A few more wines tasted at "Le Magasin" in Stanley (Hong Kong)

A few more organic and biodynamic wines tasted at "Le Magasin" in Stanley (Hong Kong)

2010 Chateau des Bachelards Moulin a Vent Beaujolais Burgundy France
Lot of Terroir and earthy, funky notes mingling with dark berries on the nose. Dark ripe cherry and more earth showed in the delineated, harmonious, fresh and very nice overall palate. Quite smooth with good acidity in the long finish. Classic Beaujolais from one of the benchmarks of the appellation, loved it.

2010 Didier Montchovet Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune
Here again, very earthy, funky and Terroir oriented. The palate offers bright flavors of red fruits and berries mingling with smoky nuances, enhanced by juicy acidity. A touch of green bitterness seem to appear in the mid-palate to fade and integrate with the other components of the wine toward the nice slightly rustic finish (a bit raw). Overall, a very interesting wine with earthy nuances, which gradually got much better and seemed more harmonious after about 10-15 minutes. No decanting needed, but it needs to breath a little to fully express itself.

2007 Didier Montchovet Beaune 1er Cru Vignes Franches
Like the previous one, earthiness dominated the overall profile, the palate is quite complex with great acidity, tannins and spices. Terroir oriented and a bit tight at first, but this is also due to the vintage, which was ok but not great in Burgundy.  It also needed air and a few minutes to deliver its full extend. The texture was somewhat chewier than the previous one, which was juicier and fresher. Not to sip on its own, and mainly due to the vintage this wine needs food. Much better after about 20 minutes.

2010 Clos I9 Bis Graves by Vincent Quirac Bordeaux France 

Clos 19 Bis is crafted by Vincent Quirac, who produce both Graves and Sauternes wines from small vineyards all under organic methods in the village of Pujols-sur-Ciron, about 6 km north of Sauternes. Harvested from 1.5 hectares of 40 year old vines planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this wine possesses all the classic nuances of the Graves soil and Terroir. The nose is fruity, earthy and smoky, quite typical of the Graves (which brings back a lot of memory as the wines from Graves are the ones that I started to taste, buy and sell at the beginning of my carreer 21 years ago, and I always get back to them with immense pleasure as they are usually very reliable and often good value for money). The palate is also fruity and earthy with that same smokiness inherent of the Graves soil. Lovely texture and structure overall, with present and young tannins toward the end but somehow well integrated. Vincent Quirac who was partly trained at Domaine Causse-Marines, one of my favorite Gaillac wineries, is definitely a producer to keep an eye on. This 2010 was only is 2nd vintages (I believe).  

Mouthes Le Bihan "Les Apprentis" Cotes de Duras Southwest of France

As the label could suggest it, Catherine et Jean-Mary Le Bihan are no apprentice at all. They craft their organic wines in the Cotes de Duras, a small appellation located around the eponymous village, about 100 km southwest of Bordeaux, in the northern point of the "Lot-et Garonne" department.

Cotes de Duras has too often been assimilated to Bordeaux in the past and thus suffered from being in its shadow;  which is completely understandable as the appellation location is immediately adjacent to the Bordeaux wine region, in the neighboring Gironde department, and can be seen as an extension of Bordeaux immediately to the east of the departmental border.

The similarity of these wines goes even further as the blend usually encompasses the same grapes, and this wine from Le Bihan is no exception to the rule: 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from vines ranging between 10 and 60 year old planted on clay resting on calcareous limestone soil with presence of silex stones. Harvests are done by hand and grape bunches are carefully selected and sorted on the vines, then placed in small basket to avoid being crushed. The grapes are once again sorted and desteemed on table before going in the vat. They undergo a cold maceration before fermentation with no addition of yeasts or enzymes. Extraction is soft and long without any "remontage" (pump over) or "delestage", only a few manual "batonnage" (pushing down the cap) at the beginning of the fermentation. The resulting wine is then aged for 18 months in French oak barrel with no racking.

