And Then There Were More Reds to Try

Posted on July 10, 2025 by thewineraconteur

After the Maison Trimbach wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan in the new addition, we walked back into the original store to be greeted with more wines to taste,  Red wines from both the Old World and the New World.

We started of with Domaine Rene Leclerc Bourgogne Rouge 2022, and if you don’t speak French (and that includes me) it just means Red Burgundy.  Bourgogne Rouge wines received an appellation in 1937, the same as most of the major designations there, and covers grapes grown from over three-hundred communes throughout Burgundy.  Rene Leclerc and now his son Francois are the winemakers and management of this sustainably farmed Domaine.  The Domaine has twelve hectares in and around Gevrey-Chambertin and parts of the Domaine fall into the Bourgogne Rouge appellation.  The Domaine was founded in 1982 and it is on clay and limestone and the ages of the Pinot Noir vines are from twenty to forty years of age.  The fruit for this wine was just outside of the Gevrey-Chambertin delineation.  After the harvest, the grapes are pressed using an antique, manual wooden press, then the juice undergoes a short cold maceration.  Fermentation is completed using indigenous yeast in traditional vats.  After six months the wines are raked into barrels for aging, all in used French Oak, to minimize the oak, for twelve months.  A bright burgundy colored wine that offered notes of red and black fruit, sous-bois, licorice and tobacco.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of young red fruit offering a light mouth with a touch of earthiness, soft tannins and velvety finish with a short to medium count finish of some fruit, some smokiness and terroir.

The next wine we tried was La Bioca Bussia Barolo 2019.  La Bioca is a small winery in the Langhe near Serralunga d’Alba.  The winery has eight hectares of vineyards located in Monforte d’Alba, Novello, La Morra and Barbaresco.  This wine is pure Nebbiolo, and the fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed and cold maceration for a few days.  The wine undergoes fermentation in Stainless-Steel tanks without temperature control for seven days with regular punching down and pumping over: with secondary maceration for twenty-five days.  The wine is then aged for a minimum of eighteen months in oak casks.  A deep garnet colored wine that offered notes of black cherries, blood oranges, violets and a whiff of cinnamon.  On the palate this full-bodied wine displayed tones of black cherries and other black fruit, citrus, and spices blended with velvety tannins, bright acidity and ending with a long count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.    

We then tried Proprieta Sperino ‘L Franc ****** Vino d’Italia-Vino da Tavola 2018 and critics have scored this as one of the top five Italian table wines.  Proprieta Sperino is a winery near the town of Lessona in Piedmont, and most of their focus is on Nebbiolo.  The estate is owned by Paolo de Marchi who inherited the wine from his grandfather, he also owns Isole e Olena, the famed Chianti Classico brand.  Paolo with the help of his elder son, Luca began restoring Proprieta Sperino back to a fully functioning wine estate.  They began in 1999, and by 2006, they released their first vintage, a 2004 release.  This wine is pure Cabernet Franc, from Bordeaux clones, and is grown on a 0.4-hectare Castagnola vineyard, 290 meters above sea level on volcanic soil which at one time was covered by sea and then rose after glacier displacements which created the Alps. The soil is rich in minerals with trace elements including iron, manganese, aluminum and zinc. The fruit is manually harvested, destemmed and gently pressed and gravity fed to fermentation tanks.  Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts, in open topped wooden fermenters, with maceration lasting for thirty days with regular punching down.  The wine remained sur lie for eighteen months before aging in French Oak (half new) prior to bottling, with additional cellaring of the bottles before release.   This deep garnet colored wine offered notes of black cherry, cassis, raspberry, plum, violets, chocolate, tobacco, graphite and some white pepper.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine with bright acidity displayed tones of dark fruits blended with silky tannins and ending with a long-count finish of dark cherry, herbs and spices, tobacco and terroir.   

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The Last Three from Trimbach

Posted on July 7, 2025 by thewineraconteur

All good things come to an end, and wine tastings always seem to end to quickly, including this special evening at The Fine Wine Source with Anne Trimbach curating her family’s wines. And this tasting didn’t even get close to all of the offerings from Trimbach.  

