Hotel Ritz “L’Amateur de vins et spiritueux” Tasting November 7th.
Posted On November 15, 2011 at 12:48 pm in Paris Tastings
Bordeaux and Champagne Tasting
Wine Bars and Bistros In Paris: Mélac
Posted On November 8, 2011 at 12:26 pm in Paris Restaurants
Owner Jacques Mélac’s father arrived in Paris in 1938 from the Aveyron region of southwest France and soon opened this wine bar and bistro located in a quiet residential neighborhood far off of tourist routes. As to be expected many of the hearty food specialties from the region are featured such as aligot a cheese and sausage dish. The excellent wine list favors the southwest France and the Languedoc. Each fall the thirty year old vines which line the outside walls are harvested and crushed the old fashioned way. Apparently about 40-50 bottles are produced.
Crushing Grapes the old fashioned way
Bistro à vins
42 rue Leon Frot
75011 Paris
T. 0143705927
Chateau Béru in Chablis
Posted On June 9, 2011 at 7:22 pm in Burgundy
Since the 1600′s the Béru family have made their home in this small village which is a ten minute drive from Chablis. After the phloxera louse wiped out the walled vineyards surrounding the chateau in the 19th century, wheat was grown in its place. Vines were not replanted until 1987.
Athénäis de Beru took over winemaking in 2004 after studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune. She runs the estate along with her mother. Grapes are hand harvested and yields are restricted. The vineyards are certified organic and Athénäis is looking to move to a biodynamic certification in the near future. Chateau Béru has one of two remaining moon-dials in Europe. Given biodynamic belief in timing treatments and cellar work to the lunar cycles the moon-dail may again become part of daily life at the chateau.
The Premier Cru Vaucoupin is aged in 1/3 new oak while the Clos Béru Monopole and village Chablis wines remain in stainless steel tanks. I found each of the wines to have the classic freshness and steely acidity that you expect from Chablis while maintaining a good intensity of citrus flavors.
The restored moondial at Chateau Beru
Athenais de Béru in the clos vineyards
renovation work is continuing at the chateau
Chablis: The Wine Region Not The Brand
Posted On May 19, 2011 at 5:38 pm in Burgundy
Grand Cru Vineyards of Chablis France
In some parts of the world chablis is the brand name given to white wines made from almost any white grape. Chablis is also the name of the wine region at the northern boundery of Burgundy where white wines are exclusively made from chardonnay. Within the region there is also the small town of Chablis. So next time someone claims “I don’t like Chablis but love chardonnay” you can ask which one they are referring to, the wine region, the town or the “brand” and then mention Chablis from France is always made from chardonnay.
I recently spent a day there visiting a few of the producers that practice organic viticulture. Because Chablis is the close northern most limit of viable viticulture most growers want to have a full arsenal of products at their disposal to treat crops. The handful of producers who are certified organic must do a lot more work in the vineyards in order to have healthy grapes.
This work was going at full speed due to the warm and dry conditions. Vines are already two weeks ahead of recent vintages in the growth cycle and the all important flowering stage is getting ready to begin. Growers are worried about the lack of rain which combined with the warm conditions could produce another vintage like 2003. Wines from that year for the most part lacked the charm and restraint that makes Chablis great.
I love the style of chardonnay that’s dry, bright, has lively acidity, full-bodied but not heavy and has a lingering finish. Most producers in Chablis go for an similar understated style and are very restrained in their use of oak. They let the wines natural character shine through rather than the trying to marrying with vanilla and oak flavors.
Chardonnay planted in limestone and clay soils
Visit To Champagne Georges Laval, Organic Since 1971
Posted On November 27, 2010 at 10:52 pm in Champagne
At just 90 minutes from Paris, experiencing the allure and history of the Champagne regions is an easy day-trip. So with guests in town recently we traveled to Cumieres, loctated ten minutes outside the Champagne capital of Epernay. After a late start we arrived just in time for lunch. The restaurant Le Caveau is situated inside a limestone cave that has been climatized and features the somewhat odd combination of period dressed mannequins presiding over antique cellar equipment. Even if the decor is a bit odd, the food is excellent. We had a great lunch of escargot in butter terragon sauce, smoked salmon and fish accompanied by a bottle of champagne.
We arranged for a visit with Vincent Laval of Champagnes Georges Laval, also located in Cumieres. Since 1971 they have produced champagne made exclusively from organically grown grapes. In the cool and sometimes rainy northern France, it’s easy to determine which growers are relying on chemical pesticides and fertilizers and which are doing the labor intensive work that’s required to grow vines organically. The treated vineyards are a moonscape of exposed rock and earth while the untreated vineyards are green with grass growing between the vines. In the arid south its too dry for much greenery so it’s more difficult to determine by sight which growers are carpet bombing their crops with round-up and and pesticides.
Vines produce better quality grapes when they are stressed and are forced to descend into the lower subsoils for nutrients. Over-fertilized vines have roots which remain close to the surface since they receive all the nutrients they need in the topsoils. Since they are not stressed, yields are higher but the quality and character of the grapes and much less interesting. The two vines that Vincent Laval removed intact from vineyards that were being replanted illustrate this point perfectly in the photo below.
So while you can pay a lot of money for champagne form the the big brands with their stylish packaging for my money the best value are from small producers like George Laval. And his wines don’t come cheap. His non-vintage sells for 40€ a bottle. Thanks again to Vincent Laval who was very generous with his time and even let us barrel taste his 2010 wines.
Le Caveau, 44 rue de la Cooperative, 51480 Cumieres, Tel: 03 26 54 83 23, http://www.lecaveau-cumieres.com/
Which is the better vine?
Greg
Rosés continue to have a bum rap in the United States.
Posted On July 8, 2010 at 7:18 pm in Languedoc
Maybe it’s a holdover from the ubiquitous and insipid blush wines that were so popular in the 1970s and 1980s, a mistaken association between pink(ish) wine and wine coolers, or simple wine snobbery. Whatever the reason, it’s really a shame because a good dry rosé is a crisp, refreshing and incredibly versatile wine. Rosés are a summer staple in our house when temperatures rise and a red can feel too heavy. They pair particularly well with seafood, spicy flavors and foods cooked with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.
Les Parets, La Clape near Chateau Moyau
Château Moyau Rosé is a lovely dry rosé, made from a blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 30% Cinsault and 20% Syrah. It is fruity (ripe berries, a hint of plum) with floral notes of rose, which are balanced by a lively acidity and complimented by a subtle minerality. Great to quaff on its own, Château Moyau is also a natural for picnics, backyard cookouts and BBQs.
A vacation to the South of France may not be in the cards this year, but at $15 a bottle Château Moyau Rosé is an affordable way to recapture (or capture) the mood, especially when paired with this month’s recipe, a classic Salade Niçoise.
Classic Salade Niçoise *
Serves 6
½ pound green beans, blanched, refreshed and halved (haricots verts – thin French green beans are best if you can find them)
1 pound red new potatoes, peeled, cooked, and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 small red onion, cut into thin rings and soaked in cold water for 5 minutes
two 6-ounce cans imported tuna (packed in olive oil) flaked into large chunks
¼ pound niçoise olives (pitted and halved if you have the time and patience; in France the olives are usually whole)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced shallot
12 anchovies, soaked in water for 5 minutes and finely chopped (anchovy paste is another option)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 head red-leaf lettuce, leaves torn roughly (or other leaf lettuce; romaine also adds a nice texture)
6 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
4 small tomatoes, quartered
Combine beans, potatoes, red onion, tuna, and olives in a large bowl and toss gently to combine, so as not to break up the tuna chunks. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Place garlic, shallot, anchovies, lemon juice, and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly dress lettuce with vinaigrette and divide among 6 plates. Decoratively arrange hard-boiled egg slices and tomatoes on lettuce, and drizzle with a little vinaigrette.
Dress vegetable and tuna mixture with remaining vinaigrette, tossing gently. Divide evenly among the plates.
Variation: for a fancier salad, try substituting grilled fresh tuna for canned.
*Taken from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook, by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca (Random House 1996)
Bordeaux Tasting on the Sidewalks of Paris
Posted On May 7, 2010 at 10:18 am in Bordeaux, Paris Tastings
Yesterday, I took an early afternoon break to attend one of the many sidewalk tastings put on by Caves Augé. When the weather is good and the sun is out, it’s fantastic venue for tasting wines. Plus you have the added advantage of witnessing Paris street theatre as we did yesterday when two women got out of the cars to vigorously argue over an open parking space.
The theme was Bordeaux and they had representatives from the chateaux pouring mostly recent vintages. Although Domaine de Jaugarat in Saint Julien had a 1989 vintage, which was an exceptional year in Bordeaux. I found it to be still developing and gaining complexity and nuance.
I also had a nice conversation with Paul Barre owner of Chateau La Grave in Fronsac. They have been practicing bio-dynamic viticulture since 1990. I asked him about the vinification of his wines. ”We harvest everything by hand, no filtration, no fining and no oenologue. We do laboratory analysis of the wines but we don’t have an oenlogist telling us how to make our wines.” I also asked him if he learned about winemaking from his father. ”My father was actually a wine broker in Bordeaux so I learned the more from trial an error.” I enjoyed both of his 2005′s and found La Fleur Cailleau de Fronsac to have a great spicy nose, gripping tannins and lots for black cheery flavors. His efforts have been recognized in the important French wine guides, Le Guide Hachette, Gault Millau.
Sidwalk Bordeaux Tasting at Caves Augé in Paris
The Classified Growths of the Languedoc
Posted On April 21, 2010 at 5:36 pm in Languedoc, Roussillon
I visited Les Crus du Soleil wine shop today. They only stock wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon including some of regions more celebrated producers like Mas Julien, Cyril Fahl’s Clos du Rouge Gorge and Domaine Borie de Maurel.
Crus du Soleil translated means classified growths from the sun. Of course, unlike Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace and even Provence where either vineyards or chateaux are classified, in the Languedoc-Roussillon no such system exists. Even with the recognition that pioneering producers like Domaine du Dumas Gassac have given the region, up until 10 years ago, the very idea of a classification would have been laughed at.
Les Gros Rouge qui tache
This expression refers to the staining qualities of the rustic and tannic reds wines produced in the past. Destined for the masses, they were sometimes illegally blended with Algerian grapes to give better color to wines made from over-productive low quality varietals. Grape growers of the era were more concerned with quantity in order to meet the then unlimited demand. Times change. The French are drinking less and the export market for these low quality indifferently made wines isn’t what it used to be.
Today, the Languedoc remains the world’s single biggest wine region but some producers who’s fathers and grandfathers once sold their grapes to the local cooperative are now making their own wines. They have seized upon the untaped potential of very specific areas of the Languedoc-Rousillon where unique soils structures and hillside vineyards combine with favorable microclimates. Here it’s possible to make wines that rival any in the world.
A cru system of sorts is also emerging. Several smaller appellations like La Clape, Minervois, La Laviniere and Pic Saint Loup are being recognized for the high over-all quality of their producers.
Les Crus du Soleil, 146 Rue du Chateau Paris 75014, Tél. : 01 45 39 78 99
Les Crus du Soleil
Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne Day Three
Posted On March 25, 2010 at 9:54 am in Burgundy
Day three of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne took place at the Palais de Congres in Beaune and featured wines from the Maconnais and the northern Cote de Beaune appellations of Aloxe-Corton, Savigny les Beaune and Haute Cotes de Beaune. The sheer number of wines at events like these forces you to focus on a specific appellation rather than taking a shotgun approach to tasting. By my count there were 424 producers present and each has at a minimum at least three to four wines. Some claim to have the ability to effectively evaluate five hundred or more wines a day. However, for me, after about a hundred wines, especially the more tannic ones, I can discern the high and lows but I find difficult to taste the nuances. Thankfully, organizers set up a vinothèque or sample table featuring one wine from each producer. Here you can freely try wines and then after finding something interesting you go and meet the producer to taste his full range.
The endless table of wines
5 Days & 10,000 Wines To Taste In Burgundy
Posted On March 18, 2010 at 3:48 pm in Burgundy
Next week I have the opportunity to participate in giant Burgundy tasting event called Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne. It’s held every other year with 15 different tastings spanning from Chablis in the north to the Cote Chalonnaise in the south. This year they are expecting 1600 journalists, importers, distributors and restaurateurs from 34 countries to take part in the tasting.
Despite having to be away from the office for five days for the event I’ve justified taking part since its an opportunity to taste a lot of Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy, which are not exactly everyday wines in our household. Also, it’s an occasion to taste and compare side by side the different styles of wines from producers in each appellation. Finally, since I’m sitting for the difficult blind tasting section of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET, London) Diploma in June, this is exam prep!
A tasting of wines from Clos de Vougeot & Vosne-Romanée takes place at the Chateau