More wines from my back pocket notebooks....

More wines from my back pocket notebooks....

Everybody knows my penchant for Champagne. I even possess an extensive collection of Champagne capsules that I have been gathering for the past 20 years. My father bought me my first books to put them into and I still go from time to time to Reims, in the 2 shops the closest to the cathedral, to buy some limited edition and old and rare caps. Champagne is festive, bubbly, delicious and refreshing and usually should put a smile back on your face. Here is a few that are sure to please you, followed by a few wines from my current back pocket notebook. 

NV Billecart Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne France

Founded in 1818, Billecart-Salmon is a champagne house located in Mareuil-sur-Ay, France. The house was born from the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. It is one of the few remaining family owned house. 

Frankly, Billecart-Salmon has always been one of my favorite Champagne houses and I love their Rosé, which is also one of my top 3 Rosés with Laurent-Perrier Rosé and Marc Hebrart Rosé (a great small producer also located in Mareuil-sur-Ay).

Although it does not have, in my opinion, the appeal of their Rosé, Brut Réserve is still a sure value. Light, bright, a touch yeasty and toasted, nothing overwhelming but always very decent, enjoyable, balanced, quite long and lovely overall. (But I still think their Rosé is way above in quality). (Tasted last on 18.7.2012)

NV Gosset Brut Excellence Champagne France

Founded in 1584, Gosset is one of the oldest Champagne houses of the Champagne region in north-eastern France, located in Ay. No need to say that I love Gosset Brut Excellence, which is definitely my Champagne Brut of choice, hands down, for any occasion. 

Light, crisp, fragrant, very feminine and elegant, Gosset Excellence Brut is like a ballerina dancing on your palate, stimulating your taste buds and whetting your appetite. Balanced and refreshing, every sip is so enjoyable, the first glass is never enough. Far from the fat and the rich, vinous Brut out-there, Gosset Excellence is simply too good to be missed, especially for the price, which remains somewhat of a bargain compared to a lot more expensive and commercial champagnes on the market. (Tasted last in February 2012)      

1990 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne France 

No need to introduce Louis Roederer Champagne house that has been the Champagne of the Queens and Kings of Europe and Tsars of Russia since its the late 19th century. Or even Cristal, their prestige cuvee, available commercially since 1945, which, along with Dom Perignon and Krug, has been considered as the standard of high quality and luxurious Champagne.

Founded in 1776 under the name of Dubois Pere et Fils, it was renamed Louis Roederer in 1883 by its new eponymous owner, who inherirated the Champagne House from his uncle.

The 1990 Cristal possesses a lovely texture and a long finish, enhanced by yeasty, bready toasted notes, which mingle with aromas of yellow fruits, hay and elderflower. The balance and acidity don't fell to impress as well. Really  nice experience in the glass. I love it. (Tasted last on 18.7.2012)

2000 Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2eme Grand Cru Classe Saint Estephe Bordeaux France

Flagship of the Saint-Estephe appellation, the most northern fief of classified growth in the Haut-Medoc region, Cos d'Estournel has had an essential role on keeping the public interest on the appellation; which somewhat always seems in the shadows of other appellations.  

Despite the tremendous efforts from such classic as Montrose, Calon Segur and Cos, which, over the last decade worked hard to change that reputation and restore the public image of the appellation, producing fleshier, more opulent wines with riper fruit and richer texture, the wines from Saint Estephe still don't seem to have the appeal of those coming from the neighboring appellations to the south.

For this 2000, that I tasted many times, and specifically for this particular bottle: Nose is discreet and slightly woody. The palate is unfortunately to young and a bit tight at present. The tannins and the oak predominate overall, challenging the balance and harmony of the palate and masking the fruit. Otherwise the texture is fairly complex and rich, and the wine presents very good potential, yet for now it is too tight, tannic and closed. Not ready in my opinion, the tannins need to settle down and integrate. We will have to get to this one in a few more years. (Tasted last on 29.10.2012)

The finish is also quite dry; yet it is not surprising though as Saint Estephe wines are usually drier and more austere than most of their counterparts from the Haut-Medoc region, which may explains why consumers favor other appellations. Saint Julien, which offers the best compromise in terms of overall balance, fruit and structure, are usually fruitier; Margaux are more feminine and subtle; and Pauillac are the richest in texture and strongest in structure; while Moulis Listrac can be rustic and earthy.

1990 Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol Bordeaux France

The nose is rich of wild aromas mingling with underbrush, mushrooms, venison, game, very autumnal. The palate is rich, complex, with nice weight and length, well framed by integrated yet present tannins. Although still a bit young, it showed nice potential and decanting was needed. Let it rest for at least 45 minutes before serving. Very nice overall but still a touch too tight and chewy for my taste. The tannins may not please everybody at this time, yet the wine showed very good potential, texture and structure. We will definitely have to go back to this one within the next few years to observe the evolution. (Tasted last on 29.10.2012)

1982 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2eme Grand Cru Classe Saint Julien Bordeaux France

As it is one of the usual suspect wines on my boss table, I had the chance to open and taste quite a few bottles and I must say that this wine is a bit temperamental. The cork is quite fragile and happens to break often. An Ah-So opener is indispensable, yet careful of not to push the cork in the bottle (Ah-So opener is normally called a twin prong cork puller). 

