Chicago Getaway Features Favorite Destinations and Activities

Chicago Getaway Features Favorite Destinations and Activities

Continuing our wedding anniversary celebration Chicago getaway, we did several of our favorite sites visits and activities. Yesterday's blogpost discussed our Spectacular Memorable Anniversary Celebration Evening and Dinner at the St Regis Hotel Miru Restaurant Chicago. That was the beginning of our wedding anniversary getaway in our beloved Chicago doing many of our favorite destinations' activities.

Following that fabulous dinner, we attended the theatre production of MJ The Musical at the magnificent James M. Nederlander Theatre.

MJ is the story of pop icon Michael Jackson, one of the most talented, greatest entertainers of all time, and the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. As promoted, the multi Tony Award®-winning new musical was Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. The show, "MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status". 

 

The following day, we took the Chicago Architectural Boat Tour, There are several cruise boat operators offering such tours. This one is offered in concert with the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) whose highly trained and volunteer CAC docents (guides) conduct the detailed narrative of Chicago's numerous architectural styles and the stories of the legendary figures who designed and built the great city.

Chicago’s iconic architecture is showcased aboard TripAdvisor’s #1 rated boat tour of the city and was also voted as one of the Top 10 Boat Tours in North America by USA Today readers for 3 years in a row!

Chicago has a rich architectural history with some of the most incredible architecture offering some of the best skyline views in the world, best seen from the lakeshore, the lakefront and in these instances, from the river.

Above, the Bank of America Tower riverfront, and river walk view with my office overlooking the river in the background.

From the Chicago River, the tour covers fascinating stories behind more than 50 iconic and historic buildings along the Chicago River and Chicago's rich history, how Chicago grew from a small settlement into one of the world's largest cities in less than 100 years. 

Other architectural boat tours are offer by:  

The original Chicago boat tours - Wendella Boats - https://www.wendellaboats.com/ and , https://architecturetourchicago.com/chicago-river-architecture-tour/.

We love the Chicago boat tours. Even though we've done the tour many many times, and I could almost give the tour, as a docent interpreter of the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural tours, myself, we love taking the tour again and again. I know many of the docent guides and the intensive training and preparation they go through to conduct such tours. 

I gave the public tour the day of this post at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park. Catch me there many Sunday (or Saturday) afternoons in the Summer, Fall and Spring.

Indeed, my (day job until I recently retired) office overlooked the river and had a birds-eye view of the tour boats on the river (shown right).  

This photo, taken from my office, shows the river cruise boats on "bridge day", one of the Wednesdays in the early spring and late fall when the fleet of boats are moved to/from Lake Michigan up/down river to/from their winter storage sites, and the orchestration of opening the draw bridges to let them pass, street by street. 

We then visited another of our favorite Chicago destinations, the magnificent Art Institute of Chicago - Downtown Chicago's #1 Museum. We've been members for decades and visit regularly, most notably during special exhibitions. This was our third visit this summer, to see the Van Gogh special exhibit, once again. 

Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. It is sited on Michigan Avenue in Chicago's scenic Grant Park.It houses many iconic works such as Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, my favorite, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and Grant Wood's American Gothic. Its permanent collection holds nearly 300,000 works of art hosts more than 30 special exhibitions yearly.

The AIC was rated the best museum in the world by TripAdvisor and the only museum in the world to be ranked among the world’s best by TripAdvisor four years in a row. The fabulous collection features many iconic works - many of our favorites by Masters such as Renoir and Claude Monet, and some of our favorites ... Nightlife by Archibald Motley, and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.

We then headed home to the western suburbs, and stopped enroute in Oak Park at Hemingway's Bistro for dinner. We had reservations downtown but opted to beat the traffic and get out early, choosing Hemingway's despite the fact we dined there just last week, as featured in this blogpost - Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour. 

Continuing our anniversary celebration we started with a Champagne toast with two of our favorite Hemingway features, the Foie Gras with Candied Peaches and Baked Brie Cheese with Almonds and Honey.  

Baked Imported Brie with almonds, Apricot preserves, wildflower honey

Foie Gras du Jour with Caramelized Peaches, candy onions, parsnip puree, balsamic vinaigrette

For our dinner entrees, Linda chose the Crab Cake and I had a new menu entree selection offering, the Veal Chop. 

Lump Crab Cake Apple endive salad, grain mustard sauce

Wisconsin Veal Rib Chop with truffle creme corn, morel sauce

For our wine selection we had from the winelist this Santa Ynez Valley Andrew Murray Vineyards Syrah. The winelist offers six sparkling wines, 22 reds and 22 whites, predominantly French, with a dozen WBTG - Wines-By-The-Glass.

Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous les Jours Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2020

We saw the Andrew Murray estate vineyards and winery when we visited the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County and drove the Foxen Canyon Wine trail. The trail follows the Santa Ynez Valley from Santa Maria down to Los Olivos and is home to numerous continuous estates and vineyards the length of Foxen Canyon Road.  It is home to Fess Parker Winery, Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards, and a dozen others, around the corner from Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines - many labels you'll see featured in these pages.

