The New London Chop House – Part Two

Posted on November 8, 2025 by thewineraconteur

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

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

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

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

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The New London Chop House – Part One

Posted on November 5, 2025 by thewineraconteur

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

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

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

 

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A Day in Downtown Detroit

Posted on November 2, 2025 by thewineraconteur

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

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

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

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

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Two Sauternes and a Barsac

Posted on October 30, 2025 by thewineraconteur

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

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

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

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

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Three Enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc Wines

Posted on October 27, 2025 by thewineraconteur

After having a delightful wine tasting of French red wines at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan we walked into the original part of the shop and we had a chance to try three special Sauvignon Blanc wines.

The first wine we tried was Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier Blanc Pessac-Leognan 2022 from Famille Bernard.  Domaine de Chevalier is a highly-regarded estate and it was classified as a Grand Cru Classé de Graves in 1959 for both its red and white wines. The estate has about sixty hectares on gravel and clay  rich soils, and about a third of the estate is devoted to seventy percent Sauvignon Blanc and thirty percent Semillon. In 1983, the Domaine was purchased by the Famille Bernard and has been maintained by the family ever since. Their second label “L’Esprit de Chevalier” was created in 1989 using fruit from younger planted vines and from lots that did not get approval for the first label.  The fruit is hand-harvested, and this is the second year after the conversion to organic farming.  While the first label is aged for eighteen months, the second label is aged for nine months in French Oak, with fermentation and racking done directly in the barrels.  This pale whitish-green wine offered notes of lemon tart, key lime, freshly cut straw and white florals, with a touch of honeycomb and coriander seed.  On the palate this dry, medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of tropical fruits, lychee, lime and ended with a medium-count finish of minerals (terroir), pineapple and caramel.  An excellent second label wine.

The second wine that we had was Stewart Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Oakville, Napa Valley 2022.  Stewart Cellars is now a second-generation family-owned winery since 1999.   Michael Stewart, was a successful Texas businessman who originally thought of this as a post-retirement venture, but when his son and daughter joined he and his wife, the venture took off.  The fruit for this wine came from the Money Lane Vineyard, in a plot surrounded by Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Oakville using sustainable farming techniques and minimal intervention winemaking.  The fruit is pressed whole cluster, fermented and aged in Stainless-Steel tanks at cool temperatures to retain aromatic and bright flavors, with no Malolactic Fermentation.  A pale golden-colored wine that offered notes of tropical fruits, lemon and lime, and green apples.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed notes of honeydew melon, guava, pineapple and lemon and lime zest with a satiny, silky mouthfeel that had a nice medium to long count finish of fruit and citrus.  A very sexy wine and it got most of our attention for our cellar. 

Then we finished the tasting with Chateau d’Yquem “Y” Ygrec Bordeaux 2021, from one of the most legendary wineries in the world (if I may say) and it was stunning; I will offer some background notes, because if you are like me, it is not a wine that one encounters that often.  It was originally made at the end of the harvest with the last bunches of grapes since 1959 and in 1966 the selection of the grapes changed, and the wine is sixty percent Sauvignon Blanc picked at the beginning of the harvest and forty percent of Semillon with Botrytis and in 2004 the brand was to be produced every vintage.  They now have a state-of-the-art vat room just to make this wine and the aging on the lees take place in the barrels, one-third of which are new, and the lees are regularly stirred for ten months. This is a white wine that is considered by many to cellar for twenty years, and while I do like to get multiple bottles of wine, in our retirement we passed on this lovely wine.  A pale-yellow wine offering notes of pears, lime blossoms, vanilla, fennel and almonds.  On the palate this wine displayed tones of white fruits, with traces of pear and lime, chalk and white pepper with refreshing acidity, and a very long finish of saline, pears, almonds, and that chalky terroir. I thought this wine was awesome, this may be the freshest and liveliest white wine that I have ever tasted, and I knew that my Bride would have freaked, if I had added it to the list, but I did think long and hard.  Oh, by the way, if you are curious the “Y” is pronounced “ee-grek” in French.   