For this particular bottle, I didn't have my usual tools and evidently, even with the utmost care and years of experience, the cork happened to break at the very bottom. The remain part in the neck was immediately sucked in, splashing some drops all around, including my shirt, tie and my suit (fortunately dark as usual, to be used as a shied, very efficient when opening and tasting wines. Trust my experience, darker cloths are highly suggested in trade tasting and long gourmet dinners). 

Also, at first, just after opening the bottle, although the cork smell usually really good, some bottles may be slightly closed or tight on delivering their full palette aromatic, or I should say their Bouquet at this age. So the first thing that comes to mind is decanting, it needs to breath to fully express itself (what will you do after nearly 30 years stock in a bottle?). It usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes for this wine to wake up and bit more to start settling down and open up. "Patience is mother of virtue" becomes an unavoidable reality with this wine. Yet, waiting for this late bloomer is often rewarding. The drops were just a way to protest against the unjustified way to open such a bottle with a lame bottle opener. (Tasted last on 29.10.2012)

1982 Chateau Palmer 3eme Grand Cru Classe Margaux Bordeaux France 

No need to say that Palmer has always been one of Margaux most recognized offsprings. I never really tasted a bad bottle of Palmer in more than 20 years, even with older vintages going back to the 40's. They were not all great, don't get me wrong and that can be said for all Chateaux depending on the vintage; yet they were very consistent and in most case offering a really pleasant experience. 

But I'm a bit buyist as Palmer brings back to my mind very good memories of all the countless occasions I had the opportunity the be at the Chateaux or tasting the wines. Bernard  de Laage de Meux,  Palmer's marketing and communication director, has seen me under most of the roles and positions I had in the last 12 years, meeting him at the Chateau and many other places around the world: Sommelier, Maitre d'Hotel for private dinners and events working with a caterer friend of mine; Sommelier, Wine Buyer and Wine Director for established Wine & Spirits retail stores in New York; occasionally also as a guests and buyer during the 10+ years of En Primeur campaign before I stopped going because prices became way too high; Sommelier, wine buyer for restaurant while working in London and more recently Hong Kong.

Palmer is an excellent wine, and I know some people who do not like it but I do, and I can not understand what is not to like about this wine.

This 1982 was bright and light, with lovely red fruit enhanced by crisp acidity. Youthful, very gentle, smooth and refreshing, the palate is also quite versatile as it could even be nicely paired with fish. I just loved the acidity of this well balanced, very integrated and so easy to drink wine. While for most people Bordeaux is the expression of full bodied and tannic wines, this wine is the complete opposite of this image, which is one more reason for me to love it.  Highly recommended. (Tasted last on 29.10.2012)

2004 Jacques Frederic Mugnier Chambolle Musigny Burgundy 

Light, bright red showing unripe cherry aromas mingling with earthy, smoky, mineral notes on the nose. Slightly tight, it needs to open up. The palate is also light with green notes, sign of lack of ripress. Yet nothing major or even unusual for the vintage, as 2004 was not a very good vintage in Burgundy, more like a do-your-home-work-then-pick-and-choose type of vintage.

However, this 2004 nice, subtle refreshing and juicy red cherry flavors occupying the mid-palate somewhat help to forget the first impression. And the spicy, peppery nuances mixed with the mineral touch in the finish, allowed me to conclude that in the end, it is a fine example of a good wine for an ok vintage. (Tasted last on 18.07.2012)

1992 Chateau Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru Classe A Saint Emilion Bordeaux France

Nice surprise overall for a wine from such an odd and bad vintage as 1992 in Bordeaux. But, as they say, it is during the odd and bad vintages that one can recognize the value and quality of great producers, and more especially gifted winemakers: as it is more difficult to make good wines on bad vintages, than bad wines in good vintages. That said Cheval Blanc is never really bad, even the worst vintages always seem to deliver something more than average or mediocre.

Not everybody can pretend to be a Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe A. And despite what some people may think about Bordeaux classification and especially the controversial right bank, most Chateaux were classified depending on their respective qualities, the price they fetched at that time, but also their reputation and the consumer's demand (i.e. the more demands, the higher the price and the value, hence a confirmation of the quality).

And that fact still hold strong even today. Some producers, Chateaux owners and wine trade professionals as well as wine critics may want to see certain things changing. And it is true that the tremendous efforts and quality achieved by some estates should be rewarded. Yet, the Bordelais hate changes and love the comforting idea that things will never change and things will continue routinely as they have been for the past 30 years.

In short, as long as interested buyers will be able to speculate on quality and prices before the release of the wines and continue to source and buy wines as a lucrative investment instead of for their own consumption and as long as there will be people rich enough to pay for them, then everything will be fine. 15 years ago London was strong, then New York became stronger for a while, and a few emerging countries like Brazil showed great potential and now Hong Kong and Beijing are the place to sell for Bordelais negociants who litterally turned their back or even abandoned their previous clients to concentrate on the Asian world where most of the world money has been for the past 4 years (although, it is now slightly decreasing and slowing down, but this is an entirely other subject....).

Coming back to that 1992 Cheval Blanc, I was quite impressed and it was a nice surprise as I said earlier. It lacked a bit of concentration and felt slightly diluted but it is normal for a bad vintage compared to a regular or even a good one. However, it was still focus and balanced and pretty expressive, with interesting fruit flavors, good acidity and tannic structure. Spicy, earthy, underbrush, smoky finish. Lovely and interesting overall. (Could it be a fake??? I do not think so, as we inspect the wines that we buy for the company about 3 times before buying, especially when we buy from Auction houses like Chistie's, Sotheby's, Zachy's, Acker Merrall & Condit, Spectrum, amongst others).


