Dinner at Champs

Posted on May 10, 2023 by thewineraconteur

I was tagging along with my Bride as we were going to have dinner at Champs and we had both presumed that it was the chain sports bar with two “P” s.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that we were going to an independent establishment, a rotisserie style restaurant that also did seafood for decades.  We were meeting some of my Bride’s friends, some going back to Elementary School and their spouses.  As you may have noticed, my Bride is very sociable.  We ended up getting there ahead of the rest and they ended up seating us near the fireplace in the dining room, which was appreciated as there was still a nip in the air, it is Michigan after all.

Since we were there early, it gave us a chance to study the menu, which I should have done at home and then I would have realized that it wasn’t the restaurant that we thought of.  My Bride saw that they had Perch offered in three different preparations, so she immediately decided on a sauté version.  I checked with our waitress about the ribs, which is something we normally don’t do at home, and I had to make sure that the meat fell off of the bone.  The last thing that I want to do in public is gnaw on a bone.  It did, I was happy, she decided on a house salad and I went with Cole Slaw, which I think is mandatory with ribs.

Since, we still had time I also studied the wine list and my Bride said that she would have a red wine, because I was going to have the ribs, I mean isn’t that a great spouse.  The wines were all in the same price points, within a few dollars and I always am looking for a new wine to write about.  I mean I would get bored always writing about the same wines over and over again, especially since so many have become the mainstays of popular priced restaurants.  I thought that French Blue Bordeaux Rouge 2019 sounded intriguing.  The winery’s theme is “Kiss French, Be True, Drink Blue” as created by the winemaker Stephanie Rivin, who states that she wishes to create an “American Twist” on French wines.  The wine is estate grown in Perissac, Bordeaux on sixty hectares of limestone and clay soils.  The wine is a blend of eighty percent Merlot and twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon with average aged vines of twenty-five years of age; aged for twelve months in fifty percent American Oak and fifty percent French Oak barrels.  A pretty deep ruby red in color offering notes of black fruit.  On the palate, black cherries and currants lead the way with a fruit-forward, but not jammy taste, just a touch of vanilla, nice tannins and a decent finish offering more fruit compared to terroir.  It was a very good basic Bordeaux wine that I especially reminded me of my youth and this wine I would say probably even has a potential for aging for five to eight years.      

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Eleven Years of The Wine Raconteur

Posted on May 8, 2023 by thewineraconteur

I know it is hard for me to believe that I have been doing this for so long, I just looked it up, and the average is two to three years.  I guess if you are having fun and don’t look at it as a job, it is easier.  I think that I started this out of restless energy and with the realization that I would not be working forever.  My life as a clothier, while an excellent profession, had changed and was not the industry that it was, when I started.  I sometimes think that today, the term proper attire, means clean clothes.  I wanted to see, if a blog was something that could keep me occupied a bit, during my retirement, after all, I haven’t chased a little white ball across grassy plains since college.

Periodically, I take a look at my early writings and cringe, not that I am a great writer today, but I think that I have matured and acquired a “conceit” of writing, meaning that I think that I have found a voice that I am comfortable with.  At first, I tried to emulate some of the other writers that I respected, and to be told, there is a small group of us that are still pounding away on their keyboards for the same eleven years and some maybe even longer.  It eventually evolved into my meandering mind, creating an image of someone across the table from me, as we nibble on food, drink some wine, and talk about wine as well; though the cigars and the smoke have now dissipated.  The first year, I wrote an article every night, and after the first year, I became a slacker and only publish every other day, and always at the same time of 01:10 GMT, just because I like the appearance of it, as I log it in with my publisher.  Of course, the big question that I always get, is do you get paid to be a blogger and an influencer?  I still don’t know what an influencer is, though I think it means getting plenty of free stuff, under the guise of writing glowing reports, well that is not me, because first I would be embarrassed to ask for anything free and second, since I shave every morning, I have to look at this face each morning.  As for getting paid, hah, it costs money to do this, not to mention, that I think that I am on my third or fourth desk chair since it started.