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Another French Wine Tasting

Posted on October 24, 2025 by thewineraconteur

I truly enjoy attending wine tastings, especially at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  If you are a member of their wine club, you get invitations to attend wine tastings, though you must be flexible, because of the crowds.  I will discuss two different Bordeaux red wines and then a vertical of four wines from Lussac-Saint Emilion. 

The first wine was Chateau Tour de Luchey Bordeaux 2022. This estate is located in the district of Moulon on the banks of the Dordogne River.  On the grounds of the estate is a medieval tower, and years ago, “Luchey” meant the King’s usher who would check the ship’s loading leaving for France’s King, via Bordeaux.  The estate has been in the same family for five generations.  It is a little more that sixteen hectares of forty-year-old vines on silty soil and predominately Merlot.  This vintage is eighty percent Merlot, ten percent Cabernet Franc and ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  The fruit is both mechanically and hand harvested.  Each varietal is picked and vinified separately in Stainless-Steel and concrete vats and thermal-regulated for about fifteen days; and then the wine is aged in Stainless-Steel vats.  This deep claret colored wine offered notes of red cherry, raspberry and strawberry.  On the palate this medium-bodied and well-balanced wine displayed tones of fresh red fruits and blackberry blending with ripe tannins with tones of chocolate and coffee and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit.

The next wine was Chateau Rocher-Calon Montagne-Saint-Emilion 2022.  Pierre Lagardere after returning home after The Great War, bought a hectare of land in Pomerol, and over the next four generations the family has acquired twenty-two hectares of vineyards in the Libournais; as well as investing in a temperature-controlled cellar, pneumatic wine press and micro-oxygenation equipment.  The estate is basically Merlot with some Cabernet Franc, and the average age of the vines is about thirty-five years on Calcareous-clay soil.  The fruit is both mechanically and hand-harvested, and this vintage is ninety percent Merlot and ten percent Cabernet Franc.  The fruit undergoes a four-day period of cold-maceration prior to fermentation to extract deeper color and flavor from the skin. The wine is then aged for eighteen months in a mix of Stainless-Steel and concrete vats. A deep ruby-garnet red colored wine that offered notes of cherry and blackberry, leather and sous-bois. On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of dark and red fruits, and chocolate blending with supple tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and terroir. 

We then had a special treat of having the chance to experience a vertical tasting of Chateau du Courlat Lussac-Saint-Emilion and is part of the family run business estates of Jean-Baptiste Audy.  The company was founded in 1906 and today it is run by his great-grandson, Jean-Baptiste Bourotte and the fifth generation. Chateau du Courlat has seventeen hectares of vines, of which four hectares are dedicated to the company’s first wine Cuvée Jean-Baptiste.  The estate is planted ninety percent Merlot and ten percent Cabernet Franc and the vines average about twenty-five years in age and planted on a clay-loam soil.  The fruit is mechanically harvested and then is manually sorted on vibrating tables.  Vinification is done plot by plot, with maceration for about twenty-five days, in Stainless-Steel and cement vats then pneumatically pressed.  Aging is done in French Oak barrels and cement vats for about eighteen months.  The 2016 vintage showed a deep ruby wine that offered notes of dark fruit, tobacco and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of red cherry, blackberry, chocolate blending with silky tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and pepper, almost demanding a second taste.  The 2019 vintage was a deep ruby wine that offered notes of black fruits, violets, camphor and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of blackberry, strawberries blending with rich tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and spices.  The 2020 vintage was a deep purplish-ruby color that offered notes of dark fruit, leather, licorice, cigars and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of fruit forward blackberry and plums, raisins, tobacco blending with grainy tannins and finishing with a medium-count finish of fruit, smoke and spices.  The 2022 vintage was pure merlot and a dark violet wine that offered notes of plums, blackberries, violets, and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of rich dark fruits, licorice, espresso blending with mellow tannins, a nice “chewy” wine that ended with a medium-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.

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Fine Wine Source Club – October 2025

Posted on October 21, 2025 by thewineraconteur

I feel that I was overdue to pick up my wine club selections from The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  It has been an interesting time the last month or so, and I have plenty of wines, and tastings to write about, and it was a pleasure to just stop by the shop and admire the goods, and I was a good boy, as I had to rush back to the house, as we have been in the midst of updating the outside of our house, as we have been here for thirty years or so.  The wine shop was a pleasant respite.