This wine is from the Curtis Estate, approximately 100 acres of uplifted, gently sloping vines, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. The site has gravelly loam soils over a deep bed of ancient maritime sand.  

The vines are 15 to 47 years old divided into several Syrah blocks of various clones. 

This Estate Syrah is derived from several block from multiple clones to give ample fruit, solid structure, and that cool-climate Syrah flavor profile. One clone's small, round, marble-shaped berry has a tight skin, which results in more structured wines. Another Clone is similar, but with a bit more fruit-forward note. The main block was grafted a few years ago onto Viognier vines and has quickly become a favorite block of Syrah and results in a very delicious and complex wine. 

Each fermentation lot is kept separate throughout the entire 18 months élevage after being barreled down in a mix of new and 1–4-year-old French oak barrels. The Estate Syrah is always crafted from the best of these barrels each vintage. 

Winemaker notes - "The 2020 vintage is nearly opaque in the glass with a blue/black core and bright red-black at the rim. The primary fruits are cherry and raspberry, balanced by a dusting of white pepper with a lovely and fully integrated toasty oak finish from the nearly 25% new French oak. The mid-palate is energetic and massive, while the finish is rich and long. Notes of Wild Raspberry Jam, Black Cherry, Purple Flowers, Crispy Bacon, Cinnamon Stick, and Toasty Oak.

https://www.andrewmurrayvineyards.com/product/2020-SYRAH-ESTATE-GROWN

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4140392

http://hemmingways-bistro.com/

Spectacular Anniversary Celebration St Regis Miru Chicago

Spectacular Memorable Anniversary Celebration St Regis Miru Chicago

For our wedding anniversary we spent a spectacular night in our beloved Chicago doing many of our favorite destinations' activities. 

We stayed at the new St Regis Hotel in the magnificent new Jean Gang designed tower, the second tallest building in Chicago - home of the skyscraper and city of tall buildings. (Officially, the equally magnificent Trump Tower (shown in background up the river) is second tallest when you take into account the tall spire atop the tower, which is considered inclusive in determining the building height.)

The St Regis Tower was designed by architect Jean Gane and extends the street wall of Upper Wacker Drive on the south bank of the Chicago River. It is a $1 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot condo-hotel with 393 condos and 192 hotel rooms. 

Originally known as the Vista Tower until St Regis took over as lead tenant and thereby acquiring the naming rights, it is now the tallest building in the world designed by a woman. It sits on the same block as the Gang designed picturesque 82-story Aqua Tower, whose wavy concrete balconies were inspired by the layered topography of limestone outcroppings along the Great Lakes, which used to hold that title. 

The unique intricate St Regis/Vista tower design consists of three towers of 48, 72, and 101 stories with staggered undulating 12-story pyramids, alternating right side up and upside down.

There is a lower 11 story tower to the east and the central tower front has an 11 story cube abutting the front, suspended two floors above street level linking Upper Wacker Drive to the north with East Waterside Drive and the Lake Shore East Park to the south.

The eastern section and cube tower section house the hotel and provide the rooftop terraces of Miru Restaurant, and the lounge and meeting venue hospitality areas, above the pool and spa.

Another new hotel restaurant, not yet completed, is the only interior designed by Studio Gang, it will have ceilings up to 38½ feet high and views uptown, downtown, and along the river.

Our deluxe executive hotel room was the nicest non-suite room we've ever experienced (which is saying something considering I've spent over four thousand hotel room nights during my many years of travel over four decades!) The hospitality and service provided by Erika Portocarrero, Butler Coordinator, Mark at the Concierge desk and the rest of staff was exceptional!

We dined at the St Regis Miru Restaurant, sited on the 11th floor of the tower with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Chicago River, the River North citi-scape, and Navy Pier and Lake Michigan in the distance.  

The Miru Japanese French fusion cuisine & innovative desserts are prepared by Miru Chef Hisanobu Osaka (of Morimoto, Daniel) and Netflix’s School of Chocolate winner, Pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez.

The Miru extensive menu offers over sixty small plates from which we chose the following selections:

Bluefin Tuna & Crispy Shiso Sesame Vinaigrette

Chilled Torchon of Foie Gras with Rhubarb, Ichigo

Lobster Spring Roll Thai Orange Sauce

Waygu Beef Center Cut Beef Filet

followed, of course, by deserts .....

Calamansi Crème Brûlée - Madagascar Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, and a very unique

Black Sesame Mochi - Charcoal Vanilla Ice Cream with Black Sesame Praline and Mochi Sponge 

Every course was spectacular - delicious, imaginatively prepared and presented, and the service was outstanding in every respect. We look forward to returning and dining when we have more time to explore the cuisine in more depth, without the tight schedule of a theatre reservation.

For our wine selections we had the Cremant d'Alsace Camille Braun Miru Special Selection Champagne, French Burgundy Pinot Noir followed by Yamahi Junmai Genshu "Ancient Treasure" Niigata (Sake). 

Cremant d'Alsace Camille Braun, "MIRU Spécial Sélection", NV

This is from the Braun family whose presence in Alsace dates back to 1583. Since then, generations of farmers and wine growers have followed one another. The Braun family estate was established in Orschwihr in 1902, with the purchase of a 17th Century farmhouse. 

