Stokes’ Ghost 2016

Posted on September 22, 2020 by thewineraconteur

Just because my birthday is in September is the not the reason that all three of the wine clubs send us wine.  I wish they were gifts and then I could claim that they are samples, but they are not.  We just received a package from our oldest wine club membership “A Taste of Monterey” and we always get some amazing wines, but I think that it helps that we belong to the Private Reserve Club, which means pricier wines and we get three bottles, four times a year.

In 1833, British sailor James Stokes jumped ship in Monterey with a booty of stolen medicine. He opened a downtown pharmacy and launched a thriving medical practice as “Dr. Stokes”. Despite a knack for killing his patients, he landed a commission as the personal physician to California Governor Jose Figueroa. Within a year, the governor was dead.  The phony physician was astonishingly successful for someone so poor at his job. He grew wealthy, married the widow of one of his patients, and served as mayor of Monterey. Eventually the gig was up. According to legend, Stokes’ sons confronted him of his devious deeds and he ingested poison, falling lifeless at their feet. His former home still stands and to this day, is haunted by the ghostly figure of a man dressed in 1800s garb. This, is the legend of Stokes’ Ghost for all its glory.

Stokes’ Ghost Wines is part of the Scheid Family Wines group.  Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah Monterey 2016 is the fourth vintage of this winery.  All of the fruit for this wine is from the estate vineyard in the Hames Valley in Monterey County.  The fruit was night harvested, crushed and fermented in small lots to get the full benefits of this varietal.  Petite Sirah or Durif is a black-skinned grape variety and goes by the name of Petite Sirah in the Americas; it is becoming more common for the rest of the world to start referring to it as Durif, named after its discoverer, Dr. Francois Durif. The wine was aged for fourteen months in a mix of American and Hungarian Oak barrels. I cannot state for a fact of the current issue, but the for the 2014 vintage there was less than two-hundred cases produced and the aging potential is for seven to eight years.  The tasting notes are that the wine is brimming with black cherries, blackberries and cassis flavors.  With notes of violets and white pepper and balanced tannins and a lingering finish.  All of that sounds great for that inky, jammy enamel staining wine that is known to be velvety in its finish.  Who knows when it will be opened up and enjoyed, which is the true joy of a cellar?

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Chateau du Glana Saint-Julien

Posted on September 20, 2020 by thewineraconteur

I guess I have stretched my Birthday celebration as long as possible, because we went out to formally make a date-night of it.  I think that I am worse than a little kid at times, but actually, it is my Bride that has been spoiling me all of this time.  It started with the September Birthday party and then went on for several days at my birthday.  Life is good.  She made reservations at The Earle in Ann Arbor, which is definitely one of the Old-Guard restaurants in the city and they haven’t tried to become trendy or frou-frou and depending on the students of the university and their parent’s wallets.  The Earle favors classic French and Italian dishes and is still located in the basement of the building, and yes, we still had our table in the French Room and I really think that we are the only people left in the world that like that room, but it is OK with us.  Though they now have some tables street side, but call me old-fashioned, but having hordes of students and the occasional pan-handler walking past the tables is not my idea of a romantic evening, but all the tables were occupied on the street, when we left after dinner.  Also, in the basement we also got a chance to listen to the music of another era, when people wined and dined and listened to Sinatra, Martin, Cole and others that could actually carry a tune and enunciate the words to the lyrics.  In fact, since we were the only diners in the French Room, we even danced a bit.

It was kind of fun watching my Bride go up and she was taking photos and studying the old wine maps that were on the walls, as for me, I just like looking at all of the dead soldiers or great bottles of wine that were now empty and just adding to the décor of the room; of course I enjoy looking at wine labels.  The wine list and the menu were still being read off our phones, and I guess that is why they are called smart phones, because I would never figure out how that works.  We started off with an order of Roasted Garlic, crostini and with assorted sides.  Then my Bride ordered her now favorite dish, that I first had there, but somehow, I knew she was going to get it again.  She had Coquilles St. Jacques al crème de Xeres, or Sea Scallops sauteed with mushrooms and garlic, pan-sauced with Sherry and cream and sauteed Brussels Sprouts.  I had their Steak au Poivre or Beef Tenderloin rolled in coarsely ground black pepper sauteed in a Brandy sauce with wild mushrooms, redskin potatoes and sauteed Brussels Sprouts.  We finished the meal by sharing a bowl of House-made Vanilla Ice Cream with White Chocolate shavings and Grand Marnier.