Unfortunately and strangely I did not write down the vintage, but it is fairly recent 2009 or 2010 maybe. However, the wine was great with a very expressive nose of black fruit and berries mingling with earthy notes and hints of cidder wood, menthol and gravely soil, somewhat similar to a Medoc. Quite explosive in the palate with lot of angles and edges, but not in an unbalanced or inharmonious way. On the contrary, with the Graves and the Hautes Cotes de Beaune (see wines above), it was my favorite of the bunch we tasted that day (for my wife too). Beautifully crafted overall with refreshing acidity that enhanced the fruit and earthiness. Loved it. Definitely not a wine to sip on his own, it deserves something to share it with, charcuterie, red meat and classic regional French recipes immediately come to mind, especially the ones from the southwest like Cassoulet de Canard de Castelnaudary, Saucisse Lentilles de Toulouse, Garbure comme en Béarn (reputed stew in Aquitaine and Midi Pyrénnées); and more locally Agneau aux pruneaux d'Agen.

Bon Appetit!

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

Open topic on weird organic or biodynamic wines

Open topic on weird organic or biodynamic wines

I love wines produced from organic, biodynamic, lutte raisonnee and other natural methods; more especially if they are from small, independent, fairly unknown wineries or producers.

I fully embrace the concept of respecting the environment and let mother Nature does what she does best. It is a good way to go back to the know-how of our ancestors, when we still knew how to make and take the time to craft things properly with passion and savoir faire, without really interfering but just making sure that everything was done right.

As we became aware of the need to go back to more natural methods to preserve our world and resources over the last few decades, it is, in my opinion, even more important to return to these days and ways as the world is changing and evolving so rapidly. Pushing further the limits of what we can do everyday,  medical researches, advanced technology and scientific progress are now also directed towards more natural and environmental concerned results, which do wonder when allied with natural methods in the vineyards and in the cellars.

Yet, some of us don't want technology and prefer the complete natural way, going back to ploughing the soil with a horse, doing everything by hands as well as letting all sort of wild herbs and weeds invade their vineyards; thus creating a better environment for the vines by reintroducing needed insects and other plants to fight the diseases and pests, without the use of herbicides, pesticides, chemicals or any unnatural compost. Growing up in the countryside with my grandfather, I think it is great and I'm glad some people continue to think that way.

However, like anything else, the natural way has pros and cons. In terms of wine production, not much cons as pretty much everything occures naturally without much human intervention (except maybe the following of the calendar for the Biodynamic Methods), and the pros are the respect of nature and the environment, learning how to retrieve this lost human instinct to rely on Nature itself without the needs of machine or chemicals.

In terms of wine tasting, depending on the consumer the pros can turn into cons, as they are often related to the rawness of the wine mostly due to minimal interventions in the vineyards as well as in the cellar, more especially during fermentation process with natural yeasts and ageing period in used barrels or vats or tanks, usually bottled with no racking, no filtration and no fining.

The resulting wines may be too rough, angular or rustic for the novice palates. Sometimes inharmonious or unbalanced, too many of them taste like raw and are definitely not as polished or clean as they should be, showing funkier, stronger Terroir oriented and earthier aromas and flavors (than regular wines), not always to the taste of the average consumer and difficult to sell without an explanation to warn about certain edges. 

Some winemakers even decided not to mention it on their label as it was affecting their sales, or to abandon these methods to favor the "Lutte Raisonee", which is also quite natural, but allows for more flexibility and the use of chemicals and pesticides when needed.

Fortunately lots of organic and biodynamic wines taste great, but they still only represent a minority amongst the ocean of organic and biodinamic wines that have flooded the market over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, natural wines, although much better and tastier than they were only even 5-6 years ago, still suffer from a controversial image in the consumer eyes.

Less than a decade ago, when the trend of natural methods made wines surge from western Europe to the London and New York markets, people were intrigued and excited but in the end not really satisfied. Some played the game saying, "it is a new style", "we are not just yet acquainted with them", "it is only a matter of time" or "it is about itme that we come back to more natural wines"; and the trend developed slowly, yet too many consumers have yet to be convinced.