That's all for today, I have plenty more short tasting notes in my tasting books, so it is not good bye but to be continued with the next post.....

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

  

Short view on Bordeaux Right bank, Left bank & 2002 Chateau de Lussac Lussac-Saint-Emilion red Bordeaux France

Short view on Bordeaux Right bank, Left bank & 2002 Chateau de Lussac Lussac-Saint-Emilion red Bordeaux France

Often people ask me: What’s Bordeaux left bank and right bank? And what differentiate them? Well, it is an interesting question, especially for someone like me who grew up in the Cotes de Bourg on the right bank, which is a much different world than the left bank.

Basically, if you look at a map of France as if it was someone face, “Bretagne” or little Brittany represents the nose, and the estuary of the Gironde River going downwards represents the frowning mouth of France, and to a certain extent also reflects the moodiness and temper of the French, which somewhat also confirm the constant underlining probability of another revolution in the public mind.

However, politic and personal opinions aside, let’s go back to Bordeaux and the Gironde, the wide estuary narrows down to the “Bec d’Ambes” (Ambes’ beak in English), a beak-like piece of land called “Entre-deux-mers”, separating the Gironde river in two long arms, the “Garonne” river stretching down towards the Pyrenees mountains and the “Dordogne” river stretching east towards the massif central where it takes its source.

If you follow the course of those rivers from their respective sources and start your journey once in the Gironde department (or district), the left Bank of the Garonne River and the continuation of it along the Gironde, represents the “Left Bank”.

The Left Bank comprises some of the most sought after wine appellations in the world, like Pessac-Léognan and more especially in the Haut-Médoc, with prestigious names like Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estephe. Due to the fact that this part of Bordeaux has been covered so many times and by so many people and magazines, I will just say that it is the land of the 1st Growth and the Graves which also have a common characteristic, the gravelly soils were the Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon and Semillon thrive.

In my opinion, the Médoc is also the most boring part of Bordeaux, especially the upper part of the Haut-Médoc. One may wonder how some of the most renowned and established Médoc Châteaux can produce some of the most expensive wines on the planet. Influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the large Gironde River to the east, the Médoc is damp, flat and gray most part of the year. It is also planted with uninterrupted miles of vines, an ocean of vineyards stretching as far as your eyes can see, with spotted 18th and 19th century Châteaux scattered here and there, magnificent for some when under the sun, yet unfortunately sad and sober for most when raining, which is the case about 200+ days a year in this part of France.

On the opposite side, the right bank of the Dordogne and the continuation of it along the Gironde constitutes the “Right Bank”, including, from north to south, the following appellations:

• Côtes de Blaye (now part of 1eres Cotes de Bordeaux for marketing reasons)
  
• Côtes de Bourg
  
• A large part of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur
  
• Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac
  
• Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol
  
• Saint-Emilion and its satellites appellations
  
• Côtes de Castillon
  

All these appellations of the right bank benefit from a common characteristic, which is that most vineyards are planted on gentle rolling hills atop a chalky-limestone plateau, roughly stretching down from the Côtes de Blaye to the north to the Côtes de Castillon in the south, where the Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.

Offering many hilltop points of view, the landscape is beautiful, more colorful and inviting than the left bank, with quaint small villages scattered around, surrounded by vineyards and small patches of forests.

The chalky-limestone plateau homes quantities of deep, cavernous chalky-limestone carriers carved in the early 13th century, and mostly extended during the 18th century and still in use for some of them. The carved pale-yellow chalky-lime stones from these carriers are the cornerstones of most “échoppes” (the traditional name for the classic 15th – 18th century Bordeaux houses, intramural) and Châteaux in the town of Bordeaux and the whole department of Gironde.

Located on the Right bank of the Dordogne River about 40 kilometers east of the town of Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion is one of the most attractive examples of a Limestone entirely built village of the Bordeaux region, and more especially the right Bank. If you’ve never been to this stock-in-history medieval village, you will never understand the chemistry that occurs between the winemaker’s “savoir faire” and the old Terroir of Saint-Emilion. This town is like something out of a history book set back in the XIII century, where one may still encounter knights and brotherhood members of another time.

Dominating the nice Dordogne valley from the top edge of a little hill where it has been built many centuries ago, Saint-Emilion is a charming and quiet little village, the perfect image for a postcard. The Roman legions planted the first vineyards in the 2nd century AD. The village also became one of the resting points for weary travelers on the road to “Santiago de Compostela”, a town which has been a historical pilgrimage center for centuries too, in the far northwestern part of Spain. With a reputation dating back to the XIII century, Saint-Emilion has kept intact its magic and high quality as one of the most famous vineyards in the world.

The wines of Saint-Emilion are produced from nine communes, with vineyards planted on gentle slopes with three distinct types of soil. First, in the northern and the western parts of the main town, the soil is sandy and gravelly (Cheval Blanc and Figeac). Second, on the escarpment (or also called the “cotes” section of Saint-Emilion) to the south and east, the soil is mainly chalk, with mix of limestone and clay (Ausone). And finally, coming in third position in terms of quality and concentration, the sandy soils (with gravelly sub-soils) of the plain to the south of the appellation, where much lighter wines are made.

