In 2012, I had the extreme good fortune to travel to San Francisco and among other meetings, attend the verticals tasting for Daniel Johannes., creator of the  USA-based La Paulee, modeled after the traditional La Paulée de Meursault, a lunch celebrating the end of the harvest in Burgundy, France. Originally the celebration included only winemakers,  cellar workers, and the surrounding community. It has since evolved to become an international event, and an integral part of Les Trois Glorieuses, which also includes a charity auction held at the Hospices de Beaune and a formal dinner at the Clos de Vougeot.  The event was formally organized in the mid-1920s by the Count Lafon and is now organized by the president Philippe Ballot Ballot pictured with Mr. Johannes above.

A few years back, I was fortunate enough to attend La Paulee de Meursault and it was a fabulous event! The idea is that everyone brings his or her best bottle of Burgundy and shares with the table and everyone in the room. Yet the bottles go by so quickly there is only room for a quick glance at the label and hurried sip before it is time to accept another pour from a new bottle.

This is why the vertical tastings in the USA La Paulee events are so valuable. Though the event only lasts two hours and is a bit pricey, it is an opportunity to approach a famous winemaker, notebook in hand, and have the luxury of tasting the wine in unhurried way.

This is the first in a series of pieces taking a look at the winemakers that will be showing their wines at La Paulee.

Okay, so the picture above - showing the "finished wine" in a celebration mode, is a little bit more attractive than the photo showing all the hard back breaking work below ...

... yet it's always interesting to contrast the two.

I first heard about the wines of Domaine Bize many years ago in Burgundy. The sommelier suggested a Savisgny les Beaune and mentioned that Bize was his favorite producer. I loved the wine and when I see it on the menu continue to order it. We will see what he has in store for us at La Paulee this year!

The domaine’s history begins in 1880 in Savigny les Beaune. Since then, the following generations have each contributed their hard work and knowledge to the development of the domaine.

1880, Great Grandfather Simon Bize owns a few vines; it was a difficult time in the viticultural world where all work was done by hand.

1918, Grandfather Simon Bize takes over and is able to purchases some new parcels. Horses and the arrival of new agricultural materials make vineyard work less difficult.

1950, Father Simon Bize is instrumental in the transformation of the domaine. An excellent winemaker, he decides to market his own wines, believing in the personal relationship between ‘winemaker and consumer’. His know-how allows him to establish a network of private customers and restaurants. The quality of his wines is recognized and appreciated by wine connoisseurs.

1972, Patrick Bize accomplishes his father’s projects. He builds a vinification facility (cuverie), expands the cellars and purchases new parcels, permitting him to propose an extended range of wine to the public.

Throughout the domaine’s history priority has always been placed on wine quality; the utmost care and attention focuses on vineyard work and winemaking.

Today the domaine is composed of 22 hectares (52.8 acres). Below is some information about the wines: the most interesting aspect to me are: the timing of battonage for whites depends on the vintage and what they are tasting, for reds phenolic ripeness is very important as they whole cluster press with stems; they punch down by human foot to avoid grinding the seeds and extracting bitter tannins, they rack their red wines only once at the end of the barrel aging period. I thought their fermentation temperatures a bit high (24 C for whites, 33 for reds) and will ask them about this.

Here is their method of vinification for white wines:

White wine vinification

Our principal concern is to harvest grapes with good acidity and sufficient ripeness. Coming as close as possible to the perfect balance between ripeness and acid levels is the base of our work. As is the case for our reds, our goal is to make precise, delicate wines, representative of their terroirs.

White grapes are immediately pressed upon arrival at the winery then the must is pumped to tank where it is cooled if necessary to 12° C to encourage natural sedimentation. After roughly 12 hours the must is débourbé: the bourbe or heavy lees have deposited at the base of the tank.

Only the fine, clear lees are kept and will nourish the wine throughout the barrel-aging period, until they are racked. This step is very important.

The decanted must is put directly into barrels in the cellar where alcoholic fermentation begins naturally three to four days later. The alcoholic fermentation lasts for an average of four to six weeks at a more or less stable temperature of 20°C to 24°C.