I write an article, and send it to my publisher and eventually when the time comes for it to publish it magically appears; I like to have articles waiting, in case my Bride and I decide to go somewhere, I usually have enough articles that if we are gone a week or ten days, my announcements of the trip won’t appear, until we are back home, why let the world know that your house is empty.  The new article magically appears on Twitter, which I still don’t understand, but it does seem to have a life of its own.  It used to appear magically on Facebook, but they keep making it more difficult for a blogger, because they want to wring money from me, for a labor of love.  For a mere seven dollars an article, a pittance, they will guarantee me thousands of loyal readers for each publication, but it isn’t real, just like Facebook, so I continue limping along there, mostly to keep track of family and friends.  In March of 2017 I started on Instagram, being coaxed by other bloggers.  I have systematically been attempting to get every photo and article entered on Instagram, usually two postings a day and hopefully I will have it all in sync within a year, so that my articles will eventually make sense in a real time manner.  When this is published, I will probably have 3,990 photos and mini-articles posted on Instagram and this should be my 2,193rd article that I have published and my poor Bride has had to endure some crazy times with me.  

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Twas the Night Before Cinco de Mayo

Posted on May 6, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We are seldom Mr. and Mrs. First Nighter anymore, in fact, we prefer for the dust to settle on a new establishment.  We also seldom go out, when everyone, including the amateurs think that they need to go out and drink.  We have been there and done that, and the service usually is less than adequate.  So, we thought that we would kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.  We went out on “May the Fourth be With You” and I made a meme for it, a couple of years ago, not really original, but we had seen an exhibit on the props and costumes of all things “Star Wars.”

We were also looking for a new replacement for our local Mexican restaurant, as ours weakened the Margaritas, and changed the menu to more “Tex-Mex” and the biggest sin was that they discontinued their Molé Sauce, and no, this new place doesn’t offer it either.  Maya Cocina Mexicana opened their doors on 17 August 2020, a most inopportune time, but they survived despite our harridan.  Well, we decided it was time and when I made a reservation, they asked that we do not bring children under thirteen for dinner, which was not a problem, as even most of our grandchildren are now in college.  The first thing we noticed is that they don’t automatically toss a basket of chips and salsa at you.  We shared an order of Guacamole and House-made Chips and we both marveled at how crisp and un-greasy they were, as well as their distinctive size and shape.  My Bride had a special entrée of grilled Mahi-Mahi with grilled Pineapple, white rice steeped in chicken broth, zucchini with street corn and a Pineapple Salsa.  Her dish was cooked to perfection and moist.  I had an order of Alambre de Asada which was thin-cut Angus short ribs grilled with bacon, onions, Poblano peppers, in a skillet with Manchego cheese (my substitution) with corn tortillas and a Jalapeno Sauce.  I was expecting a potentially greasy presentation and I was very pleasantly surprised.  We shared a dessert of Pastel de Cocoa, a house-made flourless chocolate cake on a bed of Raspberry Sauce with Whipped Cream.  Our only fault for the evening was they couldn’t make us any Decaffeinated Spanish Coffee; it looked like their coffee equipment was down for the evening.

My Bride started off with a Silver Margarita made with El Mayor Tequila Blanco, Cornbier Orange Liqueur, and fresh Lime Juice.  I asked for the House Margarita, and be careful of what you ask for; it was made with Don Julio Tequila Reposado Private Cask, Grand Marnier, Dry Curacao, organic blue agave nectar and fresh Lime Juice.  They both came in classic cocktail glasses and it was more than enough.  In fact, we couldn’t have a second, they were that potent.  We switched over and shared a split of Terra Alpina by Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2020 from the Alto Adige region in northern Italy.  Alois Lageder is a reknowned wine producer from the Alto Adige region and the winery was established in 1823 and has been family owned ever since.  The winery has one-hundred-ten hectares of vineyards spread across the region.  The top wines are from their “Masterpieces” series, followed by their “Compositions” and then some classical grape varieties.  Then they have Terra Alpina and the fruit is harvested from partner-growers in the area.  Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT designation is basically from the Trentino-Alto Adige region with a bit in the Veneto district as well and is named for the Dolomite Mountain range which is the main range. The IGT was introduced in Italy in 1997 and for this region covers red, white, rosé, blend, varietal, dry, still, sparkling, and sweet wines.  The majority of the white wines are from Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, this was a charming and easy drinking Pinot Grigio that had some character and a nice finish.  It is a mountain wine on a limestone soil that sees a large swing in temperatures from morning to night.  The vines are between thirteen and thirty-three years of age.  It has Initial Fermentation and then matures for four months on fine lees in Stainless Steel tanks.  A nice straw-yellow colored wine that offered notes of white stone fruits and toasted hazelnuts.  On the palate tones of pear, lemon zest, and nuts with some crisp acidity and a nice finish of fruit.  

