Italian Village appoints Jared Gelband Wine Director

Italian Village appoints Jared Gelband Wine Director ... to restore cellar to historic eminence ...

The historic Italian Village restaurant, a Chicago landmark since 1927 has appointed Jared Gelband as its new Wine Director. Jared has worked the Chicago fine dining and wine scene for more than a dozen years for such well known establishments as Chicago Prime, Del Frisco's and others.

The Italian Village wine cellar holds a Best of Excellence Award from Wine Spectator Magazine, one of the most esteemed benchmarks in the restaurant market, with over thirty thousand bottles of more than a thousand different wine selections.

Italian Village actually consists of three different restaurants in one site and the wine cellar serves all three restaurants at its location at 71 West Monroe opposite the Chase Bank Tower plaza in the center of loop.

The three restaurants each have their own chef, kitchen and waitstaff. Italian Village continues to be operated by the founding Capitanini family, who today are represented by the second and third generation descendants of the founder Alfredo Capitanini and is the oldest continuously operating Italian restaurant in Chicago.  The three dining rooms that make up Italian Village represent three different cuisines and dining experiences - the flagship Italian Village with its classic traditional Northern Italian cuisine within the quaint atmosphere of an Italian village. The trendy chic Vivere showcases a start-to-finish approach to everything on the menu, from house- and hand-made pasta in a modern Chicago landmark contemporary dining room designed by Jordan Moser, full of unique shapes and angles in a stylish feel ideally suited for the forward-thinking haute cuisine, while La Cantina, features the classic menu, hospitable ambience and service at The Village.

Jared, a native of suburban Chicago sees this as a break through opportunity to build on the solid foundation of the wine program, and to restore it to its earlier eminence when it held the highest Grand Award. He intends to capitalize on the extensive inventory investment in Italian, Bordeaux and selective American wines, expand its global coverage, modernize the operations, and adopt social media and other promotions to showcase the world class selection, great values, and rare wines, all complementing great authentic food in a setting for all occasions.

Jared loves life in the cellar which serves as his office where he spends his days researching new wines, managing the inventory, and updating the extensive wine list to pair wines to showcase the cuisine and menu's of each of the three restaurants while offering wines for all tastes and budgets.

Dining hours and evenings are then devoted to promotion, serving as Sommelier and assisting the dining and bar staff in the property's three restaurants. While each restaurant boasts in own kitchen, chef and waitstaff, the cellar serves all three dining operations.

On this day, we were meeting Todd Alexander, Winemaker from Force Majeure Vineyard and Winery in Red Mountain, Yakima/Columbia Valley Washington. Visiting Chicago with his wife Carrie, Marketing Director for Force Majeure on a promotion tour, we met at Italian Village to bring together two emerging voices and forces in wine and fine dining to share offerings, visions, plans, and to explore synergies and opportunities for collaboration.

Jared gave all of us a tour of the Italian Village cellar and uncovered and showcased from its extensive thirty thousand bottle collection of deep selections in classic Italian's, rare Bordeaux, as well as several premier wine's from Todd's previous endeavors such as Bryant Family wines in Napa Valley.

Watch for upcoming wine and dine tasting journal reports on Italian Village.

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

Jared with Force Majeure winemaker
Todd Alexander

Showing wine treasure vintage Chateau Petrus.

Todd Alexander and Bryant Family selection
from Italian Village cellar.

A day at the office for Jared Gelband, in Italian Village
cellar with Todd and Carrie Alexander and author.

Italian Village appoints Jared Gelband Wine Director

Italian Village appoints Jared Gelband Wine Director ... to restore cellar to historic eminence ...

The historic Italian Village restaurant, a Chicago landmark since 1927 has appointed Jared Gelband as its new Wine Director. Jared has worked the Chicago fine dining and wine scene for more than a dozen years for such well known establishments as Chicago Prime, Del Frisco's and others.

The Italian Village wine cellar holds a Best of Excellence Award from Wine Spectator Magazine, one of the most esteemed benchmarks in the restaurant market, with over thirty thousand bottles of more than a thousand different wine selections.

