Les Allies

Posted on November 4, 2021 by thewineraconteur

It was my Bride’s birthday, a day for celebration and after reading about how I stretch the celebration out, she is very low key.  She would have been happy with making a dinner at home, even for her birthday.  I had a couple of ideas where she would want to celebrate, but as I have mentioned often, she is a creature of habit and once she has decided that she likes a location, it is like pulling teeth to get her to try somewhere new.  She is also the Royal Exchequer and she has decided on a new project that will not only be expensive, but it will be hours of manual labor, but that is for a future story, if I survive to tell you about it. 

We were going up north, at least in feeling, as we were going to see the Kodiak bear, no we weren’t going to the Detroit Zoo, but only a couple of miles away to Rocky’s.  As I have also mentioned, that we started going to Rocky’s before it was Rocky’s and it was Northville Charley’s and it had the feel of a hunting lodge up in Traverse City or other points in the northern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Rocky was the chef there and he eventually took over the establishment and we have been frequenting Rocky’s ever since, and we even supported him during the longest fifteen days of lockdown that destroyed many restaurants in the state, but Rocky’s survived.  My Bride went true to form and had the Black Bean Soup for starters and then she had the Potato Encrusted Whitefish with Pilaf and Fresh Vegetables.  I veered a little bit and had the Crock of Onion Soup and had the Tenderloin Tips in a Wine Reduction Sauce with Smashed Red Skin Potatoes.  And to celebrate the annual event, she went with the Detroit classic dessert, a Sander’s Hot Fudge Cream Puff with Vanilla Ice Cream and two spoons. 

My Bride wanted something bubbly and festive and we looked at the carte and finally found a wine that we had not had before.  I mean how many times should I write about the same wine?   Well, we found a bottle of wine that was very affordable even in a restaurant.  We had Les Allies Sparkling Brut Rosé France NV and that which is on the label is all that can be ascertained from this enigma of a bottle of wine.  It is from France.  Grapes are not listed, and I can readily state that this sparkling wine has been produced by the bulk Charmat method.  It was a pretty pink/coral color with surprisingly consistent rather small bubbles.  A nice nose of strawberries and raspberries, which continued on the palate, with a short finish of fruit.  For a very affordable bottle of sparkling wine, it was quite agreeable, and I have to say that I have had worst sparkling wines over the years, and I would have this wine again. 

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Three Big Reds from Ixsir

Posted on November 2, 2021 by thewineraconteur

We were coming down to the wire and a much-appreciated surprise was tossed into the mix, at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, as we were tasting wines from Ixsir Winery.  Our guest host was Etienne Debbanne the Co-founder and Chairman of the winery and a pleasure to hear him talk about the wines.  I also got to meet the distributor of his wines in Michigan, that I had learned about him from another winery in France.  The world is not that large and it was a pleasure to be able to talk and taste wines in a casual setting.  We are not talking about a large group with a sit down and a speaker at a podium; it was a man, our host, at a wine barrel converted to a table just pouring wines and talking about the wines, without losing a beat, as new people would show up.  It was more of a family affair, instead of a cold-sterile environment.  It was fun, as someone would say “should I get six?” and the response was “no, get twelve, they won’t be here long.”

The penultimate wine of the tasting was Ixsir Winery Grand Reserve Red Batroun, Lebanon 2013.  The wine is a blend of fifty percent Syrah, thirty-nine percent Cabernet Sauvignon and eleven percent Arinarnoa.  The wine has been aged for twelve months in French Oak, one third new, one third used once and one third used twice.  I had to research the grape Arinarnoa, it was created in Bordeaux in 1956 and was originally thought to be a cross between Merlot and Petit Verdot, but further DNA testing has proven it to be a cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is found in the Languedoc and now in Lebanon, it is being used.  This wine was already aging and it was quite mellow, with a fine nose of dark fruit and spices, and the taste has already matured, layered and textured and still offering fruit and a nice finish of terroir.

