Appellation: Savoie and Eugene Carrel et Fils at Jongieux Vin de Savoie France

Savoie

Savoie is a French department (county) located in the Rhône-Alpes region of central eastern France, bordering Switzerland to the north and Italy's Valle d'Aosta region to the south.

If you look at a map of Haute-Savoie and Savoie, you will realize that this mountainous region includes some of the greatest and family friendly ski resorts of the French Alps, like: Chamberry, Albertville and Chamonix. It also includes the town of Thonon-les-Bains, a highly reputed thermal station on the south central bank of the lake Geneva, near the even more renowned thermal town of Evian (-les-Bains). It is a beautiful, enchanting place to discover and to do some trekking during the summer.

The region also offers some of the highest vineyards in France, producing mainly traditional, bright, crisp, mineral whites, complemented by a few light reds and roses made from local, quite unknown, indigenous grape varieties.

Savoie's white wines are usually at their finest fresh, from the latest harvest, when they retain the mineral purity (almost like spring water on a mountain rock or mountain dew on the grassy meadow of the higher plateau), freshness, and floral aromas of an Alpine summer morning.

The most planted local white grapes are Roussette (also called Altesse), Jacquère and Gringet, complemented with Chardonnay and Chasselas, though a few others are permitted including Roussane and Aligoté (and more).

The reds and rosés are usually crafted with Gamay, Pinot Noir and Mondeuse (and more rarely but also existing Syrah and the Cabernets). Red wines from Savoie can be very pleasant if light, and high in acid but, too often, they are mostly undiscovered and especially overshadowed by the whites, usually more in favor to most consumers.

Savoie also houses some sparkling wines: Vin de Savoie Pétillant and Vin de Mousseux (white and rosé), often produced from a blend of Chardonnay, Chasselas and Roussette.

Included within the Vin de Savoie, the 6 main appellations are Bugey, Rousette de Savoie, Crépy and Seyssel (and the "Cru" villages, see below)

• Bugey: produces mainly white, and a bit of red and rosé wines, but is somewhat more welknown in the US market for its Bugey-Cerdon (a earthy, refreshing, slightly-sweet natural sparkling rosé wine usually made made from Gamay, Pinot Noir or Mondeuse, and occasionally blended with Poulsard).

• Roussette de Savoie: made usually with mainly Roussette grapes (also called Altesse) blanded with Chardonnay (up to 50% depending of the producer and the desired final product) for the AOC only. For the AOC mentioning the name of the village or the name of a specific vineyard, (thus bearing the "cru" designation, i.e.: Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod and Monthoux), Altesse must be the only grape, no blending permitted. These "cru(s)" benefits of the best conditions and the best micro-climates, producing greater, even age worthy, wines.
  

• Crépy: a small, fairly unknown local wine area where the Chasselas grape is king, producing whites meant to be drunk young and fresh.
  

• Seyssel: here again, a small, fairly unknown local wine area where most wines are made with Altesse, producing whites meant to be drunk young and fresh, except some sparkling (Mousseux) made with other local grape varieties: 90% Molette Blanche and Chasselas, and 10% Altesse.
  

However, among the many wines produced in Savoie, there are about fifteen "Cu" villages (comprised in the large "Vin de Savoie" region) that can add their name to the "Vin de Savoie" (i.e. Jongieux Vin de Savoie or Chignin Vin de Savoie). Some villages have also specific grape varieties that they use only in their village, and can add it to their name on the label (i.e. Mondeuse d'Arbin).

The fifteen cru villages are: Abymes, Apremont, Arbin, Ayze, Charpignat, Chautagne, Chignin, Chignin-Bergeron, Cruet, Marignan, Montmélian, Ripaille, Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte, Saint-Jeoire-Prieuré and Saint-Marie-d'Alloix.

The most recognized Savoie wine names, that you can find in the US, are: Chignin, Chignin-Bergeron, Roussette de Savoie, Altesse, Pinot Gris and Mondeuse Blanche (white, very rare) for the whites, and Mondeuse, Mondeuse d'Arbin, Pinot Noir and Gamay for the reds.

More and more small distributors are focusing on the wines from this region that deserves a bit more attention. Ask your local retailer (me for example) for more details.

For today, I will just recommend you to taste the following wine from Eugene Carrel. It is a great value for money and surely one of the most perfect entry-level wines to start learning a bit more about Savoie and its wines.

Eugene Carrel et Fils at Jongieux

Jongieux is a small appellation surrounding the village of the same name, located north of Chamberry, near the western bank of lake Bourget (Lac du Bouget).

The vineyard of Jongieux lies on a plateau at an altitude of between 300 and 500 meters (and up) of altitude. The melting of an ancient glacier formed the plateau. Jongieux (and Jongieux le Haut) resides on the flank of the nearby mountain, known as the "Dent du Chat", separating the lake from the area of Jongieux. The Lake Bourget is one of the largest natural lakes in France, and it empties into the Rhône River.

