Louisiana Lagniappe Destin for spectacular fresh seafood

Louisiana Lagniappe Destin for spectacular fresh seafood

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can't wait to return! Get there early. 

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

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

Pour Boys Coq-Au-Vin and wine dinner

Pour Boys Coq-Au-Vin and wine dinner features medley of premium Chardonnays

Passing through Northern Indiana, we stopped to dine with fellow Pour Boy, Dr Dan. His Linda prepared a new recipe for Coq-Au-Vin so he pulled from his cellar, and we brought from our's, several wines to accompany dinner. 

As is our custom, prior to dinner they served a selection of artisan cheeses, fresh fruits, assorted nuts, and fresh shrimp.  

Dan pulled from his cellar a duo of Gary Farrell premium single vineyard designated Chardonnay's from the Sonoma County Russian River Valley. Dan acquired these labels as part of his wine club allocation shipments. 

He joined the Farrell club during our visit to the Gary Farrell estate and winery in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County during or Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017.

To complement, pair and compare the dinner and wines I brought from our cellar this premium label bold Napa Valley Chardonnay from Moone Tsai.

 We opened and tasted the Chardonnays in order by vintage year, oldest to the youngest, of the three sequential vintages.  

An interesting pairing comparison of three different Chardonnays, only by tasting them side by side like this can one truly appreciate and assess comparing their nuances, character and profile. 

There was unanimous agreement on rating and ranking the three wines. Everyone selected the Rochioli Vineyard as their favorite, followed by the Moone Tsai, and then the Farrell Sonoma County.

Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay 2015

Gary Farrell was a pioneer of winemaking in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. He produced his first vintage in 1982, before the Russian River AVA even existed. He crafted that first Pinot Noir from fruit grown in the now-legendary Rochioli Vineyard. 

Over the years, Gary Farrell become somewhat of a legend producing a portfolio of varietal, single vineyard designated wines produced from only the best vineyards that showcase the unique terroir from the Russian River Valley and across Sonoma County.

Gary Farrell never owned a vineyard but produced consistently exceptional wines from that first vintage in 1982 by partnering based on handshake deals with the region's pioneer growers like the Rochioli, Dutton, Ramey, Allen and Hallberg families, whose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards represented the best of the time and place. Since then, the winery has produced critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in collaboration with the most esteemed growers in the Russian River Valley and throughout California’s greatest wine regions.

The nearly 40 different vineyards extend beyond the Russian River Valley and include grapes from as far north as the Fort Ross-Seaview Vineyard along the Sonoma coast to the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard in Santa Barbara County.

Theresa Heredia is the winemaker for Garry Farrell. Theresa found her passion for wine through biochemistry, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She became a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry/enology at UC Davis before leaving the program to pursue winemaking. At Freestone Winery in Sebastopol, she gained acclaim for her small-lot, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before arriving at Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. Aside from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Theresa has also crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and a Rosé of Pinot Noir.

Farrell sold his winery in 2004, but his name and reputation for producing outstanding wines continues under the leadership of Theresa.

We visited the winery’s beautiful estate and hospitality center that lies just west of Healdsburg, (CA), perched on a hilltop overlooking the Russian River Valley during our Napa / Sonoma Wine Experience in 2017. The inviting indoor space offers stunning views of the valley with floor to ceiling windows, and there’s an expansive terrace so guests can enjoy the wines alfresco. The walls are adorned with a collection of colorful artwork.

Tonight, our favorite of the three Chardonnay labels tasted was the Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay. Rochioli Vineyard was originally purchased in 1938 by Joe Rochioli, Sr. The quest of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the fertile, gravelly soils was continued by Joe Jr. after his father’s passing in 1966. This label is the result of the collaboration between Gary Farrell Winery and the Rochioli Vineyard that has been in effect for more than 30 years. It is a foundation of the Farrel portfolio of  Russian River Valley wines.

 

Most of the Chardonnay blocks are located at the far eastern edge of the estate, sitting along and above the meandering Russian River. The majority of this blend comes from the River Block clone 5, planted in 1989. The balance comes from the Mid-40s Block, a field selection planted in 1993, and Allen Block 1, clone 15, planted in 1995. 

 

Winemaker Notes: This beautiful offering from the famed Rochioli Vineyard emanates aromas of lemon oil, honeysuckle, and dried herbs, with underlying layers of flintiness and fresh cut cedar. The sandy, gravelly riverside soils, warm sunny days and morning fog yield an intensity and concentration that is unique to the Rochioli fruit. The palate offers richness that is classic Russian River Valley, yet possesses energy and vibrancy typical of our house style - ripe golden fruit, lime zest, nectarine and lemongrass, balanced by zesty spice, tangy acidity and just the right amount of phenolic structure. Altogether, these features meld together to form a wine that is enjoyable today, but also suggest increasing complexity and elegance with age.

This label was awarded 95 points by Wine Enthusiast, and  92 points by Wine & Spirits. It was #1 of the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 of 2017.

The favorite of the three, golden colored, full bodied, rich, round, concentrated, elegant and balanced, bright vibrant apple and hints of peach fruits with notes of floral, citrus and stone fruits, spice and tangy acidity on a tongue coating lingering finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2769348

Gary Farrell Vineyard  Olivet Lane Vineyard Sonoma County Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016

This is another single vineyard designated Chardonnay sourced from the Olivet Lane Vineyard, located on the Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, seven miles from Gary Farrell Winery. 