The first wine represents the Old World, and it is bottle of Vin Schoenheitz Riesling Vin d’Alsace 2020.  During the 1970s, Henri Schoenheitz Sr., who had a passion for the history of his birthplace, undertook the rebirth of an all but forgotten vineyard at Wihr-au-Val in the Munster Valley.  Preparing the soil and replanting the steep hillsides, and this passion and dedication has been maintained by Henri Schoenheitz Jr., and his wife; both are graduates in oenology and viticulture.  The family made a name for themselves as the only independent wine makers in the village.  The wine is pure Riesling, and the vineyard is in the heart of Munster Valley with the first hillsides facing south-southwest.  The vines are ten to thirty years of age planted on granite soils that are very decomposed, rich in micas and silica.  This white wine has been described as having notes of citrus, stone fruits and white florals.  On the palate this off-dry wine is said to display tones of green apples, pears, and hints of fig and kiwi, and ending with a long-count finish of fruit and lemon zest.

The wine representing the New World is Two Mountain Hidden Horse Red Blend 22, Yakima Valley, Washington State NV.  Two Mountain Winery is a family concern, owned and operated by Matthew and Patrick Rawn, their family began farming in 1951, when Schmidt Orchards had forty acres.  The brothers bought the farm from their late uncle in 2006 and began Two Mountain Winery and Estate Vineyard.  Hidden Horse was originally only available in their distribution and retail partners.  It is their work horse and budget friendly.  The wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 7% Syrah, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec.  The wine was aged for twenty months in ninety-four percent French and six percent American Oak.  A deep blackish-purple colored wine that offers notes of dark fruits, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf and vanilla.   On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of blackberries, plums, raspberries with crisp acidity blending with supple tannins, and a medium-count finish of fruit and spices.  

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Birthday for a 71-Year-Old Curmudgeon

Posted on October 18, 2025 by thewineraconteur

It is hard to believe that my Bride has let me be pampered for over a month of my self-appointed celebrations, and actually there are still more stories to come, but I digress, which is quite often for me.  For my celebration I had posted a cryptic “story” post on social media, that most people did not catch.  

We had a quiet dinner for the two of us at home.  She made some of my favorite dishes and indulged me.  We started off with my new favorite salad (which should be her award winning from scratch Caesar), but we did find a new salad that was just called a Spring Mix Salad and it consisted of a Heart of Romaine Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Strawberries served with a Champagne Vinaigrette.  She then made Braised Short Ribs with root vegetables.  For part of the braising process, she used a bottle of Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage Central Coast 2010 from a stash that I found half forgotten, as I have been reorganizing the cellar.  The wine was still very hardy, and I had to decant it, to eliminate the acquired sediment; we had originally bought about three cases of this wine, after tasting a bottle, as it was being sold by a local grocer for less than ten dollars a bottle plus case discount.  I do ramble when I get going.  She also made Roasted Shishito Peppers and of course Armenian Pilaf.  Then we had a Grand Marnier Soufflé as she wanted to make one, before she had to make it for a dinner party.

I had gone into the cellar to select my birthday wine and of course she was very curious as to what I would select.  I think that she figured that I was going to select another Meritage wine to keep in the theme of the dinner, and in a way I did.  I went and washed out one of our decanters, polished a couple of Riedel Crystal glasses and my Durand Corkscrew, which is one of the best wine tools we have ever bought.  My Bride looking at the bottle that I had brought up earlier to stand erect, before I decanted it, asked what the price of the bottle would be.  I said does it matter, that is why I started the collection when I was in high school, and it was one of my prized wines that I moved from two other basements in my life.  When I removed the capsule seal, the cork was still pristine, with no evidence of ullage seepage, and the fill line was just under the capsule edge.   

