DRIVE FOR SHOW

The 2020 Range Rover PHEV is a new road traveled for the iconic Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle. This is the first time this nameplate has offered a plug-in hybrid option.

The new Range Rover PHEV is a super sexy, luxurious SUV designed bumper to bumper to impress the best. There is no doubt that Land Rover was not just going to stand on the sidelines while other luxury brands attack the plug-in hybrid market.

The exterior of the 2020 Range Rover PHEV does not veer course from its familiar style queues known in almost every corner of the globe. There are two options for the 2020 Range Rover PHEV, the HSE and Autobiography.

The HSE is nothing shy of excellence defined by a long list of standard features ranging from 20-inch wheels, an adaptive air suspension to the Terrain Response 2 off-road system. All this is under a panoramic sunroof. Driver and passengers are kept cozy with heated front and rear seats, tri-zone climate control and large seats all wrapped in leather.

There is plenty of technology features that provide safety and entertainment including Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple Car Play and Android Auto functionality, emergency braking, blindspot monitoring and lane departure warning.

The Range-Rover Autobiography tops out the PHEV model. It offers up many more features both for comfort and performance including an active locking differential, a 360-degree parking camera, upgraded leather upholstery, heads up display and a 29-speaker Meridian sound system.

On the road the Range Rover PHEV provides a comfortable road experience. Powered by a turbo-charged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine and an electric motor producing nearly 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque the Range Rover PHEV reaches 60mph just under 7 seconds.

Fuel economy ratings for the Ranger Rove PHEV has a 24.0-gallon fuel tank that provides along with the electric motor 42 combined city/highway MPGe, 19 combined city/ highway miles-per-gallon (gasoline only).

The PHEV pricing starts around $97,250. If you do a lot of shorter trips and have access to charging then this 2020 Range Rover PHEV is a must see on your test -drive list of vehicles.

DRIVERSIDE VEHICLE REVIEWS

a’Bouzy

Generally, a place specializing in Champagne is a rare thing (ok, less unusual in a place like River Oaks, Houston) but, finding one with a huge curated selection, and known for having great prices, is one in a million…. throw in great oysters, grilled steaks, and an outrageously good “doughnut,” and you have a’Bouzy at 2300 Westheimer, between Kirby and Shepard.

STORY BY RICHARD AREBALO FEATURES EDITOR / OTL MAGAZINE

Named after the small village of Bouzy on the southeast edge of the Montagne de Reims in Champagne, a’Bouzy is the brainchild of Shawn Virene, long known in Houston for his success and great wine skills at River Oak’s Brasserie 19.

The restaurant’s style is mostly rus- tic French with exposed brick, reclaimed wood, a profusion of plants, and lots of vintage champagne buckets, but a few modern touches really stand out. To the right of the entryway is a long backlit mar- ble wall that functions as a wine display. It’s loaded with Champagne bottles and practically screams photograph me. Also, above the main dining room is a profu- sion of clear glass globes hung to give the impression of Champagne bubbles.

As you enter, your first thought is that this place must be perfect for celebra- tions, and indeed we could see a few ta- bles were hosting small birthday parties.

We were greeted by no fewer than three of the staff and got a table nicely away from other folks. (social distanc- ing is well enforced) - In cooler weather, a’Bouzy’s street-facing patio is another popular and a good option.

The restaurant’s wine list is on a tab- let, and given its (physical) 41 pages, it makes far better sense. It’s easy to navi- gate and is well organized.

There are well over a thousand wines listed, including prestigious wines in every category and region from French Bordeaux and Burgundy greats, to Cali- fornia classics like Silver Oak, Opus One, and Colgin Estates. With a nod to Virene’s past success, the rosé selection is better than you’ll find in most places. Where else would you find a Methuselah of Rosé? (Chateau Peyrassol in an 8-bot- tle size!)

As would be expected, over 300 Cham- pagnes are available in bottles, magnums, and Jéroboams (4 standard bottles in 1,) and another 60 labels are available in fine sparkling, Cava, and Prosecco.

The Champagne selections are par- ticularly thoughtful – there were many options in price ranges starting from $48 for small format bottles through $2,100 for a prestige magnum. There are many well-known makers in the $60 to $90 range, and for deeper pockets, many spe-

cialty Champagnes from $300 to $1,100. There are various examples from luxury makers like Dom Pérignon, Krug, and Salon, and many more from lesser-known greats like; Georges Laval, Philipponnat, and Egly-Ouriet.

There are a few extraordinary 3-bottle “wine flights” like the René Geoffroy “Cuvée Millésime Extra Brut” featuring the; 2000, 2002, and 2004 vintages. It’s interesting to note that as large as a Jéroboam is physically, Champagne is produced in nine even larger sizes, topping out at forty bottles in one!

Though the exact dates are unknown, various sources state that Bordeaux producers began using notable names for large format bottles in the 17th century while the Champagne region began using the biblical kings’ names for larger sizes starting only in about the 1940s.

Saving the more exotic labels for another time, we opened the evening with a well-chilled bottle of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” Brut (usually a great go-to), followed by an even nicer Roederer Brut Premier. I must point out that both were very reasonably priced compared to retail, which is unusual in a restaurant, but also a Virene hallmark.

We

had heard from several friends that a’Bouzy had great oysters, so we started with a dozen Malpeques from Prince Edward Island. These are relatively small oysters, but with a deep cup. They have a mild briny taste, great texture, and a lovely clean finish. They came with the traditional lemon wedges, grated horseradish, cocktail sauce, and mignonette sauce, but I truly enjoyed several without any accompaniment at all. (Five other varieties were available that evening ranging from Texas Gulf to several northeast favorites.)

On an average evening, there are nineteen appetizers on the menu, making decisions pretty difficult. Moules Frites, Calamari, and an Avocado-Crab Salad were available alongside Tuna Poke, Gumbo, and Baked Oysters!

We ordered the special Maryland-style crab cake with a remoulade and a terrific Tuna Watermelon. The latter sounds odd but is actually a Sushi bar special – s m a l l

squares of watermelon topped with sashimi-grade bluefin tuna and garnished with a tiny dollop of caviar! (We could easily have had more than one of these plates.) Cold Champagne was perfect with both.

A’Bouzy’s menu is “American with a nod to French style.” There are eleven standard entrée options ranging from Braised Rabbit and Stuffed Quail to a good N.Y. Strip and a Smothered Pork Chop. As would be expected, many Seafood selections are available with occasional specials.

I chose the Smothered Pork Chop, which was tender and very generous, and my companions selected the New York Strip and the popular Stuffed Alaskan Salmon. The salmon was filled with a very good mixture of crab, shrimp, and brie and was perfectly baked. Though not exactly planned, all our mains continued to work with the Roederer Champagne.

As generous as the entrées were, we couldn’t help but chose three desserts. My hands-down favorite was the Fresh donut holes. These were a bit larger than standard, rolled in cinnamon and powdered sugar, and served with a side of vanilla ice cream – think of it like a churro and a beignet had a beautiful baby.. (I wanted this again the next day.)

An excellent dense Chocolate/Chocolate ganache cake and a Baked Apple Cobbler rounded the other orders, each with a scoop of ice-cream.

We all drifted comfortably back to our hotels stuffed and happily full of Champagne.

Each of us had heard of a’Bouzy form different sources and had been eager to try this unique restaurant. For the Champagne alone, the experience will warrant additional trips from Austin, the great food being a nice bonus.