Domaine de la Sionniere, Moulin-a-Vent

Burgundy, and as a result Beaujolais, has an aspect to its personality that is both a true pleasure and a source of frustration to wine-lovers around the world.

   Burgundy has not only more AOCs then anywhere else in France, it also has perhaps a greater winemaker-density then anywhere else. Actually I take that back, there's no perhaps about it: with some famous plots of land having as many as 70 separate owners over only a few hectares, some owners controlling as little as a couple of rows of vines. No other wine-region is quite like Burgundy in that respect.

   But that's part of the charm, as I said. We grow fond of the small wineries who cherish each curve of the hill reaching for sunlight, each dip in the slope where water accumulates and each glade of trees with it's undeniable  aromas of "sous-bois" as they say.

   There should be a natural inclination towards superior quality in any wine made from such attention, such devotion bordering on affection. Well, there should be superior quality but invariably what results is just superior degrees of variation.

   One region where quality is rarely an issue is Moulin-a-Vent. Tucked into the north-east corner of Beaujolais and bordered by the Saone river racing towards the Mediterranean, Moulin-a-Vent is a pantheon of the region and its wines considered the greatest of Beaujolais. These are wines can age gracefully for 10, 15 and sometimes even 20 years reaching peaks of elegance usually only scaled by the mighty Pinot Noir of the (arguably) more distinguished neighbours to the north.

   How? Why? Some might say (and they would be right) that it's due in large part to the ancient and decomposing granitic topsoil... this topsoil is easy for the vines to penetrate in their youth and encourages them to dig deep. Down, down, down they go to the subsoil sometimes referred to as "gore" which is an accumulation of sand, clay, mica, schist and granite that give the wines their unmistakable mineral edge.

old Manganese mine in Romaneche-Thorins

   And here, in the rural sprawl of vineyards sitting atop these soils, lies the sleepy commune of Romaneche-Thorins. It's small by anyone's standards (population around 800) but the locals are doing big things with Gamay Noir and have been doing so for centuries! One of the secrets to their success is a high concentration of Manganese found only in the local soils... there have even been mines dedicated to its extraction for over a hundred years.

   Now in come Estelle and Thomas Patenotre, owners of the Domaine de la Sionniere (http://www.vins-bernard-perrin.weonea.com/produit/55431/ ). Thomas came to North American attention recently when in 2007 the owner of Domaine Diochon  wanted to retire, but had no heir for the prestigious property. Long-time employee (?) Thomas was offered the honor and, lucky for us, he accepted.

   And so Thomas has brought the ancestral methods of the region roaring back to life in not just one, but two separate properties in Moulin-a-Vent... this is where yields are intentionally kept minimal, vines are left to age to graceful puissance, and the Gamay grape that most often receives scorn in the New Age of wine connoisseurs is aged in oak barrels to promote long-life.

    You doubt that Gamay Noir can develop into something as sophisticated as the great Pinot Noirs  of Burgundy? The proof, as always, is in the glass my friends.

2011 Domaine de la Sionniere , Romaneche-Thorins, Moulin-a-Vent

12 Euro (FRA)

20 pounds (ENG)

$25+ USA (Kermit-Lynch wine merchants)

$20+ CAD (Opimian Society www.opim.ca)

 90 Points

varietal:      100% Gamay Noir a jus blanc

soil:              decomposing granite and schist

vine age:     between 40 and 60 years old

vineyard:   13 HA

training:    goblet

harvesting  100% manual, hand-sorted

maturation  up to 18 months in oak barrels

•  visual:   clear; light ruby core with cherry rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ to fully intense and youthful aromas of candied red berries (think strawberry compote), a hint of sous-bois or underbrush, mineral tones and a leathery finish
• palate:  clean; dry, moderate red currant acids, moderate+ to full chalky tannins, light body, moderate abv (13%), moderate+ concentration of youthful flavors; explosion of youthful currants, strong mineral undertones and the recent barrel aging is still unruly. Very good balance and structure with medium+ length
• conclusion:   whilst a great wine, this is also terribly immature and so I may or may not being giving justice to the review... best consumed 2015-2021+
• FOOD PAIRINGS:     a perky little wine for a friendly summer day, take this lightly chilled on your next picnic with charcuterie, soft cheese and fresh bread... 

a summer day i n Romaneche-Thorins

   Most of my faithful readership know that I've been singing the praises of northern Beaujolais wines for most of the year. I have found that dollar-for-dollar, the wines from this region are truly competitive on a global level and I am hard-pressed to find their equal anywhere. Domaine de la Sionniere is a fine example; true enough this may be a fairly simple wine right now, but on a Sunday afternoon with your girl and a bit of sunshine, that may be just what the doctor ordered!