The Brown estate is located in south-central part of Alsace, midway between Colmar and Mulhouse, where Orschwihr has been known for quality wines since the middle ages. 

Camille Braun took over the family farm in 1960 and began to focus exclusively on wine production and selling his own production in bottle. Beginning with six acres, the domaine has now grown to 17 acres of vineyards in and around Orschwihr and Uffholtz. Camille’s son Christophe took over the family business in 1987 and today runs the domaine with his wife, Chantal . 

Roughly 90% of the domaine’s production is sold directly to private customers leaving very little available for sale beyond western Europe. Crémant sales havae been surging in France in reent years and are beginning to do so in the U.S however quantities imported to the US Market are limited.

Wine Enthusiast gave this label release 92 points and writes: "A very subtle nose is promising with its hints of ripe red apple, gentle shortbread and lemon zest. The palate presents that very same harmonious and fresh picture, enhanced by the finest fizzing creaminess of the mousse and the integrated yeastiness that can only stem from sufficient time on lees. This is a paradigm of balance and understated elegance." - Anne Krebiehl MW, Nov 2018

Jacques Girardin, "Maladière", Santenay ler Cru, Pinot Noir 2019

The Girardin family has been in Burgundy since 1570 where today, Domaine Jacques Girardin is a family affair with a winemaking heritage that stretches back to the beginning of the 19th Century, Jacques (brother of Vincent) now runs the 142 acre family domaine together with his wife, Valérie, and son Justin. 

The entire Girardin family are renowned winemakers, including Jacques’ father Jean, and his brother Vincent. Jacques has been producing wine from his own domaine since 1978. Valérie & Jacques (12th generation) & their son Justin (13th generation) manage the 42 acre domaine which goes from Santenay to Savigny les Beaune, passing through Chassagne Montachet and Pommard.

The estate, located in Santenay, produces three Premier Cru red wines in Santenay, Clos Rousseau, Les Maladières and Clos Beauregard, Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru “Les Peuillets,” as well as Pommard Village and Bourgogne Pinot Noir. 

They also produce a Santenay Blanc, Bourgogne Blanc, and a small amount of Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru “Morgeot.” 

The name Maladière comes from the nearby Maladière of Chagny hospital. This is a sunny, warm site, its wines typically spicier, with darker berries. It is a south-east facing vineyard, with deeper soils, located in the centre of the appellation. 

Maladière is a very common name for hamlets in Burgundy. It comes from maladrerie, hospitals that date back to medieval times. 

La Maladière of Santenay is a parcel given by a noble to the maladrerie of Chagny, probably before the XIIIth century.

Between Santenay and Santenay le Haut is this climate halfway up the hill, exposed to the southeast with a thin soil which gets more and more clayey downhill producing wines from this climate taht are extremely fine and complex. 

The average age of the vines is 45 years, planted 100% to Pinot Noir. It was aged fifteen months in French oak barrels, Allier and Vosges, 20 % of new oak.

Winemaker Notes -  "Fresh and elegant nose with dark fruit aromas– black and red currants, blackberries, plums. Supple wine, lightly structured, fruity and fresh. Classic Pinot Noir with a touch of Burgundian earthiness in the elegant finish."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4741415

https://www.girardin-santenay.com/english/red-burgundy/bourgogne-rouge-santenay-1er-cru-maladiere.html

With desert we had this interesting and distinctive Japanese desert Saki.

Yamahai Junmai Genshu "Ancient Treasure", 12 Year Kanbara Niigata

I know nothing about Sake and was intrigued to try this since it is offered and recommended in such a fine dining reputable establishment.

From the distributor, we learn this Kanbara label and brand is produced by the Kaetsu Brewing Company and is made in the Niigata prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. 

It is considered in the Sake Junmai Category and Subcategory Yamahai, Genshu, Koshu. 

Sake classification levels are determined by the percentage the rice is milled before the brewing process. In general, the more you polish (or mill) the rice, the more aromatically expressive the sake becomes (the rice polishing rate expresses the amount remaining, so lower numbers translate to higher polishing).

Junmai is premium sake that is made only from rice, water, and koji enzymes.  Although most junmai sake meet a polishing minimum of at least 70%, there is technically no minimum polishing rate designated to this category.  Junmai sakes are often considered rustic and full bodied, with pronounced umami.

It is produced from the  Rice variety Yamadanishiki, Koshitanrei.

I asked how it acquires its colour and our server told us it from aging in plum barrels. 

This unique sake is a 12 years aged (approximately-- the brewer uses a solera system of fractional blending, think of it like a mother sauce), and is made of 99% koji rice, aged in tank. The 99% koji and low polishing of the rice (90%), plus brewing with the high-acidity yamahai method, give the sake enough sweetness, structure and acidity to stand the test of time. Why 99% koji and not 100%? Because that inclusion of 1% plain steamed rice lets it legally qualify as sake in Japan. 

Kaetsu Shuzo calls this style “jijoshu,” which is a term they invented, as it has much more acidity and glucose than most koshu but is not technically kijoshu. Dr. Sato of Kaetsu heads a society dedicated to studying the aging of sake and has been doing it longer than most (actively brewing >50 years now!)

