Showing posts with label winelist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winelist. Show all posts

Saturday, April 20, 2024

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multiple listings for several wines including several conflicting or duplicate labels, and the typical challenge of out of date vintages and prices.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. 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.    






Saturday, October 7, 2023

The James Geneva features wine friendly menu and fine wines

The James Restaurant Geneva (IL) features wine friendly menu and fine wine selection

Saturday afternoon lunch - a beautiful picture perfect Midwestern autumn day - we drove out to Geneva on the Fox River and dined at The James Restaurant, recently reopened under new ownership, formerly Fiore's which we've visited and featured previously in these pages.  

The James new restaurant and cocktail lounge, features a broad menu offering steaks from prime purveyor Allen Brothers, seafood and other assorted entrees and small plates ... and a Wine Spectator Award winning winelist, opened in May at 317 S. Third St., Geneva, the former location of Fiora’s, which closed in January.

The James is the creation of Geneva residents Chris and Gretchen Hupke who are leasing the space. Along with Gretchen's brother, Todd McWethy, they also own and operate McWethy’s Tavern at the Mistwood Golf Course in Romeoville, and McWethy’s Sports Bar in Bolingbrook. The James is partly named for their late father, James (Jim) McWethy, and partly too, for James Herrington, Geneva’s first settler, namesake to the nearby (James) Herrington Inn & Spa which we have also featured in these pages

The James occupies the quaint historic building on trendy bustling Third Street, Geneva, with a collection of stylishly decorated multi-colored dining rooms, the brightly lit sun-porch overlooking the patio outdoor seating area, a classic vintage library bar with pressed- tin-ceiling and marble top tables, and the wine cellar dining room on the lower level which is an operating wine cellar and has seating for up to 20 for wine themed special dinners. 


We were able to secure a table on the sun-drenched sun porch room, whose floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlook the 140-seat outdoor patio. 


The James' imaginative varied menu features creations from chef Steven Blackburn who previously headed up a sushi bar in West Hollywood. The meat menu selections offer beef sourced from premier purveyor Allen Brothers in Chicago, from an eight-ounce bavette and filet mignon to a hearty 24-ounce porterhouse, classic chicken Vesuvio, pork schnitzel, and a 16-ounce pork chop. The entree and small plate selections offer seafood selections such as grilled swordfish, Japanese style salmon sashimi, and shrimp shakshuka.

We ordered a medley from the small plates menu, the Lobster Agnolotti, the Coffee Charred Steak along with the Lobster Bisque and Apple and Pear Salad. 

Apple and Pear Salad - green apple, red pear, candied pecans, mixed greens with bleu cheese vinaigrette
Crab Bisque with Chive
Lobster Agnolotti - lobster tail, saffron cream sauce, brown butter
Coffee Charred Steak - Allen Brothers, Chicago skewered Prime beef, plum BBQ sauce, pea shoot

Everything was wonderful - the bisque was especially delectable and the Charred Steak skewers with the plum BBQ sauce was spectacular, and a wonderful pairing with the red wine (s) (despite having note of spice heat, which normally I would degrade for offsetting the pallet and discrimination for the wine).

A draw for us was the James' imaginative and carefully selected wine list with 90 wines by the bottle, wines by the glass, and a collection of half bottles. Their wine list won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2023.

For our wine accompaniment to our lunch we ordered a half bottle of the Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We know this producer and wine well having visited the Chateau and Estate on a couple occasions.  

Our visit to the Vieux Télégraphe estate and meeting owner/winemaker Daniel Brunier (left) was a highlight of our Rhone Valley Wine Experience in 2019.

Notably, while the wine list features Domaine du Vieux 'Telegraph' Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone (their quotation emphasis, not mine). They actually served Domaine du Vieux Telegraph, 'Telegramme', Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This is their 'second' wine, sourced from younger vines and is generally about half the price of the flagship grand cru. 

We brought this to our server's attention and eventually to the proprietor/owner Chris Hupke (below). Upon researching this further, he realized that while they ordered the flagship Vieux Telegraph label, they actually received from the distributor the Telegramme label, which they were subsequently serving. They hadn't caught this difference until I brought it to their attention.

This sparked an extensive in-depth friendly and convival conversation with Chris about our shared interests and experiences in fine wines, culminating in a cellar tour and visit to the wine room downstairs. 

Our lively discussion about wine finds and preferences and restaurant wine lists covered our shared love of Howell Mountain Cabernet's and lead to Bordeaux varietal selections from Washington State.