The Lake and especially the nearby mountains temperate the atmosphere, protect the vineyards, canalize the cold wind from the north and from the Alps to the east. All these factors create Jongieux’s unique warm micro-climate, forming an ideal ecosystem propice to grow vines, more especially the local, established and perfectly adapted Altesse and Jacquère grape varieties which excel in this mountainous environment.

Eugene Carrel manages the 14th century estate and its vineyards with his son Olivier and his son in law Sebastien. Eugene Carrel is especially known for his "Roussette de Savoie Cru Marestel". Marestel is the only Cru (non-village but vineyard this time) of the Savoie region, due to its exceptional exposition and micro-climate.

The Marestel vineyard roughly starts behind the village of Jongieux, and go up to the mountain, planted east-north-east, with a great west-south-western exposure ideal to fully ripen the fruit. The extremely steep upper slope (70%) faces southwest and receives favorable amount of sunlight to produce high quality grapes with proper phenolic ripeness. The curving of the slope and its exposition ensure that the late ripening and low-yielding Altesse grapes regularly ripen at over 13.5% alcohol naturally. The constant wind is a natural barrier against certain vine's diseases like mildew and rot, drying the grapes, but it also brings freshness.

The soil is mainly composed of broken limestone rocks (forming some scree, also called talus) and small stones, formed and deposited by the glacier. This stony T-erroir, on slope with great exposure, ensure healthy and often perfectly ripe grapes because it drains well the rain and retains the heat of the day to restitute it at night. Resulting into aromatic, mineral, ripe, medium bodied, fleshy yet not opulent, fresh, crisp, dry and balanced white, red, rosé and sparkling wines.

Winemaker from father to son, for 3 generations, Eugene Carrel et Fils (and sons) is a family own property of 22 hectares of vines, divided in several parcels and producing about 10 different wines: 1.66 hectares of Altesse (for "cru Marestel"); 2.55 hectares of Altesse (for Roussette de Savoie); 3.32 hectares of Jacquère (for cru Jongieux white); 2.82 hectares of Gamay (for cru Jongieux Gamay); 1.20 hectares of Gamay Vieillles Vignes (cru Jongieux Gamay Vieilles Vignes Cuvée Prestige -old vines-); 3.52 hectares of Mondeuse (for cru Jongieux Mondeuse and cru Jongieux Mondeuse élevé en Fût de Chêne); the roughly seven hectares left include the estate, some land and some younger vines. Along with the cited wines above, Carrel also produces a Rosé de Savoie (65% Gamay and 35%Mondeuse) and Vine de Savoie "Méthode Traditionnelle" sparkling white made with Altesse, Jacquère and Chardonnay.

Most of Carrel's wines are vinified in stainless still tank to retain freshness and crispiness and to maximize the fruit aromas and flavors. A few of the wines are aged in oak barrels or partially used oak barrels to add extra dimension (volume if you prefer) and structure. I became a big fan of his wines a few years ago when I first tasted his 2006 Jongieux white.

My love for the wines of Savoie (and also Jura wines) goes back to when I used to be a young Sommelier in Paris then in London (more than 12 years ago) where I had the chance and the privilege to open some fantastic bottles that open my eyes on the quality and the potential of these wines. Savoie’s whites (and reds) are ought to be discovered, the sooner the better and particularly during the warm season.














2008 Eugene Carrel et Fils Jongieux white Vin de Savoie France
Suggested retail price $10-$12
Distributed by Martin Scott Wines in NYC

In the glass, the robe has an ultra pale yellow-white color, almost as clear as water, with bright pale golden reflects. The nose is extremely fresh, dry and mineral with delicate scents of white flower, wet stone minerality, citrus and especially white fruit. The palate is very inviting and cleansing with a great juicy attack expanding nicely in the mid-palate with citrus, lime, unripe white peach, almost white grape fruit, flavors. The finish is super dry and refreshing, and call for another glass. Balanced by a lovely mineral touch and great acidity, this wine is the perfect summer white and a thirst quencher, particularly in very hot day. I love it. Bright and cleansing, one bottle won’t be enough if you share it during a late afternoon aperitif or even if you sip over some oysters, shellfish and grilled white fish.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from and translated from www.directwine.fr and from a PDF document on the winery at www.rhsight.com

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LeDom du Vin: Piedmont, Nebbiolo's kingdom

LeDom du Vin: Piedmont, Nebbiolo's kingdom

Located at the most northwestern part of Italy, bordering France (to the west), Switzerland (and also Valle d’Aosta, to the north), Lombardia (to the east), and Liguria (to the south), Piedmont is the kingdom of the Nebbiolo grapes, producing some of the most sought after red wines in the world, like Barolo and Barbaresco. Three other red grape varieties reside also among some of the most preferred reds of Europe: Barbera, Dolcetto and the less recognized yet up-and-coming Freisa. Moscato, Arneis, Cortese and Erbaluce (to a lesser extend) constitute the main white grape varieties that also produce super friendly, versatile, everyday whites like Gavi and Roero Arneis on the dry side and Moscato d’Asti on the sweet, slightly fizzy, side.

