Fine Wine Source Club – November 2025

Posted on November 26, 2025 by thewineraconteur

We joined the wine club at The Fine Wine Source many years ago, basically two wines every month for just under thirty dollars, which is a bargain.  The other bargains is that every wine I purchase is at case discount, even if I only buy a single bottle.  Then there are the invitations for special wine tasting events, not to mention spur of the moment wine tastings as well.

The first wine selection of each month represents the Old World and this month it is a bottle of Domaine Pascal Aufranc Chenas En Remont 2022, which formerly was labeled as “Domaine Pascal Aufranc Chenas Vignes de 1939.” Pascal Aufranc began his estate with about two hectares of vines in Chenas, located on the En Remont hill which is 350 meters high.  Chenas came from the “Chene” oak trees that were planted prior to the vines in the area.  The vineyard is isolated from neighboring estates and Pascal has made his stewardship unique and to his liking. Chenas is one of the smaller Cru appellations of Beaujolais.  The estate is an old farm; hand planted on steep slopes lost in the woods of Chenas.  He has since acquired one hectare in Fleurie and seven hectares in Julienas.  The soil found in En Remont hill is a mixture of sand and granite.  The wine is pure Gamay, and the fruit is manually harvested to take advantage of the perfect moment of maturity.  The traditional winemaking that he uses requires a minimum of ten days of maceration with full grapes in concrete vats.  Then after pressing, the wine is aged for nine months in concrete vats on fine lees.  The wine is described as being deep ruby-red in color and offering notes of black cherry, plum, blackberries, cassis, huckleberry, thyme and dried violets.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displays tones of blueberries, cherries and cranberries along with some black tea blending with “grippy” tannins and ending with medium-count finish of fruit, spices and florals.

The second club selection represents the New World and is Séance Pinot Noir California 2022.  Christophe “Chris” Legrandjacques is the Director of Winemaking; born in Champagne, raised in Africa and trained in winemaking in Burgundy and Bordeaux, he now calls California his home.  He has named his wines Séance with the traditional French meaning of “to sit for a theatrical performance.”  The fruit is selected from various vineyards across California.  The fruit is harvested at night, destemmed and gently pressed.  A twenty-four-hour cold soak, followed by warm fermentations with limited punch-downs, to extract rich fruit flavors.  The wine is then racked and undergoes aging and Malolactic Fermentation in French Oak for ten months.  A deep red colored wine that offers notes of pomegranate, red cherries, and strawberry pie with baking spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displays tones of cherry, rhubarb, strawberry and pomegranate followed by some cumin, dark-bittersweet chocolate and espresso blending with soft tannins and ending with a long-count finish of fruit.

I also had the good fortune while I was at the shop to taste Brand No. 95 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018.  Christine O’Sullivan and Jim Bean originally met and worked for Apple in Silicon Valley and were making visits to Napa Valley,  They bought their first vineyard of sixty-five acres in the Oak Knoll District, and a few years later they sold this property to buy their new estate on Pritchard Hill in 2019 and kept the name Brand created by Doug Long and then the Fitts family, they also continued with the original winemaker, Philippe Melka.  Organically farmed and using biodynamic practices, the fruit is planted on diverse shallow volcanic soils with fractured andesite rock and two distinct types of loamy soil.  The wine is a blend of seventy-six percent Cabernet Sauvignon and twenty-four percent Cabernet Franc.  The wine undergoes Initial Fermentation in barrels and small Stainless- Steel tanks, and then aged for twenty months in French Oak, of which sixty percent is new; the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.  This deep garnet colored wine offered notes of black cherry, blackberry, rhubarb, coffee bean, menthol, sage, baking spices and graphite.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry, blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, licorice, and spices blending with fine tannins and ending with long-count finish of velvety smooth black fruits and terroir.   

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Blue Rock Winery – Part Three

Posted on November 23, 2025 by thewineraconteur

We were getting close to the end of the wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan with a tasting of wines from Blue Rock Winery led by Carla Jeffries.  Carla Jeffries was fascinating to talk to and it was a true pleasure, as for a few minutes, I even had all of her attention, until others joined in for the tasting.  She is the Managing Director/General Manager of Blue Rock Vineyard as well as the liaison with trade and media.  I found out that she was from the Midland area of Michigan originally and that her family was in agriculture, as well as homemade wine. She began her career in California first with Francis Coppola’s Winery, followed by another, and then to Blue Rock Vineyard, overseeing hospitality, sales, marketing, branding, administration and part of the winemaking team.  She also gave me a sample of serpentine blue rock, that is part of their signature soil, which now greets guests at my house on the front porch ledge.