Italian Village actually consists of three different restaurants in one site and the wine cellar serves all three restaurants at its location at 71 West Monroe opposite the Chase Bank Tower plaza in the center of loop.

The three restaurants each have their own chef, kitchen and waitstaff. Italian Village continues to be operated by the founding Capitanini family, who today are represented by the second and third generation descendants of the founder Alfredo Capitanini and is the oldest continuously operating Italian restaurant in Chicago.  The three dining rooms that make up Italian Village represent three different cuisines and dining experiences - the flagship Italian Village with its classic traditional Northern Italian cuisine within the quaint atmosphere of an Italian village. The trendy chic Vivere showcases a start-to-finish approach to everything on the menu, from house- and hand-made pasta in a modern Chicago landmark contemporary dining room designed by Jordan Moser, full of unique shapes and angles in a stylish feel ideally suited for the forward-thinking haute cuisine, while La Cantina, features the classic menu, hospitable ambience and service at The Village.

Jared, a native of suburban Chicago sees this as a break through opportunity to build on the solid foundation of the wine program, and to restore it to its earlier eminence when it held the highest Grand Award. He intends to capitalize on the extensive inventory investment in Italian, Bordeaux and selective American wines, expand its global coverage, modernize the operations, and adopt social media and other promotions to showcase the world class selection, great values, and rare wines, all complementing great authentic food in a setting for all occasions.

Jared loves life in the cellar which serves as his office where he spends his days researching new wines, managing the inventory, and updating the extensive wine list to pair wines to showcase the cuisine and menu's of each of the three restaurants while offering wines for all tastes and budgets.

Dining hours and evenings are then devoted to promotion, serving as Sommelier and assisting the dining and bar staff in the property's three restaurants. While each restaurant boasts in own kitchen, chef and waitstaff, the cellar serves all three dining operations.

See the updated Wine Cellar feature on the updated Italian Village website.

On this day, we were meeting Todd Alexander, Winemaker from Force Majeure Vineyard and Winery in Red Mountain, Yakima/Columbia Valley Washington. Visiting Chicago with his wife Carrie, Marketing Director for Force Majeure on a promotion tour, we met at Italian Village to bring together two emerging voices and forces in wine and fine dining to share offerings, visions, plans, and to explore synergies and opportunities for collaboration.

Jared gave all of us a tour of the Italian Village cellar and uncovered and showcased from its extensive thirty thousand bottle collection of deep selections in classic Italian's, rare Bordeaux, as well as several premier wine's from Todd's previous endeavors such as Bryant Family wines in Napa Valley.

Watch for upcoming wine and dine tasting journal reports on Italian Village.

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

Jared with Force Majeure winemaker
Todd Alexander

Showing wine treasure vintage Chateau Petrus.

Todd Alexander and Bryant Family selection
from Italian Village cellar.

A day at the office for Jared Gelband, in Italian Village
cellar with Todd and Carrie Alexander and author.

Sassicaia Owner Dinner and Vivere Vertical Tasting

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Owner Dinner and Vertical Tasting at Italian Village Vivere

Special wine dinner featuring a flight of eight vintages of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia paired with a tasting accompaniment four course dinner - hosted by Italian Village Chicago and Wine Director Jared Gelband and featuring producer co-owner Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta.

Background - The Story

In the 1920s the Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta dreamt of creating a ‘thoroughbred’ wine and for him, as for all the aristocracy of the time, the ideal was Bordeaux. This is how he described it in a letter to the esteemed wine critic, Luigi Veronelli dated 11 June 1974: “…the origins of my experiment date back to the years between 1921 and 1925 when, as a student in Pisa and often a guest of the Salviati Dukes in Migliarino, I drank a wine produced from one of their vineyards…which had the same unmistakable “bouquet” as an aged Bordeaux….”