Overall, Saint-Emilion and the Right Bank are the preferred ground of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, where they play a more predominant role than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is worth to visit slowly over a few days to really embrace and discover all the treasures scattered along the 50+ kilometers of the right bank, between the fortified "Citadelle de Blaye" to the medieval hilltop village of Saint-Emilion, both jewel of history built between the 12th and 13th century for the most ancient parts.

Château de Lussac Lussac-Saint-Emilion Bordeaux France

The wine of today comes from one of Saint-Emilion’s satellites, Lussac Saint-Emilion, a small village located about 9 kilometers northeast of Saint-Emilion.

In the heart of the village, Château de Lussac is easily visible by its distinctive architecture. The Neo-Classical main building was built in 1876 by Gascon Montouroy. This vintner and vine grower transmitted the property to his son-in-law, Marquis de Sercey. The property remained in this family until the 1980s when Mr. Olivier Roussel repurchased it and produced wines for about 15 years. In 2000, Griet and Hervé Laviale fell in love with this property and bought it. They completely refurbished the estate in 2001, enhancing the interior with 18th and 19th century furniture. They also own of Château Franc Mayne.

Despite the beauty of the Château and its surrounding gardens, winemaking is emphasized by the quality of the technology used and other major recent investments made in the cellars: stainless steel truncated vats and the ‘Tribaie’ machine for sorting the grapes (a very clever machine that weighs the sugar levels in the grapes, to sort out the ones with the best density, therefore selecting the ones with full ripeness to make the best wine). Laurence Ters, one of the rare Bordeaux female winemaker, works in both properties, crafting smooth, elegant Merlot based wines aged for at least 12-14 months in new French oak barrels from various coopers.

The 30 hectares (74 acres) of average 30 years old vines are planted on the far northeast side of Saint-Emilion limestone plateau, on gentle slopes naturally well drained and exposed. The vineyards are planted with 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc. They produce two wines: "Château de Lussac", and the 2nd label "Le Libertin de Lussac".




2002 Château de Lussac Lussac-Saint-Emilion Bordeaux France
Suggested retail price $28-$31
Imported/Distributed by Madrose/Rosenthal in NYC

The 2002 Chateau de Lussac Lussac-Saint-Emilion is a nice, supple and well tamed wine, that had the time to settle down and now drinks beautifully. Predominantly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc, this wine is soft and gentle with enjoyable red and dark berries, nicely integrated oaky notes with earthy nuances. Once a bit tight, the tannins are now framing the fruit and bringing structure to this wine. The acidity enhances and lifts nicely the overall profile and fruit of this wine. A enjoyable discovery to pair with braised baby lamb and grilled duck breast.

Of course, it won't be as harmonious as the 2000 vintage, or super ripe like the 2003 (or overriped and inharmonious like many other Bordeaux of this particular vintage) or even as opulent and complex as the 2005, yet it is in my opinion one of this wine that came together with a bit of bottle time from probably the best bargain vintage of the last decade (2002) in Bordeaux, which was booed by the press and critics but end up offering some beautiful hidden gems and in the same time surprised many skeptics.

Even if you’ve never been to Saint-Emilion, you can just close your eyes and drink a sip of this medium-bodied wine and may be the postcard image of Saint-Emilion will come to mind.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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1999 Château Quinault L’Enclos Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France

1999 Château Quinault L’Enclos Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France

Château Quinault L’Enclos is a tiny Château and walled vineyard, thus its name “L’Enclos” (a walled and closed area) within the city of Libourne in an area that was once called “Sables Saint-Émilion”, a satellite appellation of Saint-Emilion up until 1973.

Bought by the negociant Baptiste Mons in 1930, the Château can be dated back to the 17th century. History facts somewhat prove that the Château may have been given its name after famous writer - Philippe Quinault (1635/1688), who was a very popular Parisian dramatist and librettist at that time.

Château Quinault has been among the pioneer “garagist “ wineries of the right bank. It quickly became a rising star with the arrival of new ownership and needed investments and techniques that tremendously improved the quality of this previously rather unknown estate.

Dr. Raynaud, a former physician and president of the Union des Grands Crus (1994-2000), also owner of the Pomerol estates Château La Croix-de-Gay and Château La Fleur-de-Gay, bought Château Quinault L’enclos in the 90s.

The Raynauds made substantial investments to the estate while applying some techniques considered unorthodox to the winemaking. Michel Rolland and Denis Dubourdieu remained as consultant oenologists.

Producing Parkerized wines with fluctuating prices and always featured in the press for its rather blunt behavior compare to other Bordelais Chateau owners, Raynaud has long been recognized as a “Bordeaux maverick” generating tumultuous and controversial reactions in the wine press and the blinded world of the Négociants and other Châteaux owners.

By Fall 2008, Quinault was sold to Bernard Arnault, head of luxury goods empire LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and his associate Albert Frère, adding to their portfolio of Saint-Émilion properties including the illustrious Château Cheval Blanc.

The vineyard area extends 15.6 hectares (39 acres), and is composed of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, with a large portion of the vines planted between 1930 and 1948, and another between 1957 and 1961. Quinault L’Enclos produces 3 wines: 3-5000 cases of “Quinault L’Enclos”, “Lafleur de Quinault” (2nd wine) and a special cuvée called “L’Absolut de Quinault”.




1999 Château Quinault L’Enclos Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France
Suggested retail price $72-$80
Imported/Distributed by BNP (Châteaux & Estates) in NYC

The 1999 vintage was not the greatest in Bordeaux, often qualified as austere, with dry tannins, poor fruit and late blooming wines, it wasn’t promising at all. Yet some wineries like Quinault succeeded to produce a decent wine that received lot of press and quite enthusiastic notes and ratings. 10 years later this “garagist” wine is alive and kicking, a bit dry but showing decent fruit and acidity with interesting secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors. Interestingly enough, in my opinion, most 1999 right bank didn’t open for a long time, they were tight and lean at first then they went into a down phase after a short opening about 5 years ago, and reopened slowly about 2-3 years ago, and have been drinking beautifully for the past 2 years overall. Do not expect the drink the most fascinating wines, but for such a difficult vintage like 1999, some of this wines really developed nicely with time.

That is the case for 1999 Quinault L’Enclos, after a little needed decantation, it offered an interesting experience. Still quite dark in color, the nose is quite rich and aromatic with ripe dark plumy fruit mingled with earthy, smoky, forest floor and underbrush notes. Once dry and oaky, the wine is now finally more integrated and settled, showing smoky ripe dark fruit, plum and prune, with toasted, oaky and earthy hints. Although the tannins remain one of the main characteristics of the vintage and are still present in this wine, they nicely framed all the components and layers of this perfect companion for roasted leg of lamb and grilled rib eye steak.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from various websites.

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic and Organic wine (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!

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!

Wine Travel: T-Edward trip to Bordeaux 09.17.08 to 09.21.08 (4th part)

Friday 09.19.08

I forgot to mention that in the morning before visiting Chateau La Dominique, we went to Jean-Luc Thunevin's Negociant company warehouse in Saint-Magne de Castillon, which was a very good way for us to understand how Jean-Luc's company works. It was an interesting visit that allow us to see many cases of great wines from Bordeaux, but also from italy and Spain, ready to be shipped around the world.  

Lunch

After Chateau La Dominique, we came back in the heart of the village of Saint-Emilion to have lunch at Logis de la Cadenne, a lovely bistro with terrace with one of the best grilled beef on vine shouts in Saint-Emilion (Bavette ou Entrecote a l'echalotte grillee sur sarments de vignes). 

We tasted with the lunch:

2001 Chateau la Clotte Saint-Emilion

Suggested retail price $45-$55

Floral, rose petal, touch of forest floor, leather, light hints of spice with bright red raspberry, cherry fruit. Slightly restraint, it was a bit tight and tannic but the food helped to round up some of the angles.  

and also:

2004 Chateau La Fleur Cardinale Saint-Emilion 

Suggested retail price $45-$55

Very expressive nose of blackberry, ripe raspberry, with hints of leather, licorice, spice. The palate is quite soft and tamed with a good texture and a good structure. Overall very enjoyable and quite open for a 2004 vintage with less tight tannins than I expected. 

We then headed to Pomerol to visit ex- Chateau Vieux Chateau Bourgneuf  renamed "Le Clos du Beau-Pere". 

To be continued...

LeDom  

Wine Travel: T-Edward trip to Bordeaux 09.17.08 to 09.21.08 (3rd part)

Friday 09.19.08

After our visit at Chateau Bel-Air Ouy, we went to Chateau La Dominique. 

Chateau La Dominique Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bought by the Fayat family in 1969, Chateau La Dominique is a beautiful property of 24 hectares of vineyards planted in a great Terroir surrounded by prestigious estates: Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe A (and surely one of the most well known Saint-Emilion in the world with -one of my favorite wines in the world- Chateau Ausone); but also Chateau La Conseillante and Chateau L'evangile a Pomerol. The vineyards are planted with approximately 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Since 2006, Jean-Luc's team is managing the property for the Fayat family and consult for the final blending with the help of Jean-Philippe Fort. Trained by Michel Rolland, he will replace him as a consultant for La Dominique and will be responsible for the final blend. 

We tasted: 

2006 Chateau La Dominique Saint-Emilion

Suggested retail price $35-$45

A blend 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 vintage is quite floral, with hints of blackberry and cherry, mixed with leather, woody notes. Overall, it is fresh with very good fruit and acidity. The balance is very good and the tannins are young, present but fairly well integrated. Lovely. 80.000 to 100.000 bottles produced. 

As a more personal note, I will say that it was probably one of the best La Dominique I ever tasted. I've been tasting La Dominique for the past 10-11 years, en Primeur but also different vintages in many other occasions and I've never been a great fan of it. It was always lean, thin, dry, austere and often full of green tannins. 2006 is one of the first vintage of La Dominique that I found very good with a good harmony and elegant texture. For sure, the 2006 is not a fruit bomb and will never be, but so far and in my opinion, it is a much more concentrated, balanced and integrated version of any vintage that I tasted before. 

Let's hope Jean-Luc Thunevin and Jean Philippe Fort will revamp this wine and increase the quality, because as Jean-Luc told us when we visit the winery: "When you realize the quality of the soil and Terroir, and where the Chateau is located, you wonder how they never made a much richer, complex wine before. The wine was good but it will only get better and better" Let's say that now La Dominique is in good hands.  

We also tasted:

2001 Chateau La Dominique Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Suggested retail price $35-$45

There again, I found it quite floral, with expressive red berries notes on the nose. The palate was fresh, fruity without being too ripe, with very good acidity. The attack and mid-palate was quite soft and round, lifted by vivid acidity and enhanced by the woody texture. The finish has some fruit and earthy notes with dry, slightly green tannins. Overall, the wine was good but not great, may be it will take time to soften a bit. It will be interesting to taste it within 2-3 years, but It is sure that 2006 is a much better wine. 

LeDom

 

To be continued...

  

Wine Travel: T-Edward trip to Bordeaux 09.17.08 to 09.21.08 (2nd part)

So, remember, we just finished eating at Jean-Luc Thunevin's house with his wife Murielle who is a fantastic cook and were on our way to the Chateau Bel-Air Ouy to spend the night (that we will also use as a base camp for the next 3 nights and 4 days). 

After choosing our bedrooms within the various bedrooms of the estate (also used as a guest house for visitors like us and a House for rent with all the best conveniences and appliances for group of friends or big family), 

I do not remember if it was on Thursday before the dinner or Friday first thing in the morning, anyhow Jean-Luc gave us a quick tour of the estate and the cellar of Chateau Bel-Air Ouy. 

Chateau Bel-Air Ouy Saint-emilion

Chateau Bel-Air Ouy is a newly renovated Maison Bourgeoise located on the commune of Saint-Etienne de Lisse, next to Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru Saint-Emilion, roughly half way between Saint-Emilion and Castillon la Bataille. 

The back of the estate overlooks a beautiful slope covered with vineyards going down to a little valley surrounded by little hills planted with vineyards, and even more hills fading in the horizon. The view is quite breathtaking on sunny, clear day. Looking to the south-eastern direction, one can see the beginning of the Cotes de Castillon hills and vineyards.

Jean-Luc Thunevin bought this property and vinified the first vintage in 1999. The cellar is also used to make Valandraud and Virginie de Valandraud, and Chateau Prieure Lescours when they were rebuilding the cellar (of Prieure Lescours). Although some people may think that it is the 3rd or 4th wine of Valandraud, it only shares the same cellar and the same care and vinification, but it is a totally different beast.   

Vinification: The 6,5 hectares of vineyard are planted on clay and limestone. The average age of the vines is 30 years. They produce about 30.000 bottles. The cellar includes temperature controlled, cone shaped stainless steel tanks with double wall for a better control of temperature during fermentation with cold or hot water (running through the double wall). It also includes cone / oval shaped concrete tanks (better for inertia between wine and air). For your info, these concrete tanks that weight a few tones each were actually slowly rolled in the cellar (on rounded wooden beam) to avoid cracks. Like most of the wines of Jean-Luc, the wine of Chateau Bel-Air Ouy is aged in 100% new barrels from different barrel coopers: Saury, Seguin, Demptos, Radoux, Ameline and more). 

   

Before I carry on with the rest of my trip to Bodeaux with T-edward hosted by Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife, I'd like to give you more info about these two great persons that I discovered during this trip:

Jean-Luc Thunevin, his wife Murielle Andraud and their wines. 

It apparently all started in 1989, when Jean-Luc and Murielle bought 0.6 hectares of vines on the side of a little road touching the village of Saint-Emilion, near Chateau Pavie-Macquin. Over the next few coming years, they acquired a few more small parcels in diverse locations around Saint-Emilion (in the valley next to the Dordogne river at Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens where the soil is more sandy, but also in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse on the limestone plateau east of Saint-Emilion, Medoc, and more recently Pomerol and Languedoc-Roussillon). 

It is during these first difficult years that they bought a small garage in the heart of downtown Saint-Emilion to be used as a house and a winery. Within a few years, they also bought the 2 houses next door (that they combined in one since then) where they still live. The old house / garage has been totally revamped and is now only dedicated to make wine. The living quarters, located next door, are still quite simple, but much nicer, warm, cosy and inviting than what they must have been in this little rearranged garage. 

For those of you who have some difficulties to understand, Chateau Valandraud and Virginie de Valandraud and 3 of Valandraud are 3 wines made out of grapes grown in many different parcels around Saint-Emilion. These parcels were bought over many years, one at the time, by a motivated and passionate Jean-Luc Thunevin, supported by his wife and driven by an insatiable ambition to succeed and achieve his dreams. Remember that Jean-Luc started with barely nothing, didn't even have the money to buy his first parcel of vines and was considered like an outsider for years.

Made in this little garage including minimum equipment, with barely no money, only the precious tips of Alain Vauthier (Owner of Chateau Ausone and great friend of Jean-Luc), and from the passion and efforts of two dedicated characters (Jean-Luc and his wife Murielle) managing primitively the fruit of a small plot of vines, Valandraud was born and the first released vintage was in 1991. 

The name Valandraud is a combination of two words: Vallee (name after the location of the first parcel located in the vallee of the village of Saint-Emilion) and Andraud which is his wife family name (in the name of love...). 

Michel Bettane, one of the most influential and leading french wine critics (who, by the way, invented the therm "garagiste" after Jean-Luc and a small group of other innovative producers / winemakers of the Bordeaux region) and Robert Parker Jr. (the Wine Advocate and also the most well known wine critic in the world) described them as the pioneer of the "Vin de Garage" movement.

Although, the Thienpont family with Le Pin may have been one the precursor of this movement in the 70's with their 2 hectares in Pomerol and already low yield, the Thunevins were surely and somewhat accidentally (because they didn't have any other choice, no other place to make their wine and no money to buy the proper equipment, build the proper cellar or even purchase more wine) the first to bare the name as garagiste in Saint-Emilion, others, like Michel Gracia and many more, quickly followed the movement.    