Most Piedmontese wines are produced in the south of the region, roughly south-southeast of Turin, around the town of Alba, Asti and Alessandria, in a large area divided into 5 broad zones: Canavese (Turin, Carema and Caluso), Colline Novarese (Novara), Coste della Sesia (Vercelli), Monferrato (Asti and Alessandria) and probably the most well known Langhe (Roero, Alba, Barolo, and Barbaresco)

Piedmont possesses 45 DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) that are more local and rarely go beyond the border of Europe and ….

9 DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) that house some of the best wines of the northern Italy:

• Asti: two slightly sparkling fruity (off dry to sweet) white wines made from the Moscato grape variety: Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti (made with 2 different methods). Ideal as an aperitif or to complement a dessert like a fruit salad.

• Barbaresco: produced in the village of the same name (+ Nieve and Treiso), east of Alba, this Nebbiolo grape based wine is somewhat light in color and body yet fairly powerful, rich, flavorful, earthy, floral and very aromatic with great acidity, solid tannic structure and long ageing potential.

• Barolo: produced in the village of the same name, southwest of Alba, this Nebbiolo based wine as quite a few similarities in aspect, aromas and flavors with its equally famed neighbor Barbaresco, but in most cases, it usually is even richer, more powerful and some could say more masculine, with also great ageing potential. Barbaresco, being more delicate and in some way elegant, has a more feminine attitude, still with guts and character (don’t get me wrong).

• Brachetto d’Acqui or Acqui: crafted with the Brachetto grape, from vineyards around the town of Acqui, south of Alessandria, this wine is very aromatic, floral and earthy. It is a frizzante (slightly sparkling) red wine, generally medium-bodied, a touch sweet (some can be medium sweet) and low in alcohol.

• Dolcetto di Dogliani or Dogliani: is a fairly unknown to the US market red made with the Dolcetto grape, in the recently area of the same name, moved from DOC status to DOCG in Piedmont (a DOCG since 2005). To keep an eye on.

• Gattinara: produced in the village of the same name with the Nebbiolo grape, this wine is made primarily from the Nebbiolo grape variety (locally known as Spanna) with, in some cases, a touch of Bonarda di Gattinara and a drop of Vespolina.

• Gavi or Cortese di Gavi: produced in the province of Alessandria, close to the Ligurian border, this Cortese grape based wine is crisp, floral, mineral, with light white fruit and citrus flavors, food friendly and versatile, it is a pretty reliable pleaser that did have its hours of fame in the 80s and 90s (now overwhelm by the flux of other white wines from Italy).

• Ghemme: produced in the Colli Novaresi hills, this red Nebbiolo based is really pleasant, earthy, with very good acidity, a touch rustic and tannic yet food friendly. Like in Gattinara, it can be blended with a small dose of Bonarda di Gattinara and Vespolina.

• Roero: produced in the Langhe, north of Alba, in a hilly region known for its fruit (Peach and pear mainly) this Arneis grape variety based white wine is a delight. Crisp, mineral, light to medium bodied, fruity, well rounded yet with a great acidity, it is a mouthwatering choice as an aperitif or to complement seafood and white fish.

Here you go! The brief and simple above information should help you to make a better choice in your next Piedmont wine selection.

Continue to check my blog at www.ledomduvin.com for more notes and info on some of the Piedmont wines that I tasted recently.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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LeDomduVin: the various wines of the Southwest of France

Southwest of France

The Southwest of France is precious to my heart because it is a beautiful region with rich food and wine culture, complicated history, interesting geography, and many landscapes from the long wild beaches of the Atlantic ocean shores and the dense pine tree forest of the Landes to the high rocky picks of the Pyrénées Mountains range and the deep black truffle forest of the Périgord.

Often confused with Bordeaux wines, Southwest of France wines don't say much to consumers. Coming from smaller appellations, often unknown and neglected, these wines represents (in my opinion) very good values and often reveals interesting characteristics due to certain indigenous grape varieties.

Southwest of France vineyard area starts roughly from the eastern and southern edges of Bordeaux and forms a triangle shaped area (pointing toward the east) between the town of Bergerac (East of Bordeaux), southwest of Pau (in the Béarn and Basque Country, the southwestern corner of France) and Marcillac and Gaillac (at the eastern point).

