Madiran & Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France

This post is bringing us back into a region dear to my heart, the southwest of France and more precisely Madiran. The southwest of France seems to have always been known because of the reputation of Bordeaux, it is partially true but this point of view isn’t accurate anymore.

As I already discussed it in many other posts, the southwest of France encompasses many small appellations and estates that existed and were highly regarded long before the actual Bordeaux flagship estates from the left bank appeared.

Remember that the Romans planted the first Bordeaux vines along the eastern part of the Dordogne River, on a limestone plateau perfectly suited to grow quality wines, which contributed to the lingering reputation of the area where the medieval village of Saint-Emilion now stands, since the 2 century AD.

That said, the right bank and especially the Médoc and more importantly Haut-Médoc were for most of their history, a vast region of salt marshes used for cattle and sheep grazing rather than viticulture.

In the 17th century, Dutch merchants began an ambitious drainage project to convert the marshland into usable vineyard area. The project was paid and requested by the Negociants merchants and aristocrats who had the financial means and saw a potential to grow their business by expanding the surface of production and thus selling more wines.

Their objective was to provide the British and Dutch market a wine alternative to the Graves, Saint-Emilion and Portuguese wines that were predominantly dominating the market at that time in the 17th century. Using technology that was advanced for that time, the Dutch were able to convert enough marshland to allow the implementation of larger estates than the original few ones already scattered all along the Gironde.

Soon the Bordeaux wine regions of Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe took shape, growing around the eponymous ports that were the only accessible way to carry the barrels up the Gironde to be shipped to England and other countries and down the Garronne Rivers towards Bordeaux to be aged in the Negociant’s Chartron warehouses. By the 19th century, the wine region of the Haut-Médoc was one of the most prosperous in France, with wines that had an international reputation that would be unparalleled till the late 20th century.

Meanwhile, some regions of the southwest which were once much more famous than Bordeaux, saw their reputation slowly diminished and somewhat disappeared from the export market, almost forgotten in the shadow of Bordeaux.

In the kingdom of Gascony and its surroundings, an area belonging to the Guyenne region, which now forms the southwestern triangle of France called Aquitaine, vineyards and orchards around the medieval villages of Sarlat-la-Canéda, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Cahors, Madiran, Carcassone or even the unmistakable and magnificent fortified city of Carcassonne (just to name a few), witnessed centuries of wine recognition way before Bordeaux, with reputation dating back from before the 10 and 11 century.

The wines from regions like Bergerac, Monbazillac, Pecharmant, Montravel, Duras, Marmandais, Buzet, Cahors, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic Bhil, Gaillac, Marcillac, Cotes du Frontonnais, Jurancon, Irouleguy and Bearn, continued to trigger the interest of the local and regional market but were not as sought after as they used to be by the national and even by the international market, up until about 10-15 years ago.

Cahors pretty much always kept is notoriety, producing strong, earthy, tannic, dark Malbec based wines with long ageing potential. Bergerac and its surrounding Appellations also remained fairly renowned to certain connoisseurs and amateurs. One of the Appellations that really experience a renaissance on the international wine market, in a small scale, but don’t’ get me wrong it is a huge step for the appellation itself, is Madiran.

Madiran

At the crossroads of the département of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, planted on the gentle slopes of the Béarn, Madiran was born approximately around the 1st century BC.

The locals were growing vines and producing wines for the land Lords and for their own consumption. In the eleventh century, the monks founded the Benedictine Abbey of Madiran and improved the quality of the vineyard. Pilgrims walking to St Jacques de Compostela crossing this region quickly carried the fame of Madiran’s wine.

Madiran became an appellation in 1948. Nowadays, around the villages Crouseilles, Lembeye, Mont-Disse, Corbère-Abères, Arricau-Bordes, about 1600 hectares are cultivated in the traditional style by multiple cooperatives and family run estates. A tasting is required!

Madiran, like most southwestern French appellations, is rather unknown or let's say undiscovered, but it started to reappear on the European and international scene about 10 years ago and continue to climb the steep ladder of recognition.

Madiran is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department. Part of the Gascony area, Madiran wines are produced around the village of the same name located about 47 kilometers northeast of Pau and 27 kilometers southeast of Aire-sur-l'Adour, nestled in a little valley surrounded by gentle rolling hills preceding the foothills of the Pyrénées.

About 10 kms apart from each other yet sharing the same area, AOC Madiran is the red twin sister of another appellation called Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bihl producing only whites.

The production area for Madiran wine is spread over three departments: Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Madiran appellation produces slightly rustic, earthy, somewhat esoteric, fairly rich and tannic reds made with at least 40% Tannat, the predominant and indigenous grape variety which contributes to the fame, the uniqueness and the particular characteristic of Madiran wines.

The hallmark of Madiran, the black-skinned Tannat grape is often recognized for its deep color and astringency. It has great ageing potential and need time to settle down and tame its tannic structure. In order to be more enjoyable in its youth and soften the tannins, new techniques have been used like micro-oxygenation to maximize the fruit. Also due to its tannic structure, Tannat has often been blended to make it more approachable.

Tannat usually accounts for 40-60% of the final blend and is regularly blended with Cabernet Franc (locally known as "Bouchy" or "Bouchet" in the rest of "Southwest of France" region), Cabernet Sauvignon, Courbu Noir (also known as "Madiran"), "Fer Servadou" (also locally known as "Pinenc") and "Cot" (worldly known as Malbec or "Auxerrois" in Cahors). However, most of the best and most authentic Madiran wines are made with 100% Tannat, and usually express flavors of black fruits, earth, spices with toasted hints due to oak ageing and a fairly present tannic structure in the finish, which generally contributes to good ageing potential (between 4 to 8 years in general, and more for the best vintage).

FYI: Tannat, a typical and indigenous grape variety from the Pyrénées and more especially the Basque country, was imported to Uruguay in the 19th century by the basque settlers. It has now become the national grape variety of Uruguay, like: Malbec for Argentina, Carmenère for Chile, Shiraz for Australia, Pinotage for South Africa,etc... Tannat is also known in Uruguay as "Harriague", named after Pascual Harriague, one of the settlers who introduced it in the country. In France, in addition to Madiran, Tannat is also produced in the region of Irouléguy, Tursan and Béarn.

Also crafted in the Madiran region, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec produces dry and sweet whites predominantly made with a blend of two local and indigenous grape varieties including "Petit Courbu" (another traditional Gascon's grape variety and a variation of the "Courbu Noir") and "Petit Manseng" (the sister grape of Gros Manseng, both indigenous from Gascony and more especially used in the Jurançon appellation to produce dry and sweet whites).

Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl Sec wines are usually dry and tangy yet ample, intriguing and quite rich with a deep yellow color with somewhat golden apple, yellow peach, pear, honeysuckle, honey and fresh hay aromas and flavors. They can also be sweet depending on the vintage and sold under Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl (without the "sec" meaning "dry" in the name). In any cases, the local Courbu and Petit Manseng must make up at least 60% but not exceed 80% of the blend, which also can include "Arrufiac" (or Ruffiac) and Sauvignon Blanc (10% max).


Let's go back to the wine of the day:

Vignoble Laplace -Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France

Domaine Le Serp is a bottling from the Vignoble Laplace – Chateau d’Aydie, an estimated and praised estate which produces traditional Madiran wines with a modern twist. Pierre Laplace and his 4 children is one of the most dynamic, innovator and influential families in Madiran. The last decade was important regarding the restructuring of the 70 hectares of vineyards, which were replanted with high density, as well as the optimization of extracting, maturing and aging methods.