And the rest is history. In 1995, Robert Parker Jr. gave a higher rating to Chateau Valandraud than Petrus, which suddenly was considered as one of the best and finest Saint-Emilion Grand Cru almost at the rank of Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval-Blanc. The Thunevins slowly and constantly increased their prices. They started to see the looks of people (of Saint-Emilion first) changed by the mid 90's, from badly considered and criticized they became adulated and showed as an example, a model of winemaker making richer, more concentrated and somewhat less traditional wines. A new era of winemaking and winemakers awaked on the right bank of Bordeaux.      

Since then Jean-Luc Thunevin (the limitless, passionate workaholic) and Murielle Andraud (his lovely wife, chef de cuisine, also winemaker and fervent supporter of her husband) have bought quite a few more parcels and properties. They also manage a few, even if the they don't own them, consult for a few more and still find the time to take good care of their Negociant company distributing some the greatest estate of our world: Chateau Ausone, Dominio de Pingus and many more.  

I could write much more about everything that I learn about them and all the great moments that I shared with them during this little trip, but so many people have already wrote hundreds of pages on books and on internet (you can even read more on Jean-Luc's blog at http://thunevin.blogspot.com), so I will just continue (in some other posts on my "Wine and Colors" blog) to develop my story of these few days spent in their company.  

And to conclude this post, I just would like to personally thanks them for what they are: two fantastic, generous and down to hearth persons who worked very hard and devoted all their time, patience and courage to arrive where they are now. Bravo! and Thank you again for you, your personalities, your wines and your beliefs. 

A tres bientot, I hope, in Brooklyn, New York or even Bordeaux. 

Merci, 

LeDom (aka Dominique) 

To be continued...

Wine Travel: T-Edwar trip to Bordeaux 09.17.08 to 09.21.08

Hi everybody,

I just came back from Bordeaux where I spent 3 days and a half with the team of T-Edward Wines (an up-and-coming importer and distributor of fine wines from all around the world). It was great to be in France, the weather was good, the wine showed really well and the food was amazing.

We took off from JFK on Wednesday (09.17.08) in the afternoon, and arrived in Bordeaux (after a connection in Paris CDG... one of the worst airport in the world in my opinion) early morning on Thursday (09.18.08).

T-Edward team included: Tom Edward (the owner of the company), John Roesch (my rep and friend), John Coyle (another rep. and a funny guy), Chris Wilford (another rep. and also a funny guy) and Patrick Burke (Director Domestic and French Brands and also a funny guy). The T-Edward team is great, knowledgeable and they all have a good sense of humor.

The guest were: Bernie Sun (Sommelier / Wine Buyer from "Jean-Georges" Group); Michael Eigen (Wine Buyer and owner of "Premier Cru" wine retail store on Madison St., NYC) and myself (LeDom du Vin a.k.a Dominique Noël, Sommelier / Wine Buyer / Wine Director for www.HeightsChateau.com and taster, writer and editor of this blog www.ledomduvin.com).

Thursday 09.18.08

We picked up a rental car and headed to Margaux for our first appointment of the day at Chateau Bellevue de Tayac.

Chateau Bellevue de Tayac Margaux

Chateau Bellevue de Tayac is a small property of 3 hectares bought in August 2004 by our host of the week-end: Jean-Luc Thunevin (quite a predestinate name for one of the most renown personality of the right bank, isn't it?). The property is managed by Guillaume Queron who is also managing some of the other properties of Jean-Luc Thunevin.

The vineyard is mainly planted on gravel and limestone soil offering very good drainage. It encompasses the 3 classic Bordeaux grapes varieties 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.

For the vintage 2008, the veraison started quite late, around the middle of august. And the weather has been quite bad this summer in the Medoc, with 1 day of Sun and 2 days of rain, and vice-versa until mid september. Some vineyards are suffering of mildew and botrytis, and if the weather is not better for the next 10 to 15 days, the vintage should be really bad and deceiving. On the other hand, some vineyards present healthy bunches, the fruit taste quite good and seems to develop nicely, so most winemakers in Bordeaux are hoping that the sun will remain during the next 10 to 15 days to save the vintage. If it rains, it is over, but if it stays warm during the day with slightly cool night, the crop will be small with ok to great concentration and the vintage should be saved. Let's cross fingers.

Vinification: The gapes are double-sorted in the vineyard, harvested then keep refrigerated at low temperature to concentrate aromas and fruitiness. The alcoholic fermentation happen in stainless steel tank, followed by the malolactic fermentation in oak barrel. The wine stays in barrel for at least a year before bottling. They produce around 6000 bottles.

2008 will be the 5th vintage for J-L Thunevin and Guillaume Queron, and the 2006 wine that we tasted was bright with a good acidity but fairly tight, restrain with dry tannins. To be fare, I didn't write anything about this wine, I think that the next 2 or 3 vintages (if they have good weather) should show more complexity and fruit. A property to keep an eye on.

You can read everything about Jean-Luc Thunevin on his personal site:

www.thunevinblog.com

We left Cht. Bellevue de Tayac to go to our 2nd and last appointment in Margaux (also in the Medoc area for this trip): Chateau Marojallia

Chateau Marojallia Margaux

Chateau Marojallia is also a small property of 4-5 hectares (for Medoc standard to be more specific) bought by Jean-Luc Thunevin in 2000. The 5 hectares included 3 hectares in Margaux, 2 hectares in Arsac and 1 hectare in Soissan. The first vintage was made in 1999 in a garage in the village of Arsac and was immediately considered like and called a vin de garage, partly due to its small production. The renovation of the Chateau and other buildings surrounding it started in 2000 and came to an end in 2006. Since then this totally refurbished elegant Chateau has been used for different events, diners and also welcome important guests in its few bedrooms.