And this surely due to the fact that some organic, biodynamic and other natrural methods crafted wines are too often difficult to approach and not accessible to everybody's palate. Some are great, even extraordinary at first taste and one can not get enough of them; but most are still too different to be fully understood at first sip. You know what I'm trying to say, you surely encountered at least one or two.   

Did you ever taste one of these weird organic or biodynamic wines? You know the types of wine that are too out there, supposedly too intellectual or too complex for anybody to really grab their essence, or in fact, for some of them, just plainly bad and tasteless.

I personally tasted quite a bunch of them, and even if I'm a defender of the organic, biodynamic and other  natural methods produced wines, I need to admit that some are just plainly disgusting and difficult to digest. Especially when you paid such a hefty price for something that your favorite local wine boutique pretends to be the next big thing in terms of taste, while it is barely drinkable.

Quite identical to regular wines, there are multiple reasons why some organic or biodynamic wines sometimes taste the way they do; and here are a few coming to mind.

Sometimes, I guess, it is just because the vines are too young and the resulting wine reveals fresh fruit but also green notes, bitterness and lack of depth and complexity (that is depending also on the richness and quality of the soil and overall Terroir).

It could also happen because of indigenous bad bacterias or yeasts present in the vineyards and / or more especially in the cellar, which affect the wine and its environment (cellar wall, roof, barrels, tanks, vats, etc...), due to lack of cleaning and disinfecting certain areas and tools.  

It might also be the result of a lack of experience from a winemaker not too acquainted yet with organic and / or biodynamic culture (bad decision, bad timing, etc...). Or on the contrary, a winemaker pushing things to the extreme, in both cases resulting in an angular wine with rough edges, lack of harmony, balance and integrity, often showing strange funkyness and strong earthiness on nose and palate.

Or sometimes it is just simple bad winemaking and that is it. Resulting in a disgusting wine that is not good when you open the bottle, and that will not evolve or never really get better in your glass or even with more time in the bottle (examples that I tasted showed weird smell - oxidized, volatile acidity, full of sulfur, excessive animal funk, or even strong cheesy, mushroom, moisture smell etc... and don't even get me started on the palate).

For the latter, some people who still think that selling wine is a lucrative business driven by money and not by passion, will always try to convince you that these wines that taste awfully wrong are "great". That it is a certain style or even that it is the producer pedigree, that it is out there, difficult to understand but that it is because you are novice about that particular taste, maybe needs decanting, etc... Do not believe them, those are bad excuses.

If the wine is shit (and god knows that as the grand son of a winemaker I hate to say that, as I tremendously respect the work of all people working in a winery), the wine is shit! (Organic, Biodinamic or not).

However, there are plenty of good examples of natural wines out there that are fantastic and worth tasting, even if sometimes, I need to admit, not always for everybody's palate.

I already described quite a few in many of my previous posts, but here is another one that I tasted not long ago. 

2009 Nicolas Testard Brouilly Beaujolais Burgundy France

Slightly off earthy nose with very ripe dark berry aromas, like grape jelly, and slight remains of carbonic maceration nuances, like if the wine recently came out of the vat, raw, unfined, unfiltred with barely perceptible bubbles. So far no problem, 2009 was a hot and ripe vintage; it is a young Beaujolais from a cru and it was crafted organically, which may also explain that slightly off-putting smell (those that are not acquainted with certain type of organic wines like this one may not like the smell). The palate is quite contrasted with the same dark very ripe fruit yet mingling with weird acidity and green edges bringing sour (acidity) and bitter (green), unripe edges probably from the stems if not remove, but more especially from unripe grape seeds; which is quite unusual for such warm vintage as 2009 which produced overall superb, soft, integrated and complex Beaujolais wines. The finish continues to offer the dark red fruit, but also and unfortunately the weird acidity and green touches too, with a subtle salty note.

Two bottles were opened, both showing the same things, too much to be coincidence, therefore it can only be the house style, or the winemaker style or the results of the decisions in the vineyard (early harvest due too much rain or the fear of over-ripeness if the weather was too hot) prior or during the harvest, that the winemaker took for this particular vintages (or all the above perhaps).

Yet, in conclusion, I will say that this wine is too funky and earthy and too inharmonious to be fully understood by most consumers; which is sometimes the case with certain producers who are producing their wines at one of the further extreme corners of the organic sphere (which is already a paradox in itself).

I usually like what Nicolas Testard does and previously enjoyed some of his wines, but this one was maybe to inharmonious for me to fully appreciate it. I will have to give it another chance in a few months to see if the wine has evolved or if it is just taste the same.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Some old wine tasting notes starting with Vincent Girardin Meursault Les Charmes-Dessus Blanc 2009

Some old wine tasting notes starting with 
Vincent Girardin Meursault Les Charmes-Dessus Blanc 2009

Although my new job is an interesting turn in my wine career, (I changed my position 3 months ago), I'm not a Wine Buyer anymore (after more than 20 years of buying wines for retails and restaurants), and therefore do not get to taste as much as I used to. 

I need to admit that sometimes I miss the rapport that I used to have with my customers, but also the suppliers and more especially wineries and producers. Moreover, I felt more up-to-date with the wine market as I used to taste and average of 28-32 wines a day from all around the world, and that 6 days a week for at least the past 15 years.... that is a lot of wine. It seems a lot when you calculate it, but it is a regular thing for most dedicated wine buyers and frankly nothing compared to other wine professionals like famous wine critics that are surely tasting twice as much.

However, I'm still and always will be a Sommelier and part of my current job, that has to do with wine obviously (as I wouldn't leave the wine bubble for anything else in the world), allows me to occasionally taste some extraordinaire old vintages of hugely coveted classic producers, wineries and Chateaux from various French appellations, more specifically Burgundy and Bordeaux (Hong Kong oblige).

In short, I swapped quantity for quality, which is not bad I must say, especially when it comes to very rare wines and vintages that I will never been able to afford or even hope to taste.

Between my new job and my family life with my wife and kids, I have been slacking off on my writings and did not update this blog or even my website as often as I should. Shame because I love writing in both French and English, especially about wine.

So, searching in my back pockets where I always keep a pen and a little note book (a bit old fashion, I know, but it always comes handy and I prefer it to a voice recorder), I found a few old notes about some wines, including some tasted and drank in the last few events and dinners I participated to since I started in this new company.

Here is the first one of a long overdue list of wines that I should have posted on my blog over the past year and a half, since I came in Hong Kong.

Vincent Girardin

Located in Santenay until recently, now based in Meursault, Vincent Girardin produces wines from Santenay, Maranges, Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault, Pommard, Beaune, and Savigny-les-Beaunes.

Vincent Girardin crafts refine structured wines characterized by their distinct crisp acidity, texture and minerality. Some people may found them lean or not ripe enough, I will say that they are refreshing, vibrant, concentrated and well balanced rather than too opulent. The rich fruit and fragrant toasted notes harmoniously complement each other, creating elegant and complex Burgundies with long ageing potential.

While some Meursault can be fat, almost oily with a lot of oak influence, the ones from Girardin (Vieilles Vignes, Les Tillets, Les Narvaux Blanc, Le Poruzots Dessus, Les Genevrieres Blanc, Les Perrieres Blanc and Les Charmes Dessus) are usually more refreshing and rather discreet (or well integrated) on the wood scents and flavors.

Production represents roughly 80% white wine, with approximately 300,000 bottles produced per year from the Côte d’Or. They also produce about 200,000 bottles per year in their Beaujolais estate.