You may not be familiar with Pierre Laplace or even the small village of Aydie near Madiran, however Château d’Aydie and the Laplace family are widely regarded as one of the foremost quality producers of Madiran. Frédéric Laplace was recognized as one of the pioneer winemakers of Madiran when he first bottled his Madiran wines and sold them under his own name when the appellation was first created in 1948 with just 50 hectares of vineyard under production, compared to the actual 1650 hectares that Madiran now encompasses.

The whole venture is very much a family affair – the three grandsons and granddaughter of Frédéric run the estate between them – Francois in charge of the business side; Jean-Luc is in charge of wine-making; Bernard manages the vines; and Marie presides over the office, whilst their father Pierre is in semi-retirement but still very much involved. Their Madiran wines are some of the flagships of the appellation made with at least 80% Tannat aged in small barrels and large used oak vats. Always involve in new little projects, the Laplace family produce a wide array of different regional wines from their unmistakable A.O.C. Madiran to their delightful Vins de Pays they launched in 1995.




2006 Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported/Distributed by Wineberry in NYC


Le Serp is one of numerous labels made under the AOC Madiran, and like their grand vin Chateau d’Aydie, it was crafted with 100% Tannat from younger vines averaging 10 to 15 year-old. The wine was vinified with a cold soak so as to be enjoyable young by highlighting the fruitiness of the Tannat over its tannins. Madiran yields earthy, dark, full-bodied wines of great depth and complexity, with ripe fruit texture and solid tannic structure, and Le Serp is no exception to the rule. This delightful and approachable Tannat has great fruit and depth, although dry as it should be, it possesses enough fruit to make it really enjoyable.

Behind its dark ruby robe, the 2006 Le Serp Madiran Tannat offers aromas of dark fruit and ripe berries, floral scent, intermingled with earthy notes. The dark ripe fruit mixed with violet and other floral and earthy notes on the palate are nicely complemented by flavors of red fruit, dark cherry, plum, licorice, spice and cinnamon flavors. The finish is fairly full-bodied with present yet smooth and integrated tannins. Ready to drink now after a little decantation, it will age nicely for the next 2-3 years. Enjoy it with barbecued red meats, or more appropriately with southwestern France specialties like Cassoulet, Confit de Canard (duck), game and strong cheeses.

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.

Domaine Philippe Gilbert Ménetou-Salon Loire Valley France

Amongst all the Wine & Spirits importers and distributors in New York that I worked with over the last 8 years, about 200-250 approximately, only a few in my opinion can claim to offer a solid portfolio of authentic and expressive, Terroir oriented natural wines (Biodynamic, Organic, “biologique”, sustainable culture, “Lutte Raisonnée”, etc..) from small, artisanal producers all around the world that are not necessarily branded and overly commercial.

Amongst them, Rosenthal (Madrose), Louis/Dressner, Kermit Lynch, Peter Weygandt (Weygandt-Metzler), Jenny and François (World Wide Wines), Terry Theise, Liz Willette, Savio Soares, Becky Wasserman, Martine’s wine, Alain Juguenet, Jan D’Amore, Moonlight Selection, Wineberry, Little Wine Company, Baron François, the Wine list, Bayfield and few more, lead the pack as fine examples of consistency and set the standard with their high quality hand-and-palate selected wine lists.

Therefore, to share my love for brighter and crispier wines, like those from the Loire Valley for example, and also to continue my eternal quest to introduce you to fairly unknown, under the radar and rather undiscovered wines, grape varieties and regions, I would like to come back to a Domaine imported by one of my favorite importers, Rosenthal (MadRose), that I first tasted a few years ago and that has since always been very consistent in quality and delivered excellent juice vintage after vintage: Domaine Philippe Gilbert Ménetou Salon.

Domaine Philippe Gilbert Ménetou-Salon Loire Valley France

The Domaine is located in Ménetou-Salon, a small village about 21 kilometers northeast of Bourges and 32 kilometers southwest of Sancerre, in the eastern Loire Valley, also called the Central vineyards region (due to their central position in the center of France).

An AOC since 1959, neighboring Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé to the southwest, Ménetou-Salon may not have the same prestige or the notoriety as its neighbors, yet the appellation constantly produces great Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir based wines that can easily rival and offer as much complexity as the ones from the more reputed cited above Appellations.

Both Ménetou Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines may not be as complex due to the difference of soil’s composition and components compared to Sancerre or Pouilly, but still offer a great deal of layers and taste for usually equal or less money. Sauvignon Blanc wines represent 60% of the production and are often a great substitute to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. And the Pinot Noir wines are of superior quality that rival and sometime surpass the ones from Sancerre. Both are grown on vines planted on chalky-clay-limestone hillsides, which confers essential minerality to Ménetou-Salon wines.

(FYI: two other great Loire Valley Appellations to consider for enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc wines that won’t hurt your wallet, are Quincy and Reuilly, further southwest from Ménetou Salon).

Domaine Philippe Gilbert encompasses 27 hectares of vines, which are the fruit of a long familial history since 1768. While succeeding his father in 1998, Philippe Gilbert decided to follow the family traditions with the complicity of Jean-Philippe Louis, a very competent oenologist. Both young and talented, they decided to increase the quality and move toward environment oriented vineyard and cellar management and healthier wines by introducing Biodynamic culture to the entire Domaine in 2006.

Together they defined objectives about the vinification and the soil to obtain the best expression of the appellation. After years of experience with the vineyard’s environment and the terroir (the vines and especially the soil), the vineyard has been converted to the principles of biological farming, with an individualized Biodynamic management for each of the seven parcels.

A systematic mechanic “Binage” is ensured periodically in each of the seven parcels. This action of breaking the hearth (or ploughing) to aerate it and to avoid the bad weeds, facilitates natural drainage of precipitation, restitutes the macrobiotic complexity of the soils and helps the roots of the vines to expand deeper. In addition, a careful control of the budding assures a good distribution of the grapes. A methodic green harvest of the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon optimizes the phenolic maturity of the fruit. The attention to details allows today the Domaine to offer unique wines of a rare quality.

The wines of the Domaine are characterized by their elegance and their consistency. The wines tell the story of the men and the women involved with the high quality work achieved in the vineyards and the cellar. Vinification usually and mainly occurs in stainless steel, except for "Les Renardières".

Domaine Gilbert produces the Domaine traditional cuvée in white, red and rosé, and a premium cuvée made out of older vines called “Les Renardières” in white and red.

The cuvée Domaine, in white and red (sometimes Rosé), more traditional, affords wines distinguished by their freshness and balance. The cuvée Les Renardières, in white and red, made in casks from the oldest vines of the Domaine, offers complex and powerful wines.

The whites come from series of parcels encompassing about 11 hectares of vineyards spread throughout the appellation, around the towns of Menetou-Salon, Vignoux, and Parassy. The vineyards are planted on part of the Kimmeridgian band that stretches from this eastern section of the Loire south of Sancerre up to Champagne.

The reds are from multiple parcels totaling about 12 hectares, situated in the above-cited 3 communes plus parcels in Morogues. Total production of each wine is about 100,000 bottles per year (8,000 or so cases of 12).




2007 Domaine Philippe Gilbert Ménetou Salon Rouge Loire Valley France
Suggested retail price $22-25
Imported/distributed by Rosenthal in NYC

The 2005 and 2006 vintages were already benchmarks of the appellation, and the 2007, although not as ripe is far from being a disappointment or a lesser wine. It is simply different with less ripeness of the fruit, yet it possesses great balance, beautiful acidity and gentle tannic structure. The nose is discreet, fresh and floral, with nuances of freshly crushed cherry and red fruit with mineral notes. Behind its beautiful, bright pale ruby hue, it offers a palate of great complexity and ample elegance. Bright red cherry and red fruit flavors awaken your taste buds in the mid-palate complemented with slight earthy hints. The finish is refreshing and well structured combining a lovely acidity with minerals notes and integrated tannic structure.

