September 2023 Birthdays

Posted on October 16, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We had an invitation out to the families to come for a celebration for seven celebrants, including myself.  My Bride as always was intent on getting everything perfect.  Of course, time and schedules for some people is not understood.  If it was me, I would put the food out at the designated time, and for those that consistently arrive late, they can make plates of leftovers and nuke the meal in the microwave, and they can enjoy soggy salads.  My Bride started out the meal in the living room with fruit, vegetables, dips, hard cheese, warmed Brie with a fig topping, and of course a selection of crackers.  We started with Famille Joly Vignobles de la Coulee de Serrant Les Vieux Clos Savennieres AOC 2019. Famille Joly is known for its age-worthy wines made from Chenin Blanc, especially from their monopole Coulee de Serrant vineyard. The area was originally planted by Cistercian monks in the 12th Century, Famille Joly acquired their property in 1961.  The estate is now biodynamic and Nicolas Joly who took over his parent’s winery is a major proponent of this farming technique. The appellation for Savennieres does allow for some sweet wines, Botrytis once defined the region, but not now.  The appellation laws also require low maximum yield restriction; hence the wines are very concentrated and have very long life.  The original appellation laws were written in 1952 and updated in 1996 and standard Savennieres wine is dry.  There are only about thirty winemakers in the area.  The estate is three hectares, and they produce all three of their wines from this property. The vines for this wine are about five to thirty years of age, and they are cuttings from their own vines from the monopole which were planted in the 1920’s.  The vines are planted in slopes ensuring good airflow on schist soil of quartz and sand.  No synthetic chemicals have been used since 1984.  It may take a couple of months for the harvest, as the grapes are picked as ripe.  The winery is basically hands-off in production, no rinsing of the grapes, no temperature control during fermentation and total Malolactic Fermentation, only local yeasts, and even very little racking, and not fining.  The wines are aged in a mix of wood (and very little new oak) and Stainless-Steel tanks.  There is no standard rule for aging and the wine is finished usually in six to eight months, when they decide it is.  The wine is a pretty golden-yellow and offers notes of melons, orange zest, pears, tobacco, and wet slate.  On the palate there are tones of delicate fruit, roasted pineapple, salt and beeswax; very complex a dry savory wine with tinges of sweet fruit and a nice finish of terroir.

For the dinner, the marinated salmon finished first, along with the vegetables.  Those that wanted to have some immediately were encouraged, while the last course was still cooking.  We morphed from one white wine to another at this point and we served Chateau Marjosse Blanc Entre-deux-Mers 2021. Their signature wine is the white, they also produce a red with a Bordeaux AOC.  The chateau is owned by Pierre Lurton, who is also the managing director of Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau d’Yquem.  He began winemaking there for the Deleuze family in 1990 when the estate had twelve hectares, and later after some other commitments he bought the estate in 2013 and began upgrading almost immediately.  The estate is now sixty-five hectares, and the white wine vines average over thirty-five years of age.  The wine is a blend of forty-five percent Sauvignon Blanc, forty-five percent Semillon, and a ten percent blend of Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle.  The grounds are sloping hillsides that rise to about sixty meters on sand with clay and limestone.  The juice in vinified in temperature controlled egg-shaped cement vats and used five-hundred-liter oak barrels.  The wine is a pale straw-yellow colored wine that offers notes of green apple, grapefruit, citrus, and white flowers.  On the palate tones of green apple and grapefruit that are bright and crisp; very youthful and alive and refreshing.  