In the 1940s, having settled with his wife Clarice on the Tenuta San Guido on the Tyrrhenian coast, he experimented with several French grape varieties (whose cuttings he had recovered from the estate of the Dukes Salviati in Migliarino) and concluded that the Cabernet had "the bouquet I was looking for."

A wine made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon was a fundamental change to the Tuscan and Piedmont tradition of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, respectively. The innovative decision to plant this variety at Tenuta San Guido was partly due to the similarity Mario Incisa had noted between Tuscan terrain and that of the Graves area in Bordeaux.

‘Graves’, or ‘gravel’ in French refers to the rocky terrain which distinguishes the Bordeaux area; similarly, the gravely vineyard sites in Tuscany impart the same characteristics on Sassicaia, "stony ground", as its cherished French brother.

The Marchese's first vintages were not warmly received. Critics accustomed to light, local wines were not encouraging; it was not taken into consideration that wines made from the more complex Cabernet Sauvignon grape would need more time to mature and develop. And thus from 1948 to 1967, Sassicaia remained a strictly private affair, only to be consumed at Tenuta San Guido.

Each year, a few cases were stored to age in the Castiglioncello di Bolgheri cellar. The Marchese soon realized that by ageing the wine it improved considerably.

Friends and relatives now urged Mario Incisa to experiment further with his project and perfect his revolutionary winemaking style. It was not until 1968 that Sassicaia was first commercially released – the welcome was worthy of a Bordeaux Premier Cru.

Over the next few years, the cellar was moved to a temperature controlled location, steel fermentation vats replaced wooden vats, and French barriques were introduced to the aging process.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, Sassicaia has been produced in the style of a Left Bank Bordeaux Premier Cru - 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc.

On this night, Italian Village in Chicago hosted co-owner of Tenuta San Guido co-owner Pricilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A special menu course was prepared to complement a flight of eight vintages of Sassicaia, served from the cellars of Italian Village by Wine Director and co-host Jared Gelband and the Vivere Restaurant staff.

The dinner was featured in a Forbes.com article submitted by wine write Tom Hyland and included a picture of Ernie seated next to Priscilla. 

 In attendance were the 'Pour Boys', our wine group, below, above, Dr Dan, Vivere manager Gerardo Castillo, Rick, and Vivere wine director Jared Gelband.

 

Priscilla spoke of the history and heritage of Tenuta San Guido, then introduced each course with an exposition of the vintages and the releases.

 
Prior to the courses we were served Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana 2017- a Bordeaux varietal comprised of Merlot.

With the dinner courses we started with Sassicaia 1998 and 1999, two contrasting vintages - a warm year and a moderate year - served alongside chanterelle mushroom plate - a perfect food wine pairing!

Antipasta 

Portabella Mushroom Guanciale

White Polenta Mascarpone and Tomini

Next was an incredible lamb ragu in bolognese sauce with pasta served with Sassicaia 2000 and 2001. This was another incredible food wine pairing experience - perfectly matched complementary tasting profiles.

Primi

Braised Lamb Shoulder Ragu - Saffron Tagliorini
Charred Tomatoes - Shallots - Parmesan Regiano

This was followed by ribeye steak in a rich red wine reduction sauce served with Sassicaia 2004 and 2005, another contrast in two disparate vintages - a warm and a moderate year.

Secondi

Rib Eye Fiorentina - Salsa Verde

Purple Peruvian Potato Puree - Guidalberto Jus

Finally, Italian Pecorina cheese with toast points served with young brash, bright, brilliant Sassicaia 2015 and 2016.

Formaggi

Pecorino Capriano

Fig Jam - Crostini

Italian Village - Chicago Vivere Restaurant - http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

Joseph Phelps Private Tasting

Joseph Phelps Private Tasting

Fellow Pour Boy (our wine group), Dan, is a long time wine club member and procurer of Joseph Phelps wines. He has an extensive vertical collection of Phelp’s wines including their flagship Insignia and ultra-premium Backus labels spanning more than a decade. 

Dan has sponsored and hosted visits to the magnificent Phelps estate vineyards and winery in Napa Valley for our wine group including this fabulous tasting as part of our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2017 - .Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Winery Tasting.

Dan has brought or served Phelps ultra-premium selections to many of our Pour Boys group wine tastings as well as serving them at his daughter’ Hillary’s wedding. 

So it was that when Joseph Phelps considered Chicagoland members of their club for private tastings, Dan was chosen to host such an event. 

Our Pour Boys wine group was represented by Dan, me, Lyle, and Bill who came in from Charleston, via Napa Valley, SFO and Lake Tahoe, for the occasion. 

We were joined by long time dear friend, Jared Gelband, Wine Director of Italian Village Chicago, where and with whom we often frequent for special tastings, wine dinners, work team and family dinners  - as featured often in these pages - 

Italian Village appoints Jared Gelband Wine Director

Team Dinner at Italian Village Chicago

Merry Christmas - Frozen and gala family wine dinner

Sassicaia Owner Dinner and Vivere Vertical Tasting

The guests included Dan’s and my Linda’s as part of the group of Linda’s in attendance.

Dan put out a broad selection to hors d’ovres, charcuteries including special sausages, cheeses and small bytes for the tasting. 

The Joe Phelps estates today consist of eleven different vineyards in the acclaimed AVAs across Napa Valley and the western Sonoma Coast. Today’s flight featured wines from the Sonoma Coast and premiere Napa Valley sites. 

Joseph Phelps wine ambassador Christine came to Chicago and curated a special tasting of Phelps wines at Dan’s residence in northwest Indiana. 

The Phelps wine flight consisted of their Ovation sparkling wine, Freestone Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the Phelps line-up of premium and ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. 

The wine flight:

Phelps Ovation Sparkling Wine 2018

Phelps Freestone Sonoma Coast Pastorale Vineyard Chardonnay 2024

Phelps West Sonoma Coast Quarter Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 

Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Phelps Backus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 

The Ovation sparkling wine, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are sourced from Phelps estate vineyards on the western Sonoma Coastal area near the town of their namesake, Freestone. Freestone's wines are defined by two distinct estate vineyards: Pastorale and Quarter Moon. Each site, nestled on the fog-swept, rugged edge of the Sonoma Coast, possesses a unique terroir that imparts singular characteristics. The vineyards benefit from persistent coastal fog, sculpting winds, and soils shaped by ancient marine sediments, creating a micro-climate unlike any other.

These are limited release wines allocated for availability through the Phelps wine club. 

Phelps Ovation Brut Sparkling Wine 2018

In 2015, Phelps produced the winery’s first sparkling wine called Ovation, to honor the extraordinary life of Joe Phelps. It was comprised of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Pastorale Vineyards. 

Joseph Phelps notes -  “Ovation – Freestone Vineyards” sparkling wine is produced from estate fruit grown at the Freestone Ranch on the far Sonoma Coast, a region known for its cool climate and coastal fog. Joseph Phelps Vineyards began developing the Freestone property in the late 1990s, marking a major expansion from their original Napa Valley roots. “Ovation” reflects the winery’s commitment to crafting méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine with long lees aging and meticulous vineyard sourcing.”

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Ovation Brut is a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine from the Sonoma Coast's Freestone Estate vineyards, primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, known for its fine bubbles, bright acidity, and complex notes of citrus, stone fruit, brioche, and toasted nuts. It's crafted with long lees aging, resulting in a creamy texture and elegant structure that develops with bottle age, showcasing the cool-climate terroir. 

Ovation is typically a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (e.g., 80/20 or 78/22). 

“The winery’s third vintage of Ovation Sparkling Wine is overflowing with aromatic green apple, citrus zest, stone fruit and toasted brioche with hints of citrus blossom. A wine of focused textural refinement with creamy layers of white peach, white raspberry, vanilla sponge cake and a pleasing saline character.” 

The 2018 has firm acid structure and tension with additional flavor benefits following cellar aging.