I did open my Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1964 with a label of distribution by Dourthe Freres, Negociants a Moulis-Medoc (Gironde).  For those old enough, you may notice that there is no indication that Chateau Mouton Rothschild was even part of The Classification of 1855 for the Medoc.  They were listed as the First of the Second Growths, and they felt that because of politics, they weren’t listed as a First Growth, this was later corrected in 1973.  The chateau was originally Brane-Mouton and was among the best of the 18th and 19th Centuries, and then the quality fell in the 1840s.  The property was then bought and renamed in 1853, and the quality was restored, but not in time for The Classification.  Baron Philippe de Rothschild took the reins in 1922 and introduced chateau bottling in 1924.  At the end of World War II, they began commissioning a different artist for each vintage and the 1964 label is by the English artist Henry Moore.  The estate is eighty-four hectares on gravelly soil.  The estate is planted at eighty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, sixteen percent Merlot and small plots of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot; the average age of the vines are about forty years of age.  The fruit is hand-harvested, undergoes fermentation in oak vats and then is aged for eighteen months.  I decanted the wine for about two hours prior to dinner, and the wine was still a rich garnet-ruby to dark brick color with no visible foxing and offered notes of dark cherries and blackberries, mushrooms, old leather, earth and spices; though initially hesitant, the nose became much more striking after the first hour and even better at the second hour.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine still displayed tones of tart cherries, dried fruit, spices that blended with fully integrated tannins with still some refreshing acidity that ended with a long-count finish of fruit and rich minerally terroir.  I am glad that I had it now, though I am sure that it would have been strong for another five years.   

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Mabel Gray

Posted on October 15, 2025 by thewineraconteur

A couple that we tend to go out for dinner with suggested the restaurant Mabel Gray for an evening out.  My Bride and I first discovered Chef James Rigato when he had a charming restaurant in a strip center years ago called Root in White Lake Township.  He also was in a documentary film with another chef that we have followed Luciano Del Signore called a “Dinner in Abruzzo: A Journey Home with My Culinary Godfather.” I had been hesitant to try the restaurant, not because of the quality, but because there was this veil of mystery involving the menu and the tasting menu.  I have been a fan of tasting menus since my first with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, followed by the likes of Jean Georges and Daniel Boulud.  The difference being that they published their tasting menu ahead of time, so that one could be concerned if they have food allergies or dislikes.  I sent an email for some clarification and was told that if I had a problem, it could be corrected that evening.    

The other couple and my Bride all went with “Tasting Menu” and I just ordered a couple of dishes from the menu, so I will only discuss my two meals.  When I asked our server what was going to be on the “Tasting Menu” that evening, she just looked at me and sneered “you will have to wait and be surprised, evidently you have never had a ‘tasting menu’ before” and chastised and belittled me at the table.  I was totally humiliated, but I tried not to ruin the evening for everyone else.  So, for my first course I had the Michigan Heirloom Tomato Salad, Nuoc Cham, cucumber, crispy tempura, shishito pepper, and herbs, but I asked not to have whipped tofu.  I had a glass of Bodega Ulacia Blanco Getariako Txakolina DO, Spain 2023.  Bodega Ulacia has been making wines for three generations in Getaria, the birthplace of Getariako Txakolina DO.  In 1989 the regulatory Council was created for the Txakolina DO and in 1990 the Getariako Txakolina DO was approved.  The word txakoli is Basque for wine village. They built a new winery in 2009.  The wine is a blend of ninety-five percent Hondarribi Zuri and five percent Hondarribi Beltza, and the vine are between five and sixty years of age.  The fruit is hand harvested, and pneumatic presses are used to extract the must, which is then fermented in Stainless-Steel temperature-controlled tanks. After a couple of months, the wine is bottled.  The wine is straw colored with natural effervescent sparkle and offers notes of tropical fruits and citrus, herbs and yeast.  On the palate this light-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of fizzy lemon and pineapple, a very crisp wine that ended with a medium-count finish of fruit, yeast and minerals.