Don’t ask me how it happened, but I forgot to photograph the wine, but I did have the bottle that I took home with us, as the bottle becomes a Muse to me, as I write these articles.  One of the most basic tricks I try to tell people about wines, is to just remember areas and not to try to remember actual labels.  Some labels and names become almost second nature, but I am sorry that I have to admit that I can not recite all the listed growths of the Medoc, though when I see the name, it usually will register with me.  We are hardly wealthy, so one of the tricks I use, is to look for the Commune in the Medoc that is listed with the wine.  If you can afford Chateau Latour, then you don’t have to remember Pauillac, but I am realistic.  Since we were going to share our two entrée orders and have our own version of Surf & Turf, I was looking at the wines of the Bordeaux region and there was a listed from Saint-Julien, probably one of the least seen of the Communes, and there is no First Growths from there.  Saint-Julien is located between Pauillac and Margaux, both Communes that have Growths, but Saint-Julien has eleven ranked chateaus, which account for seventy-five percent of the wine output from the there.  I ordered a bottle of Chateau du Glana Saint-Julien Cru Bourgeois 2008.  The estate was built in 1870 and was built across the road from Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and originally had twelve acres.  Over the years it has changed hands and increased its acreage.  In 1961 it was purchased by Gabriel Meffre and now his family is running the estate and they now manage one-hundred-six acres.  The wine is sixty-seven percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty-seven percent Merlot and six percent Cabernet Franc.  Each plot is managed as a unit, with cold maceration in concrete first and then French Oak, of which forty percent is new for twelve months.  The wine kept opening up at the table, and the next day, we had it as leftovers and it was still excellent.  I guess my celebrating is done for the year, until we find other things to celebrate.

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L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot 2000

Posted on September 18, 2020 by thewineraconteur

I am not going back to school, but that is the first wine that I had since I made it to the ripe old age of 66.  Some people I know try to fudge their age or forget a year, just like this year could be forgotten.  I had a customer that was a funeral home director and his favorite quote was “it is better to be seen, then viewed.” Actually, most days I don’t feel any older, but I sometimes have trouble recognizing the guy in the mirror when I shave in the morning.  Life goes on, and even in this crazy year, my Bride and I are thankful that we are living as well as we can, and we really have no complaints, which is good.  She may get rid of me, when we are both retired, but I guess she is getting used to me, as she seems partially retired, because she, like everyone else is working remotely from home.  Her profession is considered essential from day one, and for years she had the capability of working from home, but I think she liked the change of scenery, but she did detest rush-hour traffic.   Alas, it is good that I retired, because my profession is unknown to the current generations, though there will always be a market for a quality clothier, just not for the pajama wearing workforce on Zoom. 

We had just gotten back from a week in Louisville, with stories to be written about the wines, but I thought I would go out of sequence a bit, just because I can.  We came home and there was actually two weeks of laundry to be processed, plus there was a trip to the grocer that was in order.  My Bride was working non-stop, even though she was on “holidays,” she was still checking her voice mails and her emails, and to boot, she had to attend a webinar for two days to maintain her continuing education credits and in the old days, she would go in person and if it was close enough she would just have breakfast and lunch and drive home and have dinner with me.  Now there are no classes, no board meetings, and no conferences to attend, everything is done on Zoom.  Our plans were to have a fast meal for my Birthday, since it was on a Monday and quite a few restaurants close on Mondays.  She wanted to get a carry-out dinner from a Middle Eastern restaurant near our home, so that it would still be warm when it arrived.  I also like this location, because I think the owner/chef must have grown up or worked in the Armenian section of Beirut, as some of the dishes are more Anatolian, rather than Arabic.  The servings are so large that we just have to get one order to sate the two of us.  We start with the House Salad which tastes just like the salads we used to get at home growing up.  Then my Bride likes Hummus, which is Arabic and I can take it or leave it.  The entrée is always for us, an order of Lamb Sautee with Mushrooms and a side of Pilaf, that is made very similar to the way my Bride learned to make Armenian Pilaf, only they don’t add garlic to the recipe. 