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Podere Ciona and Two From 2015

Posted on May 4, 2023 by thewineraconteur

The last two wines that Lorenzo Gatteschi, a family member, and winemaker at Podere Ciona was pouring at my local wine store, The Fine Wine Source were his two premium wines and both of the same vintage.  The owner of the shop and Lorenzo have become fast friends over the years and when he is town, he even stays with the owner at his home, and they have dinner at his restaurant after the tasting session is concluded.  Not only that, but Podere Ciona has some guesthouses on the property that date back to the 18th Century and fully modernized and can be seen on their website. Since the property is between Florence and Siena, it is the perfect location for a vacation and a chance to do enjoy some wonderful wines. During the tasting sessions there were people that were also making inquiries, which I am sure also make Lorenzo happy.

It is always a pleasure to have Podere Ciona Le Diacce Rosso Toscana IGT 2015 and Le Diacce is the estate’s flagship wine featuring their finest Merlot grapes and a touch of Alicante Bouschet.  Outside of Chianti Classico Riserva, Toscana IGT is the other famous designation of Tuscany, and Toscana IGT is the most famous of all the IGT designations in Italy.  Back in 1984 when Sassicaia was granted it very own title of DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia, instead of Vino de Tavola, the floodgates were opened for Toscana IGT and whatever the winemaker can create.  This wine is ninety-seven percent Merlot and three percent Alicante Bouschet.  All hand-harvested and the best grapes are selected for this wine and the initial fermentation was for ten days in French Oak.  This was followed by post-fermentation maceration on the skins for about thirty-five days and Malolactic fermentation in French Oak.  The wine was then aged in French Oak for twenty-four months, and then another twelve months in the bottle.  There were three-hundred-thirty-three cases produced.  A rich deep purple-red wine with notes of red fruit, chocolate, and nuts.  On the palate deep tones of cherry and red fruit (very fruit forward), totally balanced and lush with a nice long finish of fruit and terroir.

To finish off the afternoon we had a tasting of the Podere Ciona Chianti Classico Riserva 2015. I think that when most people think of Tuscany, their first thoughts are a traditional Chianti Classico and if they can get a Riserva, all that much better. The wine is estate grown on their quartz, clay schist and marl soil.  The wine is a blend of ninety-five percent Sangiovese, seven percent Merlot and one percent Alicante Bouschet; and the vines are between fifteen and sixteen years of age. The fruit is all hand-harvested and the initial fermentation is for about ten days in Stainless Steel.  Then malolactic fermentation of the juice on the skins is for about a month in French Oak.  With this being a Riserva, the wine is then aged for twenty-four-months in a mix of French Oak of which ten percent are new, and then an additional twelve months in bottles, before being released.  There were about eighteen-hundred six packs of this wine made. From my notes for 2015, this was a powerhouse vintage for Chianti and this deep ruby-red wine offered notes of plenty red fruit.  On the palate, the cherry and other fruit was excellent, was well balanced and velvety tannins and a nice lingering finish of terroir.  This bottle will cellar well and it needs at least an hour to breath before serving.  

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Podere Ciona Semifonte and Chianti Classico

Posted on May 2, 2023 by thewineraconteur

Lorenzo Gatteschi was holding court, as we used to say, at my local wine club and store The Fine Wine Shop in Livonia, Michigan.  Lorenzo Gatteschi is not only the owner and winemaker of Podere Ciona from Gaiole in Chianti, but he is what we called a “Gentlemen of the Old School.”  He answers all of the questions, and I am sure some of the questions are repeated several times over the course of the day, when new tasters arrive at the allotted times.  While the shop is not large in area, the loyal followers and customers always make it work and have a great time, as they enjoy their wine tastings. 

The first red of the tasting was the Podere Ciona Semifonte Toscana IGT 2018.  This happens to be one of my favorites consistently from the winery as I think it offers a great bang for the buck, as we used to say when I was young.  The soil of the vineyards is a mix of sandstone, clay schist and marl. Depending on the vineyard the vines are between seven to eighteen years in age.  The wine is seventy-five percent Merlot and twenty-five percent Alicante Bouschet.  They still maintain hand harvesting and initial fermentation is in Stainless Steel for about ten days with extended post-fermentation maceration on the skins for about a month, followed by malolactic fermentation, and then aged in French Oak for about eighteen months, finally refined for twelve months in the bottle.  This light-ruby colored wine offered notes of red fruits and spices, and on the palate fresh fruit, soft tannins, and a velvety texture from the Merlot with a nice medium finish of fruit and terroir.

The next red and in fact, all the rest of the wines were reds, was the Podere Ciona Chianti Classico 2019.  Their winery is in one of the oldest parts of the Chianti region on a south-facing hill and the estate has thirteen acres of vineyards, two acres of olive groves and one-hundred acres of woodlands, plus assorted fruit trees, chickens, vegetable gardens and soon apiaries.  The Podere Ciona Chianti Classico 2019 is the winery’s basic Chianti wine and they still maintain their desire to only produce one bottle of wine per vine.  Depending on the vineyard the vines are between seven to eighteen years in age.  The wine is eighty-nine percent Sangiovese, nine percent Merlot and two percent Alicante Bouschet.  They still maintain hand harvesting with manual destemming grape by grape for inspection.  Initial fermentation is in Stainless Steel for about ten days with extended post-fermentation maceration on the skins for about a month, followed by malolactic fermentation, and then aged in French Oak for about eighteen months, finally refined for twelve months in the bottle.  This light-ruby colored wine offered notes of red fruits and spices, and on the palate fresh fruit, soft tannins and a velvety texture from the Merlot with a nice medium finish of fruit and terroir.

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Lorenzo Gatteschi Conducts Another Tasting

Posted on April 30, 2023 by thewineraconteur

It was a great way to spend a couple of hours at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan with Lorenzo Gatteschi of Podere Ciona pouring and discussing his wines.  He was a bit distraught, as he and his wife lost their luggage courtesy of the airlines and connecting flights, and unfortunately, I hear more and more stories about this recently.  Despite such a problem, he was still able to function with his usual poise and his ability to keep the crowds happy, along with his wines; all the while someone at the wine shop was checking on the luggage in real time.  While I was there, I never did hear if the errant luggage came to Detroit, but I do hope that it was a good story ending.

All of the above rambling of mine leads me to my most recent wine tasting with Lorenzo Gatteschi, winemaker of Podere Ciona in Gaiole, Tuscany; who was there hosting a tasting of his family’s wines. I was reading the history of the winery on their website “Franca and Franco Gatteschi were looking for a place in the countryside to retire to, after many years of working in Italy and abroad, when they came across a small, beautiful, albeit run down property: 100 acres of land, mostly wooded with 10 acres set aside for cultivation, of which 2.5 acres already had vineyards; a house from the 18th Century, abandoned for more than 40 years; and, above all, a view without equal on the Chianti hills, with Siena in the distance.”  It really sounds idyllic and makes one ponder how this property was neglected and ignored for years.  “They purchased the estate at the beginning of 1990 and they immediately started the reconstruction work on the main house (it took nearly three years). They also set up a small but well- equipped wine cellar for making wine. In 1996 they permanently moved to live on the estate and the following year, the great 1997 vintage, saw the birth of the first “official” wine of Podere Ciona: A Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva.”

The first wine of the afternoon was Podere Ciona “Ciona Rosé” Toscana IGT 2019.  While Lorenzo may have been flustered about the luggage, I must confess that he still remembered this Raconteur that attempts to through off the rhythm of the tasting with my photography and my questions and my hieroglyphics that I jot down on the paper for my notes.  The Rosé was made entirely of Sangiovese in the saignée method.  The vines are from six to nineteen years of age and planted on quartz, clay schist and marl.  The fruit is harvested manually in small baskets and then de-stemming, berry by berry for a slight crush in Stainless Steel vats for ten to twelve hours of skin contact and no Malolactic Fermentation. The wine is then aged for about six months in Stainless Steel and then further fined and bottle aged for six months before distribution. There was about one-hundred-eighty cases produced of this wine.  A pretty salmon-pink color with notes of fruit and spices, just a well-balanced light and easy drinking wine with a nice medium count finish offering terroir.  I did have this wine, the last time I saw Lorenzo and this wine with a bit of age had more nuances and character compared to when it was an ingenue; and it was the last of the inventory. 

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Thirty Years

Posted on April 28, 2023 by thewineraconteur

Not the age of a wine, but the number of years my Bride has put up with me, since we met.  We always celebrate this day.  Even the Ritz Carlton in Michigan didn’t last this long.  I told her that I was going to marry her, that first night and periodically, I am sure that she wonders why she didn’t run at that moment.  I did get her out of her comfort zone, easier than she did with me.  When we met, she only had fish and white wine, basically Chardonnay.  She has discovered the pleasure of a well-prepared steak and a full-bodied red.  I have discovered fish, we always had seafood and I now have a much better appreciation of white wines, oh and I do eat salads, especially her house-made Caesar.