The penultimate wine that we had was the Blue Rock Vineyard “Black Label” Best Barrels Merlot Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2021.  The fruit for this wine came from the Blue Rock Estate Vineyard in Alexander Valley and it was ninety-four percent Merlot, five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and one percent Malbec.  It was fermented and aged for twenty-two months in French Oak, of which twenty-five percent was new, and then in the bottle for twenty-one months before release.  There were 576 cases produced of this wine.  A deep ruby-red colored wine that offered notes of red and black fruits, fennel and vanilla, with cocoa, cedar, tobacco and graphite.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry and raspberries, and secondary flavors of coffee, licorice and mocha blending with firm tannins and ending with a nice long-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.

The final wine of the tasting was Black Rock Vineyard “Black Label” Best Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2019.  This wine was created from barrels representing four distinct blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Petit Verdot all from their Blue Rock Vineyard Estate.  The wine is ninety-one percent Cabernet Sauvignon and nine percent Petit Verdot.  The wine was fermented and aged in French Oak for twenty-eight months, with forty-five percent new and then an additional eighteen months in the bottle before release.  There were 537 cases produced.  A deep reddish-purple colored wine that offered notes of black fruit, black peppercorn, vanilla and graphite.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of blackberry, black cherry, plums, cassis, along with black pepper and vanilla blending with tight tannins and ending with a long-count finish of black fruit, spices and terroir.    

    

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Blue Rock Winery – Part Two

Posted on November 20, 2025 by thewineraconteur

The second part of a wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and the tasting was conducted by Carla Jeffries who handles liaison work with the trade and media.  The name Blue Rock originates from the local soil studded with blue pebbles, rocks and boulders of serpentine.  The serpentine rock defines the terroir profile of the land, and it also naturally yields a smaller crop. The estate has forty-six acres of hillside vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, and later they add three acres of Syrah.

The first red wine of the tasting was Blue Rock Winery “Black Label” Best Barrels Pinot Noir Gapstone Vineyard, Petaluma Gap Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2022.  You may have noticed that I have been showing photos of the back of the bottle labels, as the winery to conserve expenses, which is wise, has either a blue label or a black label that proclaims Blue Rock Winery, and the “Black Label” designates their Best Barrel wines.  This wine was selected from a four-barrel selection that features two Pinot Noir clones. Seventy-five percent is Swan Clone noted for low yields, small berries and velvety texture, while twenty-five percent is Calera Clone known for its age-worthy tannins.  The wine is pure Pinot Noir and was fermented and aged in French Oak, of which fifty percent was new, for ten months, with an additional five months in the bottle before release.  The four barrels produced eighty-eight cases.  The deep burgundy colored wine offered notes of raspberry, black cherry, and violet florals.  On the palate the medium-bodied, well balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry, plums and pomegranates along with balsam, dark chocolate and gravel that ended with a medium to long-count finish of fruit and terroir.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of this wine, so I am showing the two front labels.

The second red wine was the Blue Rock Winery Baby Blue Red Blend Alexander Valley, Sonoma County 2021.  This wine is eighty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, seven percent Petit Verdot, three percent Syrah, one percent Cabernet Franc and one percent Malbec.  The wine was aged for sixteen months in French Oak, of which fifteen percent was new, with and additional seven months in the bottle.   This wine was a deep ruby red colored wine that offered notes of blackberry, currants, and secondary notes of graphite, cedar, peppercorn and vanilla.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black and red fruits, black tea, savory spices and dark chocolate blending with moderate tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.

The next wine was Blue Rock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Estate Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2021.  This wine was a blend of ninety-four percent Cabernet Sauvignon, five percent Petit Verdot, and one percent Merlot.  The wine was fermented and aged for twenty-four months in French Oak, of which twenty-five percent was new, which an additional seven months in the bottle before release.  This deep garnet-red wine offered notes of dark and red fruits, especially boysenberry, along with dried herbs and spices and gravel.  On the palate this medium-bodied, full-balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry and blueberry, along with mint, graphite and cocoa blending with fine grain tannins and finishing with a medium to long-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.