The winery’s third vintage of Ovation Sparkling Wine is overflowing with aromatic green apple, citrus zest, stone fruit and toasted brioche with hints of citrus blossom. A wine of focused textural refinement with creamy layers of white peach, white raspberry, vanilla sponge cake and a pleasing saline character.

Straw colored, medium bodied, “The winery’s third vintage of Ovation Sparkling Wine is overflowing with aromatic green apple, citrus zest, stone fruit and toasted brioche with hints of citrus blossom. A wine of focused textural refinement with creamy layers of white peach, white raspberry, vanilla sponge cake and a pleasing saline character.” 

Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Pastorale and Quarter Moon Vineyards

Phelps Freestone Western Sonoma Coast Pastorale Vineyard Chardonnay 2024

Phelps acquired properties in western Sonoma County in Freestone in 1999 where they planted vineyards and built a winemaking facility. The area traditionally known for cattle, pasture and forest land, has ideal conditions for growing ultra-premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. Just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean, the micro-climate is regularly shrouded in a marine layer of fog that lingers into the early afternoon on most summer days, surrendering to afternoon sunshine. The area’s Goldridge soils are ideal for growing quality grape varietals. 

Phelps planted the Pastorale Vineyard on what was a former dairy farm, to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in 2000. A year later, they planted the Quarter Moon Vineyard down the road entirely to Pinot Noir in 2001. 

This Chardonnay is a blend assembled from four blocks within the Pastorale Vineyard in Freestone on the western Sonoma Coast. The Chardonnay blocks include clone 2A, Mt. Eden, Hyde Old Wente, Montrachet, Maro, and Old and New Calera. 

It is 100% Chardonnay from the Pastorale Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA, from Clone selection includes Mt Eden, 2A, 76, Old Calera, New Calera, Maro Barrel Aging: The wine was aged for fifteen months in 58% new French Oak and 42% used French oak puncheons before bottling

Winemaker’s notes - “This Chardonnay from Pastorale Vineyard opens with bright, perfumed aromas of lemon citrus, white flowers, and a hint of lemon custard that suggests subtle richness.”

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/5711801

Phelps West Sonoma Coast Quarter Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023  

This 2023 release is 100% Pinot Noir from the Quarter Moon Vineyard in the West Sonoma Coast AVA comprised of  Clone Selections: 459, 777, 828, Calera, and Pommard, 115. It was barrel aged for thirteen months in 52% new French Oak and 48% one-to-three year-old French oak barrels before bottling.

Winemaker’s notes - “This 2023 Quarter Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir is considerably savory, showcasing the darker, more structured side of the appellation. Black cherry and blackberry provide depth and concentration, while cranberry and pomegranate bring vibrant acidity. Sage and dried Mediterranean herbs create a complex profile that balances fruit and herbal elements. Elevated acidity and firm tannins give the wine a structured backbone that calls for food pairing.” 

Insignia, Cabernet Sauvignon from Backus Vineyard

While not part of the tasting, we were introduced to and able to order this limited release Napa Syrah. We’re eager to receive and try this Syrah from this iconic vineyard. 

Syrah from Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard

Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Pastorale and Quarter Moon Vineyards

Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 

The Joseph Phelps 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is dominated by fruit from Yountville and Suscol; only 21% of the blend is from growers, as there's a push toward estate fruit. As always, there's some American oak in the mix, but that proportion is evolving downward. 

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot. 

The wine was aged for sixteen months in 48% new oak (50% French, 50% American) and 52% used French and American oak barrels before bottling 

This release was rated 94 points by James Suckling, 92 by Vinous, 91 by Jeb Dunnuck and 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Winemaker’s notes - “Our Cabernet Sauvignon opens with an enticing bouquet of black and red fruits - juicy black cherry intertwined with fresh pomegranate and bright cassis. Notes of cedar spice and toasted coconut add intrigue and sophistication to the aromatic profile. On the palate, layers of raspberry compote and dried wild berries unfold across a full-bodied frame. The wine shows impressive density while maintaining elegance, supported by well integrated tannins that provide structure without overwhelming. This is a wine of both power and finesse.”