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Domaine Billard Pere et Fils, "Les Tavannes" Pommard

I recently saw a photo of Jerome Billard tilling between the vines at one of his vineyard parcels. His son (about 5 years old) was on his lap and it was obvious from the photo that Jerome was explaining things to his son. Domaine Billard Pere et Fils ( http://billardetfils.free.fr/index.html ) ... I read the name on the bottle of wine and thought that it must be another antique winery with a dusty history; filled with remarkable lineages and a family tradition built upon generations.

I didn't realize that it was the story of a man tilling the fields with his 5-year old; starting a new lineage, a new tradition with the newest generation.

Jerome Billard came to purchase his property 15km south of Beaune in the village of Rochepot in 1999. With 17 HA to his name, Jerome had given himself a sizeable amount of work but passion and dedication (always key-words) gave him the energy to devote himself to creating a quality product.

Principles of maximum intervention in the vineyard and minimum intervention in the winery were key to Jerome's early success, both with critics and the public. "Expressing the typicity of the terroir" is the way Jerome explains it.

But what is Pommard, and thus, what is the terroir of Pommard?

We can look at the statistics ( http://www.terroir-france.com/region/burgundy_pommard.htm ) and come to some conclusions, but the essence of terroir is about much more then stats. It's about the people who work the land as much as the land itself... it's about the spirit of a place as much as the composition of the soil.

Pomard is the second largest producer in volume after Beaune, but it's a small place... just over 10 square km it's a blip on the radar, a bump in the road when one drives the infamous Route des Grands Crus. Yes, almost a forgettable town with its single bell tower, and vineyards bereft of Grand Cru status. And a dwindling population.

Pomard's population has dropped by a third in the past 50 years and now is just barely over 500. But this is where Jerome Billard came to start a new life with his wife. This was where he envisioned building a home and future for his family. No Grand Cru vineyards here, 'tis true, but a plethora of Premier Cru that are respected worldwide again for their craftsmanship.

And perhaps Pomard is a bit like Jerome. Pomard was once one of the darlings of Bourgogne (Burgundy) and renown for quality long before the AOC system came into being in 1935, and before it itself received AOC status in 1937. Pomard was an easy to remember name for non-French speakers and for the French it spoke of value.

But then the people began to leave.

A new generation moving to the meccas of Rouen, Lyons, Marseilles and an aging population; not a recipe for success. Slowly, consistently, the work of decades began to erode. Consumer confidence waned and greener pastures were sought... then a renewal! There is a brushfire of excitement about Pommard wines again and if men like the Billards have anything to do with it, the brushfire will soon become a tempest.

Doubt me? The truth, as always, is in the glass my friends.

2010 Domaine Billard Pere et Fils, "Les Tavannes"

Pommard, Bourgogne, France

$50 USD, 

n/a in Canada (except through the Opimian Society www.opim.ca)

93 Points

soil:               stony with clay-lime and calcareous deposits

elevation:    between 250-400 metres

vineyard:    0.22 HA, no use of pesticides/insecticides

varietal:       100% Pinot Noir  

maturation:   15 months in Futs (large barrels), of which one third is new oak

• visual:   clear; light ruby core with cherry rim and slightest brickish tint, no sediment, bright
• nose:   clean; medium+ to fully intense and youthful aromas; bright fresh red berry notes abound with strawberries, ripe raspberries, sweet summer rose-like floral notes
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ to full young raspberry acids, medium fine/soft well integrated tannins, light body, medium- to light abv (13%), medium intense and youthful flavors that mimick well the nose; red berry notes burst with flavor followed by clean mineral tones and the lightest spicy finish. Excellent balance and structure. Long length
• conclusion:   enjoyable in its youth, this will reward another 12-24 months of aging... drink 2013-2016
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   use the bright acidity to open a meal, or serve slightly chilled in the heat of the day... consider rillettes du porc  or confit du canard  served quite simply with fresh bread and seasonal fruit

    I can imagine my wife and I on one of those hilltops that overlook the village of Pommard... we would eat some of that rillettes and bread with a bottle of Jerome's wine and watch our daughter chase butterflies through the cherry trees.  Of course, it's a dream right now... but then again, so was Jerome's vision not so long ago.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Chateau Rollan de By, Medoc, Cru Bourgeois

Politics exist everywhere.

There are school ground politics, workplace politics and even sexual politics... it seems as though we human beings just can't get enough of confusing and clouding our lives. Wine should be exempt, right?

Perhaps should be free, but unfortunately it is not. Yes, even the world of wine there are politics aplenty, but that hasn't seemed to slow down the owner and visionary behind Chateau Rollan de By in Medoc, Bordeaux (http://www.rollandeby.com/ ).