The final white wine of the evening was Maison Trimbach Gewurztraminer Alsace 2020.  The fruit for this wine comes from both Trimbach’s estate vineyards and from their partner winegrowers.  The soils date from the Triassic period, on Muschelkalk (shell limestone, dolomite and marl) and from the Jurassic period with limestone and marl; and both vineyards have south to southeast exposure.  The fruit is selected at maturity, manually harvested, then crushed delicately in a pneumatic press.  The juice is then fermented in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel and concrete vats, with no secondary Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on the lees to maintain the natural acidity, freshness and fruity aromas.  The wine is then bottled in the Spring and then a minimum of two years cellaring before being released.  A soft golden colored wine that offered rich notes of lychee, tropical fruits, rose petals and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed elegant tones of tropical fruits, citrus, ginger, honey in a rather complex and textured wine with crisp acidity that ends with a medium-count finish of sweet and savory along with terroir.

We then had our first red wine, a Maison Trimbach Pinot Noir “Cuve 7” Alsace 2020.  “Cuve 7” owes it name to the number of the vat in which it was first produced and is only produced in exceptional years and comes from the best parcels of the Rotenberg Vineyard in Ribeauvillé.  The soil of the Rotenberg Vineyard is “red irony clay” and calcareous sandstone which is more Burgundian and the Pinot Noir clones are from a selection of Pommard Clos de Epenots and noted for having a lower yield.  The fruit is hand-harvested with a ten day maceration period for the Initial Fermentation and then undergoes Malolactic Fermentation in old casks with six months aging on the lees, bottled and followed by four years in the cellar prior to release.  This garnet-colored wine which was served slightly chilled offered notes of sour cherry, strawberries, blackberries, violets, sous-bois and stones.  On the palate this medium to full-bodied wine displayed tones of red and black fruits, with silky and understated light tannins and a medium to long finish of currants, licorice, pepper and terroir.

The last wine of the evening was the Maison Trimbach Pinot Noir Reserve Alsace 2021.  Pinot Noir Reserve is from Trimbach’s own vineyards and those from their grower partners with the average age of the vines being over forty years of age.  The vineyards are located in the southern part of Alsace: Rodern and St. Hippolyte, some based on granite, some on sandstone, and some from marl and limestone soils.  Grapes are hand-harvested at maturity and after destemming, they undergo a gentle crush by pneumatic pressing followed by an eight-day cold maceration to extract color and fruit in Stainless-Steel vats for Initial Fermentation.  The juices are then blended in the cellar in Stainless-Steel vats and old casks for Malolactic Fermentation.  There is no long ageing on the lees, as the wine is bottled after three months and then aged in cellar for a couple of years.   The garnet colored wine offered notes of red and black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, red beets, sous-bois, licorice and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine with good acidity displayed tones of red and black fruits, kirsch blending with soft velvety tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, smokiness, terroir and a whiff of iron oxide.   

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Three Grand Crus from Trimbach

Posted on July 4, 2025 by thewineraconteur

We were getting to the last of the Riesling wines being offered from Maison Trimbach at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and being curated by Anne Trimbach.  We had already had one Grand Cru and now there were three more Grand Cru wines to be tasted and appreciated.

We were then poured Maison Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg Vineyard du Couvent de Ribeauvillé Alsace 2018.  Pierre Trimbach and his team have been working the Grand Cru Geisberg behind the Domaine for years; this parcel previously was dedicated to being assembled with Grand Cru Osterberg into the famous Cuvée Frederic Emile.  In 2009, it was the first time that Grand Cru Geisberg was produced; and it is one of the three smaller Grand Crus in Alsace at only 8.53 hectares.  The Trimbach estate has a 2.6-hectare plot that is on limestone and dolomite marl soi, with old vines over fifty years old, on small terraces with steep slopes facing south.  The fruit is manually harvested and selected at maturity, then crushed and delicately pressed by a pneumatic press.  The wine is vinified in a dry style in Stainless-Steel vats, with no Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on the lees to preserve freshness and fruity aromas.  A pale golden color wine that offered notes of citrus, candied fruit, honey, dried sage, petrol and bergamot.  On the palate this full-bodied wine displayed tones of being well-balanced with ripe fruit, and strong notes of fresh lemon and ending with a long-count finish of stony terroir and a saline minerality.  It was mentioned that while delicious in its youth, it is expected to offer great richness and complexity of its terroir if kept for twenty years in the cellar.  

The next wine poured was Maison Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg Vineyard Alsace 2020.  Grand Cru Mandelberg in Mittelwihr is situated on an almond tree grove slope with a south to southeast hill planted on brown limestone-marl soil.  The vineyard has an altitude of 690 to 755 feet, with the vines averaging forty-five plus years.  Twenty years after cultivating the vineyard th family decided to integrate this Grand Cru in their collection.  The grapes are manually harvested at maturity and delicately crushed in a pneumatic press.  The wine is vinified in a dry style in Stainless-Steel vats, with no Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on the lees to preserve freshness and fruity aromas.  The wine is bottled in the following spring and cellared for a minimum of three years maturation before release.  The pale golden colored wine offered notes of citrus, pineapples, lemon, orange and grapefruit zest and smoky limestone.  On the palate this full-bodied wine displayed tones of peaches and dried apricots with crisp acidity, a rich texture and a long-count finish of fruit, smokiness and terroir.

The last of the Riesling wines poured was the Maison Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Vineyard Alsace 2021.  In 2012, the Trimbach family acquired about five acres of the Grand Cru Schlossberg and their first vintage was in 2014.  Grand Cru Schlossberg has granite terroir; granite from Thannenkirch above Ribeauvillé and granite migmatite from Kaysersberg.  Planted in horizontal terrasses, with south facing, located next to the castle, just under the forest, the vineyard benefits from a cooler microcosm.  The average age of the vines is around forty years of age.  The grapes were hand harvested to ensure optimal maturity, which allows for depth of flavor and complexity.  After a gentle crush in a pneumatic press, the juice ferments in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel vats for three to four weeks.  The wine is bottled in the Spring and then cellared for a minimum of three years before release.  A pale golden color wine that offers notes of lemon, pears, candied oranges, pineapple and flint.  The palate of the full-bodied wine displays tones of lemons and ripe peaches, with lively acidity and ends with a long-count finish of fruit, citrus and terroir.

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A Cuvée and a Grand Cru from Trimbach

Posted on July 1, 2025 by thewineraconteur

There were still many more wines to taste from Maison Trimbach and discussed and curated by Anne Trimbach at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  Besides the great staff at the store, they were being assisted by members of Palm Beach International the importer of the wines.  With the additional help, plus all of the loyal  wine lovers that frequent the shop, plus the special tastings, even with the new addition the shop was still crowded, which to a retired retailer is always a great sign.  I also will show you the pamphlet that accompanied the carte of wines being offered, plus I had the pamphlet autographed.  

We next enjoyed a tasting of Maison Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frederic Emile Alsace 2015.  Frederic Emile Trimbach was born in 1839 and it was during his term that the winery moved to Hunawihr and he eventually took over the helm of the estate.  In 1875, the Diploma of Honour at the Brussels International Fair was awarded to Frederic Emile Trimbach and in 1898 at the International Wine Fair in Brussels received the highest distinctions for his wines; this was a pivotal point for success and notoriety for the brand.  It so enhanced the estate, that his son Frederic Theodore Trimbach moved the family business to Ribeauvillé to make way for the expansion.  The house is still located there and under the continued leadership of later generations.  This wine is from a single plot that straddles Grands Crus Osterberg and Geisberg in Ribeauvillé, overlooking the winery.  The plot has marl calcareous-sandstone soils, south to southeast exposure on a steep slope and the vines are at least fifty-five years in age.  The fruit is hand-harvested, gently crushed by a pneumatic press and then vinified to dryness in Stainless-Steel vats and old casks.  No Malolactic Fermentation, or long aging on the lees; to preserve freshness and fruity aromas.  The wine is bottled in the following Spring and after seven years of aging in the cellar to develop its expression of terroir and an aging potential of an additional twenty plus years.  A soft golden color wine that offered notes of citrus, apricots, peaches, plums, white florals, and concentrated whiffs of lemon and smokiness.  On the palate this full bodied and well-balanced wine displayed tones of stone fruits, citrus with a very refined blend of a touch of sweetness and a touch of saltiness that ended with a long-count finish of fruit, limestone and smoke.

We then followed with Maison Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Brand Vineyard Alsace 2020.  The Brand Vineyard located in Turckheim is one of the most reputed Grand Cru of Alsace and it is fifty-eight hectares of south to southeastern exposures on warm terroir based on two micas granite fields.  Trimbach’s parcel is almost one hectare in size and the vines average about seventy-years of age.  Brand Vineyard sits on the steep slopes at the beginning of the Vallée de Munster, its name from Old German for fire, a reference to the legend that a dragon and the sun once did battle there and how the sun warms its fine granite soils quickly.  The fruit is hand-harvested, then delicately crushed in a pneumatic press; vinified in a dry style in Stainless-Steel vats and old casks.  No Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on lees, in order to preserve freshness and fruity aromas.  The wine is then bottled in the following spring, and then a minimum of three years of aging in the cellar before releasing.  This pale golden colored wine offered notes of grapefruit, lemon, pears, green apples, flint, white florals, minerals and whiffs of petrol.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine with racy acidity displayed tones of lemons, green apples, pears, apricots and honey blending to end with a long finish of fruit, lemon zest and wet slate.  

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The First Three Rieslings from Maison Trimbach

Posted on June 28, 2025 by thewineraconteur

A totally different wine tasting was held at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  It was a much more structured tasting with guests arriving for three different time slots and delightful small plates and shareables catered by Vertical Detroit.  In the 16th Century the first Trimbachs arrived from Switzerland to dig in the silver mines at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.  In 1626 Jean Trimbach arrived from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines was received by Bourgeois in Riquewihr, where he became a winemaker.  As the years passed, generations followed each other at the House of Trimbach.  

The Riesling varietal accounts for fifty percent of Maison Trimbach production.  The first wine that we had was Maison Trimbach Riesling Alsace 2022.  For their classic Riesling, twenty-five percent of the grapes originate from Grand Cru vineyards.  The specific plots are selected each year by Pierre Trimbach.  The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel and concrete vats.  There is no secondary Malolactic Fermentation in order to maintain as much natural acidity as possible.  The grapes are crushed and delicately pressed in a  pneumatic press, then vinified in a dry style in Stainless-Steel vats and old neutral casks.  There is no long aging on lees, as the wine is bottled in the following spring and then ages one additional year in the bottle before release.  This is a classic interpretation of a dry Alsatian Riesling and the wine is a soft-pale-yellow and offered notes of tropical fruit, pears, lemons and oranges along with white florals.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine was crisp and elegant and displayed tones of white fruits, citrus and a nice chewy wine that finished with fruit and terroir.

 The second Riesling that we had was Maison Riesling Reserve Alsace 2021.  Once again this wine has fruit coming from vineyards selected by Pierre Trimbach, including the lieu-dit of the Trottacker-Forst with marl, limestone and sandstone soils, as well as some older vines (forty-five plus years) in Trimbach’s vineyard in Ribeauvillé.  Other sites included are the Haguenau and Paenzer, and Grand Cru Altenberg, which has limestone soils and very stony red marls, which are shallow and rich in fossils, and another lot of old vines (fifty plus years) in Bergheim.  The grapes are selected at maturity and delicately crushed in a pneumatic press; then vinified in a dry style in Stainless Steel vats.  There is no Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on the lees, to preserve freshness and full fruit aromas.  A straw colored wine that offered notes of green apples, pears, citrus and white florals.  On the palate, this dry and well-balanced medium-bodied wine displayed tones of green apples, pears, grapefruit, and lemon zest ending with a racy finish of terroir and refreshing salinity, that almost demands another taste.

We then had the Maison Trimbach Riesling Vieilles Vignes Alsace 2022, and Vieilles Vignes translates to Old Vines, which is not a legal wine term, but is used proudly by wineries that can attest to that fact.  Trimbach is fortunate to have some great microclimate locations for some of their vineyards.  This wine is produced from over seventy-year-old vines from Grand Cru Rosacker and from lieu dit Muehlforst, and in Hunawihr (which are both planted on Muschelkalk soil with limestone.  This wine also uses sixty-plus-year-old vines from the lieu dit Vorderer Haguenau in Ribeauvillé planted on marl and limestone soil.  The fruit for this wine was handpicked to achieve maximum ripeness.  The grapes are gently crushed in a pneumatic press.  The juice ferments in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel vats for almost four weeks.  There was no Malolactic Fermentation or long aging on lees, in order to preserve freshness and fruity aromas.  The wine is not oak-aged and vinified to complete dryness with no residual sugar.  This straw-colored wine offered notes of lemon pastry, dried apricots, freshly-cut acacia and a trace of kerosene and terroir.  On the palate, this medium bodied wine was fleshy and balanced with tones of citrus, stone fruit, lychee and pastry with a firm backbone of minerals delivering a long-count finish of fruit, honey, limestone and salinity. 

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A Tasting with Anne Trimbach

Posted on June 25, 2025 by thewineraconteur

We attended a special tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan as Maison Trimbach, one of the oldest wineries of Alsace is preparing for next year’s anniversary as they will be in their 400th year. Maison Trimbach, in Ribeauvillé, is in the heart of Alsace and for thirteen generations they have been producing their Grand Vins.  In 2025, Maison Trimbach was elected “Marque de l’année” (Brand of the Year) by the Revue du Vin de France.  It was a special evening at The Fine Wine Source, as the shop is usually closed on Mondays, and the evening was blocked into three sessions of tasting.  There was also catering from Vertical Detroit restaurant with Short Rib Sliders, Smoked Trout Pate, Hummus and a very large charcuterie board, that they kept replenishing.

Since 1626, the Trimbach family has been a focal point for Alsatian wines.  They are also one of the largest owners of Grand Cru Vineyards in the region which account for an impressive third of their total production.  Anne Trimbach is the eldest of the thirteen generation and she is one of their global brand ambassadors.  The family also acts as a negocient as they have contracts with about seventy local growers and the fruit is selected by Pierre Trimbach, the winemaker along with his brother Jean, Anne’s father.  The first wine poured represents the labors of their contracts and it was Maison Trimbach Pinot Blanc Alsace 2022.  The wine was a pale yellow and offered notes of fresh fruit, especially apricots and white florals.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of apricots, citrus with crisp acidity and a medium-count finish of fruit and it was very refreshing.

The second wine that we tasted was Maison Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve Alsace 2018.  This fruit for this wine is selected from mostly old vineyards in Ribeauvillé, and the surrounding villages including the vineyards of Grand Cru Kirchberg, Wiebaum, Haguenau and a parcel in Bergheim, resulting in creating complex wines with longer aging potential.  The average age of the vines are about thirty-five years, and the vineyards are planted on the Ribeauvillé fault line on soils of calcareous limestone and bio-degraded seashell fossils called “muschelkalk.”  The wine is fermented to complete dryness in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel and concrete vats.  There is no secondary Malolactic Fermentation to maintain as much natural acidity as possible.  After bottling, the bottles remain in the cellar for a minimum of three years, before releasing, ensuring that the wines are ready for enjoyment.  A pale-yellow colored wine offering notes of ripe yellow peaches and ripe pears along with hints of terroir.  On the palate, this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of peaches and pears, very crisp, and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, nuts and smokiness.

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Fine Wine Source Club – June 2025

Posted on June 22, 2025 by thewineraconteur

One of my favorite monthly activities is to stop at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and pick up the wine club selections.  The club selections, just like every other wine in the store has been curated by the owner and his staff.  The club membership also allows me to buy a single bottle of wine at a case discount if that occasion ever occurs.  I also had a chance to try a few new wines that are on the shelf, and I was watching as they were getting ready for a special event at the store, on a day where they are normally closed.  They will be hosting Ann Trimbach who is representing the twentieth generation as the family celebrates their 400th Anniversary.  So, a little preview of the next couple of articles and eight of the twelve wines being featured have never been in Michigan before.

Looking at the wine club selection representing the Old World is Tenuta Ronci di Nepi Rosso di Ne’ Lazio IGT 2019. The winery was founded by Arturo Improta in the Eighties looking for an uncontaminated nature that was near volcanic lakes, a few kilometers north of Rome.  He planted both native and international varieties on soil made of disintegrated “peperino” stone, a volcanic rock, rich in minerals that would create a distinct terroir to the wines made.  The estate is about thirty hectares on the gentle hills of the Ronci Valley.  The wine is a blend of sixty percent Merlot and forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and the vineyards are about twenty-five years in age.  The wine is fermented and aged in Stainless-Steel tanks to maintain the freshness of the fruit.  The ruby red wine offered notes of cherry and raspberry and a mix of spices and herbs.  On the palate the red fruits and spices blended with velvety tannins in a well-balanced wine and a smooth finish featuring fruit and terroir.

The wine representing the New World was Adelsheim Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon 2023 from their “Artist Series.”  Adelsheim Vineyards is a wine producer in the Willamette Valley and their focus is on single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, but they also feature Syrah, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois. David and Ginny Adelsheim bought their first plot of land in what would become the Chehalem Mountains AVA in 1971, began planting in 1972 and their first release was in 1978.  Adelsheim Vineyards has 232 acres around the Willamette Valley and all the vineyards are planted on hillsides.  The wine is described as bright pink and offering notes of cherries, strawberries and herbs, while the winemaker described the wine as a glass of tangerine zest and white peach nectar.  On the palate this wine displays tones of fresh cherry and strawberry, in a well-balanced wine that ends with a medium count finish of lively fruit and a dusting of grated nutmeg.

 

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Our Last Night With the Graduates

Posted on June 19, 2025 by thewineraconteur

We finally got together with My Favorite Daughter and her family, and we were going to start by an annual tradition, and bowl a couple of games, but there was major tournament and there were no open lanes for rank amateurs.  We decided to take them to William B’s for dinner.  As usual, when I go with the boys we always discuss the virtues of burgers and their approval for fast food chains.  While their grandfather is a pain in the derriere and only really appreciates a burger in a steakhouse.  The moment came and I could find out, if they were going to continue or be disowned.  The four ordered burgers, while my Bride and I shared a Seafood Tower. 

We went during the Happy Hour at the restaurant and snagged a booth in the bar area, and the kids were all amazed and how and roomy the booths were, with plenty of room for three on each side of the table.  I noticed that they were offering a Prosecco that I have never encountered and that is always worth having a glass, just because, as we used to say.  I tried a glass of Tommaso Gambino Gambino Cuvee Prosecco NV .  Gambino Prosecco was launched in 2015 and is owned by GV Liquid Group, Inc.  A winery based in Sicily, but they also produce a Prosecco from the Treviso and Valdobbiadene regions.  There was not much information to discover, but I will opine that the wine is produce using the bulk Charmat Method and Stainless-Steel tanks.  The wine was very easy to drink and would be great for large parties or for unlimited Mimosas.  A golden colored wine with medium bubbles offering notes of green apples, exotic fruits, citrus fruits, bee’s wax and chalky minerals.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of green apple, passion fruit, banana and some butter and brioche, with high acidity and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, lemon zest and terroir.

I thought it was time to try another wine that we had when it first came out, and at that time it was known as Diving into Hampton Water.  This evening, we were having Hampton Water Languedoc AOP 2023.  Which is rather famous, as it is a business venture of Jesse Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi, and Gerard Bertrand of the Languedoc.  This wine was first released in 2017 and was originally viewed as just another “celebrity status” wine, but it continues to score impressive point scores and accolades.  The wine is a blend of sixty percent Grenache, fifteen percent Cinsault, fifteen percent Mourvèdre and ten percent Syrah.  It is made with the concept of being a party wine, there is no cork, just a glass stopper that is awkward to open the first time around, and the base of the bottle evokes a strawberry.  A salmon-colored wine that offers notes of strawberry, cherry, melon, stone fruits, spices and wet stones.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displays tones of strawberry, citrus, some vanilla or oak tones from a brief aging period in French Oak, bright acidity and a medium-count finish of fruit and minerality. 

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We Got Our Fix of Foie Gras

Posted on June 16, 2025 by thewineraconteur

The next day after the graduation ceremony, we talked about getting together for dinner, and my Bride thought that it would be an all-day affair, and I said that they were out having a good time, and they would barely meet us for dinner.  So, I suggested that the two of us go to Marche Bacchus, where we had taken two of the earlier graduates out for a private dinner.  I have fallen in love with the shop and the locale, as it is on one of the man-made lakes in North Las Vegas called the Dessert Shores, and the shop is actually a wine store and tasting bar, with a restaurant that is built on the water’s edge.  The first time we were there, there were black swans, later replaced with white swans, and now geese and ducks.  We started off with a classic interpretation of Foie Gras, and we share one plate of this, as it is so rich and not good for us, but once in a while we make exceptions. 


They didn’t have any Sauternes featured so, I tried some two different options.  The first was the RRoyal Tokaji Company Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszu Hungary 2017 and is a newcomer to the region.  The winery was founded in 1990 in the village of Mad by the English wine writer Hugh Johnson, along with the English wine trader Ben Hawkins and Anglo-Danish winemaker Peter Vinding-Diers.  The wine is a blend of Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat and these varietals have been famous for the dessert wine since the classification at the end of the 17th Century.  The vineyards are at the convergence of two rivers, that encourage morning mists and the perfect environment for botrytis to flourish.  The vines are approximately twenty years in age and have such low yield, that during some vintages one vine may only produce one glass of wine.  The Aszu grapes are picked berry by berry and placed in small baskets, where they are crushed and then fermented in large Hungarian Oak barrels with natural yeasts. A 5 Puttonyos basket is about 24kgs of Aszu berries added to each Gonci (136L cask). The wine is aged for twenty-four months in used oak barrels, and then an additional ten months of bottle ageing.   A soft amber colored wine that offers notes of peaches, plums, apricots, freesia and jasmine.  On the palate this full-bodied wine displayed tones of ripe fruit, crisp acidity, well-balanced and ending with a medium-to-long finish of candied fruit, botrytised fruit and a touch of oxidation.  A curiosity about labeling is that wine for the USA still has red borders, while the rest of the world gets a blue border; this is left over from the old Soviet Monimpex days.

I also tried a second wine as a taste pairing with the Foie Gras, Robert Biale Vineyards Petit Sirah Dessert Wine Napa Valley 2921.  Robert Biale Vineyards was founded in 1937 by Pietro Biale and planted with Zinfandel. Aldo Biale took over the estate when his father passed away in 1942 and with strict wartime restrictions he sold the family’s wine at “Gallina Nera” or Black Chicken; loosely adapted from Chianti’s Gallo Nero.  In 1991 Robert Biale took over the estate and changed the name to Robert Biale Vineyards, and yes, they still produce their flagship Gallina Nera.  As well as their extensive Zinfandel portfolio they have since added Petite Sirah, Grenache and Syrah in both Napa Valley and Sonoma County.  The fruit for this wine is from their Obershulte Vineyard in Chiles Valley, Napa Valley and is the thirteenth bottling of this Old-World Port Style red wine.  The fruit is hand-harvested, sorted in the field and then once again in the winery.  The fruit is then destemmed, gently crushed and then fermented in small bins, where they are gently foot-treaded a couple of times a day.  Then high-proof grape brandy is added to stop fermentation to capture the wine’s natural flavor and sweetness. The fruit is then gently pressed and aged for eighteen months in French Oak, of which a third is new; and 173 cases were produced.  This inky-dark purple wine offered notes of dried figs, brambleberry preserves, mocha, cloves and dark chocolate.  On the palate this full-bodied wine displayed tones of medium sweet dark fruits, good acidity and like a vintage Port, instead of a Tawny with a nice long finish of dark fruit and chocolate.  We both enjoyed this wine with the Foie Gras. 