The vineyard sits on 65 acres of sloping bench land in the heart of the Russian River Valley, in a sub-region called the Santa Rosa Plain, in between the warmer Westside Road region and the cooler Green Valley where warm summer days are moderated by cool breezes and chilly evening temperatures, this unique site is heavily influenced by fog that rolls in through the Petaluma Gap to the south. 

The rolling bench land location with the combination of well drained clay loam soils and east/west vine exposure with long, cool nights, create an excellent environment with optimum growing conditions great for ripening, producing world-class Chardonnay that develop cool-climate characteristics and impeccable acid at fairly low sugars. The wines from this vineyard simultaneously express power and finesse, and they do so with tremendous balance.  

This historic property is one of the oldest existing Pinot Noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley, a former apple, prune and olive orchard. At the recommendation of Dr. Armand Kasimatis at University of California at Davis, the Pellegrini family planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, developing one of the first vineyards in the region devoted exclusively to these two varieties.

Planted in 1973 it covers 60 acres, twenty planted in Pinot Noir and forty in Chardonnay, that two-thirds of the vineyard is planted to Wente selection Chardonnay on AXR rootstock, a heritage selection that produces some of the best Chardonnays in all of California. The old vines create natural vine balance, excellent concentration and ample quantities of natural acidity. The vines are cane pruned, vertical shoot positioning (VSP) and faithfully tended by Robert Pellegrini for the past 40 years. The wines from this vineyard simultaneously express power and finesse, and they do so with tremendous balance.

Besides Gary Farrell, the Olivet Lane Vineyard provides fruit to several wineries sourcing from this vineyard including Merry Edwards Wines, Pellegrini Wine Company, WesMar Winery, Pali Wine Co., and the notable premium producer Williams Selyem.

Winemaker Notes - The Olivet Lane Vineyard is consistently a benchmark for Chardonnay in Russian River Valley, and the 2016 delivers without fail. Its’ always welcome nose of Meyer lemon, crisp apple and Satsuma mandarin fill the glass alongside the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked butter cookies. The palate is equally as generous, offering layers of lemon cream, coriander, brioche and flaky puff pastry, and the supple, lengthy finish leaves nothing to be desired.

The juice was left in tank to cold-settle then transferred to 35% new and 65% one to three-year old neutral French oak barrels and puncheons for fermentation and aging, where it remained for 9 months on its primary lees until it was bottled. The wine was racked off the primary lees only once, just before bottling.

This label was awarded 92 points by James Suckling and 91 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck.

Straw colored, medium bodied, crisp notes of citrus pink grapefruit and clove spiced apples, stone fruits, white peach, crushed rocks with bright acidity on a long zesty finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2951999

https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/

Moone Tsai Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

Moone-Tsai is the fulfillment of the vision and dream of Larry Tsai and MaryAnn Tsai, Co-Founders and Proprietors. Larry and MaryAnn started Moone-Tsai wines in 2003, with the dream of making rare and remarkable wines bearing the finest fruit from Napa Valley's most heralded vineyards. Pursuing this vision, focused on Howell Mountain, Moone-Tsai launched its distinctive, limited production Cabernets, Chardonnays, and Bordeaux blends, including Moone-Tsai's signature landmark Howell Mountain Hillside Blend. 

As founders and owners, the are entrenched in every aspect of winery operations. They are devoted residents of their beloved Howell Mountain and take pride in sharing wines that bear the "best of the best" fruit from the celebrated AVA, as well as from other most prized vineyard blocks across Napa Valley.

Fresh out of Harvard Business School, MaryAnn set her sights on a career in the Napa Valley wine industry. She helped create some of Howell Mountain's most acclaimed wines, most notably the establishment of Beringer's legendary Bancroft Ranch Merlots. In subsequent years, MaryAnn was instrumental in other acclaimed wine releases and AVAs (including three wines that each received ratings of #1-rated Wine in the World), she never forgot the allure of Howell Mountain.

MaryAnn and Larry call the enchanting Las Posadas district of Howell Mountain their home and have their winery and tasting room operations down the hill in St. Helena.

MaryAnn Tsai grew up in a spirited Italian family in Boston, Massachusetts. She spent summers helping her grandmother tend a garden featuring rows of vegetables, herbs, and an especially precious vineyard from which the family celebrated the rite of winemaking.

During college, MaryAnn did a study-abroad program at the University of Angers, France, in the Loire Valley, known for well-crafted wines and inspired cuisine. There, MaryAnn developed her interest in wines, which inspired her move to Napa Valley, following graduation from Harvard Business School, to pursue a career in the wine industry.

She was hired by Mike Moone to join Beringer Wine Estates in 1989. Over the next twenty plus years, she was involved with producing notable wines and brands, three of which earned the distinction of being named as "Wine Spectator's #1-rated Wine in the World". With the creation of Moone-Tsai wines in 2006, MaryAnn and Larry set their sights on earning a fourth #1 rating, one under the Moone-Tsai banner. 

Larry Tsai, a first generation Chinese-American grew up in the North Shore neighborhoods of New York's Long Island. After earning degrees at Princeton and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Larry pursued a career that enabled him to indulge his intertwining interests in wine, food, and the arts.