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Blue Rock Winery – Part One

Posted on November 17, 2025 by thewineraconteur

Another wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and it is always fun to encounter a new winery, at least to me, it was a new winery and the tasting was overseen by Carla Jeffries, who handles liaison work with the media and the trade; and not only that, she was originally from Michigan, and it was a pleasure to hear her talk about the wines.

The Blue Rock estate dates to 1880 and when Italian winemaking came to Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley bringing olive trees, vine cuttings and traditional wine lore techniques. The first wine that we had was Blue Rock Winery Viognier Gapstone Vineyard Petaluma Gap Alexander Valley 2023.  Gapstone Vineyard is considered a jewel among the northwestern slopes of the Petaluma Gap.  After harvest and pressing the juice was divided in two.  The first half underwent aging in once used French Oak barrels for creating sensory mouthfeel and texture, while the other half went to Stainless-Steel tanks to retain the floral and mineral notes.  The barrel fermented half was allowed to ferment and age with lees stirring for two months; while the other half after Initial Fermentation was immediately chilled after the fermentation to inhibit Malolactic Fermentation. The straw-yellow colored wine offered notes of honeysuckle, lemon and honey.  On the palate this medium-bodied well-balanced wine displayed tones of pears, almonds and lemons and ended with a nice medium-count finish of fruit, citrus and terroir. 

Blue Rock Winery was originally settled by Italians who work down the road at the Italian Swiss Colony winery, while the original stone house was once Villa Maria winery which closed during Prohibition.  It was acquired by Kenny and Cheryl Kahn in 1987, who have maintained the Old-Word feel to the estate, even by importing more Italian olive tree cuttings, as well as maintaining some of the original olive trees that are close to 150 years of age.  Our next wine was Blue Rock Winery Baby Blue Blanc Sonoma County 2023.  The Baby Blue Collection is a set of wines that show the creativity of the winemaker to enhance the base wines.  This wine is a blend of seventy-five percent Sauvignon Blanc, sixteen percent Semillon and nine percent Viognier.  The wine was fermented and quickly aged in a period of about three months in a mix of Stainless-Steel and Neutral Oak, with an additional four plus months in bottle before release.  The pale straw-yellow wine offered notes of white peaches, honeysuckle, orange blossoms and lemongrass.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of grapefruit, lychee, tangerine, wax cherries and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and minerality. 

Besides the grove of olive trees, the grounds also have an organic vegetable garden left over from the Kenny Kahn’s farming techniques from his days in Tennessee.  There is also a 130-year-old Bocce Ball court from the original days, and there can also be found wild turkeys, feral pigs and other wildlife that share the estate.  The final white wine was the Blue Rock Winery Chardonnay Petaluma Gap Gapstone Vineyard Sonoma County 2022.  This wine is pure Chardonnay grown on their Gapstone Vineyard of tightly spaced rows of two clones of Chardonnay on coastally drained, silty gravel soil.  The wine is barrel fermented in French Oak, of which twenty-five percent is new with the lees stirred every two weeks; and aged for fourteen months with an additional four months of bottle aging.  This soft golden-yellow wine offered notes of green apples, tropical fruit, lemon-lime, vanilla and other spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of tropical fruits, lemon curds blending with some additional refreshing acidity and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, honey and minerality.

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A Blogging Celebration

Posted on November 14, 2025 by thewineraconteur

I started my little wine blog in May 2012, and Facebook just before that.  It was strongly suggested that I get an Instagram account, which I finally did in March 2017; I guess I am slow to try new things.  Using WordPress for my blog was good, because I had no idea what I was doing, and some people still question my ability to know.  WordPress offers help and guidance; Facebook and Instagram have rules that one only encounters if they have done something wrong.  All is good.  Thank you.   