This large area encompasses many little appellations and sub-appellations, producing whites (dry, semi-dry, moelleux and sweet), reds and rosés, and even one of France's most famous digestif "Armagnac", from grape varieties that you probably never really heard of.

To simplify it for you, here is a list of the main vineyards, from north to south and from west to east, and the type of wine(s) they produce:

• Bergerac White: dry, refreshing whites made primarily with Sémillon and Sauvignon with a touch of Muscadelle, and also in very small quantity Ondenc and Chenin Blanc). Also produced Côtes de Bergerac dry white.
  

• Bergerac Red: aromatic, soft and earthy reds and rosés primarily made Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a touch of Côt (worldly known as Malbec), and also in small quantity Fer and Mérille (two indigenous grapes of the southwest mainly found in Madiran, Gaillac and some Aveyron wines). Also produced Côtes de Bergerac Red.
  

• Montravel (dry whites made mainly with Sauvignon and Sémillon), Haut Montravel (usually semi-sweet to sweet whites with the same previous grapes), Côtes de Montravel (sweet whites, same grapes), Montravel red (red wines made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Côt).

• Saussignac (semi-sweet to sweet white wines made mainly with Sauvignon and Sémillon)

• Pécharmant (dry, earthy, age worthy red wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Côt)

• Monbazillac (sweet white wines that can match some Sauternes and Jurançon wines, also made with Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle)
  

• Rosette (a fairly unknown supple, round sweet white wines, also made with Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle)

• Duras and Côtes de Duras (produce dry, earthy reds with small age potential, and also some white -dry and sweet- and rosé, made with the same above grape varieties and in small quantity some Fer, Negrette, Syrah and Gamay)

• Côtes du Marmandais (mainly reds and some whites often made with the same Bordeaux grapes as above with in small quantity some Fer, Syrah, Gamay and Abouriou for the reds and Ugni Blanc for the whites.

• Cahors (earthy, robust, fruit forward and age worthy red wines made generally with a minimum of 70% de Malbec, known as Côt, Côt Noir or even Auxerrois in the area, usually blended with a bit of Merlot and Tannat)

• Marcillac (east of Cahors, a fairly unknown small appellation producing mainly light, juicy, earthy, slightly tannic and peppery red and simple rosé wines produced predominantely with Fer Servadou, known in the area as Mansois or Braucol, blended with small quantity of other grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Merlot, Jurançon Noir, or even the nearly extinct Mouyssaguès).

• Buzet (often confused for a Bordeaux, Buzet produces mainly red (85%), white and rosé wines.The reds are earthy, concentrated and age worthy with a distinct and individual character are made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds, and Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle for the whites).
  

• Fronton or Côte du Frontonnais (red wines produced mainly with Negrette, a rare red grape variety with a unique, earthy, dark, attitude producing robust, tannic red wines precious to the people of Toulouse)
  

• Gaillac (east of Fronton and North east of Toulouse, Gaillac reds are also very appreciated by the people of Toulouse and are crafted with local grapes like Fer, Duras and Braucol blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds and Ondenc, Len de l'el and Mauzac for the whites).
  

• Béarn (west of Madiran and Jurançon, Béarn produces big red with at least 60% Tannat blended with local grapes like Manseng Noir, Courbu Noir, Pinenc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and fresh, aromatic whites made with Gros Manseng (white), Petit Manseng (white), Sauvignon Blanc and a small amount of other local grapes like Courbu, Lauzet, Camaralet and Raffiat).
  

• Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bhil (Madiran (red) and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh (white) are crafted in the same area, from vineyards planted on south facing terrasses (slopes) looking out towards the Pyrenees. Madirans' wines, very much influenced by the Tannat grape, are often slightly green, a bit bitter and tannic in youth, but after a minimum of five or six years aging become rounder, warm and full bodied).

• Irouléguy (or Irulegi in Basque) (a small forgotten appellation to discover or rediscover, producing excellent, earthy, slightly esoteric, robust red wines and some rosés made with with Tannat (Bordelesa Beltza), Cabernet Franc (Axeria) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Axeria Handia) and some refreshing whites made with Courbu (Xuri Zerratia), Petit Manseng (Izkiriota Ttipia) and Gros Manseng (Izkiriota)).
  

• Jurançon (an appellation south of Pau, producing fresh, mineral, zesty dry whites and full flavored, balanced and complex, sought after sweet white wine from the piedmont of the Pyrénées mountains, crafted with Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Courbu).

• Armagnac (one of the two most recognized French brandy produced in the heart of Gascogny, the middle of the southwest of France region, it is the result of a "column stills process" distillation of young white wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Baco (22A)).

Beside all these main Appellations, the southwest of France also offers plenty of sub-Appellations and Vin de Pays (like Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne) in white, red and Rosé.