In between my two courses, I had the pleasure to meet the Sommelier at the restaurant and she was trying to have me join their Champagne Society, but I was still fuming about the insult that I took, so I really wasn’t interested in future activity with Mabel Gray.  Our “waitress” told us that a lamb entrée was only offered to the Tasting Menu customers, so my Bride offered me that dish, but I also ordered their Griddled Baja Blue Fin Tuna with summer peperonata, crispy potato, arugula and herb salad.  My Bride had also booked the dinner, telling them that I was having a birthday and the restaurant also sent out their version of a Baked Alaska, that we all shared.   The wine list paled in comparison to the Champagne Society selection, but I opted for a red, in anticipation of the lamb entrée, and it was good that my dish was to be shared for two.  I ordered a glass of Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2022.   Paolo Scavino was founded in 1921 in Castiglione Falletto by Lorenzo Sacavino and his son Paolo.  Enrico Scavino has been working at the winery sine 1951, at the age of ten, and he now manages the estate with his daughters, who are now the fourth generation.  The estate has twenty-three hectares entirely in Barolo, including lots in nineteen different Cru Vineyards. The Langhe Nebbiolo is pure Nebbiolo grapes coming from sites that the winery says enhances the more ethereal Nebbiolo aromatics and structure.  The wine undergoes fermentation at a low temperature, to ensure a soft extraction.  The wine then has a short period in neutral oak and then finishes the aging in Stainless-Steel to preserve the freshness of the grapes. The ruby-red wine offered notes of red cherry, raspberry and strawberries along with violets, white pepper and herbs, licorice and sous-bois.  On the palate the medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plum, blueberry, and spices blending with supple tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, florals and terroir.  

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A Quick Getaway

Posted on October 12, 2025 by thewineraconteur

During my monthlong period of revelry, we made a side trip for a scheduled stop, we also had a night to entertain ourselves.

We ended up having dinner one evening at The Village Anchor, the last time I was there was seven years ago, but my Bride has had a few visits there without me.  We were in the charming village of Anchorage on the east side of Louisville, and the establishment is actually two businesses.  On the lower level, which is better accessed from another parking lot is the Sea Hag which features a thirty-foot copper bar with a built-in ice trough to keep your beverage of choice well chilled. They off sixty-two beers and fifty-five bourbons.  Of course, we entered from the other parking lot and we were in the Village Anchor, which also has the Anchor Bar, a charming place that has incorporated the original crimson red beer taps from Churchill Down’s Silks Bar.  The restaurant has the feel of laid back elegance with an eclectic mix of brick, dark wood, velvet, wrought-iron and beautiful paintings in frames above the dining room on the ceiling.

We started our dinner by getting a couple of appetizers that we could share.  They had a plate of Three Crab Cakes pan seared with Avocado Aioli, as well as an order of hand cut Sweet Potato Fries seasoned with vanilla and brown sugar accompanied with two dipping sauces; one that was light Bourbon and cayenne, while the other was Bourbon-marshmallow crème.  My Bride had the sesame-crusted Yellow-fin Ahi Tuna Salad with spring-mix lettuces, mango, avocado with a Ginger-cilantro Vinagraitte accompanied with Wasabi and Sracha.  I had the Wagyu Burger with caramelized onions, Cheddar Cheese, “Anchor Candied-bacon,” garlic-aioli and a side of Roasted Rainbow Carrots.  We then shared a Crème Broulee, which we probably didn’t need, but it seemed proper.  I also get a kick out of the fact, that the dinner bill is brought out in a well-thumbed paper-back Romance novel.

We also had a bottle of Kysela Pere et Fils Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet Les Costieres de Pomerols 2023. Picpoul de Pinet is not seen here that often and the name of the grape translates to “sting the lips” from the highly acidic nature of the wine. Kysele Pere et Fils Ltd was founded in 1994 by Sommelier Fran Kysela, and today he works with two hundred suppliers from fifteen countries.  Les Costieres de Pomerols is a group affair that was started in 1932 and today has about three-hundred-fifty growers in the town of Pomerols in the coastal region of the former Coteaux du Languedoc, now the much larger Languedoc-Roussillon. The average age of the vines from this association is about twenty years planted on clay and limestone and is now into sustainable farming practices.  The fruit is picked at night, pneumatically pressed and the free running juice is under inert gas to maintain freshness.  The juice is allowed to settle for forty-eight hours and then temperature controlled Stainless-Steel tanks for fermentation with no Malolactic Fermentation. This pale-yellow wine offered notes of white fruits, grapefruits, and juniper, rosemary, thyme and sage.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displays tones of white fruit, citrus (especially grapefruit), herbs and spices with zesty acidity and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and chalky minerals.  I find it very refreshing and a bit racy.    

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