Then the roast tenderloin was finished along with Armenian Pilaf and root vegetables.  I had selected for this part of the dinner a bottle of Vignobles Brunier Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009.  Chateauneuf-du-Pape actually means “new castle of the Pope” and goes back to the Fourteenth Century during the time of Pope Clement V, the same Pope that is honored on the wine from Graves Chateau Pape Clement. Pope Clement chose Avignone as his new seat and the town has been historical ever since.  While the name is drenched in history, up until the early Twentieth Century, the wines were usually lumped into a general Avignon wine.  Baron Le Roy of Chateau Fortia, drafted a document centering on quality wine production conditions, and this document became the precursor of France’s appellation system.  Originally thirteen varieties were approved for production and after a 2009 review, eighteen varieties are now approved. The other unique proviso about Chateauneuf-du-Pape is that they drafted a law forbidding flying saucers from taking off, landing, or flying over the vineyards and it is still enforced to this day.  The domaine was established by Hippolyte Brunier and produced its first wine in 1900. It has grown to become one of the largest land owners in Chateauneuf-du-Pape with almost one-hundred-hectares. There was a real telegraph involved in the Brunier story. In 1898, Hippolyte Brunier had just one hectare of vines to make a bit of family wine, with his vineyard situated at one of the highest points in between Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Bedarrides. Its altitude made it the perfect spot for the communication tower built in 1793 by Claude Chappe to transmit telegraph messages between Marseilles and Paris. Hippolyte’s grandson, Henri, was the first to put the Domaine’s bottlings under the Vieux Telegraphe label. Today, even though the communication tower itself has long gone the name remains.  Vieux Telegraphe’s second-label Telegramme is made with young vines, under thirty-years of age.  The wine is a blend of eighty percent Grenache, ten percent Syrah, six percent Mourvedre Monastrell) and four percent Cinsault. The grapes are hand-harvested, with double-sorting at the vine, and a third sorting at the winery.  They are de-stemmed, with about thirty days for Initial Fermentation in temperature-controlled vats; followed by pneumatic pressing and then Malolactic Fermentation. The wine is aged for about sixteen months in French Oak foudres, bottled without filtration or fining and released after eighteen months. A deep ruby-red offering notes of blackberry, figs, and rose petals.  On the palate there are tones of rich fruit preserves, anise, and tea with a nice long finish of fruit and terroir.  A totally delightful way to enjoy my birthday dinner with the other celebrants.

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Oak & Reel

Posted on October 13, 2023 by thewineraconteur

My Bride puts up with me, and sometimes I don’t know how she does it, but she pampers with attention and indulgence, and she is part of why my birthday celebrations get extended longer each year, as the years seem to get shorter.  I had heard about Oak & Reel almost from the time that they opened up.  A local guy who ended up working and then captaining the two Michelin Star restaurant Marea in New York City and it became a destination seafood restaurant.  He wanted to come home, because he heard of all the promise there was in Detroit.  He created a seafood focused Italian restaurant in the Milwaukee Junction district (every area in Detroit now seems to have a name) and I had never been in this part of the city.  He opens up in 2020 and somehow managed to survive everything the governor inflicted on businesses, if you wish to have to remember that year.  In 2022, the glossy periodical of Detroit names it “Restaurant of the Year.”  So, now I wait another year to try it out; and it was worth the wait. 

We started out at Oak & Reel with a couple of appetizers after my Bride had her Negroni and I had my Vermouth Cocktail.  She had Frito Misto with delicata squash, shrimp, Calabrian honey, and sage.  While I had Campanelle with lobster, corn, seaweed, and chive.  My Bride had Halibut with rosemary spaetzle, chestnut ragu cabbage, and capers.  I had the New Zealand Langoustine, with arugula, and Salsa Verde.  After all of that, we still had room for our Decaf Cappuccinos and we shared a Panna Cotta with pistachios and Carpano Vermouth granita.  The bill came served on the lid of California Anchovies, which always sounds good.

Fear not, that I mentioned the bill prior to the wine.  We enjoyed a bottle of di Lenardo Vineyards “Monovitigno” Sauvignon Venezia Giulia IGT 2021. A family-owned estate, di Lenardo Vineyards began in 1878 cultivating vines.  They own five vineyards, rent one vineyard, and a couple of controlled vineyards.  In 1987 they began producing and bottling their own wines from one-hundred-fifty hectares of vineyards.  The vineyards are in the Friuli DOC region, but this wine carries the Venezia Giullia IGT designation, as it doesn’t match up to what is needed for the DOC designations that are there. The wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre clones. The whole berries are pressed gently in a pneumatic press, and after the first racking, the must is transferred to temperature-controlled fermentation still vats (Stainless-Steel) and the wine stayed on the lees until bottling, which was probably only a couple of months.  Clarification of the musts are made with their new “state of the art” “flowtation bio-system” and bottled under vacuum.  A pretty pale straw-yellow with green highlights this wine offered notes of melon, peach and sage.  On the palate there were tones of the melon, peach, and sage with fresh acidity, a slightly oily-textured wine with a finish of figs and tropical fruits. It was a very interesting wine with dinner.     