The last wine of the tasting was the Ixsir Winery EL Ixsir Red Batroun, Lebanon 2016. This is a big wine and a blend of forty-five percent Syrah, forty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and ten percent Merlot.  This wine was aged for twenty-four months in French Oak of which fifty percent was new and fifty percent were used once.  It was an elegant deep purple/red wine with a nose of red and black fruits, with some spice and cedar.  The palate is velvety and textured with a nice long finish of terroir that can be laid down in the cellar for some time.  I thought I was done and then they added another wine to the tasting.  We had a chance to compare it to the Ixsir Winery EL Ixsir Red Batroun, Lebanon 2014 and the technical information was the same.  With the two additional years under its belt, the wine had an extra richness that only comes with age, and unfortunately most wines are consumed young, especially in a restaurant setting.  The great news was that this wine was priced the same as the 2014 vintage and it was a real winner to me, that it could be enjoyed sooner. 

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Rosé and a Red from Ixsir

Posted on October 31, 2021 by thewineraconteur

We were up to the middle two wines of a flight of six, poured and discussed by Etienne Debbanne the Co-founder and Chairman of Ixsir Winery of Lebanon at my local wine shop, The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  For a winery that was founded in 2009 in the mountainous region of Batroun in Lebanon, they have embraced sustainability and a sense of green, being recognized by three awards including the “greenest building in the world.” They started from the beginning, doing it the new way, so they didn’t have to change any bad habits.

The Ixsir Winery Grand Reserve Rosé Batroun, Lebanon 2020 was a wine that made Etienne Debbanne extremely happy to pour for us.  It was selected as the best Rosé by the Robb Report.  The wine is a blend of Mourvedre, Cinsault and Syrah and was created in Stainless Steel tanks with almost no aging time to create a fresh and lively wine.  A pretty color with floral notes and a crisp, fresh and balanced wine that offered a nice finish with terroir.  It was big, and in hindsight, I now understand why this wine was tasted after the whites and before the reds, as I might have wanted to start off with this wine. 

We then had the Ixsir Winery Altitudes Red Batroun, Lebanon 2016.  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Caladoc and Tempranillo.  I will mention Caladoc, first produced in 1958 and is a cross between Malbec and Grenache.  It is not sanctioned in the AOC regions of France, but it is being used for blending in several areas quite successfully, for the richness of color and with flavors and nose of wild berries, balsamic and eucalyptus.  This wine was aged in French Oak for six months, with fifteen percent new.  The wine had a nose of black fruit and oak, and offered flavors of black fruit and currants with a silky finish.  It was a very easy drinking wine. 

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Whites from Ixsir Winery

Posted on October 29, 2021 by thewineraconteur

It was a delightful experience to be regaled by Etienne Debbanne, the Co-founder and Chairman of Ixsir Winery at my local wine shop The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  Ixsir Winery is considered to have the finest terroirs in Lebanon from Batroun to Jezzine, and it is a mountain wine that culminates at 1,800 meters and is the highest mountain winery in the Northern Hemisphere.  The grounds are clay and limestone soil, old respected lands only recently discovered and utilized again.  The total area of the estate is one-hundred-twenty-hectares, and the winery also has contracts with other immediate vineyards, which they oversee all aspects of the lands and pays them to allow Ixsir total control of the vines for their vision and products.

The first wine that we tasted was Ixsir Winery Altitudes White Batroun, Lebanon 2019.  The wine is a blend of Obaideh, Muscat and Viognier and was aged for three months in Stainless Steel.  Obaideh is a Lebanese grape that has been used in blends, now being done as a varietal and traditionally used in the production of Arak, the famed Anise liqueur of Lebanon.  Obaideh is high in sugar, low acidity with a creamy texture with notes of honey and lemons.  This wine offered floral notes, subtle flavor of grapefruit with some spice, balanced and a moderate finish.  A very fresh wine, that would be perfect to start off a meal or just nibbling on mezza.    