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4877025

Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

In 1974, the idea to blend the finest wine lots of the vintage into one bottling was revolutionary in America and in the Napa Valley. A true visionary, Joe Phelps was one of the first American winemakers to see the merit in blending, proving his conviction when he debuted “Insignia” in 1974. According to Robert Parker, “Insignia remains one of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends.”

Phelps created “‘Insignia”, to signify a wine of excellence and superior quality, the ‘distinguishing mark’ allowed the wine to freely adapt to the varying combination of varietals from vintage to vintage. Insignia would quickly become the seminal wine of Joseph Phelps’ legacy.”

Insignia is sourced from up to eight Napa Valley estate vineyards planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc planted on select sites.

The 2022 release is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc. 

It is 100% estate grown from Phelps vineyards:

28% Yountville Vineyars in the Oak Knoll District

27% Banca Dorada Vineyards in Rutherford

19% Las Rocas Vineyard in the Stag’s Leap District

11% Home Ranch Vineyard in ST. Helena

9% Suscol Vineyard in South Napa Valley, and 

6% Barboza Vineyard in the Stag’s Leap District

It was aged 24 Months in 100% New French Oak 

It was rated 96-98 Points by Jeb Dunnuck.

Winemaker notes - “The 2021 Insignia captivates the senses with vibrant aromas of black cherry, hibiscus, and wild blackberry, subtly accented by fresh earth and a hint of Tahitian vanilla. On the palate, these dark fruit characteristics are harmonized with warm tones of redwood bark and baking spices. Plush, soft tannins and bright acidity enhance the length, complementing the rich fruit and savory undertones. A compelling tension infuses the wine with focused energy, promising it will express beautifully for years to come.”

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4617350

Phelps Backus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 

Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard is a highly-coveted, single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville, Napa Valley, known for its power, structure, and aging potential, often compared to Bordeaux wines. It's made from grapes grown on a specific hillside, aged in 100% new French oak, and features intense flavors of dark fruit, spice, and earth, with a muscular, long finish. It is distinct from Phelps's multi-vineyard Insignia blend, as Backus is released in limited quantities and designed for long-term cellaring. Considered a wine that requires significant bottle age (often a decade or more) and can last for decades. 

This single vineyard designated label is 100% from the Phelps estate Backus Vineyard, a 21-acre site on the eastern slopes of Oakville, Napa Valley in the Oakville AVA.  

It is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Malbec and 7% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged for twenty-four months in 100% new French oak barrels before bottling.

From Oakville’s Backus Vineyard, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers plush notes of blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry compote, accented by cedarwood, warm clove, and a savory hint of black olive. Iron-tinged minerality adds firmness and depth to the profile. Plush yet structured, the palate finishes with mocha, black tea, and refined tannins that promise graceful aging for years to come.

Backus is a Phelps Preferred exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon. You must be an active Member and login to your account to access this rare wine.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4877026

https://www.josephphelps.com/

Thanksgiving feast and wine flight

Thanksgiving feast and wine flight

We gathered for customary Thanksgiving dinner feast with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, cranberry salad and fresh baked crescent dinner roles. We served an accompanying wine flight.

From the cellar I pulled a classic Champagne, then a white Bordeaux blend, a California Zinfandel, then friend Jared stopped by and opened a Barbaresco Nebbiolo. Jared Gelband is wine director at the legendary Italian Village restaurant. When he stops by, we can often count on him to bring an interesting label to share and compare.

Bertrand Senecourt Beau Joie Special Cuvee 'Sugar King' Demi-Sec NV Champagne

A blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, & 20% Pinot Meunier for the sweetest of champagnes.

This Beau Joie Champagne is distinctive in it's packaging with the bottle 'wrapped' in a basket-like shroud of 100% copper — Triple Black Limited-Edition Bottle. The 'Suit of Armor' is inspired by the Armor worn by the knights that protected the Kingdom.

From their website:

The copper scrap in transformed into artwork – In order to avoid the unnecessary waste of valuable copper, Beau's encasing is uniquely created from 100% second-generation copper scrap and turned into a functional piece of artwork.

Functionality – Beau's innovation-driven, functional design was specifically designed for the hospitality industry. No one knows more about serving the finest products and creating an experience than the industry itself.

Beau’s suit of armor keeps the champagne colder longer, reducing the amount of energy required to bring the bottle to serving temperature and eliminating the need for ice bucket storage during consumption. It also provides improved grip when opening and serving, while the bottle’s rubber punt ensures enhanced stability when pouring.

The bottle’s patented design also allows for decorative enhancements such as flowers or plumes to complement the distinct design aesthetic of individual venues.

Light golden straw colored, light, refreshing, clean, crisp, flavorful, nicely integrated and balanced fruits. Delicious.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=1762719

http://www.beaujoiechampagne.com/

Château Picque Caillou Blanc, Pessac Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux 2011

We recently pulled from the cellar this white Bordeaux and took it BYOB to local seafood eatery Chinn's 34th Street Fishery in Lisle (IL). As I wrote that night, we hold a half dozen bottles of this White Bordeaux Blanc, too oft overlooked in the cellar, passed over for something more exiting as we're Red Bordeaux drinkers. That night, we pulled this to try and actually brought a back-up wine in case it wasn't up to the call. The gals liked it a lot.

This was a nice accompaniment to turkey, dressing and the potatoes and veggies.

Golden colored with slight brownish hues, nose of citrus and stone, notes of mineral melon with a layer of slightly grassy undertones, yet pleasant with nice balance and acidity. A nice match for the seafood entrees.
Time to drink.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1372699

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/chinns-34th-street-fishery.html

Carlisle Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014

They say Zinfandel is ideal with turkey, the balanced forward full bodied fruit goes well with the dry white meat. It sounds awkward when it is also ideal for BBQ, but it seems to be so. This zinfandel is supplemented with 11% Petite Sirah.

This wine was highly rated getting 92-94 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous, 93 points from Wine Spectator, and 92 points from Wine Enthusiast. I don't necessarily share their enthusiasm although it was tasty, easy drinking and a nice compliment to our holiday dinner. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright, expressive forward complex black berry and black raspberry fruits, notes of anise, pepper, hints of vanilla and oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2291450


Friend and wine buddy Jared stopped by and brought this Barbaresco Nebbiolo to share. Readers of this blog will know Jared Gelband as the Wine Director at Italian Village, whom we visit often for wine dinners.

Pertinace (Cantina Vignaioli) Barbaresco Vigneto Marcarini Nebbiolo 2013

This producer Cantina Pertinace is a winegrowers' cooperative which identifies with its territory, the region and DOCG appellation of Barbaresco. The label is named after a great historic local personality, Elvio Pertinace, who was born in Alba, in the hamlet in which the winery is located.

 The winery is located in Pertinace in Treiso, Piedmont, one of the four villages in the Langhe famous for the production of Barbaresco DOCG. The coop and Vignaioli winery was founded in 1973 and is comprised of thirteen members. They all shared a tie with the Langhe hills and the same objective, to build a business and brand based on the best wines possible, produced from the Nebbiolo grape from Barbaresco.

The started to bottle their wine the late 70's, expanded their facilities in the 80's, upgrading to the latest state-of-the-art technologies, and added their own bottling in 1990.

Today, the coop consists of fifteen members including the original historic founders, the winery producing 700.000 kg of grapes, totaling around 450 thousand bottles in the name of Barbaresco. Their distribution now reaches globally with presence in the United States, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Poland, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The wine, 100% Nebbiolo spends 18 months in Slavonian oak casks.

Bright Ruby red color, medium-full bodied, bright black cherry and red berry fruits with notes of plum, prune and black tea with hints of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon with round velvety tannins on a fruit filled finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2456929

https://www.pertinace.com/en/