I wasn’t sure what I was going to choose for the wine, when I went into the cellar, but since it is now neat and easily arranged, I looked for something that I thought would be fun.  We had a bottle of L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Vallely 2000.  I have always enjoyed Merlot based wines, and when I was first learning about wines, in Bordeaux the wines on the other side of the river became my favorites, because they were softer and I always thought lusher, and as a student, they were also more affordable.  L’Ecole No. 41 is a family-owned winery in Lowden, Washington, just west of Walla Walla.  The estate was established in 1983 and in an old schoolhouse, hence the name. The winery has eighty-five acres and the balance of the fruit that they use, either comes from contracts in Walla Walla Valley or from the much larger Columbia Valley.  The wine was seventy-six percent Merlot with fourteen percent Cabernet Franc and ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was aged for eighteen months in a mix of French and American Oak, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.  This was a magnificent bottle of Merlot, it had a great nose, especially after the first hour, it promised dark cherries and it delivered, because the fruit was full bodied with some terroir and a nice long finish; the next day it was still a solid wine.  It really impressed us, and the sad part is, that I don’t even remember getting this bottle of wine.  And for the me, for the rest of the year, I will be singing along with Nat King Cole that” I will get my kicks on Route 66.”

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Black Star Farms from Both Peninsulas

Posted on September 16, 2020 by thewineraconteur

I hope that it is a good omen that we received a delivery from our Black Star Farms wine club.  It is interesting that this time two of the wines came from the Leelanau Peninsula and two came from the Old Mission Peninsula.  Black Star Farms is rather unique in that it has vineyards and tasting room facilities on both peninsulas, so that they are kind of surrounding Traverse City which is kind of the focal point for all of the wineries in the area.  In 1998 Black Star Farms purchased Sport Valley Farm which was a one-hundred-twenty-acre equestrian facility, and the stylized black star was part of the architectural décor in the main house.  In their Twentieth year, they were honored to receive the 19’th Annual Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) -Best Wine of the 2018 Challenge and only the second time an American wine came out on top.  There were 567 Rieslings from six countries (Australian, New Zealand, USA, Germany, France and the Czech Republic).  The Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling 2017 scored 98 points, in addition to taking home Best Dry Riesling and Best American Riesling.  In fact, all six of the Riesling wines that Black Star Farms submitted took home medals, showing a consistency across vintages and styles.  The fruit is sourced from both of the proprietor’s vineyards and from local grower partners in both the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula.  The winery has three series; the premium Arcturos, A Capella and the Leorie Vineyard labels for sparkling and fruit wines.

There was an interesting newsletter from the winemaker and how he is maintaining his sanity during this highly unusual year of rules and regulations, because of a virus.  He is making an early guess that it may be a banner vintage year for the grapes, because it was a great growing season, even if the tourist and business season faltered.  They now have tents erected that can be heated, which in Michigan can be a given for tasting facilities on both peninsulas, as the populace must keep socially distanced, but it doesn’t seem to apply to the governor and a presidential hopeful that were photographed at a private club and all without masks.  The winery has been attempting to work within the guidelines to do business in this fluctuating period of rules.  The winery is also processing eighty-thousand pounds of cherries for their new Cerasus, barrel-aged cherry brandy, which also sounds like a great excuse to enjoy “Pure Michigan,” the real successful advertising campaign that was scrapped before the virus.  The winemaker was also touting a special pre-release offering of “Grace” 2017 as an homage to Sallie Campbell.  The wine will be a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Gamay from a single vineyard in the Old Mission Peninsula. 

The first of the two wines shipped was Arcturos Gamay Noir Leelanau Peninsula 2018.  This is the second bottling that they have done of Gamay Noir, which is the principal grape in Beaujolais.  The accompanying notes says that the wine drinks like “a Pinot Noir with bramble fruit notes, spicy oak and subtle earthiness.”  They are touting this wine as a perfect wine for spicier dishes.  The second wine is the Arcturos Pinot Noir Blanc Old Mission Peninsula 2019.  The third time for the winery to produce this wine, using Pinot Noir to make a white wine.  The wine has an apricot shade that comes from the skins of the grapes breaking and not from skin contact after the grapes have been pressed.  “The wine is floral on the nose and it is bright on the pallet with pleasing flavors of apple, citrus and melon, and is very creamy with bright acidity.”  This wine is being touted for scallops and seafood, and almost any cheese you can think of.  Two distinct wines that I don’t normally think of, for Michigan, but I try to be a booster of wines in the state, when I can.  So, I am looking forward to trying both soon. 