With the blog, I kind of tiptoed around, and I think that I have finally found my voice and conceit (literary and not ego).  This will be my 2,519 article and the start of 5,251 photos as near as I can estimate.  Of course, this does not even scratch the surface of all the wines that I have tried since my high school days, which is easily over fifty years ago.  I am just a working guy who has had the good fortune of having experienced not only some of the best, but also some of the more questionable wines on the market, but I write about all the wines that I have encountered.  Through the years I have met and enjoyed many people that I have learned from, and some that I have had other experiences with.  Also, I had some that were getting excited for me, as they looked at my numbers.  Thank you.

Now Instagram is a strange environment, and people are chasing for imaginary goals and numbers.   I have been invited to join people that could increase my numbers, but I have had no desire to do any hanky-panky.  In fact, I think that there have only been a few accounts that I have followed first, as I usually wait for someone to follow me. Since I have no designations or accreditations in the wine industry, I have never bothered to proffer recommendations or to describe myself with lofty titles like being an influencer, that are so trendy today.  The account that put me over the mark has a statement of their profile that I thought was perfect for the occasion, as they proclaim, “Never run out of wine, always have some on hand!” and with our cellar exploding with around three thousand bottles, I guess that describes my Bride and me. Today, I received a message from Instagram that I now have 10,000 followers which I am sure will waver around that number for a couple of weeks, as there are some people that follow you, and once you reciprocate, they drop you, as they only want your “follow.”  We may have Chili tonight, if we do, then I will celebrate with Margaritas and we are going to a new restaurant tomorrow, so I will find a wine or two to celebrate then.  Thank you.

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Taking Coals to Newcastle

Posted on November 11, 2025 by thewineraconteur

Now most people realize that the title of this article is a useless endeavor, but I will get to that story soon enough.  As I had to make a trip to my favorite wine shop The Fine Source in Livonia, Michigan. 

My Bride was asking about a certain Port wine that we have in the cellar, as she was thinking of giving a bottle as a Christmas gift, now I have to tell you that just about all the gifts have been purchased, she has written the Annual Newsletter and has started addressing the cards.  Anyways, I went to the shop, thinking that I better get some more of the Port wine, the winery decided not to make it anymore, and one of the customers bought the entire inventory of seventy-seven bottles left in existence.  They graciously suggested another wine to take its place, so they poured me a glass of Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximenez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1927.  Bodegas Alvear is one of the largest and best-known producers in Andalucia.  It was built in 1729 by Diego de Alvear y Escalera and their wines are competitive with the great Sherry producers of Jerez.  Though Montilla-Moriles was not as famous, but for all of you Edgar Allan Poe fans, the Cask of Amontillado, actually means “in the style of Montilla.”  The district was awarded a DO in 1945, which is interesting since the wine has been recorded since the 8th century.  Pedro Ximenenz is a white wine grape best for the Sherries of Jerez, Spain.  The grape is unsuitable for table wine production, because of its very low acidity, but when fortified it takes on a life of its own.  The solera system has been used for centuries, where the wine is aged in a barrel system, under a layer of “flor” which is dissipated yeast that has oxidized in the barrel and contributes to this unique aging process of pouring older wine barrels into a succession of younger wine barrels for a constant blending cycle.  Bodegas Alvear has the ability to age five-million liters of wine in oaks butts at once and is known for having two-hundred-year-old Amontillado.  The grapes are harvested late and spread out on mats, until they turn to raisins, then pressed, the resulting must is exceptionally sweet but then is muted with addition of spirit.   This solera began in 1927 and the deep dark, amber-colored wine offered notes of treacly dark maple syrup, pecans, raisins, dried apricots, coffee, walnuts, orange and toffee.  On the palate, this full-bodied, well-balanced wine actually displays all the olfactory notes with the addition of spices and an extra burst of acidity and ends with a very long-count finish replicating the initial taste.  The nose was so captivating that I actually tasted the wine, before I photographed it.