Overall, it is a very well crafted example of Pinot Noir from an up-and-coming appellation, which strangely enough lack of reputation, yet should attract more attention from both connoisseurs and amateurs. Ideal with white meat and poultry, it will also finely complement any fish and Loire goat cheeses.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the winery website at www.domainephilippegilbert.fr and from previous articles that I wrote about this particular winery and its wines.

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.

Winery Profile: Domaine de Montcy Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny Laura Semeria "La Porte Dorée"Loire Valley France

Domaine de Montcy Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny Laura Semeria "La Porte Dorée"Loire Valley France

(A Savio Soares Selection in NYC)

Location: The Domaine de Montcy is located in a "Lieu dit" ("a place known as" in English) called "Voie de la Porte Dorée" (or "Porte Dorée"), about 4 kms to the southwest on the out skirt of Cheverny. A small village of the eastern Loire Valley, about 16 kilometers southeast of Blois and 80 kilometers east of Tours.

History: Born in Italy about 40 years ago, Laura Semeria, who followed the steps of her French husband Léonard across France to finally stop near the Loire River, now owns Domaine de Montcy. Her family has been making olive oil and Mediterranean products for three generations and she has always been acquainted with agriculture. She made her entire career in multinational food companies such as Unilever and Nestle. Dreaming to buy a wine estate and after months of searching in vain in Italy, it is, after all, the small appellation of Cheverny that opened its arms to her. She found an estate for sale with a very welcoming owner and a promising vineyard, and decided to buy it. This new acquisition allowed her to settle down in Cheverny, near the Château de Troussay of which the Domaine de Montcy now manages the old vines and the ancient vineyards of the Château.

Domaine: Domaine de Montcy perfectly corresponded to Laura’s criteria:

• A small AOC (label guaranteeing the quality of wine), rather unknown but with a lot of potential
  
• State of the art installations
  
• Best and recognized quality
  
• Professional team to support me
  
• Sales focus in restaurants and wine shops rather than in big groceries
  

The team: Laura supervises the estate and production while her husband, when is not helping her, is making cheese, which makes a lot of sense with wines! And they have two young daughters Ines and Elsa. The winemaker is a young brilliant and passionate agro-engineer who is able to take (reasonable!) risks to make the best out of our terroir. Additionally, they still have the support of their predecessor (that was also part of the deal).

Vineyard Management: Since 2005, Domaine de Montcy's vineyards management is under "agriculture raisonnée" (or sustainable culture, with an organic approach), a system of durable agriculture concerned and respectful of its environment (soils, vines, plants, herbs, insects, etc..), to produce better and more natural wines from carefully attended vines resulting in higher quality grapes. The cellar is also equipped with state of the art vinification tools allowing minimal intervention to craft more authentic wines.

Size and Production: The only objective of the Domaine is that the 120.000 bottles sold each year, out of the 20 hectares in production, offer the best characteristics of their Terroir, grape variety and climate of origin. Producing wines from both Appellations, Domaine de Montcy crafts some excellent Cheverny wines in red, white and rosé, as well as a great "Sauvignon Blanc VdP du Jardin de la France" and interesting sparkling "Crémant de Loire - Méthode Traditionnelle", and their benchmark Cour-Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny Cuvée Claude de France.

Vines and vineyards: The 20 hectares are divided as follow: 3ha of Romorantin, 9ha of white grapes varieties (7 Sauvignon and 2 Chardonnay) and 8ha of red grapes varieties (4 Pinot Noir, 3 Gamay, 0.5 Malbec - also called Cot in Loire Valley and 0.5 Cabernet Sauvignon- for Rosé). The vines are from 3 to 100 years old. Each year, they replant new vineyards to increase vineyard’s superficy and to replace some old parcels. The oldest parcel is a small (0,5ha) piece of land of Romorantin, which was planted in 1905. They also have an old parcel of Sauvignon (about 60 years old) and old Chardonnay (40 years old). Red vines are younger because they had to replant higher quality varieties. During harvest, old and young vines’ grape varieties are respectively vinified and aged separately. The final blends usually occur just before bottling the different wines.

Vinification: Issued from their best vineyards in Cheverny, and Cour-Cheverny, Domaine de Montcy also applies rigorous parcel selections of their vineyards and hand harvest with successive sortings to pick the grapes at ideal fruit ripeness and phenolic maturity. Under "culture raisonnée" (or sustainable culture), the vinification and ageing processes are natural and particularly adapted to each batch of grapes, with indigenous yeast and no use of any industrial yeasts or enzymes. Hygiene conditions are maximal in the cellar, which allow for minimum use of SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide) and fuller flavor expressions. Domaine de Montcy uses all the grape varieties allowed by the Appellations rules: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Arbois for the whites and Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir and cot for the Reds.


Main products:

2008 Domaine de Montcy Cheverny Blanc Tradition Loire Valley

Made from 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Chardonnay from vines planted on Clay-Siliceous soils (blend may change depending on the vintage and quality of the grapes, i.e. 2007 was 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Chardonnay. This goes for all the wines.).

After careful selection during the harvest and gentle pressing for 4 hours at very low pressure to extract only the best aromas, the musts deposited sediment for 48hours in underground tanks at 8°C and were protected against oxygen by carbon dioxide. The fermentation occurred naturally without any addition of yeasts or enzymes to allow maximum expression of the Terroir of origin, and with minimal use of SO2. The musts were pumped with finest lees in tanks and alcoholic fermentation started with natural yeast when temperature reached 16°C. Then, fermentation temperature was kept between 16 and 18°C to preserve aromas. Because of natural yeasts this fermentation can last from 1 week to 3 months. Once the alcoholic fermentation is finish, the wines are pumped into different tanks, with no addition of sulphites at this stage. Depending on the vintage and the desired final style, the malolactic fermentations are usually made on the Chardonnay and on 50% of Sauvignon with natural bacteria. The wines rest for 6 months on fine lees in their tanks. Sauvignon and Chardonnay are usually blended in April and bottled with low quantity of sulphites (30mg/L).

Produced in stainless steel tanks where it spends about 6 months on its lees before bottling, this white Cheverny wine combines the elegance and complexity of Cheverny’s Terroir. Behind its pale yellow-gold color, the nose is floral with white fruit aromas. The palate is clean, dry and generous, well rounded and complex with refreshing acidity. The lingering finish is balanced and inviting. Great as an aperitif, it will pair well with white fish and goat cheese. Serve it cool but not too cold. Drink it now or keep it for the next 2-3 years.

2008 Domaine de Montcy Cheverny Rouge Tradition Loire Valley

Made from 65% Gamay, 30% Pinot noir and 5% Côt from vines planted on Clay-Siliceous soils (blend may change depending on the vintage and quality of the grapes, i.e. 2007 was 62% Gamay, 31% Pinot Noir and 7% Côt. This goes for all the wines.).

After careful selection during the harvest and gentle pressing, the fermentation occurs naturally without any addition of yeasts or enzymes to allow maximum expression of the Terroir of origin, and with minimal use of SO2. Produced in stainless steel tanks where it spends a few months on its lees before bottling, this red Cheverny wine combines the character and complexity of Cheverny’s Terroir.

Pinot Noir can be vinified in two ways: half with Cold pre-fermenting fermentation and half with hot temperature fermentation. For the first way, grapes are kept at 8°C for 8 days with many pumping over to extract a lot of cherry tastes and a nice red color. Then alcoholic fermentation occurred very quickly (about 5 days) at 25°C. For the second way, temperatures were increased up to 30°C at the beginning and pumped-over were made during the alcoholic fermentation in order to extract tannins. A third of the grapes were put entirely into the tank to extract tannins from the grapes. Gamay is usually vinified at medium temperature between 25 and 27°C and maceration can last about 8 days. The amount of pump-over, which was important at the beginning of the fermentation slowly, decreases to avoid the extraction of too many types of tannin. Côt is fermented for only 5 days to keep tannins soft and color on a dark pink. After alcoholic fermentation, each grape variety underwent malolactic fermentation in separated tank and was aged separately for 12 months. The final wine is usually bottled in September with low sulphites (28 mg/L).

Red garnet color, the nose is intense with red fruits and berries and slight spicy notes. The palate is expressive with great red fruit intensity. The finish is quite generous, vivid and balanced with silky integrated tannins that characterize well the Terroir of Cheverny. Perfect with grilled chicken and appetizers, like the white and served slightly chilled, it is also delightful with fish (especially if prepared with diced tomatoes and capers). Drink it now or keep it for the next 3-4 years.

2008 Domaine de Montcy Cheverny Rosé Loire Valley

Made from 60% Gamay, 23% Pinot noir and 17% Cabernet Franc from vines planted on Clay-Siliceous soils. After careful selection during the harvest and gentle pressing, the fermentation occurs naturally without any addition of yeasts or enzymes to allow maximum expression of the Terroir of origin, and with minimal use of SO2. Produced in stainless steel tanks, this Cheverny Rosé was crafted not by Saignée but from direct pressing which confered to this wine all the character of the vintage.

Bright Pink rosé hue with slightly orange reflects, the nose is vivid and very expressive, marked with raspberry notes. The palate is crisp and refreshing with mixed berry fruit flavors lifted by an enhancing acidity. The finish is supple and friendly. Thirst quencher as an aperitif, it is ideal with steamed fish, salad and barbecue. Drink it within 2 years maximum after bottling.

2008 Domaine de Montcy Cuvée “Clos des Cendres” Cheverny Blanc Loire Valley

Made from 50-50% old vines Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay planted on siliceous soils with yellow clay and flint stones. After careful selection during the harvest and gentle pressing, the fermentation occurs naturally without any addition of yeasts or enzymes to allow maximum expression of the Terroir of origin, and with minimal use of SO2. Produced in stainless steel tanks where it spends a few months on its lees before bottling, this white Cheverny wine combines the elegance and complexity of Cheverny’s Terroir with the structure and characteristics of the old vines.

Yellow color with golden reflects, the nose is gentle and discreet with acacia and mineral notes. The palate is rich yet elegant, balanced and beautifully structured with enhancing minerality. The lingering finish is ample and round marked by the Chardonnay. Pair it with crabs, lobster, oysters, fish in sauce and white meat but also with various cheeses. Better decanted, it will need a bit of air to fully express its complexity. Drink it now or keep it for another 4-5 years.

2006 Domaine de Montcy Cuvée “Louis de la Saussaye” Cherverny Red Loire Valley

Made from 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Gamay and 15% Côt planted on Calcareous-Clay soils. After careful selection during the harvest and gentle pressing, the fermentation occurs naturally without any addition of yeasts or enzymes to allow maximum expression of the Terroir of origin, and with minimal use of SO2. Produced in stainless steel tanks where it spends a few months on its lees before bottling, this red Cheverny wine combines the elegance and complexity of the calcareous Terroir with the structure and characteristics of the old vines.

Bright ruby red color, the nose is quite intense with spicy red cherry aromas typical of Pinot noir, expanding gently with more red fruits and pepper. The palate is balanced, elegant and racy, with ripe red fruits flavors structured by silky tannins and enhancing acidity. The lingering finish is underlined by the presence of the tannins from the Côt grape. It is an elegant and silky red wine of great profile to pair with earthy dishes like game and venison. Drink it now, decant it for better result or keep it for another 5-7 years.

2007 Domaine de Montcy Cour-Cheverny La Porte Dorée Loire Valley

Coming from the village next door, literally a stone’s throw north of Cheverny, this Cour-Cheverny was crafted with 100% Romorantin, a characteristic white grape indigenous to this particular area of the Loire Valley and named after the eponymous village of Romorantin, located about 30 kilometers south of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny.

For the 2007 Cour-Cheverny, the Romorantin grapes were pressed entirely and musts deposited its sediments for 72 hours in underground tanks at 8°C, where they were protected against oxygen by carbon dioxide. Alcoholic fermentation started with natural yeasts between 18°C and 20°C. Malolactic fermentations were made on 50% of the wine, which then rested for 12 months on its fine lees in tanks. To mingle the lees, pump over were made with oxygen to stabilize the wine against oxidation. Cour Cheverny 2007 was bottled in September 2008 with low sulphites (34mg/L) and was kept for 6 months before release because this wine needed time to settle down to be ready to drink.

Clear, pale, medium intensity, yellow color with golden reflects. Quite characteristic of the Romorantin grape, the nose is fresh, floral, mineral and nutty, with notes of quince, litchi, eucalyptus, bee wax, honeysuckle, fresh almond and freshly cut yellow hay. The palate is clean, medium to full intensity, fresh, gentle and very well rounded immediately from the attack. The expanding and extensive mid-palate follows with the same round, focus, balanced, and nicely coating attitude, complemented by a great citrus, vivid acidity (yet, it remains soft and silky in a waxy way). Nutty flavors, with a predominance of fresh almond and apricot's skin and seed. The zesty acidity keep this wine in line from being flabby and transport the fruit gently through the lingering finish. At the same time pleasing and intriguing, this excellent Romorantin based wine should interest the adventurous amateurs and connoisseurs, in quest of something different.

In conclusion, a small family run Domaine producing natural wines characteristic of their Terroir of origin, vinified the organic way with minimal intervention, no fining, no filtration and barely any use of any preservative like Oxygen or SO2, and no addition of yeasts or enzymes. In short great wines from really healthy vines, produced by nature and environment oriented people who just want to craft the best of their Domaine has to offer.

For more info and latest news, go to Laura's blog at terralaura.viabloga.com

Enjoy!

Most info taken from my previous post on Domaine de Montcy (www.ledomduvin.com/2009/07/2007-domaine-de-montcy-cour-cheverny.html) and also from various documents sent to me by Laura herself to produce the Domaine's technical data sheet for Savio Soares portfolio.

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.

Tasting Event: 40 wines (1 white and 1 red) from 20 Italian provinces with a few Italian food specialties..

Before writing about more fairly unknown, delightful and juicy natural wines (and spirits) from around the world in soon-to-come posts, I just wanted to say that from now on I will also, from time to time, advertise and promote some of the events and tastings from www.HeightsChateau.com.

For those of you who didn't realize it yet, Heights Chateau is the boutique Wine & Spirits store where I have been working for the past 2 and a half years, located at 123 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights, New York.

As the co-Wine buyer and Wine manager of the store, I never really linked most of my descriptions and posts to the store. Probably because sometimes I'm too opinionated and enthusiastic or too personal and detailed on certain subjects. Hence, I may not be neutral enough to voice out the professionalism and fairness of the store profile.

However, advertising and promoting Heights Chateau's events and tastings on my blog is good way for me to demonstrate the selectivity of the store and invite you to have a look at what we do and discover our Wine and Spirits selection mirroring the quality of our discriminating palates.

For more info, you can always go to the store website at www.HeightsChateau.com to check our events and tastings calendar.

The next event, occurring on Friday, May 21st from 7pm to 9pm, will be held at Christ Church Cobble Hill, 326 Clinton street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (www.christchurchcobblehill.org/welcome/).

40 wines (1 white and 1 red) from the 20 Italian provinces will be presented, complemented with a few Italian food specialties... Therefore, I'm asking you: I'm sure that you tried plenty of Italian wines from various regions, but did you ever get the chance to taste 40 Italian wines from 20 different provinces in the same place before? Never, so just come and discover them with us. It is only $35 person, or $40 at door, and moreover, it is for a good cause, the money will benefit a program for young children in Brooklyn.

See you soon at the event or at the store, here is the brochure:

www.heightschateau.com/cms/Home/Judys_Corner/Christ_Church_Italian_Wine_Tasting.php



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.

Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc France

Domaine du Poujol

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to receive Robert Cripps, owner of Domaine du Poujol, an English man living with his American wife, Kim, in the Languedoc for the past 18 years, which, as he likes to joke about it, makes them one of the first expatriate small owners of a Languedoc winery.

Robert is a self-taught winemaker, who trained and learned how to make wine in the cellar of a winery in California, where he met his wife Kim. Curious and creative with an artist attitude and adroit with his hands, he rapidly discovered his love for winemaking and the need for crafting wine. He also created his own wine labels. They both very handy and like to be in control of their Domaine.

It all began after a year of rain and part-time work in Burgundy, when Robert and Kim started looking for a place under the sun and found “Domaine du Poujol” in the Languedoc region, about 20 km/12 miles northwest of Montpellier, and situated between Pic St Loup, Montpeyroux and St Georges d'Orques.

Family owned, Domaine du Poujol is producing Appellation Contrôlée Coteaux du Languedoc and Vin de Pays wines from grapes grown, bottled and vinified at the domaine. The wines are well structured, elegant, and ideal for immediate drinking yet with good ageing potential.

The Domaine possesses 18 hectares of vines planted with various mostly indigenous and a few international grape varieties: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan Noir, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for the red and rosé wines, Vermentino (Rolle), Roussanne and Carignan Blanc for the white wines.

Robert and Kim do pretty much everything themselves from the vineyards to the cellar. Helped by Kim, Robert has multiple hats: owner, oenologist and winemaker. Their philosophy is to produce elegant, well-balanced wines that express the uniqueness and the character of the terroir: a unique combination of soils, topography, microclimate, exposure and environment.

They are not organic or biodynamic, but apply the technique of “Lutte Raisonnée” (comparable to Sustainable culture), which is somehow a compromise between the two previous methods with more flexibility and the possibility to moderately use some chemicals and pesticides but less often and less aggressively than conventional producers and only if really needed. Conscientiously practiced, this method resembles quite a lot to organic culture in many ways, except for the use, even if minimal, of chemicals. And compared to Organic culture or Biodynamic culture, the producers using the Lutte Raisonnée method (or concept) are not subject to any system of checks from certified organizations or any previously agreed limits to what is permissible to do in his vineyards.

Robert is quite old school and traditional, instead of trusting multiple analyses and other statistic numbers, he prefers to walk in his vineyards, listen his guts feeling and be guided by his taste buds especially during harvest time. As he told me today:” I pick randomly some grapes in different parcels to taste them and assess the level of ripeness of the fruit and tannins: if the tannins are too ripe, it is already too late because the grape should have been harvested a few days earlier; if the tannins remain a bit crisp and the fruit is ripe with good acidity, then it is time to harvest.”

Yet, harvest are also operated differently, he never harvests an entire parcel at the same time, he picks and chooses rows or portions of rows here and there to only pick gradually the grapes with the most ideal ripeness. He makes his vines selection depending on the soil, the exposure and the microclimate.

After being hand-harvested, the grapes are usually fermented in concrete vat lined with epoxy (much less expensive than the stainless steel tanks, less variation of temperature and more air interaction) or in 10 years old “demi-muid”, a large oak barrel of 600 liters. Some of its demi-Muid comes from Francois Chidaine, a great producer of Montlouis in the Loire Valley. The wines are naturally crafted with minimal intervention, minimal use of sulfur and bottled with no fining or filtering.

Usually labeled under “Appellation Contrôlée Côteaux du Languedoc” and “Vin de Pays” wines from grapes grown, bottled and vinified at the domaine; the Cripps produce excellent, earthy, terroir driven wines that are fresh, textured and structured, a touch rustic yet somewhat quite elegant, with good acidity, crispy tannins and integrated alcohol, which is rather unusual for Languedoc wines. They are usually ideal for immediate drinking about 6-8 months after bottling yet possess very good ageing potential.


We tasted:



2008 Domaine du Poujol "Pico" white Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported by Kermit Lynch

A blend of predominantly Vermentino, also known as Rolle (45-50%) and Carignan Blanc (35%) with a twist of Roussane (5-10%) crafted in concrete vats, this pale straw color wine offers aromas of white fruit, fresh nuts, earth and minerals. The medium bodied palate is fairly well rounded, clean, rich yet crisp, balanced and food friendly, with a long mineral finish where linger white fruit and nutty notes. Quite lovely overall!




2007 Domaine du Poujol “Proteus” red Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported by Kermit Lynch

“Proteus” is predominately a blend of Merlot (50%) and Cinsault (30%) completed with a blend of all the other grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, etc..) that they do not use for their other wines (that doesn’t mean that the grapes are bad or that the quality of this wine is low, it just mean that after careful harvest and sorting for the other wines, the remaining grapes go into this wine).

Here again, produced in concrete vats, the resulting wine is quite well crafted with dark ruby color and good intensity. The nose is fresh, earthy and mineral with ripe red wild berry fruit, earth, hints of garrigues and rustic leather, spicy notes. The palate is also crisp with vivid acidity, bright red fruit, earth, mineral and a lingering finish with slight tannic touches. A food friendly wine for everyday drinking, touch rustic but balanced and pleasing!





2005 Domaine du Poujol “Podio Alto” red Côteaux du Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $23-$26
Imported by Kermit Lynch

Grapes for the “Podio Alto” are grown in six, predominantly south facing, rocky limestone based hillside vineyards, situated at 100-200m above sea level. The Grenache vines are 25 years old, the Mourvèdre was planted in 2001 and the Syrah in 1985 and 1997.

The flagship of this winery, “Podio Alto” is a blend of 35-40% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre, 20-25% Grenache and 10-15% Cinsault that was aged in old demi-Muid oak barrel of 600 liters for 12 months and was bottled, like all their wines, with no fining and no filtering.

Behind its deep garnet color, the expressive 2005 Podio Alto shows intense aromas of dark red fruit, plums, leather, garrigues, earth and liquorice. The palate has had time to settle down and open up. It offers a soft, integrated, rich and generous profile with great structure and enhancing acidity despite the ripeness of the fruit. Supple tannins support the ripe dark fruit character that lingers through to the finish. The touch of oak, which is barely noticeable, adds complexity to this wine. Here again, the rustic touch is enjoyable, makes this wine even more food friendly and represents the undeniable proof of the nature oriented way of producing wine from the Cripps. Enjoy over grilled meat like Beef and Lamb, but also country dishes like rabbit, venison or wild boar.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info mainly taken from my discussion with Robert Cripps while tasting his wines at the store

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2008 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina & 2009 Feudi di San Gregorio Ros'Aura Rosato Campania Italy

Feudi di San Gregorio Campania Italy

Established by Ercolino and wife Mirella Capaldo in 1986, Feudi di San Gregorio is located in the tiny village of Sorbo Serpico in Campania’s Irpinia region.

Along with the expert guidance of consulting enologist Riccardo Cotarella, one of Italy’s most esteemed winemaking talents who has been helping them since 1999, in little less than 20 years, Feudi di San Gregorio has emerged into the international limelight as a great success story in a region that, for many years, was cloistered in its traditions and consequently locked in a virtual winemaking holding pattern. They started planting in the mid 80’s and were marketing their wines by the early 90’s, with a philosophy to produce high quality wines from the historic indigenous grapes of Southern Italy.

Feudi di San Gregorio has aggressively tapped into the enormous potential of Campania's unique terroir and ancient varietals by placing a thoroughly modern spin on indigenous grapes such as Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Aglianico. Named "Wine Producer of the Year" at the 2002 Italian Wine Oscars (organized each year by the Association of Italian Sommeliers), Ercolino certainly shows no sign of slowing any time soon.

Facing the Tyrrhenian Sea and representing one of the finest coastlines of Italy anciently favored by the Romans, Campania is a fascinating region, essentially mountainous, with irregular “massifs” and gentle hills divided here and there by plains and fertile valleys. On the horizon line of the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno, one can admire marvelous and enchanting islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida.

Naples is the region’s capital, which homes to the world-renowned Amalfi Coast, the ancient tragic city of Pompeii, and the romantic Isle of Capri. The region was deeply affected by the Phylloxera, and it wasn’t until the 90’s, later than the rest of Italy, that Campania experienced a wine renaissance and took in consideration modern technology and equipment.

Feudi di San Gregorio sources its grapes from the finest vineyards set in the rolling hills of the Irpinia region, located in close proximity to Mount Vesuvius. The volcano's legendary eruptions have laden the sandstone and marl soil with mineral-rich deposits of volcanic ash, forming a unique composition of soils rich in elements that nourish the vines. Feudi di San Gregorio produces a wide array of great wines from most appellations in Campania, mostly made with Falanghina, Greco di Tufo and Aglianico.

Being originally brought there by the Greeks, together with Aglianico and Greco, Falanghina is one of Italy’s oldest white grape varieties. It has consequently had time to adapt to southern Italy viticultural conditions. Complemented with the volcanic-rich soil of Campania, it is no wonder that this variety is an elegant and distinctive reflection of its terroir. For the past 10 years, Falanghina has become the region’s fastest spreading white variety.

Always very consistent and pleasing Feudi di San gregorio is a very reliable brand that has received many acolades and recognitions from the critics and the press.




2008 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina Campania Italy
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported by Palm Bay in NYC

Feudi’s Falanghina comes from 20 years old vines, grown with southwestern and southeastern exposure on a bed of clay and sandstone with gravel, planted on a cluster of hillside vineyards at altitudes between 1,000 to 1,300 feet.

Harvested two to three weeks later than most surrounding producers, the Falanghina grapes are transported in refrigerated trucks to the cellar to prevent untimely spontaneous fermentation. The hand-harvested bunches are individually selected and sorted to discard the bad ones, then soft pressed and cold-fermented entirely in stainless steel. Only the first-press juice is put in the bottle.

Vintage after vintage, Feudi’s Falanghina always captures the pure, complex, unadulterated expression of the fruit, resulting in really enjoyable, expressive wines. The 2008 vintage is no exception to the rule.

Behind its pale lemon yellow color with a golden reflects on the rim, it offers a complex nose of honey, pineapple, banana, quince and pear, loaded with minerals. Medium bodied, yet nicely coating the palate giving an impression of richness and fullness, this wine is, supple, lush and lifted by beautiful acidity complemented by the minerality. Overall, it a nice, refreshing white with zesty acidity keeping the wine balanced. A spicy, honeyed minerality lingers on the finish.

Serve as an aperitif or as a complement to any seafood, fish in sauce, risotto, and grilled vegetables.



A few days ago I also tried 2009 Feudi di San Ros’Aura, a rosé wine made from Aglianico grapes which was quite stunning and that I highly recommend.



2009 Feudi di San Gregorio Ros’Aura Rosato Campania Italy
Suggested retail price $11-$14
Imported by Palm Bay in NYC

This wine was made from 100% hand-harvested Aglianico grapes coming from10-20 year old vines grown between at 1,000 - 1,650 ft above sea level around the communes of Taurasi, Pietradefusi, Castelvetere and Paternopoli in Campania. Planted in deep soil with moderately large grains originally from ash and fallen pumice. After de-stemming, free-run juice underwent a 12-hour maceration on the skins followed by a temperature controlled fermentation stainless steel tanks.

The 2009 Feudi di San Gregorio Ros'Aura Rosato was a revelation and a very enjoyable surprise, surely one of the most inspiring Rosé(s) I tried this year so far. It has an attractive, intense and fairly deep colorful rose color. The nose is inviting with ripe, candied wild red berries and cherry fruits intermingled with earthy and mineral notes. The palate is medium bodied with great minerality enhanced by fresh and lively acidity with notes of freshly crushed wild berries on the lingering finish. Great on its own, it will be perfect as an aperitif and delicious with chicken and turkey entrées, fish and grilled vegetables.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

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

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2007 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey village rouge Côte Chalonnaise Burgundy France

Temperatures rise, days are longer, and it is time for lighter reds. Grapes like Pinot Noir, Gamay and Cabernet Franc along with Lagrein, Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, come to mind. These varietals produce great red wines enhanced by vivid acidity and bright red fruit flavors, which can be enjoyed room temperature or even slight chilled. Perfect for Summer.

Over the next few months I will write different posts about wines made from these various grape varieties, but let’s begin with a juicy Pinot Noir from a traditional producer: Domaine Faiveley.

Domaine Faiveley

Faiveley is located in famous Nuits-Saint-Georges, a small and “tranquille” commune about 16 kilometers north of Beaune, capital of the Côte de Nuits region, where one can find some of the most exquisite (and expensive) red Burgundy wines (Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-St-Denis, etc…).

Founded in 1825 by Pierre Faiveley, Domaine Faiveley (also known recently as Bourgognes Faiveley) has been handed down for many generations from father to son for over 175 years.

Francois Faiveley, the sixth generation, now runs with the same passion, competence and enthusiasm, the largest family owned Domaine in Burgundy. Dedicating the major part of their resources to buying vineyards on the best slopes (Côte), they gradually and methodically restructured vineyards fractured by French inheritance laws (which dates from Napoleon III and still apply to this day, Burgundian are attached to their traditions).

As of today, Bourgognes Faiveley owns more vineyards and appellations in their entirety (known as “monopoles”, meaning full vineyard under one name or one appellation with no fragmented parcels or multiple ownerships) than any other domaine in Burgundy. The Domaine owns approximately 120 hectares of vines under production.

Son of founder Pierre Faiveley. Joseph developed the wine business his father had founded by expanding his wine markets. An enthusiastic traveler, he journeyed extensively throughout Europe to promote the quality of his wines. Joseph initiated a policy that his descendants continued and refined to an art: purchasing vineyards situated in the best appellations and terroirs.

Vine selection is mainly based on quality, not on quantity. Vineyards management includes depending on the needs of the vintage, vigorous pruning, green harvesting, de-leafing and appropriate reduction of the yield to increase quality and maximize concentration.

All grapes are hand-harvested and carefully sorted in the vineyards and on the sorting tables on arrival at the winery. The wines are matured in partly new oak barrels. Depending on the wine and the desired final profile of the wine, the amount of new barrels varies and is adapted to the need of the wine to avoid excess of wood flavors and preserve its natural aromatic complexity. Filtration is kept to a minimum, and many Premiers Crus and Grands Crus are bottled from the barrel without filtration to emphasize the uniqueness and the character of their terroir of origin.

As a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I had (and still have) the chance to taste, select and sell many Faiveley’s wines in numerous high-end restaurants and boutique retails in Paris, London and New York.

However, Faiveley’s portfolio encompasses an astonishing number of Cuvées and wines for a Burgundian Domaine. Out of the approximately 120 hectares of vineyards, more than 57 different wines from the most prominent appellations in Burgundy are crafted under the name of Domaine Faiveley: 27 in the Côte de Nuits, 15 in the Côte de Beaune and 15 in the Côte Chalonnaise, and few more. It is a huge portfolio full of standards and classics Burgundy wines.

Yet, it seems that one of my favorites and surely one of the most consistent wines from Faiveley’s portfolio that I had to taste (many times), except of course for most of its prestigious Grands Crus and Premiers Crus from the Côte de Nuits, is its: Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru Monopole “Clos des Myglands”. I don’t know why but I’ve always loved this wine, and the last few vintages that I have tasted are now exception to the rule. Its Mercurey village is a nicely crafted wine too, especially for the price.




2007 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey village rouge Côte Chalonnaise Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $23-$26
Imported by Wilson Daniels and Distributed by Martin Scott in NYC

This light and vivid Pinot Noir was aged 12-14 months in partially new oak barrels. It has a bright, red ruby color of medium to light intensity, quite see through. The nose is delicate, elegant, somewhat a bit restraint yet fresh and earthy with red berries and cherry aromas. The palate offers freshly crushed spicy, ripe red cherry and raspberry flavors. Medium-bodied, its soft yet crispy red fruits expand on the mid-palate, enhanced by refreshing acidity and supported by silky tannins into a lengthy finish that ends with good, tart red fruit. Enjoyable now and ideal for hot weather, especially if served cool, it will be delicious with charcuterie or lean grilled meats.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery's website at www.bourgognes-faiveley.com

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LeDomduVin: Picpoul de Pinet & 2008 Les Vignobles Montagnac Picpoul de Pinet Montagnac Languedoc Hérault France

Picpoul de Pinet

With Summer knocking at the door, "literally" with the temperatures of this past weekend, it is time again to focus a bit more on crisp Whites, thirst quencher Rosé(s) and fresh light Reds. Among my favourite whites for Spring and Summer, Picpoul de Pinet wines are surely great contenders: fresh, vivid, light, uncomplicated and versatile, and more importantly, totally inoffensive.

Why inoffensive? Because I think that, in comparison, a white stinking of non-integrated new oak (e.g. some Californian chardonnay) and full of alcohol (i.e. above 13.5-14 degrees) is really offensive to me, especially when it is humid and “suffocatingly” hot in the streets of New York.

“Les Vignobles Montagnac” makes a tremendous Picpoul de Pinet for a tremendous price, another reason to choose a Picpoul de Pinet. It will also be inoffensive for your wallet. Two good reasons to discover this little wine!

Picpoul de Pinet is a small appellation of the western part of Languedoc. Along the Mediterranean Sea, on the Gulf of Lion, the Terroir of Picpoul de Pinet extends around the "Bassin de Thau", in the middle of a triangle between the towns: Agde Pezenas and Sete.

This is one of the greatest white wine regions of Languedoc: a limestone plateau exposed to the rising sun, covered with vineyards and fragrant bushes, dotted with high pine forests.

Picpoul de Pinet AOC only produces white wines from "Picpoul Blanc", an indigenous white grape variety also used in the Rhone Valley. Its name means "lip-stinger", which refers to the high acidity content of the grapes. Picpoul Blanc has two lesser-known siblings that generate less attention: Picpoul Noir and Picpoul Gris, also used in the Languedoc and Rhone Valley.

Les Vignobles Montagnac

Montagnac is a little village located in the northern part of the Picpoul de Pinet appellation, about 15 kilometres (driving) north of the village of Pinet and about 6 kilometres northeast of Pézenas.

"Les Vignobles Montagnac" is a wine cooperative built in Montagnac in 1937. It rapidly became the cooperative for the neighbouring municipalities, covering Montagnac and a few more of the surrounding villages. The cooperative produces wines from about 2,250 hectares of vines, mostly planted within two sites: Montagnac and Loupian.

When it was built, Montagnac was the largest vinification facility in the "Hérault" department. Its vineyards stretch from the banks of the "Bassin de Thau" to the foothills of the mountains on the right bank of the Hérault River.

On these diverse "terroirs" (combination of soils and microclimates), "Les Vignobles Montagnac" produces equally diverse wines. The wine range comprises the AC Picpoul de Pinet, AC Coteaux du Languedoc (red and rosé), AC Coteaux du Languedoc Grès de Montpellier and AC Coteaux du Languedoc Terroir Pézenas, as well as red, rosé and white Vins de Pays des Coteaux de Bessilles and the varietals Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Les Vignobles Montagnac represents 750 winegrowers, including numerous wine estates. Let’s face it: Les Vignobles Montagnac produces about 10% of the entire AOC Picpoul de Pinet, which confers them a leading position in terms of production but also quality.

2008 Les Vignobles Montagnac Picpoul de Pinet Montagnac Languedoc Hérault France

Suggested retail price $8-$11

Distributed by Bayfield Imports in NYC

This wine has a cute label with a drawing that describes quite well the literal French translation of Picpoul de Pinet: une dotted hen (une Poule) on a stingy sewing needle (une aiguille a coudre qui pique ou piqué dans les points de broderie du dessin), understand: "Pique" 'Poule". 

Made with 100% Picpoul Blanc grapes from mechanically harvested 8-year-old vines planted on calcareous red clay slopes known as "Terres Rouges”. The grapes were pressed immediately, and the best juices were selected and then allowed to settle before ongoing the temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine was left on its fine lees to accentuate flavours, texture and complexity without imparting its freshness.

Known as the Muscadet of the South, Picpoul de Pinet produces a clean, fresh and balanced white wine that works well with a variety of seafood, and this one from Montagnac is a great example of the friendliness of the wines from this region.

Floral and white fruit notes hold up nicely against vibrant acidity that lasts into a crisp, round finish. Uncomplicated, versatile and deliciously easy-going, this little wine will be perfect for casual dinner parties or meals at home or for picnics.

Enjoy,

Dom (aka LeDomduVin)

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.cave-picpoul-de-pinet.com

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A word on Chile and 2008 Amayna Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley San Antonio Chile

A word on Chile

In 2001, while still working as Chef Sommelier and wine buyer for restaurant in London, I went with my best friend trekking down the trails of the Massif Torres del Paine, in Chile.

We spent a few days in Santiago and its surroundings, like Valparaiso, Maipo, Rancagua, Coricó, Casablanca and Viña del Mar (among others), to visit the regions and the scattered wineries.

For a person like me that very much enjoys spending a great deal of time outdoors, what I liked the most was the fact that Chile is so narrow and present so much extreme in temperatures and landscapes, that it is surely one of the only countries in the world where you could spend your morning skiing and spend the rest of your afternoon sunbathing on the beach with the least amount of time wasted by crossing the country from east to west (4 hours at the most from the custom village of Portillo at the boundary with Argentina in the Andes to Valparaiso, the white fishermen city that seems to slide in the Pacific ocean).

At the time, only some the most well-known winery were exported to the UK, and one of my favorite was Viña Cousiño Macul for their renown Bordeaux like Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.

Shortly after, I moved to the US, and while the UK continued to discover and import more Chilean wine brands and labels, the US market seemed that it had been flooded with Concha Y Toro and pretty much nothing else from Chile.

Even the confirmation of Carmenère, as one of the leading grape variety massively produced in Chile to respond to the rapid and massive increase of the Argentinean Malbec popularity and the up-and-coming Uruguayan Tannat, didn’t expand the image of Chile in the US market.

Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo and Chardonnay from Casablanca seem to be the ever-trusted grapes and wine style from Chile. Yet, Chile abounds of different types of soils and microclimates that are ideal for grape growing and the production of world-class quality wines.

Therefore, is it by lack of interest so then that the American market is so poor in Chilean wines? (from the importers or from the consumers?) Well, it is difficult to say but the situation is deceiving for sure.

However, although the NYC market seems to be light or weak on its offering of Chilean wines and presents barely no promotion of them, but they are some very interesting Chilean wines if you dare looking around in the multiple importers and distributors portfolios that New York has to offer. Amayna is definitely one of them.

Garcés Silva Winery & Amayna wine

Amayna is produced by the Garcés Silva Winery located in San Antonio, a coastal city about 104 kilometers west from Santiago and about 14 kilometers from the Pacific ocean.

The Garcés Silva family has long been involved in agriculture, livestock and wine-growing, as well as the beverage, financial, and real-estate industries. José Antonio Garcés Silva, a businessman who acquired the property in the Leyda Valley - San Antonio area, thus becoming one of the pioneers in the area’s “viti-vinicultural” development, founded the winery that bears the family name.

San Antonio is in the Leyda district, and represents the entryway to explore the San Antonio Leyda Valley. Leyda is located in a valley that lies between the Coastal Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean and runs parallel to Chile's Central Valley. Its gentle coastal hills are characterized by poor soils and very dry climate.

The climate is characterized by its well-defined seasons and a low day-night temperatures differential due to the maritime influence. The vines grow on organically poor soils.

Amayna stems from grounds that are quite heterogeneous due to a dry coastal climate. Here we can find two soil types:

• Granitic soil: It can be found along hills and slopes and makes up 20% of the total surface. This soil is made up of red clay bearing high ferric oxide content. Vastly fractured granitic quartz rock appears at a depth of 50 cm.
  

• Alluvial soil: It is found along the hillsides. This soil is rich in clay, with a great deal of gravel and round stones.
  

Despite the family long involvement in agriculture and viticulture, Amayna is a fairly young project producing wines only from the property vineyards. The area planted in production now encompasses about 39 hectares of vines that were firstly planted in 1999.

The vineyard regroups about 4.5 hectares of Chardonnay, 8.3 hectares of Pinot Noir, 12.3 hectares of Syrah, 2 hectares of Gewurztraminer and about 12 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc, which they are renown for.


2008 Amayna Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley San Antonio Chile
Suggested retail price $18-$21
Distributed by T-Edward in NYC

This wine was made from handpicked selection of Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards about 8.6 miles from the Ocean. It was left for 10 days in stainless steel tanks for fermentation then spent an additional 2 months on its lees to allow better texture and complexity.

The fresh gentle ocean breezes combined with the poor soils characteristics allow for tremendous aromatic potential and great intensity in the wine's floral aromas and fresh, exotic fruit. The palate is fresh, crisp with great acidity and somewhat hints of saltiness (here again read my previous post on salty wines). The finish is quite long and dry and not with a certain elegance. The time on the lees definitely conferred this balanced wine with personality and creaminess with a biting attitude. Perfect with the shellfishes, oysters and fishes that are the pride of Chile, freshly fished from the Ocean or the numerous rivers from the Andes.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.vgs.cl

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Caruso & Minini Inzolia Terre di Giumara IGT Sicilia Italy

Caruso & Minini Inzolia Terre di Giumara IGT Sicilia Italy

Caruso & Minini is a winery located in Marsala, the most western coastal city of Sicilia, where Marsala wines are produced.

While the city's natives sometimes drink "vintage" Marsala, the wine produced for export is universally a fortified wine similar to Port. Originally, Marsala wine was fortified with alcohol to ensure that it would last long ocean voyages, but this tradition survived and continued because of its popularity in foreign markets.

Traditional Marsala is mainly produced using the Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto white grape varietals, among others. Slightly off dry or very sweet, Marsala wines were traditionally served as an aperitif or as a break between the first and second courses of a meal, but have also been used in cooking. They are also great with cheeses and chocolate, and make a great digestif too.

However, non-fortified still wines also exist in the region of Marsala and are produced with the same grape varieties: Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto (among others). By law it can’t be sold bearing the name of Marsala, therefore the non-fortified wines are sold under I.G.T (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). This appellation denotes wines from a more specific region within Italy, which are considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but do not conform to the strict wine laws applied in their region of origin. As an example, before the IGT was created in 1992, "Super Tuscan" wines such as Tignanello and Sassicaia were labeled “Vino da Tavola”.

Caruso & Minini is a fairly new project with roots going back more than 100 years ago. Stefano Caruso dreamed it, following into the step of his father Nino, who since the mid 1900s led the family company that was established by his own father, Francesco, and before that, his grandfather, Antonio.

The land chosen by Antonino and his son Francesco turned out to be perfect for the production of high quality grapes particularly desirable to Marsala’s wine establishments. The son of Francesco, Nino, discovered the contribution that the type of soil, altitude and distance from the sea could give to the quality of the grapes produced.

However, it wasn’t until the deal with Mario Minini was sealed that Stefano and Nino decided to launch the project of building the winery. Minini brought over 80 years of experience and maturity in managing and developing the Brescian winery, a determination to achieve the common objective with Caruso: produce wines that can charm and surprise the palate for their originality, character and elegance.

Today, Stefano Caruso leads Terre di Giumara, along with his brothers Francesco and Roberto, and decided to use the name of the family estate for the line of the Caruso & Minini’s single variety of wine. This is a tribute to the work that four generations of vintners have done to improve the quality of the grapes produced.

They possesses a great website (www.carusoeminini.it) that I will recommend you to visit for more info about this high quality oriented winery.

Caruso & Minini now produces a large portfolio of wines divided in 4 different lines: Le Selezioni, Cusora, Tasàri and Terre di Giumara. “Terre di Giumara” line focus mainly on single varietal wines: Grecanico, Nero d’Avola and Inzolia.




2008 Caruso & Minini Inzolia Terre di Giumara IGT Sicilia
Suggested retail place $11-$14
Distributed by Vinifera in NYC

Terre di Giumara is the name of their country estate and the name to their single variety of wines. It renews year after year the indissoluble bond between extraordinary grapes and their unique soil.

The hills of Giumarella, located at 15km east of Marsala, seem to be naturally suitable to the production of extraordinary and unique white grapes. Inzolia, which is characterized by intense and elegant fragrances, is a result of an ancient equilibrium between the strong and generous soil and the vine that thrive in this region.

Behind its pale yellow color with slight green reflects, this Inzolia is bright, lush, fruity and textured with characteristic nutty aromas and fresh notes of citrus and herbs. Slight touches of sea breeze aromas gently transport you to the coast of Sicily. Fairly rich and balanced, enhancing acidity and minerality (even a touch of saltiness... read my previous post on salty wines) bring some complexity to this uncomplicated and gentle white wine. Enjoy with Mediterranean-style fresh fish, seafood or chicken prepared.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at (www.carusoeminini.it)

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