We consider that a wine is dry when it contains less than 3g/litre of residual sugar.

The wines are aged in barrel from six to 12 months, depending on the appellation.

In this period the wines become more refined and the oak characteristics better integrated.

WHITE WINE BARREL AGING

The barrels used for our white are between one and five years old, the proportion of new oak varies between 15% and 30%.

The Bourgogne Blancs remain in barrel for approximately six months then are assembled in tank to retain their freshness and fruity characteristics. The Villages, 1er Cru and Grand Crus need several months more in barrel to reveal their complexity.

Battonage (stirring up the lees in barrel) is not systematic, frequency and duration depending on the natural richness and acidities of the vintage. For this reason each cuvee is tasted regularly.

Malo-lactic fermentation takes place naturally, beginning as early as January and often finishing in the spring.

When we judge the barrel aging period sufficient for each appellation, the wines are racked to stainless-steel tank for the assemblage of each cuvée.

During the assemblage the wines are fined and filtered. After racking, certain appellations stay for a second aging term in tank on their fine lees for two to four additional months. During this period the wines become more refined and the oak characteristics better integrated.

RED WINE VINIFICATION

One of the domaine’s particularities is to work with whole clusters (non de-stemmed bunches) or partial whole clusters, based on the appellation and the vintage. In order to use whole clusters good phenolic ripeness is necessary to obtain quality tannins, needed for extraction.

We aim through our vinification to respect the diversity of our terroirs by seeking finesse and elegance rather than power and over-extraction.

Grapes are sorted upon arrival at the winery to eliminate any rot or under-ripe fruit. The sorted fruit is then dropped into wooden fermentation vats. Depending on the vintage we cool the temperature to roughly 15°C, where it stays for four to five days prior to fermentation.

At this stage we begin to gently punch down by foot to avoid excessive pressure, which might grind the seeds, a source of rustic, astringent tannins. During alcoholic fermentation, when temperatures rise to 33.34°C, colour, tannins and aromas are extracted from the grape. Alcoholic fermentation is natural and lasts between five and seven days.

When all of the sugar has been transformed to alcohol the temperature gradually decreases to 24°C, at which point, based on tasting, the new wine is de-vatted and pressed. The wine is then pumped into stainless steel tank where it is débourbé or decanted, then placed in oak barrels for an average of one year.

RED WINE BARREL AGING

We use very little or no new oak for the aging of our reds in order to preserve the typical aromas of the delicate Pinot Noir varietal. The oak barrels vary in age from one to six years old. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place between January and June, based on the appellation.

The reds are racked only once, at the end of the barrel aging period, for the assemble of each cuvé in stainless steel vats prior to bottling. Bottling is generally done between January and March; wines are neither fined nor filtered.

So first, the history ...

I've been to this Chateau many times, and never really thought about the fabulous estate.

In 1820 Bernard Bouchard purchased the Château de Beaune, a former royal fortress built in the 15^th century by King Louis XI.

Four of the five original towers of the fortress, as well as parts of the ramparts, still stand today, and have featured on the list of historic monuments since 1937.

The cellars run deep underground beneath the property providing ideal natural storage conditions for Bouchard Père & Fils’ fine wines.

Up to 10 metres deep, the wines develop and age undisturbed. These include a unique collection of over 2,000 bottles from the 19^th century. A priceless historical legacy with, as its icon, the oldest wine – a Meursault Charmes 1846 which still retains its luster.

Of Alain Burguet Becky Wasserman wrote:

"I met Alain Burguet a long, long time ago when a Gevrey winemaker, supremely confident of his own standing in the Gevrey hierarchy, introduced me not only to Alain but to Denis Bachelet. At that time, perhaps definitions were a clearer issue, and Alain's Gevrey (that was all he made then) had a wonderful basso profundo note, a sense of old vines, Jean Troisgros thought so too and this modest village wine found itself on the Troisgros list. Years later, the tannins seem softer and Alain is making the wines he has always wanted to make. There are now nine appellations, including the Chambertin Clos de Bèze. The price of vineyards being prohibitive, Alain, like many of his peers, has become a micro-negociant, buying in grapes. The old vines are yet older and I once wrote "think of John Wayne by the banks of a river holding a lamb instead of a gun."