While I was in the wine shop, there were two doctors that had worked together years ago, one as a mentor that ended in up in different states, rooting for different football teams, and make it a point to meet halfway in Detroit sometimes just to watch games together on the television with a great meal, and of course great wine.  The elder told me that he prefers young wines, because of the big fruit factor and they were tasting some wines to figure out what they were going to drink that evening.  I was solicited into this special tasting as they wanted to hear from an avid amateur about a couple of wines.  I think the wine that was the winner was the flagship wine, the Celani Family Winery “Ardore” Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021.   The “Ardore” also evokes Tom Celani’s passion for a great cigar, as the label reminds one immediately of a cigar wrapper.  The wine is made from a careful selection of ten barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon from the most exceptional vineyard sites in the Coombsville AVA.  The wine is aged for twenty-two months in French Oak of which eighty-five percent is new, and the wine is never fined, nor filtered.  This deep garnet wine offered great notes of blackberries, black currants, Crème de cassis, tea, and followed by tobacco, chocolate, and minerals.  On the palate, powerful tones of rich concentrated fruit and velvety tannins with an ending that had a very long count of lush fruit and terroir.

Now to explain my title of “Taking Coals to Newcastle,” the elder physician brought two bottles of wine from his cellar to drink at The Fine Wine Source that he had bought upon issue.  He was joking that Jim had told him to get two or three of this wine, that it was so big, and he was laughing because the count was referring to cases and not bottles, and how true his prediction was.  The good doctor was pouring this wine for the staff, he and his associate, for me and every customer that entered the shop.  He was treating everyone to glasses of Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1994. Joseph Phelps estate was established in 1973, prior to that he was in the construction business, and had a project in Napa.  He first started sending grapes back to Denver and eventually bought a cattle ranch in the valley and started planting vines. He decided early on that Insignia was his flagship wine and he didn’t want to just bottle varietal wines, but a wine that the blend would change from year to year.  The 1994 vintage is a blend of eighty-eight percent Cabernet Sauvignon, ten percent Merlot and two percent Cabernet Franc.  The wine was aged for twenty-eight months in all new French Oak barrels. This deep purple wine offered notes of black currants, blackberry, licorice, coffee bean, vanilla and smoke.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine at thirty-one years of age was still evolving and the jammy dark fruits were still bigger and more impressive than plenty of young wines, the velvety tannins were delightful and it was ending with a full long-count finish of opulence and complexity; yes, I went back and enjoyed a second glass without much prodding to appreciate the secondary and tertiary levels of flavors that my limited scholarly vocabulary could not do it justice, beyond smiling.    

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The New London Chop House – Part Two

Posted on November 8, 2025 by thewineraconteur

When I was just learning to read, on the back page of The Detroit News were two columns, one by Al Blanchard and the other by “Doc” Greene.  I remember that it was in Blanchard’s column that I first heard of the London Chop House, because the legendary and hammy Bill Kennedy of local television fame said that it was the only place to get a hamburger.   “Doc” Greene was from the old school of journalism, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wrote his column at the Anchor Bar, the Chop House or any sporting house or event.  Alas, the “Doc” Greene salad did not make the cut, when the new menu was being created.

My Bride skipped a salad and had the Lump Crab Cake with Orange and Honey Aioli, Radicchio and Arugula with a Tarragon Vinaigrette and Macadamia nuts.  I went with an Old-School choice of Crab Bisque with Lump Crab, Brandy and Cayenne Oil.  We started out with Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc 2022, which is a collaboration between Maison Barriere and Chateau Beychevelle and even features the galleon of Chateau Beychevelle on the label.  This collaboration goes back to the Eighties as they created a Bordeaux designated wine that is reminiscent of the grand wines of the region.  I couldn’t find any production notes, but I will presume that this Sauvignon Blanc wine was crafted in Stainless-Steel tanks and some French Oak aging.  This pale-yellow wine offered notes of green apples, gooseberries, lemon and grapefruit, white florals and vanilla.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine fruit-forward wine displayed tones of green apple, pear, and white peach blending harmoniously and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, citrus, vanilla and minerality.

For our entrées, my Bride had Seared Ahi Tuna with Romesco Verde, Braised Collard Greens and Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade.  I had the Braised Beef Short Rib with Celery Root Puree, Baby Carrots, Crispy Leeks and a Red Wine Demi-glace.   While my Bride continued with the Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc 2022, I went with the Grand Bateau Bordeaux Rouge 2022.  The wine is a project between two important names in Bordeaux who got together in the Eighties; Maison Barriere who is a respected wine merchant and Chateau Beychevelle which is a Grand Cru Classe in Saint-Julien.  Two names that are sourcing capabilities for a wine that can offer both character and value.  The wine is a blend of seventy-five percent Merlot and twenty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is a blend of traditional methods and modern techniques, as some of the wine is aged in vats and other is aged in oak barrels, before the blending.  The wine is a deep garnet offering notes of plums and cassis, toasted oak, vanilla and baking spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displaying tones of rich red and dark fruits, blending with velvety tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and spices.