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Bellflower and Gruner Veltliner

Posted on September 14, 2020 by thewineraconteur

We recently tried a new restaurant that opened in Ypsilanti. Michigan.  Ypsilanti is a rather unique city that lives in the shadow of Ann Arbor, even though there is a university in Ypsilanti as well.  The name is pronounced as “ip” thought some people still pronounce it as “yip.” It was originally a fur trading post established in 1809 and eventually merged with a nearby community named for a Greek general Demitrios Ypsilanti, and the name stuck and in 1829 Woodruff’s Grove became Ypsilanti. Being in Michigan the city shares some automotive history like the ACE car of Apex Motors, the Tucker automobile of the Ypsilanti Machine Tool Company, the Kaiser -Frazer cars and the home of the last Hudson Motor Car Company showroom, which is now an automobile museum. 

The Bellflower Restaurant only opened a couple of weeks ago and they are seafood oriented with a Southern influence, as in New Orleans influence.  What I didn’t realize is that they have two different menus, one for the lunch trade and the other for dinner.  We went in the afternoon and the menu was several “Po-Boy” sandwiches on house made bread, unfortunately by the time we got there, they were completely sold out of the sandwiches, which says something for their popularity.  All that they could offer us was either Red Beans & Rice or Lamb Gumbo; we opted for the Lamb Gumbo which was braised lamb, local collards and tomatoes with Basmati Rice.   The heat from the Gumbo was quite intense and our waiter stopped by and asked if we needed any addition hot sauces and we demurely declined, but eventually by adding the rice in, the heat gradually diminished, but it was very tasty.   We will have to go back to try the dinner menu and I look at some of the options that they were preparing for that evening; Roasted Oysters with Garlic, Chilled Shrimp, Assorted Raw Oysters, Red Snapper with Okra, Scallops, Chicken Leg quarters and Pork Collar.  Some of the dishes were Gluten-free and some were Vegetarian. 

The Bellflower also had a bar that had liquor, beer and wine.  They had thirty-eight wines, four dessert/fortified wines and three different offerings of Sake; of which eighteen were offered by the glass, and they also offered a 25% discount on a bottle of wine, if purchased with a carry-out order.   I found it interesting that they had two different offerings of Austrian Gruner Veltliner, one still and one sparkling by the glass, so I thought it would be an interesting tasting for us.   Gruner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria, and the most widely planted grape as well.  The finest examples of this grape are usually cited as coming from Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal.  The first wine that we tried was Weingut Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner Kremstal 2018.  Kremstal is found in the Niederosterreich wine district and a DAC appellation was created in 2007 for both Gruner Veltliner and the dry Riesling wines.  Weingut Stadt Krems has been making wines since 1452 and they are located in the center of the city of Kremstal with their own unique micro-climate vineyard.  The second wine that we tried was Szigeti Gruner Veltliner Osterreichischer Sekt Brut NV.  Peter Szigeti took over his parent’s wine trading business in 1991 with the concept of focusing on the characteristics of the grapes involved.  He emphasizes that the fruit is hand-picked and sun-ripened grapes predominately around the Lake Neusiedl in the Burgenland district of Austria.  Burgenland is on the eastern border of Austria near Hungary and this area is known both for its white wines, but also for its red wines and the region along Lake Neusiedl is also known for sweet, botrytized wines.  The Szigeti sparkling wine is produced using the Methode Traditionelle, with bottle fermentation.  You could really tell that both of the wines were related with the crisp, green and flinty taste and the high acidity that makes you want another sip.  We weren’t expecting the degree of heat in the gumbo and the wines that we had, were very refreshing.  We were discussing a return trip for the dinner menu in the near future. 