Be adventurous and curious, and explore a bit more these interesting wine region and their wines. Continue to visit my blog at www.ledomduvin.com to check my notes on the different wines from the southwest of France that I tasted.

Enjoy!

Also check the following websites for more info and maps: www.terroir-france.com and www.frenchentree.com

LeDom du Vin

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Let's go back to Beaujolais for a minute....

Beaujolais

What Beaujolais represents for most consumers? A young, simple, fairly nondescript red fruity wine...it is somewhat true for a tiny, negligible part of the Beaujolais production...However, it is wrong to think this way about Beaujolais wines, because they have some much more to offer.

You see, the "mediaticommercial" (overly-marketed by the press) event of the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau, each year on the third Thursday of November, make this just fermented wine a symbol and the flagship of Beaujolais. However, the fame of Beaujolais Nouveau is declining a bit more each year for lack of quality and consistency, somewhat dragging the Beaujolais name in the mud. To stop it, we have to inform people that there is more to Beaujolais, its wines, its people, its villages and its region, than Beaujolais Nouveau. We have to revamp the stained image of Beaujolais.

First thing first, whether you trust me or not, and I can already hear you say:"I usually stay away from Beaujolais!" or "I don't like these fruity wines" or "Beaujolais never really please me...", you have to know and be aware that Beaujolais wines, like in the rest of Burgundy (yes, yes, Beaujolais is the southern part of Burgundy, monsieur!!!), can also be rich, complex and authentic wines of character and personality, with "Crus" (designated by the village name of origin on the label) able to match and rivalize in depth, length and age potential, many wines from other reputated French appellations. Now that I triggered your interest about the subject, you can't ignore Beaujolais anymore. Let's develop a bit.

The appellation lies on the left bank of the Saône River, between Mâcon and Lyon, in the Rhône Department (can be translated as a County). And here again, you say: "The "Rhône department" but I thought we were talking about Beaujolais?" I know, I know, it is confusing for most people even for the French. It became so confusing that it is only lately, over the last few years, that some producers, who used to write on their labels the name of the town (where their winery is located) followed by the name of the department "Rhône", stopped doing it, especially for the American market (and export in general), to stop and definitely avoid the consumers' confusion. So, get it, Beaujolais is a wine region, part of Burgundy, within the Rhône Department....

To even create more confusion, I will even say that only Beaujolais wines are produced in the "Rhône department", only Beaujolais and no Rhône wines whatsoever....do you get it? Go figure...this is the French way: "Why make it simple, when you can make it more complicated?" In fact, Rhône wines are only produced in the Rhône Valley commencing about 20 miles south of Lyon, from vineyards planted all along the banks of the Rhône River, North to South, from Vienne to Valence (see my previous post on Côtes du Rhône). So Beaujolais are produced in the Rhône Department (county) and the Rhône wines are produced in most of the other Departments following the Rhône River valley, except the Rhône Department itself...(any question?...)

Back to our Beaujolais and its various type of soils.

In the northern part of the appellation (south of Macôn, in a triangle between the town of "La Chapelle de Guinchay", "Beaujeu" and "Belleville"), the ancient vineyards, some dated from the 10th century, are planted on rolling hills of granitic-schist based soils. It is the land of the "Cru(s)" (Brouilly, Morgon, etc...) where the wines have more structure and complexity.

The southern part, is flatter with richer, sandstone and clay based soils with some limestone patches. The Gamay grape ripens differently in both regions-producing more structured, complex wines in the north and lighter, fruitier wines in the south.

The climate here is quite remarkable, the whole region, protected from the west wind by the Massif Central, has a temperate continental character influenced by the Mediterranean Sea and the geological corridor of the Rhône and the Saône River. Beaujolais is a different world regrouping some of the best characteristic of both neighboring wine regions, the south of Burgundy and the nothern Rhône Valley, under the same roof.

Beaujolais produces many different wines in three colors: Red and Rosé made solely with Gamay, and White made predominantly with Chardonnay and a touch of Aligoté. The whites and Rosés only represent a small amount of the entire production, Beaujolais are mainly red.

Gamay is the red grape variety of predilection for Beaujolais. Thin skin and fruity, this grape offers its best expression when grown in the Northern part of the appellation, where the Crus come from.

Beaujolais are elaborated under a very specific vinification method, called carbonic Maceration, which consists to macerate the whole berry usually for a short period of time: 3 to 6 days, 7 max for Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais AOC, sometimes longer for higher level wines like the "Crus". The fermentation occurs in the berry itself, at an intracellular level, which helps to develop fruit and aromas.

Usually fermented and aged (resting) for a few more months in stainless steel tanks, Beaujolais may also be aged in used large oak barrel to add dimension and texture. Some producers may also use newer and smaller barrels to add flavors and volume, but it is a practice which is still rarely or partially used. Beaujolais producers are mainly traditional and the quality of the fruit is the main concern.

Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais Superieur AOC: usually fruity, simple and balanced, the Superieur may have a bit more depth, but usually these wines remain pretty fresh, young and have poor ageing potential. To drink shortly after bottling.

Beaujolais Villages AOC: slightly richer (don't get me wrong, we are still talking about Beaujolais....) and more structured, they are usually more representatives of the particular terroir they come from.

Cru du Beaujolais AOC: the highest rank in Beaujolais classification, the Cru Beaujolais represent the best of what Beaujolais can offer. The Cru(s) are named after the 10 Cru villages (or areas of origin) and do not necessarily mention the name "Beaujolais" on the label. Compared to other regions, like Burgundy, a Beaujolais Cru isn't a single vineyard or a parcel, it represents a much larger area of production with many vineyards surrounding a specific village (i.e: Morgon).

The 10 Cru(s) are:

• Fleurie: Usually light-medium bodied, fruity and floral yet harmonious and easy going. Check out a few of my favorite producers (in the US market): Chatelard, Clos de la Roilette, Henri Fessy and Domaine des Grands Fers.

• Morgon: Usually a bit earthier and robust, medium-full bodied and more fruit forward than Fleurie. Some of my favorite producers include: Chateau de Pizay, Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton and Potel-Aviron.

• Moulin-à-Vent: Usually the most structured and age worthy of the Cru, balanced with very good fruit expression, medium to full bodied. Some of my favorite producers: Henry Fessy, Domaine Diochon, Pascal Granger and Vissoux.

• Juliénas: Usually quite rich and fruity with a spicy touch, medium to full. Interesting producers to check out: Pascal Granger, Michel Tete, J.J. Vincent and Potel-Aviron.

• Chénas: next to Moulin a vent, similar yet a bit lighter and more floral, light to medium bodied. Interesting producers to check out: Hubert Lapierre, Domaine de Côtes Rémont and Jacky Janodet.

• Saint-Amour: Medium to full, a bit earthy, with spicy and floral touch. Not so exported in the US market. Interesting producers to check out: Jean-François Trichard, Pascal Berthier and Domaine Cheveau.

• Brouilly: the largest cru of Beaujolais, light to full bodied wines depending on the producer, mostly recognized for their easy going attitude, fruity character and wild red and dark berry aromas. Interesting producers to check out: : Henry Fessy, Chateau de la Chaize, Chateau des Tours and Chateau de la Terrierre.
  

• Regnié: Full bodied, age worthy and forward with usually riper fruit characteristic. Interesting producers to check out: Henry Fessy, Christian Ducroux, Charly Thevenet.
  

• Chiroubles: light to medium from high vineyards, mineral, delicate and perfumy, floral and red berry aromas. Interesting producers to check out: Coquelet, Trenel, Cheysson.
  

• Côtes de Brouilly: medium to full, concentrated, usually less earthy than Brouilly, mineral and fruit forward yet not too heavy. Interesting producers to check out: Chanrion, Chateau Thivin (Claude Geoffrey), Jean-Paul Brun "Terres Dorees".

There are quite a few more very interesting producers to discover in Beaujolais, some imported in small quantity to the US market and most of the other producers sold only on the local French market and in Europ.

Among some of my long time favorites in the US market, I would like to say that Jean-Paul Brun "Terres Dorées", Pascal Granger, and Chatelard remain some of my personnal Beaujolais go-to wines for quality and value.

As you may have notice, I voluntarily avoided putting the name of Duboeuf, Louis Jadot and Drouhin. As the grand son of a winemaker myself, I will always try to support the small, artisan winemaker who strives all year long in his vineyards to craft and produce the best wines his terroir can give. As some of you may have understand by now, I do have nothing against branded name but I do have no real interest to promote them.

To finish this post on Beaujolais, I should also remind you that exquisite, supple, refreshing whites and rosés wines are also produced in Beaujolais. Many from all the above producers are worth trying and will suit any occasion.

As always, continue to enjoy sharing and drinking wine with family and friends, with or without food, in moderation of course. Wine often put back a smile on your face and animate the conversation. It is a good source of happiness and it is very healthy (in moderation of course).

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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Domaine La Manarine: exquisite, balanced Côtes du Rhône wines

After my little homage to Neal Rosenthal, I would like to introduce you to "Domaine La Manarine", an estate from the Rosenthal portfolio producing exquisite, balanced Côtes du Rhône wines.

Côtes du Rhône

But first, I need to say a few words about Côtes du Rhône (or CdR in short). There are many Côtes du Rhône wines in this market and they are not all good, as one may think. People often ask:"Do you have a good Côtes du Rhône?" Well, it is a very vague question and fortunately wine boutiques and specialized cavistes like us usually narrow down their selection to the best and the more expressive ones that they can find.