We went to Café Cortina in Farmington Hills, Michigan which always gets voted as the most romantic restaurant in the area.  The restaurant began in 1976 on the grounds of a former apple orchard, when this area was considered rural on the outskirts of Detroit.  I don’t know why, but as soon as we entered, the hostess began speaking to me in Italian, and in English to my Bride, but believe it or not, that happens quite a bit.  We started with Gamberoni alla Grigliaall’Olio or Grilled Gulf Shrimp with a Citrus Basil Aioli and Spicy Arugula, which we shared and our waiter created two dishes for us, from the one order. Then we had the House Salad with their House Dressing, which got me nervous as he said it was a buttermilk base, neither of us could prove it, and there I was enjoying a salad with fresh baked rolls.  For our entrées we both were going to order one of the specials of the evening and share our version of a Surf & Turf, our waiter created four plates and two servings.  We each had two large Scallops on Soft Polenta all on a bed of Red Pepper Purée.  We had Patrizi Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2021 from Cantine Manfredi. Four generations ago, from a family estate the winemaking began and by the end of the Thirties, the winery was delivering wines in Cuneo and in Liguria, and now they deliver around the world.  This is a famed Comune that is known for the production of the varietal Cortese and dates to the 1600’s.  The press likes to call this wine green and flinty, because it is so fresh and vibrant.  While there were no production notes, I think that it is safe to say that this wine was fermented and aged in Stainless Steel to maintain the fruit and freshness. A pale straw color offering notes of white flowers, lemons, and green apples.  On the palate this is a terroir driven wine that is bone dry with fresh acidity, plenty of minerals with a touch of honey and a nice finish of almonds.

Our waiter then brought us each a small dish of lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate and then he brought us the last special that he also divided into two plates.  Our waiter said that he only had two goals, the first to make the patrons happy and the second was to drive the chefs crazy.  We shared an order of Braised Short Ribs with an Amarone wine reduction with Cipollini on a bed of Saffron Risotto; and at first, we weren’t sure if there would be enough to share and we were told that it was at least eight ounces without the bone.  This was followed by their noted Millefoglie al Caffe e Cioccolato, sixteen layers of Chocolate crepes, with an Espresso Chantilly Cream and two cups of spectacular decaffeinated Cappuccino with optional sugar water.  For the last course I just had a glass of the house wine DeAngelis Campo di Marte Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2021. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has been one of our favorite wines almost from the time we met, and it is a good thing, because I could not find anything about this wine, not even from the local distributor.  Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is also one of the most popular wines in Italy and abroad, because it is easy to drink and very food-friendly wine with notes of black cherry, a little tobacco and some spices.  On the palate, the black cherry and spices were still young and vibrant, not forward, gentle tannins and a very short finish, but the Short Ribs made the wine seem fuller and lush.        

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It Could Have Gone Either Way

Posted on April 26, 2023 by thewineraconteur

There are times when we all have to gamble on a bottle of wine, if you have a cellar, and are absent-minded like me.  Some people cannot have a cellar for a myriad of reasons and they only buy for immediate consumption, and they will only know the sadness of pouring a wine down the drain, if a bottle is corked.  We found some wines during the Great Lockdown that had seen better days, and I know that we have a few more waiting to be discovered.  The other evening, we were having a casual dinner at home, just the two of us, and I went into the cellar, some may call it a glorified closet as I cannot turn around in the aisle.  I went to the lower left-hand column of French wines and I thought I would grab an older bottle.

I now look at the liquid in the bottle, after I have pulled it out of the cell that it occupied to see if there has been evaporation.  I know that when I am talking about a wine that we are drinking, I claim that the wine evaporates as we are talking with friends or having dinner, especially if it is awesome.  Though the evaporation that I am talking about is while the cork and capsule are still fully sealed and there is a gap of air between the wine and the capsule (that piece of metal or nowadays often plastic that goes over the corked-up bottle at the winery) as the wine is filled up past the capsule at the winery.  If there is any space of air, that space is called ullage.  Ullage is the Anglicized version of the French word ouillage and it has a couple of meanings, both kind of similar in the big picture with wine.  To put it in easy-to-understand layman’s terms, it is the amount of air space between the wine in the bottle and the cork that I am going to discuss, the other meaning is for the evaporation of wine in a barrel while it is aging, before bottling and normally the winery “tops” the barrels with additional wine to keep the barrels full, to prevent oxidation.  The more air space the better the chance that the wine has met air, as the cork and capsule are not air-tight any more.