He gained experiences across Fortune 500 companies, and emerging gourmet/food/lifestyle enterprises and Napa Valley non-profits; Larry applies his management skills to create and deliver extraordinary wines and experiences promoting Moone-Tsai.

Since taking on Moone Tsai in 2010, Larry has expanded from its single-cabernet-infancy to the brand's current annual production of 3000 cases of seven acclaimed wines. He enjoys connecting with people who enjoy well-crafted wines, teaching and tasting from "Baton Rouge to Bali, Seoul to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole to Jakarta, and Manhattan to Mumbai" as their website states, he promotes Napa Valley and Moone-Tsai wines with people over good times and fine conversation.

The legendary Philippe Melka is Winemaker for Moone-Tsai. We're huge fans of Philippe's handicraft as these pages attest throughout. Bordeaux-bred and mentored by the world's most revered winemakers, Philippe is quick to credit the masterful influences of Delmas and Masclef from Haut-Brion; Moueix and Berrouet from Petrus; Paul Draper from Ridge; and Michel Rolland from Chateau Le Bon Pasteur. 

Phillippe helped put the likes of Dominus, Hundred Acre, Bryant Family Vineyards, and Dana Estates on the map for the most discerning Cabernet labels and brands; Robert Parker named Philippe as one of the world's top nine consulting winemakers.

Moone Tsai Napa Valley Chardonnay is sourced from Bald Mountain, a neighbor of Mount Veeder in the Mayacamas Mountains on the western border of the Napa Valley. The south-facing vineyard sits at nearly 1600 feet above sea level overlooking the convergence of both Sonoma and Napa Valleys, as well as of Marin's Mt. Tamalpais to the south. Cool sunshine is abundant throughout the growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while varietal character evolves completely.

Producers' notes - The 2017 growing season was marked by ample winter rains, a mild spring, hail in June, and intermittent waves of summer heat. A third and final temperature spike prompted picking in early September.The result is a delightfully delicious chardonnay displaying both richness and resolve. On the nose, the wine expresses notes of star jasmine and citrus, giving way to flavors that tempt the palate with a pleasing panoply of lemon candy, grapefruit zest, tropical fruit, and (wait for it…), a suggestion of bananas foster and crème brulée. Aged 17-months in 30% new French oak, the wine demonstrates a pleasingly light acidity to provide a refreshing counterpoint that balances the wine from start-to-finish. Teasingly inviting but refined in a way that memorable white burgundies can often be, the wine conjures up the dulcet tones of Fleetwood Mac’s sultry singer-songwriter, Christine McVie, who in her memorable hit, "You Make Loving Fun" compelled many of us who “never did believe in the ways of magic” to "…begin to wonder why."

This is 100% Chardonnay from Bald Mountain was aged in 30% new French oak (Burgundian) Marcel Cadet, Rousseau, Francois Frères Dargaud et Jaegle (light to medium toast). 570 cases were produced. 

The 2017 Moone-Tsai Napa Valley Chardonnay was rated 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck.

This was our second favorite of the three wines - an intersection middling of the two in all respects.

Golden straw colored, medium to full bodied, elegant and balanced stone fruits and spiced apple and pear fruits with notes of pain grille and sweet floral with s smooth polished lingering finish.
RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3236491

https://www.moonetsai.com/wines/napa-valley-chardonnay/2017

2017 Moone-Tsai Napa Valley Chardonnay

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Paradigm Napa Valley Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Returning home from weekend getaway, we grilled T-Bone steaks on the grill, served with spinach and baked potatoes. 

As a wine accompaniment we pulled from the cellar this Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet.  

We visited the Harris' Paradigm Oakville winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999. We still hold more than a case from a half dozen vintages of this label dating back to the mid-nineties.

As shown on the special label affixed to the bottle, this bottle was acquired at the Napa Valley wine auction, not directly from the producer.

Tonight, this was enjoyable and the tasting notes and rating was consistent with earlier published notes, our last tasting of this label was in 2020. 

Previously we we  tasted this label two years earlier in 2018 in a comparison tasting with two other Napa Cabs. At that time I wrote, "Perhaps an unfair comparative tasting of three diverse Napa cabs, the Paradigm was slightly narrower and single dimensional compared the mountain fruit and complexity of the Bordeaux blends. It was delicious never-the-less and a top performing Napa Cab."

At twenty-one years of age, this is holding well and not showing diminution from aging, but certainly not likely to improve any further. As shown, the fill level, foil, label and most importantly, the cork, were all in ideal condition. The cork was starting to be slightly soft, but likely still has several years of integrity left.

This is labeled 'Estate Bottled', meaning all the grapes were sourced from producer owned vineyards on the property. 

This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright tangy black cherry and black berry fruits accented by notes of anise, tea, spice box and hints of dark mocha, caramel, and leather.

RM 90 points.

Day two, the remains of this clearly showed its age, with much of the fruit overtaken by wood, cedar, smoke, forest floor and a bit of funkiness. Pop, decant, pour, drink-up. Don't hold.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=196146

https://paradigmwinery.com/

@ParadigmWinery 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/paradigm-napa-valley-oakville-cabernet.html

Portsmouth offers delightful picturesque getaway

Portsmouth offers delightful picturesque getaway and numerous wine dine options

We spent a getaway weekend in Portsmouth (NH) for an extended family event. Portsmouth, a historic harbor port sited at the estuary of the scenic Pascataqua River, on the New Hampshire Maine border, exceeded our expectations with many picturesque, quaint cityscapes, and a broad range of shopping and dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, cafes, bistro's, fine dining, riverfront views, and wine bars.

