2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain 

Bodegas Beronia is located in the village of Ollauri, about 5 kilometers south of Haro and about 10 kilometers west of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the Rioja Alta part of La Rioja.

In the third century BC, the “Berones” inhabited La Rioja, hence the name of "Beronia", named after them. This tempered part of Spain occupied by the “Berones” was found to be ideal for vine cultivation; as a result, La Rioja has since then proved to be one of the country's best and most consistent wine producing regions.

Founded in 1973 by a group of friends, Beronia was rapidely considered as a winery of reference, as it produced, from the beginning, classic Reserva and Grand Reserva wines using the purest and most traditional methods of Rioja.

Exceeding all expectations, Bodegas Beronia partnered with González Byass in 1982 to perfect the development of both projects. Since then, the sales and success of Beronia have been excellent in both national and international markets.

Beronia’s history and philosophy is based on two fundamental values: tradition and quality. Both concepts have allowed Beronia to produce constantly superior wines from the entry level to the special cuvées. All of which are exported to more than 70 countries worldwide.

In terms of Terroir, Bodegas Beronia is located in the Rioja Alta area, which corresponds to the northwestern part of La Rioja region. This particular area possesses mainly calcareous-clay soil and most vineyards are planted on average at an altitude of 600 meters (ASL). These two main factors allow for good drainage and enough retained moisture in the soil for the vines, but also cooler temperature at night due to the elevation, which is ideal to slow down the ripening process, consequently obtaining perfect ripeness.

The area’s climatic conditions should mostly be influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, however, the Cantabria and Demanda mountain ranges act as a natural protection, forming like an amphitheater, which somewhat shelter the sunbathed hilly Rioja vineyards. The region also benefits of the Ebro River, which creates series of various microclimates throughout the 3 Riojas (Alta, Alavesa and Baja) and provides much needed water for the vines.

Closed to Haro and San Vicente de la Sonsierra, respectively the capital of La Rioja Alta and the most charming and renowned hilltop postcard village of La Rioja, Bodegas Beronia's location is considered to be a truly unique place for the creation of wines of high quality. The medieval city of Haro itself is home to some of the best and most notorious wineries of La Rioja. "Barrio de la Estacion", Haro's train station neighborhood complex, which originated in 1877, still encompasses wineries with some of the oldest Calado in La Rioja (deep underground caves carved in the calcareous hill used for the ageing and storage of the wines). To the north of the Estacion, the oldest of the remaining wineries are: Bodegas Lopez de Heredia "Tondonia" with its Calado dating back from 1892; "Bilbainas" and "Roda". Also within the train station neighborhood, but to the south of the previous wineries, with semi-underground Calados, reside "La Rioja Alta", "Gomez Cruzado", "CVNE" and "Muga". Most wineries, located near the Barrio de la Estacion (the train station quarter), were built in this area to faciliate the transportation of wine.

Beronia's winery is surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards that are more than 60 years old. To complement the original holdings, now behind the winery, resides a new estate of 25 hectares. In addition, the technical team at Beronia control about 700 hectares of vineyards situated within a 10km radius of the winery.

The grape varieties used in Beronia are all the ones authorised by the Appellation of Origin of Rioja, which include Tempranillo (90%), Graciano (3%), Mazuelo (3%) and Viura (4%). The majority of the grapes come from contracts with about 150 vine-growers, but also other long term contracts and year round cooperation with all of them.

As I just mentioned, all the grapes used at Beronia come from the immediate surrounding vineyards around the estate but also from various vineyards within a 10 kilometers radius of the cellars, ensuring that only the highest quality grapes enter the winery and that transport of the grapes between the vineyards and the winery occurs as fast as possible to preserve the quality of the fruit. A close relationship is maintained with these 150 vine-growers who supply the grapes, guaranteeing that only the best quality grapes are selected and that the process is done so in the most natural way.

Beronia's technical experts frequently visit the estates throughout the year ensure that the use of fertilizers and chemicals are kept to a minimum, so as not to threaten the health or quality of the grape. It is their priority to maintain healthy and high quality grapes.  Beronia, true to its tradition, produces a classic line of fine and well-balanced wines: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. In addition to these, two white wines are also produced, a young Viura and a barrel fermented Viura.

They also preserve their innovative and avant-gardist attitude with an interesting range of single variety wines, special production Tempranillo and Beronia Mazuelo Reserva, making them the only winery in Rioja to produce a Reserva wine from the Mazuelo grape.

The harvest usually takes place from the end of September until the middle of October. All grapes used in the production of the wines at Beronia are obtained from specially chosen vineyards in the high and low areas of La Rioja Alta, to mix grapes of various degrees of ripeness and Terroir of origin to add complexity to the final desired blend.

95% of the wines produced at Beronia are red wines, which are aged over a long period of time in American oak barrels. A select number of barrels, used for the best wines, are mixed wood, with the cover made of French oak and the staves of American oak.

Bodegas Beronia has a total production of 500.000 cases of 12 bottles (9 liters per case) with over 2.750.000 bottles in stock and houses 28.000 oak casks (American, French and mixed) with an average age of 4 years, after which the barrels are sold and rotated with new ones.


The wines produced by Bodegas Beronia include:

• Beronia Viura  
• Beronia Viura Barrel Fermented  
• Beronia Tempranillo Special Production  
• Beronia Mazuelo Reserva  
• Beronia Crianza  
• Beronia Reserva  
• Beronia Gran Reserva  
• Beronia III a.C.   

The wine maker Matías Calleja, has worked as the technical director of the bodega for more than 20 years. He has more than 25 years of experience in producing and ageing quality wines from La Rioja.

Last year Matías launched his latest creation: III AC, a tribute to the first inhabitants of La Rioja. A unique wine made with selected grape varieties Tempranillo,  Graciano  and  Mazuelo  from  old vineyards. This is then aged in American, French and Bulgarian oak casks. The result is a superb and complex wine.

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva Ollauri Spain 
Suggested retail $23-$26 
Imported by Wildman in NYC

Talking about superb wine, for a guy like me who is a Spanish wines aficionado, the 2001 Gran Reserva is an excellent example of the quality of this exceptional vintage in Rioja, more especially at under $30, it is a steal.

Made out of roughly 92% Tempranillo 4% Carignan and 4% Graciano, and only after a careful selection of the grapes and a long fermentation, the 2001 Beronia Gran Reserva was aged for 24 months in American-French oak barrels, to be bottled in 2005, and remained in the cellar for a few more years before release.

Note by the way that La Rioja wines are the only wines in the world to be aged at the property for that long (3 years minimum for a Reserva - 2 years in barrels + 1 year in bottles - and 5 years minimum for a Gran Reserva - 2 to 3 years in barrels and the remaining in bottles) and to be released on the market only when the winemaker decide so and the wine is ready. Which is quite amazing, when you think how labor intensive and about how much it must cost them to store these wines for years.  

However, as I was saying earlier, I’m a big fan of the 2001 vintage and old Rioja wines in general and I wasn’t disappointed at all by this wine. Quite classic in fact. Red cherry color with garnet and ochre reflects on the rim. The nose boasts complex and elegant ripe fruit and oaky chocolate aromas intermingled with notes of sweet spices like nutmeg and cloves, and some underbrush and balsamic hints. Framed by soft and integrated sweet woody tannins, the palate is broad, rich, ample and well structured, with complex nuances of ripe fruit, chocolate, spices and licorice. The long finish is harmonious and agreeably persistent. When I think Rioja wines, I usually think about "Chuletas Asado"de Porcino y de Cordero (grilled lamb and pork chops), served with local mushrooms and grilled or roasted vegetables.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited and translated from the winery website at  http://www.beronia.es

And, not that it matters for this post, but when I think Ribera del Duero, I think about "Salones Nazareno", better known as "El Nazareno", a restaurant located in the village of Roa, northeastern part of Ribera del Duero, serving the best "Lechazo"I have ever tasted. I have eaten there each time I went to visit wineries in Ribera del Duero, and each time I was amazed and extremely satisfied.

Well known from the local winemakers who usually go there for the lunch with their family and guests and trade visitors like me, this family-run restaurant which resembles more like a friendly family cantina than a three stars Michelin, serves probably the best Lechazo of the Ribera del Duero region.

Lechazo is the baby lamb roasted in wood fired ovens typical from Castilla, usually served in a steaming open copper pot with a green salad aside seasoned only with olive oil and “Fleur de Sel” type of salt. The combination is to die for.

There are no menus here since roasted baby lamb is the specialty and the only dish prepared in the restaurant. It is usually pretty busy and you must book in advance, as they take in consideration the amount of lamb that you will eat. The usual order is about a quarter for two, but they really have to know in advance as the lambs are counted and evaluated for the exact number of guests who booked for the lunch and slowly roasted from early morning.

You can start with some black sausage and some cheese from the area, also available as a starter, but the main and only dish is the Lechazo and green salad. The lamb is so tender that it literally melts in your palate. The wine list offers a great choice of the local wines. And if you happen to have nothing to do in the afternoon, you might as well stay and admire the view of the Duero river, with a Spanish brandy, a cognac or a Calvados, from the bar which is full of classic Digestif(s) that will pair pretty well with one of the numerous cigars their humidor contains.

If you've never experienced such thing as "Lechazo", the Castilla way, you ought to go to El Nazareno.


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

2009 Domaine de l’Octavin “Dora Bella” Poulsard “La Mailloche” Arbois JuraFrance

2009 Domaine de l’Octavin “Dora Bella” Poulsard “La Mailloche” Arbois Jura France  

A family-run estate owned by Alice Bouvot and Charles Dagand, Domaine de l’Octavin is located in Arbois, a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France, about 50 kilometers southwest of Besançon and about 80 kilometers southeast of Dijon, nestled in the northeastern hills of the Jura Massif.

After graduating as a viticole engineer in Bordeaux and studying in Dijon to become oenologist, Alice Bouvot decided to go abroad to observe the types of wine that is produced there: California first, with renowned winemaker Aaron Pott in 2000, New Zealand and again in California at Pine Ridge in 2001; Vina Errazuriz in Chile in 2002 and then six months in California.

Despite the accumulated wealth of all these encounters and experiences during these three years, Alice returned to France with the certainty that her life will be held in the Jura, this tiny vineyard that does not exceed one percent of French vineyards. After a position of vineyard manager in the “Côte du Jura”, she decided to settle in Arbois with her cellar master, Charles Dagand.

Charles Dagand learned and did his classes in Burgundy. After studying as a technician in oenology and viticulture, it worked with Mr. Galmard, as the technical director of the local cooperative “Fruitière Vinicole d'Arbois – Chateau Bethanie”. Alice enticed him in her adventure in 2004. A year later, they decide to create their own domain: OPUS VINUM, which will become the “Domaine de L’Octavin” in 2008.

Chronologically, here is the historic of the Domaine:

• Created in 2005, Alice and Charles started to rent some vines in the spring and bought a winemaker’s home in the fall, where they vinified 50 hl.  

• Purchase of vines in 2006: 3.20 ha in the finest Terroirs d'Arbois:  
• lieu dit "Les Corvées" 
• lieu dit "Les Nouvelles" 
• lieu dit "En Poussot"   

• Cultivating 1 hectares of vines with organic methods in a place called "La Mailloche." 

• Cultivating o.6 hectare of vines in a place called "In Curon" very good subsoil for red varieties.  

• 2007 vintage: conversion of all the vineyards certified organic by Ecocert.  

• 2008 vintage: practice of Biodynamic methods: spray dung horn and silica to rectify the equilibrium of the soil and the plants, as well as use of infusion of plants such as nettle, willow, yarrow, the horsetail, dandelion (to strengthen the defenses of the plant immunity and consequently reduce the dose of copper used).  

• Spring 2008: planting 0.60 hectare of Savagnin  

• 2009 harvest: no added crap / / 100% sulfur-free wines – the biodynamic process is fully in place and contributes to the complexity of all the produced wines.   

The Domaine now encompasses 4,90 hectares of vineyards, all Organic and most under reconversion in Biodynamic culture.

The vineyards are planted with local grape variety:

• 45 % of red grapes: Trousseau 20% (reconversion), Pinot noir 13% (reconversion), Ploussard 12% (Organic). 


• 55 % of white grapes: Chardonnay 11% (reconversion), Chardonnay (organic) 11%, Savagnin, 33% (AB and reconversion). 

Continuing their work in the vineyard with assiduity and dedication, favoring organic and biodynamic agriculture, they wish to present wines that are the most characteristic to their Terroir of origin (quality of the soil, exposure, micro-climate, etc…) without the addition of any artifices, no sulfur, no yeast, no enzymes, etc… Just great healthy wines reflecting the passion of the producers and their utmost respect for the environment.

It's more a philosophy and a lifestyle that they choose here; again, the only truth is the emotion that their wine conveys in the glass. Although quite small they still mange to produce a wide array of wines that I invite you to discover on the winery website at http://www.opusvinum.fr/

Also, to understand the naming of the various labels, you have to know that they are huge fans of classical Music and Arts. Keep an eye on this up-and-coming estate that produce some of the best examples that Jura as to offer, even without having the notoriety of people like Tissot that are a classic standard of the appellation and make stunning wines.


Here is the old label, or at least the label distributed in Europe for the older vintage:

And here is the new, revamped and in my opinion friendlier label:

2009 Domaine de l’Octavin “Dora Bella” Poulsard “La Mailloche” Arbois, France 
Suggested retail price $22-$25 
Imported / distributor by Savio Soares

Made from 100% very old Poulsard vines (about 50 years old) with no sulfur added, the 2009 Domaine de l’Octavin “Dora Bella” is a beautifully crafted wine, fresh, juicy and fruity, that I highly recommend you to discover. Already intriguing in the glass, adorning a light to medium bright ruby red color with purple hue, the nose is fresh, fragrant and mineral, with fresh red berries aromas mingled with balsamic hints and meaty character. The palate is generous, textured and ample, yet fresh, enhanced by delineated acidity and framed by delicate integrated tannins. In the finish, the red fruit flavors evolve nicely with earthy, mineral, spicy and peppery notes. What a lovely wine!


Decidedly, I can not hide the fact that I’m in love with all mountainous and hilly wines, and overall all wines displaying great minerality and crisp acidity, whatever the color and whether they come from Jura, Savoie, Bugey, Vallée d’Aoste, Piedmont, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Alto Adige, Campania, Rioja, Galicia, and a few more regions in Europe more particularly, I love them all. What more pleasurable than a fresh, juicy and mineral wine that will wake up your taste buds, flirt with your palate with attractive and delicate features that will immediately call for another glass, compared to a huge Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel or even certain Pinot Noir boasting more than 14.5% of alcohol and taste way overripe and hugely too oaky? In my opinion, not much, wine-wise of course…  

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited and translated from the winery website at http://www.opusvinum.fr

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

2009 Famille Peillot Bugey Pinot Red table wine producer at Montagnieu, Bugey, France

2009 Famille Peillot Bugey Pinot Red table wine producer at Montagnieu, Bugey, France  

Bugey is a small appellation, yet pretty spread out, comprised in a triangle between Lyon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Chamberry, in the eastern part of the Ain département of France, west of the “Massif du Jura” southern hills. Vineyards cover around 500 hectares (1,200 acres) spread over 67 communes in the department of Ain. (see map below courtesy of the Syndicat des Vins du Bugey)

The wines used to be produced under the “VDQS” designations Bugey and Roussette du Bugey, which, in May 2009, were both elevated to Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status. A high proportion of Bugey wine is white, but rosé, red and sparkling wines are also produced. Made predominantly from the aromatic white variety Altesse, locally called Roussette, Bugey white wines are surely the most notorious of the area, with of course those from neighboring Savoie.

Although completely different but surely due to the fact that they share the same grape varieties and both are mountainous appellations with similar character and minerality, and quite closed in distance, Bugey is often assimilated to Savoie, which is located a bit further south around Chamberry and surrounding the western and southwestern part of Massif des Bauges.

In Bugey, like in Savoie, wines are most exclusively made with Altesse / Chasselas / Jacquère / Molette / Verdesse / Gringet / Mondeuse Blanche for the whites and Mondeuxe Noir / Persan / Pinot Noir for the reds. However, Chardonnay, Aligoté, Pinot Gris, Poulsard, Gamay and Molette can also be found and be part of the final blend depending on the desired wine style, its village and appellation of production.

Most wines from Bugey are rather unknown and undiscovered; yet, two of them seem to have broken the impassable boundary that Lyon represents in terms of recognition outside the Ain department: Montagnieu white and Cerdon du Bugey red sparkling, which are, by far, the most famous ambassadors of the Bugey region, as well as the “Poulet de Bresse”, the only poultry in France to have its own AOC

Yes, AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée  - goes for food too if you didn’t know, cheeses, specialty dishes from specific areas, animals and their meat, and much more… but it will be too long to explain everything in this post; so I invite you to read a very informative article on the subject at: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/french-society_6816/way-of-life_5279/french-food_5356/appellation-origine-controlee-regional-label-of-excellence_8389.html

Winemakers in the Bugey beg to differ. They feel that their region has a soil and a climate all its own, which produce wines found nowhere else in France (Cerdon being the less obscure example of Bugey’s originality).

The 6 hectares Domaine of the Peillot family is located in Montagnieu, a village south of Cerdon, on the eastern bank of the Rhône river at the foot of the southern hills of the Jura Massif, with premières côtes overlooking the Rhône valley, and most of its production is a white sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Roussette de Savoie, Gamay and Jacquère. The grape Roussette is called Altesse locally, and it survives in the Bugey in a few patches of old vines, for it is not as hardy, reliable and productive as others. Only two young winemakers in Montagnieu, Franck Peillot and Benoît Dumont, produce still wines exclusively from this grape. By law, the wine, Roussette du Bugey, can contain any white varietal, in any proportion. That’s why Peillot’s is labelled 100% Altesse.

Franck Peillot, who took over his family estate five years ago, carries on the work of 4 generations before him. Although he makes a sparkling Montagnieu from Chardonnay, Altesse, and Mondeuse, he vinifies all of his Altesse old vines as a still wine. With low yields and high ripeness, he is set to revive the wine that Jules Chauvet (a Beaujolais négociant, eminent taster and writer who has inspired a whole school of “natural winemaking”, notably in Morgon) put on a par with Château Chalon, Château Grillet and Yquem. Exaggeration aside, the varietal is thought to be a cousin of the Hungarian Furmint of Tokay fame, and, even when vinified dry, it retains a fair amount of residual sugar.

Peillot is also a believer in the quality of his Mondeuse grapes, and is the lone vigneron in the village who obtained the appellation Montagnieu Mondeuse with his red wine in the 1997 vintage. All of his vineyards are planted on fairly steep slopes with great southern exposure and rich in minerals soils.

The wine of today was produced with 100% Pinot Noir crafted from a 1-hectare vineyard. This Pinot Noir has become somewhat of a cult, as it is very hard to get a hold of given its tiny production. We only have a few cases and it will go very fast.

2009 Famille Peillot Bugey Pinot Red table wine producer at Montagnieu, Bugey, France 
Suggested retail price $16-$19 
Imported / distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC

Made from 100% Pinot Noir vinified in stainless steel tanks, the 2009 Famille Peillot Bugey Pinot presents a fairly dark color in the glass with deep red reflects. The nose is fresh, delicate, somewhat restraint with dark berries and red cherry aromas mingled with earthy, mineral and slightly herbaceous notes (touch green somehow despite the ripeness of the vintage). The palate is fresh, delicate, dry and somewhat esoteric yet clean and pleasing, but fragile. The finish is really dry and mineral.

I tasted slightly cold first and really enjoyed it for its freshness and brightness, yet mixing dark and red berries. But I re-tasted it by the end of the day at room temperature, and found it a bit green and tight, still enjoyable and very summery but not for every palate and definitely not your everyday wine. Although, I liked it a lot because it corresponds to my palate and the type of wine that I like to drink when it is super hot outside, I will recommend to chill it a bit to mask that slightly green edge and to accentuate the acidity and the brightness of the fruit. Wine connoisseurs and amateurs may be surprised and pleased, but novices may frown.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin  

Info partly taken from the importer website at http://louisdressner.com/Peillot/  and map of Bugey courtesy of the Syndicat des vins du Bugey at http://www.vinsdubugey.net/08_caves.php

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

"Buvez du Vin et Vivez Joyeux" 1933 by Leonetto Cappiello [1875-1942]

I just changed the blog introduction picture, as I do occasionally, from the upper right part of a painting from René Magritte "The Portrait" Brussels 1935 that I love, for this great French ad that you might have recognized; if not, it is a lithography by Leonetto Cappiello [1875-1942], edited by the french minister of Agriculture in 1933, in a campaign to promote the benefit of drinking wine. The slogan translates by: "Drink some wine and Live Happy!" An advice that I have been following for more than 20 years and counting. I can only advise you to do the same, with moderation of course.

Enjoy,

LeDom du vin

2009 Causse Marines Marcillac Southwest of France

Causse Marines Gaillac & Marcillac 

Domaine Causse Marines is located in “Vieux”, a small village about 13 kilometers north of Gaillac and about 72 kilometers northeast of Toulouse, in the Tarn departement, southwest of France.

Like most Appellations in the southwest of France, Gaillac is fairly small and rather undiscovered, covering about 4,200 hectares. The traditional red wines of the region boast good ageing potential, about 8–10 years, due to the very good tannic structure and complex texture.

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Duras, Fer Servadou and /or Syrah are the main grape varieties used for the production of Red and Rosé.

Made for drinking young, "Primeur" red wines are also produced (just a few months following the harvest). It's a marketing scheme is based on Beaujolais Nouveau. The template is followed so closely that primeur wines must be made from the Gamay grape and are released for sale on the third Thursday of November (like in Beaujolais).

The white wines are made of Mauzac, Sauvignon Blanc and / or Muscadelle, Len de l'El and Ondenc, local grape varieties. The appellation makes all sort of wines: Table wines, dessert wines and sparkling wines.

Bought by Patrice Lescarret in 1993, the Domaine was re-baptized “Causse Marines” for the two main geological factors of the area: “Causse” because the Domaine is located atop a Causse, referring to a limestone-calcareous plateau of a certain elevation, proper to most regions et department in and near the Massif Central. “Marines” because it is the name of the little river gently flowing down at the bottom of the property, consequently creating a natural boundary with the neighbors and a good source of water and moister for the surrounding Nature.  

Patrice was brought up drinking mainly Bordeaux wines until the age of 16 years old, which usually doesn’t help to be humble and open-minded. And when you know that shortly after he attended the famous "Institute of Oenology of Bordeaux", one will understand the prejudices and lack of objectivity of the boy. Fortunately, his experienced outside of Bordeaux brought him back to reason and lucidity regarding the wines from other regions than Bordeaux. First employed in Sancerre and then manager in Provence, he naively performed his classes before unconscientiously jumping in his new life to run his own Domaine in 1993 in Gaillac.

He learned his first lesson when he understood that to make some wine, one needs some grapes! Started with only 8 hectares that he bought from a local paisan and rapidly extended to 12 hectares, the Domaine is now run by Patrice and his wife Virginie Maignien (who first arrived at the Domaine to do the harvest in 2005 and ended-up staying longer, in her words: "she fell into a trap"), who, with their team, put all their efforts to produce great, Natural wines predominantly crafted with the local, originally cultivated grapes, meaning no clones and rigorous “massale” selection when replanting or grafting.

Despite their numerous efforts to convince the ones in charge of the Appellation to make some changes to rectify the rules, be more flexible and accept the wines of Patrice as part of the Appellation, most of Patrice’s wines are predominately sold as Vin de Table (except a few in AOC), because beyond the rule permitted by the Appellation. However, Patrice doesn’t give up and proudly continues to follow his goals and ideas, putting his dedication and personality in each bottle by producing high quality wines from old vines under Demeter certification, hence certified biodynamic and biologic, meaning: no herbicides, no pesticides, no synthetic or any non organic derivate products, low use of sulfur.    

The 12 hectares are planted with Syrah, Duras, Braucol, Prunelard for the reds and Jurançon Mauzac, Ondenc, Loin de l’œil, Muscadelle, Sémillon… and Chenin the whites. Yielding are kept to a minimum, between 13 to 30 hl/ha during the last 10 years. Of course, vineyard’s works and more especially harvests are done by hand. Letting the wine start and finish the fermentation, no addition of yeast or unnatural chemical, minimal intervention and light fining or / and filtering makes for natural vinification.

To conclude with a few words from Patrice and his great sense of humor: “one can make biodynamic wines without having long hair and smocking grass; and one can produce natural wines that do not smell like the fart of a cow!”

From his Gaillac estate, Patrice craft quite a few wines: 4 whites, 3 reds, 4 sweet wines, 1 semi-sweet and a sparkling wine.  I invite you to go to his website (http://www.causse-marines.com) to read a bit more about his other wines, because strangely enough, the wine of today from Patrice Lescarret under the Causse Marines label with a clown face on it, doesn’t come from Gaillac but neighboring Appellation Marcillac.

Strangely enough too, there is no mention of his vineyards in Marcillac on his website, yet if you go to Pictures on his website you will see some shots of his vineyards and estate in Marcillac. All together now, the Domaine includes about 15 ha of vines stretching across both the Marcillac and Gaillac AOC’s.

Marcillac is an even smaller appellation than Gaillac, surrounding the eponymous village, located a bit further northeast in the Aveyron departement, about 20 kilometers northwest of Rodez and about 112 kilometers west of Cahors on the same latitude.

Marcillac encompasses about 170 hectares of vineyards planted in red clay soils rich in iron oxide that are known locally as rougiers. The individual plots either cling to steeply sloping hillsides or are cut into terraces, facing south and therefore ensuring ideal ripening conditions. The main variety grown (90 %) is Mansois, the local name for Fer Servadou. The remainder is made up of Cabernets: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This particular red wine tends to be tannic and rustic in character, with predominantly raspberry aromas. Some rosés are also produced locally but rare to find on the export market.

The grapes for the following wines come from vineyards around the village of Salles-la-Source, a little village about 13 kilometers northwest of Rodez, on the road to Marcillac.

2009 Causse Marines Marcillac Southwest of France 
Suggested retail price $16-$19 
Imported / distributed by Louis / Dressner in NYC

Crafted with 100% Fer Servadou from old vines, the 2009 Causse Marines Marcillac is an amazing wine. Fairly dark in the glass, with good intensity, it seems slightly blurred surely due to light or no filtration with an attractive purple hue.  The nose offers fresh, earthy aromas of mixed red and dark berries; touch of plum, red and blackcurrant intermingled with Terroir oriented hints of spices, garrigues, earth, biter chocolate and smoke. The generous and structured palate is also earthy and slightly esoteric, seems rustic but in a good way, enhanced by great acidity and minerality. The flavor’s profile follow the ones on the nose accentuated with more soil and Terroir characteristics, and again, blackberry, plum, chocolate, spice and more garrigues. The ripeness of the fruit comes from the age of the vines, but also from the quality of the vintage and the exposure of the vines.  The long finish boasts good tannic structure and texture, give this wine a nice ageing potential.

A bit tight at first, it will need a decanting and at least half an hour to open up and deliver fully all of its features. Highly recommended, this earthy wine from the southwest of France deserves to be drunk with substantial food and stews: grilled steak, Saucisse Lentilles de Toulouse a la Graisse d’Oie (goose grease), Cassoulet, Pot-au-Feu, Barbeque, etc….

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at http://www.causse-marines.com

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

White from Red grapes and Rose from "Gris" grapes that were always vinified in white, a new trend?

White from Red grapes and Rose from "Gris" grapes that were always vinified in white, a new trend?

In one of my recent posts, I was describing a Pinot Noir Bianco from the Vallee d’Aoste, and was asking you to mark my words on it, as it will become a trend very soon to produce and drink white wines made out of red grape varieties. Today, I feel the need to write a post to elaborate that concept and tell you why it will become a new trend.

You’ve tried many Pinot Noir Red and Rose wines, and surely many Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio white wines too. But did you ever taste a Pinot Noir white or a Pinot Grigio Rose? No?

And don’t get me wrong, but I’m not talking about the kind of pink sweet wines that made Californian “White Zinfandel", "white Merlot" or "white Cabernet Sauvignon” famous 20 years ago. No, I’m talking about the good stuff.

If you didn’t, it is not surprising, because they are not too many of these kinds of wine on the market yet.  But I can assure you that it is a new thing that just started but should spread out really rapidly within the next few vintages. More especially, if we consider climate changes, global warming and other weather discrepancies like those we have been experiencing over the last 10-15 years, white wines made out red grapes and rose wines made out of grapes with geyish-pinkish skin color but were always vinified as white, will definitely prevail over red wines. In fact, you can see it in the sales (retails and restaurants), white and rose wines are definitely more in favor than they were 5-10 years ago.

However, within the last 60 years of winemaking on earth, many experiences and trends occurred; some lasted, some disappeared, some evolved with ups and downs but for the better and rarely for the worst (fortunately for us).

• In the 50s and the 60s, wines were very tannic and acid and needed time to develop and open up, chemicals were good and helpful and smocking was healthy then.

• In the 60s-70s, wine was overproduced to keep-up with the demand of a growing world population that went from 2 billions people in the 20s to 4,5 billions in the 60s as a result of the children of the Baby Boom born just after WWII; machines and tractors replaced human workers in the vineyards and chemicals were still used in profusion; productivity overruled quality.  

• In the 70s-80s, heavy toasted new oak barrel ageing became an institution and more especially in the 80s everything needed to be oaky; the American influence from critics like Robert Parker Jr. and magazine like the Wine Spectator on how the European, more especially on how the French wines should taste to be sold to the US market, triggered major changes and established new factors in winemaking understanding and process. As an opportunist market, Bordeaux led the way from the beginning and took great advantage of the American points systems, which brought them to where they are now, except that the US are not buying the classified growth anymore, but the Chinese are.     

• In the 80s-90s, the green movement with sustainable, lutte raisonnee and organic practices became more obvious and more relevant, fewer chemicals were used and social consciousness towards a greener life awaken. Oak was still important with the Garagist, but only the wealthiest wineries and producers could really afford new oak, the other continue to follow the way they could.  

• In the 90s-2000s, the biodynamic movement initiated by the studies and books of Rudolf Steiner written back in the 20s-30s (amongst a few doctors and professors who had great interest on the subject at that time), ignited the greener practices winemaking revolution that we are experiencing today.

• 2000s-2010s, the world experienced (and continues to experience) the worst financial crisis ever and the bloodiest terrorist attacks in many countries; wine-wise, classified Growth Bordeaux broke price records for nearly each vintage, multiplying their by 8-9 times in 10 years: a 1st growth Bordeaux 2000 vintage was going for about $125-$150 "En Primeur"in NYC, about $300+ for 2003 and roughly $500+ for 2005, and 10 years later due to the excessive demand from the emerging countries, the same Chateau was offer between $875-$950 En Primeur for the 2009 vintage and the 2010 went even higher...  

• 2010-2011, the wines under $20, and more especially under $15 are the main target, anything above $30 doesn't move anymore, people are still very cautious on how to spend their money and want great value for money. Importer and distributors reshape their portfolio. Retails and restaurants build up their wine-list with better wines at lower prices. And producers try to new grounds and test the market with new products (i.e. whites made out of red grapes for example). Re-apparition of independent distillers and winemakers, everybody wants to give it a try and everybody thinks that it is very lucrative. Bad news, the market is overcrowded and overflowed, yet business continues and we will see what happen later on. 

In terms of vinification techniques too, we tried pretty much everything in every forms and shapes: amphorae, ceramic, glass, oak barrels, wooden vats, glass lined or epoxy or bare cement tanks, all sort of stainless steel and fiberglass tanks and vats, and lately we are even back to putting wine back into amphoraes and other containers and ageing them in the sea or the ocean.

And much more questions for each vintage: Green harvest? De-leafing? Early pruning? Vendange en vert? Parcel selection? Sorting table? Ripeness or crispiness? Acidity? Tannins? Earthiness? Smoothness? Racking or no racking? “sur lie” or no lees? Malolactic or no Malo? Filtered or unfiltered? Fine or unfined? Egg’s white or bentonite? Heavy, medium or lightly toasted barrels? Used or new barrels? Barrel or Stainless steel? Clear or dark bottle? Fancy or trendy or classic or designed label? Plastic or wood or glass cork? Etc…

In the wine world, the trade (including wineries, producers, brokers, importers, distributors, retailers, etc...) tried pretty much everything that could be tried and done, but it is never enough. In this fast paced life that we live in, dictated by efficiency, productivity, profit and design, and always going forward, pushing back the limits of our imagination to always create something new and always change the trend to keep people attention and interest, in order to increase sales and profit and incite people consumption and consummation, we had to come up with something new.

And the new trend for me, as far as I can see and taste, given the little signs here and there during tastings over the last few months, will surely be very soon, if not already: whites made out of red grapes and rose made out “Gris” grapes that were always vinified white.

What is “Gris” means? "Gris"refers to the greyish-pinkish skin color of the grape. It indicates that the grape skin, which contain the anthocyanins, polyphenols and other pigment chemicals responsible for the varying shade of the skin color, is neither usually in the yellow spectrum for white or usually in the red-dark blue spectrum for the red, but somewhere in between.

In France, usually, when a wine boasts a slightly pinkish color for a white, it is often called “Gris”; however, this pinkish color, or hue depending on the intensity, is generally occurring because the skin of the used grape isn’t really white, but slightly pigmented or lightly colored, giving a grey-blue-pinkish color to the grape. The word "Gris" is then sometimes added to the name of the grape to differentiate it from its sibling, like: Sauvignon Gris, Pinot Gris, Frontenac Gris, Moschofilero, etc.. those are grapes that are pinkish, but yet they are all mostly vinified as white.

Take the Pinot Gris grape for example, Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio wines are usually white, but the skin color of the grapes is grayish-pinkish, not white or yellow as most people will figure, especially when talking about a wine that all people refers as white. See the picture of a Pinot Gris grape above to better understand what I'm trying to say. As you can now understand, which must be weird for those of you that didn't know, Pinot Gris is a white wine made out of pinkish grapes (Pictures courtesy of www.northwest-wine.com).

However, I think that from now on, we will see more of this “Gris” wines in the Rose color, and both will be available, the white and the pink version. For example, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are usually vinified without the skin and are in most people mind, white. And that is because, like for any whites, the grapes are gently pressed to avoid skin contact, fermented without the skin and the resulting pressed and fermented juice is white. Now think that if the same grape variety was fermented with its skin, like for a red, then the resulting Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio will be pink or reddish (see example below).

As for the whites crafted out of red grape varieties, mark my words, they will be very common and trendy within the next few vintages. It has already started. The other day I tasted a white that was made out of 2 usual white grape varieties combined with Merlot; yes, Merlot! Amongst other red grapes vinified in white, Merlot or Pinot Noir are sometimes blended with other white grapes to add structure and texture and weight (to a certain extend).

I know it is weird somehow, but these wines are pretty good. Making white wines out red grapes is a winemaking method that is up-and-coming and will rapidly evolve as it open the door to countless possibilities and combinations, and will surely inspire a new trend among the new winemakers who want to distinguish themselves from the pack and consumers in search of something new and different.    

But enough talking, here are two really good examples that I discovered and bought recently. I highly recommend them, as they are deliciously crisp, light, refreshing and summery.

2009 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco Vallée d’Aoste Italy
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported / distributed by Polaner in NYC

If the 2009 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco adorns this very attractive, super-light-onion-skin meet orange-melon-pinkish hue, it is because it was crafted with 100% Pinot Noir grapes vinified off the skins, like a white, hence the slightly pink intriguing color. Technically it is a white, not a rose, despite the appearance. The nose is rather light, fresh, and mineral with a touch of cherry. The palate is also really light, crisp, racy, with lot of minerality, zesty acidity and very enjoyable texture, yet it may appear non-descript for some, but I really like it.

Like most wines from the Vallée d’Aoste, this wine combines elegance, refinement, and freshness in a focused palate, enhanced by the characteristic searing acidity, minerality and quality of the fruit. One day if I can, I think I will retire in the Vallée d’Aoste, this peaceful and undisturbed haven of peace north of Piedmont seems to have seduced my taste buds to the point that only a few other wine regions in the world can.

The second one is the best example of Pinot Grigio Rose that I have personally tasted yet.

2010 Azienda Agricola Calatroni Pinot Grigio Rose Provincia di Pavia Oltro Pavese Lombardia Italy
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported / distributed by Vignaioli Selection in NYC

Nestled in the hills of the Versa valley, the Calatroni estate rests in the village of Montevalco Versiggia, in the heart of the Oltrepo’ Pavese region (Lombardi, central northern Italy).

This family run estate is dedicated to cultivating their 37 acres of vineyards following tradition and experience. They grow grapes typical of the area, including Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero, striving to produce both refreshing white wines and highly enjoyable reds. The vines are grown with respect for nature, trying to maintain the integrity and rusticity of the plants. The estate also has a strong interest in renewable energy.

The wine is made out of 100% Pinot Grigio from 7.4 acres of vines planted at 500 meters (asl) on partly calcareous soil and south, southwest exposure.  The grapes are harvested at the end of August/early September from 15 year old vines. The entire cluster is used in the vinification. The grapes are transferred to tanks, where maceration takes place at a temperature between 50-60°. After a soft pressing, the must has an intense pink color, which then becomes the softer pink typical of a pinot grigio rosè. Fermentation takes places for 25-35 days at a temperature of 57-61°. The wine is refermented: the residual sugars from the first fermentation are utilized to make this a ‘vivace’ (sparkling) wine. 1,500 cases produced.

Light copper, fuchsia color of medium intensity. The nose is fresh, delicate and elegant with wild flowers and violets, light touch of wild red berries and hints of yeast (surely due to the re-fermentation and accentuated by the fizziness).  Soft and friendly, the palate is light, crisp and refreshing, gently airy due to the tiny bubbles “pearling” on the tongue and somewhat intriguing but in a very good way. The finish possesses delicate wild berries flavors with floral and mineral notes. I love it and I can drink a lot of that staff. I keep promoting it because I think that it will change the mind of people that see Pinot Grigio, as a boring cheap wine.

The effervescence makes this wine extremely pleasant and refreshing, excellent as an aperitif, wonderful with fish, in particular clams and crustaceans, finger foods, and soft, fresh cheese. Every time I opened a bottle in the store, I was pleased to see the positive reaction and the pleasurable expression on the face of my customers telling me: "It is great, different, but good, light, crisp and slight fizzy!".

One could think that it was a promoting stunt on my part to advertise and sell a bad wine, but on the contrary, like for all the wine that I buy for the store, I bought it because I loved it; because I knew that it will trigger some interest; and because once again, I proved that in the world of wine, never say that you do not like this type of wine or this type of grape variety, because you may always be surprised by a wine that you thought you will not like.


In conclusion, I will say that if all the whites made out of red grapes and the "Gris" grapes usually vinified in white but produced in red, taste that great, no wonder it will rapidly become a trend. It is my opinion, but you'll see.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info and label for Calatroni Pinot Grigio partly taken and edited courtesy of the importer website at www.vignaioliamerica.com and you can also visit the winery website at www.calatronivini.it

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

2010 La Soraia Gavi di Gavi DOCG Piedmont Italy

La Soraia Gavi di Gavi Piedmont Italy

La Soraia is located in Bosio, a little commune about 5.6 kilometers south of Gavi, one of the numerous appellations or DOC of the Piedmont region surrounding the eponymous village, northwestern part of Italy.

La Soraia is one of the oldest producers of Gavi di Gavi Docg from estate-grown Cortese grapes (it is enrolled as bottler n.4 in the district’s land archives!). The estate dates back to the first half of the XX century and the property vineyards have been run by the Natalino family ever since.

The Soraia vineyard is located at 550 mt asl, planted on a high-altitude site long renowned for its calcareous white soil and steep south-east exposure. The combination of good exposure, high altitude and limestone soil make for a very nervy, sharp and flinty-stony Gavi di Gavi DOCG, bearing resemblance with a fine village Sancerre or Muscadet.

Nowadays, Guido Natalino keeps growing his 30 year old Cortese grapes in accordance to a few simple principles of non- intrusive, low-impact viticulture (zero pesticides, zero systemic treatments, no use of chemical herbicides). Cortese grapes are hand-picked around the end of September / beginning of October. The vine density is up to 5.000 plants per hectare, and the average grape yield x Ha. is down to 6 tons. Malolactic fermentation is let occur or intentionally prevented depending on the quality of the crop and the seasonal weather conditions.

The cellar protocol is simple: Guido makes Gavi, Dolcetto Ovada and Barbera on his own, trusting his own palate and going for a traditional white wine fermentation in stainless steel vats at controlled-temperature (plus a short stay on the lees in stainless steel vats, prior to bottling).

In addition to his prized Gavi Docg and Gavi di Gavi Docg, Guido makes two traditional reds worth your attention: an elegant, warming and savory Barbera d'Asti aged in old French oak tonneaux, and a super fruity, crunchy and delicious Dolcetto di Ovada Doc (Ovada being the true ancient cradle and homeland of the Dolcetto variety, which later spread through the rest of Piedmont; here the soil is pure white chalk, which results in a more refined, lighter-color yet more complex style of Dolcetto, reminiscent of a Cru Beaujolais).

2010 La Soraia Gavi di Gavi Piedmont Italy
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported / distributed by Moonlight Wine Co. in NYC

Made from 100% Cortese grapes grown with organic practices in limestone-rich Piedmontese soil near Gavi, the 2010 La Soraia Gaivi di Gavi displays delicate, light, fresh and zesty, lemony aromas with fresh almond touch combined with floral, sappy and flinty hints. Coating, juicy and crisp, the palate is also light, fresh and fragrant, loaded with minerality and zesty lemon, yellow fruit flavors. The finish is extremely mineral and integrated .It definitely calls for another glass. Versatile, elegant, food friendly and summery, it will pair well with fish, cold pasta salads, grilled poultry, Mediterranean dishes and feta, goat or mozzarella cheeses.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info about the winery courtesy of the importer website at http://www.moonlightwineco.com/la-soraia/ and the man behind Moonlight Wine, Tony Gibson.

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

2009 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis White Provence France

Ever heard about or tasted a white or a rosé wine from Cassis? No? Well, it is not surprising; there are only a few on the US market. These characteristic and distinctive wines, for the vast majority of them, are consumed locally, never leaving the region, which is a joy for the locals and especially the many tourists, yet it is a lost for the rest of us. Fortunately, one of my favorite wine importers, Rosenthal, has one of the best examples this small Provence wine region has to offer.

Madrose /Rosenthal used to carry this jewel of an estate of the French Riviera, called “Domaine du Bagnol”, yet they lost it at some point; but then again the brand came back to the portfolio that introduced it in the past to avid New Yorkers.

As the Madrose website precises it: “It is a rare but wonderful feeling when one can actually "go home again" and rediscover something wonderful that one thought was lost. The transition of this estate from the Lefevre family hands to those of Jean-Louis Genovesi has resulted in a renaissance that we are particularly pleased to bring back to the USA. Of particular note is the bold white wine from Cassis that is produced here: a blend of Marsanne (50%), Clairette (35%) and Ugni (15%). We missed having this wine in our portfolio and are genuinely happy to play in this field once again. The Rose arrived and immediately sold out; now is the time to belly up and enjoy the Blanc.”- Neal Rosenthal (I presume).

And in fact this post will be dedicated to the white Cassis produced by Domaine du Bagnol, which I just bought for a customer and tasted this afternoon and was really impressed. 

Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Provence

Domaine du Bagnol is located in Cassis, a quaint little port facing the Mediterranean sea, situated about 26 kilometers east of Marseille in the French Departement of the “Bouches du Rhône” in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, southern France.

A popular tourist destination to escape crowded Marseille, Cassis is one of the most picturesque seaside towns in France, sitting in a naturally curved Amphitheatre formed by the coastline below the Cap Canaille, which encompasses one of the highest maritime cliffs in Europe culminating at 399 meters above sea level.

As a result, Cassis has always been famous for its cliffs (or “falaises” in French) and its sheltered, roughly chiseled, yet beautiful creeks called “Calanque”, which are prized by the Jet Set for their quite and often inaccessible beach of pristine turquoise waters where costly yachts are often anchored, all along the coastline between Cassis and Marseille.

Provence wines in general, are mainly rosé, bit of whites and tiny production of red, except in Bandol. Cassis produces mainly whites, bit of rosés and rare reds. The wines are usually crafted and often combined with 2 or 3 grape varieties together, like Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc (locally known as Doucillon Blanc), pascal, Sauvignon Blanc and Ugni Blanc for the whites, and Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache for the Rosés and Reds. Recognized in May 1936, Cassis was one of the first appellations of the AOC system due to the high quality of its wines.

Cassis should not to be confused with “Crème de Cassis”, a liquor specialty of the Burgundy region, which takes its name from Blackcurrant (called “Cassis” in French), hence a dark sweet, syrupy liquor made from the Cassis fruit not from the commune.

Wine production in Cassis has been recorded as far back as 1200 AD, yet more closely, Domaine du Bagnol has roots in history going back to 1867, when it belonged then to the Marquis de Fesque. It has since always played an active part in the reputation and notoriety of the local wines. Recently the Domaine passed from the hand of the Lefevre family to those of Sebastien and Jean Louis Genovesi, who clearly reestablished the fame of this estate, producing extremely aromatic, fresh, voluptuous wines from their 6 hectares of vines sharing this arid, rocky ground bordering the sea with countless garrigues bushes and calcareous limestone rolling hills and cliffs.   

(Better Picture to come soon, check their Facebook site at Domaine de Bagnol or watch a quick 360 tour of the Domaine at http://www.visit-cassis-360.com/bagnol_cassis.html)


2009 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis White Provence France
Suggested retail price $22-$25
Imported / distributed by Madrose / Rosenthal in NYC


A blend of roughly 50% Marsanne, 35% Clairette and 15% Ugni Blanc, the 2009 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis white offers notes of the sea breeze that contributed to the perfect ripeness of the grapes, and in the mean time, gives expression to the intense minerality that comes from the white stone cliffs that provide background to these vineyards. The fresh mid-palate possesses a gracious, ample and silky, coating texture enhanced by beautiful, focused acidity and generous yellow fruit flavors, unripe white peach, touch of apple and zesty, lemon peel notes. The finish is racy, polished, intense and long, almost oily and really satisfying and enticing with loads of minerality and citrus hints. What a wine!  The perfect accompaniment to freshly caught fish by the fishermen of Cassis. Definitely one of my favorite wines of the summer yet. Highly recommended.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the importer website at www.madrose.com (unfortunately, I was unable to find a website for this winery).

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

2009 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco Vallée d’Aoste Italy

Decidedly, it seems that I cannot escape my attraction for the wines from the Vallée d’Aoste. These mountainous wines, which offer lot of minerality, crisp racy acidity and refreshing light fruit aromas and flavors, are so focused, versatile and pleasing, that it is difficult not to enjoy them all year long.

In previous posts, I wrote about producers like Ottin, Grosjean, Ermes Pavese, Noussan, etc… yet, a few days ago, a customer asked me to buy a wine from a producer that I wasn’t acquainted with and I would like to share this discovery with you.

La Crotta di Vegneron

“La Crotta di Vegneron” is a kind of a funny name for a cooperative, which resembles in French to “La Crotte du Vigneron” that literally means “the excrement of the vinegrower”, but I think it means “the dirt of the vinegrower”, in a sense of “the work of the vinegrower”. However, I was unable to find a proper translation for the word “Crotta”, which doesn’t seem to correspond to anything in Italian, but surely have a meaning the local language of Aosta. (I’m open to any answer).      

Created in 1980, La Crotta di Vegneron is a small cooperative located in Chambave, a village about 20 kilometers east of the town of Aosta, in the Vallée d’Aoste region, northwestern part of Italy.

The Vallée d’Aoste, also known as Valle d’Aosta, lay in the mountains and foothills southeast of the Mont-Blanc Mountain. The Vallée was created thousands of years ago by the melting glacier and the natural erosion. It is home to quaint little villages nestled down at the bottom of the valley and on the slopes surrounded by beautiful mountains. As it crosses the Aosta Valley, the Dora Baltea River, which originates by the Mont-Blanc, flows through the city of Aosta (where the Buthier runs into it) and then Saint-Vincent, before entering Piedmont.

From North to South and West to East, from the Mont-Blanc to Piedmont, one exploring the Vallée d’Aoste will cross the villages of Courmayeur, Pré-Saint-Didier, Morgex, La Salle, Saint-Pierre, Serre, Aosta, Quart, Nus, Chambave, Châtillon, Saint-Vincent, Monjovet, Champdepraz, Verrès, Donnas and Pont-Saint-Martin. 

Although smaller, independent producers now produce some of the greatest and most renowned wines of Aosta, the cooperatives of Morgex, L’Enfer d’Arvier and Donnas, are still producing excellent wines too that are very characteristic and representative of the village they originate from.

As another great example of quality oriented cooperative, “La Crotta di Vegneron” emphasizes classic and stunning expressions of the individual Terroirs of the tiny sub-appellations comprised between the village of Chambave and Nus. that would otherwise be left undiscovered due to the tiny patchwork of vineyard holdings in these villages.

Although there is a history of grape growing in this region since the 1200’s, many of the vineyards were abandoned in the decades after WWII. They risked total extinction until the 1970’s, when the Italian government stepped in to help rebuild many of these small cooperative wineries to preserve the heritage of these vineyards and revive this peace haven.

Located in Chambave, La Crotta di Vegneron possesses steep, south-facing vineyards pasted to the sides of the mountains that soar above them, “Monte Avic” (3006 meters) to the south and the peak culminating at 2400+ meters just north the Village of Grand Villa (here too I couldn’t find a name for it, any ideas?).

The vines grow between 450 and 1,050 meters of altitude in soils formed from millions of years of glacial runoff. These soils are very mineral and are composed largely of rocks and sand, giving a strong underlying minerality to the resulting wines. As in other mountainous regions of Italy, there is a large diurnal temperature shift, which results in ample ripeness as well as refreshing acidity.

La Crotta di Vegneron’s winemaking philosophy respects the underlying Terroirs, the environment with organic practices and indigenous varietals of the region. Although there is some barrel aging used on some of the wines, new oak is kept to a bare minimum. The grapes are all hand-harvested, and all their red wines are fermented with natural yeasts to help emphasize their individual expression.

The cooperative produces many wines from local grape variety like Furmin and Petite Arvine, but also other thriving grapes like Gamay, Pinot Noir, Muller-Thurgau, Malvoisie, Muscat, Moscato. The wines are divided in 5 categories or labels: 

Passiti, Linea Superiore, Linea Tradizione, Linea Monovarietali, Linea Family.

I invite you to visit their website at www.lacrotta.it to discover these lines. 

2009 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco Vallée d’Aoste Italy
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported / distributed by Polaner in NYC

This post’s wine is very interesting in my opinion because, first, it is really good, and secondly, because it was crafted as a white from a red grape variety, which, mark my words, will be very common within the next few years. It has already started. The other day I tasted a white that was made out of 2 white grape varieties and Merlot; yes, Merlot for a white to add structure and texture and weight to a certain extend. I know it is weird somehow, but these wines are pretty good. It is a winemaking method that is up-and-coming and will rapidly evolve as it open the door to countless possibilities and combinations, and will surely inspire a new trend among the new winemakers who want to distinguish themselves from the pack.   

In France, usually, when a wine boasts a slightly pinkish color for a white, it is often called “Gris”; however, it is generally occurring because the skin of the grape isn’t really white, but slightly pigmented giving a grey-blue-pinkish color to the grape, like: Sauvignon Gris, Pinot Gris, Frontenac Gris, Moschofilero, etc.. 

If the 2009 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco adorns this very attractive, super light onion skin meet orange melon color, it is because it was crafted with 100% Pinot Noir grapes vinified off the skins, hence the slightly pink intriguing color. The nose is rather light, fresh, and mineral with a touch of cherry. The palate is also really light, crisp, racy, with lot of minerality, zesty acidity and very enjoyable texture, yet it may appear non-descript for some, but I really like it.

Like most wines from the Vallée d’Aoste, this wine combines elegance, refinement, and freshness in a focused palate, enhanced by the characteristic searing acidity, minerality and quality of the fruit. One day if I can, I think I will retire in the Vallée d’Aoste, this peaceful and undisturbed haven of peace north of Piedmont seems to have seduced my taste buds to the point that only a few other wine regions in the world can.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the importer website at  www.polanerselections.com  and from the winery website at www.lacrotta.it

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