You will find much more info at:

www.marojallia.com

Vinification: The cellar includes 6 reverse cone shaped, temperature controlled stainless steel tank, 1 for each parcel divided into 3 tanks for Merlot and 3 tanks for Cabernet Sauvignon. The goal is to get the maximum extraction. The consulting oenologist is Michel Rolland. The yield is roughly 35hl/hc (approximately 6 bunches of grape per vine). The malolactic fermentation is done in 100% new french oak barrel. The cellar regroups about 60 barrels from 4 different cooper with 4 different type of toast per cooper in order to maximize the complexity of the aromas coming from the toasted oak and enhance the blend. They produce about 6500 bottles of Chateau Marojallia and 1700 bottles of the 2nd wine: Clos Margalaine. The wine rest after fermentations for a period of 14-18 months in French oak barrels. There are no filtration, no fining which explain the presence of sediments and the racking is done with slow pumping. Remember that the goal is to maximize the extraction in order to get the maximum of fruit, aromas and flavors.

We tasted a few wines: Margalaine 05, Margalaine 06 and Marjollia 06

Overall, I found them very bright with delicate fruit but once again (like in Bellevue de Tayac) the fruit was a bit restrain and the tannins were quite green. Here again, there is a lot of potential in this property and the wines are worth ageing. Although the wines that we tasted had green tannins, these tannins may settle down or ripen in the bottle with time (somehow, I doubt it...but you never know, the wines may show more open fruit within the next few years).

In resume, I will say that these 2 properties showed a lot of good positive signs for the futures and that the wines should get better and better. The wines offered good quality fruit in the attack and mid-palate, only the finish disappointed me a little with too much unintegrated oak and green tannins, but the combination Thunevin-Rolland worked already quite well in the past and it is only a question of small time before these 2 estates really start to achieve great wines.

Lunch

We then decided to stay in Margaux for a quick lunch at Le Pavillon de Margaux, an elegant and low key restaurant, on the road to Chateau Margaux (probably my favorite left bank Chateau).

Too early for lunch, we walked to Chateau Margaux. It was too tempting not to ask the question if we could get a quick visit, especially for some of us that never been in Bordeaux or even Margaux before and never seen or even visited Chateau Margaux. So I entered in the office, introduced myself (I come here every year for the Primeur so it was easier for me to ask). They promised us a visit around 2 pm, just the time for us to come back to the restaurant, eat quickly a nice lunch, simple but good, and return to Chateau Margaux.

We visited the different cellars, including the old cellar containing all the treasurable bottles of old vintages of Chateau Margaux (we only saw it from behind the iron gate because they rarely let people in but it was worth seeing it).

We finished the visit with a tasting of:

2004 Chateau Margaux 1st Growth Margaux

Suggested retail price $240-$260

The 2004 Chateau Margaux was subtle, elegant, extremely balanced and refined as always, just a bit tight and showing some light tannins, but overall fairly integrated for this difficult vintage and already quite pleasant. Chateau Margaux is very satisfying, even in lesser vintage, that is the beauty and the quality of a great wine.

We then left the left bank to go to Chateau Bel-Air Ouy (St. Emilion) and at our host's house in the middle of Saint-Emilion, on the right bank.

We arrived at Chateau Bel-Air Ouy which became our night house and headquarter for 4 days. After a quick shower and a bit of rest, enough to discover our new home, we drove to the heart of Saint-Emilion to Jean-Luc's house for an early dinner prepared by Murielle, Jean-Luc's wife.

Dinner at Jean-Luc Thunevin's house

Murielle, the wife of Jean-Luc Thunevin, who is by the way an excellent cook but also a very good white wine winemaker (#1 de Valandraud), prepared a nice, simple, tasty and flavorful dinner:

Jamon Iberico (as amuse bouche), followed by roasted beef black truffle complemented with a mashed potatoes with black truffle, and a piece of Reypermer cheese from Holland.

We drank some interesting wines:

1999 Chateau Cos D'estournel Saint-Estephe Bordeaux

This wine has really open up within the last 2 years and drinks beautifully now. The tannins are bit more integrated than they were in my previous tasting of this wine and the fruit seems more appearing and much more enjoyable. Lather, forest floor, mushroom, red berries are some of the character and flavors of this very interesting wines. A bit light and not as concentrated as some bigger and better vintage but very drinkable for a 1999 Bordeaux.

2001 Chateau Croix de Labrie Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

A bit young and tight, but overall pleasant. It needs some food to compensate the tannins that are touch dry.

2004 Clos Badon Thunevin Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

A bigger, fuller wine that the previous one, more complex with more character and oak notes. A light decanting will benefit this wine.

1998 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien Bordeaux (2nd growth)

Nice and easy with good fruit, although a bit light and not too long in the finish, but good acidity and texture overall. A classic in Medoc for the vintage but a light weight in character and style compare to what Leoville Poyferre has produced since the vintage 2000.

After this nice, convivial dinner, Jean-Luc sent us to bed early in order to be prepared for the next day

to be continued.....

LeDom du Vin

www.ledomduvin.com