In recompense for the winelist switch/snafu and shortcoming in our red wine selection, Chris brought out a glass of a Washington State Red Mountain Cabernet from Walls Vineyard and Winery.

Our original selection:

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme 2018 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe 'Telegramme', Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone 2018

As stated, we visited Vieux Télégraphe during our trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone River Valley back in 1998 and again in 2019. We hold Vieux Télégraphe wines dating back three decades to the early 1980's. 

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe has been run by the Brunier family for five generations dating back to 1891. The estate’s vineyards average 60 years of age on the Plateau of La Crau, a site known for growing Châteauneuf-du-Pape grape varietals.

The estate is named for the telegraph towers that sat on the site dating back to the early visual signal towers that were invented and deployed as far back as 1792. Lines of relay towers were built within line-of-sight of each other at distances of 5–20 miles. Tower operators would watch adjacent towers through a spyglass for signals produced by mechanical shutter arms and would pass the message on to the next tower. These early systems were faster and less expensive than horse drawn riders. These lines were a precursor of the electrical telegraph which would replace them half a century later.

The estate wines are known for their distinctive terroir signature of predominant minerality from filtering through the thick layer of large pebbles left behind when the Alpine glaciers melted, long before the Rhône Valley formed.

Winemaker (s): Frédéric & Daniel Brunier 

The blend for this release is 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre and 4% Cinsault. 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Châteauneuf-du-Pape seriously dominated by Grenache, which confers very singular suppleness and roundness. Best savored young.

This is the second wine of Vieux Telegraphe. Mainly Grenache with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault from mostly young vines but it does include grapes from 45 year old vines at Château La Roquette.

This release was awarded 92-93 points by James Suckling and 90-92 points by Wine Advocate.

Dark Ruby colored, medium-full bodied, classic brambly red and black raspberry and plum fruits with notes of gariggue, floral and spice from the Grenache, with hints of pepper on the moderate long, rich, ripe tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3480040

http://www.vieux-telegraphe.fr/en/

Wall Vineyards 'Curiositas' Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Chris served us a glass of this big full bodied, fruit forward, flavorful Cabernet. We happen to know this brand and label and have a case of other vintages in our cellar collection.

Ironically, or notably, we also knew this producer and label well, having visited the winery in Walla Walla during our Walla Walla Wine Experience back in 2018, where we discovered this label and acquired a case of it from the 2015 vintage. 

Our visit the winery was one of the highlights of that appellation visit. It was great fun to share, and educate our host about this label, the brand and its background and history of the producer, the estate and the vineyards.

Walls Curiositas Red Mountain Cabernet

Walls Winery Curiositas Columbia Valley Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

With Mike Martin, Owner Walls Vineyards
We discovered and acquired this wine during our visit to the producer during our recent Walla Walla Wine Experience. It was our favorite of the portfolio of wines tasted with Mike Martin, owner/producer Walls Vineyards and Winery.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA in central Washington.

As I wrote in an earlier blogpost almost four years ago to the day, this was my favorite of the flight that we tasted at the winery. Of course I tend to favor Bordeaux varietals and found this especially appealing.

The fruit for this is sourced from the Obelisco Vineyard on the higher slopes of the Red Mountain AVA. The vines get increased exposure to the sun and are planted in higher density to further stress the grapes. The result is a wine of great complexity but one that is elegant and lush, yet subtle with tones the winemaker describes as possessing 'freshness that evokes a Margaux-styled fragrant' Cabernet'.

From our Walls Winery producer visit report when we tasted and acquired the 2015 vintage release.

The Walls Curiositas Red Mountain Cabernet 2015

2015 Curiositas is an elegant, complex and lush, yet subtle, wine. Its tone of freshness evokes a Margaux-styled fragrant Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sourced from the Obelisco Vineyard, high in the Red Mountain AVA where the vines get full exposure to all the elements.

“It is beautifully situated, with more vines doing less work, and planted with higher density,” says winemaker Ali. “It lends itself to complexity so how could we not take advantage of that?”

Chris served us the 2018 release of this label. It was bigger, more vibrant and expressive than the 2015 vintage we hold in our cellar that we are accustomed to.

Bright purple garnet colored, it was medium-full bodied with a firm gripping backbone structure with glycerine legs clinging to the glass, the polished elegant tannins were smooth and silky that it made for enticing casual sipping - bright red and black fruits accented by bright expressive notes of menthol, spice and creme de cassis, with notes of tobacco leaf and subtle vanilla and oak. 
 