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Black Star Farms Club Fall 2023

Posted on October 10, 2023 by thewineraconteur

The last of the wine club shipments that I can claim as part of my extended birthday celebration month.  Black Star Farms is rather unique in that it has vineyards and tasting room facilities on both peninsulas, so that they are kind of surrounding Traverse City which is kind of the focal point for all of the wineries in the area.  In 1998 Black Star Farms purchased Sport Valley Farm which was a one-hundred-twenty-acre equestrian facility, and the stylized black star was part of the architectural décor in the main house.  In their Twentieth year, they were honored to receive the 19’th Annual Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) -Best Wine of the 2018 Challenge and only the second time an American wine came out on top.  There were 567 Rieslings from six countries (Australian, New Zealand, USA, Germany, France’ and the Czech Republic).  The Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling 2017 scored 98 points, in addition to taking home Best Dry Riesling and Best American Riesling.  In fact, all six of the Riesling wines that Black Star Farms submitted took home medals, showing a consistency across vintages and styles.  The fruit is sourced from both of the proprietor’s vineyards and from local grower partners in both the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula.  The winery has three series; the premium Arcturos, A Capella and the Leorie Vineyard labels for sparkling and fruit wines.

The first wine out of the carton is Black Star Farms Arcturos Cabernet Franc Michigan 2020.  In fact, we had two different bottles of wine with a meal that caused us to drive over to Black Star Farms while we were up in northern Michigan and one of the bottles was Cabernet Franc.  It also is probably my Bride’s favorite varietal, so it is always easy to get her to agree to a bottle or two.  Now the year 2020 is rather ominous for most people’s memories, but it turned out to be an excellent growing season for the region, and a lighter crop, which made it easier for the production team, it also had an earlier bud break, a warmer spring and early summer and a long cool September which was a boon to the smaller crop.  October offered plenty of sunshine which encouraged the ripeness of the grapes.  This wine carries a Michigan designation, because the fruit was harvested with sixty-nine percent from Leelanau Peninsula and thirty-one percent from Old Mission Peninsula.  They were one of the first to have Cabernet Franc, with the first bottling in 1998 and now plenty of the other wineries now grow it as well. This wine is ninety-two percent Cabernet Franc and eight percent Teroldego.  The wine was allowed to mature for almost twenty-two months in a blend of French and American Oak with thirty percent being new; and six-hundred-ninety-cases were produced.  This new wine is described as offering notes of blackberries, plums, oak, and herbs.  On the palate the dark fruit blends well and has soft tannins and a finish of herbaceous notes.

The second wine out of the carton was Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir Rosé Michigan 2022.  Black Star Farms is located on the 45th Parallel that runs through some of the world’s great wine regions and they also enjoy a “lake effect” climate with helps especially near harvest time.  The fruit for this wine comes from the estate’s vineyards as well as some local grower partners; fifty-two percent from Leelanau Peninsula and forty-eight percent from Old Mission Peninsula, which causes the Michigan designation.  The growing season had a mild, but sunny spring, sun and heat for the summer, and a good drought from mid-June to mid-August, with a little rain in September and October.  The wine is ninety-eight percent Pinot Noir and two percent Pinot Gris.  It is not stated, but I would venture to say that this was a wine that was entirely done with Stainless-Steel for Fermentation and a short maturation period to allow the fresh fruit to be enjoyed; with eighteen-hundred-fifty-two cases produced.  The wine is described as a classic dry style rosé with strawberry aromas, with red fruit on the palate and is complimented by subtle minerality and a clean finish.      