 

We learned that idyllic Portsmouth, a town of 33,000, mushrooms to over 100,000 inhabitants during the summer season, attracted to shopping, historic sites, theatre and jazz clubs, and a extensive vibrant dining scene. 

Our short weekend stay only touched the surface, but discovered and exposed a target rich environment for readers of this blog, those interested in the wine and dine scene. 

 

Elephantine Bakery

For breakfast we dined at Elephantine Bakery, an idealic simple enchanting old-world cafe'. They profess to use traditional French techniques to handcraft breads and pastries, baked daily in their intimate kitchen. They consider daily coffee as a sacred ritual with a traditional Italian coffee menu espousing the philosophy that 'quality is essential and simpler is better'.

Elephantine Bakery sits off the main street tucked away in an alley, Commercial Alley in Portsmouth, that is as picturesque as an city view, opposite an equally enchanting wine and cheese shop ingeniously named "Corks and Curd"!

The Elephantine Bakery in Portsmouth was voted the No. 4 place to eat No. 4 on Yelp's Top 100 Places To Eat in New England. 

Elephantine Bakery is the dream of owners Sherif and Nadine Farag, which they pursued after becoming disenchanted with notable storied careers.

Nadine earned a Masters and completing one year of doctoral studies in global health at Harvard. Sherif, born and raised on the French Seacoast, graduated from Ferrandi in Paris where he studied bread and viennoiserie under the mentorship of Didier Chaput. He moved to New York City and worked in management consulting at McKinsey & Company. 

Sherif and Nadine checked out and founded The Elephantine Bakery, their dream to pursue to the deep values they believe in: good food, a beautiful setting, the nurturing of community, and the art of living well.

The atmosphere and setting is magical, "inspired by the enduring allure of the café—of countless rendezvous unfolding over coffee from Paris to Rome, from Beirut to Athens. Here, time and space obscure".

The decor "sports jungle wallpaper, leaping zebras, leopard-print ceilings, French bistro-inspired light fixtures, brass surfaces, and blue and white pottery create a tapestry of beauty".

Get there early as it only sits eight people inside and less than a dozen outside.

https://www.elephantinebakery.com/ 

Domaine De Ecette Les Gaoudoires Ruly 2019 at ROW 34

For lunch we dined at ROW 34 on Hanover Street and Portwalk Place, located a few blocks away from the famed Portsmouth’s Decks. Row 34 is among several upscale restaurants in town that are worthy to be a destination for dining.

ROW 34 take seafood seriously, but they profess "We are here to have fun, and we love what we do".

Their seafood roots run deep, "which means they (we) love local oysters and beer, source our lobsters from Jeremy’s cousin Mark (in York, Maine), and will run all over New England to find the freshest fish around. We source the best oysters from our friends, pick up our fish fresh from the Fish Pier, and are always on the hunt for the most delicious beer around."

Of course we had the Whole Buttered Lobster Roll served on a brioche bun. We also had sides of the Whitefish Croquettes, basil, preserved lemon aïoli, and Grilled Asparagus tapenade and citrus. All were delicious.

With lunch we had from the wine-list this Burgundian Chardonnay,  Domaine De Ecette Les Gaoudoires Rully 2019.

This obscure small production label has found distribution in the highly regulated state including the New Hampshire State Liquor. We also found it on the winelist, then saw it prominently in other wine shops in the village. I blog about this wine producer and label in a separate blogpost here.

https://www.row34.com/

Rio Tequila Cantina

For casual late afternoon, early dinner, we dined along historic Row Street overlooking the Portsmouth riverfront, harbor and two of the three downtown bridges crossing the river. 

We dined at Rio Tequila Cantina, located on the Portsmouth Waterfront. They serve authentic Mexican cuisine with a modern touch. They have two levels of outside patios overlooking the water and a bright vibrant picturesque dining room featuring colorful artwork and historic architecture and decor. 

We opted to sit inside to enjoy the artwork and delightful vibe, still having window scenic views of the Portsmouth harbor waterfront and bridges in the distance.

Rio is part of the Labrie Group family of restaurants which also includes Jimmy’s, The Atlantic Grill, Rio and adjacent The River House next door, also on the riverfront. Corporate chef Nathan Varney oversees executive chefs at each Labrie Group restaurant. We found the food incredible, imaginative, artful and delicious - amazing for a Mexican cuisine! 

I chose for my entree selection the Enchiladas, roasted poblano, three cheese, finished with enchilada sauce, crema, rice and beans. 

Linda chose the Street Corn Salad with shrimp, roasted garlic dressed mixed greens , warm carved corn, roasted red peppers, cotija cheese, spicy aioli, green onion.

Rio Tequila Cantina
37 Bow St., Portsmouth, N.H.

https://rioportsmouth.com/

La Maison Navarre Pastry, Bistro, Wine Bar

 We frequented La Maison Navarre Pastry, Bistro, Wine Bar, a Parisian-style cafe & pastry shop with light French fare, French pasty and macarons with a wine and cheese bar upstairs. Each morning we picked up fresh croissants for breakfast at the cafe.

Our family event duties didn't allow time to take advantage of the fine dining establishments of Portsmouth that we found. We look forward to returning to explore more of the Portsmouth wine and dining scene and the long list of establishments that we found during our walks around town - Bridge Street Bistrot & Wine Bar, Toscana Italian Chophouse & Wine Bar, Surf Portsmouth, also on the riverfront, adjacent Rio and River House, and Massimo's, like Rio, an ornate brick & stone setting with oil paintings on the wall, with upscale Italian fare & wines. 

We also walked by, checked out the menus and put on our list Cafe Mediterraneo Ristoranti Italiano, a small 40-seat Italian bistro located on Fleet Street downtown Portsmouth, adjacent and next door to La Maison Navarre. 

 Accommodations - Visiting Portsmouth, there are several hotels downtown within walking distance of the Riverfront and the numerous shops and eateries, the large Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside sitting on the hilltop overlooking the city, perpetually reliable and ever hospitable Marriott has a Marriott AC Hotel and Residence Inn, and adjacent, Hilton Garden on the same block. Our group opted for the Hilton Garden for its location. Unfortunately, several of the staff there (aside the bar staff) were unwelcoming, rude, condescending and confrontational - one to avoid if alternatives are available. 

Enjoy Portsmouth. 

Domaine De Ecette Les Gaoudoires Rully

Domaine De Ecette Les Gaoudoires Rully 2019 at ROW 34

As mentioned in my separate blogpost on our visit to Portmouth (NH), we dined at ROW 34 on Hanover Street and Portwalk Place.

We had the Lobster Roll with sides of the Fish Croquettes and a plate of grilled asparagus. From the menu:

• Whitefish Croquettes basil, preserved lemon aïoli* 
• Grilled Asparagus tapenade, citrus
• Whole buttered Lobster Roll served on a brioche bun 

With lunch we had from the wine-list this Burgundian Chardonnay BTG (by the glass). 

Domaine De Ecette Domaine de l’Ecette – Vincent Daux Les Gaoudoires Rully (Blanc) 2019

This obscure small production label has found distribution in the highly regulated state. We first found it on the winelist, then saw it prominently in other wine shops in the village including the New Hampshire State Liquor Store and Wine Outlet.

Domaine de l’Ecette is a small family estate of about 35 acres located in the village of Rully, on the Côte Chalonnaise in southern Burgundy. It is run by Father and son team of Jean and Vincent Daux who work together to combine experience and knowledge of Burgundian tradition with 'modern schooling, energy and enthusiasm' of the next generation. 

Management of the Domaine passed at Domaine de L’Ecette in 1997 after Vincent completed his studies in viticulture. The father and son team produce vibrant and lively wines that represent the Côte Chalonnaise with a portfolio of wines from the noble Bourgogne grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Aligoté.

Rully is a village with a long history, with a château which has been in the same family for six centuries, a church with an elegant bell-tower, as well as fine houses and parks. Rully was granted its AOC in 1939 and now produces red wines (Pinot Noir) and white wines (Chardonnay) with both appellations Village and Premier Cru with 600 acres under vine for whites and 300 for reds. It is in the appellation Côte Chalonnaise, one of no less than 84 world-renowned appellations of the Bourgogne (Burgundy) region with vines grown along a strip covering some 230km from north to south, with 30,052 hectares under vine.

The 84 appellations are spread over the regions include the world famous notables as well as the obscure, ranging from Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois, the Côte de Nuits and the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune and the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, to the Côte Chalonnaise and the Couchois, the Mâconnais and the Châtillonnais. No wonder many find French wines confusing, complicated and bewildering.

As discussed in these pages, we tend to focus on Bordeaux wines and grape varietals. Like Bordeaux appellation system with its fifty plus designated areas, the wines of Bourgogne are classified into 84 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOCs), from appellations Régionale to Grands Crus. The AOC system of classification guarantees the authenticity and helps maintain the quality of the region’s wines that reflect the diversity of the Bourgogne terroir and the expertise of its winemakers.

 

As with Bordeaux and the Rhone region, the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is a form of certification. It guarantees the characteristics of a wine in terms of the terroir where the grapes are grown, the way it is made, following certain precise steps, the terroir of the site, and the local savoir-faire, born from traditional methods that have been perfected over time.

The terroir consists of subtle differences in the wines are due to differences in soil, exposure and altitude, all of which vary considerably hereabouts. At heights of 230-300 metres, the hill-slopes produce wines which can compete with the best wines of the nearby Côte de Beaune. The Pinot Noir grape grows on brown or limey soils with little clay in their make-up. The Chardonnay grape prefers a claylimestone soil.

Producer notes - This wine is gold flecked with green, and the gold deepens with age. It is redolent with superb aromas of hedgerow flowers (acacia, may, honeysuckle, and a very delicate elderflower) as well as violet, lemon, white peach or flint. Time brings out honey, quince, and dried fruits. Indeed, this wine is full of fruit, which on the palate is lively and well-rounded, meaty and long. It has both the coolness and the polish of marble.

 

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, bright lemon, grapefruit citrus with hints of lime and tropical fruits, high acidity but sufficiently balanced for a pleasant lingering finish.  

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4658126

https://domaine-ecette.fr/ 

https://www.row34.com/

Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emerils Coastal

Kistler Les Noisetiers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Emeril's Coastal Restaurant, Sandestin, Miramar Beach

Visiting the Florida Gulf shores for a getaway week, we had a delightful, delicious dinner at Emeril's Coastal Seafood restaurant in Sandestin Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach.