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Two More Made the Cut

Posted on September 12, 2020 by thewineraconteur

Even with the lockdown appearing to calm down, though we are still potentially at the whim of one individual that can tighten everything again.  I have been in the same unofficial club as a lot of other wine bloggers that have been raiding their cellars.  It is always interesting to read what they have discovered hidden away, so it is just not me, that has made some new finds.  Everyone has the best intentions, but a new wine, or a new shipment or even a new restaurant can make us forget what we have laid away, and it is just human nature.   I have found that I have drank more wine at home for what was supposed to be for fifteen days or was it a month to flatten the curve?  For the most part we drank wine at home during parties or special occasions.  I think that I am drinking more wine then I can ever remember, though we may only have one or perhaps two glasses a day, and it is with a meal.  We don’t sit at home drinking the night away. For the most part, I really haven’t been too concerned about the red wines, as I expect a well-made wine to last longer than most of the authorities give the wines credit for, as I think that most wines are drank too young, in the first place.  It is the white wines that we have really taken a second look at. 

I have discovered that I cannot just look at the color of the wine in the bottle, that I actually have to chill the whites and then actually open up the bottle, and not using the Coravin system.   If the bottle is bad, it is just unceremoniously poured down the drain, and then we try another bottle, hence one of the refrigerators have an abundance of white wines chilling.  One wine that we recently had at home with a meal and then later with leftovers, as that is the life of living with the lockdown was a bottle of Jekel Vineyards Riesling Monterey 2001, and everything is worth taking a gamble on.  Jekel Vineyards was founded in 1972 by Bill Jekel, and one of the first to see the wine potential for Monterey.  In 1978, he had his first vintage of a Johannesburg Riesling, and he was one of the most vocal and insistent growers that finally saw Monterey AVA in 1984.  Now the county is well recognized for Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and some other varietals that have done remarkably well in the region.  I wasn’t expecting much from the wine as it is a popular price wine and not a premium wine.  We were both surprised at how mellow this wine was, no fruit per se, but just an easy drinking wine.

The other wine that we tried another night was a Louis Latour Montagny 1er Cru La Grande Roche 1997 and I have no idea if there are that many bottles left of this wine and vintage.  Montagny refers to classified vineyards in the Cote Chalonnaise region of Burgundy and all the wines must be made from Chardonnay.  Years ago, if the wine reached a certain proof level, it was automatically awarded Premier Cru status, but that has changed and now vineyard sites have been recognized for the status, originally over fifty sites were declared, but this has been culled down to twenty-one Premier Cru vineyards.  There are only a few of these vineyards that ever even get mentioned on labels, another mystery to me about Burgundy, which I find has the most surprises.  Maison Louis Latour is a major negocient producer of red and white wines of Burgundy and was founded in 1797 and is still family owned and operated.  Not only are they a negocient, they also own seventy-two acres of Grand Cru vineyards, and also the largest holder of land in Burgundy and produce wines in all price ranges; and one of the most widely recognized names world wide for the region.  This is a wine that started out in Stainless Steel and ended up in oak, and while it sounds expensive, it is one of the most affordable Chardonnay wines of Burgundy.  This wine also survived in the cellar and gave us a very mellow wine with some dinners.  Neither of us could find appropriate descriptors for the wine, but we were very happy that it made the cut, so I strongly urge everyone not to presume without trying the wine, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  

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September Birthdays 2020

Posted on September 10, 2020 by thewineraconteur

I guess we were all scofflaws, but we attempted to have a birthday celebration, just like we used to do before genteel society ended and we were all in a form of solitary confinement, unless one was in confinement, and then there was the possibility that you got your freedom.  It is convoluted, but to some, it makes sense.   Back when the sun was shining over the earth and only bank robbers wore masks, once a month we would celebrate and have a party for the family members that were born in each month, and some months were quite huge with celebrants.  With a family that has five married daughters, children and some grandchildren; the house can get quite packed.  There are rules about having too many people together at one time, unless it is a politically sanctioned funeral with photo ops, that is why I say that we were scofflaws.  We were going to have the party at our house, but another sister, even though she and her husband were going to be out of town, offered their house as it might be the last time for everyone to use their inground pool for the year.  This is Michigan and not New Mexico, so pools don’t have as long of a period of use here.

We got to the house early, to help the setup and we were also bringing a lot of assorted dishes and appetizers.  My Bride has everyone’s dietary requirements by rote, so that there is hardly a dish that can’t be enjoyed by all.  To give you an idea, one member has an allergy that is quite severe to the spice paprika and it is found in a myriad of prepared foods, that you would not even think that it would be in, as in commercially made mayonnaise.  I would venture to say that the culinary star of the day was our son who smoked a brisket for twenty hours, and just about all of it disappeared.  The little ones got excited, as always to open up their presents and some of the presents had to be opened later that day, during a Zoom session to show the gift givers the moment when they unwrapped the gifts.  One of the older recipients stayed humble and low keyed for the event.  