The other white wine that we tasted was Ixsir “EL Ixsir” White Batroun, Lebanon 2016.  This wine is a blend of seventy percent Viognier and thirty percent Chardonnay and was aged on the lees for twelve months in French Oak, of which a third were new.  This was an elegant white wine with floral notes, a full bodied dry white offering white fruits and spices, and a nice long finish of terroir. A wine that would hold its own with opening courses or pairing with dinner as a stand-alone.  It offered depth and complexity, that one expects from a good white, and I have been finding that Viognier is great for cellaring as this five-year-old was totally fresh.   

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Etienne Debbanne and Ixsir Winery

Posted on October 27, 2021 by thewineraconteur

There are days that are more memorable than others, when I set food in my local wine shop The Fine Wine Source of Livonia.  I mean they are all great days, but the other day I had a chance to do a tasting with Etienne Debbanne of Ixsir Winery.  Etienne Debbanne is the Co-founder and Chairman of Ixsir Winery.  He holds a Master’s Degree in Agriculture from Reading University of the United Kingdom.  He has a passion for wine and his native home of Lebanon, and he co-founded the winery with a group of friends.  He is also a well-known business figure in the Middle East and one of the administrators of the Debbane-Saikali Group which is a majority shareholder in several companies and corporations.  The best part, is that he was a charming, urbane gentleman who enjoyed talking about his wines, and he remembered plenty of past customers that came to taste his wines on a prior occasion, that unfortunately my Bride and I missed, but we made it a point to attend this tasting.

Some background information is that Ixsir Winery was founded in 2009 in the northern part of Lebanon in Batroun which is a coastal area.  They are a mountain winery, and one of the highest in elevation for the Northern Hemisphere.  The name Ixsir derives from the Arabic word “Iksir” the original Arabic word for “elixir.” History has recorded that man has searched for the perfect elixir for eternal youth and for love.  The winery is very progressive and has been named one of the greenest buildings in the world.  The winery owns one-hundred-twenty hectares in the Batroun with several different vineyards capitalizing on the terroir.  The winery grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Caladoc, Cinsault, Merlot, Obeidy, Viognier, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon.  Quite impressive for a young company, as far as I am concerned.

We have quite a collection of Ixsir wines, but one of the most interesting wines, and I still have the three-pack intact is EL Ixsir Cuvee X’eme Anniversaire Red Non-Vintage.  It was number sixteen of an issue of one-thousand, and the box held three bottles of this special edition wine as well as a beautiful “coffee-table” book The Wines of Ixsir.  The EL Ixsir Cuvee X’eme Anniversaire Red Non-Vintage is a special bottling of three very recent vintages of their EL, which is their top cuvee and a blend of fifty-five percent Syrah, thirty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and ten percent Merlot.  Each of the wines had aged for twenty-four months and then had been blended and aged in French Oak, of which half were new barrels. The concept of having the three bottles in the case was that the first bottle should be tasted in five years, and then at least ten years for the second bottle and the last should be held even longer.  As a reference point, this wine was issued 30 April 2019 and the Wine Advocate awarded it a score of 93 Points and a suggest “Drink Date” of 2022-2040.  When we tasted the wine, we were told that the 2014 vintage which was the real powerhouse of EL was leading this wine and it was big and inky and really overpowering; it was way too young and feisty to be properly enjoyed and there was real merit in cellaring this wine. I will discuss the six wines in the articles to come.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Reception at Planterra

Posted on October 25, 2021 by thewineraconteur

It was time for another wedding and a symbol that people could get back together.  We had to survive a period in history, where weddings were outlawed, just like going to a restaurant like the French Laundry and dining indoors.  OK, some were allowed to dine indoors, but I didn’t hear about any weddings.  It was a time to celebrate and it was a beautiful wedding held in an Armenian Church and the priest went and explained all the symbolism and traditions for the non-Armenian attendees.  It was a beautiful ceremony and there was time in between the ceremony and the reception to allow for the formal wedding portraits and family portraits.   My Bride and I took advantage and stopped for some food and drinks on the way to the reception, A practice that I have done for years. 