The Chateau was taken over by Jean Guyon in 1989 with only 2 hectares. Since then, Jean has developed a cracker-jack team and ruthlessly pursued finesse in the vineyard, cellar and bottle. All of this whilst dealing with years of evolution (or de-evolution depending on one's point-of-view) of the Cru Bourgeois system.

Many websites and papers have dealt with the issue in far greater detail and depth then I care to repeat, so let me be brief: today if a winery in Bordeaux would like to be classified as Cru Bourgeois they must submit their wine to a blind tasting panel for judgement. Should the wine present itself with the appropriate level of quality, and the winery itself meets certain criteria, then the winery can label that vintage only as Cru Bourgeois... no longer reserving that title for the vineyard itself as is the case with the classified growths of Bordeaux.

It sounds like a simple, reasonable and eminently logical system. And it is! The trouble for winemakers (and wine-drinkers) is that it took Bordeaux a grand total of 78 years to develop this system and there were more then a few hiccups along the way. I'm not going to point fingers or name names, but there were legislators who made decisions whilst pocketing funds as the owners or part-owners of vineyards as well.

So here we all are, 20-something odd years after Jean took the reins at Rollan de By and it has swelled from 2 acres to a whopping total of 85 hectares under production at his 5 wineries. But size isn't everything... errr.... anyways, all any enthusiastic oenophile has to do is investigate the Grand Jury Europeen (follow this for a sample of their work http://www.paolomonti.it/pdf/gjeautriche0606.pdf  ) to see that Rollan de By is scoring high! How high you might ask? In the 2010 Wine Spectator it was listed as one of the top 100 wines alongside and higher then many wines costing double or triple the price.

The proof?

As always, in the glass my friends;

2008 Chateau Rollan de By, Cru Bourgeois,

Appellation Medoc Controlee, Bordeaux

$42 USD   http://www.doublehelixwine.com/

93 points

soil:  clay-limestone

vinification:   stainless steel, temperature controlled

maturation:   new and used French oak

awards:    also awarded gold at the Concours General Agricole de Paris 2010

• visual:    fully intense/deep garnet core with no obvious bricking, no sediment
• nose:     moderate+ intense and developing bouquet of red berries such as raspberry, strawberry, ripe blueberries, rich dark floral notes, warm earthy undertone, background light graphite, menthol/eucalyptus qualities
• palate:   dry, moderate+ raspberry acids, moderate+ smooth/chewy tannin, moderate body, moderate+ abv (13%), moderate+ to fully intense and developing flavors that mimick well the nose; good emphasis from the Cabernet Sauvignon with a deliberate structure and overall impressive presence. Excellent balance and long length
• conclusion:   still a babe, this wine will develop for years... enjoy 2015-2020+
• FOOD PAIRINGS: I am a simple man, and have simple tastes; a wine likes this calls out for me to invite over a great friend and smoke a couple of brilliant cigars on the front stoop. If I really felt the need for food with this? Try a T-bone steak! A masculine wine this is (though still elegant like me) so enjoy it with some beef on the bone... richer flavors that way, trust me. Keep it simple.

So whilst the weather in Medoc in 2008 wasn't exactly perfect (chaotic would be the word some would use), a sage colleague of mine told me recently: "Anyone can make great wine in a great year. Great winemakers always make good wine. Always"

Jean Guyon, his superbly credentialed consultant Alain Reynaud and the entire team at Rollan de By should be patting themselves on the backs... 2008 was a great year for them and that says it all.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

The Post Hotel Wine Summit 2012

The start of anything is exciting; the first day of school, the opening of a concert or the first time you see your child smile at you… all exciting, all moments of beauty.

snow falling in May at the Post

So how much more exciting could my first Post Hotel Wine Summit (http://www.posthotel.com/ ) be? There are no words that can explain how I felt when I arrived (ok, just a few words then)! A list of top-level winemakers from around the globe that would make any serious wine-geek truly delirious (Louis Jadot, Ornellaia, Lewis Cellars and more, more, more) was just the start of a true experience.

An experience that starts and ends with the Relais and Chateaux rated resort itself (http://www.relaischateaux.com/ ), it's gifted staff of sommeliers, servers, housekeepers, cooks… you get the idea. But then again, perhaps you don’t. Myself, I’ve had a long career in this industry and have seen many claim to be devoted to quality… rarely have I had the pleasure of working beside people who genuinely cared so much. It is, refreshing.

But what about the wines you ask …. Ah the wines.

Day 1: Thursday

We started with a bang! Almost literally!

A traditional cowboy barbeque feast with a live band and plenty of high-quality, easy drinking wines. Ok, maybe not a traditional Albertan barbeque with that much wine instead of beer kegs, but everyone had a blast and we the sommeliers got to taste some brilliantly fresh vino.

