Sommelier choir at the Buda Castle Wine Festival (Budapest)At about the time I shot this picture of sommeliers-singers in Budapest, Food & Wine magazine posted its
october issue, in which Mickey Butts selected in an article what he considered as the
seven best wine blogs around.
It is more than time that I pay my tribute to Mickey and Food & Wine for selecting Wineterroirs.com as one of them...
I first heard of it as one evening in Budapest, browsing on the internet, I looked at the last entry on Alder Yarrow's
Vinography . He was one of the 7 (he does a great job) and as I looked at the article through a link, I was stunned to see I was part of it too ! In front of the computer in the hostel lobby, I felt like : Hey, look ! It's me ! I'm the one they're writing about !...but I kept silent. As for my english, which Mickey notes as somewhat fractured, I'll try to fine tune it...:)
While I knew the work (and regularly visited the blogs of) Joe Dressner, Alder Yarrow, Jamie Goode and Dr Vino, the article helped me discover Alice Feiring's Veritas in Vino and Craig Camp's Vinocibo which I did not know yet.
Philippe Pacalet pouring his Chambolle-Musigny 2004For the daring ones who braved the bitter cold and the snow of this (26th) november day to attend Caves Augé's tasting event in front of the wine store, the reward was sizeable : 9 outstanding vignerons from Burgundy were personally present to offer a tasting of their wines. Pacalet's Chambolle is still in casks. The wine is turbid, the lees having been stirred a month ago he said. A pleasure. Among the 4 other wines of his that I tasted, I liked particularly his Gevrey-Chambertin 2004 for its elegance.
I also discovered through this tasting day the wines of 2 winemakers : Alain Burguet who poured me his Gevrey-Chambertin 2002 "En Billard" (a climat) and his Gevrey-Chambertin 2002 "Mes Favorites" (cuvée made from 60 year old vines). Great work. Does not sell to individual customers. 85/95% for export.
Also Jean-Yves Bizot who makes wine out of a 2,5 hectare vineyard. His Vosne Romanée 2003 is superb, great lasting mouth. Also liked his Echezeaux Grand cru 2002.
Alain Segelle (on the right)Alain Segelle, sommelier and wine critic, signed his new book ( "Le Vin, mode d'emploi", editor:
Utovie )at the Cercle National des Armées, an administrative entity
affiliated to the ministry of defence in Paris and located Place Saint Augustin in Paris. The frame of the evening was a tasting event organized by the "Domaine de L'Angelie", which is (contrary to what its name may imply) a wine and gastronomy store located in the south west of France. B. and I tasted a few great things. First, a great Champagne , A.R. Lenoble. Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs . Beautiful and delicate Champagne.
To make it short, I'll go straight to the best wine I had this evening : Domaine Saint Nicolas 2000 "Plante Gâte", Fiefs Vendéens (Loire Valley). A pinot Noir. Chewy. You don't drink that, you eat it... The estate is in biodynamy.
Deborah Knowland, holding her Reserve de Chasse 2003This is a discovery I made recently in a tasting event at Le Garde Robe, a wine bar. Deborah is a vigneronne of irish descent (One of her grandfather made whiskey, the other tea...) who makes wine in the Languedoc. Her
Domaine de Clairac has a 35 hectare vineyard surface. I'll say a word about some of her Vins de Pays; Chipie 2003, a red worked with cold pre-fermentation and elevage in casks without too much stirring of the lees (Gre-Car-Syr-Alic) 4,75 Euro prof. price. Also Renaissance 2003, a 100% Syrah red more floral than fruity, silky wine . 5,82 Euro prof. price. Then her Reserve de Chasse 2003, Carignan (100+ y old vines) & Syrah, beautiful wine, nice refined tannins, not heavy, a steal at 5,3 Euro prof price . And even better, her "L'Or des Shistes" 2002 (Gre-Syr) from a plot in St Chinian, bottled dec 2004. If she could afford, she says she would keep it in the cellar one more year. Great wine. Public price 12 Euro.
Jacques Selosse at AugéChampagne tasting on december 3rd at Caves Augé wine store with 6 great artisans : Michel Drappier, Didier Gimonet, Pierre Larmandier, Jerome Prevost, Jacques Selosse and Bertrand Gautherot were there in person to offer a taste of their cuvées. Great and rare opportunity to taste great bubbles, like here Selosse's Substance cuvée, a "solera" Champagne made of 14 consecutive millesimes successively added in the casks along the years. Jacques Selosse is visiting Japan soon, where he will check how his wines stand the trip .
The "Salon des Vignerons Independants" 2005 edition gathered
993 vignerons who offered their wines for tasting to an ever increasing public at the Exposition Hall of the Porte de Versailles in Paris. The picture was shot thursday or friday (saturday and sunday is really crowded). B. and I visited vignerons we already knew (C&P Breton, Valmagne, Ogereau, Decelle, Jo Landron, Deffends, Ferme Saint Martin, Bunan, Agrapart and others...) and discovered a few estates , like the "
Lycée Viticole de Beaune", a viticulture school which sells the wine it makes (bought some of their Hautes Cotes de Beaune-7 Euro), also Domaine du Regain, an Anjou estate, then the famed
Domaine aux Moines and its Savennieres, where for generations women vinify the wines (we tasted 5 great wines from 1991 to 2004). I loved also the Jura wines of
Domaine Rolet, tasted 7 of their wines and bought a few bottles of their Arbois-Montigny Trousseau (100%) 2002 (9,4 Euro) , a superb red wine (bottled in spring 2004) with an easy 10 year laying down potential.
Jean Pierre RobinotThe first edition of "Les Vins du Coin" , a wine fair hosting about 20 vignerons in organic viticulture and natural vinification, was held in the vast cellar underneath the Mairie (city hall) in Thesée (Loire Valley) december 4-5. Sunday was for the general public, monday for professionals. Prestigious names : Bruno Allion, Junko Arai (Noella Morantin), Michel Augé, Mickael Bouges, Alain and Joel Courtault, Claude courtois, Christophe Foucher,N. Gaudichet & Chr. Chaussard, Emile Heredia, Olivier Lemasson, Pascal Potaire, JM & T. Puzelat, Michel Quenioux, JP Robinot, C. Roussel & D. Barouillet, P. Simonutti, Philippe Tessier, Christian Venier, Henri Villemade...
We both were eager to meet and taste Robinot's wines. He is a marathonian, he says, he has run everywhere in cities, on mountain tops and the (good) wine has always been a fair companion to him. He makes wine both with his grapes coming from his 3 hectare vineyard ("Les Vignes de L'Ange Vin" range), and from grapes he buys to other vignerons ("Opera du Vin" range) . Plus, he acquired 10 hectares in the Chahaignes area which he gradually replants. Lack of space to post all my notes, but we'll visit him someday. We tasted 9 wines. All his whites had their malolactic fermentation completed, stayed 18 months+ in casks, and often had 0,00 SO2.
Michel AugéNews from the cork front.
Michel Augé made the big leap to crown caps for all of his bottlings recently. Tired of the occasional TCA problems with traditional corks, but also because the cork trees forests are under too much pressure from the wine industry needs and something has to be done. Plus, he adds that these caps are easily recyclable, and that some of his own markets, like the japanese one (where women often view the bottle-openings with dread) , responded very positively to his move. He says that the often praised air exchange through the cork is a myth, and points to the years the wines spend with such caps in the Champagne cellars.
We tasted of course his wine at "Les Vins du Coin" : Among them, his great Suavignon 2004 (Sauvignon) which has just been bottled, that's why it is still tight. Lightly turbid. A little oxydative nose, which will disappear in about 5-6 months through autolysis, he says. This wine is alive and is protecting itself alone, even the colour will change for a more copper-pink one. 0,00 SO2 here.
Michel Quenioux and his ArgiloWhen you sit with the winemakers and vignerons of "Les Vins du Coin" for lunch, expect not only a good and simple meal, but the pleasure to drink some of their wines with the food, and speak with them (at least to the ones near whom you're sitting) in an even more relaxed way. The one in front of whom we were sitting was Michel Quenioux, of
Domaine de Veilloux, an estate (23 hectares) working on the organic/biodynamic principles in the Cheverny Appellation . He makes 13 or 14 different cuvées (including the traditional-sparkling wine). His Cheverny Argilo 2002 red (Pinot Noir-Gamay-with a little of Cabernet Franc-Cot) is a nice wine with a beautiful torrefaction nose (9,8 Euro public price). Also liked his Cheverny Argilo 2001 white (Sauvignon 75-85%, the rest in Menu Pineau), one year elevage in casks (part of them new) on its lees, only stirred a little in winter in the beginning of the season. Also his very small cuvée "Agapé" 2000 (white), 100% Sauvignon from 50% grafted vines and 50% non-grafted 40 years old vines. No SO2. For sale since last month. Was in reduction, needs to be carafed, best is serve it 2-3 days after opening the bottle. A last word about his "Le Gamay de Veilloux" (2003) labelled as "Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France". Destemmed. Traditional maceration (not carbonic). Very rare for this type of wine. Makes a surprising, dense and dark Gamay, with substance. We like that.
affiliated to the ministry of defence in Paris and located Place Saint Augustin in Paris. The frame of the evening was a tasting event organized by the "Domaine de L'Angelie", which is (contrary to what its name may imply) a wine and gastronomy store located in the south west of France. B. and I tasted a few great things. First, a great Champagne , A.R. Lenoble. Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs . Beautiful and delicate Champagne.
Congratulations for your distinction as one of the best wineblogs! I totally agree with this choice! I don't know about your English, I understand it perfectly, but that's perhaps, because mine has also a foreign accent:-))) -
but I like your descriptions and I'm always enthusiastic about your photos.
Dommage, que je suis trop loin de Paris pour faire un tour aux dégustations de la cave Augé - cela l'air toujours très intéressant et convivial. J'aurais juste 24 heures dans la capitale le 16 décembre - s'il y a quelque chose d’intéressant dans l'après-midi, je serais preneur de l'information!
Posted by: Iris | December 09, 2005 at 05:32 PM
Merci pour cet encouragement !
C'est vrai que c'est assez genial de pouvoir rencontrer regulièrement une telle selection de vignerons et de deguster leurs vins comme ça, sur le trottoir, en discutant avec eux. Ce caviste est unique à cet égard.
Posted by: Bertrand | December 12, 2005 at 09:13 AM
Congratulations!! Wow, Your wine blog was selected as one of the best seven wine blogs. What a splendid news! I haven't read this article yet, but I wanted to say this at first. I will read this with enjoyment later. At least, I think I get what you wanna say in English. And the photo, I like your photo. Vos photos sont tres beau! Anyway, felicitation!
Posted by: hikalu | December 12, 2005 at 04:35 PM