The reception was at Planterra Conservatory, which was a new venue for us.  The facility is actually a huge greenhouse, as they are a leading provider of interior landscape services and plant rentals.  When I was a kid, my science classroom in elementary school had a little greenhouse built on the back of room.  One saw small greenhouses for eccentrics like Nero Wolfe or in The Big Sleep, but this place was huge and because of the nature of a greenhouse, they only rent out the facility at certain times of the year for events like this reception.  It was beautiful and they were offering appetizers and Pomegranate Margaritas as you entered into the facility, or you could go to one of the bars set up.  At the dinner, they started off by serving everyone flutes of Dark Horse Brut NV for toasting and to accompany the Michigan Salad of mixed greens, dried cherries, walnuts, cheese and a Champagne vinaigrette.  Dark Horse Wine is a brand and owned by E. & J. Gallo and they offer many popular varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay among others.  This sparkling wine is produced using the Charmat Method or the Bulk Method and it is perfect for sparkling wines used for toasts.  The entire (The Original) Dark Horse wine collection is popular priced California wines that one can encounter in many restaurants and in grocery and convenience stores.  This was a festive wine, and to be truthful not everyone drinks sparkling wines, so I had a couple of extra flutes at my table setting (another reason that I tend to eat something before going to a wedding).     

The entrées for the evening were a filet and shrimp with sides and it was very well prepared.  Our table was also perfectly situated for watching all of the toasts and the cutting of the wedding cake.  We started out with Cardiff Wines Chardonnay California 2019 and then we finished our dinner with Cardiff Wines Cabernet Sauvignon California 2018.  I can find no real information about this winery other than it is one of the least expensive California wines on the market. We have only encountered this wine in hotels or by catering companies.  The Chardonnay was far superior to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  The dinner was much more impressive than the wines, but that is fine.  The wedding was very nice and enjoyable and the hall was very interesting. Though I didn’t see any orchids and that would not have pleased Nero Wolfe or General Sternwood.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle

Posted on October 23, 2021 by thewineraconteur

While I was enjoying some unique Italian wines at my local wine shop, The Fine Wine Source, I encountered a third wine from the same region.  The region is the Aosta Valley DOC, Valle d’Aosta DOC or just VDA DOC.  The third wine is a subregion or zone and it has its own DOC and its own grape.  The Aosta Valley is Italy’s smallest and least populous region in the mountainous region of the northwest corner where Italy abuts France and Switzerland.  These alpine regions are the some of the highest vineyards in Europe.

I had a chance to taste Piero Brunet Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle DOC Vallée D’Aoste 2019, with a fourth way of doing the larger district.  Morgex et de la Salle is the northernmost sub-region of the Aosta Valley, in the shadow of Mont Blanc.  Officially the region is the steep slopes above the valley that the Dora Baltea River flows, on south-facing slopes from the river’s edge to 1300m (4265 ft) between the two municipalities of Morgex and La Salle.  The vineyards are cobbled on narrow plots, surrounded by stone walls, on low height pergolas and between the stone walls and the gravel soil, heat is captured and slowly released throughout the day.  While this wine is still and dry, the region also is known for a dessert wine and some sparkling wine as well. 

The variety of this wine is the Prie Blanc is a light skinned grape that excels in the high altitudes, as in 3,900 feet above sea level, and the area is naturally resistant to phylloxera, and hence it is one of the few vines that is ungrafted and the average age for the vines is sixty-years of age.  The region is the home of the Prie Blanc since at least the Seventeenth Century.  The vines bud very late and usually well past the last frost, and is one of the earliest grapes to harvest.  With the age of the vines and the unique growing system, the yield is very low, and the juice is highly concentrated.   The wine had a very subtle floral nose and some herbs, a very dry wine that is very acidic and a long finish of terroir, in this case very flinty.  Since this region is a main route between France and Italy, the tourists usually consume the entire wine of the area, in fact the demand usually exceeds the supply, so very few wines are encountered here.     