We also teased our cholesterol by splitting an order of a classic interpretation of Escargot.  We had this with Alban Vineyards Viognier Central Coast 2023.  Alban Vineyards has a global recognition for its Rhone inspired wines.  The winery is located in the Edna Valley and they have sixty-six acres around the estate. John Alban bought the land in 1990, as he felt the land resembled the Rhone Valley.  They make two distinct Viognier wine, one aged in Stainless-Steel, while the estate Viognier is barrel fermented with indigenous yeast and bottled unfined and unfiltered.  We had Stainless-Steel fermented wine.  A soft golden-yellow wine that offered notes of white stone fruit, white florals and minerals.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of white stone fruit and apricots in a well-balanced wine that had a medium-count finish of fruit and terroir.   

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Two Graduates in Las Vegas 2025

Posted on June 13, 2025 by thewineraconteur

Out of our eight grandchildren, number sixth and seventh were graduating from High School in Las Vegas.  So, we made a trip to see them graduate.  Our daughter was all excited and she told us, just to meet them before the ceremony at Thomas and Mack, so we punched up the names expecting to see an intersection up in the Summerlin district, instead it was the Thomas & Mack Center, a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada.  The facility opened in the summer of 1983 with a grand opening including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin among others.  That day, there were numerous graduation ceremonies being held there.  We had no idea, and got there early, in anticipation of having to reserve eleven seats.

It was a balmy 104 F and not the norm for Detroiters.  We got at the arena right as some of the viewers of the prior ceremony were leaving early to avoid the traffic mess, that is part of the charm of Las Vegas.  My Bride informed me that she needed to avail herself of the facilities.   A policeman we found at the intersecting area of the parking lot and the steps to the arena, told us where to go, when we got to the top of the stairs, thankfully there was also an escalator.  Once we got into the arena, we both took advantage of the facilities, and we tried to get to safe alcove as the crowds from the arena all evacuated at the same time.  My Bride had gone into the arena and selected where she wanted to save seats.  As we were trying to hide in an alcove to avoid the crowds, a woman approached us and told us that we were going to have to go out in the heat.  I said fine, that I wanted to photograph her, get her name and her position; as I told her that if we two seventy-something senior citizens suffered from some ailment of the sun or the heat, I wanted to know who was responsible.  A policemen overhearing the conversation and how self-important this woman was smiled and told her to escort us to a large lobby inside the building; she was not happy at all.  As soon as the gates were opened, it was a mad dash for the arena.  My Bride told me what entrance and seating area, as she ran to reserve eleven seats.  I got there just as she counted eleven seats in and I took the aisle seat.  I stood my ground, in spite of some very belligerent parents, that thought that they should have first rights to the seats, even if they didn’t arrive early.  As our crowd arrived, we had them originally spread out among the eleven seats to lessen arguments about the seating arrangements, until every one of the family finally showed up. She got all of her photos, and she was very happy.

We then were told to meet at a local Brazilian steakhouse, Via Brasil, that my daughter had made reservations at, the two grads were a bit  testy and wanted me to correct the situation, but I told them that they were lucky that they had this reservation, so they finally saw the wisdom of my discussion.  This was very similar to other Brazilian-style steakhouses that we been to, where there was a large salad bar, which could be purchased as a stand-along or as part of the whole package.  The steakhouse portion of the dinner was waiters carrying large skewers of barbequed meats that were sliced off the skewers, and there must have been almost two dozen meat choices.  I thought that it would have been fun to select a Brazilian wine for the dinner, but there were none offered, but I did get a South American choice, as we had Bodega Luigi Bosca Malbec Mendoza, Argentina 2022   Bodega Luigi Bosca is a wine estate in Mendoza, planted primarily to Malbec and other reds.  It was founded in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu and then with the Bosca family at the start of 20th Century.  The winery is located in Lujan de Cuyo, but also has property in Maipu and the Uco Valley.  The Arizu Family still remains the owners of the estate.   This particular wine has fruit harvested from vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo and the Valle de Uco from vines that average about thirty-five years in age.  The fruit is manually harvested, with Initial Fermentation in Stainless-Steel vats, then the wine is aged for twelve months in a mix of French and American Oak barrels, and then gently filtered; followed by six months in the bottle before release.  The wine is a deep purple red and offers notes of black cherry, Balsamic, florals and assorted spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine displayed tones of black cherry and red fruits, firm and sweet tannins with a medium-count finish of fruit and terroir.

   

                                                                      

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