My Bride’s Birthday 2025

Posted on December 8, 2025 by thewineraconteur

I must admit that it was a great celebration and unfortunately this time of the year always gets hectic, and I have articles that pile up on each other, especially when I have multiple part stories.  I know that she forgives me, as she knows that I do try to be conscientious.

She wanted to have dinner at home that she administered, though she did claim that the menu seemed more me than her.  We started out with appetizers and shrimp cocktails.  We then had a salad that we discovered on our last trip to Las Vegas, a Heart of Romaine Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Strawberries served with a Champagne Vinaigrette (I even volunteered to harvest the seeds).  She also made her favorite Bourbon Basted Salmon.  So, the first wine that I grabbed was Domaine Jean Bourdy Cremant du Jura NV.  Domaine Jean Bourdy began in 1579 with generation to generation in the Jura.  Consequently, Domaine Bourdy has one of the most extensive library collections of wine in the Jura. The appellation of Cremant du Jura was created in 1995 with a history dating back to the Eighteenth Century and was then known as Vin Mousseux.  Cremant du Jura now accounts for twenty-five percent of the total wine sold by Jura wineries. The wine must be at least fifty percent Chardonnay, and the remainder can be Savagnin for the white and the rosé must include Poulsard and Pinot Noir. Like all Cremant wines, they must be made in the Methode Traditionelle and aged in bottles on their lees for a minimum of nine months.  The Jean Bourdy Cremant du Jura was pure Chardonnay.  My Bride was enamored by this wine, and we bought a case of it about ten years ago, and it has held up extremely well.  The wine had a beautiful golden color with fine bubbles with notes of citrus, floral and yeast.  On the palate apples and brioche with a nice medium length offering terroir (minerals).

Then came the main entrée which was Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Root Vegetables and of course Armenian Pilaf (this is almost a given for any dinner at our house, as it is expected.  Two hours before dinner was expected to be served, I decanted probably her favorite winery’s flagship wine Cain Vineyard and Winery Cain Five Napa Valley 1995, and from a vintage two years after we met.  In 1980 when Jerry and Joyce Cain purchased the property which would become the mountain vineyard, the vineyard was dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Fran, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.   The fruit inspired the name Cain Five and the first vintage was in 1985, the winery was originally “Cain Cellars” and their first crush was in 1982.  Cain is a mountain winery, and they pride themselves on the fact that the fruit is hand harvested, so they can actually pick the grapes at the proper individual time, because the vineyards are too steep for machinery.  The fruit for Cain Five is all from one vineyard, estate grown and estate bottled.  We bought this bottle at the winery when we did a tasting.  I did ask why they don’t refer to the wines as a Meritage; they informed me that they were doing this prior to the creation of the Meritage association, and that they felt there was no reason for them to be a member.  The wine is sixty-three percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty-three percent Merlot, nine percent Cabernet Franc, four percent Malbec and one percent Petit Verdot; and they came from sixteen lots that were vinified separately.  The wine was aged for twenty-two months in French Oak.  This was a very deep purplish-black colored wine that offered notes of black cherry, blackberry, black currant, and ripe plums with secondary notes of chocolate, cedar, and pencil shavings and no foxiness.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine “chewy” wine displayed tones of ripe dark fruits blending perfectly with now savory and mellow tannins, ending with a nice long-count finish of ripe fruit, spices and still plenty of terroir.  My Bride at first objected to my opening one of her prized and esteemed bottles, but after tasting it, she was glad that it was so elegant as a thirty-year-old.

My Bride really did surpass herself with her skill in the kitchen that day, because for dessert she made a Grand Marnier Soufflé.  I also had the perfect bottle to end the evening, and it was even more poignant as I later found out that the wine is no longer being made and my local wine shop sold the last seventy-seven bottles extant.  I brought a bottle of dessert wine that took my breath away, and then the same thing happened when my Bride first tasted it.  We opened a bottle of Roberts + Rogers Louer Family Cabernet Sauvignon Port Napa Valley NV.  I had no information about this wine, nor could I find any, it was like it didn’t exist.  I called and got ahold of Roger Louer, who I have met a couple of times at The Fine Wine Source, and he gave me some information.  After the Cabernet Sauvignon vines were picked for the wines, they went out a picked whatever late-harvest berries were left on their St. Helena estate, and they were reading around 25 brix and after fermentation they added brandy and got the wine down to nine percent sugar reading.  They only made one barrel of this wine, and they aged the barrel for one year.  They produced about forty cases, because they were the smaller 375ml bottles.  The wine was really made for their family and friends’ usage, but the wine shop and the winery have a long record of association and the shop got a few cases.   They have only produced this wine perhaps every five years or so, and I was told that in the future the bottles would read “Port-style.” The wine was a deep-dark red wine that offered notes of dried fruits, candied nuts, and spices.  On the palate there were tones of figs, black fruit, caramel, mocha, and nuts with a very long finish of dried fruit and nuts.  So now, I am guarding the last of our stash.  

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Thanksgiving 2025

Posted on December 5, 2025 by thewineraconteur

Thanksgiving is a holiday that makes us (my Bride) totally organized and totally impressive to all that hear her accomplishments.  This year, two days earlier, she had gone to the post office to mail the out-of-town gifts and the Christmas and Channukah cards.  All the Christmas packages are wrapped and bundled by family and double checked on her checklist.  I think that she got into this habit, because I was in retail, and she wanted to spend some time with me, on those rare days that I had some time off.

One of her girlfriends for a birthday gift, the two of them went and took a charcuterie board class to learn some techniques, so we had a board prepared, among other noshes, because she announced that appetizers were at two, and dinner was at three. One of our grandsons had bought me as a birthday gift, and I saved it, until he was legally able to drink it with us.  He saw it and was intrigued, and he knew that Nick and Nora would appreciate it.  We shared Fratelli Saraceni Blumond Blue Wine Italy NV.  Saraceni Wines is a family-owned wine producer, best known for its Chianti and Prosecco labels. They are also known for their unconventional sparkling wines.  Blumond Blue is a sparkling wine made from the Glera grape (Prosecco if from the proper areas), gently pressed and fermented in Stainless-Steel tanks, with the addition of Blue Curacao liqueur (made from the aromatic peels of the lahara citrus fruit) and peach juice, using the Charmat Method.  This blue sparkling wine with medium-size bubbles offered notes of peaches and raspberries.  On the palate this light-bodied wine with bright acidity displayed tones of peach, citrus, a subtle mousse and ended with a short-count finish of sweetness.  

The first entrée of the meal was of course, a turkey that my Bride cooks in a roasting bag in a roaster, stuffed with root vegetables.  There was her Caesar Salad, her acclaimed stuffing and several assorted vegetable dishes.  I was rather distracted from everything else as I was carving the bird.  Now I must admit that I never enjoyed turkey, until I had my Bride’s interpretation of this bird, as I always thought it was a first cousin to cardboard, but her turkey is very moist, and the meat basically falls off the bones.  We started with Roberts + Rogers Chardonnay Napa Valley 2018.  This is pure Chardonnay that was aged for almost twelve months, with sixty percent in French Oak, and forty percent in Stainless-Steel; and then blended.  A rich golden-colored wine that offered notes of caramel apples, baked pears and a touch of pineapple and white florals.  On the palate, this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of the green fruits, baking spices, especially vanilla and ended with a medium-count finish of fruit and buttered toast.

After carving the turkey, I proceeded to carving the lamb roast that was also braised with root vegetables, and of course, there was also Armenian Pilaf.  My biggest problem with these big dinners is that I am usually full before dinner is served, because I am constantly nibbling on some tender morsels as I am carving, an excellent benefit from my duties. For this entrée I had opened an hour earlier a bottle of Chateau Haut Marbuzet Saint-Estephe 2000.  The estate was founded in the 18th century but has received notice since 1952 when it was acquired by Herve Duboscq and is now produced by H. Duboscq et Fils.  The estate is located between Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel and is about forty hectares of gravel, clay and limestone soils with a view of the Gironde, with vines that average about thirty years in age. The property was one of the original Crus Bourgeois names in 1932 and promoted to Crus Grand Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 1978; and confirmed as one of the nine Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 2003, the winery is regarded as being comparable to many of the Cru Classe wines. The wine is a blend of fifty percent Merlot, forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, five percent Cabernet Franc and five percent Petit Verdot.  The fruit is picked as late as possible, and vinification occurs in large oak vats for Initial Fermentation and for Malolactic Fermentation and then the wine is aged for eighteen months in all new French Oak.  The deep ruby-red wine offered immediate notes of oak and then black cherry and blackberry, hibiscus, chocolate and pepper, spices and minerals.  On the palate this full-bodied, well balanced and creamy textured wine displayed tones of the dark fruits and smokiness and a dash of espresso, blended with still firm tannins culminating to a long count finish of fruit, spices and plenty of terroir.  In hindsight, I should have decanted this bottle after seeing the deposits on the side of the bottle, just below the neck; I shall recall this when I open the other bottles. 

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Laurent-Perrier – Part Two

Posted on December 2, 2025 by thewineraconteur

It was quite the event at The Fine Wine Source featuring the first time in Detroit as well as in America of Constance Delaire, the Chief Oenologist and Winemaker for Laurent Perrier.  There were three one-hour sessions held at the shop, plus an additional one that evening at Vertical Detroit.  Vertical Detroit also furnished a large charcuterie board for the event.  My Bride and I stayed in the background, so that I could do my questionable form of photography and take notes, and it was so crowded that neither of us even ventured to try to avail ourselves of the food.

The next wine that we had was Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No. 26 NV or Grand Siècle par Laurent-Perrier No. 26 NV.  Grand Siècle is the house’s prestige cuvée, that was first released in 1959.  This unusual prestige Champagne is a blend of three vintages, as the house seeks to consistently produce a wine with the quality of a theoretical vintage release form a perfect year.  The name Grand Siècle (Great Century) evokes the 17th Century under Louis XIV, the Sun King, the architect of harmony, balance and perfection of France.  This house special cuvée was originally created in 1959, and this Iteration No. 26 identifies how many times this blend has been created.  A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with an assemblage of great cru plots with eighty-five percent 2012, twenty-five percent 2007 and ten percent 2012; and aged for ten years on the lees. This white-golden colored wine with delicate and persistent bubbles offered notes of clementines, lemons and stone fruits, honeysuckle, butter, anise, hazelnut and honey.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced sparkling wine displayed tones of stone fruit, citrus zest, herbs, yeast and a delicate mousse all blended seamlessly and ending with a silky long-count finish of fruit, spices and minerals. 

The penultimate wine of the tasting was Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No 24 NV or Grand Siècle par Laurent-Perrier No. 24 NV. While the house’s prestige cuvée began in 1959, the listing of “Iteration” began with number 24.  This wine is a blend of sixty percent of 2007, twenty percent of 2006 and twenty percent of 2004.  The wine is a blend of fifty percent Chardonnay and fifty percent Pinot Noir; and the Chardonnay plots were all from Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil sur-Oger, while the Pinot Noirs were also from Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, Verzenay, Tours-sur-Marne and Mailly.  The wine was aged for ten years on the lees, disgorged with a dosage of 7 grams/liter and then an additional year in the bottle. A very pale golden colored wine with fine and persistent bubbles offered notes of mangos, pears and lemons along with white florals, honey, spices, hazelnuts and a whiff of gunpowder.  On the palate this full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of stone fruits, citrus, nuts blending finely with a delicate mousse and toasted brioche ending with a long-count finish of fruit, almonds, honey, spices and some terroir.

The final wine of the evening was Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne NV.  This wine was created in 1968, during a period when Rosé Champagne was not in vogue.  I have read that this is the most popular wine of this genre.  The wine is pure Pinot Noir and comes from ten different Crus around Montagne de Reims with a good proportion from Grand Crus. The grapes are sorted and destemmed before vatting in Stainless-Steel.  The maceration period can be up to seventy-two hours, which helps for the extraction of color and ensures the aromas are rich. The wine is aged for five years on the lees, before disgorgement of about 9grams/Liter.  This salmon-pink colored wine with fine and persistent bubbles offered notes of raspberry, currants, strawberry and cherry.  On the palate this full-bodied and well balanced wine displayed tones of a cornucopia of red berries, especially raspberries blending with a wonderful, toasted brioche and ending with a smooth long-count finish of raspberry, lemon zest and a soft mousse with crisp acidity.     

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Laurent Perrier – Part One

Posted on November 29, 2025 by thewineraconteur

It was quite a coup and an event at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan as Constance Delaire, the Chief Oenologist and Winemaker at Laurent Perrier was hosting three tasting sessions at the wine shop and then an additional tasting at Vertical Detroit, the store’s restaurant in Downtown Detroit.  It was Ms. Delaire’s first time in Detroit, as well as in the United States of America.

Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812.  The house style is known for its finesse and elegance, with emphasis on Chardonnay, except for the rosé wines.  The success is attributed to a widow, Mathilde Emilie Perrier, who along with cellarmaster Eugene Laurent and his wife Perrier when they were given control of the company by the original founder.  After his death in 1887, they changed the name.  In 1939 Laurent-Perrier was sold to the Nonancourt family until his death, and it is now the Laurent-Perrier Group.  The Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne NV is pure Chardonnay from Crus in Cotes de Blancs and Montagne de Reims.  The grapes are chosen for a high potential degree and a low acidity, to achieve the desired balance without the addition of any dosage.  The wine is aged for eight years.  The wine is the color of white gold with persistent tiny bubbles and offered notes of apples, pears, white florals and bread dough.  On the palate this medium-bodied well-balanced wine displayed tones of citrus and zests, a velvety texture and long-count dry finish of lemon and minerality.

Laurent-Perrier is known for their development of reserve wine, both for freshness, ageing potential and aromatic expression.  This art began with Bernard de Nonancourt who wanted to create the perfect year, each year.  The house maintains up to thirty percent of their reserve wines and blends from over a hundred Crus of Chardonnay, of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to create Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut Champagne NV; formerly called Brut Non-Vintage. The blending each year averages out to about fifty percent Chardonnay, thirty-five percent Pinot Noir and fifteen percent Pinot Meunier.  The different wines are aged in Stainless-Steel tank and aged for about four years, and eventually in the Classic Method, there is a dosage of eight grams per liter.  A pale golden-colored wine with constant streams of very fine bubbles that offer notes of apples, pears, peaches and apricots along with white florals, lemon and lime zest, fresh baked bread, spices and a touch of minerality.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-structured slightly “chewy” wine displayed tones of peaches, pears, buttery brioche with a silky feel that ends with a medium-long- count finish of white fruit, lemongrass, pepper, ginger and some chalky minerality.

One of the unique aspects of Laurent-Perrier is that they have thousands of bottles stored in eleven kilometers of cool, humid cellars under the house at Tours-sur-Marne, waiting for their eventual disgorgement and release.  We now were going to taste Laurent-Perrier “Héritage” Brut Champagne NV.  “Heritage” evolved from the creation of Grand Siècle, which is a complex blend of several vintages from the best Crus of Champagne and two grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  The wine is a blend of fifty-five percent Chardonnay and forty-five percent Pinot Noir, which came from forty Crus of which fifty percent were Grand Crus; and the wines had to have at least four years minimum aging.  The dedicated reserve wines were stored in Stainless-Steel vats, with each cru and varietal stored separately at low temperature, to preserve freshness and purity while preventing oxidation.  The dosage levels for the wines were six grams per liter.  This new Héritage was disgorged in the Spring of 2023 and therefore had been aged for just over thirty-six months on its lees.  The blending of vintages is: 30% 2019, 30% 2018, 20% 2016 and 20% 2014.  This yellow-golden colored wine with continuous fine bubbles offered notes of peach, apricot, pear, and lemon zest, along with white florals, beeswax, and toasted almonds.  On the palate this full-bodied, fresh and elegant wine displayed tones of stone fruits, flowers, honey, yeast and a wonderful mousse, blending with that ethereal flavor of petrichor (a wonderful word for a Spring soft morning rain) and ending with a long-count finish of fruit, lemon zest, honey, yeast, and subtle terroir.

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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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