Though I have not tasted his wines yet, I see he plants grass between rows to avoid using chemicals to kill weeks, and also add acidity to the soil that comes from the weeds and decomposing grass buried into the ground after plowing, encriching the soil that translates into grape acidity and a better phenolic maturity.

Careful sorting is key, the wine is vinified with the natural yeasts, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration, low So2 and long barrel aging - 20 months in casks.

It is hard to find much information about this domaine other than that it is located in Macon and the farming is organic. He visited many famous Burgundian winemakers for their advice and feels that vines should be "pampered."  He harvests fully mature grapes, when pressed the juice undergoes a light racking, and tries to keep things as natural as possible. More when I meet him in a few weeks.

In 1141 Clos de Tart was sold to the nuns of Nôtre Dame de Tart by the Knights Hospitaller and - cutting to the chase - it was bought by the Mommessin family, having had only three owners in 900 years.

It is one of only six Grand Cru “monopolies” in Burgundy along with La Romanée-Conti, La Romanée and La Tâche.

The soil is a complex blend of limestone, clay and gray marl, and he combination of soil, slope, exposure, drainage and climate is what makes it all a Grand Cru.

Sylvain Pitiot was the winemaker who turned things around when he first arrived, farming using culture raisonée, before moving into organics and using ploughing and cutting grass instead of pesticides or herbicides.  Plants represent a massale selection, with new plants produced from cuttings.  Small berries that give a good proportion of skin to juice are desired. During green harvest, they get rid of the biggest bunches as maturity is best with small grapes. Typically they use 20% whole bunches in the temperature controlled  fermentations, with a week long cool maceration before the fermentation at about 33C, very long (3 weeks) and slow. An 18 month elevage with all new oak (Troncais) and no filtration.

Pierre Yves Colin worked as winemaker for his father (Marc Colin) until 2005, and now has holdings in Chassagne-Montrochet (where his domaine is located) and also produces Meursault, St. Aubin, and Puligny Montrachet.

He differs in that he uses larger demi-muid barrels, does not use battonge, and is terroir-focused.

More when I meet him!

So I first discovered David Duband's wines at a previous La Paulee event, and then again last year at a "Diva" tasting at the Hospieces de Beaune.

I hear he has been gradually been making a name for himself as part of the new generation of high quality red wine producers in the Côte de Nuits.   He now owns multiple Grand Cru sites including Echezeaux and Charmes-Chambertin.

Now practicing 100% organic farming, he has also begun to use  more whole cluster fermentation, averaging 30% in 2009. Whereas his first few vintages were oak-driven, he strives today to make more elegant wines that express their place of origin and his 2009 vintage is a perfect example of his success: ripe fruit but still balanced and clear.

Located in Vosne Romanee, this was bought in 2005 by François Pinault, owner of Château Latour in Bordeaux. Today yields are low and much effort has been done in the vineyard,  including a substantial programme of replacing missing individual vines, which will be picked separately and declassified into the village Vosne in their youth.

Though there was a debate whether to include stems or not, experiments proved that the blend of half with and half without stems gave textural qualities and a sense of energy over and above either individual version.

Grapes are punched down, matured in barrel for a minimum of 15 months for village and longer for the Grand Cru, which  receive around 80% of new wood.

One of the benefits of attending Discover Rhone is having the chance to meet with winemakers and discover more about the Rhone valley.

Last week Guy Sarton du Jonchay, Director and Wine Expert of Vidal-Fleury, used a 3D map to give journalists an inside look at the Rhône Valley that Vidal-Fleury uses to make its wines, accompanied by a wine tasting. We tasted Cote Rotie, Cotes du Rhone, Saint Joseph and Chateauneuf du Pape as looked at the terroir, including the special aspects of slope that made the terroir special.

Chef de Caves Herve Deschamps (blue tie) and Jean de Castelnau

If it's true that Champagne is synonymous with luxury, when introducing the 2007 Belle Epoque it seems natural that the setting be the very grand and luxurious new Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan across from the MoMA museum.

Somehow, Jean de Castelnau, Champagne Ambassador for Perrier Jouet, was able to find the most perfect place in the city for a tasting of this magnitude. Grander even than many of the Champagne Chateaux I have visited with its mirrors, walls of gold, and brilliant chandeliers, the hotel and its intimate private dining room really set the stage for the introduction of the 2007 Belle Epoque.

Virtually each Champagne house has its star, and for Perrier Jouet it is the Belle Epoque, instantly recognizable by the beautiful artwork on the bottle and box which changes from year to year.

Hervé Dechamps is the seventh person to hold the Chef de Cave position in 204 years, and I've been lucky enough to meet with him many times over the years, always learning something new about himself, his approach to wine, and winemaking in general.

First, let's discuss the wine, which was served with a main course of Giannone Chicken. This lovely wine is a blend of 50% Chardonnay from the grands crus of Cramant and Avize, and 45% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims, plus 5% Pinot Meunier from Dizy. The aromas hint of flowers and brioche, and the mousse is luxurious and gentle.  The delightful notes of fresh baked bread point to its maturation on the lees for six years and its weight matched well with the dish.

Over lunch, I asked Mr. Deschamps about how he became a Chef de Caves, as the position requires a very delicate nose. He explained that his grandfather was a producer, but his father choose the mililtary life and Mr. Deschamps grew up in different cities in the world.

Yet when he came to visit his grandparents, he fell in love with the world of wine and decided to make it his life's work.

The gorgeous bottle has a history as well. In 1902 art-nouveau artist Emile Gallé was commissioned to create the bottle, but over the years his original designs became lost, only to be rediscovered in 1964. The cuvee is only made in exceptional years, and for each year a new young artist is chosen to create the bottle design

Other wines tasted over lunch included the Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut NV with the Big Eye Tuna Tartare starter and first course of Pan Seared Sea Scallops (both pairing nicely with this crisp elegant wine) and the Champagne Perrier-Joet Belle Epoque Rose 2006 with the dessert of Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta.

Great visit with Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau, who is prided as being “a good farmer” by Jeanne-Marie De Champs. The family has been in Meursault for over seven generations, producing fine wine from their many vineyards in the area.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau and taste many of the wines. We spoke at length about his Le Lutte Raisonee approach to viticulture.

The wines I tasted reflected tender loving care in the vineyard. Jean-Baptiste told me he knows exactly the right moment to pick because he’s been in the fields all season and knows his vines.

In terms of his approach to viticulture, he prides himself on being very “precise.” After harvest, he pulls out the dead vines and for three months he “pre-prunes” for 3 months. Yet while he is preparing for the new season in the filed, he is also working in the winery for the previous vintages, checking to see how malolactic fermentation is going and the bottling situation for other vintages.

We taste through the wines, all are very delicious and balanced reflecting the good luck of his ancestors in finding the best plots and his hard work in the vineyard.

Bourgogne Aligote 2014 – bottled two weeks ago, intense acidity, lemon and white floral flavors … finesse and elegance. Very well-structured and integrated flavors.

Bourgogne Chardonnay 2014 – fresh apples, salted butter, some soft caramel tones – Puligny brings white floral and peach aromatics and minerality.

Meursault Le Grands Charrons 2014
Very intense aromas of melted butter, tart racy acidity, 13.0 alcohol, elegance, finesse, great balance of concentrated fruit, (juicy fruit), long length

Meursault Le Limozine 2014

More floral notes – plot next to Puligny Montrachet … more fine and long and Charron more generous. Salty minerality at the finish.

Meursault Le Tesson
Marked by tangy salty minerality with intense acidity, white floral aromas … lots of stones in the earth so more mineral.

Puligny Montrachet Champgain 2014
Steely structure, very long length, some white flowers, white – finesse and structure with oak play only supporting role. New oak is added as a spice.

Meursault Genevieres 2014
Very ripe concentrated focused fruit, incredible minerality, some caramel and vanilla from 25% new oak … very focused, structured, and intense. Very long and complex wine.

Meursault Perriere Premier Cru 2014
Intense wine with concentrated fruit, very structured, with long elegant finish.

Puligny Montrachet Les Caillert 2014
White floral aromas, with salty tang on the nose that leads to ripe rich flavors of ripe peach, minerals, and a subtle caramel note. The wine has elegance and incredible finesse.

Do you love fine Bordeaux wine from Saint Julien like Chateau Talbot? Do you crave the excellent cuisine and luxurious service of the Central Park Ritz Carlton?

Jean-Paul Bignon

Chateau Talbot Owner Jean-Paul Bignon was the guest of honor in this special wine and food pairing dinner.

This dinner is part of the “Phenomenal Femmes’ program created by vivacious Marika Vida, which features female winemakers and winery owners from around the globe. Wines are discussed with each course, and the evenings are fun, very social, and a way to enjoy luxury, great cuisine, wine, and culture.

Now you may realize that Jean-Paul Bignon is a man, and a very handsome and charming one at that. And true to the Phenomenal Femmes mandate, his daughter was supposed to be the guest of honor, however she is in Bordeaux waiting the “next generation” of the family so could not attend.

The wines were fabulous. We started the evening with the Caillou Blanc 2009, the only white wine made in Saint Julien. Georges Cordier, the grandfather of the current owners, loved white wines. He was one of the first to replant white wine in the Médoc. With a majority of Sauvignon, and a hint of Sémillon, Caillou blanc is raised in the manner of a Burgundy. The wine is very aromatic, with a lively personality and responsiveness one finds again and again through all the vintages. It had an interesting texture and clear evidence of oak maturation. This wine worked well on its own and with the excellent scallops prepared by the talented Executive Chef Mark Arnao.

The first set of red Bordeaux, the 2011 and the 2006, was serviced with the swordfish. The 2011 was still fresh and maturing well, and the 2006 was perfect at the moment and the 2000 served with the next course was simply a rare treat.

The crowd were all Chateau Talbot fans, with one collector bringing a 1949 for his table to enjoy, while another collector stood up and announced that his family has a tradition of serving older vintages of Chateau Talbot at their family dinners.

The estate has a rich history. Its name originates with Connétable Talbot, a famous English warrior, governor of Guyenne, defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453. And as Jean-Paul pointed out, the chateau’s name is pronounced in the English fashion with the word finishing with a “t.”

Wine Director Marika Vida and is the most amazing hostess, knowing virtually all of her guests and making friends with new ones. As the evening started, she was able to project her voice when introducing the Chateau Talbot estate, but by the end of the evening she had to resort to a microphone because of the lively chattering of the well-fed guests. Lately, I’ve been reading about the new trends in fine dining restaurants, where the maître d’ or wine director develops a personal relationship with the guests and really sets the tone for their experience and Marika really has it.

Marika has instructed for the American Sommelier Association in New York and the French Wine Society and holds titles of Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and the American Sommelier Association. She is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators and holds the Advanced Certificate for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.

You can find a list of future dinners with this link.

The post Ritz-Carlton Wine Dinner with Chateau Talbot Owner Jean-Paul Bignon appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

Vouvray vs. Anjou

The Masters of Wine exam, in which wines are tasted blind, frequently features two Chenin Blanc wines, often Vouvray vs. Anjou.

It is important to compare and contrast Vouvray vs. Anjou.

So tonight, the two wines (the bottles covered, their identity unknown) turned out to be Chenin Blanc.

The first observation was that they were aromatic varietals. Wine B (the Anjou) was slightly darker and more golden in color, drier, and had a nose filled with acacia, lime blossom, fresh ripe pair, and high tangy acidity. It seemed to be from a neutral vessal (no vanilla from oak) but Patrick Baudouin uses 20% new oak in his 2013 Effusion.

Wine A, the Champalou Vouvray, was almost pale in color, with what seemed to be 4 – 6 grams of residual sugar. It had a more lush, volumptuous mouth feel of chamomile, lime, beeswax, lanolin, honey, marzipan, yellow raisin, and lemon curd.

The two wines had a different taste profile, but many factors that brought them to the same grape, namely the floral aromatics, racy acidity, affinity to old oak, and their texture.

The post Vouvray vs. Anjou: Chenin Blanc appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

The 2015 Bordeaux vintage looks to be one of the great ones, and on this visit to En Primeur my first interview was with Adrien Olivier of Domaine de Chevalier.

Adrien’s father Olivier bought the domaine in 1983, so Adrien and his brother grew up on he estate. Adrien knows winemaking, yet has an MBA and is very focused on the business end of the family estate. He spent many years working in Asia developing the distribution market in that area and is now back living in Bordeaux.

During our conversation, we spent a great deal of time discussing ways of developing a new market, such as China. Adrien is a firm believer in education, so when he was in Asia he educated both distributors and consumers on how to taste and appreciate wine. When he was working in China, not many distributors or consumers spoke French, or English for that matter – so Adrian found himself forced to learn and speak the language.

What was surprising is that in China, Bordeaux isn’t just consumed on the ontrade – in high end restaurants. High end Bordeaux is very popular at Carrefour supermarkets, even more than high end wine shops, because local consumers know and respect the brand.

Adrien and I both spoke at length about the importance of social media, and if you google Domaine de Chevalier on the Internet, you will find dozens of videos of the Olivier family discussing the estate and their wines. One of the key values of social media, Adrien explained, is when people repost the videos. One popular video received over 15,000 views in just a two week period.

The Sunday before En Primeur week can be considered its unofficial kickoff. It is held at Chateau Guiraud. The reason is that during a dinner in early 2006, industrialist Robert Peugeot and three wine makers, Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, Stephan Von Neipperg of Château Canon La Gaffelière and Xavier Planty, the estate’s director, decided to buy Guiraud, uniting their shared passion for wine, gastronomy, nature and hunting. The event showcases the latest vintage of each producer and a fine offering of older vintages as well.

That night I also spoke to the charming David Ormon of Chateau Guiraud, and we discussed the export market at length. I wrote about Sauternes in a feature article for World of Fine Wine, and will link it once I return to New York next week. My main thought was that Sauternes should be served at the beginning of a meal, as an aperitif, the way many people now enjoy Champagne.

I had the opportunity to taste the Clos des Lunes brand of white wine from Domaine de Chevalier, and found it intriguing that it is made in three styles: one matured in stainless steel, one matured with a percentage of new oak, and one matured in 100% new oak. The reason for this, Adrien explained, is that the estate has a variety of terroir, and some are better suited to oak than others.

Adrien is just as charming as his father Olivier, and has a genuine passion for wine and bringing the message of Domaine de Chevalier around the world.

The post Interview with Adrien Olivier of Domaine de Chevalier appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

Have you heard of Jura Wine?

It’s a fabulous region just about an hour from Burgundy, with ancient soil like Burgundy – but ‘in reverse.’ In Burgundy, we discovered, the ancient soil is very deep, and in the Jura it’s right up on top.

Though I’ve had the pleasure of tasting a lot of Jura wine in my time, one thing I did not realize is that Pliny, the famous wine historian, knew this region in the first century.

In any event wine educator DJ Kearney, the speaker did a great job of giving the packed audience the history of the region and leading us through a tutored tasting of the Jura Wine. Everything was delicious but my favorite was Vin Jaune 2008 from the Savignin grape.

Another great thing about the event was that the producers got up to speak and answer questions. Laura Seibel, owner of Domaine de la Pinte, got up to speak about her Poulsard and it was pretty fascinating as she is biodynamic and the recent vintages were fairly challenging.

The post Jura Wine Comes to NYC appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

“Did you know that a bottle of Chateau Bonnet is sold every 20 seconds?” says energetic Laurent Belisaire, smiling at the people around the table.

Actually, before this afternoon, I did not realize how popular Chateau Bonnet is, or that Les Vignobles André Lurton, who produces it, is currently one of the largest wineries in the Bordeaux region. Laurent is Export Director for Les Vignobles André Lurton, studied business and marketing in the US and Japan, and has worked for Mr. Lurton since 2005.

The reason for the lunch, held at Restaurant Daniel, was to celebrate the collaboration of famed consultant Michel Rolland with Les Vignobles André Lurton, and discuss the strategy for the U.S. market. Bill Deutsch, Chairman of Deutsch Family Wines, was seated next to Michel Rolland and spoke extensively of their first meeting that seeded the beginning of their relationship.

Laurent, speaking on behalf of Mr. Lurton, explained that Mr. Lurton is first and foremost a wine maker. For almost 70 years, Mr. Lurton dedicated his life to the vineyard.

From Mr. Rolland’s talk, the tacit move now – especially for the American market – is for the company to create wines for the American market that are ready to drink now, upon release, and not wait for them to “develop.”

This very much went in line with the wines we tasted from Les Vignobles André Lurton today, including the Chateau Bonnet Blanc 2015 and Rouge (2012) as well as two excellent wine from Chateau de Rochemorin (2012, 2001) and three outstanding wines from Chateau La Louviere (Roughe 2012, 2010, and 1986).

Les Vignobles André Lurton has 640 hectares of vines, planted in the best soils over 6 prestigious Bordeaux appellations in Bordeaux.

From Fanny Van de Velde, the Area Sales Manager for North America, I learned the company’s head-office is at Château Bonnet in Grézillac where André Lurton was born. The red and white vineyard covers almost 300 hectares in several appellations: Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux Red and Rosé. Interestingly, Les Vignobles André Lurton also includes 260 hectares of vines in Pessac-Léognan. This appellation was created by André Lurton and selectively groups the best ‘terroirs’ of the Graves region – the historical birth place of the Grands Vins de Bordeaux.

It was a stunning lunch, with the wines very well accompanying the cuisine of Restaurant Daniel.

The post Lunch with Michael Rolland Featuring Vignobles Andre Lurton appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

Are you curious about some of the smaller houses in Champagne?

Such as Arlaux Champagne?

More to the point, have you wondered about how a majority of Pinot Meunier in Arlaux Champagne expresses itself in the glass?

Recently some of Manhattan’s finest wine writers had the opportunity to taste the wines of Arlaux paired with different expressions of caviar. What makes Arlaux unique and different is both its majority of the Pinot Meunier grape as well as its pre-phylloxera Meunier vine trees.

Our host for this event was charming Pierre-Christian Tramier, proprietor of Arlaux Champagne. The venue was Bar Boulud, and with each Champagne style we were given a generous dollop of a different caviar. It was interesting to see how the pairings were chosen, yet wine is my focus so on to the Champagnes.

Arlaux Champagne

The next wine was the Brut Grand cuvée coming from again 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, and 10% Chardonnay – yet now the color is straw instead of pink. It was very crisp and refreshing.

Next was the Brut Nature NV, with the same cepage as the Brut Grand, but no dosage (that would give it residual sugar).

Arlaux Champagne

The Brut Grand Bourgeois was one of my favorites …. 100% Pinot Meunier with four years of aging. This was followed by the Millesime Rare 2000, 1/3 Pinot Meunier, 1/3 Pinot Noir, and 1/3 Chardonnay and it has been resting until this fabulous moment until we can enjoy it.

Arlaux is not a household name in terms of mass-market Champagne houses. Yet it is unique and special for three key reasons. The first is that not many grower/houses focus on Pinot Meunier and it is great to try this slightly fruitier example in many different styles. Next, the charm of course of Pierre-Christian Tramier, who did a great job of showcasing his family’s values. Then it was the elegance of the tasting itself, the drama if you will, of how everything was arranged just so (the room is beautiful, the glasses set up perfectly, and the caviar pairing element).

It was a pleasure to meet Pierre-Christian and experience the pleasures of this Champagne house

The post Experiencing Arlaux Champagne appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

This year, the Union Des Grand Crus changed the program for journalists, arranging for small groups to make afternoon visits after the En Primeur tasting.

It turned out to be a fabulous idea, as after tasting wine from the various regions in the morning, we had a chance to see the vat rooms, caves, and various Chateaux in the afternoon.

The first visit was at Chateau Soutard in Saint Emlion.

Welcoming us to the Chateau was the energetic Caroline Rihouet, Brand Manager.

Though Caroline was the “human face” of the welcome, it’s really the imposing Chateau itself that does the welcoming from almost a mile away.

The history of Château Soutard can be traced back to 1513, when it was a farm and a mill. Eventually it became a winery and was the first to plant vines in rows. During the 18th century it became one the largest and most regal chateaux in all of Saint Emilion.

The Chateau was bought in 2006 from the La Mondiale insurance company for over 35 thousand Euros, who put a lot of energy, creativity, and money to refurbish the Chateau, the Chai, and focus on improving the vineyard.

As we met in the very modern, nicely stocked gift shop, Caroline explained that the model for the Chateau’s gift shop – as well as its new focus on winery tourism – was California’s Napa Valley.

The Chateau has now been restored to its glistening18th century glory, and the Chai has decided 20th century touches such as its own room for malolactic fermentation, many other improvements, and an expansive glass elevator that descends down to the tasting room.

The tasting room looks like a futuristic James Bond film, yet had large decorative rocks to remind visitors that everything in wine comes from the soil.

In addition to the Grand Vin from Chateau Soutard we tasted the second wine, Les Jardins de Soutard, and the other wines owned by La Mondiale La Larmande and Grand Faurie La Rose. All were incredibly balanced with rich concentrated fruit, balancing acidity, moderate acidity, and a long finish.

Very appreciative of Caroline and the UGC to provide this special experience for us.

The post Visiting Chateau Soutard appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.

“Welcome!” says attractive Monique Bailly, as our car pulls into the driveway in front of Chateau Clinet in Pomerol.

With her long blonde hair Monique looks like the total California girl yet she is half British and French. As she welcomes us into the tasting room she tells us a little bit about the Chateau.

The name CLINET can be read “Cliné” on the Belleyme map of 1785 where it appears among a cluster of wines around the ancienne église. The name could derive from the old French ‘cliner’, used during the 16th century. The word meant to ‘bow’ or ‘lean’ – possibly a reference to the slope, which runs down from the famous Plateau de Pomerol, providing natural drainage.

Château CLINET is one of the most prestigious estates of the Pomerol wine region, set amongst the finest parcels of this well-known plateau.

Located 40km to the east of Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Garonne River, its gravelly clay soil makes Pomerol the terroir of the finest Merlots in the world. The natural resources required to produce the exceptional quality of our grapes, simply cannot be reproduced anywhere else on earth.

Successive generations of owners have been producing world-renowned wines here for centuries and, since 1998, it has been the duty and privilege of the Laborde family to perpetuate the highest possible standards, observing the traditions of a strict cultural approach.

The current owner and CEO Ronan Laborde grew up in a weathy family where the children were asked early in life about their interests and how they wanted to make their livelihood. Ronan showed an interest in wine from an early age so in 1999 when Ronan was 19 he and his father Jean-Louis Laborde travelled together to Argentina, looking at potential vineyards to purchase. But destiny brought them back to Bordeaux, when the perfect property presented itself for sale.

As soon as Ronan finished his studies, he became highly involved in the day-to-day management of CLINET, to the point that his father was soon able to comfortably take a step back and return to his former businesses.

Set on the right bank of the Garonne River, the climate is warm and the soil cool with natural drainage. Pomerol is best known for its full-bodied yet refined, elegant and approachable red wines, which are grown from Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) grape varieties.

After explaining the terroir, Monique invited us to dinner which started off with Champagne and continued on with several vintages of their wine — all Merlot based with incredible balance between ripe fruit, racy acidity, and judicious use of oak. Much of the quality can be attributed to the winemaking as well as the unique ‘Gunz gravel’ as Château CLINET’s terroir sits on the famous terrace, which extends along the Isle river towards Libourne, up to Pomerol and Figeac (Saint-Emilion).

It was a delightful visit and many thanks to the Union Des Grand Crus and also the Laborde family for their hospitality.

The post Visiting Chateau Clinet in Pomerol appeared first on Wine Reviews: A Wine Story.