s unique terroir, this Pinot Noir blend captures the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks.”

This was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 91 points by Jeb Dunnuck. 

Ruby colored medium bodied, dusty rose floral perfume tones with black cherry fruits with notes of what Jeb Dunnuck calls ‘cherry cola’, and the winemaker cites ‘savory, sweet tobacco’ with tangy, nicely balanced acidity and fine grained tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 90 points.    

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?2609748

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mslmc-marriott-shoals-hotel-and-spa/overview/

https://www.360grille.net/our-menus