After dinner, my Bride and the others had coffee and dessert with my Bride having the Chocolate Ganache Torte with a Sea Salt and Walnut Crust drizzled with Strawberry Caramel and topped with Walnut Granola.  I snuck a couple of spoonfuls from my Bride, and I let her have some of my dessert of choice.  I have to admit that in the last twenty-some-odd years, I have developed a fondness for after dinner wines.   I had a glass of W&J Graham’s Fine Ruby Porto NV.  Graham’s is a prominent Port house in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal and began as a textile company in the early 1800 by William and John Graham of Glasgow and they received a barrel of Port as payment for a debt, and the business began.  Today Graham’s is owned by the Symington family that also owns other Port houses, including Dow’s and Warre’s.  Ruby Port is the most extensively produced port wine and is a blend of young wines from multiple vintages.  There is no official designation for Ruby, though the industry has agreed in principal that it is youthful, fruit-forward and a bulk-produced wine.  The most common varieties used are: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Tinta Cao.  This Port wine is bulk-aged in cement or Stainless-Steel tanks to prevent oxidization to maintain the fruit-forward qualities; and they are not made for additional aging.  This ruby-red colored wine offers notes of red and black fruits.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry and ended with a medium-count finish of fruit.     

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The New London Chop House – Part One

Posted on November 5, 2025 by thewineraconteur

In the fabled memories of Detroit was the famed London Chop House and it was akin to the Twenty-One Club of Manhattan and The Pump Room of Chicago.  All legendary and could truly be said “where the elite meet to eat” borrowing a line from Duffy’s Tavern.  All three of the restaurants hung photos and caricatures of the great stars of stage and screen that dined there, The Chop House had the work of Hy Vogel and a couple of the originals were on display in a glass case.   The original was established after the Repeal (of the Nanny State’s first mistake) in the 1930s by Lester and Sam Gruber.  The restaurant became so popular that in 1952, they opened The Caucus Club across the street, and old-timers (not me for a change) still recall the days when Barbra Streisand performed there, before she starred in Funny Girl on Broadway.  The restaurant still looked very similar to what I could recall, and they even had match boxes for the LCH Cigar Lounge, which was new.

We were meeting another couple to celebrate their birthdays, and this was the restaurant that they chose. l mentioned the match box, as we have a huge collection of matches, but alas we don’t have an original where they used to imprint your name on the matchbook and they left a dime for the host, to cover the expense of the phone call to book the reservation.  The restaurant states, “proper attire required” and my Bride and I were all dressed for the evening, even with all of the running around in Detroit earlier that day; I guess they just don’t want shorts and sneakers.  Since we were there early, almost an hour early, after leaving Kamper’s, as they were gently edging us out, as a wedding party was taking place there, unbeknownst to us, but it was fine.  We were not seated at the famed “Table #1” but at least we weren’t in “Siberia” which was the area in the back of the restaurant on the other side of stage where the band performed.  They had a trio that performed dance and dinner music, so we took advantage of that, until the tiny dance floor became too small from the tables abutting the area and before our guests arrived.  They still maintained the old phone booth in the back, which I understand is great for the Instagram crowd taking “selfies” and the phone actually operated free of charge, I guess for calling a taxi of other modes of transportation.  Though the Men’s Room and Women’s Room no longer have an attendant.