There were hardly any wine drinkers there for the party, but I did see a great bottle of wine that was empty and I asked one of the sons about it, and he said that he and his fiancé had it one night, and they were very impressed.  I can understand that, and I wish I could get more of that wine, perhaps another vintage.  I did bring a couple of back up wines, but the one wine that I wanted for the party is the one that I opened first and it basically sufficed for the two wine drinkers at the party.  We enjoyed a wine that we received from out wine club “A Taste of Monterey” and it was a bottle of Dawn’s Dream Pinot Noir Rosé Santa Lucia Highlands 2018 and it has been voted as the “Best Rosé of Monterey County” for six years in a row.  With Clone 236 Pinot Noir grapes and growing in Santa Lucia Highlands, it should win hands down always.  In the old days, this would have been referred to as a distaff winery, or to some a cottage industry, but with more woman being recognized for their talents in the wine industry, they are definitely held as peers.  Dawn Galante is the wife of Jack Galante of Galante Vineyards, and an officer of both wineries.  The wine is whole-cluster pressed, fermented and settled in Stainless Steel for a couple of months to maintain the delicate fruit flavors.   The nose offered tangerines and apricots, and along with a refreshing acidity there were notes of strawberries and watermelon, perfect for the last hurrah of summer.    

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A Restaurant Closing

Posted on September 8, 2020 by thewineraconteur

As a retired merchant, it bothers me to see a business closing or filing for reorganization or going out   business.  This year I have been watching many businesses closing either on their own accord or by mandates of local governments.  There have been national chains and small Mom and Pop operations and it means that more people lose their jobs, their livelihoods, their future dreams for themselves and their families.  Watching all of these companies that were mandated to close, means that the tax coffers dry up and then the local governments blame the pecking order above them to correct everything and since I have to live within my means, I think that everyone from businesses to governments must do the same, especially if they caused some of the problems. 

Oh well, my Bride and one of her sisters, went down to visit another sister to help out, and they stayed a little longer than anticipated.  On the drive back, they ran late, I mean who knew that a side trip for shopping would take so long.  Any ways, my one Brother-in-Law decided to meet up with the wayward shoppers out our way, to help my Bride, otherwise my Bride would be in the car for another two hours going and back and forth to drop off her sister, who lives on the other side of town from us.  We had quite a few gift cards that had accumulated for this one restaurant that had a location near our house, so I was going to make a reservation there and we could all meet there and then unload part of the car in the parking lot and then we could all go home.  The restaurant near us, that we had been to, just a couple of weeks earlier was closed and they were suggesting that we should go to another one of their locations, as they are a national chain.  We got everybody in sync for a new location at a big shopping mall and it was rather crazy and the two husbands got their first and made sure that we had a table for the group, meanwhile out in the parking lot, I guess I have been in a sheltered lifestyle, because I could almost get high from all of the “shoppers” blowing weed as if they were at a rock concert in the cheap seats.  There was another national chain across the hall from the restaurant that we were meeting at, and you would have thought they were giving away food for free, with the huge lines to pick up carry-out orders and not much concern about social distancing.  We found out once we were seated that the restaurant that we were at, had filed and may be going out of business, and since our brother-in-law was doing us a favor, we picked up the tab and we even ordered some to go food for them and for ourselves, and we will still have to hurry and eat there another time or two, to make sure that we use up all of the gift cards.

All of this excitement caused us to develop a thirst and they have an excellent white wine that always works and is far above, better than the usual Chardonnay that is offered in most popular priced restaurants.  We ordered a bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Russian River Ranches 2017 for the table.   Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards was founded in 1973 by Brice Cutrer Jones and the main estate vineyard is two-hundred-fifty acres planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  They have several other vineyards in the Sonoma region and they produce five different Chardonnay and four different Pinot Noir wines, all in the Continental style.  This particular wine is a blend of maybe a dozen different vineyards.  The wine is pressed whole-cluster and the juice is free-run and stored in a tank for a few days, before being aged in either new French Oak and neutral French Oak sur-lie and Stainless Steel for the balance; and aged for eight months.  We are partial to this wine and this vintage offered aromas of pear and apple, with some balanced acidity and a nice finish mixing in some smooth buttery notes without being overpowering.  It was great to get my Bride back home.  

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What, No Cheeseburger?

Posted on September 6, 2020 by thewineraconteur

I remember when I was a kid in grade school, I used to read the newspaper, actually I would read anything that I could get my hands on.  There was an article back then about local celebrities who opined where they went for their favorite burger in Detroit.  This article goes back to when everything centered on Detroit, no one even mentioned restaurants in the suburbs.  Detroit had a local celebrity that was an actor in his earlier career and then hosted a television show on two different systems in the Detroit area for decades, where he would talk about the “old” Hollywood and reminisce about colorful stories of the actors and actresses in the film that he was showing that day, and some days he would even present a film that he had a part in.  He had small parts in most movies, including “Mrs. Skeffington” and “Now, Voyager.”  His most famous scene in a film, has probably been excised in today’s PC world as he was the man that was setting the fire to burn Ingrid Bergman in “Joan of Arc” with his only line being “Throw another faggot on the fire” which referred to a burning stick or torch, but even he in the Sixties used to joke that the line now had a different context and he used to opine if and when his scene would be removed.  He had a great voice, was a good-looking man, but he never was able to capitalize on it, either in films of the small screen.  On the small screen he appeared in a lot of westerns, which were common shows in the Fifties, also in the Fifties he may have voiced the most famous quote to this day and was paid the handsome price of $350 in 1952 and no credit.   “…And who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way!”  I mention all of this background, because getting back to the newspaper article, all of the newscasters and journalists of the time were mentioning famous bars in Detroit, which even as a kid, I had been to (perhaps another story), but this television host said that his favorite burger was at The London Chophouse, which was the premier dining establishment since the Thirties and I had to ask about it, as a kid, because I had never heard about it, and of course I had never eaten there as a kid. 

All of this exposition is because we decided that we wanted to go out for dinner and we really wanted a burger.  At this point in my life, I have to agree that a steakhouse has an awesome burger and before all of this lockdown, we used to go and sit in the bar often at a steakhouse, just to have a burger and a couple of glasses of wine.  Even my Bride was geeked up to having a burger.  I mean it has been probably over 120 day since we had a “bar” burger, though over that time she has made some homemade patties, but just not the same as a blended and crafted burger in a steakhouse.  We were given throw away paper menus, which is rather the norm today and as I scanned the menu, there was no burger and no house-made potato chips as well.  Oh, the inhumanity of the times.  We ended up ordering a couple of appetizers and made the most of the trip, as we weren’t looking to drop fifty or more dollars for one steak.  We had an order of classic Crab Cakes with roasted red peppers and a lime butter sauce.  We also ordered the Beef Carpaccio with a capers-Creole mustard sauce, red onions and diced egg.  Actually, between the two plates there was a lot of food and it was very good, so we did not go hungry, but it wasn’t the burger that we both were craving. 

The wine is also a big factor in attracting us for a burger in a steakhouse as opposed to a burger joint, some of which have great burgers, but the wine selections leaves something to be desired.  I picked out a bubbly for my Bride, because it sounded interesting and, on the carte, it was listed as New Mexico, which was a first for both of us, and actually there are three AVA designations in New Mexico, but this wine was Gruet Methode Champenoise Brut Rosé American Sparkling Wine NV.  Gruet Winery was founded in 1984 in New Mexico, as they were looking for interesting terroir and an affordable region compared to California to make their Methode Champenoise sparkling wines using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.  The roots of these vines originated from Gilbert Gruet’s Champagne house in Bethon, France.  The wine was actually rather festive and refreshing and there was a constant stream of tiny bubbles until the glass was finished.  The wine was pure Pinot Noir and aged “en tirage” for a minimum of twenty-four months and offered a soft strawberry nose and some nice acidity.  When I found out that there was no burger, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay, which was excellent with the crab cakes and actually wasn’t too bad with the beef carpaccio, because of the preparation.  I had a glass of Cave de Lugny Macon-Lugny La Carte Lie-Dit 2016.  Macon-Lugny is part of the much larger district known as the Maconnais, and the commune of Lugny has become very well known because of the hard work of the cooperative Cave de Lugny.  The Macon-Lugny is only used for white wines that are entirely Chardonnay, they also may use the designation for red and rosé wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay.  Cave de Lugny is the largest producer of White Burgundy in the world, controlling a third of the production of Southern Burgundy and half the total production of the Maconnais.  Founded in 1926, they are a cooperative of family-owned estate, but not a negocient with over two-hundred-thirty estates.  Cave de Lugny claims that they are the home of the birthplace of Chardonnay and they boast some well known lieux-dits (or registered localities) like “Les Charmes,” “Les Beluses” and “La Carte.” This was a charming wine that featured some oak qualities and was just a very easy drinking Chardonnay, in fact my Bride ordered a glass of this after the Gruet and split her glass with me.  The quest continues for us to find a steakhouse burger. 

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No $600.00 Vinegar for Me

Posted on September 4, 2020 by thewineraconteur

We almost suffered a tragic calamity on a Tuesday night. I guess that it was just due to the good fortune that I have been constantly in the wine cellar, as I moved, shifted and inventoried the main wall of wines.  To try to keep the racks neat, I went and removed the tissue paper wrappers on most of the bottles that were so covered from Day 1 at the winery.  A few of the bottles have actually been with me, since I was a student living with my family in Detroit. The wine has been moved twice in houses and rearranged a couple of times here in the current location, until I built my wine cellar.

The great wines of Bordeaux come from an area called the Medoc, and the great wines of the Medoc were listed by ranking in the 1855 Classification, which has held up quite well for all of this time.  Some of the greatest wines from this classification come from a small commune in the Medoc named Pauillac.  Chateau Brane-Mouton was one of the leading wineries in the 18th and early 19th centuries, but suffered for a time period in both quality and price.  The estate was bought in 1853 by the Rothschild family and eventually renamed Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, a different part of the Rothschild family that owned Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.  There was hard work and diligence by the family to return the glory of the estate back to it former position, but not soon enough for the 1855 Classification.  Four winery estates were name as Premier Cru Class Classé (First Growth); Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion.  Mouton was recognized as the first of the Second Growth wines, and the winery felt slighted and dishonored and never even mentioned the 1855 Classification on their wine labels, whereas all the other listed wineries did.  In 1922, there was a tremor in the force, as Baron Philippe de Rothschild took control and immediately began some new changes, including Chateau bottling, which is de regueur today and he had to construct what is now considered the iconic barrel hall.  At the end of World War II, he also started commissioning artists to create a distinct label each year, and the labels have become collectibles in their own right.  After much Byzantine machinations and wine-political maneuvering, the Baron achieved what he felt was truly the right of the estate and in 1973 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was elevated to a First Growth.   

By now, most of you must think that I have lost what ever gray-matter I may have owned with this short narrative of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.  It happens that while I was a college student, one of my customers offered me the option of buying three bottles of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1973 as a future, with the astronomical price of nineteen dollars a bottle in 1970.  I had to scrape up the money, which was a King’s ransom back then for a student, and who knew what would have foreseen what occurred in 1973 for the winery, and who knew that the label would feature part of Pablo Picasso’s Bacchanale from the Musée de Mouton and the wording “Premier Cru Classé en 1973.  All of this leads up to the fact that I have been constantly in and out of the wine cellar and I happened to notice a couple of drops of wine on the floor, under the first column of wines, which begins the French collection that I have.  As I was checking the bottles, I noticed that one bottle had a cork that had actually pushed out and through the lead capsule covering.  I immediately went into the kitchen and got some sealing plastic pushed the cork back into the bottle, recovered and added a very tight rubber band as an additional sealant.  My Bride then asked whether we should have salmon or center-cut pork chops and I emphatically told her the pork, because we didn’t have any filets thawed.  I attempted to open the bottle with my Durand, but the cork still came out in dark burgundy wet pieces, and the initial whiff of the bottle was rather foxy or gamey.  I then used my tried and true coffee filter paper in a funnel to decant the wine, and the nose was opening up and it was a Mouton, a 1973 to be exact, because I had opened one up a couple of years earlier.  The wine was still a deep claret in color and still a delightful blend of fruit and tannins thirty-seven years later.  The best part is that we will have the balance of the wine tonight with left-overs, and while that may sound inglorious, it was unplanned, we had a stellar bottle of wine and not a bottle of vinegar.

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