Kaetsu's Kanbara brand (of Kanbara Junmai Ginjo Bride of the Fox) was created to make non-Niigata styles of sake (their original brand, Kirin, is much more Niigata-like). Kaetsu exports most of their Kanbara production to europe and the US.

This was interesting and delightful, somewhat akin to a more subtle tawny port or almost a sherry.

After our early dinner we attended MJ The Musical at the magnificent Nederlander Theatre. 

Back at the hotel we were treated to Champagne, French Macarons, artisan Chocolates and Cheese. 

 

This sweet meringue-based biscuit-cake made from egg white, powdered sugar and almond flour, is quintessentially French were fresh and flavorful.

 

 

Piper Heidseick - Enchanted Path for anniversary celebration

Piper Heidseick - Enchanted Path for gala anniversary celebration

We traveled to Indy this weekend to attend the gala celebration of Sis-in-law and Bro-in-law Pat's and Rodger's 50th Wedding Anniversary they hosted for close friends. This follows our trip the week before last to celebrate with them personally in taking them to dinner at Sullivan's Steakhouse, Indy, which was featured in this blogpost - Sullivan's Steakhouse Domaine Serene for celebration dinner.

I took for the occasion a large format magnum of this special limited edition bottle of Piper Heidseick Brut NV Champaign which we opened in a special toast to the 'newly' wed couple. This festive red bottle was released a couple years ago over the Christmas holidays and I bought a case of the picturesque festive bottles for the holidays and for special occasions such as this. 

I also opened several of these large format bottles for son Alec and Viviana's wedding celebration dinner as featured in this blogpost at the time - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

I also took this weekend for tasting/pairing/sharing with the pot luck dinner at the anniversary celebration this hearty red blend Aussie Shiraz withe whimsical branding and label. 

We've written often in these pages about the Mollydooker portfolio of wines and their whimsically branded, labeled, named wines. What fun to open "Enchanted Path" for a gala Anniversary celebration occasion. 

I also took and opened this label for For dearest friends, Eric and Cathy's 40th anniversary celebration party - a bottle of Mollydooker whimsically named 'Enchanted Path' Mclaren Vale Red Wine Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz - Caymus 40th Anniversary Release - An Enchanted Path.

Mollydooker "Enchanted Path" McLaren Vale South Australia, Red Wine Blend 2012

Mollydooker is the handiwork of the husband-and-wife winemaking team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. Prior to starting their own label the pair produced under the Marquis Philips brand in partnership with their distributor Dan Philips. Previously, they produced award-winning wines for Australian producers including Fox Creek, Henry’s Drive, Shirvington, and others. The term Mollydooker is Australian slang for a left-handed person as both Sarah and Sparky Marquis are left-handed.

Since 2005, they've focused exclusively on making their own exuberant wines which include a range of Shiraz labels and a variety of Shiraz/Cab/Merlot blends, as well as some adventuresome white wines such as The Violinist, a Verdelho varietal.

They source their fruit from 116 acres of vineyards at their winery in McLaren Vale where about 50 percent are planted in Shiraz, with the rest made up of Cabernet, Merlot, Semillon and Chardonnay. Most of their wines bear distinctive whimsical and humorous names and labels with cartoon characters. Never-the-less, many of their wines, while modestly-priced, Mollydookers are often highly rated. Their premium label, 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz retails for $175, however. 

The 2012 Enchanted Path is dark inky purple colored, full bodied, rich thick concentrated and complex with varietal Cabernet notes of ripe black and blue berry and plum with clove, spice and layers of chocolate and anise, with supple creamy mouth-feel and chewy tannins on nicely polished balanced finish.

The 2012 Enchanted Path is a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1773713

www.mollydookerwines.com

Some other earlier posting notes of this label in these pages:

• Caymus 40th Anniversary Release - An Enchanted Path

•  Horizontal Tasting of South Australia Shiraz - Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path", GoDolphin, BCH and '9'

• 007 Shiraz-Cab Blends

• Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path" Shiraz Cabernet

Newton Napa Valley Unfiltered Chardonnay 2017

Newton Napa Valley Unfiltered Chardonnay 2017

Friday night stay at home movie date night, we opened this premium Napa Valley Chardonnay with a plate of artisan cheeses, ham and sweet gherkins. We served this producer's Newton Napa Valley Cabernet in a large format 6-liter Imperial bottle from our son Alec's birth year vintage at his wedding celebration welcome reception back in 2021. We wrote about that in this blogpost - Big Bottle Birthyear wines for Wedding Celebration at the time. (Our collection of large format bottles for our kids' birth years was the basis for our cellar being featured in the Collecting section of Wine Spectator Magazine back in June 2001).

Newton was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton and his Chinese wife Su Hua. Peter Newton was already renowned as a pioneer Napa Valley winemaker having founded Sterling Winery near Calistoga in the 1960s. We visited Sterling with its Disneyland like aerial skylift up to the mountaintop art museum and winery in the late seventies during our very first trip to Napa Valley. 

Peter Newton developed a single square mile of hillside on high up Spring Mountain in 1977. The site's terraced mountain estate has less than one-fifth of its total 490 acres planted to vines at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,600 feet above sea level. The non-farmed acreage remains in its native forested state providing natural habitat for indigenous wildlife.

The Newtons transformed one square mile of rolling hillside in Spring Mountain into one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious estates, whose wines have graced the official dinners of several US presidents. The Newton estate encompasses 170 acres of prime Napa Valley terroir, distributed over four separate, wholly owned vineyards: Spring Mountain, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Carneros. 

Newton is known for producing wines that are uniquely characterful expressions of varietals emblematic of the Napa Valley, notably Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

For this Chardonnay, they source grapes primarily from the Napa Carneros AVA,  along with Rutherford, and with small quantities coming from Mendocino Ridge AVAs.

Carneros is marked by well-drained soils and rolling hills that border the San Pablo Bay. Sea breezes from the nearby bay, combined with morning and afternoon fog, keep temperatures cool and consistent. As a result, the area supports a long growing season, which allows grapes to achieve even and optimal ripeness—leading to wines of exceptional length and freshness. Rutherford is located in the heart of Napa Valley, is characterized by warmer days and richer soils. Rutherford fruit adds volume and body to the blend. 

Winemaker notes - Nose of tropical fruit, vanilla and lemon merangue. Medium to full bodied, lots of honey, some beeswax, and citrus flavors. Some butter and toast as well. Still a bit oaky, but not to a level as to interfere with enjoyment of this wine. 

This is barrel-fermented and unfiltered making the wine very creamy on the palate. A classic fragrant with orange blossom aromas, dry, mouth-filling on the palate with white florals, ripe red apple, pear, tropical fruit and toasty oak spice flavours. - Community Wine Reviews

This was awarded 93 points byJames Suckling and 91 points by Natalie McClean.

A style signature of Newton: Elegant and precise, excellent balance between freshness, complexity, richness and structure.

Straw colored, medium to full bodied, bright expressive, complex, dense forward ripe stone, pear and apple fruits with a pronounced layer of distinctive butterscotch. 

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3445650

https://www.newtonvineyard.com/

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour features delightful casual sipping WBTG pairing

College friends and Linda's sorority sister Sara and husband Chuck were in town to visit family and friends. We met up and arranged to host them on a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park where I am a docent interpreter. Afterwards we met two other sisters and their partners for lunch at Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park. 

Hemingway's Bistro is one of our favorite dinesites and one we love to combine my tour activities at the Frank Lloyd Wright home just blocks away with lunches or dinners for such occasions. We've featured some of those tour and dining outings in these pages' blogposts -

Hemingway's Bistro Wine Dinner Highlights FLW Architecture Tours

FLW Home & Studio Tour and Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Linda and I ordered the daily special fresh fish, Walleye served with crab cake crust, mashed potatoes and haricot verts. With our lunch, we ordered WBTG - wines by the glass, a Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Northern Rhône Crozes-Hermitage Sryah.

Before our entrees, I ordered for a starter course the Chicken Liver Pate'. As an accompaniment I had a glass of the Crozes-Hermitage. 

Paul Jaboulet Aîné "Les Jalets" Crozes-Hermitage 2017

Paul Jaboulet Aîné owns parcels of vines in several Rhône appellations both north and south, and produces an extensive range of both estate bottled and négociant wines. Paul Jaboulet Aîné is one of the most prolific producers in the Northern Rhône, notably in Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage. 

The earliest record of the Jaboulet family producing wine dates back to 1834, and the eventual house of Paul Jaboulet Aîné remained in Jaboulet family ownership until 2006. It was then sold to the Frey family, proprieters of Ch La Lagune in Bordeaux, and numerous other vineyards and labels.

Frey obtained the famous brand names such as Hermitage "La Chapelle" and Crozes Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert", but not all of the vineyards historically used for producing those wines. Notably the vineyard used to produce Crozes Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert" - a vineyard historically known as Les Grandes Vignes - was split, with part remaining under the control of Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet. Frey succeeded in restoring the reputation of Paul Jaboulet Aîné which had fallen away during the 1990s.

Domaine de Raymond Roure is a nine acre Crozes Hermitage vineyard high on the back of the Hermitage hill which Jaboulet acquired in 1996. The red now sells at a premium to Thalabert and is the wine for longer keeping.

Les Jalets is a modest priced casual sipper with good QPR - quality price ratio, from the Northern Rhône Crozes Hermitage AVA that produces distinctive earthy dark fruity Shiraz/Syrahs. 

Bright garnet colored, medium to full-bodied with lively expressive forward briery blackcurrant and red berry fruits accented by black pepper, licorice, spices and savory truffle notes with a tongue puckering tangy acidity on a moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 89 points.

This was awarded 92 points by Decanter and commented by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Advocate.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3495500

http://www.jaboulet.com/Website/site/fra_prehome.htm

With our entree course Linda and I both selected this lively Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.

Lake Sonoma Winery Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020 

Another modest priced good QPR selection served BTG from the winelist.
Lake Sonoma Winery produces a range of red and white wines from across the Sonoma County winegrowing region representing its diverse assemblages of terroirs and micro-climates.  This diversity is expressed through Sonoma’s sub-appellations, many of which are renowned for specific varietals that thrive in each. 

Lake Sonoma Winery work with the most celebrated of these sub-appellations to offer their portfolio of  wines designed that showcase the region’s unique characteristics and the varietal for which it has come to be known.

This moderate priced Chardonnay is sourced from Lake Sonoma estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley. 

Lake Sonoma Winery’s winemaker, Jaime “JJ” Dowell joined Lake Sonoma Winery in 2021 after spending time in New Zealand managing the production of a high-end Pinot Noir at Villa Maria Estate in Blenheim. 

The native Californian started out working as an Associate Winemaker alongside highly regarded Jean Hoefliger at Alpha Omega Winery in Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA for five-years. She then took over winemaking duties at Round Pond Estate before moving to Lake Sonoma Winery on the other side of the Mayacamas Mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

When she arrived this wine was still in barrel. The previous winemaker made the decisions on harvest and fermentation, and left it to her successor to blend the final bottled wine. JJ put her spin on things, and through the blending, the identity was crafted. 

Winemaker Notes: "This classic Chardonnay expresses the best of the Russian River Valley appellation through vibrant citrus and tropical fruit aromas with hints of vanilla.  Bright fruit flavors including kiwi, lime and nectarine round out the palate followed by a rich and lingering finish."

The wine was left on the lees for three months to enhance the mid-palate richness. Aged for 22 months in 20% new French oak, 50% neutral oak and 30% stainless steel tanks.

This was delightful and a perfect complement to the walleye fresh fish special. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, balanced and flavorful peach, and tangerine citrus fruit flavors with accents of lychee tropical fruit on a smooth elegant lingering finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4170830

https://lakesonomawinery.com/

http://hemmingways-bistro.com/

Previous lunch and dinner dining experiences at Hemingway's Bistro featured in these pages:

Roots Klee Pinot Noir Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park

Hemingway's Oak Park BYOB BTG Dinner

Hemingway's Bistro Wine Dinner Highlights FLW Architecture Tours

Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with Hemingway's Oak Park French Fare

Festive Holiday Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Anniversary Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Wine BTG with small plates at Hemingway's Oak Park

FLW Home & Studio Tour and Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

La Spinetta (Rivetti) Cà di Pian Barbera d'Asti Superiore with Spaghetti

La Spinetta (Rivetti) Cà di Pian Barbera d'Asti Superiore with Spaghetti

Following the sensational tasting of the Pin La Spinetta (Rivetti) last week, as featured in this blogpost, Rivetti Pin La Spinetta Castagnole Monferrato with Spaghetti, I went to Binny's, our beverage superstore to see if by chance there was any more available to replace the bottle we drank. Sadly, they don't have any or even see it in distribution. I acquired the bottles in our cellar back in 2010 so its not surprising it may no longer be available. The only La Spinetta (Rivetti) label they had in inventory was this one, so I picked up a bottle to try. 

I wrote about the broad Rivetti La Spinetta history and portfolio in that blogpost.

La Spinetta was founded by Giuseppe Rivetti, nicknamed ‘Pin’, and his wife, Lidia in the 1960's. Their children Carlo, Bruno, Giorgio, and Giovanna took over the winery reins in the 1970's, implementing the teachings of their parents, acting on their great respect for the territory, the indigenous vines and the Piedmontese land.

In 1977 the children, with the support of their parents, began the first production of their Moscatos, Bricco Quaglia and Biancospino. These would be some of the first single-cru Moscato to be produced in Italy.

With the success of the Moscato business, they expanded to also focus on red grapes starting with this Barbera Ca di Pian, their first red label in 1985. 

It is 100% Barbera sourced from 74 acres of vineyards in the towns of Castagnole delle Lanze (Piani), Costigliole d’Asti and Montegrosso d’Asti. The age of the vines ranges from six to twenty to forty years.

Today, the portfolio has expanded to over a dozen red labels from Piedmont and also Tuscany that range from a number of wonderful varietals that should be reserved for special occasions, and several, like this one, that provide affordable every day drinking with good QPR - quality/price ratio - typically priced in the $20 to $30 range.  

La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barbera d'Asti Superiore Cà di Pian DOCG 2020

Like our La Spinetta Rivetti earlier tasting, Linda again prepared spaghetti with tangy hearty bolognese sauce to pair with this wine. 

From Asti, Piedmont, Italy - this intensely flavored wine shows us why Giorgio Rivetti is considered a modern master of the Piedmont.

Even at this pricepoint, this label is classified DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), the highest quality classification designation for Italian wines. The rules for DOCG are stricter than DOC, yields must be lower and the wines must be aged in barrels longer. Also, DOCG requires the wines be submitted for technical analysis and tasted for approval by a government committee before they can be sold as DOCG wines. 

Interesting too, DOCG wines even have a numbered, government seal across the neck of the bottle to help prevent counterfeiting (shown below right).

Also, even at this more modest pricepoint, this is packaged in a heavier more substantial bottle as well. 

Winemaker notes - Cà di Pian is a Barbera with an unmistakable character representing the distinctive terror of the Piedmont. There are intense aromas of blackberry and morello cherries. This wine is truly captivating, yet it remains fresh and extremely versatile.

Maceration and alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled vats for an average period of 14-15 days. Malolactic fermentation was done in used (2nd and 3rd passage) French oak barrels, followed by 12 months of aging. Finally, bottle-aged for approximately 3 months.

Today, average annual production is nearly 70.000 bottles.

A nice pizza or pasta wine for simple every day sipping. Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, primarily earthy, dark and tannic as with many barbera wines, but the fruit does come through, expressive rich dark berry fruits with accents of creosote, cassis, cherry liqueur and toasty oak with a moderate long rich finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4192221

http://www.la-spinetta.com/

@LaSpinettaItaly

Harvey & Harriet San Luis Obispo Red Blend

Harvey & Harriet San Luis Obispo Red Blend 2019

We had son Alec and Viviana over for Sunday evening dinner following our father/son (s) golf outing at beautiful Cantigny Golf Club in adjacent Winfield. Alec brought this interesting red from his cellar to pair with the ribs, haricot verts and roasted potatoes that Linda grilled on the deck. 

This label is from Eric Jenson, winemaker and farmer, who gained experience working with Central California Coast neighbors Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum. He produces this Bordeaux-style blend sourced from select vineyard sites in San Luis Obispo.

The label's namesake, Harvey & Harriet, are Eric's Mom & Dad, and as the rear label states, "everyone's favorite neighbors. Or Not."

Harvey and Harriet is a Bordeaux Red Blend created by Eric Jensen of Booker Vineyard. As it is written, this is an homage to his parents, an "attempt to make a wine that his parents would love and could afford. It is a wine that’s made by hard work, the best vineyard sites, the best barrels, the best team and of course no additives or concentrates. A world class wine for everyone who appreciates high quality without the high price tag."

As Jenson writes, "Harvey & Harriet were my parents - loving, kind, thoughtful people. Kind to everybody - no enemies. They loved wine, but in today's world, they couldn't have afforded a high end wine. So I created Harvey & Harriet for them. A thoughtful, delicious, cult-style wine that can land on everyone's dinner table."

It is an interesting red blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec from San Luis Obispo County in Central Coast of California. 

It was aged 18 months with 60% new oak equivalent.

It was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck, and 93 Points and #4 WCC Top 5 Wines of 2021 by Kevin Vogt, Master Sommelier.

"A world class wine for everyone who appreciates high quality without the high price tag".

Jeb Dunnuck writes, "It’s a smoking value, and while it has plenty of up-front charm, it certainly has a decade or more of overall longevity, .... would run two to three times the cost if they were from Napa Valley." 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate writes, "a style that will appeal to a wide range of red-wine drinkers, from lovers of Zinfandel to fans of Cabernet"

WCC writes, "Although it will drink beautifully for another 8 - 10 years, there is no reason to wait because it is delightful now." 

Deep ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, complex, concentrated forward fruits, a cacophony of black and blue berry flavors with notes of tobacco, tar, cocoa, expresso, spices and hints of cedar. This is nice complex drinking that seems to be a good value, but needs to age a bit further in bottle to integrate and settle. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3981172

https://harveyandharriet.com/

https://harveyandharriet.com/collections/our-wine/products/2020-harvey-harriet-red-blend?gad=1

Diverse Reds for Duck Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Diverse Reds for Duck Inn Hot Dogs and Ground Sirloin Burgers

Returning from a overnight trip to Indiana, a day in Lafayette and a day in Indy, we stopped in St John to visit fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan and Linda for a impromptu dinner. Dan grilled 'Duck Dogs', produced by Duck Inn in Chicago as a tribute to the classic Chicago Hot Dog, all beef hot dogs with a small amount of duck fat, and grilled sirloin beef burgers. Both were delicious.

The Duck Inn Dog has received numerous local and national accolades, including being named Top Dog by Food Network and Best Hot Dogs in Chicago by Food & Wine magazine.

We dined at Duck Inn with the Pour Boys together back in 2021 as presented in this blogpost - Duck Inn Chicago Unique Dining Experience.

With dinner, Dan pulled from his cellar a medley of diverse reds. Putting a call out for requests, I asked if we could start with a California Pinot Noir, following our recent tastings of a flight of such wines. 

Dan served an ultra-premium Seasmoke Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, followed by an ultra-premium Aussie Shiraz.

SeaSmoke 'Ten'  Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2015

This is from Sea Smoke's estate vineyard in the Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills AVA.

Dan is a member of their wine club and gets access to these highly allocated very popular wines.

Owner/producer Bob Davids acquired the property in 1999. They produce Pinot Noir grown exclusively on the south-facing hillsides of the estate vineyards. 

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. It is known to have the perfect microclimate for growing world-class Pinot Noir, with crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soils. The Santa Ynez River canyon funnels the cool maritime fog layer (sea "smoke") across the hillsides, slowing the ripening process and providing the extended maturation period essential to the development of top-quality Pinot Noir. The shallow clay soils are planted to French clones on vigor-reducing rootstocks, resulting in fewer grape clusters of intense flavor, ripening optimally while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance. 