You see, Côtes du Rhône is a huge and long appellation that emcompasses 2/3 of the Rhone Valley. Starting in the south of Lyon and produced roughly everywhere from Viennes to Avignon, which is quite a long drive, CdR wines can be made out of many different grape varieties (blended or not), predominantely Syrah and Grenache for Red and Rose and Grenache blanc for white, through out about 170 villages and communes.

Along that long hilly road following the Rhône River, Côtes du Rhône wines are made out many different terroirs, type of soils and micro-climates, and sun expositions, that really influence their taste, texture, intensity and complexity. More over there are different levels of quality. Let's say that usually the step up in quality (and price) from a regular CdR is the Côtes du Rhône Villages, with or without the village name on it, although it is better and offer more depth and character when the village name is on it, like Rasteau or Sablet (both extremely different, the former being stronger, bolder and riper, the latter being slightly more rustic and earthy, with higher acidity and juicier fruit) or Cairanne.

Like in Burgundy and Loire valley, knowing your Côtes du Rhône producers is the best way to make the best and safer choices. This way, you will find more regular satisfaction level and less annoying variances in taste and flavors.

As for any other wines, ask your local wine boutique for more details about which style of Côtes du Rhône Red you want to drink: juicy, earthy and not too heavy or riper, medium to full bodied, with more structure.

Just remember that Côtes du Rhône is an AOC that covers both the northern and southern sub-regions of Rhône. Wines from the high quality and major Northern and Southern AOC are rarely declassified into CdR wines, it will not make sense for the producers. Typically Côtes du Rhône is produced when the wine does not qualify for an appellation that can command a higher price (due to young vines or declassified wine, etc...) and when the vines are not in the appellation. Therefore, almost all Côtes du Rhône AOC wines are produced in the much larger southern Rhône, since the northern sub-region is mostly covered by well-known appellations of higher quality and standard and also is much smaller in terms of total vineyard surface.

Northern Rhône

The northern Rhône is characterised by its vineyards planted on steep slope overlooking the Rhône River, but also and more importantly by a continental climate with harsh winters and warm summers. Its climate is influenced by the mistral wind, which brings colder air from the Massif Central. Northern Rhône is therefore cooler than southern Rhône, which means that the mix of planted grape varieties and wine styles are slightly different than the Southern Rhône .

Northern Côtes du Rhône reds are predominantely made with Syrah, often mixed up to 15% with a touch of white grape varieties like Viognier, Marsanne and Roussane, to add freshness and balance. Somewhat lighter in color with earthy, dryer tannins, they usually have good acidity, touch of spice and a good structure, most are definitely age worthy, fairly fullbodied and somewhat more rustic than in the Southern part of the Rhone, with characteristic aromas of olive, meat and smoky bacon.

Southern Rhône

The southern Rhône sub-region has a more Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers. Drought can be a problem in the area, and depending on the vintage and the necessity, limited irrigation is permitted. The differing terroirs, the steep slopes giving way to a broad valley floor, together with the rugged hilly landscape which partly protects the valleys from the Mistral, produce microclimates which give rise to a wide diversity of grape varieties and wines. Due to diurnal temperature variation, one major feature of the cultivation of the region is the use of large pebbles, also called "gallets", that cover the ground around the bases of the vines (and most of the vineyards of the plateau like around Châteauneuf du Pape) to absorb the heat of the sun during the day to keep the vines warm and restore the heat at night, because there is often a significant drop in temperature.

The southern Côtes du Rhône reds, made with Grenache predominantly, can appear fleshier, bolder, riper, rounder, somewhat more agreable and approcheable, with more integrated tannins. They are often characterized by their aromas of ripe black fruit, chocolate and "Garrigue" (represented often by the small wild bushes and herbs growing in the harsh soils and hot climate of the Southern Rhône and Provence, it is somewhat a concept or a notion that encompasses the Terroir itself, influenced by the Mediteranean wind and climate, combining earthy scents of undergrowth or wild bushes, herbs and plants like Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender, etc... and wild berry).

Once again, every palate is different and wine tasting is very subjective from one individuel to the next. More over, the producers' style may vary a great deal, so as I said earlier , like in Burgundy and Loire Valley, (it may be true for other regions in France, but more especially for these two), once you've found your style(s) and your producer(s), stick to them or you may end up spending a lot of money for nothing and be very disappointed.

Therefore, I bought 3 excellent little wines, good value for money and perfect for the approaching summer. All of this writing about Rhône make me thirsty, let's talk about Domaine La Manarine

Domaine La Manarine

Created in April 2001 by Gilles Gasq, and run with his wife Sylvie, Domaine La Manarine is a small owned family estate. The 9.5 hectares of vineyards are located within the commune of Travaillan, on a splendid plateau northeast of Orange, called Le Plan de Dieu (God's workfield). Gilles is a talented young winemaker who has honed his skills working as an assistant to Paul Jeune, the proprietor of Domaine de Monpertuis and Chateau Valcombe.

Gilles learned his lessons well. Using traditional winemaking, the resulting wines have excellent balance and high acidity, with great earthy notes and juicy fruit. They are less earthy and to some extend brighter than Domaine de Monpertuis and they are not as opulent and rich as Chateau de Valcombe, yet they match both in depth and complexity (in my opinion). Gilles surely applied techniques that he mastered in both estate, add a touch of that traditional viticultural heritage inherited from the older generations and adapted it to the microclimates and Terroir of his vineyards, in order to craft the best possible wines. And it shows.

As I explained it earlier, the round-oval limestone rocks or pebbles (called "gallets") are a distinct feature of the soil here. They impart character, facilitate drainage, and retain and radiate back heat during the cooler nights. Therefore, despite the lack of rain and the heat of the Mediterranean climate, Gilles is in a region blessed by Bacchus and Dyonisos (even if they are the same and unique wine god) where the quality of the Terroir, the characteristic of the soils and the diverse microlimates provide enormous potential to craft high quality, ripe and expressive wines.

Grenache Noir is the main grape variety of the region. It performs particularly well on this type of soil and gives wines with more elegance and aroma than is otherwise common (which also explain the elegance of his wines). Gilles has recently acquired one hectare of Syrah vines that will enter into the 2002 harvest which will then enable the Manarine wines to bear the appellation: Côtes du Rhône Villages ­ Travaillan.

Gilles vinifies two different cuvées from separate plots of vines. Both are 100% Grenache Noir. His first cuvée, the Côtes du Rhône, is made from his younger vines (average 25 years old). The second cuvée, destined for aging and called "Terres Saintes", is made from a selection of lower yielding old vines (average 45 years old).

Gilles destems the entire harvest and uses cement tanks for fermentation. The Côtes du Rhône undergoes fermentation and maceration for 18 days; the "Terres Saintes" (structured as a "vin de garde") benefits from a longer "cuvaison" of 30 days. During the "elevage" both wines go through "delestage" and "remontage" (a technique whereby the tank is completely emptied and the wine pumped back into it on top of the layer of skins) to extract color and flavor. In addition, 20% of the "Terres Saintes" is aged for 8 months in "demi-muids" or large barrels. Gilles also produces a Côtes du Rhône White and a Rosé.

2008 Domaine La Manarine Côtes du Rhône White Travaillan France
Suggested retail price $13-$15
Distributed by Rosenthal in NYC

A blend of predominantly Grenache Blanc and Clairette, La Manarine white CdR is clean, fresh, very mineral with bright acidity, which is somewhat rare yet desired to avoid flabiness. The nose combines white fruit, peach blossom and light touch of golden apple. The palate is fairly light, vivid, balanced with an excellent texture and minerality. Lighter, brighter with less fat than previous vintage, but it works for the better in this case, especially with the summer approaching. Super summery and probably one of the most interesting white rhone that I tasted since Chateau L'Ermitage White (except that L'ermitage is a fuller wine, better for colder season, see my post on it).

2008 Domaine La Manarine Côtes du Rhône Rosé Travaillan France
Suggested retail price $10-12
Distributed by Rosenthal in NYC

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, La Manarine Rose CdR is also light and bright with racy acidity and a very good balance. Floral with light notes of wild red berries, quite harmonious with good depth, elegance and freshness, it is a really enjoyable wine that has a nice way to coat the palate. Here again mineral and brighter rather than being full or super fruity (like some CdR rose can be). Love it. Simple and thrist quenching. To enjoy as an aperitif with charcuterie, cold cut, raw vegetable.

2006 Domaine La Manarine Côtes du Rhône Rouge Travaillan France
Suggested retail price $12-14
Distributed by Rosenthal in NYC

A blend of predominantly Grenache and the other usual suspect red Rhone grapes, La Manarine Red CdR is a nice, healthy, clean, earthy, juicy Côtes du Rhône with great acidity and light garrigue character. Here again, fresher rather than being full or over ripe, it is a traditional, earthy, gentle wine with personality. It displays red and dark cherry, touch of spice, earthy note, good juicy fruit and a versatile mouthfeel.

My overall view of these wines and the "Domaine La Manarine" is "balance and harmony", nothing too opulent or over extracted, just plain, simple yet balanced, harmonious and bright Côtes du Rhône wines. Definitely a good value on the shelves. A Domaine to follow, presenting straight forward, versatile attitude and solid consistency.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from www.Madrose.com and www.wikipedia.org

Step into the Green! Drink more Bio and Organic wines (and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment!