Bobo's Burg Blog

Corton rouge announces it's coming out party

2008-12-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Long overlooked and underrated, the red wines made from the hill of Corton are about to receive a major boost. Domaine Romanee Conti has announced that it will be leasing vineyards on Corton from the Domaine Prince Florent de Merode. The grand crus Les Renardes, Les Bressandes and Clos du Roi will be exploited by DRC beginning with the 2009 vintage. DRC co-director Aubert de Villaine cited the prime location of the plots and the old vines they contain as the primary reasons for the domaine's interest. The Prince and Princess Merode recently died within six months of each other and, according to Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator, the heirs of the estate contacted DRC about the possible lease.

This arrangement is big news. DRC has long prided itself in only producing grand cru wines from the best appellations. Excluding a little Vosne Romanee premier cru that is bottled every few years, the only red wines made by the estate are from grand cru sites in Vosne Romanee and Flagey-Echezaux. When the domaine decided to make some white wine it bought a plot in Le Montrachet. Oh yeah, DRC are also produces two barrels of Batard-Montrachet, but they choose not to release it. Instead the Batard is drunk in-house and given away as gifts. The fact that Domaine Romanee Conti is interested in making and bottling wines from the hill of Corton speaks volumes about the potential quality of this appellation. While many collectors ignore the reds from Corton, the management of DRC obviously sees their potential.

Many consumers are of the mind set that red Cortons are not worthy of their grand cru status, but this notion is disputed by some of the leading critics. Clive Coates places Corton Clos du Roi, along with Le Musigny, La Tache, Chambetin and Romanee Conti, in the highest classificaion of Burgundy's vineyards. The Burghound himself, Allen Meadows, has said that reds from Corton are indeed grand cru wines, but they usually need a good twenty years to reach maturity. I have found that Cortons are often hard and firm when young. The charmless/coarse nature of many young Cortons is most likely the main reason why many Burdgundy drinkers do not hold them in high esteem. Despite the critical acclaim, the prices charged for Corton rouge have remained well below that of the Cote de Nuits grand crus. The Cortons bottled by DRC, however, will surely be outrageously expensive and highly sought after by collectors. The attention DRC is going to bring to the appellation will benefit all the growers who bottle wines from the hill. Perhaps reds from Corton will finally receive the prestige that has eluded them for so long.

A true kabinett

2008-12-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Eric Asimov, wine writer for The New York Times, recently posted about a bottle of 2001, Joh. Jos. Prum, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Kabinett on his blog The Pour. The main point of Mr. Asimov's piece was that this bottle actually tasted like a kabinett, unlike many wines bearing that label today. Germany's warming climate has resulted in Kabinetts that have the weight and richness of spatlese or even auslese. While delicious in their own right, these wines do not have the profile of classic kabinetts. The Asimov post reminded me of a few Prum 2001s that lay buried in my cellar and I decided to crack one open late in the day on Thanksgiving. When first released, the Prum 2001's showed strong sulphur-like aromas, but this is typical of the young wines released by this estate. Sulphur aromas are said to disappear after several years and sure enough, my bottle had a nose that was fresh and full of flowers. The wine was elegant in the mouth and nearly dry. I have been shying away from German wines lately due to the sweetness that many possess, but I was thrilled to see that the wine had become drier with age (yet not tired). As Mr. Asimov points out, it is a shame that this style of kabinett has been missing in recent vintages. The German winemakers like to say that the kabinetts made in recent vintages provide more bang for the buck. While it is true the wines are richer and more intense then one expects for their level, it does not make them a better kabinett. I enjoyed the light body and beautiful texture of the 2001 Prum and I would have been disappointed if the wine was very ripe and sweet. Some professionals have tasted the 2007's from Prum and they claim that they are similar the 2001s in style. That would be refreshing.

http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/

Gloomy mood at the Hospices de Beaune

2008-12-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Each morning, while listening to the radio, I am bombarded with reports detailing the horrible state of our economy. The constant onslaught of negative financial news can be very depressing, but there may be a silver lining for Burgundy fans. In Beaune, the annual Hospices de Beaune auction was recently held and the Wine Spectator is reporting that wine prices have decreased dramatically. 450 barrels of 2008 red Burgundy were sold at prices 31.5% lower from those fetched by the 2007s last year. Likewise, 94 barrels of white Burgundy sold at prices that were also down from last year, but by only 2.45%. While the region no longer sets their prices based on the results of the auction, it is certainly an indicator of the interest in the vintage. Most reports coming from Burgundy consider 2008 to be a strong year for white wine, but spotty for the reds. The vintage may turn out to be very good for some producers, but it is generating little buzz from the press. Although the growers are always reluctant to go in reverse with thier pricing, perhaps the global economic crisis will bring a bit of sanity to the region. There are most likely sizeable quantities of 2006's piling up in the cellars of many domaines and this will only put more pressure on the prices of the subsequent vintages. Good deals should be abundant for the U.S. consumer in the coming year, assuming some have the money to spend.

Thanksgiving day at Chez Bobo

2008-11-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

This was the first Thanksgiving day hosted at Chez Bobo and it proved to be more work than expected. Granted, my wife awoke at 5am to begin the cooking, but I am in charge of the dish cleaning and this proved to be a momumental task. I underestimated the number of dishes that would be involved in preparing the feast and spent a good portion of the afternoon cleaning up. The great food and wine made it all worth it, however. A nice sparkling Vouvray Brut from Domaine Aubuisieres got the festivities off to a good start. Next up, a rich and creamy Jean Velut, Champagne, Blanc de Blanc, NV that was very good.

I love the rieslings from the Wachau region of Austria, but I also enjoy the gruner veltliners made in the Federspiel style (12.5% maximum alcohol). Their are four producers in the Wachau that are often sited as the best and we tasted Federspiels from three of these estates. Due to the difficulty in obtaining their wines, Knoll was not included. The Hirtzberger, Gruner Veltliner, Federpiel, Rotes Tor, 2006 was nice, but seemed hard and bitter next to the competition. Richer and rounder on the palate was the Prager, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, Hinter der Burg, 2006. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this wine, because in the past I found those from Prager to be little too clean and soulless. On this day, the Prager tasted delicous and showed great balance. The company I work for distributes the wine, so I may seem biaised, but I found the F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, Klostersatz, 2006 to be the best of the flight. Typical of the wines from this estate, the Pichler had a seemless texture that gave it a greater sense of elegance. Hirtzberger and Prager are terrific producers, but the wines from F.X. Pichler show the touch of a truly gifted winemaker.

Ironically, after my earlier post declaring that gamay based wines work best on Thanksgiving, I did not open a single Beaujolais. I had every intention of cracking open a couple cru bottlings, but my brother in-law showed up with two grand cru wines from the Cote d'Or. What would you expect the Burgschnauzer to do? The Jacky Truchot, Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru, 2003 was an obvious "leaker," but the wine still showed pretty well. Although it appeared rather advanced for its age, the wine was complex and elegant. The Domaine des Lambrays, Clos des Lambrays, Grand Cru, 2003 was a perfect bottle and showed well, but I was a little disappointed with the roasted flavor it displayed. The more Burgundies I drink from 2003, the less I like the vintage.

Despite this being the first Thanksgiving at Chez Bobo, the turkey turned out great and the entire meal was a success. The next night, we attempted to plough through some of the leftovers and this time we drank a Beaujolais. Confirming my earlier claims, a bottle of Domaine Vissoux, Fleurie, Poncie, 2007 was a perfect match for the meal. The wine washed down the various foods without any conflict. Next year, I will be sure to crack open some cru Beaujolais. Although, I might be persauded otherwise if someone shows with up with a couple grand cru Burgundies.

The Great Food and Wine Pairing Disaster

2008-11-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving should be declared a national food and wine pairing disaster. I thought about calling FEMA, but that would probably make the situation worse. Many people choose to serve big, tannic wines (i.e. CA cabernets & Bordeaux) which can be transformed into bitter, sour swill by foods such as cranberry sauce. It may not be a perfect match, but gamay based wines are able to wash down such culinary landmines without major difficulty. With that in mind, I would like to officially endorse cru Beaujolais as the perfect wine for this long day of eating. The forward, fruity nature of the gamay grape pairs wonderfully with lean meats such as turkey and also works well with traditional side dishes. The best Beaujolais are serious wines that keep the drinker engaged and eager to consume more. Some people feel that Americans should drink wines that are native to the U.S. on this national holiday. Zinfandel is often cited by the press as the best wine to be served on Thanksgiving. While that maybe patriotic, I like to be awake when the pumpkin pie is served. Then again, if the in-laws are really difficult to deal with, a nice, big 17% Zin might be the perfect choice.

Champagne Sunday - 11/23

2008-11-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

" Milk chaser please."

Heymann-Lowenstein

2008-11-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

Reinhard Lowenstein, located in the lower Mosel town Winningen, is an extremely passionate winemaker who has attracted a cult following in Germany. In the US, however, his wines are virtually unknown. Some members of the American press have recently begun reviewing Lowenstein's wines, labeled Heymann-Lowenstein, but they remain off the radar of most German wine aficionados here. Mr. Lowenstein is obsessed with the notion of terroir and he bottles his cuvees according to the type of soil they originate from. As a winemaker, Lowenstein emphasizes minimal intervention. The 2005 Heymann-Lowenstein, Riesling, Schieferterrassen showed a deep yellow color and a nose infused with petrol. While not uncommon in older bottles, it is unusual to find petrol aromas in a young riesling. It appears that Lowenstein exposes his wines to a good amount of oxygen during the elevage which might explain the advanced nature of the wine's color and aroma. In the mouth, the wine was medium bodied, dry and lively. Schieferterrasen is the estate's basic bottling and is a blend of several vineyards consisting of various soil types.

The one aspect that separates the dry wines made by Lowenstein from those of other growers in Germany is their beautiful texture. Most of the trocken style wines that I have tasted seem coarse, hard and overly intense. In contrast, Lowenstein's wines caress the palate and appear to be almost weightless. While drinking the Schieferterrasen, it occurred to me that this style of wine might be a flash back to what good German Riesling tasted like prior to the invention of the Pradikat classification system (i.e. Kabinett, Spatlese, etc.). Before the growers began haulting the fermentation and intentionally leaving sugar in the wines, I suspect that most were dry/off dry. The best wines of Germany were highly sought after in England in the 18th and 19th centuries, but from what I have read, they were considered dry table wines. The Mosel region is cold, and it is probable that in some of the past vintages not all the sugar would have converted to alcohol. These cooler vintages would have resulted in wines with some perceivable sweetness, but they were most likely drier and fuller bodied those made today. The estate of Reinhard Lowenstein may seem like a new exciting discovery, but his wines might have felt right at home a century ago.

http://www.heymann-loewenstein.com/

Election Night

2008-11-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

There was a great deal of enthusiasm surrounding this year's presidential election (at least amongst my associates) so I decided to open a bottle of wine that had me excited. Chevillon-Chezeaux is a small producer based in Nuits-Saint-Georges and they are known in France for their rare cuvee made from mutated pinot noir grapes. The Henri Gouges domaine was the first to have reported that some of their pinot noir vines had transformed and begun producing white grapes. The Gouges estate shared the cuttings from these vines with other domaines and they are now referred to as "Pinot Gouges" (a.k.a. "Pinot Blanc issue de Noir"). The Chevillon-Chezeaux, Nuits-Saints-Georges, 1er Cru, Bousselots, blanc, 2006 was ripe on the nose and thick on the palate. Unlike Burgundies made from the chardonnay grape, this bottle showed red fruits on the palate. Despite the unique flavor profile, this wine came across as being very much a Burgundy. The wine was chalky, coarse and full of minerals. Most Meursaults, Pulignys and Chassagnes in the same price range are finer wines, but this cuvee is very unique. I have had better bottles recently from other villages in Burgundy, but none were as exciting.

Saturday Night Football - 11/1

2008-11-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Texas Tech vs. Texas game was the main attraction this evening and I decided to get it started with a bottle of F.X. Pichler, Riesling, Federspiel, Von den Terrassen, 2006. The wine's rich texture reflected the warm vintage, yet it remained lively and fresh. This bottle is a classic example of the Pichler style, which combines finesse with power and intensity. Great winemaking on display here.

Saturday Night Football - 10/25

2008-10-26T12:41:00.001-07:00

The Bobo clan gathered for the big Penn State vs Ohio State showdown Saturday night. In an attempt to stay awake for the entire game, I selected a couple lighter alcohol wines for the evening. 2006 was a ripe warm vintage in the Wachau and the Franz Hirtzberger, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, Rotes Tor reflected those conditions. This vintage was richer and riper on the palate then usual for this bottling. Hirtzberger is located in Spitz at the western end of the Wachau, where the cool air gets trapped as it flows down the Wachau. This area tends to produce wines that are racier and more mineral driven than those from the rest of the Wachau. The main flavor I found in the 2006 was banana, which I often find in Gruner Veltliners from warm vintages (such as 2003). In contrast, the 2004 version of this wine was bright and lean. Hirtzberger is a very skilled producer and despite its richness, the wine was framed by an elegant texture. While I enjoyed this single vineyard cuvee, I find myself less enamored with Gruner Veltliners in general. The top producers in the Wachau usually charge the same amount for their Gruner Veltliners and Rieslings. Personally, I would rather consume a Riesling.

The next wine screamed northern rhone from the start. A good dose of black olive hit my nose as I sniffed the Phillipe Faury, Saint-Joseph, rouge, 2005. The wine was pure and elegant in the mouth. While traditionally styled, this wine was fruitier than the benchmark wines made by the great Raymond Trollat. It was a joy to drink a serious wine that weighed in at only 12.8% alcohol. I actually made it to the third quarter of the Hawaii game, which started at midnight!

Burgundy's great hidden treasure

2008-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Burgundy contains many hidden little treasures for the adventurous wine drinker, but all the big prizes have already been discovered. I believed this to be true until one day this past spring while on expedition in Burgundy. On March 19th, 2008, I was present when the wine equivalent of King Tut's tomb was unearthed. Our group had already tasted at six domaines and were on pace to be late for the seventh, but our French business associate insisted that we visit an estate in Givry. There are some nice wines made in Givry, but we had just tasted our way through Chassagne and Puligny, and the prospect of visiting a Chalonaise domaine was not very appealing. Our French colleague, however, proved very persuasive and we turned the car south towards Givry. We pulled into a small courtyard and within seconds were descending into an 18th century dungeon-like cellar. A white haired man wearing mostly black escorted us to a barrel labeled 'Givry blanc'. This mysterious figure had only been introduced to us as 'The Baron.' I stuck my weary nose into the glass and then took a swig. The wine was refreshingly mineral and crisp. A Givry rouge followed and I was taken aback by the beautiful structure the wine possessed. Firm tanins coated my mouth. I looked around the cellar and noticed several huge open top barrels lining the walls. The Baron announced that the next wine was Corton, Clos du Roi, and it proved to be a perfect expression of that vineyard. Next up, Les Grands Echezeaux. Wow! The Grand Echezeaux was spicy and very long on the finish. We followed the Baron to another stack of barrels. I rubbed my eyes to make sure my sight was not blurred from too much wine. 'Montrachet' was etched across the front of the casks. Bracing myself, I took my first ever sip of a wine from this mythical vineyard. The wine was golden in color, rich on the palate and full of liquid stones. It sat in my mouth and refused to leave.

"Is that really seven barrels of Montrachet?" I asked.

"Yes", our French associate replied. "The other 18 went to negociants."

The Bordeaux-Montrieux family has owned land in Givry since 1760, but for the past several decades their estate, Domaine Thenard, has sold most of its production to the negociant Maion Roland Remoissenet. While wine was released under the Thenard label at the domaine, Remoissenet requested that the wines not be exported to the U.S. market. In 2005, Remoissenet was sold to to a group of North American investors led by the Milstein brothers of New York and the Thenard estate decided to explore export options.

An interior view of the entrance to Domaine Thenard's cellar.

The estate was founded in 1842 by Baron Paul Thenard, who married a local girl with the last name of Bordeaux-Montrieux. In subsequent years, control of the domaine passed through the female side to the Bordeaux-Montrieux descendants. Despite being virtually unknown in the U.S., Domaine Thenard has been famous in Burgundy for over a century due to one monumental purchase. Two large parcels of Le Montrachet, totaling 1.86 hectares, were acquired by Baron Paul Thenard in 1872. Only the Marquis de Laguiche, with their single parcel of 2.06 hectares (Puligny side), own more land in this fabled vineyard. By comparison, the third largest owner in Montrachet is Bouchard Pere et Fils with 0.89 hectares. In the 20th century, the grand cru vineyards Clos du Roi in Corton and Les Grands Echezeaux in Flagey were added to the portfolio. These vineyard acquisitions made Thenard one of the most important estates in Burgundy, yet the heart of the domaine remained in the humble village of Givry.

Baron Jean-Baptiste Bordeaux-Montrieux

Baron Jean-Bapstiste Bordeaux-Montrieux has been in charge of the winemaking at the domaine since the earily 1980's, but most of the wine was sold to Remoissenet while still in barrel. The bottles sold under the Remoissenet label were not held in high esteem, but the cuvees purchased from Thenard stood out. In his description of Remoissenet, Clive Coates (The Wines of Burgundy, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2008) wrote, "the firm distributes the wines of Domaine Baron Thenard and these - Le Montrachet, Corton Clos du Roi, Grands Echezeaux - are often the best." Maison Entienne Sauzet also purchases the Montrachet in must form from Thenard and this is the sole source for their much sought after cuvee. Today, the Baron holds back the top cuvees for the estate and controls every step of the winemaking. The wines bottled under the Domaine Thernard label are serious vin de garde (wines to keep). I was blown away by a 1976 Givry rouge tasted at the domaine during our visit. Amazingly, the wine was still very much alive.

The open top tuns used for the fermentation of the Givry rouge.

The winemaking at Domaine Thenard is very tradtional and the wines have a firmness/rusticisty that reflect that style. The domaine's largest holding in Givry is in the premier cru Les Bois Cheveaux (7.66 ha), which tends to show slightly more power then the Givry premier cru Cellier Aux Moines (3.22 ha). Also in Givry is the premier cru Clos Saint-Pierre (2.12 ha). This vineyard, which is a monopole of the estate, produces the darkest colored and most ageworthy of the three Givry premier cru. In Pernand-Vergelesses, Thenard owns a piece of the finest vineyard in the village, Illes des Verglesses (0.85 ha). Right next door, on the hill of Corton, sits the domaine's prime parcel in the great Clos du Roi (0.9 ha ). The top section of Clos du Roi, where Thenard's vines are located, is considered superior to the lower portion of the vineyard and produces one of the more underated grand cru in Burgundy. Clive Coates considers Clos du Roi to be one of the very best vineyards in the Cote d'Or, on par with La Romanee Conti, La Tache, Chambertin and Le Musigny. Also included by Coates with those legendary names is Les Grands Echezeaux, of which Thenard is fortunate to own 0.54 hectares.

Three white wines are made at Domaine Thenard. The basic Givry blanc is fresh and bright. Far richer and more intense is the Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Clos Saint-Jean (0.17 ha). The show stopper is, of course, the Le Montrachet (1.83 ha). In addition to owning a huge portion of this vineyard, the domaine is also blessed with old vines. The individual parcels were planted between 1931 and 1972. The resulting wine is deep in color and has an intense bouquet of white flowers and spicy oak. In the mouth, the wine is immense, but not heavy. A wave of minerals lurks in the background and keeps the wine from weighing down the palate. Thenard's Montrachet is truly a great wine.

Domaine Thenard owns two parcels in Le Montrachet, both of which can found on this map. Montrachet is divided in two by the Chassagne/Puligny border, which is represented by the dark line running through the vineyard on the right side of the map. The Chassagne half (3.99 ha) is known as 'Le Montrachet' and the Puligny side (4.01 ha) simply as 'Montrachet.' Domaine Romanee Conti owns the first parcel to the left of the Chassagne/Puligny dividing line (#31). Thenard owns the second, much larger plot (#32). The enormous parcel on the upper left hand side of the map (#34) also belongs to Thenard.

I left the domaine in a state of shock. Did I really just taste a Montrachet? Did I really suck down a '76 Givry that was still kicking? The next day, I awoke with a mild headache and descended down to the kitchen for a quick cup of coffee. Our schedule was packed and by 9am we were back in a cellar tasting, this time in Gevrey. A Chambertin-Clos-de-Beze was still fresh on my lips as our car zipped towards to Morey St-Denis, but I could not dislodge the Thenard visit from my mind. How could a cellar with 25 barrels of Montrachet resting inside, not to mention Clos du Roi and Grands Echezeaux, be hidden in total obscurity? I found myself zoning out at our next appointment as I pondered this question. Several reasons came to mind for Domaine Thenard's lack of fame, but none of them mattered now. Burgundy's great hidden treasure has been found--- in Givry of all places.

#@$%&%$! on Le Chambertin

2008-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

I guess birds do not have the same respect I do for Le Chambertin. Or, maybe they do not like Rossignol Trapet.

Tomato Pie Night - 9/24

2008-09-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Since the original Delorenzo's is now closed on Wednesday, I had to get the pies from the new location on route 33. While the pies are very similar, I feel that the ones made on Hudson Street are a little better. Louis Latour was once again the feartured producer and tonight we tried our first red from this large negociant. We started with a Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Morgeot, 2006, which was really nice. The oak was moderate and and in the backgournd. The wine was rich, but very well balanced. Next up was a Bourgogne from a new producer in Morey-Saint-Denis. The Alain Jeanniard, Bourgogne, rouge, 2006 had a brightness and elegance that one expects in a wine sourced from Morey. Jeanniard, a star in the making, established his domaine in 2004 and still makes wine for the Hospices des Beaune. Lastly, we opened a Louis Latour, Beaune, 1er Cru, Perrieres, 2005. The color was deep and it showed ripe fruit on the palate. While enjoyable, the wine was pretty straight forward and not as exciting as the whites we have tasted from this producer.

Champange Sunday - 9/21

2008-09-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our 9th wedding anniversary was this weekend, so we opened a couple special bottles. First up, a Diebolt-Vallois, Champagne, Brut, a Cramant, 2002 that was very elgegant and pure. With time in the glass, the wine revealed a delicious touch of honey. This estate makes wonderful Champagnes and this bottle was terrific.

Next, a Domaine Georges Mugneret, Nuits-Saint-Georges, 1er Cru, Aux Chaignots, 2004 showed a light brick color. The wine was surprisingly expressive in the nose, but a slight green quality was present. Typical of the wines from this great domaine, this bottle was smooth and silky on the palate. On the negative side, the underripe fruit/green aspect that was revealed in the nose was also present in the mouth. I have had many 2004 red Burgundies that suffer this same problem, but I was hoping that this bottle might be the exception. Retailers are heavily discounting their 2004 red Burgundies and this makes them very tempting. Many of the wines, however, are flawed by green/underripe fruit. I have read reports from some Burgundy lovers that the green quality in the 2004's appears to be fading as the wines age in the bottle. In the name of science, I left one quarter of the bottle in the fridge overnight. I retasted the wine the next evening and it showed much better. The wine had gained weight and the ripe fruit flavors were more pronounced. The green quality had virtually disappeared. While some of the extremely green tasting wines will always be flawed, I have a feeling that best 2004's will be beautiful wines in 10 years.

A intimate dinner with the Burghound, well....sort of

2008-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

When planning my trip to Beaune last July, I had visions of living out my own 'Sideways' experience. Instead of wandering down to the Hitching Post each evening (as Miles and Jack do), my wife and I would repeatedly settle in at the most well known wine bar in Beaune, Ma Cuisine. On any given night, the bistro run by Pierre Escoffier and wife Fabienne is full of wine professionals, winemakers and wine loving consumers. I imagined myself hobnobbing with famous winewriters, in particular, Allen Meadows, a.k.a the 'Burghound.' Why Meadows and not one of the other dozen well known critics who cover Burgundy? Well, probably because I knew what Mr. Meadows looked like and could picture the senario playing out in my mind. I had spoken with him face to face a couple years ago in Manhattan after he had led a tasting at the Burgundy Wine Company. Unlike your typical wine intellectual, the self appointed Burghound had a crew cut and appeared to have just gotten out of basic training. Before this encounter, I had thought all Burgundy experts spoke with a British accent and wore reading glasses.

The sun was setting when my wife and I were greeted by Monsieur Escoffier at the bistro's front door. He escorted us to the raised seating area at the back of the restaurant. The only other table in this area was filled by two men and a woman. The carte de vin was presented to me and the stressful challenge of selecting the perfect wine began. Actually, it was not that hard. I knew that I wanted to drink something from Coche-Dury and we started with the 2004 Bourgogne blanc. The nose revealed a subtle dose of spicy oak, but I have been told that disappears after some years in the bottle. In the mouth, the Coche was very elegant and pure. A beautiful wine.

As our first course was served, I heard a familiar voice directly behind me. My spine froze and a tingling sensation shot across my scalp. "Meadows is behind me," I whispered to my wife.

"How do you know," she replied, glancing over my shoulder.

"I recognize his voice."

A trip to the toilette was in order. I rose from my seat and shot a quick glance to my right. Never before had I seen the gentleman on the right, but across the table was a man who bore some resemblance to Meadows. As I washed my hands, I analyzed the person in question. Allen Meadows had that very distinctive crew cut when we met in New York. I had assumed that he had worn his hair that way since high school, but the man at the table had a full, typical male cut. Maybe my desire for a 'Sideways' moment was causing me to hallucinate. I opened the door and headed towards the rear of the packed restaurant. Half drunk bottles of Burgundy with familiar labels sat atop each table and Mr. Escoffier was busy pulling the corks out of several more. The three small steps that led to the raised seating area suddenly seemed insurmountable. I felt like Rocky as he looked up at the stairs leading to the Philadelphia Art Museum . The gentleman turned towards me as I reached the top and our eyes locked. Time froze. A look of puzzlement washed over his face.

"Mr. Meadows, I met you last summer at......"

The gentleman acknowledged that I looked familiar and we began a slow dance of small talk. Indeed, this man was the 'Burghound'. I spent the next hour and a half trying not to embarrass myself, which became more difficult as we consumed our second bottle (a terrific 2000 Henri Gouges, Nuits-St.-Georges, 1er Cru, Les St-Georges). The hardest part about meeting someone you admire is acting like the encounter is no big deal. Combine that task with alcohol consumption and you had better have an Oscar under your belt. After washing down the last of the Gouges, my wife and I said goodbye and wandered back to the hotel. The 'Burghound' and I may never again meet face to face, but at least we will always have Beaune.

The six rules

2008-09-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

The wine business sounds very glamorous, but it is riddled with pitfalls. Industry tastings can be exhausting, but there is a sense of order that keeps them from getting really out of control. The same goes for winemaker dinners. Company parties on the other hand, can be life threatening. Typically at these events, several great bottles of wine are thrown down on the table and everyone scrambles to get a taste. No drinking related issues would prbably arrise if the number of bottles were limited to, say, one per person. In reality, however, the ratio is closer to 2 bottles per. I always feel bad for the new hire who is confronted with all this great wine for the first time. Inevitably, these rookies dive right in and often they have to be pulled out just before drowning. Here are six rules that can help one survive a wine industry party.

1- Arrive late and leave early
It is a good idea to reduce the window of time that you are obligated to drink.

2- Drink only one half glass of Champagne

I love Champagne, but it goes down the hatch way too fast. In addition, the bubbles in Champagne speed up the transfer of alcohol into your blood stream. If, God forbid, you are talked into a second glass, immediately arrange for an ambulance to pick you up later.

3- Stick to German Riesling and red Burgundy
The lower the alcohol, the better.

4- Consume a ton of water
I always feel like I should have a drink in my hand at these functions and rotating in several glasses of water is a smart move.

5- Never go out for the post party drink

One last drink always turns into three. If you do decide to go out, make sure that you have an extra bagel in the house. Mr. Hangover will be paying a visit the next morning.

6- Find someone to ride the train with you on the way home

If you are not able to find a train buddy, you run the risk of falling asleep and ending up in a run down city with a high murder rate.

The David Bowler Wine 5th anniversity party is beging held this evening in New York City and I am going to glue these rules to my forehead.

Tomato Pie Night

2008-09-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

The most recent installment of Tomato Pie Night was once again at Domaine Bobo and Burgundy was the main attraction. Our journey through the 2006 whites of Louis Latour continued with an excellent bottle of Batard-Montrachet. The wine was very rich and sexy. It was missing the minerals I find in the best examples from this vineyard, but was pretty tasty. Next up was Volnay, 1er Cru, Fremiets from Domaine Joseph Voillot. Jean Pierre-Charlot (winemaker at Voillot) crafts beautiful wines that are often fragrant and bright. Fremiets is usually the prettiest Volnay produced at this domaine and often shows well when young. The 2006 is a classic example of this wine was pretty yummy with the red pie. The disappointing part of the evening was the Rutgers football game that we had on in the background. Rutgers stadium is only a 30 minute drive north from our domaine, so we felt a profound sadness as North Carolina marched up and down the field. Rutgers may have lost in a blowout, but we washed away our disappointment with some terrific wines.

Champagne Sunday - 8/31

2008-09-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Labor Day eve was the last Champagne Sunday for the summer and I felt compelled to devour a pile of ribs. We started the festivities with a very rich and powerful 1996 Moet & Chandon, Champagne. The Champagne was not especially elegant, but its concentration was impressive. Two reds from Bordeaux from the 2000 vintage were served with the ribs. The Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan possessed good weight in the mouth, but was a little coarse on the finish. I liked the wine, but it certainly did not have the refinement that you look for in a Bordeaux. My father has been a long time fan of the wines made by the Margaux estate Chateau Giscours and the 2000 was a classic example. This bottle was fragrant and very silky on the palate. Over the years, my family has consumed many older bottles of Giscours ('66, '70, '71), and I have always liked the elegance that they often show. Both wines were very good, but the more memorable Giscours illustrated why the Margaux appellation is held in such high esteem.

Tomato Pie Night

2008-08-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

A good friend works for a company that distributes the wines of Louis Latour and he brought one of their wines over for dinner last night. The wine was a 2006 Louis Latour, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, which we drank while munching on white pie from the original Delorenzo's Tomato Pies in Trenton (Hudson Street). My expectations were not very high for the wine based on my past experiences with various Latour bottlings, but this bottle was really nice. The wine lacked the strong minerality that I expect in a Corton-Charlemagne, but it was full bodied and rich. I would not call this a great a example of what a Corton-Charlemagne should taste like, but it was a very good wine.

Burgundy's mighty hill

2008-08-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

The hill of Corton

The hill of Corton is one of the most impressive sights in the Cote d'Or and the white wines produced from its steep slopess are justly praised. The red wines, however, are often misunderstood and underrated. The terroir is diverse and not all of the plots planted with red grapes are of equal quality. Therefore, Corton is often cited as one of the leading canidates that should lose its grand cru status. While some of the vineyards on the hill are probably not deserving of their ranking, there are lieu-dit that can produce wines of the highest caliber. Clive Coates places Le Clos du Roi alongside La Romanee Conti, La Tache and Le Musigny in his classification of Burdundies greatest vineyards. Les Perrieres, Les Renardes and Les Bressandes can also make great bottles and these vineyards surely deserve grand cru status. The best red wines of Corton are some of the greatest values in Burgundy and they should not be overlooked.

Morey's hidden gem

2008-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Alain Jeanniard comes across as a very thoughtful, unassuming, yet confident man. Those are qualities that many top winemakers seem to possess. While totally unknown in the U.S., Jeanniard has recently begun to receive attention in England. The British critic Steven Spurrier took notice of this new producer at a trade tasting in the spring of 2008. Mr. Spurrier wrote "Alain Jeanniard, a domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis and new to me, showed tight, intellectual wines with a superb Chambolle 1er Cru Les Combottes that rivaled the Clos des Lambrays on the next table for half the price."

Alain Jeanniard

In 2000, Alain Jeanniard left behind a career in industry and returned home to begin putting together a small domaine. Through the renting of vineyards from his family and some shrewd purchases, Alain has formed an estate totaling four hectares. The domaine, whose first vintage was 2004, annually produces less than 2,000 cases from its tiny facility located just down the street from the Domaine des Lambrays. The winemaking is a blend of modern and traditional practices. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are completely de-stemmed. The vinification of the must takes place at 30 degrees Celsius and the juice is then aged in 20% new oak. Batonnage is performed once a month. I visited the domaine on March 20th of this year and tasted several of the 2007 cuvees from barrel. The 2006s had already been bottled.

1- Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits, blanc, 2006 - (15 year old vines) Very fresh on the nose. The wine has a great texture and is full ripe, tropical fruits. A strong blast of minerals comes through on the finish. This wine reminds me of a really good Meursault. Amazing for this level.

2- Bourgogne, Passe Tout Grain, 2006 - (40 year old vines) This wine is very focused and bright on both the nose and palate. The long finish is dominate by red fruits and lively acidity.

3- Bourgogne, rouge, 2006 - This cuvee is sourced from vineyards in Morey-St.-Denis with yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. The nose is full of elegant red fruits and the palate shows a beautiful earthiness that screams Morey.

4- Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits, rouge, 2006 - (15 year old vines) Really nice texture. Rich, dark fruits coate the palate. Excellent.

5- Chambolle-Musigny, VV, 2006 - (80 year old vines) Very nice dark berry fruit on the nose. Meidum-full bodied with a long finish.

6- Gevrey-Chambertin, 2006 - (45 year old vines) Very expressive nose of red fruits. Full-bodied, but elegant on the palate. Beautiful wine.

7- Chambolle-Musigny, 1er Cru, Les Combottes, 2006 - Richer and riper on the palate. The wine is very concentrated, but also elegant. A classic Chambolle.

8- Morey-St.-Denis, 1er Cru, Les Chenevery, 2006 - Very soft and rich in the mouth. The long finish is full of earthy, red fruits.

9- Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits, blanc, 2007 - (Barrel sample) Not as rich as 2006, but nicely balanced. Good mineral finish.

10-Bourgogne, rouge, 2007 - (barrel sample) Nice color. Deep and structured on the palate. Long and mineral. 10% of the stems were included.

11- Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits, rouge, 2007 - (barrel sample) Awesome for the appellation. Very ripe and full. Really good.

12- Morey-St.-Denis, 2007 - (barrel sample) Very ripe and soft on the palate. Beautiful wine.

13- Gevery-Chambertin, 2007 - (barrel sample) 10 barrels were produced of this wine. More concentrated then the 2006. Really good potential.

14- Vosne Romanee, 2007 - (barrel sample) 10 barrels produced. The nose of red fruits and spice is classic Vosne Romanee. The flavors are long and silky. Beautiful.

15- Chambolle-Musigny, 1er Cru, Les Combottes, 2007 - (barrel sample) Very fresh and bright. Good weight.

16- Nuits-St.-Georges, 1er Cru, Les Damodes, 2007 - (barrel sample) This vineyard borders Vosne Romanee. Great concentration. Red fruits are combined on the palate with bright acidity. The finish is full of minerals. Very good.

17- Morey-St.-Denis, 1er Cru, Les Chenevery, 2007 - (barrel sample) Really good. Strong mineral quality to the wine. Beautifully balanced.

18- Pommard, 1er Cru, Les Saussilles, 2007 - (barrel sample) Very fresh nose. Full-bodied on the palate and slightly rustic on the finish. Really good potential.

When not occupied with own estate, Alain spends his energy working at a prestigious part time job. The Hospices de Beaune entrusts him with the task of making two of it grand cru cuvees, Mazis-Chambertin and Clos de la Roche. Such experience should come in handy in the years to come as Jeanniard's domaine grows to include more renowned vineyard sites. While not yet sought after by collectors, Alain Jeanniard is quietly producing some of the Burgundy's most exciting wines.

Montrachet thought of the day

2008-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Le Montrachet

"So the wine of Montrachet should be considered as one of those rare marvels of which the chance of appreciating its perfection is granted to only a chosen few. Let the man who is able to buy a few bottles of the best vintages consider himself fortunate, whatever the price; he will never have paid too much."

Dr. Jules Lavalle, Histoire et statistique de la vigne et des grands vins de la Cote-d'Or (1855)

Champagne Sunday - 8/10

2008-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

We had soft shells again, but not crabs this time. Twice a year female lobsters shed their shells and begin the process of regrowing a new one. Males do this once a year. Unlike soft shell crabs, the new shell of these lobsters is not edible, but it is easy to break apart with bare hands. No crackers necessary. A really good bottle of Lilbert, Champagne, Cramant, Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs, NV got the evening started with the Olympics on in the background. This is the first time I have tasted a bottle from Lilbert that showed mature flavors. The wine's texture was creamy and a beautiful note of honey showed through on the palate.

For the main event, I opened a Lamy Pillot, Saint-Aubin, Pucelles, blanc. Pucelles is a lieu-dit near the village of Saint-Aubin. It was shocking how good this bottle was. I first became aware of this small producer based in Chassagne-Montrachet when I read that they bottle a Montrachet. Lamy Pillot barrel ferments all their wines and the Pucelles had a beautiful texture. Considering that this vineyard is not a premier cru, the wine's richness was surprising. The fruit was slightly tropical, but not over the top. I loved this wine.

Speaking of main events, I had been waiting all evening to see the 4 x 100 mens relay featuring Michael Phelps. At 11pm, an announcement flashed across the screen that the race would begin in 19 minutes. 'Thank goodness,' I thought sitting on the couch...................I woke up to see a volley ball flying across the screen. Half asleep, I stood up and turned the t.v. off. I walked upstairs and looked at the clock in the kitchen. 1:30am "The relay!" At that second I realized that I had fallen asleep and missed the biggest olympic event of the day. "Wait, I have a DVR," I thought in a moment of hope. Then I remembered that I had turned the t.v. off. The next morning, while making a soy latte, I heard a report on NPR detailing the race. The reporter concluded his segment by saying, "for those in the race and watching, it was an unforgettable olympic moment." Aarghh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Team USA celebrating their victory (2008 Getty Images, Inc.)

A wine of Olympic proportion

2008-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Olympics kicked into full swing last night and I looked forward to watching the great Michael Phelps dominate the competition. I felt like drinking a wine that could match the level of excellence on display, but it was too warm outside to drink a big red. A bottle of Domaine Tempier, Bandol, rose, 2007 that I opened last weekend was corked and I thought this might be the perfect moment to give this legendary wine a second shot. The wine had a typical pale rose color. On the palate, it was rich and full of creamy red fruits, yet not heavy. Many rose are big and alcoholic, while others are delicate and light. Tempier's rose strikes a perfect balance between the two styles. Despite being full-bodied, this wine did not show any alcohol and retained a refreshing feel. Every year I drink a bottle of Tempier and it routinely proves to be my favorite rose of the season. I was able to find a bottle for $32.99, but the full mark-up on the 2007 is $41.99. That is a lot to pay for a wine with a pink appearance, but this wine may well be worth it. Once again Domaine Tempier has bottled a Bandol rose that is close to perfection.

Puligny's forgotten family

2008-08-09T09:48:00.001-07:00

Few villages in the Cote d'Or are as famous as Pulingy-Montrachet, home to some of the world's most acclaimed vineyards. Surprisingly, only a small number of the wines bearing the name of the appellation are actually made by vignerons located in the village. For centuries, producers throughout Burgundy have sought the vineyards and grapes from the area, enticing the locals to sell to the highest bidder. Despite this temptation, several families have kept their land and established domaines. The names Sauzet, Carillon and Leflaive have become synonymous with Puligny, but one local clan has remained under the radar. The Chavy family has had roots in Puligny for almost 200 years. In 1976, after years of selling their grapes to negociants, they began to bottle under their own label. Domaine Chavy et Fils soon established itself as one of the finest in the village. However, in 2003, after a family dispute, the estate was dissolved. The brothers Jean-Louis and Alain Chavy, who had jointly run the domaine, went their seperate ways determined to build their own legacy.

Alain Chavy

Chavy-Martin, the offical title of Alain's estate, has the distinction of possessing the deepest cellar in Puligny. Only a handful of domaines in the village are fortunate enough to possess underground facilities due to the high water tabel. The barrels resting in Chavy's beautiful, arched cavern contain a terrific array of the finest premier cru vineyards found in the appellation. In addition to land in the prestigious plots Les Folatieres, Le Champ Gain and Les Pucelles, the domaine owns a precious parcel in Le Clavoillon. Les Pucelles and Le Cavoillon sit adjoined on the slope, but Chavy-Martin is one of only two cellars in Burgundy where you can taste them side by side. Domaine Leflaive owns the vast majority of the 5.59 hectare Le Clavoillon, but the Chavy brothers each claim a small portion, preventing it from being a monopole. The following wines were tasted from barrel while visiting the estate on March 19th, 2008:

1- Bourgogne, blanc, 2006 - Sourced from two vineyards in Puligny, one near Meursault and one just south of Puligny. Very pure and focused. The wine shows good minerality and a long finish.

2- Meursault, 2006 - 15% new oak. The grapes come from the lieu-dit Les Phellans, which sits just below the 1er Cru Les Charmes Dessous on the the Puligny border. A very good wine with a nice balance of richness and minerality .

3-Puligny-Montrachet, 2006 - Very elegant and precise. Terrific quality for this level.

4- Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Le Champs Gain - More aromatic and mineral. The flavors are delicate, but the wine shows good length.

5- Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Le Clavoillon - Closed on the nose. Bigger, rounder wine in the mouth with excellent minerality. The deep soils found in Clavoillon are have left their imprint on this wine. Really good.

6- Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Folatieres - The most impressive wine on the nose. Full of white flowers and minerals. A beautiful wine that is a classic example of this stony vineyard.

7- Puligny-Montrachet, 2007 - Acidic and hard to taste at the moment.

Alain Chavy does not own land in any of the illustrious Grand Crus that stare down on his domaine, but he is able express the essence of Pulginy through some of its finest premier crus. His winemaking is hands off, and a low percentage of new oak allows the terroir to shine through in these pure, elegant wines. Domaine Chavy-Martin is the latest incarnation of one of Puligny's oldest families and its wines speak loudly of this origin.

My new nickname

2008-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I need a nickname and from this point forward I will refer to myself as the "Burgschnauzer."

Champagne Sunday - 8/3

2008-08-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

This may sound like a broken record, but raw oysters and soft shell crabs were on the menu last night. I am feeling the need to squeeze as many soft shells as possible down my throat before the end of the season. A bottle of Ployez-Jacqmart, Champagne, Marie Weiss, NV was once again utilized to wash down the oysters and it was very good.

I have had a really hard time keeping my hands off the 2006 white Burgundies that have found their way into my cellar. With the fear of premature oxidation hovering like an evil spirit, these newly born bottles have been drained without regret. It is generally accepted that white Burgundies need years in the bottle to reach maturity, but I not sure that I enjoy an aged example more than a young one. Older bottles often reveal layers of complexity that can only come with age, but unlike red Burgundies, which can be very tight in their youth, white Burgundies are often very accessible from the start. While young Bourgogne blancs do not possess the nutty complexity of a well aged example, they can offer a wonderful combination of fresh fruit flavors and minerality. I would love to hold onto a good Puligny and see what happens with time in the bottle, but I have no desire to dump these expensive wines down the drain in 10 years because they have turned into vinegar. Until the premature oxidation issue is fixed, I will be drinking my white Burgundies while they are young and fresh. The alternative of forgoing the pleasures of white Burgundy is not an option.

Needless to say, I had no problem pulling the cork on a 2006, Bachelet-Monnot, Puligny-Montrachet. The wine showed some new oak on the nose, but it was integrated on the palate. The flavors leaned towards tropical, but this is typical of the wines made in this warm vintage. Bachelet-Monnot is a new domaine (2005 was the first vintage) that is producing excellent, full-flavored wines. The village Puligny is a blend of four different AOC vineyards and certainly delivers for the price ($60 full retail).

Clos de la Pucelle

2008-08-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

One of Burgundies outstanding 1er Cru vineyards, Les Pucelles borders the northern end of the grand cru Batard-Montrachet. Clos de la Pucelle is a lieu-dit that occupies the northwest corner of Les Pucelles. The Clos, which is a little over one hectare in size, is a monopole of the Puligny estate Jean Chartron.

The search for traditinoally made, elegant Cornas

2008-07-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Cornas through the wines of Noel Verset, one of the last great, ultra traditional winemakers of the Northern Rhone. Verset, born in 1919, learned the craft of wine making from his father and did not deviate from that recipe throughout his career. Sadly, Noel Verset retired following the 2005 vintage and the old, traditional way of winemaking was in threat of disappearing. Many of the younger vignerons in Cornas have adopted a more modern way of winemaking, such as destemming, fermenting in steel and using new oak. These methods are in contrast to Verset, who crushed the stalks by foot, fermented whole clusters in small concrete vats, and aged the wine in old 600-litre demi-muids. Two Cornas producers, Auguste Clape and Theiry Allemand, remain traditional in their approach, but their wines are darker, meatier and more tannic then those from Verset. A Cornas made by Verset was deep in color with a distinct, pure black olive flavor, and always seemed elegant on the palate.

Since hearing about Verset's retirement, a feeling of depression had been creeping over the Syrah portion of my brain (roughly 20%). Then, while reading John Livingstone-Learmonth's book The Wines of the Nothern Rhone, I came across a profile on a producer named Dumien-Serrette. Speaking about the owner of the domaine, Gilbert Serrette, Mr. Livingstone-Learmonth wrote that, "he speaks of his traditional methods with pride...vinification is traditional: full bunches, stalks included, are foot crushed, and then there is up to three weeks in neat concrete vats." Perhaps there was one last hold out in Cornas.

The village of Cornas seen from the Patou vineyard.

Back in March, before heading up to Burgundy, myself and two other business colleagues stopped by Cornas to visit Domaine Dumien-Serrette. Before leaving for France, my wife had warned me that I was not packing warm enough clothing for the trip. Sure enough, the spring jacket I brought along was near useless in the windy, 30 degree weather we encountered in the northern Rhone. After some chilly introductions at the front door of the family home in the center of town, we walked down a narrow road and entered the winery. The first piece of equipment to greet us was a giant wooden press. I had assumed that the press, like at most wineries, was there just for decoration. Gilbert explained, much to my surprise, that this was the current press for the winery. The estates entire production fit into one room, which was small. Used barrrels (2-15 years old) lined each wall, and the wine contained in each was a fragrant mix of black olives and dark fruits. In the mouth, these opaque wines were beautifully elegant with soft tannins.

Gilbert Serrette is his tiny cellar.

The following notes were taken during our visit to the estate:

1- Cornas, 2007 (barrel sample) - Nice, deep color. Black fruits on the nose and in the mouth. Long, penetrating flavors.

2- Cornas, 2006 - Black color. Silky and long in the mouth. Excellent wine.

3- Cornas, 2005 - Black color. Elegant, pure nose. Black fruits in the mouth with big, firm tannins. A really nice wine with excellent concentration.

4- Cornas, 2004 - More aromatic then the preceeding wines. A little funky. The flavors are not as ripe and the wine is a little short on the finish, but still very good.

5- Cornas, 2003 - Super ripe on the nose with some alcohol coming through. Very good wine, but typical of the vintage.

6- Cornas, 1997 - Complex, mature nose. The flavors are mellow in the mouth and the wine's texture is very elegant.

7- Cornas, 1991 - The wine's appearance reveals some bricking on the rim. Very animalistic on the nose. Rich on the palate with sweet fruit. Still alive and fresh tasting.

Above is a building owned by the Serrette domaine located in the Patou vineyard.

After years of selling in bulk to negociants such as Delas, Chapoutier and Jaboulet, Domaine Dumien-Serrette began to bottle wine in 1983. 1.6ha of the estate's 1.8ha is found in the Patou vineyard (the 0.2ha is located in Mazards), where the vines date back to the 1920's. Patou is very steep and Gilbert, who is in his 60's, cares for the vines by himself. The estate's total annual production from these two vineyards is about 500 cases, and Madame Serrette labels each bottle by hand. Gilbert learned the craft of winemaking from his father in-law and passed those lessons onto his son, Nicolas. After a stint in another industry, Nicolas returned to family business and today assists his father in the cellar. Nicolas, unlike many contemporaries, did not attend a wine school or receive any type of formal training. Beginning with the 2006 vintage, the junior Serrette's name will appear on the label and the estate will be known as Domaine Nicolas Serrette.

Serrette's Patou vineyard is further south then the more famous vinyards of the village. Patou sits fully exposed to the valley below and the winds rip through the old vines, which cling to the hard granite.

Steps are required to ascend the steep Patou vineyard.

We said goodbye to Monsieur Serrette and headed north to Saint Joseph. Before leaving for France, I had dreamed of descending on Cornas and finding Noel Verset's lost soul brother. Gilbert Serrette is certainly spiritually connected to Verset, but their wines are different. Serrette's wines are fruitier and not as earthy as the ones made by Verset, but they both show more elegance than those of Clape and Allemand. I am afraid to say it, but the ultra traditional style of wine made by Noel Verset is probably gone for good. Even the wine made by a traditionally minded producer like Serrette does not taste as old school as those bottled by Verset. That said, I am happy to report that I found a small vignernon tucked away in the Northern Rhone making traditionally styled, elegant Cornas.

Champagne Sunday - 7/27

2008-07-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Champagne Sunday started wtith some baked snails and, of course, Champagne. A bottle of NV Ployez-Jacquemart, Champagne, Brut, Marie Weiss was very good. Marie Weiss is a cuvee produced by Ployez-Jacquemart from purhcased fruit and is typical of the house style, which is elegant and reserved.

With the main course of soft shell crabs we opened a 2004 Domaine Caillot, Bourgogne, blanc, Le Herbeux. The nose of the Bourgogne was dominated by aromas of toasted oak. On the palate, the oak was less obivous, but there was little in the way of fruit or minerality. To make matters worse, the wine disappeared half way through the mouth. I have not had any prior experience with this producer, but I was certaintly not impressed by this effort. The meal was saved by a 2006 Bachelet-Monnot, Bourgogne, blanc that was beautifully balanced. Sourced from several plots within Puligny-Montrachet, this Bourgogne revealed citrus fruits in the mouth and a fine minerality on the finish. Bachelet-Monnot is young producer that has made a great range of wines in 2006, which is only the second vintage for the domaine. One side note, the soft shell season is starting to wind down and the crabs are getting smaller.

Puligny-Montrachet

2008-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

The premiere cru vineyard Clavaillon is in the foreground. Les Pucelles, also a premiere cru, is behind the wall to the right and the village of Puligny is off in the distance.

Champagne Sunday - 7/20

2008-07-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

Soft shell crabs were once again on the menu as the main course, but for the first time in over a year (due to my wife's pregnancy) we began the meal with a round of Blue Point and Sewansecott oysters.

A bottle of Maison Lilbert-Fils, Champagne, a Cramant, Grand Cru, blanc de blancs, NV was opened to wash down the oysters. Lilbert is one of the few producers to bottle a wine from 100% Cramant fruit, which is one of the great sources in Champagne for chardonnay. The style of the wines produced by Lilbert is always very elegant and classy, but I find them somewhat dull. The NV was indeed elegant, but it was a little lacking in flavor. Nonetheless, the wine was a good pairing with the oysters.

Next up was a bottle of Vincent Dancer, Meursault, Les Grands Charrons, 2006. I discussed my March visit to Dancer in a previous blog (see March '08), but this was the first time I had cracked open a bottle. The wine revealed a good wiff of oak on the nose, but it was more subdued on the palate. Tropical fruits were the primary flavor, but the wine finished with a nice minerality. The texture (which seems to be similar in all Dancer's wines) was smooth and elegant. Despite being ripe and rich, the wine did not come across as sweet or heavy. The warm weather in 2006 obviously contributed to the tropical flavors, but Monsieur Dancer was able to keep the wine balanced and fresh. This bottle only confirmed my initial impressions from my visit to the domaine. Vincent Dancer is a true artist who produces beautifully style wines.

The Romans' lost vineyards

2008-07-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

I had spent 5 days on a hot bus driving through the bare Spanish country side. Every few hours, we would stop to taste at a Bodegas. A brief tasting would be followed by a three hour lunch or dinner, the latter ending sometime in the middle of the night. Spain is a really interesting country, but most of it is dry and not particularly attractive. Long days spent driving through near desert-like land started to take a toll on my psyche. Finally, on day 5 we hit Rioja. In this region, with it's green grass and full trees, I began to feel rejuvenated. After a quick stay, we jumped over to Bierzo, which proved to be gorgeous. Snow capped mountains looked down from the horizon over vine covered rolling hills. I declared to my roommate that Bierzo might be the most beautiful place I had seen with my own eyes.

The next morning the bus closed its doors and headed Northwest. Night after night of late hours finally caught up with me and my unconcsious head slid against the bus window. Several hours later, the sun became so intense that it jolted me awake. The view staring at me through the window almost threw my derriere off the seat. Vine after vine raced along the edge of the winding road and then dropped from sight. The bus weaved along the edge of a cliff. My eyes followed the vines as they shot straight down to the mighty river below. Mountains loomed on all sides. An approaching billboard spelled out the name of a village. The sign should have read 'Welcome to Ribeira Sacra, the Romans' lost vineyards.'

It is believed that Ribeira Sacra takes its name from the monasteries and hermitages that were built in the area between the 8th and 12th centuries. These religious outposts were scattered throughout the nearly inaccessible valley sides that branch off the rivers Mino and Sil. I imagine that these disciples felt close to God in this remote and stunningly beautiful area. The monks carried on the grape growing tradition in this region that had been established by the Romans centuries before and ensured that the amazing terraced vineyards were preserved until modern times. Despite this long history, the appelation was not promoted to DO status until 1997. There are actually five subzones in the DO, but almost all the vineyards share a slate bedrock foundation. This region appears to have been largely ignored throughout history, but today money is pouring into the area and new labels are appearing at a rapid pace.

The rivers twist and turn through the valley, which, I am sure, must create a complex range of terroir. Fifteen or so different grape varities are grown in the region, but the three most prominent are Mencia (red), Albarino (white) and Godello (white). One would guess that a mostly ignored region would be full of ancient vines, but it is rare to see any that are over 40 years of age. Many varieties that were thought to be inferior were ripped out and a large number of Mencia vines were planted in the 1960's and '70's. Despite being near the Atlantic, the climate is more continental. The summers and autumns are long and hot, but there is enough rainfall (800mm on average) to support the lush, green landscape.

I have only tasted a handful of wines bearing the name Ribeira Sacra, but the most interesting was made by an estate called Themera (est. 2001). The 2005, Themera, Ribeira Sacra, VV (vine age is an average of 45 years) is elegant and bright with a pronounced cherry cola flavor, which led to flashbacks of drinking cherry Coke as a kid. Therema aged this wine in a combination of Acacia and cherry oak (a tradition in the region), but I doubt that the cherry flavor in the wine came from the barrels. In contrast to this cuvee, many wines in the region are aged entirely in steel, but I find these to very simple and boring.

My trip through Ribera Sacra was spent mostly aboard a small boat. I had never before looked up at steep vineyards from the vantage point of a river. The views were breathtaking and the picture below illustrates how the vines descend down these steep hills right to the water's edge (notice that no roads are in sight). In the past, before the advent of mechanical pullies, the only access to these vineyards was by boat. Terraced plots like the ones found in Ribeira Sacra could only have been carved out of this steep terrain by slave labor (Roman era) or by religious zealots (monks). Despite our superoir technology, creating vineyards like these would be financially impossible today.

As we floated down the river, I felt as though I had just discovered the next great vineyard area. Of course, some Roman probably had the same thought. How could a region with such amazing vineyards be so unknown? The inaccessability of the area before the invention of the automobile probably contributed to its obscurity, but there have been cars in Spain for a century. Why have areas within Spain like Priorat gone from being unknown to famous and Riberia Sacra has stayed in the dark? One reason might be that this region uses little known grape varieties like Mencia, while Priorat is largely planted with the well known Grenache grape. From my limited experience, the Mencia variety can produce interesting wines, but I am not sure if these wines are capable of developing in the bottle. Most of the estates making wine in Ribeira Sacra are relatively new and do not have older vintages to show, so the answer to that question will not be known for some time.

Staring up from our boat at the vines clinging to the hillside, I could not help but wonder what might have been if the Romans had brought along with them a noble grape variety like Syrah. Would Ribeira Sacra be considered today as one of the world's great vineyard areas? Is this amazing terroir being undermined by inferior grape varieties? Perhaps Syrah, and the other noble grapes, would not have flourish in this valley. As it is, Mencia is the best local grape and deserves a shot to prove its worth. I have a feeling that the producers in the region are still trying to figure out how best to do things, both in the cellar and the vineyards, but a handful are bound to develop into stars. As a result, the region will become better known. One thing is for certain, the Romans knew a great vineyard when they saw one.

Paella

2008-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

While on the Spanish wine route, we stopped for a light lunch.

Champagne Sunday - 7/13

2008-07-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

My parents stopped by this afternoon to help paint, and we decided to turn the visit into a great evening of wine. Today was a Sunday in July, therefore soft shell crabs were on the menu. We began with a 1995, Krug, Champagne, Brut that was very full bodied and powerful. The flavors were dominated by a distinct lemon quality and the finish was extremely long. A great Champagne.

Next up was bottle of 2004, Olivier Leflaive, Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru. The color of the wine was pale with a tinge of green, almost Chablis like. The nose revealed some oak and flowers. In the mouth, the wine was full bodied and elegant. The finish showed some minerality and caramel quality. Very nice.

Lastly, a bottle of 1990, Fargues, Sauternes. The wine's golden color was the exact shade of yellow that I would expect from an 18 year old Sauternes. The nose revealed some honey and nuts. The palate was rich, creamy and elegant. The wine' flavors were a beautiful combination of honey, nuts, vanilla and apricot. When young, Sauternes is very sweet, and, when old, the wines tend to be dry and nutty. At 18 years old this wine is balancing both spectrums. The secondary, nutty flavors are being to emerge, but there is still a sweetness and fruitiness to the wine. Fargues is owned but the Saluces family and is made in the same style as Chateau d'Yquem, but the terroir is not very good. As a result, Fargues is very similar to d'Yquem, but not possess the same complexity. The 1990 Fargues is a great Sauternes.

A view from Spain

2008-07-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

The view from a vineyard in the Bierzo region of Spain.

It is 90 degrees and I need a rose

2008-07-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Chateau Pradeaux is one of my favorite producers in Bandol, second only to Tempier. After being delayed in France due to the strikes, the newest addition of their rose just hit the shelves . The 2007, Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol, Rose has a beautiful deep rose color, but the nose was muted. The palate revealed a full bodied wine, but it did not exhibit much in the way of flavor. The wine started to open up after an hour or so and red fruits began to emerge. This is one of the few roses that needs some time to open up, and I bet it will be drinking wonderfully next July.

Sherry time

2008-07-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

Eric Asimov's article on sherry in today's New York Times put me in the mood for some Manzanilla, so I grabbed a bottle while in one of my accounts this afternoon. I was not familiar with the producer, but I figured it was worth a shot at $7.99. The Pedero Romero, Manzanilla, "Aurora," NV showed a classic, oxidative/nutty nose. Manzanilla is a term used for a fino styled sherry produced in the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Like all the sherry made at this location, the wine revealed a saltiness on the palate. When describing the sherry from Sanlucar de Barrameda in his excellent book The Wines of Spain, Julian Jeffs wrote that "some people detect a certain saltiness and ascribe this to the nearness of the sea, but this is nonsense: there is no salt in them. It is a fair description, though." I am not really sure how Mr. Jeffs can be so certain that the salty quality of these wines is not related to the nearby ocean. Something must explain why the sherry produced in Sanlucar de Barrameda have this characteristic that is not found in the wines produced in any other town of the region (which all sit more inland). Until I see some hard evidence explaining otherwise, I am going to believe the folklore.

2008-07-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

A film of yeast cells called Flor ("flower" in Spainish) is seen developing on a wine at Perez Barquero in Montilla-Moriles.

Flor, seen floating on the wine in this barrel, forms in a thin layer.

The 4th of July

2008-07-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

I arrived at JFK on the 4th of July from a 10 day bus tour through Spain (more on that later) and was desperate for some Riesling. As soon as I was off the plane, I called my wife and requested that a bottle of 2006 F.X Pichler, Riesling, Von den Terrassen, Federspiel be thrown in the fridge. My return was to be celebrated with soft shell crabs, which sounded great after having been force fed pork at every meal for over a week. The wine was closed on the nose, but showed excellent minerality in the mouth. This Riesling, which is a blend from several vineyards around Loibner, balanced richness with finesse, a feat often achieved by this estate. Thank God my wife did not decide to grill hot dogs.

Champagne sunday - 6/22

2008-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Bobo Sr.

My father wanted to celebrate his birthday with some steamed lobster and Burgundy, but it was Sunday and we had began with Champagne. Jacquart is one of the largest producers in Champagne, but most of the production is made into private labels for various retail chains. This cooperative, however, produces a solid range of wines under its own label and the Jacquart, Champagne, Brut, NV is a great value. The wine is full in flavor, yet retains some elegance.

My father is a member of Taittinger's CA outpost wine club, so we cracked open a Domaine Carneros, Le Reve, 2002. Le Reve is the Tete de Cuvee of Domaine Carneros and it shows
alot of elegance and class. This excellent wine is more fruit forward then the bottles produced by Taittinger in Champagne.

As my sister and wife polished off the sparkling wines, I pulled the cork on a Chateau de Pommard, Meursault, 2005. The wine smelled and tasted like Meursault, but flavors were very subtle. Not a bad wine, but not very good. Since I had been drinking alot of their wines this week, I brought along a Chandon de Briailles, Corton, Grand Cru, blanc, 2002. I tasted this wine when it was released a few years back, and I was underwhelmed by its lack of intensity. Recently, I tasted the 2005 and 2006 versions of this wine and loved the richness of fruit that both possessed. Once again, this wine did not show a lot of character. There was nothing wrong with the wine, it just did not show much personality. I would wait another 10 years before opening another bottle of the 2002 Corton and hope it develops more complexity.

After the lobster we munched on some cheese and my father opened up a Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musingy, 1er Cru, Les Fuees, 1999. The color was slightly advanced, as were the flavors on the palate. I would blame the criticism on the fact the wine sat on retailers shelf for a couple of years. Otherwise, the wine was really nice. The nose was very fragrant and the wine was soft and elegant in the mouth. Not profound, but very good.

Happy Birthday Dad!

David Bowler throws a bash

2008-06-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wine distributor and importer David Bowler held his annual barbeque Saturday and I brought along my brand new camera to document the gallons of great wine that was to be consumed. I clicked away as one rare bottle after another was brought up from the cellar. Excited to get this post up as soon as possible, I popped out of bed the next morning to transfer the photos to my computer. One picture did not turn out well and I decided to erase it before commencing with the download. That is when it happened. I accidently selected 'delete all' and every image on the photo card vanished. No more great shots-- just an empty, black screen. Oh well, I will try to piece together the line-up of wines from memory and provide some thoughts on each:

Philippe Foreau, Vouvray, sec, 2002 - Very tight and mineral. Too young to really taste right now, but I would bet that this will be great.

Edmond Vatan, Sancerre, blanc, 2002 - Great wine, but tight and hard to read at the moment.

Vincent Dauvissat, Chablis, 1er Cru, Forets, 2002 - Very nice wine. Good density and balance. Dauvissat always makes really solid wines, but I think Raveneau and Fevre better.

Francois Raveneau, Chablis, 1er Cru, Beauteaux, 2001 - I always love the wines made by Raveneau, but it is really hard to appreciate these subtle, dry wines in a large tasting. Of the three wines from Raveneau that we tasted at the party, this cuvee seemed to be the most reserved.

Francois Raveneau, Chablis, 1er Cru, Forrets, 2002 - Very good, but I had trouble really getting to know this wine (a touch antisocial)

Francois Raveneau, Chablis, 1er Cru, Montee de Tonnerre, 2002- Probably the richest and best of the trio, but hard to really judge.

Domaine Lambrays, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Folaitieres, 2004 - I love the two Pulignys produced at this domaine, but this wine was showing a lot of oak. Probably needs a couple years to settle down.

Chandon de Briailles, Corton Le Charlemagne, Grand Cru, 2000 1.5 ml- This was the second time I had this wine from a magnum in 3 days and I did not enjoy it as much on this occasion. I am sure that it had nothing to do with the wine, rather it was my stressed out palate.

F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Smaragd, Kellerberg, 2005 - This wine showed really well. The more intense wines always seem to taste better when one's palate is assaulted by a millon bottles at the same time. Pichler is a master of balancing rich flavors and elegance. Really good.

Domaine Lambrays, Clos des Lambrays, Grand Cru, 2001 - A beautifully fragrant wine that is elegant and pure in the mouth. Still young, but already very charming. Excellent.

Noel Verset, Cornas, 1998 - The nose and palate are dominated by pure black olive. I love this style of syrah, but I have not tasted another Cornas that has this wines black olive quality. I find the flavors in other producers Cornas to be darker and the wines to be more brooding. Verset's wines are all about elegance and the wonderful black olive flavor I always find in them. I could down a couple magnums of this.

Terry Allemand, Cornas, 1998 - Darker color then the Verset. Great texture and body. This is a really good wine, but it lacked the finesse of the Verset.

Charvin, Chateauneuf du Pape, 1998 - Slightly corked. Otherwise, the wine appeared to be beautiful. Too bad the wine was flawed, because I have a feeling that this would have been my #1 of the flight.

Rayas, Chateauneuf du Pape, 1998 - Very light in color, almost brown. The nose and palate revealed some sweet fruit, but the wine lacked the intensity and depth that the old Rayas's used to possess. Really disappointing.

Mont Olivet, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cuvee de Papet, 1998 - Maybe the best wine in the flight. The palate was full of beautifully ripe fruit. This is what I expect a '98 to taste like.

Vieux Donjon, Chateauneud du Pape, 1998 - Good showing for this wine, which I bought a case of on release. That said, this wine is not proving to be as great as I had hoped.

Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape, 1998 - Really good, but still young and not showing the sweet fruit that it revealed in its youth. Needs another 5-10 years.

Marcoux, Chateauneuf du Pape, Vieilles Vignes, 1998 - Robert Parker scored this wine 100 points. Dark color, but the nose revealed a hint of alcohol. The wine was full-bodied, but did not show alot beyond the alochol. Very disappointing.

I was let down by the Chateaumeuf flight. After tasting the wines from barrel, Parker hailed the '98 vintage as the best since 1978. I tasted several of these wines on release and loved their dense, rich, sweet textures. The wines now appear to be falling apart and are showing too much alcohol. Bummer.

Lopez de Heredia, Rijoa, Tondonia Gran Reserva, 1970 - Very light color. Older wines from this producer can be very interesting. While I appreciate their traditional style, I do not really enjoy drinking them. I would describe this style of wine as being 'tea-like.'

David always throws a great party. I would have commented on the Weil TBA, but 'Little Bobette' beat me to it. Savoy (restaurant in NYC) cooked some really delicious food, including some huge whole fish. I wish I knew what type it was, but I am allergic to fish and could really care less. Actually, I almost missed eating all together. Where does wine fall on the food pyramid?

Where's wine?

2008-06-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Somebody put milk on this thing by accident.

Father's Day wines

2008-06-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have read good reviews about the wines that the young winemaker David Croiz has been producing at Domaine de Croix and the Beaune negociant Maison Camille Giroud. The 2005 Camille Giroud, Bourgogne, rouge had a deep color and lush feel in the mouth. Well worth the $20 I paid for it. The 2002 Camille Giroud, Maranges, 1er Cru, rouge, La Croix Moines was lighter in color. The wine was clearly more Cotes du Beaune in style than the Bourgogne. I was disappointed with the wine at first, but the flavors became more pronounced after an hour in the glass. This was a pleasant, light to medium bodied Burgundy that showed some nice secondary flavors.

I was afraid that the 2000 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint Julien would be shut down, but the wine was drinking really well. Secondary aromas of tobacco and cedar were already showing themselves. This darkly colored, full-bodied wine was still young, but it was open enough to make it very enjoyable. That said, I would wait five years before opening the next bottle.

My name is Roll, The Kaiser Roll

2008-06-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

The German wine cheerleader formerly known as 'The Kaiser' has requested that he no longer be called by this name. Evidently, the legendary German wine importer Rudi Weist has been known as 'The Kaiser' for several decades. Lucky for us, however, our resident Kraut has another nickname. From this moment forward, I shall refer to our German wine cheerleader as 'The Kaiser Roll.' Pass the mustard, please.

Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blanc, a Cramant, Grand Cru, 1997

2008-06-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Diebolt-Vallois is the best estate in the village of Cramant, which is one the two finest locations for Chardonnay based wines in the region. Mesnil is more famous, but the best wines from Cramant rival those produced in the former town, with the possible exception of Salon and Krug's Clos du Mesnil. I find the wines from Cramant to be more delicate than those produced in Mesnil, but they possess the same level of refinement and depth. The 1997 Diebolt-Vallois, a Cramant, Blanc de Blanc is very elegant and obviously well made, but the wine disappeared on the backend. I attribute the short finish of the wine to the difficult conditions of the vintage. Diebolt-Vallois is a top level domaine and I would love to taste this cuvee in a more successful vintage.

Frederic Magnien, Bourgogne, rose, Pinot Noir, 2007

2008-06-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

The color of the Frederic Magnien, Bourgogne, rose, Pinot Noir, 2007 was pale and the bouquet was very subtle. Bourgogne rose seems to be a tough category. Many of the rose wines from the Cote d'Or, such as this one, do not offer much in the way of character and come across as pretty neutral. This bottle was pleasant, but not worth the $16 I paid for it.

Not enough money for a Hybrid? How about a 'Vineyard Buggy'

2008-06-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

(David Clark/domainedavidclark.com)

David Clark has been drawing attention from critics for the fine wines he produces in Morey St.-Denis and his biodynamic approach, but there is also something else that separates this man from his neighbors. David Clarke is an inventor!

A recent entry on his blog (http://domainedavidclark.com/) details a new contraption that Mr. Clarke's father built from surplus plumping material. The process of de-budding is a real pain in the ass according to Mr. Clarke, but this 'vineyard buggy' allows him to cruise for unwanted vine shoots in style. Many of the vineyards farmed by this domaine are at a slight slope, which allow the buggy to glide from vine to vine without much effort from the rider. I would love see the faces of the village's older vignerons as Mr. Clarke rolls by their vines.

Nothing to do with wine - The Babe's last stand

2008-06-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Babe Ruth in a Boston Brave uniform

George Herman Ruth (a.k.a. "Babe") was traded by the New York Yankees to the Boston Braves on February 26, 1935. The man who led the Yankees to 4 World Series Championships was shipped off to Boston for almost nothing. Ruth's numbers had begun to decline and after the 1934 season in which Ruth only hit 22 home runs, the Yankees looked to dump the slugger. While certainly unsentimental, this trade proved to be a wise baseball decision. The greatest player of this time was finished and everyone, including Ruth, knew it. In order to get Ruth to agree to the trade, the Braves had promised him the titles of club Vice President and assistant manager. Ruth, who dreamed of being a manager, agreed, but it soon became clear that he was given these titles in name only. The once mighty Babe Ruth was being used like a circus attraction to lure fans.

Ruth hitting his second home run of the game. Career# 713

Fat and totally out of shape, Ruth struggled in the field and at the plate. Then, right out of a movie script, the Babe recaptured his old swing on May 25th. The Braves were playing the Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburg. Ruth went 4-4, hit 3 home runs and drove in 6. The third home run that day sailed over the roof of the stadium, the only time that happened in the history of Forbes Field. Ruth, however, never hit another ball over a major league fence. Less than a week later, the Babe hobbled off the field with an injury during a game in Philadelphia. The most famous athlete in history almost wrote the perfect ending to a great career, but he missed his cue by five days.

F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Klostersatz, Federspiel, 2006

2008-06-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Federspiel is the term used to describe the wines produced in the Wachau that have an alcohol level of 12.5% or lower. These wines are usually bright, clean and medium bodied, but F.X. Pichler's Federspiels tend to be richer than most. They often more closely resemble other producers Smaragd level wines. Based on past vintages, I expected that the 2006 F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, "Klostersatz" to be rich and intense. The weather in 2006 resulted in rich, full-bodied wines and many Federspiels produced from this year reflect this. Ironically, this wine (from a vineyard on the flat land below the terraces that line the Wachau) is lighter then 2004 and 2005 versions. Medium bodied and elegant, this bottle opened some after an hour in the glass, but never showed the beautiful texture that I love in the wines from this domaine. Maybe the wine is in awkward place at the moment and just needs some time in the bottle. The other 2006's I have tasted from Pichler have been awesome, so I would be willing to bet that this wine will show more down the road.

Austin SCORES!!!!............again

2008-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

A baby girl had been born and it was time to celebrate. The night after Boboette joined our posse, my good friend 'Austin' stopped by the hospital to meet the world's next oenophile. Two days locked up in a hospital room without any wine is hard labor (excuse the pun), so we bolted for the only upscale bar/restaurant in Princeton with a decent wine list, Mediterra. Our stated reason for leaving the hospital was to retrieve a couple pizzas for dinner, but a toast to Boboette was overdue (my wife does not believe that it took two hours to make the pies). The restaurant was packed, but a couple seats where available at the beautiful chrome bar. A bottle of Nicolas Feuillate, Champagne, Brut, NV satisfied our needs. The wine was good, with medium sized bubbles and nice a nice chalky finish.

As I savored the moment, 'Austin' engaged in his usual habit of shamelessly hitting on the nearest female, who in this case happened to be a black haired former model. The next ten minutes featured a barage of repulsive one liners. The irony of the situation hit me as I pounded back the last glass of Champagne. Here I was, glowing in the realization that I had just become a father, and 'Austin' was preoccupied with securing yet another one night stand. The old saying that 'some things/people never change' seemed very appropiate.

In keeping with our usual tradition, we finished with a couple glasses of port. A 1996 Dow was a little hard to drink at this stage, but it showed good fruit. Speaking of fruitiness, 'Austin' called the next morning and recapped his conquest of the previous evening (which I spent curled up on a hard hospital chair). I immediately scolded him for his shallow and tiresome actions, but 'Austin' pointed out that he had felt obligated to defend my reputation.

"How were you defending my reputation exactly?," I asked.

"I had to go all the way in order to prove that she was wrong," he responded.

"Wrong about what?"

"Well, she saw us sitting at the bar drinking Champagne," he replied.

"So?"

"She said that she lived in New York for three years, and the only guys she ever saw drinking Champagne were gay!"

Memorial Day @ Chez Bobo

2008-05-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Champagne has been flowing since Boboette was born and today we popped a bottle of H. Billiot, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut Reserve, NV. The color was golden and the nose seemed pretty tight. In the mouth the wine was creamy and rich, yet very elgegant. This is my first bottle from Billiot and it was really impressive. Billiot is located in Ambonnay and the domaine only uses fruit from this village. Serge Billiot does not filter his wines and adds almost no dosage. This Champagne, roughly 80% Pinot Noir, is the best I have had in a while.

Follow the yellow stoned wall

2008-05-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

A wall in the village of Puligny

Champagne Sunday - 5/25

2008-05-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Now that my wife has given birth, Champagne Sunday is back in full force. 'Pape Bobo' and 'Mama Meme' brought dinner by Chez Bobo and we warmed things up with a bottle of Bruno Paillard, Champagne, "Premiere Cuvee", NV (45% Pinot Noir,/33% Chardonnay/22% Pinot Meunier). The wine had a nice straw color and was very elegant and creamy in the mouth. The Premiere Cuvee represents 60% of the house production and is a blend of grapes from 30 different villages. Bruno Paillard started as a broker in Champagne and founded his own house in 1981 at the age of 27.

A pile of ribs appeared and I cracked open a Domaine Mourre du Tendre, Chateauneuf du Pape, 2000 (80% Grenache/15% Mouvedre/5% Syrah). I wanted to love this wine, but I found it a little rough on this night. Mourre du Tendre is a producer in the Henri Bonneau mold (meaning very traditional). The grapes for this wine come from 80-105 year old vines in a tiny 5-acre plot, the majority of which is situated in the famed La Crau vineyard. The wine was dark in color, and the nose revealed alcohol mixed with red cherries. The same flavors showed through on the palate. This wine saw extended aging in old barrels, but despite this oxidative style of winemaking it seemed young. I think that we probably caught this wine at an awkward stage.

For comparison sake, I pulled out a Domaine Pegau, Chateauneuf du Pape, 2000. The color was even deeper then the Mourre du Tendre (black) . While closed on the nose, the wine was rich and full of black cherry fruit on the palate. Still very young, this wine showed great potential and was also really beautifully textured. Give this wine 5-10 more years in the bottle and it should be great.

How my friends torture me

2008-05-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

A good friend in the wine business attended a barbeque this weekend and decided to torture me with some pictures:

Yes, that is Daniel Boulud, and no this was not an episode on the Food Network

Someone please put me out of my misery

Dear God.......

The sleeping giant of Gevrey

2008-05-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze is one of the few domaines in Burgundy that physically resembles a Bordeaux chateau. Right in the middle of Gevrey, the estate's winery, cellar, and large manor house sit behind an imposing stone wall. The domaine's robust size is matched by an impressive range of vineyard holdings. Drouhin-Laroze is the second largest land owner in Bonnes Mares, owns a large chunk of Clos de Beze and produces two barrels of Les Musigny. Yet, despite these impressive credentials, most wine drinkers have never heard of this domaine or seen a bottle bearing its label. That is about to change.

Philippe Drouhin took over when his father died in 2001. Drouhin-Laroze had been known as one the classic underachievers of the Cote D'Or. Few domaines could boast a more impressive portfolio of vineyards, yet the quality of the wines never seemed to excite. I often get goose bumps when, near the end of barrel tasting, the winemaker walks towards his most cherished barrels. Whether it be Musingy, Batard-Montrachet or any other Grand Cru, the number of casks lying before your feet can usually be counted on one hand. During my visit to Drouhin-Laroze this past July, Philippe pulled the stopper out of a cask and announced that it was the Bonnes Mares. When I asked how many barrels he produced of this wine, he pointed down the entire row.

"Vingt-cing," he stated.

There are 25 barrels in the Drouhin-Laroze cellar with Bonnes Mares written across the front. At one time, these casks contained some uninspiring juice. Today things are much are different, as the following tasting notes will confirm.

Philippe Drouhin dipping into one his barrels of Bonnes Mares

Gevery-Chambertin, 2006 (barrel sample) - Rich and firm in the mouth. Tannic, but has deep flavors. Classic Gevrey.

Latricieres-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 10 barrels procuded. Elegant nose. Deep, rich flavors in the mouth with a tannic finish. Dark fruits. Needs time to settle, but still very good.

Clos-de-Beze, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) -20 barrels produced. Beautiful, fragrant

nose. Softer in the mouth, but finishes with firm tannins.

Les Musigny, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 2 barrels produced. Beautiful nose. More

feminine. Very elegant in the mouth. Velvet texture. Dark cherry fruit. Awesome!

Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 25 barrels produced. Very animalistic/gamey nose. Rich, but rustic on the finish. Awesome!

Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru, 2006 (barrel sample) - 10 barrels produced from two parcels in the northern part of the Clos (one each in the Quatier de Marei Haut & Plante L'Abbe sub-plots). The grapes from this area were once regularly saved for the popes in Avignon. Drouhin-Laroze rants 14th out the 56 growers in the Clos in terms of surface area. Darker on the nose and richer on the palate. Really good body and texture. Firm at the moment, but shows a lot of potential. I asked Philippe how he viewed the Clos Vougeot in terms of quality, and he responded that for him it is a Grand Cru.

I once again visited the domaine in March of this year and tasted the following wines that were already bottled:

Gevrey-Chambertin, 2006 - Red cherry in the nose. Very pure, ripe black cherry. Soft and elegant.

Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru, Au Closseau, 2006 - Drouhin-Laroze owns 95% of this vineyard and no other producer bottles a wine under this name. These old vines (1943) are planted in very deep soil. Rich mouthfeel and very long flavors.

Gevery-Chambertin, 1er Cru, Craipillot, 2006 - The vines were planted in 1943 and 1953 in this rather flat vineyard. Long elegant flavors. Great fruit in the mouth. Very mineral on the finish. Excellent.

Latricieres-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 2006 - The vines here were planted between 1959 and 1984. Very sweet and long on the palate. Ripe and elegant. A little short on the finish, but very pretty.

Bonnes Mares, Grand Cry, 2006 - Planted on the Chambolle side in terres rouges soil, the vines are a mix of ages. Tight nose (more so then when tasted in July). Sweet, black fruit in the mouth. Very full. Beautiful tannins. Outstanding.

Clos-de-Beze, Grand Cru, 2006 - From vines planted in 1949. Very fragrant. Rich, sexy nose. Spicy, long black fruits in the mouth. Very elegant, but also very complex. Awesome wine.

This tapestry hangs in a tasting room that is hidden deep within Drouhin-Laroze's cellar

I am sure that Philippe's father tried to make the best wine possible, but the general opinion was that the wines were lack luster. Phillipe made several changes upon taking over, and today the wines embody the best of Gevrey. The young vintages are full bodied and slightly rustic, but they have all the ingredients to develop into beautiful wines. Prices have yet to catch up to the quality, but that will surely change in the future as more critics visit this domaine. One of Gevrey's great land owners is finally producing top level wines and the whole of Burgundy is better off as a result.

Bubbles for Boboette

2008-05-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

My wife had yet to toast Boboette's birth, so we cracked open a bottle of Gatinois, Chapagne, Grand Cru, Brut, NV. This wine, which is 90% Pinot Noir/10% Chardonnay, had small bubbles and a deep golden color. The nose revealed a strong whiff of yeast and the wine was nutty on the palate. Like most Pinot based Champagnes, this wine was full-bodied, but a little short on the finish. Gatinois is a small producer (2200 hundred cases per year) based in Ay, which is known for the quality of its Pinot Noir based Champagnes. At the retail price of $36, this is a very good value in today's Champagne market.

The vin blancs of Dugat-Py

2008-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Bernard Dugat is known for the rare and expensive red wines he bottles, but since the 2004 vintage there are also two vin blancs. A small plot of old vines (70+ years) was purchased in the Meursault lieu dit Le Village and in the Chassagne premiere cru Francemont, (labeled as Morgeot). The Meursault, VV, 2005 tasted last April was a classic example of the village. Very aromatic, this medium bodied wine finished with a serious 'shout out' from the old vines. The minerality was piercing.

Much richer in its body and flavors, but not as aromatic, was the 2005, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Morgeot, tasted last July. Unlike the Meursault, which was defined by its minerality, the Chassagne was dominated by a creamy texture and lush feel in the mouth. Monsieur Dugat appears to have a great touch for whites, and it would be really interesting to see the domaine expand into some of the more prestigious terroirs of the Cote du Beaune. I would love to taste a Dugat-Py Batard-Montrachet.

Cellar raid (by a 3 day old!)

2008-05-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

I knew I should have put a lock on the cellar door

Nothing to do with wine

2008-05-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

The 1884 Providence Grays

"Old Hoss" Radbourn led the Providence Grays to the National League title in 1884. The Grays then defeated the champions of the American Association, the New York Metropolitans, in the first unofficial "World Series," 3 games to none.

Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn, Providence Grays, 1884

60-12 W-L / 1.38 ERA
75 G / 73 CG / 678.2 IP / 528 H / 98 BB / 441 SO / 11 SO / 1 SV

The 60 wins registered by "Old Hoss" in 1884 are the all-time record for single a season, but they are not reconized by Major League Baseball. Only statistics that occured in the 'modern era' (1901-present) are considered to be official.

Introducing Little Boboette

2008-05-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Little Boboette and a souvenir of her first Burgundy

Vendange: 2008 / May 16th / 12:45pm

Rendement: 7 pounds / 11 ounces

Mother's Day at the Chez Bobo

2008-05-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

The 2008 edition of Mother's Day at the Bobo homestead started with a bottle of 2005 Bachelet-Monnot, Puligny-Montrachet. The nose revealed a strong wiff of toasted oak, but on the palate the wine showed white flowers and good minerality. When visiting this domaine last summer, the winemaker admitted that he had over-oaked this particular cuvee, but he rightfully pointed out that this was an excusable mistake since it was his first vintage. The 2006 version that I tasted in July was perfectly balanced and did not show any excessive use of oak.

Next up was a very good 2001 Chateau de Malle, Sauternes. De Malle is under the radar as far as Sauternes estates go. This bottle was delicious. On the palate, the wine showed flavors of apricot and vanilla cream. The finish revealed honey, hinting at the botrytis which was very present in this vintage. Chateau de Malle does not make wines on the level of Rieussec and Suduiraut, but the recent vintages are excellent examples of this often overlooked appellation.

La Fille du Regiment

2008-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

The entrance to the Metropolitan Opera

Juan Diego Florez created a stir in the opera world by performing an encore during the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera's La Fille du Regiment. The event caught the attention of the New York Times and other media outlets around the world. Mr. Florez has performed encores in other venues in recent years, but no singer since Pavaratti in 1994 had done so at the Met. Opera fans tuned into the Met's Saturday matinee radio broadcast on April 26th hoping to hear a repeat of this encore. Despite a very enthusiastic ovation from the sold out crowd, Mr. Florez did not repeat the tour de force aria "Ah! Mes Ami." The audience sounded like a deflating balloon as the orchestra began to play the next piece. I attended the third showing of this opera on May 2nd anticipating that maybe I would get lucky.

Juan Diego Florez in the current production of La Fille du Regiment

(Sarah Krulwich/The New York Times)

The theater was once again sold out for this Saturday evening performance, and all around me people were discussing the possibility of an encore. Mr. Florez hit the 9 high Cs that make this aria so difficult and the crowd errupted. I clapped and yelled "Bravo!" for at least 3 minutes, which is actually kind of embarrassing. The applause faded and the orchestra began to play the first notes of the next piece. Without hesitation, I let out a long "boooooo". An older French opera connoisseur seated to my right turned to give me a glare that reflected pure disgust.

A week later, I picked up the Opera News magazine which had been resting on the kitchen table and noticed a large piece on Juan Diego Florez. The article focused on his role in La Fille du Regiment and discussed in great detail the reasoning behind an encore. Mr. Florez explained that he only performs an encore when the audience gives him an extraordinary response. At one performance in Europe, he had received a five minute ovation after singing "Ah! Mes Ami." As I read the article, I began to appreciate how special an encore was to this particular singer. If he were to always repeat an aria, Mr. Florez reasoned, the act would be trivialized. A sense of remorse slowly crept though my spine. After some very expensive therapy, I can now admit that I was wrong to 'boo' at the May 2nd performance. Great singers are like great wines. They have bad nights, good nights and great nights. Diversity of performance is what makes the great bottles of wine and the great nights at the opera so special.

Schiefer, Blaufrankisch, Eisenberg, "Reihberg", 2004

2008-05-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

The Schiefer, Blaufranksich, "Reihberg", 2004 is the most expensive bottle of red wine I have tasted from Austria. It is also the best. Uwe Schiefer, a former sommelier from Vienna, ticked off several local growers in Austria's Sudbergenland when he swooped in and bought a big chunk of the best parcel in the region, the Eisenberg vineyard. A true perfectionist, Schiefer separately bottles a cuvee from the top lieu dit within this famed vineyard. The sub-plot is called 'Reilberg.' Most of the wines I have tasted made from the Blaufrankisch grape are deep, dark and very fruity, but the wines made by Schiefer are different animals. The basic Eisenberg bottling is full of black fruits, but it is also very elegant in the mouth. The more sophisticated Reilberg cuvee shows piercing minerality on the finish, as though it was squeezed from the slate that dominates this piece of land. While the flavors in this wine are not overly complex, they are very long and persistent. I would probably not buy this bottle at the suggested retail price of $70, but it would be tempting.

The Kaiser takes on Bobo

2008-05-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what wine sales reps. do all day? Below is a series of e-mails between some very busy employees of a distinguished New York distributor.

Little John:

I have been infatuated with the 2001 Suduiraut ever since I had a bottle a year ago. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest wines I have ever had. I have searched out this wine, but have not been comfortable paying $75+/$130+ for the wine plus expensive shipping, considering I have no idea about provenance.

I have found the "Holy Grail." A store near my house has the 2001 Suduiraut for $55/375ml, $100/750ml. Suprisingly reasonable considering 98WA + 98WS, and from a hall-of-fame vintage. I am breaking a serious buying freeze to get on this. Although I am no master, I have had a couple vintages of d'Yquem, and some other good Sauternes, and this blows them all away. Not even close. I can't believe that wine can get much better then this. If anybody wants some, I can buy it for you and bring it the to the following sales meeting.

Bobo:

I have also had the 2001 Suduiraut and it is truly a great wine. Excluding the best vintages of d'Yquem and Climens, the '01's from Suduiraut and Rieussec might be the two most profound Sauternes produced in the last 40 years. This wine is worth buying for anyone who wants to see what Sauternes is all about.

The Kaiser:

Frankly, Sauternes is flamboyantly oaked, high in alcohol, and twice the price of a great Auslese. I'm tired of putting more money into the landscaping budget of multimillionaires' estates in Bordeaux.

Bobo:

Kaiser, your point on pricing is not correct. The 2005 Rieussec is available in 375's at Morrell for $40.95. This same store is also selling Weil's Kiedricher, Grafenberg, Auslese in 375's for $74.95. Rieussec and Weil are both regarded as top producers in their respective regions. '

Secondly, outside of d'Yquem, most producers in Sauternes are struggling to survive. Some estates do supplement thier production by making a dry white and a second label from late harvest, but 80-90% of their income is derived from a single late harvest bottling. It is not easy to make a living solely on this type of product.

Lastly, a mature bottle of a good Sauternes does not show any noticeable signs of oak. In the name of self education, you should buy a bottle of the Suduiraut.

Town Crier:

WINE FIGHT! WINE FIGHT!

Spartacus:

You think they might show some skin?

Little John:

Screw our basketball game. Let's make The Kaiser and Bobo wrestle it out in a kiddie pool full of Sauternes. Then you will get your skin, my friend.

The Kaiser:

Oh, sorry for the slow response. I was busy...umm...WORKING at my JOB.

Yeah, Sauternes is hard to make. It's still expensive, oaked and 13% alc minimum by law, no matter how you slice it. It's one sip and "that's nice, what else is there?" for this career alcoholic.

And don't come crying poverty to me. The guys live in castles in France and all they ever talk about eating is foie gras on toast points. I had steamtable Chinese for lunch and a hard slap in the face from Bertha. Ouch! Whatever dude. Drink what you like. Spartacus is getting too hot and bothered for us to have this conversation publicly.

Bobo:

Yeah, I should start selling wine, but this is too important. I fear that I am alone in defending the honor of France. You are right regarding Spartacus. We should really stop teasing him, but first I have to resond to your description of Sauternes taste.

When young, a typical Sauternes tastes sweet and shows some new oak, but these flavors mellow with time. A mature (15-20 years after the vintage) example is only off-dry and does not show any signs of oak. What is wrong with 13% alcohol? I can not recall ever tasting a Sauternes that showed its alcohol on the palate.

I find most BA and TBA wines to be too sweet when young and hard to drink. I know that these wines also become dried with time, but they will always be sweeter than a Sauternes of the same age. Do not get me wrong, I like these wines, but I feel that they are best served by themselves in small doses. Part of the charm of Sauternes is that they are food wines. A mature Sauternes is a great partner for cheese. I feel that you would not be so critical of Sauternes if you to were to taste an older example.

Sir Lancelot:

I just want to say that this is my favorite email thread since joining the company. For the record the amount of great BA's and TBA's I've tasted outweigh the amount of great Sauternes. Of course my sales people never brought me samples to taste when I was a buyer. I say drink what you dig. Also, I'm sure the Germans with the top estates aren't begging in the street. Anyway, who am I kidding, I don't have the coin to drink all this rotten wine anyway. Peace.

The Fair Maiden:

I don't understand why you guys love all these moldy wines. So they're sweet. La ti da. Mold is only good for antibiotics, otherwise it should be attacked with a good dose of Tilex or something.

Gimme a nice beautiful Shiraz anyday. That's all the sweet that I need.

Sales Manager:

I have to give a shout out to the Tokaji we sell since sweet wines are on the table. Please get this wine out of the warehouse now and stop e-mailing.

The Kaiser:

Yes, yes, drink what you like. Always. Perhaps that's my point. I've spent so many years scratching my head over ink spilled by wine scribes who take it as gospel that white Burgundy and Sauternes are the be-all and end-all of the white wine experience, when in fact, ya know what? They're just not. Not for everyone anyway, and my life and career have forthwith been spent trying to subvert the dominant paradigm. Truth is, I can drink Meursault with about four foods: chicken, chicken, chicken, and salmon. And I'd still rather have something else, like a Vouvray or good Sancerre. It's Chardonnay, people: get over it. Sauternes? Yes, it goes with Roquefort and foie gras. Have you ever, EVER seen seen any wine writer try to pair it with anything else? Perhaps they can....they don't. Tradition weighs heavy on the backs of those who praise wine. They lack imagination, or fear to use it.

But German wine. Ah! The taste of freedom! Name your cuisine, I will give you a German wine to match it. Name your desired sweetness and I will pinpoint it with perfect percision. Name your goofy vineyard, and I will give you a goofier one! (Winkeler Hasensprung! I mean wacka wacka wacka, right?)

But I am not anti-French, as you know. Quite the opposite. I spread the gospel of any and all European wines wherever I travel in this great, sprawling, wine-starved country of ours. For Loire Chenin Blanc in all its shapes, sizes and colors, my praises know no bounds. The greatest dry white comeuppance of our generation? Muscadet. The sexiest red with the mouthfeel of your most fervent young lover? Cotes du Roussillon. The wine that strikes joy into my crusty, splintered , world-weary heart like no other. Beaujolais.

But Sauternes leaves me cold. And Bordeaux is too much money. And white Burgundy is a lovely, lovely way to intrigue my cerebrum - but leaves my lower extremities untouched. That's just me (I promise to still sell them).

And so I refer back to Sir Lancelot's humble email, which pleased me by its personal nature and lacked the didactic, scolding tone of Mr. Bobo's, who assumed I somehow had never tried a mature Sauternes in my 15+ years of service in this industry. To whom I say only that the perfectly stored jeroboam of 1990 d'Yquem that I tasted five or so years ago with naive, childlike anticipation left me so disappointed that I wiped my tears dry and I swore off that over-priced, over-reviewed, mega-monster of the wine world forever. Unless someone buys me a glass, in which case I will accept enthusiastically, and drink it with honest appreciation and gratitude. Because I know what it meant to them to part with it.

Bobo:

Little John, I think The Kaiser is in for two bottles of the Suduiraut.

2008-05-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

The view from Le Charlemagne on the hill of Corton.

Bar Boulud - grace a Dieu!

2008-05-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

Every year my wife and I attend two or three performances at the Metropolitan Opera, and every year I struggle to find a worthy place to have dinner prior to the performance. The dining options surrounding Lincoln Center have been rather poor, considering the large number of wealthy people who descend on the area each year. Sure, the three star restaurant Picholine is in walking distance, but it is hard to squeeze in a five course meal and be out the door by seven o'clock. Daniel Boulud was obviously thinking along the same lines and has come to the rescue. Bar Boulud is a sharp, upscale wine bar that offers a perfect combination of excellent French country cooking, a very good wine list, timely service and a lively atmosphere.

Daniel Johnnes, the Wine Director for Mr. Boulud's restaurant empire, has put together a compact selection consisting of excellent producers. I was, however, a little disappointed that the list was not larger. That said, I still found a beautiful bottle to drink, a 2005 Georges Roumier, Bourgogne, rouge. Judging by the silky texture of the wine, I would guess that the fruit for this cuvee came from Chambolle. I have had two bottles from Roumier in the past year. A 1999, Chambolle-Musigny was still young and a little rustic, but I loved its full body and depth. Despite being 17 years old at the time, a 1990 Chambolle-Musigny, Amoureuses, 1er Cru was very tight and firm. Until the last sip, that is. With one drop left in the glass, the wine suddenly softened and released a beautiful fragrance. Oh well. In contrast, the Bourgogne was delicious as soon as it was opened, full of ripe black raspberry fruit. I would have been really happy with this wine even if the lable had read 'Chambolle-Musigny'.

I started with a cold terrine of fois gras, sweetbreads and morels and my wife ordered one made with slow braised short rib. Both were excellent. The soft shell crab special entree tasted very bright and fresh. An order of blood saugage (Boudin Noir), was excellent, moist and full of dark juices (blood?). The two desserts we ordered were very good, but not as exciting as the previous dishes. Amazingly, I left the restaurant without feeling weighed down and ill, which is important when the next three hours are spent sitting in a dark, hot theater. Bar Boulud and its burg centric wine list is a very welcomed addition to the Lincoln Center area. Roumier and Verdi, music to my ears.

Nothing to do with wine

2008-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Jack Chesbro (5'9", 180 Ibs.), New York Yankees, 1904

41-12 W-L / 1.82 ERA
55 G / 48 CG / 454.2 IP / 338 H / 88 BB / 239 SO / 6 SHO

Chesbro's 41 wins are the official record for a single season.

Executive Wine Seminars - 2005 White Burgundies: The 1er Crus

2008-05-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening (4/29) I attended the Executive Wine Seminar tasting of 2005 White Burgundy 1er Cru's. The event was held at the The Warwick Hotel in Manhattan and was presided over by Robert Millman and Howard Kaplan. This turned out to be a fun and very interesting tasting.

***The following wines were sampled blind, with the results revealed at the end of the tasting***

1- Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Champs Gain", Ripe nose, round and rich on the palate. This wine has a lot of glycerin with its creamy texture, but still shows good minerality. A very elegant wine.

2- Vincent Girarden, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
Subtle nose. Color is a little deeper. Rich on the palate, but with piercing minerality. The flavors are very long and the texture is elegant and smooth.

3- Jean-Philippe Fichet, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Referts"
Muted nose. Fat and rich. Showed very little mineral at first, but this became more present with air. Soft in the mouth and not as complex. Some sulfur on the nose. Turned out to be very good.

4- Remi Jobard, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Charmes"
First bottle was corked. Second bottle was off. Elegant in the mouth, but both bottles proved to be flawed. Only one person at the tasting enjoyed this wine.

5- Pierre Morey, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Perrieres"
Deep nose dominated by charred oak. Some sulfur at first. Very big and deep in the mouth with good minerality. Very intense in the mouth. A very good wine, but shows noticeable oak.

6- Bouchard Pere & Fils, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Perrieres"
Subtle nose. Very pretty and elegant in mouth. Very well balanced. Rich in glycerin, but finishes with excellent minerality. Outstanding.

7- Paul Pernot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Les Pucelles"
Sulfur on the nose and on the palate. Deep color. Rich and warm in the mouth. Bacteria-like taste. Seemed flawed.

8- Patrick Javillier, Meursault, "Les Tillets"
Very pretty nose. Cool fruit flavors in the mouth. Very elegant. Lacks minerality and is short on the finish.

9- Henri Boillot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
Some sulfur on the nose. Tangerine fruit. Very full and rich, yet excellent minerality. Long flavors. Big wine, but not heavy. One of the best at this tasting.

10- Domaine Leflaive, Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Pucelles"
Typical Leflaive nose, which must be the type of oak which they use. The fruit is very concentrated on the center of the palate, but the wine is rather light. I would never guess this for being a Pucelles. Good, but very disappointing.

11- Jean Noel Gagnard, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "Les Caillerets"
Tight nose. Big, rich and mineral in the mouth. The flavors are long and this wine shows more fruit than most at this tasting, but it is one-dimensional. Very powerful.

12- Bernard Morey, Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru, "La Truffiere"
A rich wine, but little minerality. This is a powerful wine, but it is also one-dimensional.

13- Yves Boyer-Martenot, Meursault, 1er Cru, "Genevrieres"
More fruit on the nose and palate. The texture is mouth coating, but some alcohol shows through on the palate. Almost fat, but finishes with excellent minerality. This wine has the most complexity of the group.

Conclusions:

- 2005 has produced many rich, full-bodied wines, but some felt too fat and one-dimensional. The best wines of the vintage combine the rich textures with strong minerality.

- Meursault appears to have shined in 2005, partically the Genevrieres vineyard. Perrieres is usually held in higher regard, but the Genevrieres in this tasting were just as good, if not better.

- 2005 is a very good vintage, but when tasted next to the same wines from 2006 (as I did in France this past July) most seem one-dimensional. The wines made from the top producers in Meursault appear to be the exception.

Puligny's overlooked gem

2008-04-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Puligny-Montrachet is considered by many to be the finest village in Burgundy for producing vin blanc, but there are surprising few domaines based within its limits. Listing the high quality domaines of Meursault can take up a full page, but Puligny only needs a small paragrah. It does not help that the great premiere and grand crus of Puligny have been carved up by various domaines from throughout the cote, leaving little for the locals to care for. With so few top producers, you would think that all the best estates of Puligny would be on the radar of every collector. Yet, outside of the Domaines Leflaive and Sauzet, few estates have attracted cult followings. Writers have long praised the wines of Domaine Louis Carillon, but despite this, the producer has not become fashionable. Today, some of Burgundies best valued great wines emerge from this estate.

Arranging an appointment at domaines like Leflaive can require a blessing from the Pope, but our visit to Carillon last July took no more effort then faxing a request for a visit. Jacques Carillon runs the domaine today and was extremely pleasant. This estate may be one of the best producers in one of Burgundies most prestigous villages, but there is no sense pretension to found at Carillon. The wines did not need any help in illustrating their worth.

Puligny-Montrachet, 2006 - (barrel sample) Rich in mouth, but also racy and mineral. Rich feel in mouth.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Champs Canet, 2006 - (barrel sample) 40 year old vines.
Richer texture. The fruit is tropical and very long. Very good/outstanding.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Combottes, 2006 - (barrel sample) 15 year old vines. Mucher richer in the mouth. Great minerality. Very good.

Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru. Les Perrieres, 2006 - (barrel sample) 31 year old vines. Great minerality. The body is very rich, but still elegant. Awesome wine.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Referets, 2006 - (barrel sample) 42 year old vines. Very rich and very Meursault-like. Excellent, long banana flavored fruit. Excellent length.

Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru, 2006 - (barrel sample) 43 year old vines. Very refined nose. Elegant and long on the palate. Great piercing minerality on the finish. Holy cow this is good!

Puligny-Montrachet, 2005 - Rich texture and nice length. Very good, but not as defined as the 2006.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Champs Canet, 2005 - Very rich and ripe. Nice texture. The fruit is peachy with tropical notes. Excellant wine.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Combottes, 2005 - More complex and mineral. Full bodied with excellent length.

Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Perrieres, 2005 - Great fruit on the nose. Rich in the mouth with ripe peach flavors. Really nice minerality. Awesome.

Pulingy-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Referets, 2005 - Rounder than the preceeding wines. Very good, but more one-dimensional.

All the wines tasted were very pure and great expressions of their terroir. It is refreshing to taste young white Burgundies that are not dominated by a wave a new oak. Each wine in Carillon's portfolio is outstanding and I would not hesitate to say that Carillon's Bienvenues is the reference point wine for this vineyard. For whatever reason, the wines from Domaine Carillon are not chased down by collectors and therefore remain good values. I recently picked up a 2002 Puligny-Montrachet at a retail shop for $35. The wine was still very young, but it was the definition of Puligny--elegant and mineral. Bottles with Domaine Leflaive on the label may be more sought after, but those from Louis Carillon et Fils should be no less cherished.

A sip of Criots

2008-04-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

A view of Criots-Batard-Montrachet from Le Montrachet

I only tasted a small sip of this wine, but it has left a long impression. The 2006 Fontaine-Gagnard, Criots-Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru combined grand cru richness with tremendous minerality. A couple months ago I sampled a 2006 premiere cru from this domaine and was equally impressed. Fontaine-Gagnard appears to have hit a home run in 2006.

Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes, 1989

2008-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

The wine's deep amber color had me salivating as soon as the bottle appeared from the ice bucket. Over the past few years I have consumed several bottles of the very good 1990 Guiraud Sauternes, which most recently tasted off dry and honeyed . This bottle of the 1989 Guiraud Sauternes was also off dry, but the flavors resembled orange rind and nuts. There appears to have been only a little botrytis in this vintage, at least in Guiraud's vineyards. When first opened, the '89 showed none of the honeyed flavors associated with this noble form of rot. The wine did reveal some honey after 24 hours of airing. Guiraud is a very good producer, but the estate's wines never seem to possess the power or complexity of the best Sauternes, such as Suduiraut and Rieussec. I would drink the wines from Guiraud within 25 years of the vintage. After 10 years or so in the bottle the wines begin to dry out and seem older than the year on the label.

Robin Quivers does Beaune

2008-04-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

A view from the window through which Robin was spotted.

Robin Quivers, of Howard Stern fame, spent a week this past July tearing up Beaune. I know because I was there. Everywhere I went, Robin was right in front of me. It all started one morning at the Hotel Le Cep front desk. I was waiting for my car to be retrieved when I heard a familiar voice standing next to me. Before Howard Stern went to satellite radio, I would listen every morning to Robin laugh her way through the role as Stern's sidekick. Our paths almost crossed once before, back in 1991. As an aspiring radio jock, I traveled five hours by bus for an interview at the Howard Stern show. The show was conducting its annual search for summer interns and I was more than willing to be humiliated at the feet of America's number one radio host. In my world at the time, Stern was God and Robin an angel. I walked into the skyscraper that housed the radio studio, but Howard and Robin were long gone. Gary Dell'Abate (aka Baba Booey), however, was still hanging around. Stern fans have made Gary famous while pranking various t.v. and radio hosts. Many of the pranksters finish their hoaxes by shouting, "Baba Booey."

That brings me back to Beaune. My wife had not been in the lobby that morning and did not believe that Robin was staying in the same hotel (I always mistake people for someone else). In an effort to prove my sighting, I sat by the window that evening hoping to spot the SUV Robin had left in that morning. By 11pm I had givin up and jumped into bed. Moments later, I heard a car engine under our window and that familiar laugh echoed through the quite streets. My wife and I raced to window. Standing next to the vehicle was the woman I saw earlier that day. "Say it," I thought. Robin walked along the sidewalk and into the hotel enterance.

"It really was Robin!," my wife said, excitedly.

"I should have said it," I replied.

"What?"

"She would have talked about it on Howard....I should have said it," I bemoaned.

"What?" A feeling of depression sank over me. "What are you talking about?"

"I should have yelled, Baba Booey!"

Domaine Maume, Charmes-Chambertin, 1988

2008-04-18T00:43:00.000-07:00

A pristine bottle of Domaine Maume 1988 Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru (from vines in Mazoyeres-Chamerbertin, which can be and often is labeled as Charmes) was a fascinating lesson in how a wine can evolve while sitting in a glass. When first opened, the wine showed a high level of acidity and biting finish. The texture began to soften after a half hour or so and all the elements seemed to come together. A beautiful red cherry fruit appeared and the wine really seemed to speak of its origins. The last third of the bottle tasted drastically different. The once charming fruit turned toward orange rind and the finish became coarse. I enoyed the ride as this wine took one turn after another and in the end this proved to be a fascinating bottle.

A 1989 Maume, Mazis-Chambertin, Grand Cru (from 70 year old vines in Mazis-Bas) drunk in November supplied an entirely different experience. Big and wild are two descriptors that pop to mind regarding this wine. The fruit played a secondary role to the burly tannins and chunky texture. I would like to think that the wine was just too young, but it may be the case that it will never settle down (I feel the same way about a bachelor friend of mine). Regardless, I throughly enjoyed the experience of working through this bottle. The only other wine I have tasted from Maume was a 1999 Gevery-Chambertin, 1er Cru (a blend of 85 year old vines in Les Cherbaudes and 50 year old vines in Le Perriere), which was interesting, but very tight and hard to enjoy.

I have been told that the Maume cellar was classically old school in appearance (i.e. dirty and full of character), but I am not sure if that is still true. Bertrand Maume took over from his father Bernard back in the early 90's and has apparently refined the style of the wines from this domaine (the '99, however, seemed typical). The Maume bottles may contain a more elegant and polished product these days, but there was something unique about those made by the old man. Perhaps the wines I tasted were not great, but they were one of a kind. In other words, they were special.

The mysterious wines of Dugat-Py

2008-04-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

The color was nearly black and the aromas were just as dark. This big, firm wine wrestled with our palates, refusing to open up. "It must be a northern Rhone," commented one taster. I knew they were wrong since I had served the wine blind in a decanter. "No, it might be a syrah from California," stated another participant. The bottle was presented and everyone stared in shock. This was our first Dugat-Py.

The wines made by Bernard Dugat are sold under the Domaine Dugat-Py label in order to differentiate them from his cousin Claude Dugat. Both producers are known for a the dark, large scaled and some say, over extracted style of their wines. Dugat-Py is a true modern day Burgundian super star, but the domaine is also controversial. I was once told by a prominent critic that he puts very little few bottles from Dugat-Py in his own cellar, but this critic lavished a near perfect score on Dugat-Py's Le Chambertin. And he is not alone. Just about every critic who tastes in Dugat's cellar raves about the wines and scores them on par with DRC and Leroy. Yet, almost everytime I see Dugat-Py's name mentioned on Robert Parker's bulletin board, the person writing has been recently disappointed with a bottle and can not understand why there is so much hype surrounding the domaine. Why do the wines from Dugat-Py draw such a discrepancy in opinions?

Recently, I tasted two wines from Dugat-Py that made me think about the way this domaine is viewed and also made me wonder if Bernard has been slowly evolving his style.

Dugat-Py, Vosne-Romanee, Vieilles Vignes, 2005 - (suggested retail: $210) Dark color. Red fruits in nose with spice. Big and spicey on the palate, but also tannic. Very young. Hard to read at the moment.

Dugat-Py, Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 2005 - (sugested retail: $600) Very dark in color. Softer, sweeter nose. Same on the palate. Very pretty. Long finish. Excellent.

Tasting a wine from Dugat-Py for the first time, a wine industry professional commented that he was surprised by the style of the two wines listed above. I responded that I was also not expecting the Charmes to be so soft and accessible. The Vosne Romanee was more similar to wines I have tasted from the domaine in the past. My first experience with Dugat-Py had been a bottle of the 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru tasted a few years ago and described above. I had expected to love this wine, especially after reading a quote from the Revue du Vin de France that said Dugat-Py's wines had a color that is "indescribable; of a blue-black that resembles the great Hermitages; the amplitude of their flesh, their fabulous velvetiness of texture, recall wines from legendary vintages of 1945, 1947 or 1959 without any of the defects of those vintages. Never in the past thirty years have we found an expression of terroirs of Gevrey so powerful..." I have since tasted several wines from Dugat-Py and none of them have been really enjoyable, usually just firm and unyielding. The quote from the Revue du Vin de France keeps ringing in the back of my head, however.

The late British writer Harry Waugh said the Burgundies were never the same after a large amount of replanting occurred following WWII. His theory being that the old rootstocks had much lower natural yields and this resulted in more concentrated berries with thicker skins. The wines from the pre-war era were said be very powerful in the best vintages and required many years of bottle age to be enjoyable. The same could be said of the wines being made today at Dugat-Py. Through a combination of pruning and very old vines the average yield for Dugat's wines are usually under 30 hl/ha; in 2003 they were below 20 hl/ha. The resulting wines are very dark, almost black, and very full in the mouth. A 2005 Morey-Saint-Denis, 1er Cru, Clos Sorbe from Jacky Truchot was tasted next to the two Dugat wines reviewed above and the difference in color was startling. The Truchot, whose yields were closer to 50 hl/ha, was ruby and one could see through the wine. This was not so for the Vosne or Charmes.

I visited the Dugat-Py domaine in July of 2005 and was struck by the seriousness of Bernard, whose stocky build and rough hands hint at the long days spent in the vineyards. The 2004's tasted from barrel had not yet gone through their malolactic fermentation and were very difficult to judge. Every cuvee smelled and tasted like grapefruit. However, just being in the cellar was a great experience. Dugat has one of the coolest, in both senses of the word, cellars in Burgundy. This former chapel, built in 1075, is pictured on the estate's labels and I can see how a journalist could become enchanted when tasting there. After the barrel tasting we sat in Bernard's kitchen and tasted two wines. The 2003 Gevrey-Chambertin, Coeur du Roy was still very tight and firm, but the 2003 Pommard, La Levriere, VV was full of super ripe fruit. Many of the 2003's I have tasted are very ripe, but this seemed extreme. While tasting the Pommard, I asked Bernard which wines are his favorite to drink, other than his own. He reponded "Zinfandel". Indeed, the wine in my glass was the closest thing to Zinfandel that I had ever tasted in Burgundy.

Older vintages from Dugat-Py are hard to come by, so my experience is limited, but a 1993, Gevrey-Chambertin, Coeur du Roy I drank a couple of years ago was hard and devoid of fruit. 1993 was a difficult year, so maybe this is not the right bottle from which to place judgment. The owner of the restaurant Ma Cuisine in Beaune told me that he likes the newer vintages from Bernard as they seem be less extracted. As a side note, Bernard claims that he does not do alot of extraction in his winemaking, which he refers to as "very natural and non interventionnist." The color and concentration, he says, are simply results of the low yields. The 2005 Charmes, with its soft texture and beautiful fruit, hints that maybe Bernard Dugat has tweaked his appraoch over the years.

As you can tell by having read this far, the bottles that emerge from domaine Dugat-Py are mysterious. Are the wines overworked creations or has Bernard Dugat found the secret to making great Burgundy as it might have tasted a century ago? I feel that some of the wines were too concentrated in the past, but not from overzealous winemaking. Rather it was obsessive vineyard work and yields that were too low. It might not be possible to produce a balanced wine from fruit harvested in the 20 hl/ha range when the source is a village level lieu-dit. That approach may be fine in the best vineyards, but perhaps not at the commune level. This may explain why there are excessive tannins present in the 2005 Vosne Romanee, but not in the 2005 Charmes-Chambertin.

Debating issues such as this are part of what make Burgundy and domaines such as Dugat-Py so interesting. It is all about personal taste and no one can be proven to be right or wrong. Bernard Dugat's wines may not be for everyone, but they are clearly made by a vigneron with a lot of passion, and that alone makes them worth tasting and debating.

Vincent Girardin, Chassagne-Montrachet, blanc, "Abbaye de Morgeot", 2004

2008-04-10T16:52:00.001-07:00

This bottle of Girardin's Chassagne-Montrachet, blanc, "Abbaye de Morgeot", 2004 must have been a left over from the annual bake sale held by New Jersey's largest distributor. Every year I fall for a deal that seems too good to be true and end up buying a Burgundy that inevitably gets dumped down the drain. I bought this bottle for the wholesale closeout cost of $15, a great price if I had been able to drink the wine. The flavors had turned towards caramel and honey, two characteristics that I associate with exposure to excessive heat. It is no secret that many large wholesalers routinely abuse fine wine in hot warehouses, but why do importers, in this case Robert Hass, allow this practice to continue? The wines produced by Vincent Girardin seem to get destroyed and closed-out on a yearly basis. Really sad.

Chandon de Briailles, Savigny les Beaune, rouge, 2004

2008-04-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Sour cherry fruit on the nose, very sour. Tannic and hard in the mouth. Very firm.

Day 2: A bit softer, but still firm and tannic in the mouth. Sour fruit in the mouth.

I have tasted many older bottles from Chandon de Briailles and I admire how they slowly develop into beautiful wines. Those experiences encouraged me to dig deep and find a hidden charm in the 2004 Savigny les Beaune rouge from this historic domaine. The wine's appeal is not on the surface, but in the understanding of how it is made. Chandon de Briailles is one of the few estates in Bourgogne practicing traditional winemaking and one of the essential elements of this style is the inclusion of a large portion of the stems. Many winemakers today destem 100% in order to produce wines that are soft and fragrant from day one, but these wines can seem rather simple 10-15 years down the road. The wines from Chandon often show hard tannins out of the gate, but develop a beautiful sweetness after a decade or so in the bottle.

Does this mean that the 2004 Savigny will come around and be really enjoyable in the future? Maybe, but I think the wine will always show some bitterness due to the vintage. Traditional winemaking has its disavantages, one of which is the so called 'off vintages.' In years when the weather is less then ideal, the inclusion of stems can render the wine tough and astringent in its youth. Drinking this bottle felt like a trip back in time. A more modern style winemaker might have achieved a wine with a riper palate, but would that wine be as interesting at 15-20 years of age? The wines from this domaine are usually not delicious at the start, but they are true treasures when mature. 21st century wines in a 19th century style.

A beautiful Bourgogne

2008-04-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

I opened a bottle of Robert Arnoux's Bourgogne, Pinot Fin, 2005 this evening and really enjoyed it. The Arnoux domaine is located in Vosne Romanee and the grapes for this cuvee must come from that appellation. Most Bourgognes tend to be a little rough around the edges, but this wine was smooth and full of red fruits. I have not had a wine from Arnoux before tonight, but I imagine the higher level cuvees are outstanding (Les Suchots, Echezeaux, Clos Vougeot, Romanee St.-Vivant). This basic bottling is produced from 60 year old vines that are Pinot Fin, which is the term for the original Pinot strain that many believe produces the best fruit.

Is Dancer the next Coche-Dury?

2008-03-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am not really qualified to answer this question, having only tasted four wines made by Jean- Francois Coche, but I have heard it said that Vincent Dancer is the next great winemaker in the Cote de Beaune. The few wines that I have tasted from the legendary Coche-Dury were clearly of the highest quality, but each was very young (2004 vintage). I have read several articles that paint Monsieur Coche as a true artist and the wines bottled by his petit domaine have attracted a cult-like following. When tasting a wine from Coche-Dury, the first characteristic which strikes me is the beautiful texture. There are many full-bodied wines produced in the world today, but only select few are also elegant. Jean-Francois Coche has proven that he can produce wines of power and finesse, but would the bottles in Dancer's cellar reveal this same balance?.

I visited the domaine on 3/19 with great anticipation. Vincent is a young artist (probably in his mid-thirties) who started this domaine a dozen years ago with land inherited from his mother's family in Meursault and his father's in Chassagne. The intellectual demeanor this winemaker portrays does not hint at arrogance or pretention, just quiet confidence. Speaking of being an artist, Vincent is an avid photographer and has created an interesting visual blog (see link). The following wines are bottled:

Rouge

Beaune, Montrevenots, 1er Cru, 2006 - 10 year old vines. Firm feel in the mouth, good texture. Excellent.

Pommard, Les Perrieres, 2006 -This lieu-dit lies above the N 74, just below the 1er Cru Les Petits Epinots. Very round and rich. Nice soft texture. Excellent.

Chassagne-Montrachet, La Grand Borne, 1er Cru, 2006 - This lieu-dit lies can also be labeled Morgeot. Good fruit, rich texture and soft feel. Very good.

Blanc

***interesting side note: Dancer does not perform any batonnage.***

Meursault, 2006 - Really pure and elegant. Great sensation of minerals on the finish. Long flavors and beautiful texture.

Meursault, Les Grand Charrons, 2006 - 30 year old vines in a lieu-dit which sits just north of the 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or. Rich feel and soft texture. Great length. Excellent.

Chassagne-Montrachet, Tete du Clos, 1er Cru, 2006 - 50 year old vines in one of the best sections of Chassagne. A big wave of liquid minerals hit the palate. Once again, the wine's texture stands out for the way it shapes the wine. Great length. Terrific.

Chassagne-Montrachet, La Romanee, 1er Cru, 2006 - 29 year old vines located just north of the Tete du Clos parcel. A richer wine with longer flavors that are more tropical. Really good.

Meursault, Perrieres, 1er Cru, 2006 - 45 year old vines located in arguably Meursault greatest terroir. Long and full of minerals. Great soft texture. Terrific wine.

Chevalier-Montrachet, Grand Cru, 2006 - 56 year old vines, one barrel (25 cases) produced. Very long and mineral. Rich, but also elegant. The fruit is more peachy in this wine and the finish is very persistent. Really good at the moment, but I have a feeling the wine is just playing with me and not showing everything.

As the notes show, all the wines I sampled were really good, but do they compare to the wines from Coche-Dury? The rare bottles which trickle from Coche's cellar are very individual and probably cannot be duplicated, but Monsieur Dancer is a winemaker in same mold. Both are artists who caress the grapes from their terroir and achieve that magical balance of power and finesse. Vincent Dancer has yet to attain the superstar status of Jean-Francois Coche, but it may just be a matter of time. I have started praying to various Greek and Eygtian Gods that writers will not create such hype about Dancer's wines, but they probably will (good thing no one reads this blog).

A visit with Raymond Trollat

2008-03-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Raymond Trollat

An afternoon spent in the northern Rhone last week took an interesting turn and by some miracle I ended up in Raymond Trollat's living room. Mr. Trollat, now retired, was regarded by a small group of insiders to be the great artist of the Rhone appellation Saint-Joseph. I had only tasted a Trollat wine once before and that was from the 1996 vintage. The bottle was opened late into a long party in which alot of great wine had been consumed. My memory recalls a lean, tannic wine, which at the time I did not really appreciate. Thankfully times and palates change and I now have a better understanding of the type of wine Trollat produced. During the hour or so I spent at his house, Raymond came across as the ultimate character. He has a rather large nose, very big ears and a smile which rivals both. I speak very little French (almost none)and therefore had no idea what he was saying in his thick country accent, but judging by the reactions of the others in the room, he is funny. He said something about a Cornas winemaker slicing his head open with an axe and still working that evening at the local fair. Mrs. Trollat is a fitting partner, a real woman of rural France.

The first wine to appear was a 2002 blanc. A deep golden color hinted at the richness this wine possessed. Trollat mentioned that there was some Chasselas in the blend, along with Roussanne and Marsanne. On the nose the wine was slightly oxidized, but it was rich and honeyed in the mouth with a really long finish. Very unique.

Four vitages of Trollat's Saint-Joseph rouge

Four reds were then brought to the table and opened. Our time was limited, so I had to grab a quick taste of each. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing that we had to race to Condrieu for an appointment and did not have more time to spend at Trollat's table. I would have personally seen to it that the open bottles were sufficiently appreciated, which could have made the very steep and winding road that leads to the village below even scarier.

2004 - tight in the nose with bright flavors in the mouth. Firm tanins provided a good backbone for this medium bodied wine.

2002 - a little leaner/lighter, not as intense, but still very nice.

2001 - Bigger, more structured. The most complete wine of the group. This must be as good as Saint Joseph gets. As a side note, I asked Trollat which wine of the four was his favorite and he pointed to this one. He also inferred that he did not think much of the 2002.

2000 - Softer, not as concentrated as the 2001, but still very good. Really special.

The first thing which struck me about the wines is that they do not taste anything like other Saint-Josephs, which tend to be fruit forward. Trollat's wines are firm and have earthy flavors. Sort of like 'Verset light'. I am referring to the great, old school Cornas's made by Noel Verset. The Trollat wines are not as dark and deep as the Verset Cornas, but they are cut from the same mold. Real wine of the earth. There are still some producers making traditionally styled Cornas and there is always the wines of Chave in Hermitage, but I am afraid that this style of Saint-Joseph is gone for forever. Some producers in the area still use most of the stems like Trollat, but none of their wines are as earthy. One variable that separated Trollat from the other growers in his area was the excellent location of his vineyards and the old age of the vines. Verset was similar in this regard.

Monsieur Trollat entering the cellar

Trollat's cellar is truly amazing. I say 'is' because the room is still full of wine. Mold covered bottles from various producers throughout France fill a rack at one end and the dozen or so barrels which the line the walls still contain wine. I have no idea which vintage/vintages are in these barrels, but I sure hope that I am back in the future to taste these treasures. Trollat's cellar is very tiny, probably no more then 9 x 15. It amazes me how small these cellars can be.

As time goes on, the traditional ways of making French wines are not the only thing disappearing. Each year seems to bring the retirement of another classic/traditional producer. Just recently, in addition to Trollat, the wine world has seen Noel Verset and Jacky Truchot in Burgundy retire and sell their vines. Moments like this can create dangerous levels of depression, but at least it is still possible to find some Edvan Vatan Sancerre in the market. I only wish I had been around to buy Trollat's wines when they were available and retailed for under $20. These hand-bottled works of art sure would have made one hell of a house wine.

Off to Burgundy and the Rhone

2008-03-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

I leave tonight for Paris and then straight to the Rhone. A day in the south, a day in the north and then a few days in Mecca (Burgundy). Besides eating every piece of fois gras that is available, I hope to visit some exciting wineries that are under the radar. Who knows, some producers sound great on paper, but then you taste the wines and want to run. Either way, I will be happy if I can find some Raveneau for dinner. I would also settle for some Coche.