For diiner, we shared the daily fresh seafood catch, whole pan seared Grouper, and for starters we had roasted oysters and the special cheese plate. 

The Emeril's Coastal Cheese Board consisted of  Four Artisanal Cheeses with accompaniments - home-made multi-berry jam, fresh honey comb, fresh berries, nuts and baguettes: 

• Thomasville Tomme French
  
• Humboldt Fog
• Talcggio
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Fresh Oysters from Murder Point and Admiral, Alabama

The Fresh Catch of the day was pan seared whole Grouper with asparagus spears in a muniere sauce.

 

We selected from the winelist this ultra-premium Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

 Kistler “Les Noisetiers” Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, California 2020

Kistler is a family-owned and operated winery founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and the Kistler family. From the beginning it has been dedicated to the production of ultra-premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using old-world Burgundian techniques applied to new world vineyards. 

Kistler wines are crafted from one heritage Californian selection of Chardonnay clone vines planted across fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Kistler's plantings on Sonoma Mountain are some of the oldest Chardonnay plantings in Sonoma County.

They have been working with and on this singular clone of Chardonnay since the mid 1980’s. It was originally sourced from vines imported from Burgundy in the early part of the 20th century. It have been developed by California farmers and winemakers over decades to be best suited to the Californian terroir and growing conditions.  

From the fifteen vineyard sites Kistler produce eleven different vineyard designated select Chardonnays.  

This cuvee is an appellation-focused wine designed to the regional character of western Sonoma County, highlighting mineral tones from vineyards with sandy soils. The wine was originally crafted exclusively for restaurants but is now available in retail stores on a limited basis. It has rich, complex smoky aromas, intense fruit flavors underpinned with toasty oak, and crisp acidity with a long, lingering finish.

This label, Les Noisetiers (pronounced Lay Nwaz-tee-yay) is a study of Kistler's Sonoma Coast sites. The name refers to the toasted hazelnut characters that is manifest year in and year out from these sites. This cuvee is an appellation-focused Chardonnay. explicitly produced to illustrate the site and area specific regional character of western Sonoma County highlighting inherent mineral tones from thirty year old vineyards with sandy Gold Ridge soils. The main sources are the Vine Hill Vineyard, Dutton Ranch and Trenton Roadhouse vineyards.

Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, complex yet elegant, polished and balanced layers of juicy peach and pear fruits with hints of apricot and white flowers, turning to a mineral backbone with stone fruits on a long sumptuous finish. 

RM 93-94 points. 

 

Winemaker notes: The grapes are whole-cluster pressed into 30% new French oak for fermentation via indigenous yeast. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered after 10 months in barrel. From the winery: "Deep green-yellow. A pronounced and refined sense of minerality pierces through the initial first blush of stone fruit on the nose. Wet stone, powdered sea sand, and a slight sense of roasted grain. Perfectly balanced, the core is packed with grilled citrus, a touch of lemongrass and threaded with a vibrant acidity that reverberates across the palate. Possesses a lively, yet elegant finish that just doesn’t want to end.
 

After thoughtful selection at the sorting table, whole clusters are fed by hand directly into the press. An extremely gentle 2-hour Champagne program is used to produce the best juice with the finest solids. The juice is consolidated in tank and then, without cold settling, is transferred directly to barrel with its fine lees. Driven solely by naturally occurring yeasts, the wine is barrel-fermented. Kistler Chardonnay fermentation temperatures are warm by California standards, but very much like Burgundy was made 20 years ago. The wine is fermented bone-dry. After a complete malolactic fermentation, the wine sees 11 months of barrel age with no battonage. The wine spends an additional 3 months in tank before being bottled without fining or filtration. There is a smaller percentage of new oak used on the Les Noisetiers in order to highlight the soil-driven character of this wine. This minerality is rare in new world Chardonnay.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4265917

https://www.kistlervineyards.com/

 

 

Sea Smoke Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay Voyageurs Restaurant

Sea Smoke Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay at Voyageur's Restaurant

During a getaway week on the Gulf Shore we dined at Voyageur's Restaurant, Orange Beach, Alabama.

For entree Linda had from the daily fresh catch, Gulf Grouper - pan roasted carbo grouper with smoked harissa polenta cake, romancesco, rock shrimp & green tomato chow chow.

I had the Pan Seared whole Flounder. Prior to dinner we had the wedge salad and I had the Foie Gras.

To accompany the fresh seafood, we ordered from the award winning winelist a robust ultra-premium Santa Barbara County Chardonnay.

With my Foie Gras, I ordered from the winelist BTG - By the Glass, the Cain Cuvee from their extensive vertical collection of Cain Five and Cain Cuvee sourced through a direct relationship with the producer.

Sea Smoke Vineyards Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnay 2019

Sea Smoke in Santa Barbara County produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown exclusively on their estate vineyards in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation.They focus on the meticulous management of each vine to achieve optimal vine balance and very low yields.

The name Sea Smoke refers to the coastal fog that wafts inland along the East/West running valley of the Santa Ynez river, a rare phenomenon in the U.S. Instead of the maritime influence being held back by the coastal mountain range, its influence rushes through the valley and into the vineyards.