We also took advantage of our “free” time and ordered a plate of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with the classic sides.  Unfortunately, the bar was temporarily out of Sauternes, and we improvised and settled for glasses of Cascina Pian d’Or “Bricco Riella” Moscato d’Asti DOCG  2024.  Cascina Pian d’Or is located in the heart of Langhe and three generations of the Barbero family cultivated Moscato grapes and then sold the fruit to the major sparkling wine producers of Piedmont.  In 1989, Valter Barbero decided that the family should produce their own wines.  The wine is made from the Moscato Bianco grape and is planted on the hillsides with sandstone-based limestone and tuff (volcanic rock) soil. The fruit is hand-harvested, soft-pressed and the must is placed in cold storage to prevent early fermentation and to maintain the aromas of the grapes.  The must is then moved to a pressurized Stainless-Steel tank and fermentation is controlled to attain a certain proof and then the process is stopped to maintain a balance of acidity, sugar and alcohol; and then it is bottled.  The straw-colored wine offered notes of plums, gooseberry, white florals, sage and lavender.  On the palate this light and fresh wine displayed a soft mousse of fruit with fresh acidity and ended with a medium-count finish of fruit, citrus, almonds and minerals.  Not my first choice, but it was an interesting wine pairing.  

 

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A Day in Downtown Detroit

Posted on November 2, 2025 by thewineraconteur

It was one of those days that was going to be fun.  We were going to have dinner later while we were in Downtown Detroit, and the restaurant had a dress code of proper business attire, which is fine with us as that is our normal attire.  We had to take care of some boring paperwork with our county administration, so we decided to park near the restaurant and then do all of our errands and some site-seeing as well.  Even though I had spent three years attending high school in Detroit, the city has changed dramatically since I had graduated, and I hope the prosperity continues after the new city elections.  Everywhere we wandered, not to brag, but people, even in cars, would tell us how great we looked and while our attire had not changed, most of the people that we encountered had changed.  I thought of Rhett’s lament of the world of gentility was gone.

We had walked by “Greektown” that is undergoing another change and we discussed the days of when it was really “Greek” and not a tourist trap.  We also walked past the “new” Hudson building, which is only a faint reminder of one of the greatest department stores in the country, it was the tallest, and the second largest and covered an entire city block, and as a kid, I still marveled that they maintained a Doorman at the back entrance left over from the carriage trade.   We decided to spend some time at Kamper’s until it was time to have dinner. The Book Tower was built by the Book brothers, who at the time were the wealthiest two men in Detroit and they had a desire to make Washington Boulevard competition to Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.  They built the Book Cadillac Hotel, and the Book Tower and both became instant Detroit Landmarks with their Roman-influenced designs and embellishments.  Both buildings along with others were designed by the architect Louis Kamper and they were built during the heyday of Detroit, before the Great Depression.  They also have a great view of Downtown Detroit from above.

The Book Tower has a Japanese restaurant, a French Bistro, while Kamper’s has the charm of the Iberian Peninsula.  We had to go through the security desk in the building; to get permission to get to Kamper’s and then security preceded us into the elevator car to punch in a code, as the elevator does not go to that floor by appearance.  We didn’t have any tapas from the menu, but my Bride had a glass of Llopart Reserva Brut Rose Corpinnat Metode Tradicional Penedes, Spain 2021.  The Llopart family has had vineyards at their estate since 1385, and by 1887 the estate only had vineyards.  Located in the municipality of Subirats, this mountainous estate had five-hundred hectares of vineyards at a medium altitude with shallow soil and a large root extension.  Corpinnat is the registered brand name of a group of Penedes wineries that broke away from the Cava DO, besides the traditional Cava grapes and organic farming, the new designation also allows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  This wine is a blend of sixty percent Monastrell, twenty percent Grenache and twenty percent Pinot Noir.  The grapes are hand-harvested and whole-pressed, and fermented at low temperature, the base wines are then bottled at the beginning of the year and allowed to rest for eighteen months prior to riddling and the Brut dosage, the wine is aged totally for a minimum of twenty-four months.  The pale salmon colored wine with small bubbles offered notes of cherries, pomegranates, cranberries and custard.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine with good acidity displayed tones of red fruits and ended with a medium-count finish of fruit with a creamy texture.

As for me I went and relaxed with Bodegas Agro de Bazan Granbazan Etiqueta Verde Albarino Salnés Valley Rias Baixas 2023.  Bodegas Granbazan is considered a crown jewel of the region with its pronounced French chateau influence.  Albarino has been praised in the area since the days of the Galician kingdom.  The wine is pure Albarino from vines that are over thirty-five years of age, grown on high granite soils on the banks of an estuary with strong Atlantic influence.  The fruit is de-stemmed and undergoes cold maceration for six to eight hours, with controlled fermentation in Stainless Steel tanks.  The wine rests on fine lees without batonage and then bottled four to five months after fermentation is complete.  A bright yellow wine offering notes of stone fruit, tropical fruits and white floral flowers.  On the palate there were tones displayed of white stone fruit, mandarin, touches of marzipan with refreshing acidity and a good medium count finish of salty air (salinity).

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Two Sauternes and a Barsac

Posted on October 30, 2025 by thewineraconteur

While we were officially done with the scheduled tastings at The Fine Wine Source, my Bride asked about some Sauternes wines, as the holidays will soon be upon us, and she has some ideas.  And naturally this region is famous for the development of Botrytis Cinerea, or “Noble Rot” which is central to Sauternes and Barsac.

The staff had no problem in getting us some fresh glasses and selected three bottles from one of the three wine refrigerators in the shop.  The first wine that they poured was Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 2011.  Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne is in the commune of Preignac in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux.  The estate is fifty-three hectares of vineyards.  The estate goes back to the Middle Ages, when the Domaine de Bastor, was owned by the French crown.  In 1711, it was sod to the LaMontaigne family and eventually it became Lamontagne.  Over the years the estate has changed hands and is now part of the Grands Chais de France (a wine group) based in Alsace.  The estate converted to organic viticulture in 2016. The soil is sandy-gravelly of clay and limestone.  The wine is predominately Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. The fruit is hand-harvested, sorted by plot, with Initial Fermentation done in Stainless-Steel vats, and then is aged in French Oak (about thirty percent new) for about eighteen months.  A deep yellow colored wine that offered notes of peaches, mango, lychee, honey, cardamom, with a whiff of mushrooms and almonds.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of tropical fruits, honey, marzipan with an ending of a medium-count finish of fruit, honey, spices and minerality.

We then had Chateau Coutet Barsac 2020 which is a First Grand Cru Classé of 1855 of Sauternes and Barsac.  Chateau Coutet is one of the oldest producers in Sauternes and they are known for having the longest cellar in the region.  The word “coutet” is a Gascon term for “knife” and suggests the wine’s crisp acidity.  The chateau is an English fortress that was built in the 13th Century.  In 1787, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that it was the best Sauternes from Barsac.  During the French Revolution, the estate was seized by the state, and the owner was beheaded.  It has changed hands many times over the years and is now owned by the Baly family since 1977.  The wine is a blend of ninety-five percent Semillon, four percent Sauvignon Blanc and one percent Muscadelle; planted on clay and limestone soils.  The fruit is hand-harvested over a forty-day period to ensure the grapes are at their maximum desirability.  The wine is aged for eighteen months in French Oak of which at least seventy percent is new.  A deep golden colored wine that offered notes of tropical fruits, white florals, spices and honey.  On the palate this full-bodied, bell balanced wine displayed tones of peach, mango and apricots and spices, that ended with a long-count finish of fruit, vanilla and honey.

The last dessert wine that we tried was Chateau Rieussec “Les Carmes de Rieussec” Sauternes 2020; Chateau Rieussec is a first growth in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac, but Les Carmes de Rieussec is their second label. In the 18th Century, the estate was tended to by Carmelite monks, before being confiscated during the French Revolution; since then it has changed ownership many times and is now owned by Barons de Rothschild, in partnership with Albert Frere of LVMH.  The estate is ninety-three hectares of gravel, sand, clay and limestone soil, and is adjacent to Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau de Fargues, with vines that average twenty-five years of age.  This wine is a blend of eighty-two percent Semillon, sixteen percent Sauvignon Blanc and two percent Muscadelle.  The fruit is hand-harvested and lasts for almost eight weeks to get the grapes at the peak of desirability.  After Initial Fermentation in French Oak, the best juice is selected for the grand vin, and the balance goes to Les Carmes de Rieussec, and that wine is aged for eighteen months in a mix of new and used French Oak, the used coming from Chateau Lafite Rothschild.  The pale gold-yellow colored wine offered notes of peach, rhubarb, apricots and white florals.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of fresh, rich tropical fruit, with some light tones of lemon and ending with a long-count finish of fruit, with buttery accents and smoothness.    

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