Sea Smoke's "Ten" is named for the ten different Pinot Noir clones planted in their estate vineyard which all find their way into this bottling. 

Sea Smoke notes is "the most masculine wine of their multiple labels, brooding and intense, with firm, mature tannins and a long, velvety finish. Ten is not for the faint-of-heart and has been known, on occasion, to convert even the most fanatic Cabernet lover."

Winemaker Don Schroeder explains, “The wealth of clones at our vineyard is one of the keys to the complexity of our wines.” This bottling is made from all ten clones farmed directly from the organic- and Biodynamic-certified estate vineyard: Aged 16 months in French oak, it shows scents of chocolate syrup and baked plum pudding. A solemn Pinot, it remains extravagant with flavors of black cherry washed with rose petals and rhubarb. Tilled soil, beet root, and firm tannins prove its profundity."

 

Winemaker Notes - A brooding and intense wine. The dark fruit dominant aromas begin with notes of cola, Black Cherry and Blueberry, then some Asian spice, chocolate and a hint of Rose petals. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten’s ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish. 

The wine was aged for 16 months in 60% new French oak before bottling. 

This was rated  95 points by the Tasting Panel and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and a Cellar Selection.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright concentrated black cherry and black plum fruits with notes of clove spice, vanilla bean, pepper and earth.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2612871

https://www.seasmoke.com/

Next Dan pulled one of our favorite labels, a big hearty Aussie Shiraz.

Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range Vineyard" Syrah McLaren Vale South Australia 2011

I wrote about this label in an earlier blogpost. "This vintage release of this label was not as big or fruit filled as the other releases I have tasted, taking on a little bit more menthol and acidity than the more complex concentrated fruit flavors of the 2004 that we paired and compared. One Cellartracker reviewer MMack gave it 92 points and compared it to a CDP (Chateauneuf du Pape). Vivino reviewer DcLaxFan also likened it to a Rhone, he wrote "From a winery founded by a biochemist, the Syrah opens with a nose of smoked meat, mulberry, tapenade, and plum. Savory mouth of prunes, brisket, cassis, and earth. A wild, smoky, meaty feel like a Rhône Vacqueyras."'

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1953014

Dan then pulled from his cellar this surprise label. We both acquired this label as part of our wine club allocation from the producer. Linda and I actually took this label to Florida on our recent trip to enjoy but never got the chance to drink it and brought it back to have at a future occasion. Tonight, we got to try this new label bottling we've been eager to try! 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

This is from Force Majeure, an ultra-premium producer winery located in the Walla Walla Valley, specializing in estate-grown, single-vineyard Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines. Force Majeure wines are the handicraft of Todd Alexander, former winemaker for Bryant Family Vineyards and a couple of other notable Napa producers. He and his wife Carrie relocated their family to Walla Walla to take on the Force Majeure estate and brand. I featured Todd in these pages when he took on that role back in 2016 - Todd Alexander joins Force Majeure Winery.

We visited the Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate back in 2018 and wrote about that visit in this blogpost at the time - Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting, as part of our Walla Walla AVA Visit that provided the opportunity to visit this vibrant emerging wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and experience the best of Red Mountain and Walla Walla appellation wines. We walked the estate vineyards, source for this wine with the rocky soil, and thus were excited to eventually receive this release of this wine as part of our club allocation.

Force Majeure had recently acquired two new vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. The site is within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, just across the Oregon side of state line border. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA.

The Rocks District is named for the rocky deposits left by the Walla Walla River where the river exits the foothills of the Blue Mountains and enters the Walla Walla Valley. It resembles the gravelly soil of the Southern Rhone River Valley in Chateauneuf du Pape. The Rocks District of Milton Freewater is the country’s newest AVA. Wine Spectator calls this AVA “perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir."

The unique riverbed of cobblestones and pebbles is as much as two hundred feet deep, formed 12,000 years ago from massive floods that swept through the region caused by ruptures in the ice dam that held Montana's glacial Lake Missoula. The Rocks District is a 12-square mile alluvial fan of 3,770 acres. 

Force Majeure Walla Walla Estate Syrah 2020

The property is partially within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, on the Oregon side of the border, and is located adjacent to the site of our new winery. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Rocks District is an alluvial fan, and the cobbles that define the area are a result of deposits left by the Walla Walla River. 

This vineyard was planted between 1992 and 1994, and has a diverse soil profile covering the cobble stones, highest at the north end of the property and most shallow at the southern end. This gives us a lot of diversity within a small area, and the grapes will have different characteristics depending on the soil composition where they are grown. This vineyard is in an area proven to have very distinct terroir.

The unique topography and geological variants in these vineyards provide fruit characterized by stunning intensity, depth, concentration and complex flavors.

This wine was rated 20/20 points, Rand Sealey, Report on Washington Wines 

All Syrah that saw 30% stems and roughly 30% new barrels,

Inky dark purple garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant complex black cherry with some blue fruit tones, with notes of earth, violet, pepper and herbs, with chalky minerality and tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4624205

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/ 

@ForceMVineyards