Their ultra-premium wines have an almost cult-like following with much of their wine production allocated to their club mailing list. Every single bottle is made from the estate grown fruit, there is no purchased or contract grown fruit, even as demand far outstrips supply. 

Shown 2020 vintage label
from our cellar

A local wine merchant in the area wrote about this label, "For the first time ever, we got our hands on Sea Smoke’s elusive, exclusive and exquisite Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, the famous cool climate Chard that helped propel this tiny winery into the elite stratosphere and cult status. Made with Dijon and Wente clones, they use stainless steel as well as French oak foudres and demi-muids to ferment their Chardonnay which brings out elegance and a laser-focused Chardonnay."

Another merchant reseller writes, "We have represented Sea Smoke for well over 10 years. This 2019, quite frankly, blew us away. We told the owners and the staff at Sea Smoke that we feel this is the best vintage of chardonnay that they have ever produced (and we have tasted every vintage.) This wine strikes an ideal balance between richness and crispness, with a strong backbone of minerals. The flavors unfold in layer after layer. If you like a chardonnay that does not weigh down your palate, but is still mouth-filling and enticing, this one’s for you. Very cellar worthy." 

Winemaker's notes: "Our estate-grown Chardonnay fruit was picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard before spending the night in our cold room. Chilled grapes were softly pressed and the juice was gently pumped into a stainless steel tank and cold settled. Once the heavy solids were removed, the juice was racked to a stainless steel fermentor, then inoculated for primary fermentation. Following primary fermentation, the wine was racked to barrels, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, then periodically stirred to enhance depth and mouthfeel. The 2019 Sea Smoke Chardonnay was aged for a total of 10 months prior to bottling with no fining and no filtration."

"Character: An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of orange zest, ripe melon and honeysuckle. Complemented by mango and a slight nuttiness in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of our estate vineyard."

Golden straw colored, medium bodied, crisp smooth balanced refreshing pear and apple fruits with notes of lemon zest, melon and nuts, turning to a polished acid laced finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4050666

https://www.seasmoke.com/

https://voyagersrestaurant.com/

Den Hoed at Son Ryan's for Bulls Play-in Game

Den Hoed at Ryan's for Bulls Game

I joined son Ryan and grandson Reid for dinner to watch the Chicago Bulls play the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs 'play-in' game, in which the winner would advance to earn the 10th seed playoff berth. 

In the end, the Bulls let a late lead slip away in 102-91 loss to the Miami Heat, ending their season 1 win shy thereby missing the shot at a playoff berth.

Ryan's Michelle had prepared chicken ciaccatore pasta. With dinner and to watch the game, Ryan opened a Den Hoed Marie's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. I have accumulated a vertical collection of this label in the auction marketplace. This rare limited release label is actually produced by the Den Hoed borthers from estate grown grapes on their vineyards overlooking the Yakima River in Central Washington State.

Den Hoed Marie's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

 Just a month earlier, I took this same bottle to son Alec's when we watched in NCAA basketball tournament. That night, Alec prepared grilled Waygu beefsteaks with mashed potatoes and mushrooms to watch together the Big Ten basketball tournament quarterfinals with our beloved alma mater Indiana.

Den Hoed Marie's View Walula Slope Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

That night I took from our cellar this same special limited release label from a lot that I acquired at auction, since this wine has a rather disparate lengthy family connection. 

We met the sister of the producer Den Hoed brothers, vintner farmers in Yakima Valley Washington, at the wedding of our niece, Alec and Ryan's cousin, who married their nephew. Den Hoeds grow grapes for several producers and also produce some some limited release select labels of premium wines. 

Ryan and I first tasted Den Hoed wines at chic upscale Canlis Restaurant in Lake Union, suburban Seattle, when we were together for our Seattle Culinary Wine Weekend.  

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/canlis-restaurant-seattle-extraordinary.html

Den Hoed Andreas Wallula Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

As I wrote at the time. this is named for the patriarch founder, Andreas Den Hoed who married Marie Den Hoed in 1956 and they planted their first vineyard on their property that year. After two years in the Army Andreas returned to the farm. 

In the early years, they paid the bills growing mint. He continued to plant more vineyards as resources allowed, expanding acreage almost every year. In 1988, their two sons Bill and Andy joined the business as partners in a new project, with acreage planted to vineyards. 

The father and sons team continued to expand in the Yakima Valley for the next 5-6 years. After several years of searching, in 1997, they purchased a 550 acre parcel of land bordering the Columbia River in the Wallula Gap. Since then the vineyard has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the region. It is sited in a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of of the town of Kennewick. The wines produced from this vineyard have proven to stand the test of time and can stand up and hold their own against the best wines of the new world. 

Andreas is a limited production estate wine which celebrates their family history and showcases the Wallula Vineyard. It is a robust Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Gilles Nicault of the notable Long Shadows Vintners Collection of wines that we collect as prime members of their club. We also discovered Long Shadows during that Seattle, Woodinville Wine Weekend. 

Canlis Lake Union night view

That was our first tasting experience of Den Hoed wines, and being priced below the median on the extensive Canlis winelist, we were dubious yet had high expectations. The Andreas met our most lofty hopes and expectations and was a highlight of our extraordinary meal.

So, how fitting it was that that Canlis dinner was a mini family affair as wife Linda and son Ryan joined me at this legendary family restaurant. Moreover, a subplot to the story, our niece Anna Long, married into the Van Hoed family, farmers, wine growers, viticulturists and winemakers from the famed Walula Vineyards in the central Washington wine region.