2009 Le Volte, Ornellaia

• Bright fresh berry bouquet with light savory fungal undercurrent

• Medium+ to Full acidity, cranberry and raspberry notes open the palate, fully intense chewy tannins… already approachable in its youth this wine will evolve gracefully for several years

2009 Serre Nouve, Ornellaia

• incredibly bright and fresh blueberry notes burst from the glass, deeper savory earthy characteristics found lurking beneath

• medium+ red raspberry acids, fully intense chewy and grippy tannins, rich savory earthy notes from the nose very evident in the palate (driven by Cab Sauv). Excellent concentration and balance but still very young and deserving of more time

2002 Louis Jadot Domaine de Heritiers, Les Boucherottes, 1er Cru

• primal earthy, savory, gamey, musky aromas… full and intense, developed but still lots of life left in it

• palate was marked by a decidedly well balanced and integrated crisp red currant acidity, moderate+ tannin structure which was firm and meaty, layered flavors of red and black berries/leathery earthy notes/red meat and wild game. A very masculine wine that was in its element paired with Alberta bbq

2010 Ornellaia “Poggio alle Gazze”

• lively little Sauv-Blanc, the nose is soft and inviting with warm hay notes, perky grapefruit and a subtle minerality

• much the same on the palate; the moderate acids are balanced, the concentration is medium+, the flavors much the same as the nose… a good summer wine, there is enough in the glass to balance against seafood dishes but cheerful enough to enjoy solo

2006 Louis Jadot Domaine Gagey, Savigny Les Beaunes, 1er Cru

• super bright, fresh red cherry/raspberry/strawberry notes with a gentle mineral undertone… incredibly approachable

• medium+ red raspberry acids, medium chewy tannins, an easy wine to enjoy on its own I think this wine really would come into its element paired with a simple afternoon of cured meats and cheeses and perhaps some fresh bread. Good concentration this is still evolving and will for several years

2009 Louis Jadot Santenay, Clos de Malte

• approachably fresh! medium+ intensity with a strong undertone of minerality (wet slate) with more young stonefruit and a wealth of summer floral hidden behind… the floral notes really start to open when the wine comes to cellar temp

• bright and fresh! Medium+ lemon acids, medium concentration, good cohesion or balance this wine is easy to drink and is undemanding

Day 2: Friday

This is a marathon, not a sprint! The sommelier staff started our morning at 7am down in the cellar, surrounded by 30,000+ bottles of world class wine and more than a few dozen for the five of us to open, sniff, swirl and spit. Or, in the case of the Grand Cru from Burgundy, spitting was optional (and I declined the option).

Granted it may not be right for everyone’s lifestyle, but I actually thoroughly enjoy the process, the cerebral art-form of analyzing a wine from bottle to glass to mouth. But then, I love wine (too much?). On today’s list was:

2001 Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, 1er Cru, “Les Boudots”, Nuits-Saint-Georges

• medium+ to fully intense bouquet of primal earthy tones, meaty, gamey/wild, musky… fruit tones are very secondary (red and black berries)

• crisp and slightly brittle medium cranberry acids, medium- soft velvety tannins, medium+ intense red berry flavors still developing with savory musky/gamey notes being secondary. Very good concentration, great balance

2003 Louis Jadot, Domaine des Heritiers Louis Jadot, Grand Cru, “Corton-Pougets”

• very deep plum core with slightest bricking in rim

• medium+ intense aromas starting with a pronounced dry, dusty mineral core followed briskly by worn leather, cigar box and then a secondary wave of darker berry aromas

• on the palate the acidity is moderate+ raspberry with fully intense chalky, grippy tannins incredibly well integrated… fruit flavors burst with moderate+ to fully intense developing characteristics of layers of a variety of raspberries, different cherries and even wild strawberries and currants… minerality is felt most keenly as a strong undercurrent. In summation this wine is a contemplative wine and most worthy of one’s utmost attention

Anthony Gismondi and Randy Lewis

Lewis Cellars, “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2008

• worthy of note that this wine has 2% Petit Verdot

• color is deep, dark and delicious with no bricking, solid garnet core and generous sediment (fining and filtering is not done)

• moderate+ developing fresh red berry bouquet with light red floral and a lovely spicy/peppery finish

• medium black raspberry acids, fully intense chewy tannins (delightfully approachable in its youth), fully intense and developing fresh red berry flavors taking charge with excellent balance and structure… a truly Huge Wine, its achieves complexity even in its enormity.

Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny “Les Baudes”, Premier Cru, Cote des Nuits, 2007

• color is deep, dark, rich and vibrant

• nose is lush with fruit but also lovely floral quality followed by savory “sous-bois” or vegetal undergrowth

• palate is very focused! Medium+ raspberry/currant acids, medium+ grippy tannins, light body but almost full concentration with savory/earthy/mineral qualities with the sous-bois coming to play near the end… stunning balance and length.

• A truly excellent find for Premier Cru!

Louis Jadot, Pulligny-Montrachet Clos de la Garenne “Domaine Duc de Magenta”, (white) 2009

• Pale straw color

• Aroma is rich in hay notes, ripening orchard fruit with clean slate minerality underneath

• Palate is clean, bright and refreshing!

Day 3: Saturday

This is the big day that I drove about 800 kilometres for; today I will be attending the Maison Louis Jadot Technical Tasting which will prove to be even more intense then I could have anticipated. That lecture will be a forthcoming article unto itself. Let me just say that it was a privilege.

I was also lucky enough to be at the Berncasteler Doctor tasting… one of the most prestigious wineries in Germany (and some would say even the world), we tasted Rieslings young and old but this one certainly stuck out for me!

Dr. H. Thanisch, “Berncasteler Doctor”, Auslese, Riesling, Mosel 1959

• Beautiful rich and luxurious, soft floral notes with lifted acids… the fresh fruit is starting to recede leaving the minerality behind; elegant in its simplicity. A hint of smokiness, a herbal side and even a touch of sea salt in the after taste

• Absolutely no oxidization

• We were told that 1959 was one of the “perfect” vintages, and worthy of note is that these vines are grown on original rootstock, Phylloxera-free

Then after a quick lunch with chef extraordinaire Umberto Menghi came the vast Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Estate Tasting. This was an incredible event for everyone, but as much as my wife is from an Italian family, I really haven’t experienced that many Italian wines. Oh sure, I know a Barolo from a Nero D’Avola but considering there are more varietals cultivated in Italy than anywhere else in the world (over 2000 varietals) I really don’t know jack. That was about to change.

Unfortunately there is only so much room in an article, and so I will conclude with two wines from our Gala Dinner. I started on familiar ground with a Barolo (thank god) and what a lovely expression of the style of wine it was as well;

Michele Chiarlo, “Tortoniano” Barolo, Piedmonte 2001

• Light rose petal/garnet core with substantially bricked rim

• Medium+ developed nose (with room for growth) of dried rose petals, red and black raspberries, black strawberries… very focused

• On the palate medium+ red and black currant acids, full chalky grippy youthful tannins, medium concentration of developed flavors with the dark raspberry note singing high, with more dark berries singing harmony and a crescendo of fading fresh red berries which descends to savory and earthy qualities

• This wine is certainly moving to the mature part of its life, but still has lots of life left. Good concentration and excellent structure, this is a wine worth keeping and/or seeking out

Then, I was then fortunate enough to open, decant and taste 18 bottles of the following;

Maison Louis Jadot, Domaine Louis Jadot, Grand Cru, “Chambertin-Clos de Beze” 1990

• Light garnet core with slightly brickish rim, slight amount of fine sediment present

• Medium+ and obviously developed aromas starting with a bouquet of dried floral, savory earth, meaty gamey venison steak, stewed dark berries akin to raspberry chutney

• On the palate medium+ black raspberry acids, medium+ firm yet elegant tannin structure, medium+ concentration of developed flavors with a great deal of concentration left! Red and black berries, leathery savory herbs, strong herbal presence, almost a baked earthy undercurrent

• Delightful wine with lots of life left still, don’t feel you need to drink this wine now if you have some! Will not develop further but drinking 2012-2018 and potentially beyond

And that, as some would say, was that… I came, I drank (more then I should), I spit (less then I should). About 40 hours of work in 3 days which was less than the General Manager worked, less than the owners, less than the Head Sommelier (a trouper). Really, we sommeliers had it easy!

It was an exercise in diligence, a crash-course in humility. The owners of the Post Hotel are supposed millionaires in their own right, with secluded get-aways on the west coast of Vancouver Island and yet they were up and at work before I arrived in the wine cellar at 7am, and they were always on-hand long after I went to bed at midnight.

Perhaps that is why they are millionaires, and perhaps that is why the Post Hotel and it's Wine Summit draw visitors and wine-makers from around the world. No, no perhaps about it... George and Andre haven't created the Post Hotel as an "Ode to Money", they have created a bastion-like refuge devoted to quality in wine, in food, and in the most real way; in people.

Dr. H. Thanisch

http://www.dr-thanisch.de/

Evening Land

http://www.eveninglandvineyards.com/

Maison Louis Jadot

http://www.louisjadot.com/en/index.php

Michele Chiarlo

http://www.michelechiarlo.it/

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia

http://www.ornellaia.com/

Lewis Cellars

http://www.lewiscellars.com/

the Post Hotel welcome wagon

 

Next years Wine Summit is only months away, you’d best reserve your room now! See you there!