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Amerikatsi

Posted on October 7, 2023 by thewineraconteur

I need to offer some explanations for this article.  Amerikatsi is a name of an Armenian film that is totally unknown and yet it has won seventeen film awards.  The suffix “atsi” is used to define a person’s heritage in the Armenian language, hence Amerikatsi is one from America, and a Germanatsi (with a hard “G”) is from Germany, but it can be used even to identify an Armenian from his state or even his city or village.  Armenians use suffixes on surnames as well, “ian” or “yan” denotes “son of” as in the great Armenian-American author William Saroyan, who’s grandfather probably was named Saro.  All this is to explain why my Bride and I found ourselves seeing a film that was showing in the Detroit area, without any indications or writeups from our local “film critics” as they probably can’t watch a film that doesn’t have comic book superheroes.  With the lack of work by the critics, when we went to see the film, there may have been twenty people in the audience, and I would venture to say all Armenians that were mostly first-generation Americans from parents that survived the Genocide (I am a second-generation).

Now I have to explain why I am writing an article about a movie, well some of you by now have noticed that I write about the moment and the wine that is encountered at that moment, be it humble or spectacular, life is the same way.  We go to less movies these days, only because I enjoy the written word, and not a “blue screen” movie. Though one of the features that I have discovered and enjoyed when we do go to the cinema, is that there is a lounge or at least offerings that can wet one’s whistle that isn’t a soft drink.  The “art theatre” as they were called in my youth that we went to not only had a lounge, but there was a wall of wine bottles separating the lounge from the popcorn stand.  We had a couple of glasses of Pasqua Wines Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC 20221. Pasqua Wines was founded in 1925 by the brothers Pasqua with their historic Veronese winery, and in their almost one hundred years have showcased many of the prestigious wines from Veneto. The Venezie in the name, most people think is for Venice, the historic and romantic city of canals, island, bridges and gondolas, but it is actually for Tre Venezie, Triveneto or “Three Venices.”  These three are Venezia Euganea, Venezia Giulia and Venezia Tridentina and they were three Italian administrative regions which existed from 1866 to 1919 and now correspond to Veneto, Friuli-Venezie Gulia and Trentino-Alto Adige; Delle Venezie covers the entire area with the exception of Alto-Adige or Sudtirol. The DOC laws allow that the wine must be at least eighty-five percent Pinot Grigio and then there is a long list of local grapes that may be used to blend in.  This wine is pure Pinot Grigio and the fruit undergoes a soft pressing.  The Initial Fermentation is done cool in Stainless-Steel tanks.  Thirty percent of the juice is aged in French Oak barrels for three months, while the rest remains in the Stainless-Steel tanks.  The wine is a golden colored and offered notes of peaches, pears, and tropical fruit.  On the palate there were tones of the fruits, balanced with a tinge of vanilla and roasted hazelnuts.  Not a complex wine, but it hit the spot while watching the movie, especially in the oversize, plush chairs that had built-in trays.

Now to get back to the film, which was the crux of this article.  The story revolves around Charlie who is smuggled out in a steamer trunk, in the waning days of Western Armenia, in the Ottoman Empire, but not before he gets to be the unfortunate witness of his family being murdered on the side of the street.  He ends up in America, has a wife, who dies young and decides to be repatriated after World War II to his Armenia that he barely remembers.  The Socialist Regime under Stalin, was promising money to the Armenians of the diaspora, but it was basically a way to maintain their forced labor camps of able-bodied men in Siberia.  Due to an act of God, Charlie ends up staying in forced labor in Armenia under the benevolence of the Socialist Puppet government, that curries favor from the Russian overlords.  We also, as the audience get to witness the changing of Armenia from under Stalin to under Khruschev.  Charlie watches an Armenian family from his barred prison cell window to make his own discoveries about a world that he returned to, that attempts to shun religion and art, against the ingrained beliefs of the Armenian people.  The famous Armenia mountain, Mount Ararat, plays a continuous and starring role in the film as well.  I think that this film should be showed in public schools to allow the students to see the true “glories” of socialism, as actually practiced in the real world.      

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“A Taste of Monterey” Fall 2023

Posted on October 4, 2023 by thewineraconteur

The first club we ever joined was by accident, when we discovered “A Taste of Monterey” just before we were going to eat at the Sardine Factory at Cannery Row.  At that time Michigan was a felony state for having wine shipped to the citizens, until the legendary case of Granholm vs. Heald that changed all of that, and I wish it was the end of Granholm, but she still appears periodically.  “A Taste of Monterey” was the only entity that said that they could ship legally to Michigan back then, as I used to ship everything from California to myself as “olive oil.”

The first wine from the carton was Pianetta Winery and Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey 2020.  It is located north of Paso Robles in the hills of Indian Valley.  John Pianetta planted his sixty-five acre estate in 1997 of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and now the estate offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot.  On terraced slopes, the fruit is hand-harvested and aged in oak.  The wine is described as having bright fruit with raspberry on the nose, bold and velvety with hints of anise, currants, and balance acidity.

The second wine out of the carton is Joullian Vineyards, Ltd. “Family Reserve Merlot” Carmel Valley 2019. Joullian Vineyards was created by the Joullian and Sias families of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with the goal of producing world class estate crafted wines and early on engage Ridge Watson for his expertise.   In 1982 they purchased six-hundred-fifty-five acres of hillside benchland at an elevation of 1400 feet in the heart of the Carmel Valley.  After contouring and terracing the land they planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon, as well as the first to plant Zinfandel in the valley.  Then they planted various clones of Chardonnay and the winery was completed in 1991. In 2015, Joullian Vineyards, Ltd. was acquired by the Hammler Wine Corporation and are committed to maintaining the brand.  In 2017, Ridge Watson retired after working at the vineyard for thirty-five years.  The wine is a blend of eighty-five percent Merlot and fifteen percent Cabernet Franc.  This wine features two distinct clones of Merlot that are originally kept separate even during the hand-harvested.  Fermentation lasted for eighteen days following a four-day cold soaking of the fruit.  The wine was barreled for twenty months in French Oak, of which forty-five percent is new, and racked quarterly and then bottled unfined and unfiltered for maximum taste value.” layered notes of earthy mushrooms, sandalwood, and butter toffee pecans.  On the palate they report tones of vanilla-spiked dark chocolate and black cherry, with spicy, black pepper.  They call it a “Cab-drinkers Merlot.” The winery also mentions that they think it can cellar for at least ten years.

The last bottle out of the carton was Folktale Winery Le Mistral “White Witch” Arroyo Seco 2021. Folktale Winery and Vineyards was originally founded in 1982 by Bob and Patty Brower, as Chateau Julien Wine Estate and they wanted to replicate their wine experiences in France to the Carmel Valley.  In 1996 they expanded the property and structures to ensure that they were making great wines, and my Bride and I visited Chateau Julien each time we had holidays in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  In 2015, the property was purchased by local winemaker, Gregory Ahn, and renamed Folktale Winery and Vineyards; and as a side note, from what I gather the label Chateau Julien is still property of the Brower family.  The five-acre vineyard at the winery is one-hundred percent organically farmed, and they are working towards this goal in the three-hundred acres in the Arroyo Seco that they maintain.  The name “White Witch” was coined by owner Greg Ahn for Monterey’s daily barrage of coastal fog and wind that moves from the cool Pacific Ocean down the Salinas Valley every afternoon.  The wine is a blend of Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc; which some would call a Rhone Ranger’s white blend.  I could find no production notes for this wine.  Their tasting notes are; “Banana runts, coconut, white peach, jasmine, lemon balm, crème pie, fresh grass, and honey.  The wine has a soft sourdough, salty air, and popcorn layer that works well with the brightness that the floral quality brings.  The palate is light, fresh, and pops with brightness form the natural acidity.”

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Bos Wine “Wine & Swine Club” Fall 2023

Posted on October 1, 2023 by thewineraconteur

When we stopped at Bos Wine in Elk Rapids, Michigan We first met through his wine, in the ominous year of 2020 my Bride and I were in Louisville, Kentucky having dinner because such niceties disappeared in Michigan and we had as our opening bottle, the Bos Wine Ode to Fume Napa Valley 2015 with their tagline of “Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs” by William Shakespeare and an homage to Pouilly-Fume of the Loire.  David Bos who started in Michigan went to California and has now returned to Michigan.  He attended Hope College with dual majors of Religion and English, discovered some quality wines and took off to California without a job, but with determination.  He started with a job at Grgich Hills and eventually became their vineyard manager.  He arrived there at the most opportune time, as they were converting to biodynamic farming and there are over three-hundred-fifty-acres to work.  He said that he considers himself to be a farmer, who makes wine.  The winery began in 2010, in Calistoga, but when he found this building in Elk Rapids, he knew that his boutique wine label had finally found a permanent home, with a garden and a red barn in the back.

David has a couple of different club memberships and we went all the way with his “Wine & Swine Club.”  In the current wine club shipment, there was his exclusive Bos Pinot Noir Old Mission Peninsula 2022.  It is the first Pinot Noir that he has released and comes from the Devil’s Dive Vineyard on Old Mission Peninsula.  The vineyard is a warmer site, located high on a hill with sandy, loam, limestone soil.  The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels for eight months, then bottled to retain the freshness of its youth.  The wine is ready to be enjoyed or may be cellared for a few years.  Limited production and only offered to the “Wine & Swine Club” members first. The tasting notes mention “cassis and black raspberry.”

The other part of the “Wine & Swine Club” is the accompanying salumi, their Saucisson Provencal.  The salumi has a subtle blend of dried herbs; basil, thyme, and a touch of aromatic lavender.  Bos Wine, white pepper, and garlic complete the blend.  It is then fermented at a lower temperature compared to Italian or Spanish sausages.  It is aged in a custom curing chamber for weeks, and is shipped in a protective vacuum pack and wrapped in butcher’s paper. All in all, a nice shipment as part of my self-proclaimed on-going birthday celebration. 

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Bos Wine Club Fall 2023

Posted on September 28, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We received our first shipment of wines from Bos Wine, a winery that I first discovered at my local wine shop, the Fine Wine Source, then an independent wine tasting, and then my Bride and I made it a point to see the winery in Elk Rapids when we were up “north.” September has been a strong month for wines and I will attribute it to my birthday, as I am going to stretch the day into a month, after all my potential years going forward may be shortening, so the party days should grow.

The first wine out of the carton was Bos Wine Blau Rosé Old Mission Peninsula 2022.  The wine is a blend of Blaufrankisch and Pinot Noir and the fruit was harvested from the northern end of Old Mission Peninsula.  The wine is a blend of two distinct methods for making rosé wines; it was part Saignée Method and part direct press.  It was then allowed to undergo Initial Fermentation in Stainless-Steel barrels, and then it sat on the lees for five months giving the wine a creamy mid-palate while still retaining the definitive acid that is found in Northern Michigan fruit.  The wine is ready for drinking now, according to the notes from the winery and they are mentioning in their tasting notes “watermelon rind and dried strawberry.”

Then I pulled the Bos Wine Pinot Grigio Old Mission Peninsula 2021.  The year of 2021 was warm throughout the growing season, which was a highlight for Pinot Gris.  This varietal is an early ripening grape and is well suited for the potentially iffy Northern Michigan climate and growing season.  The wine underwent Initial Fermentation and then aged with extended lees contact in Stainless Steel barrels.  This allowed the wine to acquire some additional lushness and according to the notes the wine is drinking beautifully with tasting notes of “honey and apricot.”

The third wine out of the carton was Bos Blaufrankisch Old Mission Peninsula 2022.  The fruit for this wine came from Vineyard 15 on Old Mission Peninsula and sits on the north end facing the bay with sandy loam limestone soil.  The fruit was harvested quickly after long rains in order to preserve the natural acidity, by not allowing the fruit time to soak up the excess water from the rains.  The wine underwent Initial Fermentation with wild yeast and aged for eight months in used barrels to add some structure to this grape.  The winery suggests that this wine could be enjoyed immediately or allowed several years in the cellar, and the tasting notes mention “allspice and rhubarb.”

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The End of the Meal and Tasting at Vertical Detroit

Posted on September 25, 2023 by thewineraconteur

As the courses were finishing, and all great things come to an end, the food and the wines were truly enjoyable at Vertical Detroit, and sponsored by the Fine Wine Source of Livonia, Michigan.  The wines were all from Chateau Gaby and their umbrella group Vignobles Sullivan, and under the watchful eye of Damien Landouar, the winemaker and Directeur General.  We were going into the Third Course of the tasting menu and it was one of my favorite dishes of Braised Short Ribs with Robuchon Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, and a Demi-Glace.

There were three wines that were being served with the Third Course of the meal.  We were being served: Chateau Gaby “Special Edition” Amphorae Cabernet Franc 2020, “Special Edition” Amphorae Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and “Special Edition” Amphorae Merlot 2020.  All three wines were being offered in a boxed set of three.  This limited edition of wines all came from micro sections of the limestone hillsides of Chateau Gaby, to best feature the terroir of the estate.  The vintage year started with a mild winter, a chaotic spring of harsh weather and a very hot summer.  The vintage ended up so perfect, that the grapes were hand-harvested fifteen days earlier compared to their traditional time.  The three varietals for this collection were vinified separately in wooden vats, with Initial Fermentation and Maceration for one month and additional extractions were done by “punching down” the juice in the vats.  The wine was then transferred to the Amphorae jars for twelve months of aging. The Amphorae jars were Italian sandstone, and were chosen, because traditional terracotta jars are more porous and the stoneware would diminish the oxidation of the wines. There were six-hundred-fifty bottles of each wine made.  The Cabernet Franc had a ruby color and offered notes of black currants and violets.  On the palate the tones of black currants and raspberries were prominent along with silky tannins, and a good medium count finish of chalky terroir.  The Cabernet Sauvignon was a deep garnet color that offered notes of black currants, cedar, and white florals.  On the palate this wine was big, fruit forward with fine tannins and a medium count of chalky terroir.  The Merlot was a deep garnet color and offered notes of strawberry and raspberry.  On the palate the tones of red fruits and silk tannins blended seamlessly and finished with a nice medium count of fruit and chalky terroir.  Of the three “Special Editions” the Merlot were the bottles that found space in our cellar.

For the Dessert Course was a Cocoa Crème Brulee with homemade Marshmallow and “Snickerdoodle” cookie.  My Bride was quick to announce that she has found a replacement favorite for her esteemed Chocolate Crème Brulee and one that is much more accessible.  The wine that was being paired with dessert, was creating quite a stir, as I had a chance to talk with the importers, before the evening started, while we were in the bar.  This was the official debut of Chateau Clos Beausejour Pomerol 2020 in North America.  Chateau Clos Beausejour is also part of Vignobles Sullivan and under the guidance of winemaker Damien Landouar.  The estate is one of the smallest vineyards in Pomerol and is on clay and sandy terrain.  The wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Initial Fermentation and Maceration is done in Stainless Steel vats for about a month.  The wine is aged in oak for about twelve months and one-hundred-sixty-three cases were made.  A nice garnet colored wine that offered notes of red cherries, plums, and spices.  On the palate the tones of red fruit were rich and enticing with silky tannins with a nice long count finish that featured some mocha blending in with the terroir.  A delightful way to end the evening.

It also gave me a great reason to go the Fine Wine Source twice afterwards, just to pick up all the wine that we selected from the evening.  Now, all I need is to find some room, though it is convenient that Chateau Gaby created some custom carrying straps to attach to their wooden cases for ease of lifting, and this Raconteur appreciates this assistance taking the cases out of the car and into the cellar.                      

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First Two Courses with Wine at Vertical Detroit

Posted on September 22, 2023 by thewineraconteur

When we got settled at the table at Vertical Detroit, after the initial seven wines at the wine tasting courtesy of the Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  The First Course was a Charcuterie and Cheese Board placed strategically among a group of people at our table.  There were about eight different cured meats and cheeses on the board, accompanied with Honeycomb, grapes, Marcona almonds, olives, roasted red peppers, whole grain mustard and a house made Focaccia.

The first wine poured for our meal was Augustine Bordeaux Blanc 2022 made by Chateau Auguste.   Chateau Auguste is a seventy-four-acre Bordeaux estate located in the Right Bank region of Entre-Deux-Mers, which means between two seas; the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers.  A triangular region of sand and gravel atop layers of limestone, originally planted by the Romans.  Chateau Auguste is owned by Vignobles Sullivan and under the guidance of winemaker Damien Landouar.  An organically made wine of ninety-five percent a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and five percent Muscadelle.  This light straw-colored wine offered notes of white fruits and freshly cut grass.  On the palate there were tones of pears, peaches, and almonds in a well-balanced and very easy drinking wine with a nice medium count finish of crispness and terroir.