After gradually diminishing their use of herbicides and pesticides, from 1997 onwards, they implemented more natural methods, tending towards Organic, and, as a result of their continuous efforts, were certified Biodynamic in 2007. Yet, in 2010 they gave up their certification and adopted the "Lutte Raisonnée"method, a more flexible approach of vineyard management enabling them, for example, the use of systemic treatment when really needed and giving them the choice to treat each parcel or/and vineyard individually depending on the situation.

Often compared to 1999, 2009 is a great vintage in Burgundy. Maybe my "Law of the Decacdes in Wine Vintages", once again works (see my previous post at http://www.ledomduvin.com/2012/10/is-there-reliable-law-of-decades-for.html). Resulting from the ideal warm weather and overall climate during the ripening period, the grapes presented such good degrees of ripeness and complexity bringing rapidly the alcohol level between 12.5 and 13.5%, that Girardin's team decided to harvest earlier than expected to preserve the freshness and zestyness, rather than waiting to obtain sweeter, riper wines with less vibrancy. Moreover, atop of new methods, they decreased their use of new oak to favor the quality and expression of the fruit and Terroir, thus avoiding masking the true personality and character of the wines.

The fact that they become more attentive to the vineyard management, employing more natural methods and using less oak treatment, does not mean that they fell to get an interest on the technical part. On the contrary, starting with the 2009 vintage, the team used for the first time their ‘Vistalys’ optical grape-sorting machine. State of the art machinery in the cellar and natural methods in the vineyards have proven an excellent combination to elaborate stunning gems.

Since February this year, following to an official press release, it seems that the Domaine daily operation and management of the company has passed from the hands of Veronique and Vincent Girardin to those of Jean-Pierre Nié, a well-known professional in Burgundy who is also Chairman of "Compagnie des Vins d’Autrefois" in Beaune as well as being a commercial partner of Vincent Girardin for several years now. Eric Germain, Vincent Girardin’s right-hand man and house oenologist for the past ten years will keep his position to perpetuate the high quality of the company's wines.

2009 Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes-Dessus Blanc Cote d'Or Burgundy

Very light, pale yellow color with bright reflects. Rather discreet (the wine was a bit cold even just after decantation), the charming nose exhibited beautiful, delicate, floral, mineral, almost fragile notes of white zesty fruits and more mineral on a concentrated way, but rather feminine, elegant and once again discreet not restraint (still a bit cold but it was more distinct after a few minutes in the glass). Although rich and complex with very subtile oak nuances, the palate presented the same profile (as the nose) and feminine silhouette, very discreet, elegant and very mineral. Light and refreshing, with flavors of white peach, citrus, touches of apple, lychee and green almond mingling with mineral and gently toasted, buttery notes. Endowed with really good balance and overall harmony, the structured and vibrant mid-palate developed nicely in power and complexity to reach the slightly spicy-peppery mineral finish. I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. This classic Meursault is still a bit young and deserves to be decanted, yet it is already delightful and was so easy to drink. 

Enjoy, 

LeDom du Vin 

PS: to be continued soon with more wines from my back pocket note book (books should I say as I have more than one and always take notes of everything I taste....just not enough time to write them all on this blog... ).    

Interesting Natural Wine explanation....via YouTube

A colleague just sent me a cool and interesting link about "Natural Wine", while there is a bit of cursing here and there, it is informative and pretty accurate, in a raw way, or should I say Natural way...

It is called "Let's drink some Natural Fucking Wine!" (by Dalforno)

Click the following link to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UXlL0FIF9Q&feature=player_embedded#

Enjoy!

Ledom du Vin

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines (and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide.

Discovering Jacques Bavard starting with his 2007 Bourgogne Aligoté Burgundy France

Discovering Jacques Bavard (starting with his 2007 Bourgogne Aligoté)

When Amy from Sherbrooke Cellars (a Wine Importer) came to visit me at the store a few days ago, she had a few bottles open and ask me if I had a few minutes to taste a few things (that's a lot of few). At first, I told her that unfortunately it wasn’t possible because I was really busy serving customers and doing other things in the store, but then again, as I always say: “Every wine deserves to be tasted, even if every wine shouldn’t be drunk!” So I said: “Ok, let’s go in the back and taste quickly” (I always say that but I can’t taste quickly; it is against my nature and my way of tasting and appreciating wine, even when I’m buying for the store... and I like to talk too…).

Amongst her bottles, the first white that really triggered my interest and waken my taste buds, was a simple Bourgogne Aligoté from Jacques Bavard.

Although, the Bavard family has been producing beautiful wines in Puligny Montrachet for more than 50 years, it is only during a recent trip to France, that the Sherbrooke team had the pleasure of discovering this wine and meeting Jacques Bavard (at Jacques’ old restaurant “Au Bourguignon du Marais”) and started to import his wines to the US. When they discovered that the elegant, minerally Puligny he was pouring (at the restaurant) was his own, they convinced him that his wine should NO LONGER be a secret to the U.S. Jacques’ focus is now 100% on his family vineyards in Puligny Montrachet and his inaugural vintage in the U.S. was the 2005 (nice start)!

To come back to his Bourgogne Aligoté, when I said simple, it was on the contrary rather complex, balanced and long, with a twist of Puligny Montrachet in the profile. Weird!

Most Bourgogne Aligoté that I love are light, fresh, mineral, crisp and vivid like the 2007 Nadine et Remi Marcillet Bourgogne Aligoté, producer located in the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges ($12-$16, from Savio Soares Selections) and even the slightly fuller yet still racy 2006 Jacky Renard Bourgogne Aligoté located in Saint-Bris-Le-Vineux ($10-$14, Bayfield Imports).

However, this Bourgogne Aligoté from Jacques Bavard was also fresh, crisp and racy yet it had an extra dimension and more depth. It showed more minerality, more roundness and viscosity but also a creamier mouth-feel than most of its cousins from other producers that I had the chance to taste recently.

Amy mentioned that it had may be something to do with its place of origin or the fact that the Domaine is located in Puligny Montrachet, or, I was thinking, that may be it is a winemaker style and that Jacques Bavard makes all of his wine with a slight twist of Puligny resemblance and attitude in their profile. I’m not so sure if it was my imagination or the fact that I was may be slightly influenced by the words “Puligny Montrachet” written just below the producer’s name on the minimalistic yet classic and elegant label, but this wine had something that reminded me of it.

However, “Bavard” in French can literally be translated by “talkative” or “talking a lot”, and his Bourgogne Aligoté had a lot to say, it was literally talking to me as I swallowed it instead of spitting it as I normally do during tastings (it is another natural part of me, if the wine is good, I do not need to comment on it much, I usually just swallow it, it says it all).

Previously restaurateurs in Paris, Jacques Bavard and his wife Christine, who used to own “Au Bourguignon du Marais”, a great little restaurant that they ran for about 20 years, have been totally devoted to their small family run estate of 1.5 hectares located in the village of Puligny Montrachet since 2004.

Jacques farms all his wines organically with biodynamic approach, with minimal intervention and manual batonnage to clean the wine in order to maximize the natural flavors. Some of the wines are aged for 12-18 months (depending of the need of the wine) in oak barrel with only 5% new.

He also holds long term contracts with other producers that share his same philosophy in order to increase his production by another 1.5 hectares (approximately), so consequently does a bit of a Negociant job. All together his production is about 15000 to 17000 bottles a year of which 90% are sold for the export market (barely none left for the local French market), divided into several white and red wines made with Aligoté, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir:

• Bourgogne Aligoté (white)
  
• Bourgogne Blanc (white)
  
• Bourgogne "Les Champs Perrier" (white)
  
• Bourgogne Pinot Noir “Les Champans”(red)
  
• St Romain (white)
  
• Meursault (white)
  
• Puligny Montrachet (white)

Probably due to his personality and his 20 years as a restaurateur, Jacques Bavard is known as a welcoming and kind winemaker. I usually like to think that most wine often reflects the character and the personality of the winemaker, well once again, although I never met Jacques, I’m sure that his reputation preceded him with this wine. The least that I can say is that now I’m eager to taste the rest of his portfolio, it appears to be promising, especially with an Aligoté that good and knowing that the 2007 vintage is only his 3rd harvest since he invested himself fully in this project.