Tonight we opened another Den Hoed label, Marie's View from a vineyard so named on the Walula Slope in the Horse Heaven Hills Washington State Appellation. This was from the same vintage as that first Den Hoed wine encounter, 2012.

The 2012 Washington red wines vintage follows challenging vintages in 2010 and 2011. Some producers considered 2012 the best in state history - a notable great vintage that stands tall amongst the best in the past 20 years. While 2002 and 2005 may have produced wines a bit richer than 2012 made great wines across the regions, from cooler climate Yakima Valley to the stony Walla Walla Valley. 

Wines made in 2012 might have slightly more acidity,but they are generally balanced red wines that show a good core of fruits, while perhaps not as hedonistic as the big red wines made in 2013, 2014 or 2016. 

At eleven years, these wines are probably at their apex, not likely to improve with further aging, but certain to age gracefully for perhaps another decade.   

Den Hoed Wine Estates is a collaborative effort between the Den Hoed brothers, Bill and Andy, and former Stimson Lane and Chateau St Michelle CEO and Washington wine pioneer, Alan Shoup, to produce great red wines from their jointly owned Wallula Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills. 

We discovered Long Shadows Cellars during that trip and since joining their club, we've acquired a vertical collection of a half dozen vintages of their premier labels of renowned producers crafting world class wines from Washington State fruit.

Notably, I learned and wrote just the week before last that Alan Shoup sadly passed just recently.

The winemaker is the local well known Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars. 

Previous vintages of Marie’s View were blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese with the proportions varying from year to year. This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine.

Den Hoed Marie’s View Wallula Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills 2012 

Like that earlier tasting when this was a perfect complement, pairing with the grilled beefsteaks and mushrooms, tonight it was delicious with the Italian pasta and chicken.

This vineyard is named for Marie Van Hoed, wife of founder Andreas, mother of the current generation producers. 

This was awarded 93 points by Owen Bargreen, and 89 points by Wine Enthusiast. Earlier releases consistently earned 92 and 93 points.

This is the first vintage of this wine to be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as opposed to a red wine, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Den Hoed wines are packaged in an extra heavy bottles with the most incredible deepest punts (that indentation in the bottle around which sediment collects).  

Densely colored inky garnet purple, medium full bodied, concentrated, firmly structured, full round black berry, black currant and plum fruits with notes of creosote, cassis, cedar and hints of pepper with a vibrant acid backbone and firm tannins on a lasting finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2799196

https://www.denhoedwines.com/

 

Force Majeure Syrah 2015 w/ BBQ ribs

Force Majeure Syrah is a perfect pairing w/ BBQ ribs

We received our club allocation shipment today of Force Majeure Vineyards & Winery so we were eager to try the new releases of our favorite labels. As such though, as part of proper cellar inventory management, we pulled from the cellar the oldest vintage release and replaced it with the just received new arrival. 

Linda prepared baby back ribs which were a perfect accompaniment to the Force Majeure Syrah. 

Force Majeure Syrah 2015

We discovered and started collecting Force Majeure wines when we met and hosted winemaker and his wife, Marketing and Operations director during their release tour back in 2016. We posted this blog about that visit:

Todd Alexander joins Force Majeure Winery

 We visited the Force Majeure Vineyards Site and did a Tasting during our Walla Walla Wine Experience back in 2018. 

This is 100% Syrah sourced from the steep rocky sections of the top of the Red Mountain hillside vineyard. 

As this was the last bottle of our mixed case shipment of this wine, it was only logical that we showed three earlier tastings and tasting note postings for this label. There were posts from 2018, 2020, 2021, and here, the last bottle in early 2023

Each subsequent follow-on tasting began with or summarily stated, "Consistent with earlier tasting experiences." And as such, as to be expected, all were rated the same. 

Tonight, I might break that trend stating that at seven years, this wine is probably at its peak and finally showing its true profile, character and potential.Tonight this wine show more harmony, integration, and fullness and richness than earlier. As such I raised my rating for this final bottle.

Like before it was "Consistent with earlier tasting experience. Dark garnet colored, full-bodied, rich concentrated black berry fruits, hints of blue fruits, accented with layers of smokiness, minerality and tones of anise, black tea, black olive tapenade and hints of smokey meats, with bright lively acidity and cloying but approachable tannins on the tangy lingering finish." But, I gave it a 93-94 rating, improved from earlier, showing benefits and rewards for several years of aging. 

I've done enough tastings in these pages and beyond, that I trust my pallet and consistency of assessments over time.

My earlier reviews of this label, as posted on Cellartracker -

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/04/dual-syrahs-for-bbq-rib-dinner.html

Consistent with earlier tasting notes.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/12/force-majeure-red-mountain-syrah-2015.html

Dark garnet colored, full-bodied, rich concentrated black berry fruits, hints of blue fruits, accented with layers of smokiness, minerality and tones of anise, black tea, black olive tapenade and hints of smokey meats, with bright lively acidity and cloying but approachable tannins on the tangy lingering finish.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/force-majeure-vineyards-site-visit-and.html

 Watch for our next review of this label, which will be a subsequent later vintage release. I wish we had more of this 2015 but expect newer releases to be a fun adventure with hopefully equally pleasant memories!  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2659540

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/