The second wine that was poured during the first course was Chateau Auguste Grand Rosé Bordeaux 2022.  Chateau Auguste, besides being proud that they are an organic winery, they are also proud that they produce fine quality wines at an affordable price.  They also enjoy being out among the vines, as they employ a concept called “Genodics” where they play music or various sound waves and frequencies, twice a day, to stimulate the vines.  The wine is a blend of sixty percent Merlot and forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon. A pretty coppery-rose colored wine that offered notes of watermelon and strawberries.  On the palate this wine evoked Provence with its freshness and offered tones of strawberries, raspberries and soft tannins and ended with a charming finish requiring another taste.

The second course of the meal was a delightful Mushroom Risotto with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Parmesan cheese.  Another wine was poured to compliment this dish and we returned to Chateau Gaby for their Chateau Gaby “Silver” Canon-Fronsac 2014.  This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The fruit was hand-harvested on the second week of October and was aged for twenty-four months in all new French Oak.  This dark ruby wine offered notes of black cherry, tobacco, and vanilla bean.  On the palate there were tones of black fruit, spices, and distinct tannins that all blended harmoniously and had a nice medium finish of fruit, terroir and a touch of salt.  Excellent with the Mushroom Risotto.   

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Chateau Gaby Cuvee

Posted on September 20, 2023 by thewineraconteur

There we were finishing off a vertical wine tasting at Vertical Detroit, and my Bride and I were guests courtesy of the Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  The first part of the evening was almost done, as we had tasted six wines from 2002 to 2010 from Chateau Gaby Canon-Fronsac, and we were getting ready to sit down for dinner, but I was surprised, as there was one more to totally get us excited, before dinner, as they began pouring Chateau Gaby Cuvee Canon-Fronsac 2007. This wine is from select plots on the estate and has limited production, featuring their older vines grown on the limestone rich hills of the estate.  This vintage has become regarded as a classic, but it started out with very poor weather from June to mid-August, and then followed by a perfect September of hot days and cool evenings. This wine is a blend of eighty percent Merlot, and twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit was hand-harvested on the second week of October and was aged for twenty-four months in all new French Oak.  A deep ruby colored with wine which offered notes of ripe black and red fruits, spices, and some described it as mushrooms or forest undergrowth that adds to the mystique of the wine.  On the palate there were layers of red fruits like strawberry, and black fruit like cherry and plums, with rich tannins and a good decent finish that was evoking dark fruit and terroir.  I was a bad boy and had seconds on this wine, which helped with the final purchase for the evening.

Now some of the “chateaus” of the Bordeaux region are in name only, Chateau Gaby has that grandeur from the road, that one envisions in their mind’s eye of what a chateau should look like.  The estate is an hour drive east from the city of Bordeaux, and the jewel of the Canon-Fronsac appellation.  The 18th Century chateau is nestled on a hilltop overlook the vineyards.  The first vines were planted in the 1600’s, and the estate underwent a restoration in 2006; and is considered one of the finest panoramic views in all of Bordeaux.  At one time the wines of the Dukes of Richelieu. The soils are more sandstone and limestone, instead of clay, and this aids the vines resistance to hotter weather.

After having seven wines under our belts from Chateau Gaby, there were still more wines to be poured and enjoyed all under the fine work of the Directeur General Damien Landouar, the winemaker, and he also has this title for the other wines made under the umbrella of Vignobles Sullivan and their other estate wines.  They list eight collections at the moment, with perhaps more on the horizon, of one read between the lines.  As I was nursing a second tasting of the Cuvee 2007, they had started requesting everyone to sit down for dinner, and I guess the turnout was even better than they had expected, as it may have looked like I was a host, they had to add a table to the long row, and my chair was at the end.  And as anyone there knew, I was hardly the host, but as our hosts and guests of honor were seated in the middle of the long table to regale all the guests.  Not only did I not get great photos of our hosts and honored guests, but I almost didn’t record the fact that I was there, but there was a tell-tale sign amid all the wine and tumult of the evening.

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