2009 Laboure-Roi Gevrey Chambertin, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy

"(as concerns wine) Buy on cheese, but sell on apples"

   I wonder, as I sit at home and sip on a bottle of Burgundian Pinot Noir, whether Armand and Louis Cottin (the owners of Laboure-Roi http://www.laboure-roi.com/UK/index_UK.html) still remember the days when they worked off of principles such as these. Perhaps they do, as they walk the cellars that have housed their wines for over a century and a half, perhaps they nibble on a piece of Epoisses (Burgundian cheese) as they sip on the latest offerings.Or perhaps, now with over $70 million dollars a year in sales, they have hired someone to nibble the cheese for them?

   I chose to go the other route: I am muching quite contentedly on a Red Delicious apple as I try to decipher my notes from the FWS (French Wine Scholar) program on Burgundy/Bourgogne and make some sense of the vast region that is Burgundy.

   Now when I say that Burgundy is vast, I don't mean in terms on planted acres: Burgundy has a paltry 70,000 acres (approximately) under vine whilst nearby Bordeaux has many times that number (and thus produces over 700 million bottles of wines/year). But what Burgundy has in abundance is soil; Burgundy has lots and lots and lots of different soil-types. 

   "How many" you ask? 

   "Over 400" I respond. In fact, in all of France there are over 400 AOC's for wine... 101 of them come from Burgundy (as opposed to only about 60 in Bordeaux). And why the need for this staggering list of supposedly different regions? It is because of the climat as they say here, or the individual plots of land that contain more diversity and variation in soil physicality and chemical composition than any other wine region in the world.

   From one side of Burgundy (Chablis) to the other (Beaujolais) this is a wine-growing region that celebrates its diversity. Sadly, my home of British Columbia is only just starting to do the same, and though our winegrowing regions stretch throughout an area larger then all of France, we only count them as 5 unique regions.

But back to the Laboure-Roi, and Armand and Louis Cottin!

   Boldly going where no winery has gone before! Well, perhaps the nod to cult TV shows from the 1960's isn't exactly accurate, but not as far from the truth as you might imagine... an ancient winery by New World standards, Laboure-Roi was brought into existence in 1832 and has grown through a Revolution, two World Wars, and INAO to become the third largest producer in all of Burgundy.

   In all of Burgundy, and they still press diligently for quality.

   "How so?" one may ask.

   "It's all in the markets one hunts after." I think the Cottins would answer... whilst the rest of the wine world has been punished by a global economic recession the Cottin family business has grown.

   They have grown into the luxury market of cruise-ships, luxury airlines, luxury resorts and the like. A hard time for everyone, but those who have money, have money. True enough, they may want to make every penny count (every million?) but then, they always did, that's why they have the money. Take a lesson from our wealthy wine-geeks who delight in the resoundingly good value from this astute family.

   The proof? As always, in the glass my friends;

2009 Laboure-Roi Gevrey-Chambertin

$60-$70 USD

92-93 Points

varietal:  100% Pinot Noir, hand-harvested

soil:   brown calcic and chalk with loam; east and south-east facing

altitude:   280-330 feet

maturation:   14 months oak (30% new French); fined and filtered

production:   55,000 bottles (4,600 cases)

winemaker:   Bertrand Straebler

** Bronze Medal; 2011 International Wine Challenge***

• visual:   clear; light to medium garnet core with substantial cherry rim
• nose:   clean; medium to fully intense; youthful and developing; bright fresh red berries pop immediately with a nuanced garrigue or herbaceous undertone, warm earthy/mushroomy notes, leather and even a touch of old-fashioned black licorice
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ (red currant) acids, moderate+ (substantial/grippy) tannins, light(+) body, moderate ABV (13%), moderately intense and youthful flavors that mimick the nose; red berries and oak rule the roost for the short-term. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   an incredibly competently made wine that is still a baby; cellar for another 5 years+ for best results. Drink 2017-2020(22)
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   you love boeuf bourguignon??? Well this time make it with extra cream, extra butter and extra love because this wine will stand up to it all and deliver! This isn't the time for subtlety, go over the top and watch this Pinots' crisp and lively acids find their balance!

Pinot Noir grapes in Gevrey-Chamberton AOC

   Anyone can make good wine, of that I'm relatively certain. Find a good plot of land, try not to mess with it too much, don't get too wild and crazy in the blending... good wine wants to be made (of that I think many of you will agree).

   And yet, it takes a rare winemaker who actually finds the right market for their wine. The Cortin brothers are more then just good winemakers, they are a part of great winemaking heritage, and they are also brilliant men of business. A better pair of role-models would be hard to find.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!   CHEERS~!!!

Dominique Piron , AOC Morgon, Cote du Py, cru Beaujolais

Wouldn't it be great if someone came along and made your life easier?

   It wouldn't have to be in an extreme way, at least not for me, just any old thing that made my day easier then the one before would be much appreciated. Well then, what if someone helped you organize your life, how would that make you feel?

   "God-bless-you" I would say, and mean it.

   Someone has done that for all of us, and that someone is the INAO or Institut National des Appellations d'Origine. What did they do for us? They organized all of the wines of France. Yeah... and just for you (and me).

   France is an amazing country, with more diverse regions then almost anywhere else on earth; several hundred. And of those several hundred exactly delineated areas, Burgundy (Bourgogne) has more then anywhere else in France. In fact, they have so many that although the wines of southern Burgundy and northern Beaujolais can be incredibly similar, they are noted as being from different regions.

   Ahhh Beaujolais; the one-time stomping ground (pardon the atrocious pun) of Beaujolais-Nouveau; candied juice of the grape. Well, much as I said in my previous article on AOC Morgon (http://astudentofwine.blogspot.ca/2012/01/jean-foillard-beaujolais-morgon-cote-du.html ), if that's what you think of Gamay Noir/Beaujolais then you have alot to learn.

   Cru Beaujolais is divided into 10 AOC's, which range in quality from cheap, cheerful and best consumed whilst young to rich, nuanced, and capable of Burgundian levels of quality as they mature. In fact, in Beaujolais there is a local word to describe what happens to these wines "Il Morgone" = "It Morgin-isizes". These winemakers are saying that when Gamay Noir approaches it's fifth, or seventh, or 12th year with dignity, grace, finesse and puissance, then it can say that it has Morgoned. (In local dialect it is sometimes called Pinoter ,or, to develop Pinot Noir like qualities)

   Wow, that's a huge compliment but also alot to live up to.

Dominique and his delivery van

   14th generation winemaker Dominique Piron (http://www.domaines-piron.fr/) is more then capable. He and his wife Kristine have more the 60 hectares of cultivated vineyard in Beaujolais; running the gambit of levels of finesse. One of their most prized parcels is in the afore-mentioned AOC Morgon. Morgon lies in the north of Beaujolais, and has a large hill in it know as the Mont de Py, which winemakers yearn to plant with vines on the southern and south-eastern exposures know as the Cote de Py. It is here that Dominique coaxes exacting quality at approachable prices.

   And so, around the commune of Villie-Morgon (twin hamlets that joined together long ago), over 250 producers work much like Dominique does. It is not a new story, in this part of southern France... working with ancient schistous-granitic soil which is so weathered and tamed by millenia that it is called "rotten rock" for its appearance. They are firm believers in organic and bio-dynamic principles, and have been doing so in some cases (like Dominique) for centuries. Perhaps they aren't certified, but many growers in the region don't see the need to spend money on certifications for practices that have been passed down for generations.

   Regardless, the proof is in the glass, n'est-pas? And Morgon has built a reputation for being one of (if not the) the foremost examples of greatness in Gamay Noir and the Beaujolais. Care to dispute it? You'll have to try them first~! And if you were curious, it's not just Gamay Noir in Morgon (accounts for 85% of all blendings), they also grow Chardonnay, Aligote and Melon (for the remaining 15% of all blendings).

2009 Morgon Cote du Py

by Dominique Piron

$30         92 points

http://www.fireflyfinewinesandales.com/

*** Best of Show: Vancouver Magazine top 100 value wines, 2012 ***

• visual:   clear; fully intense plum-garnet core with slightest cherry rim
• nose:    clean; fully intense and youthful bouquet of red cherries, red currants, bright strawberries, an explosion of red floral notes, candy background with an undercurrent of savory earth
• palate:    clean; dry, moderate+ to fully intense (red currant) acids, moderate+ (slightly grippy) tannins, moderate body, moderate ABV (13.5%), moderate+ intense and youthful flavors mimicking well the nose; sultry earth and floral notes are first, followed by red berries and then the lingering earthy notes return. Stunning balance, excellent structure and long length
• conclusion:   A stunning wine, this is still in it's infancy. Drinks best 2015-2018 and keeps to 2020 I would imagine but will not improve after 2017/18
• FOOD PAIRINGS: as young as this wine is, best not to complicate matters; venison carpaccio on toasted rye with caramelized onion compote. Let the venison play off the fresh red berry notes and the rye will warm to the earthiness whilst the sweet onion will bring the slightly acidic berries in the wine back in-line

   The proof is in the glass I say. Why then, since AOC Beaujolais was recognized in 1936, do people pay hundreds of dollars a bottle for wine from one side of the border and balk at $50 for a great Morgon? Why? Well perhaps we can lay it down to marketing and brand-awareness; many of you know that I am a fierce proponent of using the brand-awareness against itself...

    And this is a perfect example: buy a stunning Gamay Noir for $30 or less, hold onto it until it's 6 or 7  years old and you will have a wine the equal of a $200 Burgundian Pinot Noir. No, no, no, I'm not saying that it will be the same, but I am most certainly saying that it will have the same quality.

    And what are you really paying for when you buy a bottle of wine? Are you the person who buys a name, or buys quality?

As always, I welcome your questions and comments.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Chablis, Beauroy Permier Cru, Lamblin et Fils

ABC: Anything But Chardonnay

   How many times have I heard that said? Far too many I think, for even hearing someone say it once makes me cringe a little... to condemn an entire varietal because once upon a time there may have been some producers in some parts of the world who, let's say, lacked for finesse.

   Well what about Chablis?? "Oh!" they say with great zeal, "we LOVE Chablis!"

   Really?

   Chablis is Chardonnay. "Oh, well... that's different. It's not oaked."

   Really?

   Chablis is, much like many other times in France, the name for the region and the wine that comes from the region. I have never called a Pinot Noir from the Okanagan an "Okanagan" because no one would know what I was talking about. But when I call a wine a Chablis? You know what I'm talking about.

   That's because 100% of all Chablis is Chardonnay, and it comes from one of the most northern, the most extreme, viticulture regions in the world. The climate is semi-continental (meaning hot summers, cold winters, and clearly defined seasons) with no moderation from the maritime winds. The rains still come in Spring, and sometimes a bit to heavily creating the risk of diluted flavors and unbalanced acids in the grapes, and then there is always the risk of frost. These frosts can be so extreme that in 1957, it was reported that only 11 cases of wine were produced from the entire region of about 12,000 hectares...

   And you think your job security is fragile.

   But what is it about the wine that made Chablis once a global name inspiring confidence? Perhaps above (or at least as much as) all other things it must be the soil: Kimmeridgean clay is the technical name for the rare blend of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells that stretches all the way to the east coast of England in varying degrees. It is this soil which gives Chablis Chardonnay it's unique bouquet and flavor profile. The infamous (and rightfully so) Jancis Robinson even declared that this may be the "purest expression of varietal character".

   So what about the oaking? Well tell your ABC friends that they've been mislead... some of the greatest Premier and Grand Cru wineries do, in fact, barrel age their Chablis. But? But they do it with the greatest finesse and respect for the grape, allowing Chardonnay to shine. And the proof?

   As always, my friends, it's in the glass;

 2009 Lamblin et Fils Chablis "Premier Cru"

Beauroy Premier Cru, Maligny-Chablis, France

http://lamblin.com/

not available in BC     $55    92 Points

maximum yield:   58 hl/ha

vinification:        stainless steel, cold-stabilized, fining with bentonite (clay)

maturation:        on fine lees in French oak barrels. Allowed to rest for 6 months in bottle before shipping

awards:             CONCOURS DES GRANDS VINS DE FRANCE DE MACON 2010 *Bronze*

visual:   clear; light gold core with pale watery rim, silver highlights

• nose:   clean; moderately intense and youthful aromas of bright citrus notes, deep/crisp steely minerality, subtle buttery-vanilla tones, some perfume of small summer flowers
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ (lemon zest) acids, light body, moderate+ ABV (13%), moderately intense and youthful flavors in-line with the bouquet, the minerality is most keenly felt and the citrus tones develop on several levels. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   whilst already drinking well, this wine will richly reward a patient cellaring. Drink 2016-2020
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   butter poached BC sablefish on celeriac rosti with steamed local spaghetti squash and slightly spicy plum compote.... this works on a number of levels: the butter poached sablefish will balance the young acidity, the celeriac warms to earthy tones and spaghetti squash keeps the palate clean whilst the plums embrace the light floral tones from the best Chablis

   And so what do we say about Beauroy, the afore mentioned Premier Cru of Chablis that this wine hails from? Well, out of all 12,000 hectares of vineyard planted in Chablis, only 7 vineyards have the quality to be hailed as "Grand Cru" by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) although there is an un-offical 8th (another article). Slightly less prestigious, with slightly larger yields, a bit less sunlight and warmth for full ripening of the grapes, perhaps a touch less oyster shell in the soil, well that's Premier Cru.

   That's Beauroy; verging on the greatest quality of Chardonnay in the world.

   And, yes, it's oaked.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!