Jeb Dunnuck gave this 97 points and like Robert Parker's Wine Advocate talks about this label's 'well-integrated tannins, solid grip, coupled with a swath of fresh acidity that delivers muscular structure' but then talks about it being 'light footed through the long finish'.

RM 93 points.

Jeb Dunnuck, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this  “Editor’s Choice" and rated it "Extraordinary (95-100 pts.) "

331 Cases were produced.
 
We enjoyed The James so much we've already signed up for their upcoming winemaker producer dinner next week.  

https://thejamesgeneva.com/

@PassionatePour1

Bar
James Photo of the Bar

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Siduri Pinot Noir at Catch 35 Naperville

Siduri Pinot Noir at Catch 35 Naperville     

Finishing a successful real estate closing, we had a mini-celebration dinner at Catch-35, the local Naperville location of this seafood eatery, not to be confused with their downtown Chicago locale. 

We selected this restaurant despite the tremendous seafood entree at nearby La Sorella the week before last. We feel a bit duty bound to support this establishment as it seems to be lacking a bit in support and we would hate to lose it as a fine dining option in our community. They have another sister restaurant in the city downtown Chicago. 

The vibe in the restaurant is a bit benign, serene, bordering on comatose - a feeling perhaps exacerbated by the dim lighting and perhaps drap, somewhat dated decorating. I feel I am being overly harsh here but I don't know how else to describe it.  We joked that it has an 'old folks' vibe and indeed, it seemed to be an older clientele. 

In any event, the service was exemplary, professional, pleasant, knowledgeable and attentive. Admittedly, one of the drivers for us selecting Catch-35 on a Wednesday night was their half price offer on specified wines. Scouring the on-line winelist as we explored dining options, I found a suitable candidate for dinner worth exploring, and a great value in light of the special offering.  

Once on-site and seated, we ordered the wine featured on their on-line web winelist, and lo and behold, it was no longer available. This is precisely why I typically, often, ask two questions of our server when dining in a restaurant with a winelist; 1) do you have all the wines featured on the winelist? and 2) are there any other wines on offer not shown on the wine list. Typically the answer is yes, and no. Occasionally, a server will qualify that certain labels are no longer available. Or, the server will check on the status of any potential new arrivals. Once in a while some great surprises are discovered! 

Tonight, we settled on an alternate, second choice wine selection. Our server was very apologetic and upon pressing the wine director, offered us a complimentary dessert, to make up for the shortcoming. A nice gesture and much appreciated. 

The wine selection was going to drive my entree choice and the redirection forced a change in my dinner plans as well. For our entrees, Linda selected the Charbroiled Oysters with house herb butter, parmesan cheese and charred lime.

 
I ordered the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut with Spiced Asian Marinade and Cauliflower gratinee. From the description, I was concerned about the "spiced" marinade description to complement the white fish. I had the forsight to inquire, and as a result, I ordered a cup of the Buerre Blanc Sauce, the accompaniment to the other seafood entree, and asked that the Spiced Marinade be served on the side.


In the end, asking for the "Spiced Marinade sauce" be served on the side, and asking for a cup of the Buerre Blanc Sauce proved to be a saving grace for my dinner. Linda described the original sauce to that from Buffalo Wild Wings, more akin to Buffalo Chicken Wings sauce. The Beurre Blanc sauce was thick and a bit heavy, the consistency of tapioca, rather than a buttery white wine lemon sauce, that I imagine. In any event, it was a good prescient call.

Perhaps not a fair fight, but we couldn't help but keep comparing, and lamenting, the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut to the extraordinary and delicious Halibut Ippoglosso al Limone* - sautéed halibut with lemon white wine sauce, capers and sautéed spinach, Linda had at neighboring La Sorrella restaurant a couple weeks earlier. 

The Catch 35 (N) winelist is somewhat limited and uninspiring, which made the lack of our desired selection even more frustrating and challenging. The few desirable bottles that I would otherwise normally select, we've already had during past visits to the restaurant. (A week later, the on-line wine listing is still incorrect and out of date, offering the bottle that is no longer available, and showing an older vintage three years earlier than the one actually served for our back-up bottle). 

Hence, for our wine pairing selection, we chose the Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir - one of a broad selection of labels from this producer. 

Once served, despite their whole wall wine cooler, the wine was served at restaurant room temperature, much warmer than desired - most certainly stored in the wine wall, rather than the wine cooler. We prefer our wines served at cellar temperature at least (58F), and ideally, several degrees cooler, slightly above refridgerator temp. Our server provided us a stone wine cooler to help 'chill' our wine.  

Catch 35-N (dining room) wine wall

Catch 35-N wine cooler

Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2021 (not the 2018 as published and promoted)

Siduri is named for the Babylonian goddess of wine, homage to,and the result of the founders' Adam and Dianna Lee's mutual love of Pinot Noir, and a shared dream to make their own great wines. 

In pursuit of that dream Adam Lee and Dianna Novy left their native Texas and moved to the Sonoma County wine country and spent years working at small, family-owned wineries, using any and all free time learning everything they could about growing grapes and making wine.

Adam and Dianna founded Siduri Wines in 1994 starting with just four and a half barrels of Pinot Noir that first vintage. Today, production has grown to over 10,000 cases annually of Pinot Noir crafted by Winemaker, Matt Revelette. The portfolio offers over 20 single-vineyard and appellation expressions of Pinot Noir from West Coast vineyard sites stretching from Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills and Santa Lucia Highlands AVAs., to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, to Willamette Valley in Oregon. 

They source their grapes through long-term relationships with some of the West’s most sought-after growers and vineyards, and have arrangements to purchase the majority of their fruit by the acre rather than the ton.

Each Pinot Noir is crafted with the goal of reflecting the unique terroir of each particular vineyard. Siduri Wines and its sibling, Novy Family Wines have received the Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience "Critics Choice" recognition a combined seven times since 2004.

Winemaker notes - "Siduri explores two exceptional areas within Santa Barbara County that are exceptionally well-suited for growing Pinot Noir - Santa Maria Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. Pinot Noirs from the Santa Maria Valley provide "crunchy" fresh fruits that are laden with spice notes, while Pinot Noirs from the Sta. Rita Hills provide opulent red and black fruits that jump from the glass with tremendous energy. The marriage of these two distinctive growing areas provides a portrait of a beautiful place to grow cool-climate Pinot Noir. The 2021 vintage provided tremendous freshness and ample acidity - a vintage that will age beautifully.'

"Each vineyard section was vinified separately, with pumpovers being used on the Santa Maria Valley fruit and punch downs on the Sta. Rita Hills. The 2021 vintage provided tremendous freshness and ample acidity - a vintage that will age beautifully."

Garnet colored with a slight brownish hue, medium bodied, black plum, black cherry and black raspberry fruits are accented by notes of black tea, dusty rose, dried cranberry, spice, herbs and hints of anise on the dusty finish with medium acidity.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4468328

https://www.siduri.com/wines/2021-santa-barbara-county-pinot-noir

For our gratis dessert I had the Flourless Chocolate Lava Cake - Chocolate hazelnut center - crème anglaise - raspberry sauce -crushed hazelnuts. This begged for more tangible raspberry sauce.

And Linda had for a revenue dessert, the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake - Toffee pieces – Crumbled dates - butter caramel sauce. This was especially delectable.

Both were highlights of the meal.

https://catch35.com/

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Great selection of fine dining in Destin - Bijoux

Great selection of fine dining in Destin includes Bijoux Restaurant in Sandestin Miramar Beach

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. 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. 

We featured some other wine and dining experiences in recent posts from a trip to the area earlier this month - Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emerils Coastal.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/04/kistler-les-noisetiers-sonoma-coast.html

Bijoux Restaurant Destin/Miramar Beach

Bijoux is one of Destin’s top award-winning restaurants since 2002, offering “coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair.” Bijoux is a full service fine dining restaurant located in The Market Shops at the entrance of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach. Its open for dinner seven nights a week which is great since so many restaurants close one or two nights a week, most often on Mondays. They feature fresh Gulf seafood, prime steaks and an extensive award winning wine list.  

Bijoux has been selected Best of the Emerald Coast from 2009 through 2018 and the Best French Restaurant by Emerald Coast Magazine.

The restaurant is tucked away in the back behind another more prominent restaurant at the front, so its easy to miss if you're driving by. There is parking in the front or in the rear, beyond the resort security access entry gate. 

They offer a spectacular imaginative and well selected wine list with a wide range of favorites and several ultra-premium reserve selections, as well as numerous respectable modest budget selections. Its easy to offer great high priced wines. Its difficult to offer great wines at entry level or lower tier prices. Of course, most often I am focused on finding the best great values with high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) across price points. That is what readers of these pages most often ask about. Bijoux does a great job offering great wines and some good values at all price points. 

While most often I'm challenged to find a choice of more than a couple interesting and tempting offerings, Bijoux's wine list offered a dozen such labels. Their wines are priced at about or slightly above the customary 2x retail. Their wine list was awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence award over the last decade.

For a starter we had the imaginative and superbly prepared and presented Blackened Brie with Toasted Walnut Bread Pickled Grapes and Local Honey. It was fabulous.

 We also had the Roasted Beet Salad, Baby Arugula, Walnut Bread Croutons, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Whipped Goat Cheese, and Citrus Vinaigrette.

Linda had the Grouper Almandine Toasted Almonds, Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette, Creamy Herb Risotto.

For our wine selection we had one of our favorite labels, a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend that would be an ideal pairing with my steak as well as Linda's seafood. 

Spring Valley Vineyard “Uriah” Walla Walla 2015

I featured the Spring Valley Wines in detail in this detailed blogpost Spring Valley 2013 Blends - Uriah vs Frederick, and this particular label in a recent blogpost back in February - Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend 2015.

From that February posting - With a dinner of take-out of one of my favorite dishes from local eatery Gia Mia, their Meatballs al Forno, Veal Meatballs with Creamy Polenta and Roasted Tomato Sauce, and some artisan cheeses including Raclette cheese which was featured in our spectacular dinner the other night at 3-Michelin Star Alinea restaurant, that we were eager to try. 

For this favored meal combination, for a nice relaxed evening dinner together, I pulled from the cellar one of my favorite drinking Right Bank Bordeaux varietal blends from one of our favorite producers, Spring Valley Vineyards

We visited Spring Valley during our appellation visit to the Walla Walla (Washington) wine region in the fall of 2018. We visited the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, then ventured out to the vineyards and winery northeast of town. There, we met Dean Derby patriarch, and husband to Shari Corkrum Derby, grand-daughter of Uriah Corkrum, namesake for this label. Meeting Mr. Derby was one of the highlights of our Walla Walla Wine Experience, especially since he has since passed on. We posted a Tribute to Dean Derby and memorium of that visit - Spring Valley Vineyard toward the end of 2021. 

All of the Spring Valley wines are named for one of the ancestral or current family members. Spring Valley Vineyard wines are all produced from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington.

Washington State and regional powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased the winery and the brand from the Derby family recently, but they continue to own and operate the vineyards.

Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Red Blend 2015

The Spring Valley Vineyards adjacent to the
farmstead site
This label, Uriah, is named for the Spring Valley Vineyards founder Uriah Corkrum, grandfather of matriarch Shari Corkrum Derby. Born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866, he began successfully farming on his own during the 1880s. Unusual summer rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and, in 1897, acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley that is the site of the vineyards today. Uriah is featured on the flagship label Uriah Spring Valley Red Blend. This is our favorite label from the Spring Valley portfolio. 

This is 100% sourced from Spring Valley Vineyards in the wind-shaped Palouse Hills 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a southern hillside facing southwest. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields.

The 2015 vintage was one of the warmest growing seasons on record in Washington. Warm temperatures continued through the spring and summer, moderating slightly into fall and extending an early harvest. Overall, 2015 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing optimal ripening across varieties and yielding outstanding wines throughout the region.

This label, Uriah, is a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend, meaning it is predominantly Merlot based rather than Cabernet, complemented by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. This release has a high percentage of Cabernet Franc which provides spiciness and bright flavor sprites.

This 2015 release is a blend or Bordeaux varietals, 43% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 100% French oak, 40% new.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: “Our most terroir driven blend, mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A rich wine coming from one of the warmest harvests. The tannins are velvety and the finish is long and soft.”
~ Serge Laville, Winemaker.

This was rated 93 Points by Wine & Spirits, 92 Points by James Suckling, 91 Points by Wine Spectator, and 90 points by Sean Sullivan of Wine Advocate. 

We hold half dozen vintages of this label and pulled the oldest vintage as part of effective cellar management rotation. 

At eight years this is probably at its peak, the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve further with aging, but certainly to age gracefully for another decade if you're patient enough to keep it that long. 

Bright garnet colored, medium bodied, elegant polished, rich but approachable for pleasant but sophisticated drinking, its right-bank style blend shows vibrant black berry and dark plum fruits with notes of cassis, spice, floral and hints of balsamic and herbs with dusty minerality with polished soft tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2648699

Linked referenced in this blog:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/spring-valley-vineyards-tasting-and.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/spring-valley-vineyards-nina-syrah-2017.html

https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/02/magnificent-dinner-at-alinea-kitchen.html

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/04/kistler-les-noisetiers-sonoma-coast.html 

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Hudson Chardonnay at Oceana NYC

Hudson Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay at Oceana Restaurant in NYC

In New York with a few colleagues for team meetings and a conference, we dined at Oceana seafood restaurant just off Avenue of the America's opposite Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, not far from the Broadway theater district since 1992,

The highly acclaimed seafood restaurant is the flagship of the Livanos Family Restaurant Group. Founder John Livanos immigrated from Greece in 1957, began his career as a dishwasher, working for his uncle in Manhattan, purchased his first restaurant in 1960. Today, John and his children, Nick, Bill and Corina, own and manage several other well known restaurants, Oceana and Molyvos and Hudson West in New York City, as well as Moderne Barn in Armonk, NY, and City Limits in White Plains. 

Cooking alongside each other at Oceana since 2018, Michael Aungst and Tim Jocz share the role of Executive Chef. 

We all selected the same entree, the Seared Cod, romanesco with smoked leeks and bacon cream (shown right). As a starter, colleagues raved about the Seared Octopus tapenade with parsley root. 

From the winelist I selected a Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay from the famed Hudson Vineyards. 

Oceana has an extensive, deep 33 page wine list that offers 600 different selections from an inventory of over 15000 bottles with special strengths in California and French Burgundy.

The Wine Spectator awarded wine list has received their "Best of Award of Excellence: since 2012. Wine Enthusiast has named Oceana one of “America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants” from 2013-2015.

The Oceana wine list includes outstanding vintages of Bordeaux & Bourgogne, as well as a vast selection of Pinots and Cabernets from across the United States and the world. 

The world-class collection is displayed in the aptly named Wine Room, in a floor-to-ceiling glass cooler that can also provide a dramatic backdrop for private dining events for up to 18 guests.

Shown from the Oceana wine cellar glass wine wall are two of my bucket list absolute top wishlist wines, from the most select vintages, two of my favorite labels - #1 son's birthyear, 1982 Leoville Las Cases ($975), and, classic 2000 vintage Ducru-Beaucaillou ($550) - two of the highlight featured producers from our St Julien Bordeaux trip tours; and two legendary Mouton Rothschilds ($1200 & $1050). 

Needless to say, we selected a more modest, yet premium label Napa Carneros Chardonnay for our food wine pairing. Interesting and notably, they offered no less than three producers' labels sourced from the same vineyard, Kistler, Pahlmeyer, and our selection, the grower's proprietary label. 

Hudson Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2013 

Hudson Vineyards on the Hudson Ranch, produce premium grapes on two hundred acres of vineyards, in the Carneros District at the bottom of the mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys, where they come together, along the northern side of Carneros Highway that connects Napa and Sonoma. See map of vast Hudson Ranch Vineyards

The vines, planted back as early as 1981, source grapes that today are sold to as many as 27 wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties, some of which produce vineyard designated wines from specific vineyard sites that bear the ‘Hudson Vineyards’ designation on their labels. 

Proprietor Lee Hudson from Houston, Texas, after getting a degree in Horticulture at the University of Arizona, worked with the esteemed Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac, in Morey St. Denis, Burgundy; learning that great grapes from hallowed vineyard sites produce truly world class, fine wines. Lee returned to the States to study viticulture and enology at University of California at Davis, where many of his classmates are now his clients. Lee searched for property from Santa Barbara to Mendocino, before deciding on the Carneros property in Napa Valley, founding Hudson Vineyards in 1981.

Beyond supplying premium grapes to dozens of other Napa and Sonoma producers, Hudson Vineyards also produce their own estate wines from their grapes, crafted by winemaker Clayton Kirchhoff, who joined Hudson as a young Winemaker with 12 years of winery experience. This label vintage release from 2013 was produced by then winemaker Christopher Vandendriessche in collaboration with the legendary consultant winemaker John Kongsgaard, who also sources grapes for his famous ultra-premium labels from Hudson Vineyards.

This release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Wine Spectator.

This was a perfect complement to our seafood entrees. 

Butter colored, medium bodied, clean, crisp, nicely balanced and elegant, soft peach and honeysuckle fruits with hints of spice, citrus and green apple on a pleasant finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2177061

https://www.oceanarestaurant.com/

https://hudsonranch.com/

 

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Team Dinner at Italian Village Chicago

Team Dinner at Italian Village Chicago features Galatrona Toscana, Caprili Brunello di Montalcino and a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

My leadership team (engineering, development, operations and strategy) gathered in Chicago again as we continue to build out our strategic plan. Once again, we dined at Italian Village, Chicago, our regular dinesite due to its broad menu, extraordinary wine cellar list, proximity to the office and our hotels, and our long standing friendships with staff there. 

Being what is becoming a regular outing, as somewhat regulars there, tonight we had fun presenting to Gina Capitanini, third generation owner of the historic restaurant, a 'team picture' of this part of our group with wine director Jared Gelband and Garardo, one of the floor managers. Look for it/us on the walls of pictures of celebrities, notables, and some of us regulars.

Wine Director Jared Gelband, recently returned from his wine tour to Italy, pulled from the cellar a couple wines for our dinner, a Sangiovese and a extraordinary Tuscan Chianti Classico Merlot Bordeaux varietal, and a blend of the two. 

Prior to dinner we met to plan a special event dinner for an upcoming global team gathering and we had a glass of this classic unique premium label.

Vignamaggio Monna Lisa Gran Selezione Chianti Classico DOCG 2016

This producer estate, Vignamaggio, has been in operation since 1404. The estate sprawls over more than 400 hectares, with vineyards, vegetable and ornamental gardens and a historic winery. The state-of-the-art working farm has Chianti Classico vineyards, olive groves, thriving vegetable gardens and fruit trees, forests, and also raises animals.

This label is named in tribute to the daughter of the original owners of the estate, who became eternally famous after Leonardo da Vinci painted her portrait.

It carries the distinctive "Gran Selezione" designation and is only made in the best years. It is produced from select grapes from Vignamaggio top three, most prized vineyards – Prato, Solatio and Querceto. It is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged partially in French oak barriques for 18–20 months and partially in larger barrels. The entire ageing process takes a minimum of 30 months, of which at least six are in the bottle.

The Gran Selezione designation, established less than a decade ago, was created to allow Chianti producers to compete with Brunello Riservas and the best of Montalcino, with longer aging requirements and a high quality standard, showcasing and representing the best of Chianti.

The 2016 vintage release was one of the best ever  with both Vinous and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate scoring it as their favorite vintage ever, such that this is considered the best version of Monna Lisa yet.

Only five pallets of this superlative Gran Selezione made their way to the US, a tiny amount for a wine  with such a reputation as a can’t-miss for Tuscan lovers and collectors. Its not surprising that Italian Village with their extensive deep and broad cellar offer this on their winelist.  

This was awarded 94 points by Vinous.

Dark, bright ruby purple colored, somewhat translucent yet full-bodied, this is complex and concentrated, combining Sangiovese’s savory, red-fruit richness with the velvety softness of Merlot and powerful structure from a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, concentrated yet elegant with black and red cherry fruits, wine, allspice, notes of tobacco and leather turning to gripping but polished tannins on the long long finish. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3602213

https://vignamaggio.com/

Amazingly, after dozens of meals at Italian Village Chicago over as many years, tonight's meal was one of the best ever. I write often about the importance of pairing the right wine with food, or vice versa, which can have a multiplicative effect when done perfectly. 

Reading the Italian Village menu, I was drawn to the "House Specialty" designation of the Lasagna, with meat sauce, white cream sauce, Parmesan cheese, baked in Mozzarella cheese (shown right). Selecting this for my dinner this was the best Lasagna I have ever tasted, and was perfectly matched with the exceptional Galatrona Toscana. 

While opening, decanting and serving the Galatrona, Jared described the wine, the producer, and the profile and character of this aged vintage release. Listening to this, colleague Kevin changed his entree selection to the filet of beef steak with sauteed shrimp (shown left), topped with a sauteed garlic and olive oil sauce served over spinach, which proved to be another extraordinary pairing. 

A couple of the fellas had what is becoming another regular favorite, the Pheasant Agnolottini - pillow shaped pheasant-filled pasta in a butter sage sauce, sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

Of course, our dinners there are all about the pairing of the food with extraordinary, spectacular wines - taking advantage of the extraordinary Italian Village cellar and winelist selection!

Galatrona Petrolo Toscana 2001

Petrolo produces estate bottled terroir driven wines from vines of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, focusing on careful selection of grapes from low yields and artful winemaking.

Back in 1716 Cosimo III de Medici, the Great Duke of Tuscany, stated with an edict which areas had the most valuable production of fine wine and quality olive oil, recognizing 4 areas, Chianti center (between Panzano and Greve), Carmignano (west of Florence), Pomino (east of Florence) and the Val d’Arno di Sopra (the western and eastern hills along the Arno river between Florence and Arezzo, where Petrolo is located) .

A century later, in 1834, agronomist Giorgio Perrin, owner of Petrolo and member of the Accademia dei Gergofili of Florence, noted Sangiovese from this area, especially that spot called Campo Asciutto (now Bòggina), was commonly planted and blended with “French grapes” in Chianti to combine with Sangiovese. 

The Estate was acquired in the 40’s by the family Bazzocchi that followed up the tradition of carefully producing high quality wines. Petrolo’s vineyards extend across 75 acres in the DOC Val d’ Arno di Sopra appellation, bordering the south eastern area of Chianti Classico. The vineyards are found at an altitude between 250 and 450 meters elevation consisting of loose-packed soil with different mixture of rocks like marl, sandstone and shale typical of the Chianti area.

The Galatrona vineyard consists of 7 1/2 acres, planted in 1990, the first Merlot vineyard that Petrolo planted. This label, Galatrona has been produced from this vineyard since it’s very first bottling in 1994, composed of 100% Merlot.

The Feriale vineyard, added another 12 acres to the Galatrona vineyard, when it was planted in the 90’s, almost entirely of Merlot plants, with a few vines planted to Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, intended for the production of Galatrona. The peculiar soil, rich in clay in combination with schist, marl and sandstones, allows the concentration of all the noble components of the grapes, fundamental for the great structure, elegance, balance and persistence wanted for this wine.

Petrolo’s wines are crafted to achieve the greatest quality that also best represent the terroir of the historic Estate. Galatrona wines were ranked among the ten best merlot in the world according to Wine-Searcher.com in November 2018. 

Galatrona is the “Gran-Cru” of Merlot of Petrolo, only made with the finest select grapes from the vineyard of the same name.  

This label was awarded 96 points and a Collectible by Wine Spectator,  and 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate who said: "The 2001 Galatrona confirms its status as one of Tuscany’s better Merlot bottlings." Production has grown from 850 cases in the early years to 2500 cases in recent year. 

At twenty years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking window, showing no signs of diminution whatsoever, with perfect cork, but not likely to improve any further from aging. Look at the difference in the color of the residue on the corks between the two bottles of our flight - the Sangiovese (ruby) and the Merlot (dark garnet).

Opened and decanted for an hour, dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a symphony of elegant flavors, soft, silky, polished, dense blackberry and notes of black cherry and plum fruits with tones of mineral, spice, tobacco and leather with smooth polished fine grained tannins on a long seductive finish. 

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=97792

https://www.petrolo.it/

 Caprili Brunello di Montalcina 2016

The estate was founded by Alfo Bartolommei in 1965. The Bartolommei family settled in the Municipality of Montalcino at the beginning of the last century.  The family originated from Podere Marzolo in the Municipality of Cinigiano (Province of Grosseto).

In 1911, the family moved to Podere Poggi, moving several times from one country home to another on the Villa Santa Restituta estate until they finally arrived at the Caprili farm home in 1952 which they took over and continued to work the land by sharecropping.  

In 1965, the Bartolommei family decided to buy the property from the Castelli-Martinozzi family, owners of Villa Santa Restituta estate.  In the same year, 1965, they planted the first vineyard, still called “Madre” to this day, where the clones for the new vineyards planted on the estate are selected.

The first bottle of Brunello di Montalcino was the 1978 harvest and was put on the market in 1983.

A great representation of Sangiovese at its best from a spectacular vintage, this 2016 release was awarded 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectato, and 94 points by James Suckling and Vinous.  45,000 bottles were produced. 
 
Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant tangy slightly tart cherry and ripe plum fruits with floral, dusty rose, cedar and hints of mint and camphor with tones of leather, and smoky creosote on a zesty acidic found tannin laced finish. 
 
RM 91 points.