2007 Jacques Bavard Bourgogne Aligoté Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $16-$20
Imported / Distributed by Sherbrooke Cellars in NYC (also see Liz Willette Wines)

Light straw colored in the glass with bright golden reflects and an almost transparent edge around the rim of the glass. Inviting scents of white stone fruits, lemon and white blossom notes and wet stone minerality hints compose the elegantly expressive nose. The balanced and well-rounded palate is light yet fleshy with a certain unusual weight for an Aligoté, and offers distinct expression of white fruits, lemon zest and lot of minerality that add a sense of purity to this wine. This white has great natural acidity that really sets off the green apple and creamy white peach quality on the finish. Great on its own, it is packed with more than enough elegance, weight and gently-coating-the-palate creaminess and viscosity to serve with grilled river fish, seared scallops and even roast chicken. What a wine! I love it! This is probably one of the most surprising and enjoyable Bourgogne Aligoté I ever had so far. A must have!

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the importer website at www.sherbrookecellars.com

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

2000 Chateau Pavie Macquin Saint-Emilion France

Chateau Pavie Macquin Saint-Emilion

Over the last decade, I visited many times this property during the "Bordeaux en Primeur" campaign, during the month of April. Tasting at the barrel the current vintage (which happened quite rarely at this estate, because usually one only tastes the "echantillons" that have been prepared for this special occasion for the press and the trade of wine buyers and critics from all around the world who come especially to estimate and speculate on the "futur" vintage every year).

Although a bit difficult of access and not always open for appointments, it is still worth visiting and tasting if you can get an appointment with Nicolas Thienpont or even the busy Stephane Derenoncourt, who I had the pleasure to met in many tastings and lunches, and more especially at the tasting of "La Grappe"(a tasting regrouping most of the estates advised by Stephane Derenoncourt from around the world, usually held at Chateau Rol-Valentin, an estate owned by ex-professional football player Eric Prissette, also worth tasting and visiting if you can).

The wines at Pavie Macquin are rather rich, opulent yet harmonious and balanced with a lot of depth. The tasting usually includes some of the other wines from the other estates owned and managed by the Thienpont Family, with the exception of course of the most famous Pomerol "LePin".

Owned by the Corre family, who since 1995 have contracted Nicolas Thienpont to manage the estate, and advised by the renowned oenologist, Stéphane Derenoncourt, Pavie Macquin is one of the leading Chateau of Saint Emilion, situated on the top of the plateau overlooking the town.

On the occasion of the reclassification of the Saint Emilion chateaux (in September 2006), Chateau Pavie Macquin was promoted to the prestigious level of Premier Grand Cru Classé.

The 15 hectares are planted with 80 % Merlot, 18 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Cabernet Sauvignon of 35 years old in average vines growing on clay-limestone on chalk soils.

The vineyard work and vinification process is totally organic with biodynamic approach. The vinification process occurs in 80% wood and 20% cement vats, followed by a 16 to 20 months ageing period in oak barrels of which 80 % are new and 20 % 1 yr old.

2000 Chateau Pavie Macquin Saint-Emilion France
Suggested retail price $115-$125
Imported / Distributed by Chateau & Estate and others in NYC

From the classic 2000 vintage, this bottling is now collector and worth the high price. This wine is exhibiting the quality, intensity and complexity of the old Merlot vines. The palate is concentrated, rich, voluptuous and extracted with present yet already fairly integrated oak tannins that will need a bit of time. The natural methods applied in the vineyard and the vinification process brought a lot of earthiness, minerality and depth. For those of us who have patience, it is an excellent wine to cellar.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

For more info go to the winery website at www.pavie-macquin.com

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