The wine in question as Domaine de l’Oratoire Saint-Martin Reserve des Seigneurs Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages 1994.  The Alary family settled in Cairanne in 1692 and have been wine growers for ten generations.  In 1984, the brothers Frederic and Francois Alary took over the winery and they were pioneers of organic farming and biodynamic farming in 2008.  In 2020, their children did not want to take over the winery and it was sold to the Abeille-Fabre family, owners of Chateau Mont-Redon in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and wine growers for ten generations as well.  In 1936, when the AOC Cotes du Rhone was classified, Cairanne was part of the whole.  In 1967, the AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages was created and Cairanne became part of this subset, and finally in 2016 AOC Cairanne was designated.  Domaine de l’Oratoire Saint-Martin covers twenty-five hectares in Cairanne on a mix of clay soil, limestone, and red iron rich soil on the elevated steep hills of Saint-Martin.  The vines are for the most part about forty years of age, with some in the hundred-year mark.  The estate is about fifty-five percent Grenache Noir, twenty-five percent Mourvedre and twenty percent Syrah with a few old varieties of Counoise, Vaccarese or Muscardin and Carignan planted in small quantities for a touch of added complexity.  The fruit is hand-harvested and destemmed and then crushed; the Carignan is whole-cluster fermented.  The fermentation period is for about three weeks using wild yeasts, then the wine is aged in vats for about twelve months, bottled without fining or filtering.  The wine still had a nice red color (probably softened with age, but with no foxing or browning).  The nose still offered some dark fruit, but also strong notes of tobacco.  On the palate there were some tones of fruit and the tannins had softened and there was still some terroir in the finish.  While the wine was still enjoyable, I am sure that if we had opened it about five years earlier, it may have been a much bigger wine, and yes, I still have a soft spot for my Rhone wines.   

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Two Affordable and Delicious Red Wines

Posted on April 24, 2023 by thewineraconteur

The beauty of wine, is that if you know a little geography, you can make some excellent wine choices without breaking the bank, like these two wines that I recently had at my local wine shop, The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  One is an Haut-Medoc, and if the you know the pecking order of Bordeaux, from the top with the fine Chateau listings, you go to the Communes, and they are part of the Medoc, and the top Communes are all in the Haut-Medoc.  The other wine is from Tuscany and I think everyone has heard of what is called “Super Tuscans” and what the Italians simply term Toscana IGT.

Chateau La Lauzette-Declercq Haut-Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2019 is part of the wines from Frans & Liz Roskam.  The Brunot-Roskam family became the owners of Chateau Cantenac and they are now into the Fourth Generation of winemakers.  Before being named La Lauzette-Declercq during the Nineties, this Cru Bourgeois from the Haut-Medoc was known as Chateau Bellegrave with a Listrac-Medoc appellation.  M. Declercq, a Belgian owner, gave the winery its new name, and since 2005, the winery is managed by Frans & Liz Roskam.  Haut-Medoc accounts for two-thirds of the Medoc peninsula; and is famed for its famous four Communes of Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien as well as Listrac and Moulis and they account for the majority of the wine produced in the Haut-Medoc.  The soil for this region is basically thick gravel layers over heavy clay, which is perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon and as one gets further from the river, the soil is more clay which is ideal for Merlot.  AOC Cru Bourgeois is awarded to about two-hundred-fifty chateaus and the list may change yearly and since 2010, the list is published in September.  This term actually goes back to the Middle Ages, but was really defined in 1932 by the Bordeaux wine merchants to celebrate the wineries that did not make the 1855 Classification.  The wine is a blend of fifty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, forty-two percent Merlot and three percent Cabernet Franc and the vines average about forty-years of age.  After fermentation the wine is aged in oak barrels for twelve months.  This deep red wine offers notes of dark fruits, violets, vanilla, and coffee.  On the palate tones of blackberry, cherry, and blueberry with secondary tones of tobacco, good firm tannins, balanced and a nice lengthy finish of terroir.  A perfect affordable wine from Bordeaux. 

Le Volte Dell’ Ornellaia Toscana IGT 2020 is from one of the most famed producers in the Bolgheri appellation of Tuscany.  It was from these Bordeaux-style blends that created the term “Super Tuscan” instead of using the famous Sangiovese.  Wines that do not make the cut to become Ornellaia become the winery’s second wine Le Serre Nuove Dell’ Ornellaia with more Merlot and less aging.  Their third wine is Le Volte Dell’ Ornellaia which is also more Merlot based.  Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori and the first vintage was in 1985.  From 2002 to 2005, the estate was co-owned by Robert Mondavi and Marchesi De Frescobaldi, but since 2005 Frescobaldi has owned it outright.  The wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.  Each varietal underwent Initial Fermentation separately in small Stainless Steel tank, and followed by Malolactic Fermentation also in Stainless Steel. The wine was then aged for ten months, partly in barrique used previously for Ornellaia and partly in Concrete tanks.  The ruby red wine offered notes of red fruits, tobacco, and spices.  On the palate a sexy silky wine with tones of cherry, cassis, Mediterranean spices, lively acidity, tight tannins and a nice medium length finish of terroir and fruit.  An easy drinking wine with or without food, but definitely with friends.             

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Easter Dinner 2023

Posted on April 22, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We were celebrating Easter dinner at our house and my Bride was up early getting the dinner started, and we also had some surprise guests as our son from Las Vegas came in with his family.  He also came in for his wife’s side, for a night of music and to see some of his friends from school.  We set up a bar in the library and I kind of stayed low and out of the way, because once she is in full blown catering mode, I tend to get in the way.

She started it of making appetizers plates of fruits, vegetables, and cheeses, while the whole house was filled with the aromas from the kitchen.  This Easter she baked a Brie with an Onion Jam, and served a Horseradish Cheddar and some Lemon Ricotta; this time the Lemon Ricotta was the favorite.  Our one daughter-in-law brought in a platter of Deviled Eggs.  My Bride and I always play a game as we try to figure out, who would be first to arrive and we were both wrong this time.  I thought I would make my Bride happy and open one of her favorite wines Famille Sichel Sirius Bordeaux Blanc 2019.  Famille Sichel is a family owned negocient firm from 1883 in Bordeaux, as they were in the procurement process for their locations in Mainz, London, and New York.  In 1938 they even bought Chateau Palmer, which at the time had fallen on bad times and have since brought it back to all its glory.  The family does not believe in resting on their laurels as in 2001 they even built a completely new bottling and storage facility in the Bordeaux region.  This particular bottle of wine is a blend of the two leading white grapes of Bordeaux, namely Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.  I don’t think that I would be amiss to opine that this wine was aged in Stainless Steel as there was plenty of fruit and very refreshing.  It starts off with a nose of citrus fruits and finishes with some terroir with a decent finish.    

She was roasting a leg of lamb with carrots, mushrooms, rutabaga, parsnips, and completely stuffed with lamb.  She also had a ham (next week there will be some great soup made from the bone). She made garlic stuffed roasted cauliflower, Armenian Pilaf, roasted potatoes, and mashed potatoes.  After, there were all sorts of desserts and of course the obligatory birthday celebration with the addition of the family from Las Vegas.  We had a bottle of Podere Ciona Semifonte Gaiole in Chianti Toscana IGT 2018 that I tried at a tasting that I have not even wrote about yet, which will be soon.  Franca and Franco Gatteschi were looking for a place in the countryside to retire to, after many years of working in Italy and abroad, when they came across a small, beautiful, albeit run down property: 100 acres of land, mostly wooded with 10 acres set aside for cultivation, of which 2.5 acres already had vineyards; a house from the 18th Century, abandoned for more than 40 years; and, above all, a view without equal on the Chianti hills, with Siena in the distance.”  It really sounds idyllic and makes one ponder how this property was neglected and ignored for years.  “They purchased the estate at the beginning of 1990 and they immediately started the reconstruction work on the main house (it took nearly three years). They also set up a small but well- equipped wine cellar for making wine. In 1996 they permanently moved to live on the estate and the following year, the great 1997 vintage, saw the birth of the first “official” wine of Podere Ciona: A Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva.  I will include the production and tasting notes when I discuss the latest tasting of the winery’s offerings.  Suffice, it to say, that tomorrow, I have to go to the Fine Wine Source and pick up a couple of cases of wines for some of the people that enjoyed the wine. 

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