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Valle D’Aosta

Posted on October 21, 2021 by thewineraconteur

Aosta Valley or VDA is the northernmost Alpine wine region of Italy and I was tasting some of these wines at my local wine shop The Fine Wine Source.  The valley is Italy’s smallest and least populous region and abuts France and Switzerland, and French is the official second language of the region.  Even though this area is small, and very hardy, they produce both red and white wines, and the most important red is the Picotendro, the local version of Nebbiolo.  While the Valle D’Aosta DOC contains no DOCG, there are some subzones in the region.  These wines are very popular domestically from the large tourist trade of the region, and hence there is very little that is actually imported, so it is not a common designation.

The first wine that I tried was Fuedo di San Maurizio Petite Arvine Valle D’Aosta DOC 2020.  I found very little about this winery though they do offer wines also made from Petit Verdot, Petit Rouge, Fumin, Humagne Rouge, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Vuillermin.  Petite Arvine also known as Arvine is a variety that is basically found in Valais, Switzerland and Valle D’Aosta, Italy and has been recorded for the last five-hundred-years, but the origin has not been determined. A late ripening grape that requires sunny sites and dry soil, not two requirements that one would immediately think of for the Alpine region.   This wine had a grapefruit nose, and it was a big and sassy acidic palate with a saline (salty) finish and I just thought of fresh-water fish as the pairing for this wine.

The second wine that I had was Fuedo di San Maurizio Fumin Valle D’Aosta 2019.  The same winery, but using the indigenous variety of the valley, namely the Fumin grape, which is a red grape.  For years this grape was blended with other grapes for its deep purple-red color and was only recently brought back to prominence because of a few local winemakers.  It is the perfect variety for the region, as it is not fussy, buds late, ripens early and doesn’t require as much sun as some of the other local grapes may require. The wine was rather earthy with notes of dark fruits and spices for the nose, while the palate was more blackberry and high acidity and a medium finish.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wine Club October 2021

Posted on October 19, 2021 by thewineraconteur

I had to get to my local wine shop, The Fine Wine Source of Livonia, to pick up the new wine club selections.  Actually, I think this is the first time that I went on the same day, that I got the notification.  It has been rather hectic here, but more about that at a later date.  Suffice it to say, that I had to maintain my sanity and the ability to communicate with humans and no, we are not under draconian lockdowns again.  This is self-imposed and eventually an article or two may arise from this.  As for now, I will stop rambling and discuss the two wines, one Old World and one New World.

The first wine, which represents the Old World is Chateau Bourdieu Blay Cotes de Bordeaux 2019.  The story goes that Luc Schweitzer used to pass by this property on his way to his boarding school and the property goes back to 1464.  Eventually he followed in his parent’s footsteps and became a winegrower and he bought this property in 1993 and has worked to add and expand the estate to where it is now one-hundred-eighty-five acres.  The winery is run as a sustainable agriculture vineyard with modern methods of farming and no reliance on chemicals. When I was in my teens, they use to joke that in music one often hears of the three B’s, off to the side of Bordeaux is another set of three B’s. The Cotes de Bourg, the Cotes de Blaye and Bergerac are productive wine districts on the wrong side of the Gironde (which encompasses Bordeaux).  These two areas were producing wines before the Medoc was even planted.  They are classic made wines known as Claret.  They unfortunately have been totally eclipsed by the Medoc and even the Bordeaux wines.  The Cotes de Bordeaux appellation was created in 2009, to put all the “cotes” under one banner; Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs.  The wine is a blend of eighty-seven percent Merlot, ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon and three percent Cabernet Franc with vines averaging thirty-five-years in age, and aged in Stainless Steel.  The wine is described as a beautiful ruby red, with a nose of red fruits and black currants, with integrated tannins and a nice long finish.

The New World is represented by TRIM Wines Cabernet Sauvignon California 2018.  TRIM Project was started by Ray Signorello in 2011.  His concept was two wines, one focus and zero distractions by creating a single Cabernet and a single Chardonnay.  A total trimmed down approach to winemaking.  The wine is eighty-seven percent Cabernet Sauvignon with seven percent Malbec and six percent Petite Sirah.  The notes for this wine list a nose of dark cherry, pipe tobacco and grilled herbs, a balanced and medium weight wine with notes of cranberry, pomegranate, mulberry and herbs with a long finish.  Sounds perfect for a burger.   

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Steve & Rocky’s

Posted on October 17, 2021 by thewineraconteur

My Bride and I decided to go to Steve & Rocky’s, and it may sound like one of our watering holes called Rocky’s, well you are half right.  The restaurant is a merger of two old school restaurants of fame in the Detroit dining history.  Charles “Chuck” “Rocky” Rachwitz worked for the C.A. Muer Restaurant Corporation for eighteen years and many of those original restaurants are still standing and existing, even with the untimely death of Chuck Muer. Rocky was the Corporate Executive Chef for the Muer organization, and prior to the death of Muer, Rocky took over the old Northville Charley’s and made it Rocky’s.  Steve Allen trained under and worked for Chef Milos Cihelka at the old Golden Mushroom and later became the Executive Chef for five years, after Chef Milo’s retirement.  Eventually the two sat down and created a joint venture that is still going strong still, since January 1998.      

The menu had too many choices for us, and it was a very tough decision, as they were just some of the great classic entrées that have stood the test of time.  My Bride had the Tasting of Three Soups; Shrimp Provencal, Gazpacho and Chef Milos’ Mushroom (the first time that we went to the Golden Mushroom, is when we began dating, as this was one of her favorite restaurants, and she still talks about it.  She then had a salad of Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata, spring greens, shaved red onion and Basil Vinaigrette along with Grilled Atlantic Salmon.  She was enjoying Chateau Miraval “Studio by Miraval” Mediterranée IGP 2020.  Chateau Miraval, once housed a recording studio used by Pink Floyd and by Sting, who named the Chateau.  It is probably more famous because of the movie stars that own it, in a partnership with the Perrin family.  The estate is a five-hundred-hectare property with olive groves and vineyards.  They offer four wines, their flagship Chateau Miraval, two white wines made from Rolle and this wine that used to carry the Vin de France designation, and now has the more modern IGP appellation which covers a large swath of land, and really no hard and fast rules for wine production.  The two principal grapes used by the Chateau is Grenache and Cinsaut, and there is no breakdown or trade notes.  I will say that it probably is aged for a couple of months in Stainless Steel, as the wine was very floral, crisp with intense red fruit and a nice flinty finish.  It also paired very well with the tomatoes, which can be tricky.  

I was very hard pressed to decide to on an entrée, but I went with one, that I haven’t had in a while.  I started off with a bowl of the Shrimp Provencal soup.  I then had St. Louis Barbecue Ribs with a Traverse City cherry and coffee glaze, Redskin mashed potatoes and Street Corn off the Cob.  The ribs fell off of the bones, and the street corn had a zest that was enjoyable.  I went with Chateau Lassegue “Les Cadrans de Lassegue” Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016.  The winery goes back to the 17th Century, but the big modern news is that it was bought by Jess Jackson and Barbara Bank in 2003 and part of the Jackson Family’s Spire Collection.  The estate is twenty-four hectares planted with sixty percent Merlot, thirty-five percent Cabernet Franc and five percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  The vines are from forty to fifty-five years in age on a soil of chalk, clay and limestone. The wine I had is the second label of the winery and is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged probably close to a year in French Oak, of which about thirty-five percent is new.  Of course, I have a long bias towards Saint-Emilion Grand Cru wines, since high school and this wine made me totally happy.  The beautiful nose of dark red fruits, with beautiful notes from the Cabernet Franc and a nice terroir driven finish.  It was a delightful dinner. 

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment