tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25131042439175125522024-03-04T20:24:42.772-08:00Gourmet Moments... sharing delicious discoveries with youSusan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-91858343186146474482021-01-30T12:29:00.006-08:002021-01-30T12:30:46.416-08:00I've Moved On! Visit My New Blog<p>Hi Everyone! I've moved my blog to a <a href="https://linsusanr.wixsite.com/susan/blog" target="_blank">new site</a>, so come on over and join me there! I've reposted pieces from my Blogger archives with updated commentary. You'll find my perspectives on wine exams, wines from the Bordeaux 2015 vintage and several grower-champagnes, and my music and dance life. </p><p>There's more to come! Thank you, and please <a href="https://linsusanr.wixsite.com/susan/blog">join me on my journey</a>.</p>Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-23675592393947914422016-10-04T11:51:00.002-07:002021-01-30T11:53:05.153-08:00WSET Diploma Earned - Onto a Brave New World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WSET Diploma certificate and pin arrived!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two years, six exams, and one paper after earning the WSET Level 3 Advanced certification, I have officially earned my WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most important is all that I have learned in the process, which has been both humbling and inspiring. I never wish to stop challenging myself, and I want to keep learning. That said, it is a wonderful feeling to have officially achieved such a milestone as earning the WSET Diploma. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Diploma program represents the highest level (4) that the WSET offers. As I neared the end of my journey - my last exam having been Fortified Wines - I was continually asked, "So, what's next?" </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, most (sane) people are justifiably content with their Diploma, as earning it is quite an ordeal. For those who truly wish to go farther in their studies, there is the </span><a href="http://www.mastersofwine.org/en/about/index.cfm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Master of Wine</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, arguably one of the highest qualifications of professional knowledge of wine - the other being the Master Sommelier qualification, which is focused on professionals in the service industry and is incredibly challenging in its own way. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But ... pursuing the Master of Wine? That's just crazy. It would be insanity to embark on this path, the equivalent of working towards a Ph.D. of wine. Years of struggle to pass multiple stages of exams and a dissertation - if one even makes it that far. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then again, isn't it the journey, the promise and joy of discovery and learning, that started me down the path to wine studies in the first place? I knew already, deep within me, that no matter what happened, I would always find ways to expand my world through academic study and lived experience. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Diploma or equivalent is the base prerequisite for qualification for application to the Masters of Wine Study Programme. The day after I took my Fortified Wines exam, I finally looked up the application information on the Institute of Masters of Wine site. My pulse raced as I saw that the deadline was only 1 month away, at the end of July. I had to decide very quickly if I wanted a year to consider it, or to go for it now. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew the answer in my heart at once.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, while cramming for the French Wine Scholar Exam (see </span><a href="https://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2016/09/french-wine-scholar.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">that story</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">) I raced against time to apply for the Masters of Wine Study Programme. The application process was akin to applying for university or to graduate school, requiring a recommendation letter, essays, and multiple entrance exams covering theory and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">practical (tasting) knowledge. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a very fraught and stressful month of work around the clock, my application was complete, the exams taken. I had only to wait. I knew that regardless of the outcome, I would be content that I had tried and done my best under the circumstances. If I wasn't deemed ready, at least I would know, and I could work towards better preparation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last month on a gray weekday, I woke up to the best email I could imagine starting my day off with: </span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'd been accepted as a student of the Institute of Masters of Wine!</b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned that the acceptance rate was less than 50%. I was deemed worthy of the challenge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">When my Diploma study partners, who have become dear friends, learned of my acceptance and saw how incredulous I was, they laughed. "They'd be mad not to accept you!" I really appreciate their support and vote of confidence, because I certainly hadn't felt the same about myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For some time (days!) I was in a shell-shocked state, until the real terror of what I was getting into began to set in. But, those moments were sweet, indeed. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the exam wines, after the fact</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I now look forward to a new adventure, a very difficult one, that will challenge and frustrate me in ways I cannot imagine in this moment. Despite the trepidation, I feel an amazing sense of commitment. I confess unabashedly that I am thrilled and ready to work harder than I ever have. It is time for me to embark on the MW journey.</span></div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-62292667749514909632016-09-07T15:28:00.002-07:002021-01-30T11:54:26.399-08:00French Wine Scholar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sporting the French Wine Scholar pin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Right after taking my last exam for the <a href="https://www.wsetglobal.com/qualifications/wset-level-4-diploma-in-wines-and-spirits/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">WSET Diploma</a> - Fortified Wines - I crammed for and sat the <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">French Wine Scholar</a> (FWS) exam, offered by the Wine Scholar Guild. I always seek to delve deeper into France, as Burgundy is my first (wine) love. I'd signed up for the exam nearly a year ago and hadn't thought about it as I continued to prepare for my Sparkling and Fortified wine exams for Diploma. Somehow I had the wherewithal to realize, in late June, that I'd have to take the exam asap or pay the fee all over again. Of course, I discovered this about 10 days before the one possible exam date before my 1 year deadline. In a typical fit of motivation driven by a challenge, I decided to take the exam.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Technically, I'd been preparing for this exam indirectly through my WSET Diploma studies and through my work in the industry. That said, the FWS exam definitely requires one to know more in breadth and depth. The ensuing week witnessed nonstop cramming, so much that I even studied in my sleep! Unfortunately this meant I wasn't very well rested, but at least I was productive. This happens to me every so often before exams, but this time I literally tested myself systematically through Southwest France (FYI, Iroulegay is the only Basque appellation!). However, I knew I was really going nuts when I found myself randomly reciting the red grape name Fer Servadou in a jingle-like manner: "Fer Servadou, don't mind if I do!" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Possibly the most memorable part about studying for the FWS exam was discovering a passage in the text that likened the creation of the trench-like geography of Alsace to the rising and falling of a soufflé, but caused by pressure instead of by heat. Only the French would find a perfect connection between a prehistoric geographical phenomenon and the creation of a culinary treat! I call it "The Alsace Soufflé." C'est merveilleux! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am happy to report that I passed the French Wine Scholar Exam, with highest honors. I am relieved! The Wine Scholar Guild asked me to answer some interview questions, and posted my informal essay on their site as a <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/top-exam-scorers/susan-r-lin-fws.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">feature</a> about recent top scorers. I am humbled to be honored thusly. Writing this essay was a wonderful way for me to think about why I pursue my wine studies, and about what I have gained in the journey thus far. I invite you to catch a glimpse of the motivation below, or on the Wine Scholar Guild <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/top-exam-scorers/susan-r-lin-fws.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">site</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Congratulations to <b>Susan R Lin, FWS</b> for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with the highest honors! </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">About Susan:</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.4px;">I previously worked in high tech, much of it at Google, managing international search and maps quality programs. I'd been fascinated with wines and their study ever since I saw the beautiful labels on bottles of Bordeaux and Napa Cabernet on my grandfather’s shelf as a child, and took my research further on my own since then. I eventually decided to enroll in formal study through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), to give myself an academic framework through which I could focus my efforts. After I achieved WSET Advanced certification, I was recruited by an esteemed study partner. I am thrilled to be in the wine industry!</span></div>
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My joy is to bring people the wines that they love, and even more so, to get people to try wines that I believe will delight them, but which they hadn’t previously heard of or thought to try. It’s about creating a wonderful experience for people through wine, and I believe that is best accomplished through deep academic learning and lived experience. By taking what I’ve learned via my studies with <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FWS</a> and WSET to my own explorations and sharing and learning from others, I hope to build upon my base of knowledge to bring more delight to my customers, partners, and friends.<br />
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I recently earned my WSET Level 4 Diploma after a two year journey since obtaining the WSET Level 3 Advanced certification. My studies in WSET provided me a very strong academic base of knowledge in viticulture, the vinification process, and of all the different wines around the world. What led me to the FWS program is that while I enjoy exploring all wines, my heart lies with wines in France Burgundy being my first and greatest love! I knew that the more I learned, the more I would be able to appreciate the important and subtle nuances that make French wines unique in each their own way.<br />
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I personally am most happy about the breadth and depth of the materials in <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the FWS program</a>. As the program is focused specifically on France, I was able to concentrate on information not necessarily covered in other programs, for example the geological events that led to the land formations of each wine region that influence the terroir, and aspects of socioeconomic and cultural history that contribute to the style of the wines today. The focus on every wine region and on the specific appellation requirements have given me an enormously deeper knowledge and appreciation of France’s wine heritage and modern wine industry.</div>
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The more I learn, the more questions I have and the more I want to continue learning! <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The FWS program</a> has added more fuel to my desire to further my wine studies. I look forward to the possibilities, including those afforded by the Wine Scholar Guild. For example, I could benefit from the Italy and Spain programs, or I could delve even deeper into the French wine regions through the Master Level programs. I will always seek to learn, whether through self study or through institutional programs.<br />
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What I have gained through <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the FWS program</a> complements my WSET studies extremely well. Focusing more deeply on France has built upon and expanded the knowledge I have accumulated through my WSET Diploma studies as well as my experiences in the industry.<br />
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I have recently been accepted into the Masters of Wine Study Programme and am excited to embark on this journey. <a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The FWS program</a> has undoubtedly helped to prepare me for this new level of study.</div>
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<a href="https://www.winescholarguild.org/france/french-wine-scholar/program-overview.html" rel="alternate" style="color: #fa7252; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The FWS program</a> has already allowed me to further my passion for wine tremendously, just through studying for the exam. Even though it was stressful at times to remember all the important pieces of information such as different grape varieties (and synonyms!), soils, and regulations for each appellation, I was thrilled every day because of what I was learning. Wines that used to merely be names to me have come alive. What I enjoy in the glass is enhanced remarkably by the knowledge of its heritage, place, and history. In preparing for the FWS exam, I have learned much about the character of French wines. This, to me, is invaluable. This is what I seek to share with everyone who has any interest in wine: The story and the experience, brought to life in beautiful liquid.</div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-37612329259333425922016-05-11T12:27:00.001-07:002016-05-11T12:27:05.690-07:00Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur - Summary <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've often been asked: How would you summarize the 2015 Bordeaux vintage?<br />
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<b><u>2015 Bordeaux Vintage Overall</u></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful depth and color of Pontet Canet 2015</td></tr>
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<b>Drinkable and Structured</b>: These wines are, on the whole, very approachable and yet possessing of great depth. I was surprised by how many of wines are drinkable even now, and we're talking pretty substantial wines here! This makes it all the more challenging to hold onto them to witness their evolution as they mature and develop more smoothness and complexity in the bottle. That said, some wines, like Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac), Palmer (Margaux) and Suduiraut (Sauternes), are beautifully made and will only truly blossom in years to come - they will be worth the wait!</div>
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<b>Full and Generous</b>: There was a lot of heat during the growing season, and many of the wines are full-bodied, with significant tannins. Don't let this put you off! The well-made wines (see my previous reports in the Blog Archive for April and May for recommended selections) are wonderfully balanced by generous fruit and the right amount of acidity to lend them a dazzling fresh quality. We're not talking big, sappy fruit bombs; rather, we have wines with heft, lifted fragrance and concentration. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the gate of Château Margaux</td></tr>
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Alcohol levels are higher than usual for Bordeaux, but again, the excellent wines are so well balanced (fruit concentration, acidity, tannins) that they don't feel "hot" at all. And believe me, I've tasted 11% alcohol wines that set my face on fire, because they lacked the other elements in balance. </div>
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For those who know their vintages: <b>2015 has the structure of 2005 and the fruit concentration of 2009. </b>This makes for an approachable wine like 2012, but with even longer potential for aging and development of complexity in the bottle. This also makes for a distinctively sunny, yet poised character for 2015. </div>
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<b>Not All Are Created Equal</b>: That said, take care: Wines that didn't show as well exhibited imbalances. What I noticed most in these wines were what I call the "whale tannins" - outsized tannins that surged up like a whale beneath a ship and nearly knocked me over (and left me with numb, fuzzy lips). I realize that this is a strange analogy, but that is exactly the imagery that came to mind during tastings!</div>
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<b>Great for Fans of California Reds</b>: As I tasted during En Primeur week in Bordeaux, I realized increasingly that 2015 is possibly the perfect vintage to share Bordeaux wines with folks who love California red wines! Their generosity and approachability are surprising and delightful for such baby wines, and the best will mature with plenty more rewards to come. </div>
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<b><u>The Top 10</u></b></div>
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Naturally, the other question I'm being asked is: What are your Top 10 wines for Bordeaux 2015? This is difficult, not only because there are many wonderfully well-made wines, but also because the châteaux have different styles. </div>
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My criterion: <i>Does the wine embody the château's signature style, while expressing the very best of their land, their grapes, and the vintage conditions?</i> </div>
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When a wine demonstrates this simple and challenging ask, and one is left with that distinct, ineffable imprint that indicates a superbly made wine - regardless whether the wine is to one's own personal taste - it is starred for "Outstanding" on my list. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredibly smooth, fragrant La Violette 2015</td></tr>
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Without further ado, in no particular order:<br />
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<li>Pontet Canet (Pauillac)</li>
<li>Ducru-Beaucaillou (Pauillac)</li>
<li>Lynch-Bages (St-Julien)</li>
<li>Pichon Lalande (St-Julien)</li>
<li>Léoville-Poyferré (St-Julien)</li>
<li>Margaux (Margaux)</li>
<li>Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)</li>
<li>Pavie (St-Emilion)</li>
<li>L'Evangile (Pomerol)</li>
<li>La Violette (Pomerol)</li>
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That was tough! There are so many excellent wines for Bordeaux 2015. Again, please see my previous reports (April and May in the Blog Archive to the right) for all my selections for Standouts and Excellent wines, along with tasting notes. </div>
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At work (<a href="http://www.belmontwine.com/" target="_blank">Belmont Wine Exchange</a>), I'm working hard to get allocations for my selections of wines. Their futures are being released by the châteaux, one by one, day by day. (I have an elaborate spreadsheet that is gaining more columns every day as I track the campaign.) It is incredibly exciting to be able to secure some of the best wines of the vintage. I look forward to sharing and enjoying these wines with you, in the future! </div>
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Thank you again, as always, for joining me in my journeys. There will be more adventures!</div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-14834660497192540562016-05-03T15:16:00.001-07:002016-05-03T15:57:02.782-07:00Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur - Sauternes & Barsac<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Château d'Yquem in the glass</td></tr>
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What better way to cap off the Bordeaux En Primeur tour than with the famed sweet white wines (vins liquoreux) of Sauternes and Barsac? For the most part, the wines showed extremely well with each château having drawn out various tantalizing aromatic flavors from grapes affected by noble rot.<br />
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Yes, fungus does play a role in the creation of these beautiful, unique wines, and it is only under the most specific conditions that this strain - <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> - can cause the Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes to shrivel, leading the sugars to concentrate and the flavor compounds to intensify. The result: lusciously flavorful juice! When out of hand, however, the strain causes grey rot and the crop is no good for wine at all. How lucky for us that the villages of Sauternes and Barsac sit at the intersection of rivers that allow for just the right conditions for these sweet wines to be made!<br />
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The best wines I tasted possess an exquisite balance of complex fruit concentration and fresh acidity, so there is never a sense of syrupy heaviness. One is left utterly refreshed, with the lingering perfume of tantalizing fruits.<br />
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<b><u>Standout Wines</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGlrnmX1jKIP3x14qjYprM5zn2RTXOGxh7YDbPF4Ko5iDsB0T2WRnu96XJXC9yqz8YFI7XSl7VopOVs9M-v-rLuyVLkqOEARB02ZJDv4478yB_yhRyeaQdskqexrjcY_rcGcfsyQsMsPs/s1600/Bdx_dYquem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGlrnmX1jKIP3x14qjYprM5zn2RTXOGxh7YDbPF4Ko5iDsB0T2WRnu96XJXC9yqz8YFI7XSl7VopOVs9M-v-rLuyVLkqOEARB02ZJDv4478yB_yhRyeaQdskqexrjcY_rcGcfsyQsMsPs/s320/Bdx_dYquem.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Château d'Yquem bottles on ice</td></tr>
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<b>d'Yquem</b>: This goes without saying, but there is a reason that Chateau d'Yquem is the one wine with the classification "Premier Cru Superieur" ("First Great Growth") in the <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/sauternes-classification.lml" target="_blank">1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac</a>, commanding prices to match. 2015 boasts aromas of toasted almonds, hazelnuts, brioche, and an assortment of tropical and stone fruits: mango, kiwi, stewed peaches, apricots. Let's not leave out the floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine. The unctuous initial palate bursts with pineapple, mango, fresh white apricot and resolves beautifully into an absolutely clean, smooth finish. Mango and apricot linger, with a hint of exciting mineral. This wine is at once extremely vibrant and concentrated, while incredibly poised and elegant.<br />
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<b>Rieussec</b>: Lush and rich with mango, honeycomb, and toasted almond with bracing acidity that at once makes you sit upright even as you luxuriate in all the luscious flavors. A finish redolent of mangoes stayed with me for so long that I had to walk around for awhile before I could try another wine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With David Ornon of Château Guiraud</td></tr>
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<b>Guiraud</b>: Beautifully rich butterscotch, marmalade, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, with apricots and peaches floating atop it all. There is a bit of almond skin on the end for a bit of a kick, which resolves into a satisfying smoothness. The acidity is just right to make Guiraud incredibly fresh. The flavors are generous and concentrated; it will last years, if you can wait that long before enjoying it! <br />
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<b>Suduiraut</b>: This beauty will take some time to bloom, but it's all in there: a subtle nuttiness, delicate citrus, apricots and pineapple, with showers of white and orange blossoms. 2015 Suduiraut has a strong, powerful body and structure that speaks to its longevity and potential for an outstanding wine. We only have to wait for it ...<br />
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<b>La Tour Blanche</b>: This is unabashedly full and rich, offering concentrated mango and pineapple with a peppery finish. For those who want a big, generous, yet complex and incredibly smooth Sauternes, this is the one!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 La Tour Blanche</td></tr>
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<b><u>Excellent Wines</u></b><br />
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<b>de Fargues</b>: Subtle white blossom, white apricot, stewed pears on the nose leads to a fresh palate that finishes with the fragrance of jasmine.<br />
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<b>Clos Haut-Peyraguey</b>: Demure, with light tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, and guava, and a hint of fresh apricot. Very smooth finish.<br />
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<b>Doisy-Védrines</b>: Very flirtatious yet poised with lifted citron, subtle orange peel, orange blossom, and apricot. This is perfect for a dainty, delightful sweet pick-me-up at any time.<br />
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<b>Many of the 2015 Sauternes wines were well made</b>, and the selections I've shared went well above and beyond. Each of these châteaux expresses itself in its own unique style, making the tasting journey all the more dynamic and rewarding. It is incredible how many different ways it is possible to create a quality Sauternes wine - never did one taste like the other.<br />
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After such a palatable tour, I have come to appreciate even more the value of these sweet wines. Some are perfect for drinking in the near term, and others can be kept for quite awhile. Luckily, they come in a range of price points, too, so you don't necessarily have to break your bank to enjoy them! We can be sure that whatever the occasion, every single sip is to be savored.</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-76903319987509952002016-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:002016-09-18T20:50:23.453-07:00Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur - Left Bank Wrap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Smith Haut Lafitte with <br />
Ludovic Fradin, Director, <br />
and Fabien Teitgen, Winemaker</td></tr>
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I quickly learned the amount of driving it takes to get around Bordeaux, and especially the Left Bank. My black Peugeot sedan, so sleek and shiny from the rental lot, was thoroughly mud streaked by the end of 1.5 weeks! (Yes, I was fortuitously upgraded; Peugeot is a fine car.) Despite rushing around and apologizing for being late, every château visit was absolutely and deliciously worth it! 2015 is showing well for many wines, each in their own unique way.<br />
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I'm excited to share with you a selection of wines that are excellently made and that particularly stand out to me, to wrap up my Left Bank tour. (For more Left Bank wines, please see previous reports <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2016/04/bordeaux-en-primeur-2015-vintage-day-1.html" target="_blank">Day 1</a>, <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2016/04/bordeaux-en-primeur-2015-vintage-more.html" target="_blank">More Left Bank</a>, and <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2016/04/bordeaux-2015-en-primeur-first-growths.html" target="_blank">First Growths</a>.)<br />
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<b><u>Standout Wines</u></b><br />
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<b>Palmer </b>(Margaux): Deeply concentrated with strikingly delicate fragrance of raspberry, black cherries, black currant, and vanilla. It is still very tight and closed, with a little tomato leaf green quality that will integrate as the wine matures. In a hot vintage where many of the wines are already showing very expansive fruit, Palmer stands out in that it is more a 'crouching tiger, hidden dragon'. While it is dense with bold tannins, its structure and freshness is unmistakable. Its fruit and full bloom will come with time, and it will be worth the wait. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth9joKVQmDVHPXLY7whRXC_OVh3JZic-hamMA2cfMac6Lo3Ry200zkTBdnP2qy_YuhGiI6e9lvWceo3-blUKWmLeZfXDu2cp7xLtkWdgijMyZTZOjFD6Sst2WPEGstJv0cLwQzM0J3BPx/s1600/Bdx_BranaireDucru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth9joKVQmDVHPXLY7whRXC_OVh3JZic-hamMA2cfMac6Lo3Ry200zkTBdnP2qy_YuhGiI6e9lvWceo3-blUKWmLeZfXDu2cp7xLtkWdgijMyZTZOjFD6Sst2WPEGstJv0cLwQzM0J3BPx/s320/Bdx_BranaireDucru.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Branaire-Ducru 2015</td></tr>
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<b>Branaire-Ducru</b> (St-Julien): Incredibly fresh and smooth with fine tannins, and an elegant bouquet of plums, cherries, blackberries, cassis, and vanilla. The château's signature style of poise and smoothness is clearly evident. It is drinking beautifully now, and it will evolve and last.<br />
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<b>Grand Puy-Lacoste</b> (Pauillac): A bumper crop of cherries and plums is waiting to emerge to full shine in the coming years ... all the potential is there! Already fragrant with red fruit and baking spices, there is a striking mineral frisson that makes this a very memorable wine. <br />
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<b>Montrose</b> (St-Estèphe): Bright raspberry, cherries, vanilla, cedar and plenty of acidity to keep this wine fresh. The beautiful initial to mid-palate swells with fruit, and continues to open with cherries and a bit of white pepper on the finish. What a delight to feel all these waves of fruit layers!<br />
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<b>Pape Clément</b> (Pessac-Léognan): This wine showed even more beautifully on subsequent tasting. Wood spices give a tantalizing kick to fragrant red and black fruits. Taut acidity balances the ripe tannins; these will mellow to round out the wine and lend it freshness for years to come. The 2015 has the Pape Clément signature elegant frame and complexity in the nose and palate. Most memorably, after the tannins crest in the mid-palate, the perfume of red and black berries lingers on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaUWXbCz5oJxlO4fPd3DNSHD5_FdJAbq1jD5GWDs4sSfcdsVD9l1vdpEJ1htPnTglYsqXlgiO6Oy6BCEMDsBCmTyZOvzJRV9YBnmiQp8aDoG3-seS-sOn4G-KDqVbh_jg6z7VFc50D_1N/s1600/Bdx_PapeClementRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaUWXbCz5oJxlO4fPd3DNSHD5_FdJAbq1jD5GWDs4sSfcdsVD9l1vdpEJ1htPnTglYsqXlgiO6Oy6BCEMDsBCmTyZOvzJRV9YBnmiQp8aDoG3-seS-sOn4G-KDqVbh_jg6z7VFc50D_1N/s320/Bdx_PapeClementRoom.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful room at Château Pape Clément. </td></tr>
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<b></b>
<b>Smith Haut Lafitte</b> (Pessac-Léognan): High toned dense black fruits (brambles, cherries), vanilla. Very fresh, fine integrated tannins resolve smoothly in an incredibly satisfying way. Still a bit chewy yet extremely elegant, this is an aromatic, lifted wine that has much to present in the coming years. Its full beauty of fruit and body will continue to reveal itself.<br />
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<b></b>
<b>Les Carmes Haut-Brion</b> (Pessac-Léognan): This is showing even better on repeated tasting: Ripe and sunny with bright red cherries, plums, a bit of toast on the end. Very fine tannins. This is a stately wine: not a fruit bomb, not a plush wine, but very focused, linear, and incredibly fragrant.<br />
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<b></b>
<b>Haut Bailly</b> (Pessac-Léognan): Dark bramble, cassis, mineral and spices. Very structured and smooth with fine tannins. It has the Haut Bailly signature silkiness and the bright fruit of the vintage, without any hint of jam. The château has achieved an incredible balance with their 2015 vintage.<br />
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<b><u>Excellent Wines</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r13IY9PCfWM-JztSUIc3GZHo2dgMpKI-QMv2JSP0bJ4Gorqt1VDnsJLuS0wTYyUpfZF0VgQx2GdNBCyCX2hgwXs6N1Iks5qD7HmoTu_19tqDewoWND9QkwdSNNf21AC7Z127EzRzoN1J/s1600/Bdx_LesCarmesHB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r13IY9PCfWM-JztSUIc3GZHo2dgMpKI-QMv2JSP0bJ4Gorqt1VDnsJLuS0wTYyUpfZF0VgQx2GdNBCyCX2hgwXs6N1Iks5qD7HmoTu_19tqDewoWND9QkwdSNNf21AC7Z127EzRzoN1J/s320/Bdx_LesCarmesHB.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2015</td></tr>
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<b>Beychevelle</b> (St-Julien): Beautifully balanced, a dark and elegant wine. Dense yet sweetly lifted with cassis, blackcurrants, and vanilla. It has strong and integrated tannins, with a delightfully smooth quality that lends this wine great poise.<br />
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<b><b><br /></b></b></div>
<b>
Pichon Baron</b> (Pauillac): Very subtle and demure, yet redolent of raspberries, cherries, blackberry, and cassis. There is a lovely light, toasty quality to the finish. Fine tannins and a smooth texture make for a very refined wine.<br />
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<b>Magrez Fombrauge</b> (St-Emilion): This is Right Bank, but it was part of the Château Pape Clément tasting and in the venerable Bernard Magrez portfolio. This is a bold wine, dense and muscular with concentrated ripe dark red fruits. It may be big, but it's not brooding; rather, it has a very warm feeling to it. It will last decades and pair deliciously with red meats and duck!</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Le Clarence de Haut-Brion</b> (Pessac-Léognan): This is the second label of famous first growth Haut-Brion, originally known as Bahans de Haut-Brion (the name changed in 2007). It's still made from grapes from the same sites as Haut-Brion, and by the same great team. To call it "Haut-Brion Light" doesn't do La Clarence justice: It has its own character. 2015 is rounded and subtle on the nose and bright with red berries on the palate, underscored by earth and mineral. The robust tannins will integrate nicely with time. Very elegant. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOzrImb4gy2SmYsw_FyrCdDoYsLCBpLlNTPhfdNkPSmrzOBIsV-79HbzV5Vc0V2ajzk_wX4k5WqzSqiPOD-9Ueb9biMEF63Lp78k11kxo-IvICw_95x0llaLsVHEv4qt1RB1I9AOlDzmS/s1600/Bdx_HBLineup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOzrImb4gy2SmYsw_FyrCdDoYsLCBpLlNTPhfdNkPSmrzOBIsV-79HbzV5Vc0V2ajzk_wX4k5WqzSqiPOD-9Ueb9biMEF63Lp78k11kxo-IvICw_95x0llaLsVHEv4qt1RB1I9AOlDzmS/s320/Bdx_HBLineup.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haut-Brion Lineup, with Le Clarence 2015</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>Quintus</b> (St. Emilion): Want to enjoy a delicious wine from the makers of Haut-Brion at a great price point? Quintus (and its second label, Dragon de Quintus) is a wonderful opportunity. Very bright and sunny, bursting with stewed cherries and plums, with vibrant vanilla. Full, structured, and fresh, this is drinking perfectly now. </div>
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<b>Le Pape</b> (Pessac-Léognan): From the Haut Bailly team comes a generous, big bodied, ripe and approachable wine to enjoy now! Ripe red cherries and plums with toast and coffee on the finish. The tannins are bold but well integrated, a very giving wine to enjoy with duck, pot roast, or a nice portobello mushroom dish. <br />
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<b>That's a wrap for the Left Bank 2015 red wines!</b> Thank you for allowing me to share with you the wines I am excited about. When they are ready for the world, we will look forward to enjoying them together.<br />
<br /></div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-76509347134818803632016-04-25T11:02:00.000-07:002016-04-25T11:05:36.401-07:00Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur - First Growths<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting Haut-Brion</td></tr>
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I dove into Bordeaux En Primeur without having read any predictions, nor read any comments or scores throughout in order to maintain a clean slate. My goal is to share with you my own thoughts on all wines I've tasted. Without further ado, here is my take on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux_Wine_Official_Classification_of_1855" target="_blank">First Growths</a> (sans Latour, which does not participate in En Primeur).<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Margaux</b>: Dark, concentrated cassis, black cherries with earth and a peppery lift on the finish. Assertive tannins will integrate with time, and are already being balanced by focused acidity and very ripe, fine fruit. There's a hint of vegetal green leaf and tobacco, which will also integrate and evolve. This is a regal, stately wine that is serious yet will be very generous with time. The mid palate is already beautifully expansive, opening with a bumper crop of cherries. An overall freshness and silkiness embodies the signature style of the château.<br />
<br />
<b>Haut-Brion</b>: Elegant, concentrated perfume of candied cherry, violet, plum, bramble, with oak toast and slight green hints that will integrate. Very smooth texture with ripe tannins that swell greatly on the mid palate but will harmonize with the generous fruit, given time. Plums, cherries, raspberries, and toasted almonds delight on a very long finish. Beautiful potential.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdqgVWkV1d7pso_XCU4lHOjdkfND_ruYDHb5l8rBWUTZ9DV9wAQXX-HD0_EmF9vofzEiflsj29784ZM0mnWwOxL8a_GGLIBPRcTPX3hkreY9SkVJWYzB7LVLEyBOYl8P2nAD3HIUg7yfT/s1600/Bdx_Margaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdqgVWkV1d7pso_XCU4lHOjdkfND_ruYDHb5l8rBWUTZ9DV9wAQXX-HD0_EmF9vofzEiflsj29784ZM0mnWwOxL8a_GGLIBPRcTPX3hkreY9SkVJWYzB7LVLEyBOYl8P2nAD3HIUg7yfT/s320/Bdx_Margaux.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaux 2015 in the cellar</td></tr>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>Mouton Rothschild</b>: Dense red and black cherries with vanilla and nutmeg; very fragrant and elegant on the nose. In the mouth, this is a powerful, muscular wine; it has dramatic acidity and ripe, assertive tannins with an earthy finish. Yet, one can feel the care of the winemaking in its balanced composition. It possesses a smooth quality and there is a delicacy of the fruit that lingers after the earthiness subsides. It will be fascinating to see how this evolves over time.<br />
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<b>Lafite Rothschild</b>: I shared my thoughts on Lafite <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2016/04/bordeaux-en-primeur-2015-vintage-more.html" target="_blank">earlier</a>, but will include it here again. After tasting many big, unabashedly fruit-driven (and delicious) wines in the area, Lafite Rothschild was a refreshing departure. It is subtly fragrant, redolent of crushed violets. There is a delicacy and restraint that hints to a future blossoming. I found it very balanced and carefully made. It may well bloom with a poise and elegance uniquely its own, in a vintage with burgeoning ripe fruits.<br />
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<div>
<b><u>In Summary:</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemwKWp_fnO4HYOJix_I2Uv38r7yix2eBdEw3eq_csRUK2FMMz70_2DTaeoqS_55UEAhCm6VqFM9KhDIBU-D3F86xovhde1HZyMk00Ail6lBbuVkBCpmrvEi7DtZb9jap4CPLY0PCuzmo1/s1600/Bdx_Mouton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemwKWp_fnO4HYOJix_I2Uv38r7yix2eBdEw3eq_csRUK2FMMz70_2DTaeoqS_55UEAhCm6VqFM9KhDIBU-D3F86xovhde1HZyMk00Ail6lBbuVkBCpmrvEi7DtZb9jap4CPLY0PCuzmo1/s320/Bdx_Mouton.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Mouton Rothschild's tasting room</td></tr>
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<div>
As with the other wines I've had the pleasure to taste, these First Growths reflect the vintage conditions and embody their signature house styles. The ability to express one's own character while bringing the best aspects of the vintage is one of the most important factors I seek in a wine. It speaks to a judicious care in all aspects of grape growing and winemaking, and a striving to find that certain special quality that makes a wine lasting and unique. These First Growth wines have an incredible legacy, yet their houses have the same challenge that all quality-minded châteaux in Bordeaux have each year: to create wines to their high standards of excellence. The fruits of their labor for 2015 give us much to look forward to. </div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-31380439859560821072016-04-18T14:29:00.000-07:002016-04-19T08:54:30.779-07:00Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur - Right Bank<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding 'the baby' with <br />
Frédéric Faye, winemaker at Figeac!</td></tr>
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Like the Left Bank, the 2015 vintage conditions for the Right Bank were wonderfully ideal. After a hot, dry spell, there was just enough rain in July to start veraison (the point at which grapes change color as they ripen) and again in mid-August and September to prevent vines from shutting down. This also allowed for further development of flavors within the grapes. For the predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc based wines made on the Right Bank, the results were bursting with ripe red fruit!<br />
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I attended the two <a href="http://ugcb.net/" target="_blank">Union des Grands Crus</a> (UGC) tastings on the Right Bank (St-Émilion and Pomerol) and also visited quite a few châteaux. It’s so important to see where it all happens!<br />
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<b><u>St-Émilion and Pomerol UGC Tastings:</u></b><br />
The St-Émilion UGC tasting event presented many wines that were reminiscent of raspberry and blackberry jams - I felt I was tasting <a href="http://www.bonnemaman.us/" target="_blank">Bonne Maman jams</a> in wine form! While I wished that a number of wines possessed the body and acidity to balance out the heavier fruit, there were two at the tasting that particularly stood out: <b>Pavie Macqin</b>, and <b>Troplong Mondot</b>. See the “Standout Wines” section below for more on these.<br />
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Pomerol is a small but mighty appellation on the Right Bank. Only a few châteaux participated in the UGC tasting but they showed very consistently, even more so than at the St-Emilion tasting. Excellent wines included La Cabane, Beauregard, Clinet, and La Croix de Gay.<br />
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The UGC events are great for tasting many wines in one location; with the amount of driving required to get around in the region, that is not to be taken for granted. That said, there’s nothing like actually being at each châteaux to experience the character of the estate, to meet the people behind the philosophy of the wine, and to taste the wines with more focus.<br />
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I was initially worried that differences in experience between the large events and more individualized visits at the châteaux would influence my assessment of the wines, but I realized quickly this wasn’t an issue. <i>Wines speak for themselves. </i><br />
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<b><u>Standout Wines:</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0v2qouHwMxyeYNpjKDYZ-Zw6uWVpeocdIfKvy3-CvLvADF7mQTOS0Q4QZOOWHwReZms-fmxylXLzpdm_qVyYIOu44yTbOl32CSjDNDJSJc4VFXjglqYt8kYYCHgCv9i4MVsy5JTtffme/s1600/Bdx_Evangile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0v2qouHwMxyeYNpjKDYZ-Zw6uWVpeocdIfKvy3-CvLvADF7mQTOS0Q4QZOOWHwReZms-fmxylXLzpdm_qVyYIOu44yTbOl32CSjDNDJSJc4VFXjglqYt8kYYCHgCv9i4MVsy5JTtffme/s320/Bdx_Evangile.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting at Château L'Evangile</td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>L’Evangile</b> (Pomerol): Round and dense in the mouth yet very precise, this very drinkable wine offers shockingly delightful concentration of cherries, plums, boysenberry with slightly earthy undertones. Fine, elegant tannins complement the sweetly rounded and very fresh character. It has the weight and acidity to last, if you can keep it that long without drinking it! I always remember a wine at a tasting when I realize I don’t want to spit it out.</li>
<li><b>La Violette</b> (Pomerol): This is one of the most beautifully balanced and elegant wines I’ve tasted during the 2015 primeurs. Delicately perfumed with high notes of cherries, kirsch, and cassis, it has a wonderfully smooth texture. It finishes sunnily with the fragrance of cherries and toasted nuts.</li>
<li><b>Angelus</b> (Saint-Émilion): Fresh with cherries, plums, and vanilla but emerging meaty, savory undertones with mineral brightness and a darker touch of tea leaves. The tannins rise mid-palate, leaving no doubt that this is not only an elegant wine, but a powerful one. Its beguiling attractiveness is sealed by the satisfyingly smooth, long finish of ripe cherries and vanilla. </li>
<li><b>Vieux Chateau Certan</b> (Pomerol): Fresh, beautiful bouquet of red plums, cherries, vanilla and nutmeg. Round and supple with fine, integrated tannins. This is a very classic wine, and the fruit will continue to emerge and shine as it matures. The lingering flavors of light cherry pie are a true delight.</li>
<li><b>Figeac</b> (Saint-Émilion): Powerful and focused, with a serious but approachable style. Deeply colored with concentrated blackberry, black currant, black plum and cherry with a hint of tomato leaf. Plump and round but incredibly fresh with unmistakable structure. Tannins are very ripe and well integrated. The lovely touch of tea leaves from the Cabernet Franc will continue to meld with the black fruits with years in the bottle. </li>
<li><b>Pavie</b> (Saint-Émilion): A bit brooding at the moment, but the intensity of the blackberry, boysenberry, tea leaves and savoriness will evolve into an even more powerfully concentrated and vibrant wine. The initial palate is delightfully bright and fruity, turning into a warm, toasty cocoa towards the end. There is a feeling of slight dampness, and then the fragrance of berries lifts for a long finish. This wine will continue to grow!</li>
<li><b>Pavie Decesse (</b>Saint-Émilion): A serious wine as well, very dense and concentrated ripe red plums, cherry, vanilla, and kirsch with a mineral, peppery lift resolving into creamy red fruits. Incredibly smooth, silky, and focused. Very drinkable already, and it will last!</li>
<li><b>Pavie Macquin</b> (Saint-Émilion): Subtle, warm red cherries, plums and vanilla; fresh and expansive. Tart cranberry juxtaposed with an underlying creaminess on the finish point to enduring structure and evolution to come. </li>
<li><b>Troplong Mondot</b> (Saint-Émilion): Dark, dense with coffee, cola, cassis and bramble. Serious and concentrated, incredibly smooth. It is quietly powerful and confident. It will endure, and it will be even more arresting as it matures. </li>
<li><b>Ausone </b>(Saint-Émilion): This is a truly elegant wine, and extremely poised. It doesn’t show itself all at once, but gradually yet surely. With a beautiful bouquet of ripe red fruits, savory undertones and a mineral frisson, it is sweetly lifted, smooth, and wonderfully fresh. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u>Excellent Wines:</u></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqkXiT80QjiHdPWlkhjLcB6iJ7y1CD9AO1WGJuMxGMDRaR-2MVreBij7g5PaGhS4lUx6xre_r1iyAdjcchJmeOV43FlqmAsM_S80huZhf8i2BA4ZqcoDl7djlzhGoTpAQuU08lF71ctDL/s1600/Bdx_ChevalBlanc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqkXiT80QjiHdPWlkhjLcB6iJ7y1CD9AO1WGJuMxGMDRaR-2MVreBij7g5PaGhS4lUx6xre_r1iyAdjcchJmeOV43FlqmAsM_S80huZhf8i2BA4ZqcoDl7djlzhGoTpAQuU08lF71ctDL/s320/Bdx_ChevalBlanc.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring at Château Cheval Blanc</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Cheval Blanc</b> (Saint-Émilion): A rich nose of toasted coconut, onion blossoms, licorice, and cola promises even more on the palate in roundness and flavors as the wine matures. Give this one some time; it will blossom! </li>
<li><b>Carillon d’Angelus</b> (Saint-Émilion): Smooth and flirtatious, a real debutante! Ripe red cherries and licorice, very fresh. </li>
<li><b>Esprit de Pavie</b> (Saint-Émilion): This is “only” a Bordeaux AC wine, from Pavie, but it is delicious and beautifully lifted with lavender, violets, cherries, verbena, and honeysuckle. It is meant to be earlier drinking but will keep 3-5 years. The honeyed finish is a real treat!</li>
<li><b>Lussau</b> (Saint-Émilion): Fragrant, bursting with ripe plums, with coffee on the finish. Very smooth and approachable.</li>
<li><b>Monbousquet</b> (Saint-Émilion): Smoky on the nose with sweet black cherries on the initial palate giving way to some big tannins. It is not shy but not overly muscular. Wait several years and see how this one evolves; it has wonderful potential.</li>
<li><b>Bellevue Mondotte</b> (Saint-Émilion): Soft and velvety with ripe plums, violets, cherries, but focused with a clear structure. Great balance and drinking well already.</li>
<li><b>Haut-Simard</b> (Saint-Émilion): Delicate luxardo cherries with a slight earthy funkiness made for a striking, yet creamily integrated contrast. </li>
</ul>
<br />
There is still more to come! Join me next time for First Growths, and more exciting wines from Pessac-Léognan.<br />
<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Postscript:</u> I stopped by the venerable Château Pétrus to take a photo, for posterity!<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU-ob82U_RGjFDnYo2hNUJjWS6YRbUVMCYbZAWBT3jzQY-ioqEQZ2e5-wX8ugqhT4rL0UBbVQ8GJFKkK8S3aYijV1_tE8Q1_zAsdwTwUcESd4j9lOPMjzLxXctTqIH4dkuQDbbQHzyCb9/s1600/Bdx_Petrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU-ob82U_RGjFDnYo2hNUJjWS6YRbUVMCYbZAWBT3jzQY-ioqEQZ2e5-wX8ugqhT4rL0UBbVQ8GJFKkK8S3aYijV1_tE8Q1_zAsdwTwUcESd4j9lOPMjzLxXctTqIH4dkuQDbbQHzyCb9/s320/Bdx_Petrus.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-84671896187499522172016-04-10T07:14:00.000-07:002016-04-10T07:14:02.494-07:00Bordeaux En Primeur 2015 Vintage - More Left Bank!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting at Château Lafite Rothschild</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The 2015 vintage for Bordeaux is a very exciting one! After tasting at more châteaux on the Left Bank and participating in the <a href="http://ugcb.net/" target="_blank">Union des Grands Crus</a> event for Pessac-Léognan, I would characterize the vintage for the Left Bank as follows: <b>Ripe and fruit-driven, with structure and weight to last.</b><br />
<br />
These are very approachable wines! If you like Napa Cabernets, 2015 will be a wonderful vintage to venture out and try Bordeaux. These wines are soft and generous, with unmistakable backbone and muscle. <br />
<br />
With very few exceptions, Bordeaux 2015 wines are are eminently drinkable even now. In comparison to 2012, another fruit-driven vintage, the 2015 wines have much more heft to them. Many of the wines I tasted can lay down for years and evolve in the bottle for more character and complexity.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pessac-Léognan</u></b><u>:</u><br />
Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank is an important appellation for Bordeaux, and the wines at the Union des Grands Crus tastings were very promising. Harvest is usually earlier for this appellation since the climate is milder and 2015 was no exception, starting at the end of August. It was very hot and dry until mid-September with unusually heavy rain, but by then most of Pessac's Cabernet Sauvignon had been collected. With lighter frames than wines from Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, or Pauillac, these beauties from Pessac-Léognan will delight. The 2015 wines may take some more time to open up and present their fragrant aromas on the palate, and I look forward very much to tasting them in the years to come. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Standout Wines</u></b>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7Kn0Ks-EancNc4at0HtuPv1707n_8yNu7VobHH0Cuhslh413_FV4-ByRA8CTrGLinm7btHG-3XM8yaQT5hZR-92cIsyP5gw59ZH5TsnjsnkVSV2nLbkwvSctuVDgX8FQSFDf24TE-leh/s1600/Bdx_PontetCanet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7Kn0Ks-EancNc4at0HtuPv1707n_8yNu7VobHH0Cuhslh413_FV4-ByRA8CTrGLinm7btHG-3XM8yaQT5hZR-92cIsyP5gw59ZH5TsnjsnkVSV2nLbkwvSctuVDgX8FQSFDf24TE-leh/s320/Bdx_PontetCanet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Château Pontet-Canet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Pontet-Canet</b> (Pauillac): Pontet-Canet delivers yet again! Ripe bing cherries, blackcurrants, cassis, hints of green notes (bell pepper), vanilla and nutmeg, an undertone of tobacco juice. Very silky on the palate: The initial to mid-palate is delightfully lifted with cherries and perfumed violets; the finish is toasted with oak spices. It's silky without being plush. Elegant yet giving. I was really happy about this one! </li>
<li><b>Ducru-Beaucaillou</b> (Saint-Julien): Deep, ripe black cherries and boysenberries, vanilla, and cedar smoke. The chewy and slightly grippy tannins will integrate beautifully with the perfumed fruit with years, but it is already drinking smoothly with a velvety texture. </li>
<li><b>Léoville Barton</b>: (Saint-Julien): This showed beautifully on second tasting - very smooth and juicy sweet, chock full of cherries and vanilla that last through the finish. </li>
<li><b>Lynch-Bages</b>: (Pauillac): Even better on second tasting as well. Black cherries and currants, coffee and cola with violets and a bit of leather beneath. This one has unabashedly bigger tannins that will continue to integrate with the concentrated fruit over time, but it's already soft and silky, with a steel backbone. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Excellent Wines</u></b>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Pape Clément</b> (Pessac-Léognan): Enticing nose full of ripe red plums and cherries with vanilla and an earthy undertone. It is extremely elegant, as one would expect Pape Clément to be. Full promise on the fruit has yet to show on the palate, and I can't wait to see how it evolves. </li>
<li><b>Latour-Martillac</b> (Pessac-Léognan): Very balanced; bold with ripe red plums and cherries and vanilla. It's generous but not dense, and has the acidity to last. </li>
<li><b>Malartic-Lagravière</b> (Pessac-Léognan): Beautiful nose with high notes of plums and black cherries, vanilla, a light cedar toast. Palate is more earthy with really chewy tannins - its excellent structure will show well in the coming years.</li>
<li><b>Les Carmes Haut-Brion</b> (Pessac-Léognan): Juicy yet linear, with raspberries, red currants with vanilla and a hint of the vegetal. Big, grippy tannins will integrate with the fruit very nicely. Demure but emerging with intent. </li>
<li><b>Le Petit Caillou</b> (Pauillac): This is the entry level wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou. This "Little Pebbles" ("Caillou" means "pebbles") knocked my socks off, and it's ~$15 a bottle. It's expansive, rich and generous, full-bodied and well structured. If it had even more acidity, it could last quite awhile. This is superb for its price point. Buy a couple of 6-packs for your next dinner party, or keep them for yourself! </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trio of tastings at Château Lafite Rothschild</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u>Lafite Rothschild</u></b>: This deserves a section for itself. Lafite is often very closed in youth, so historically it hasn't tended to "show well" during En primeur. The 2015 sample I tasted at Château Lafite Rothschild, in an airy room overlooking the beautiful grounds, was truly drinkable. Imagine! A First Growth Bordeaux, drinkable, this young! It is fine-boned but sinewy, demure and elegant. Very composed and serene. The tannins are slightly chewy, and the wine is not tight but rather a bit coy. It definitely is more floral than fruit-driven right now, with beautiful crushed violets. I look forward very much to seeing how this 2015 Lafite will show in the coming years as the fruit evolves.<br />
<br />
Note: Almost everyone I spoke with has indicated disappointment with Lafite Rothschild. Perhaps the high expectations for the 2015 vintage combined with the stratospheric expectations for a First Growth wine are converging. Nonetheless, I found it extremely well made and a lovely contrast to many of the (excellent) much bigger wines I'd been tasting.<br />
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Next Up: Right Bank, and Sauternes & Barsac!</div>
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</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-41487383028873010952016-04-06T02:28:00.001-07:002016-04-22T11:32:36.613-07:00Bordeaux En Primeur 2015 Vintage - Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting at Châteaux Lascombes!</td></tr>
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Greetings from Bordeaux! After tasting ~100 wines and driving all over the Left Bank châteaux and vineyards on a blessedly sunny day, I'd like to share with you my first day of the Bordeaux En Primeur 2015 vintage preview. These are wines not yet released, so it is incredibly exciting to not only taste them to assess quality and potential, but also to visit these historic and beautiful châteaux.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Updates</u></b>: Please find my more frequent updates on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SusanRLin" target="_blank">@SusanRLin</a> (also <a href="https://twitter.com/BelmontWine" target="_blank">@BelmontWine</a>). I'll post my blog reports as often as I can, if I'm not completely exhausted!<br />
<br />
<b><u>About Offerings from Belmont Wine Exchange</u></b>: (Obligatory note, as I am here on behalf of Belmont Wine Exchange to scope out the best!) Because these wines aren't yet released, I won't know exactly what wines and quantities we at Belmont Wine will be able to offer our customers, but that's also why I'm here - to visit the great people at the châteaux and to collaborate with our trusted negotiants to work on hopefully obtaining some allocations for these wonderful wines. The release campaign will likely run through June, and we'll have a much better idea of what we'll be able to procure for the 2015 vintage in the coming weeks.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Appellations Tasted and Visited So Far</u></b>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Preview of All Appellations (Right & Left Bank) - Warehouse tasting</li>
<li>Saint-Estèphe </li>
<li>Pauillac</li>
<li>Saint-Julien</li>
<li>Margaux</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u>Bordeaux 2015: "Two Vintages In One"</u></b><br />
This is what Etienne de Nantes from <a href="http://estournel.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">Cos d'Estournel</a> said to me when I visited, as a preamble to our tasting. 2015 is shaping up to be very interesting, as it was not only hot and dry during the the growing season, it was very wet and rainy just when there were fears that the vines might suffer too much stress from the drought. This was a godsend, although the weather fluctuations affected the appellations and vineyards differently. And of course, each wine has been created in its own way that shapes the character of the final wine. This might explain some of the wines that were slightly on the unbalanced side - outsized, muscular behemoths with huge tannins and taut acidity, but strangely thin on the fruit. So far I've found this incongruence in only a few wines from Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien. But when growers and winemakers got it right, the results are spectacular. <br />
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<b><u>Bordeaux 2015 => Ripe Cherries?</u></b><br />
Thus far from my tastings, these 2015 Bordeaux wines are largely characterized by all kinds of cherries: Red to black, and very ripe - kirsch, in many cases. Plums, also. This is unusual for Left Bank Bordeaux given most are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant and the classic profile is dark fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), with some vegetal (bell pepper, tomato leaf) and earthy elements (tobacco). That said, there was one surprise standout for The Classic Bordeaux Left Bank blend - <a href="http://www.domaines-henri-martin.com/fr/chateau-saint-pierre" target="_blank">Saint-Pierre</a> from Saint-Julien - more on that below!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Best Appellation So Far: Margaux</u></b><br />
So far, the most consistent appellation showing most beautifully is Margaux. There were no "stinkers" in any of the appellations I tasted the first day, but a few wines definitely lacked the fruit concentration to fill out the big, weighty bodies and enormous tannins (my teeth and lips were getting stuck together) to improve over the years.<br />
<br />
The outstanding wines showed, already in their youth, a remarkable approachability and yet possessed the structure to improve and gain complexity in years to come. In other words, they are drinking beautifully in youth - expansive, generous, silky, perfumed - yet have the acidity, tannins, and alcohol in balance to allow the wine to last a long time and gain even more character.<br />
<br />
<b style="text-decoration: underline;">Standout Wines:</b> Here's what I'm really excited about! These are drinking beautifully and will last.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBpwzNRPqQvHRm3ColUoL2ebQWkh97vprC8kPn9P90EPz9jHE1pvGHK6NshoaOQzQ0jOPQ2EImQcNEYeVQU5NdIBZEr5ET8NwCFv2ymA5ntI8AxivtDqE0KFfdTwbtMvSR4GW1Dj5BkuT/s1600/Bdx_Angludet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBpwzNRPqQvHRm3ColUoL2ebQWkh97vprC8kPn9P90EPz9jHE1pvGHK6NshoaOQzQ0jOPQ2EImQcNEYeVQU5NdIBZEr5ET8NwCFv2ymA5ntI8AxivtDqE0KFfdTwbtMvSR4GW1Dj5BkuT/s200/Bdx_Angludet.jpg" width="150" /></a>
<li><u><b>Cos d'Estournel</b></u> (Saint-Estèphe): Lightly leathery but elegantly so. Very smooth, with white pepper on the mid-palate and staying on the finish with ripe red cherries. Fine-boned but assertive. </li>
<li><b><u>Lascombes</u></b> (Margaux): Bursting with ripe cherries, kirsch, vanilla with an astonishing depth. There is a freshness and silkiness that makes it attractive now, but it will gain even more poise and smoothness in the future as the massive fruit and body integrate. </li>
<li><u><b>Rauzan-Ségla</b></u> (Margaux): Very soft and fruit-driven on the palate, very expressive with finessed perfume tinged with vanilla. Ripe cherries and kirsch, boysenberry and a long, beautiful finish. Soft but structured, lifted and perfumed. </li>
<li><u><b>Léoville Poyferré</b></u> (Saint-Julien): Plush yet focused, cherries and kirsch with a frisson of something excitingly metallic. Big tannins are still young and grippy but integrate well; there is plenty of fruit to improve and to last. </li>
<li><b><u>Saint-Pierre</u></b> (Saint-Julien): Surprise! The only Cabernet I tasted with fragrant blackcurrants, coffee, and vanilla. Rich, juicy, dense, yet lifted with refreshing green vegetal aromas. White pepper on the finish. </li>
<li><u><b>Pichon Lalande</b></u> (Pauillac): Ripe bing cherries, kirsch, vanilla, nutmeg. Smooth and elegant; regal yet approachable. Silky and soft without being plush. </li>
<li><u><b>Angludet</b></u> (Margaux): Concentrated ripe cherries with vanilla with an undertone of savoriness. Ripe, plush but focused and structured. Very long and smooth finis with cherry and vanilla notes. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKfc-YrJ60t8MgxjOXJUrkSt2owqoFtbVGvg434jeexCO5Sg3aamBWTsghYfBJgNfZR7G0apyVoDivhiEJ0IbSSLDSOcIbtklfgePRHdgtzW_JiyEpgBh_QD3lm3QGDlhSYYeM4nQxnY7/s1600/Bdx_Rauzan-Segla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKfc-YrJ60t8MgxjOXJUrkSt2owqoFtbVGvg434jeexCO5Sg3aamBWTsghYfBJgNfZR7G0apyVoDivhiEJ0IbSSLDSOcIbtklfgePRHdgtzW_JiyEpgBh_QD3lm3QGDlhSYYeM4nQxnY7/s200/Bdx_Rauzan-Segla.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
There were many others that were wonderful, believe me. Here are wines that made it on my list for "Excellent":<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Calon-Ségur</li>
<li>Giscours</li>
<li>Gruaud Larose</li>
<li>Lagrange</li>
<li>Léoville-Barton</li>
<li>Talbot</li>
<li>Grand-Puy Ducasse</li>
<li>Grand-Puy-Lacoste</li>
<li>Lynch-Bages</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Up Next</u>: </b><a href="http://ugcb.net/" target="_blank">Union des Grands Crus</a> (UGC) Tastings for Graves & Pessac-Léognan, as well as more Left Bank châteaux. </div>
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<div>
Thanks for joining me, and stay tuned for more about the wines of this fascinating vintage!</div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-80382863402643119322016-03-28T09:56:00.000-07:002016-03-28T09:56:03.675-07:00Highlights of the Year Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been very exciting this past year (and a half), and I've been utterly remiss in updating here. My apologies! I am happy to report that:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I earned my WSET Advanced Certification and embarked on the journey towards the <a href="http://www.wsetglobal.com/qualifications/level_4_diploma/" rel="" target="_blank">WSET Diploma</a>, which I hope to earn by the end of the year.</li>
<li>I am helping online retailer <a href="http://www.belmontwine.com/" target="_blank">Belmont Wine Exchange</a> expand the business and tailor product offerings.</li>
<li>I passed <a href="http://www.wsetglobal.com/educator_programme/default.asp" target="_blank">WSET teaching certification</a> and now teach WSET courses - teaching keeps me sharp! </li>
<li>I help people, restaurants, and organizations create wine programs, pairings, and curate collections.</li>
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I have never been more thrilled to continue learning and sharing about one of the things I enjoy and love most - wine (and spirits ... and food)! </div>
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Most excitingly, I and Belmont Wine are participating in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_primeur" target="_blank">Bordeaux En primeur</a> for the first time this year, meaning we will be scoping out the 2015 vintage of Bordeaux wines before they're officially released. I am traveling to Bordeaux the first two weeks of April to see, meet, taste, and learn! I'll report regularly to share with you what I'm excited about. I can't wait! Be sure to check back.</div>
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In the meantime, I'd like to share with you some ...<br />
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<b><u>Highlights of the Year Past</u></b></div>
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Visiting Burgundy - this was way more than a year ago and is the reason I began this blog<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sg76NDEqLUfoV0W04eWRQeyy_e4BRHsQh7rIWizVAB1WjWF4cBn7_pJJHhGLakzU1Ix7JJ3mZKCnq0N3zyTdattYl2wACXcSMLPtIDlcgQSo89Z_mautlI027w6wj0ZSKgayYib0j3YA/s1600/Burgundy.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sg76NDEqLUfoV0W04eWRQeyy_e4BRHsQh7rIWizVAB1WjWF4cBn7_pJJHhGLakzU1Ix7JJ3mZKCnq0N3zyTdattYl2wACXcSMLPtIDlcgQSo89Z_mautlI027w6wj0ZSKgayYib0j3YA/s320/Burgundy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bottling Chardonnay at Marta's Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMDiIuSzvAKCl9R_xVNQY7LsFag_5TlPGiDO2-mBipp5uobhBZ0mlc5AOwVfREvCC2hY6wx-BEuYVM2W_Tnkh4YxDp-qEYwAR1fJK_aRMrgI1YHpYQhzFr71XNv2hghyphenhyphenT1h7xcmsrTQXT/s1600/Bottling.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMDiIuSzvAKCl9R_xVNQY7LsFag_5TlPGiDO2-mBipp5uobhBZ0mlc5AOwVfREvCC2hY6wx-BEuYVM2W_Tnkh4YxDp-qEYwAR1fJK_aRMrgI1YHpYQhzFr71XNv2hghyphenhyphenT1h7xcmsrTQXT/s320/Bottling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meeting winemaker <a href="http://www.pottwine.com/aaron" target="_blank">Aaron Pott</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI49oYK1-WOW9JPaDEhG-XcfunPb4NiYlfmhzPC-6gX-QlVT9Q22ysSDw2UZQi5PL_Ft3T1FPsn7ufXeklKC67HJuqTKobm65kFrVXU5AEEod4VFquhpNTPMhh0h8myjVPJjIGhKlas3Gt/s1600/AaronPotts.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI49oYK1-WOW9JPaDEhG-XcfunPb4NiYlfmhzPC-6gX-QlVT9Q22ysSDw2UZQi5PL_Ft3T1FPsn7ufXeklKC67HJuqTKobm65kFrVXU5AEEod4VFquhpNTPMhh0h8myjVPJjIGhKlas3Gt/s320/AaronPotts.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Holding a 6 liter bottle for the first time</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ-ljnY-gVBv5ij1CStHhebZJvS5fx8lt9ShxfqEIvIHv5T7gRj7d2w_SWxfZYsu1dE7x6N9B-WWqo0b2Z4fl5JA-z6qpimufQyIhhSOff8VIeuzHDMoqwS2hXS0xPl6KqksgJL5sEFEU/s1600/6L.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ-ljnY-gVBv5ij1CStHhebZJvS5fx8lt9ShxfqEIvIHv5T7gRj7d2w_SWxfZYsu1dE7x6N9B-WWqo0b2Z4fl5JA-z6qpimufQyIhhSOff8VIeuzHDMoqwS2hXS0xPl6KqksgJL5sEFEU/s320/6L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Managing Belmont Wine's first tradeshow, in Shanghai</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjIOU-EJkSgiGi1EP3xvvUpdTMp_8rsKGH75pS1V0zJwdhAt8fOzsC6PRc1WUEhy61j3yCqxCiz3GZtvbY2_EYFEuI6kWwG6At1VfqI-VXynhDjorwl6S653Y85QJLDCLF07ibuROEgrT/s1600/ShanghaiExpo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjIOU-EJkSgiGi1EP3xvvUpdTMp_8rsKGH75pS1V0zJwdhAt8fOzsC6PRc1WUEhy61j3yCqxCiz3GZtvbY2_EYFEuI6kWwG6At1VfqI-VXynhDjorwl6S653Y85QJLDCLF07ibuROEgrT/s320/ShanghaiExpo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Meeting winemaker <a href="http://www.paulhobbswinery.com/about_us/people/paul_hobbs" target="_blank">Paul Hobbs</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ijoiGIHwzLYvEqWbIOt_1I1FD-VVogqIqkKSfh4SW4ndTb_mo7-pG0xaFfjAJyav6r4eOLBqlAALxP3SucKOmnsvTJOCjRrxAlJ95JgcKa4znZ9DfPQMLugM1JoahNeWb8joDQOUxoPN/s1600/Susan_Paul_4.2015_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ijoiGIHwzLYvEqWbIOt_1I1FD-VVogqIqkKSfh4SW4ndTb_mo7-pG0xaFfjAJyav6r4eOLBqlAALxP3SucKOmnsvTJOCjRrxAlJ95JgcKa4znZ9DfPQMLugM1JoahNeWb8joDQOUxoPN/s320/Susan_Paul_4.2015_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Successfully removing a very squishy 1959 <a href="http://www.lafite.com/en/chateau-lafite-rothschild/the-wines/chateau-lafite-rothschild/" target="_blank">Lafite Rothschild</a> cork</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqGJISMMNhqOENxYdU5KkibCYqdM1jxgRbTQ1JrlnxfSmfysg8xaKN89Pni_R2mkWKs0DObpOJY0jMHBjbBFc6WbS5hpYqcuZxbV22qOsbhdBIsqvMjIWQddMItoVJ16P35115fXA5zEL/s1600/Lafite1959_Cork.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqGJISMMNhqOENxYdU5KkibCYqdM1jxgRbTQ1JrlnxfSmfysg8xaKN89Pni_R2mkWKs0DObpOJY0jMHBjbBFc6WbS5hpYqcuZxbV22qOsbhdBIsqvMjIWQddMItoVJ16P35115fXA5zEL/s320/Lafite1959_Cork.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Throwing a party featuring Bordeaux from <a href="http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/node" target="_blank">Bernard Magrez</a> (<a href="http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines/chateau-pape-clement" target="_blank">Pape Clément</a>, etc.) at Belmont Wine, with Lionel Labat and Ludovic Bristeau</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSWg39kZc6C1URqUzikQYad7ZnQ93Ic6PcuV4nC4i2KKKen88S0MP8ugf-l7xy6gL2DQlAym8z_8eA-IZDuaYTwvwEweuf7UBFAbsV5JIOORhf2I2zYU5ah78EK2rAZeJID9IhXmNM2et/s1600/BordeauxParty.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSWg39kZc6C1URqUzikQYad7ZnQ93Ic6PcuV4nC4i2KKKen88S0MP8ugf-l7xy6gL2DQlAym8z_8eA-IZDuaYTwvwEweuf7UBFAbsV5JIOORhf2I2zYU5ah78EK2rAZeJID9IhXmNM2et/s320/BordeauxParty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meeting <a href="http://www.rameywine.com/david-ramey/" target="_blank">David and Carla Ramey</a> of Ramey Wines</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkRLrHVCYDgYQU_9C2j_ggR4V1xQDU3H9uEPtLABGW81XmGGmSsQoaFsfw2YH4PLpOLWU60RM635iHbcG0-B3DBttv2KOkZlOQOg5wCS15w2Ym62SV-JzDGWHor6w3kxMBXx-yk8Asb7C/s1600/Rameys.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkRLrHVCYDgYQU_9C2j_ggR4V1xQDU3H9uEPtLABGW81XmGGmSsQoaFsfw2YH4PLpOLWU60RM635iHbcG0-B3DBttv2KOkZlOQOg5wCS15w2Ym62SV-JzDGWHor6w3kxMBXx-yk8Asb7C/s320/Rameys.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Sabering a bottle of bubbly (with a wushu sword) after passing the Diploma Unit 3 exam</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-GUdloOyVWJb7l_XCnI7Iddx1SwFiQeOii_0slZAUcrOsD9Afqe3-YVS-JWTeL199UwTUttUgnUVlrGngcFuVWUl0t3XDt9BLWK0Lfa9ewAx3IgxTXEEHVgjNVcw9YeMtMYp-mIUHTEP/s1600/Sabering+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-GUdloOyVWJb7l_XCnI7Iddx1SwFiQeOii_0slZAUcrOsD9Afqe3-YVS-JWTeL199UwTUttUgnUVlrGngcFuVWUl0t3XDt9BLWK0Lfa9ewAx3IgxTXEEHVgjNVcw9YeMtMYp-mIUHTEP/s320/Sabering+%25281%2529.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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Attending the <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/group/show/id/about_the_awards" target="_blank">Wine Spectator Grand Award</a> party at <a href="http://plumedhorse.com/" target="_blank">The Plumed Horse</a> restaurant in Saratoga, California - congratulations to Josh, Jeffrey, and Everyone on their achievement!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CBgjomFspolhTlSOp3Jwv7HogeEaAJx_gdj0qGJ2MAf8MZft930wgh4L6S-nwyeSr0MFHuLUQi4oOFfHxt63DCLIt4zO9ArS2dbheOOz46Y84uOzDquHPxhoDPqsHMFQNy_pNadbms0K/s1600/PlumedHorse_GrandAward.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CBgjomFspolhTlSOp3Jwv7HogeEaAJx_gdj0qGJ2MAf8MZft930wgh4L6S-nwyeSr0MFHuLUQi4oOFfHxt63DCLIt4zO9ArS2dbheOOz46Y84uOzDquHPxhoDPqsHMFQNy_pNadbms0K/s320/PlumedHorse_GrandAward.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's wonderful to be back! I'll update soon about En primeurs in Bordeaux. Thank you for being here - it will be a great journey. </div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-15349539265237857942014-08-03T11:17:00.001-07:002014-08-03T11:17:29.668-07:00Auction Time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpI8wywmiWJD_p926xz_RJbIMCC_8wflmFN6n0XT2V6gYdJh_gXre1GR6VclfOcAx61sL2sD8nqR5USk09OtZ3nUget0MbEaQ-IXsc328zzSCYWvxMyuielXAc3JgVJl5r_hJEt_PGMhY/s1600/1999_Musigny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpI8wywmiWJD_p926xz_RJbIMCC_8wflmFN6n0XT2V6gYdJh_gXre1GR6VclfOcAx61sL2sD8nqR5USk09OtZ3nUget0MbEaQ-IXsc328zzSCYWvxMyuielXAc3JgVJl5r_hJEt_PGMhY/s1600/1999_Musigny.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1999 J. F. Mugnier Musigny, Lot 23 at Bonhams Fine & Rare Wines auction</td></tr>
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On the heels of my first Masters of Wine tasting, I've started a new adventure in the industry and within one week found myself tasked with making a shortlist of Burgundy selections for the company to bid on at the <a href="http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21778">Bonhams Fine & Rare Wines auction</a> in San Francisco last week. With lots such as four bottles of 1998 <a href="http://www.domaine-leroy.com/">Domaine Leroy</a> Musigny listed for the reserve price $10,000 - $15,000, it was an interesting first auction foray for me.<br />
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Okay, 'interesting' doesn't quite describe how I felt about my first wine auction. 'Painstakingly controlled exuberance' is closer to the truth. Perhaps soon enough I'll be completely blasé about auctions, since they are technically business transactions. But to me, that is only part of the story.<br />
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There is something ineffable and special about an individual bottle of wine, especially something like a Magnum of <a href="http://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/1982-chateau-lafite-rothschild-brings-41-175-to-lead-heritage-auctions-1.76-million-sold-out-wine-event.s?releaseId=2346">1982 Lafite Rothschild</a>. There is the history and heritage of the producer and the wine, and there's the story of the bottle itself: whose hands it had passed through, how it got here, and where it will go next. This isn't necessarily sentimental, either; it's simply fascinating to me. It is a journey; it is life. I imagine I will always feel this way about it.<br />
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I attended the pre-auction tasting although not surprisingly, none of the wines on my shortlist were available to taste. There were quite a few individual buyers there "looking for a bargain" and at an average of several hundred dollars a bottle, I guess I live in a different world since that is a tidy sum of money from my perspective! I tasted every wine there, from France to California, as part of my learning experience. Perhaps because of my assiduous note-taking, people began to follow me about, asking for my opinion on this or that wine.<br />
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My favorites at the tasting were poles apart: 1982 Henri Boillot Meursault (the most creamy, luxurious liquid caramel popcorn you'll ever have) and a 2004 Pax Syrah Lauterbach Hill Russian River Valley (totally non-typical for a Syrah, but it was one of the most balanced wines in the tasting lineup; like a cool climate California Cabernet Sauvignon).<br />
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Our bids went in on my birthday, my Burgundy selections alongside a number of cult Napa wines. Two days later the results were in and I couldn't help but leap from my chair and whoop when I saw that we had won the lot for the 1999 <a href="http://www.mugnier.fr/en/wines/musigny.php?#nosVins">J.F. Mugnier Le Musigny</a> (among lots for the 2009 Richebourg and 2005 Grands-Échézeaux ... hooray!). I don't know why, but for some reason I had really hoped to procure that one. I do have people in mind for whom the wine will be greatly enjoyed (or resold), but I feel a bit of pride in ownership myself ... just a little!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmQ5GnEss3bzx-GhA9vtGtFosbOnRK398H0WVgpBNGcKqYznCBgxf1TXnQcXlOgybPWL7uRatt0qH88pODjq2SbYyZq5JsPKwvFMEir0533VucZIyfi80HKLDnWeDX_tdzaS7iYZYpbYV/s1600/1999_Musigny_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmQ5GnEss3bzx-GhA9vtGtFosbOnRK398H0WVgpBNGcKqYznCBgxf1TXnQcXlOgybPWL7uRatt0qH88pODjq2SbYyZq5JsPKwvFMEir0533VucZIyfi80HKLDnWeDX_tdzaS7iYZYpbYV/s1600/1999_Musigny_crop.jpg" height="320" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding a bottle of the 1999 Musigny after the lots were delivered!</td></tr>
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I know that this really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and that bigger auctions with even more highly touted wines will be around the corner. That said, every experience in life is to be had one at a time, to be enjoyed and to be learned from as much as possible. So while I feel somewhat silly to be jumping up and down about the Burgundian booty from my first auction, I am all right with my first flush of excitement.<br />
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After all, life is like wine: Each bottle is ultimately a mystery; you never know what exactly it will be like upon opening, and you never know how it will evolve. And for some, you have to make that decision of when to hold on for longer or when to bite the bullet and crack it open. Most of all, that $9 wine from Spain you bought at <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a> could absolutely blow the label off a $11,000 1982 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domaine_de_la_Roman%C3%A9e-Conti#Roman.C3.A9e-Conti">Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée Conti</a> for you. You never know, and that's the beauty of it. So I will continue to embrace the experience of new adventures, however trite or silly they might seem.</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-23507446465812456552014-07-20T15:57:00.000-07:002014-07-20T15:57:31.713-07:00Cabbed Out!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqzwmwssFX8CRNIKUjABvRILfEG50BMvjM9cGNDQ3QYBjWDB-N0fgroKonaWA8DlbvW59IMEWPXNChGuC-PLcjeVNvhSwNIIR3bZJ5bV9REWTK5VO4fIA1670aj4WPeRI2fOu5seyZdCP/s1600/MW_Cab_Booklet_06.2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqzwmwssFX8CRNIKUjABvRILfEG50BMvjM9cGNDQ3QYBjWDB-N0fgroKonaWA8DlbvW59IMEWPXNChGuC-PLcjeVNvhSwNIIR3bZJ5bV9REWTK5VO4fIA1670aj4WPeRI2fOu5seyZdCP/s1600/MW_Cab_Booklet_06.2014.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cabernet-splashed tasting notes of over 50 wines</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was about to walk into my first Masters of Wine tasting event in San Francisco recently, and I was a little nervous. As far as I could gather from the event information, it was neither a regular tasting open to the public nor strictly a trade event (relationship-building/transactional), so I had no idea what to expect. Upon entering I saw tables lining the perimeter of a surprisingly small room, two bottles per wine lined in two rows to make ~20 bottles at each table for efficient pouring and tasting. I soon realized why a large venue wasn't needed: No representatives from wineries were present. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People drifted about, swirling, nosing their glasses, audibly sucking, and spitting into bright red plastic cups. Some of these (predominantly male) attendees wore special name tags that identified them as a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Wine" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Master of Wine</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (MW): one of the chosen few, those who've passed arguably the world's most rigorous academic wine exam to be anointed with this highest of honors. (The other famous exam is for the </span><a href="http://www.mastersommeliers.org/Pages.aspx/About-CMS-Overview" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Master Sommelier</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which focuses on the service industry and is equally harrowing in its own way.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am currently a working towards earning the Diploma, which is a two-year program akin to a Masters degree; it is a major stepping stone towards attempting the Master of Wine (the Ph.D equivalent, so to speak). As such, I was part of the name tag-less masses. I felt slightly intimidated wandering about all these MWs, as if I was an imposter pretending I knew what I was doing. The room was quiet, save for the sucking noises and furious scratching of notes in the pamphlet of wines we'd each received upon entering. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh gosh, I thought with a sinking feeling; it's going to be a stuffy, pretentious event: Just taste as many wines as you can and try to learn something! It didn't help that it's entirely awkward to attempt holding a wine glass, a giant plastic cup, and a pamphlet and pen while going about one's business. My booklet is a veritable </span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jackson+pollock&espv=2&tbm=isch&imgil=ZjPcn4UVjL-yBM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcSGe1v4985JJbYEnV1W_q6Kd-WSjgJvCHanPC-fSy0chHnINZak%253B1600%253B1104%253BAk2pYFDdghZ45M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.theclassycrafter.com%25252Fpositively-pollock%25252F&source=iu&usg=__SbS2SaWSokePezJbW6N2SPqIHrA%3D&sa=X&ei=83bLU5y-HYaRyASP2YDQBg&ved=0CJkBEP4dMA4&biw=1252&bih=622&dpr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=ZjPcn4UVjL-yBM%253A%3BAk2pYFDdghZ45M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theclassycrafter.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F07%252FJackson-Pollock-1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theclassycrafter.com%252Fpositively-pollock%252F%3B1600%3B1104" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jackson Pollock</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in monochrome, liberally splashed with Cabernet Sauvignon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Happily, this first annual Masters of Wine American Cabernet Sauvignon tasting event was a positive experience for me because:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1) I really need to learn more about Cabernet Sauvignon wines in my own backyard, as my foray into wine started with France. While there were a few wines at the event from other states (even Colorado!) the vast majority were from California. It was a great learning opportunity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2) I got to experience a Masters of Wine tasting event. It was no-nonsense, with a focus on getting to know the selected wines of a fairly wide range of producers at one time. I do enjoy chatting with winery reps, but this event was a nice change of pace that allowed me to focus on tasting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) The MWs I met were friendly and engaging. It was also gratifying to share and to compare tasting notes with them. If an MW also thought that the 2012 Cain Five had a mid-palate of </span><a href="http://www.cornnuts.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corn Nuts</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ("Ranch-flavored" I'd written in my pamphlet; not a good flavor for a Cab) then maybe I'm not, well, nuts! Sorry, I couldn't resist. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What was somewhat of a disappointment was the lineup of wines; for a venerable institution like the Masters of Wine, I'd honestly expected a greater spread of more exclusive California producers. Given that this was their first annual American Cab tasting, though, hopefully in the coming years the offerings will expand. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My standouts for most balanced and delicious:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stag's Leap, 2010 CASK 23, Napa Valley, Stag's Leap District:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This was my favorite, and I have a secret: I swallowed this one! All elements (alcohol, tannin, acid, body, flavors) were integrated and in proportion. Burnt cedar and brioche on the nose with an undertone of black fruit was mirrored on the palate but intensified: The pleasant smokiness enveloped a clear core of blackberries and figs, imparting delicate flavors with a lovely, plush mouthfeel. It was wonderfully smooth on the finish, much like the gradual and measured decrescendo of a beautiful melody fading into memory. Ah, what a blissful moment. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Louis M. Martini, 2011 Napa Valley</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Well proportioned with a robust but smooth finish, with bright but not overwhelming bramble and dark cherry compote flavors throughout. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Robert Foley, 2010 Napa Valley</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Very perky with exuberant fruit tempered by a slate-like mineral quality and typical California Cab eucalyptus flavor. I tasted this towards the end of the evening, and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was despite my fatigue. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My standouts for biggest "What the heck?":</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cain Five, 2009 Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Ranch-flavored Corn Nuts, oily, really harshly tannic. What happened?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ramey, 2007 Pedregal Vineyards, Napa Valley, Oakville</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: "Sku~nky!" Maybe just that batch was afflicted by stinky hydrogen sulfide? Ramey is usually very well made. Too bad!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pine Ridge, 2012 Napa Valley</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Banana flavors in a Cab? No thanks! Upon nosing and tasting I blurted incredulously, "Isoamyl acetate?!" (This is a chemical compound responsible for banana and pear drop flavors.) Two gentlemen across the table laughed and one quipped sardonically, "God, this is such a Masters of Wine event ... </span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">isoamyl</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">acetate</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">!" Okay, I fully admit to loving my academic studies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Alas, after tasting 50+ wines I began to experience real palate fatigue. I seriously thought I wasn't going to be able to even smell another glass of Cabernet Sauvignon after this event, much less taste one. I was thoroughly cabbed out!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And to my horror, my teeth looked positively rotten from heavy staining by the end of the evening. This is fine when amongst fellow winos - pardon, wine enthusiasts - like me, but outside this context? Frightening! The ten minutes after leaving the event saw me in a bathroom, furiously swishing water and attempting to scrub my teeth clean to little effect. I finally decided I would simply try not to show my teeth for the remainder of the evening, which was hopeless as I like to smile and to laugh. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Happily (or sadly, depending on your perspective), I apparently love wine so much that I was fully recovered the following day. To my relief, my teeth were also back to a normal appearance. I looked forward to tasting plush red wine again (albeit in a much more moderate fashion) and I could smile with impunity. Life was good! </span></span></div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-85283714098664199942014-01-27T13:21:00.000-08:002014-01-27T13:21:33.012-08:00Aromatic White in a Red Body<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGgCn0khO7N19-pNVswWesZOPxvoxe7hzool_b7hedlpK10NRmgURrMYmUXYFxRFbjZQWJY_IWaaXRoyrABIsUjdX8z04YS97-S7aycnNIRzpGkzjYqiVOmF-O6FUsF2-tt_WaMXwffpZ/s1600/Coterie_Roussanne_AtAGlance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGgCn0khO7N19-pNVswWesZOPxvoxe7hzool_b7hedlpK10NRmgURrMYmUXYFxRFbjZQWJY_IWaaXRoyrABIsUjdX8z04YS97-S7aycnNIRzpGkzjYqiVOmF-O6FUsF2-tt_WaMXwffpZ/s1600/Coterie_Roussanne_AtAGlance.png" height="210" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not every day that you stumble upon a characterful white grape variety not well known outside its provenance of the Rhône Valley in France, right in your own backyard. And yet, the little boutique winery </span><a href="http://coteriecellars.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coterie Cellars</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, right here in Willow Glen, produces a single varietal wine from Roussanne.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4f675102-d583-7559-b65a-28295016f0d1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About Roussanne</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roussanne is named after the French word “roux” for “russet” in a delightful way to commemorate the grape’s golden red skins at harvest. This French transplant found some footing in the US in the 1980s with the <a href="http://www.rhonerangers.org/" target="_blank">Rhone Rangers</a>’ efforts to create critically acclaimed wines using Roussanne in California, only to discover years later that the grape was actually Viognier (ouch). Since then, actual Roussanne clones have been verified by DNA testing and it is once again on its way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the Rhône Valley Roussanne is traditionally a blending grape, adding rich honeyed flavors to crisp, acidic varieties such as Grenache Blanc in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape_AOC" target="_blank">Châteauneuf-du-Pape</a>. In the Northern Rhône, Roussanne is often blended with Marsanne to bring minerality, acidity, and richness to the wine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roussanne is harder to find as a single varietal wine. It is known to be a difficult grape in the vineyard: it is susceptible to rot and powdery mildew, and ripening is often uneven within the same cluster. These characteristics contribute to fluctuating yields that are challenging to predict. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">The silver lining? When a reputable winemaker produces a 100% Roussanne wine, you know it’s going to be the product of very concentrated labor and perhaps some favorable conditions in the vineyard. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coterie Cellars - Roussanne Russian River Valley, Saralee’s Vineyard 2009</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coterie Cellar’s single varietal Roussanne from 2009 is what convinced me of this labor of love. This was the first time Coterie created a completely Roussanne wine, and one can see why: Its aromas and flavors are rich and complex. Saralee’s Vineyard sits in the middle of the Russian River Valley, where Coterie sorts the grapes manually at harvest, cluster by cluster, selecting only those that meet their expectations of ripeness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">This wine is aromatic without being overtly fruity. With aromas of succulent honey, light caramel, and honeysuckle blossoms, this Roussanne gently awakens the senses. In the mouth there is once again a rich honey tinged with toasted wood livened by a dash of white pepper, anchored by black tea and grapefruit rind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">With nicely integrated alcohol and surprising acidity, this wine is lively and bright, yet balanced with a satisfying richness. It has the pleasing perfume of an aromatic white, underpinned by a pleasant earthiness and fullness of body reminiscent of a red wine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">If this Roussanne were a woman, she would be vivacious yet grounded, a girl who gets out into the sun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try Coterie's 2009 Roussanne with gruyere cheese and the wine's honey, caramel, and light toast flavors will be delightfully heightened. Pair it with a rich fish such as swordfish encrusted in almonds or hazelnuts, with grilled or roasted vegetables, shellfish, or chicken stir fry. Or, enjoy it simply on its own. Its flavors speak for themselves. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sadly, the Saralee’s Vineyard 2009 vintage is sold out, but there is always the <a href="http://coteriecellars.com/wines/2010/saralees_vineyard_roussanne/" target="_blank">2010 vintage</a>. It also wouldn’t hurt to say hello to </span><a href="http://coteriecellars.com/about/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kyle Loudon</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Coterie co-founder and winemaker. Who knows, he and his wife and business partner, Shala, might just have a few more bottles of the 2009 left for the gracious wine enthusiast. </span></div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-63967590874936516882013-07-28T13:27:00.001-07:002013-07-28T13:27:27.077-07:00An Unexpected Windfall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first three were not fated ... but what would we get in the end?</td></tr>
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Instant gratification can be overrated. This was proven to me at a dinner not long ago at the charming French restaurant <a href="http://bonvivantcafe.net/" target="_blank">Bon Vivant</a>, tucked away on a side street in downtown Palo Alto. My good friend Daniel and I cocked our heads thoughtfully at the wine list. He has lived in Europe the past several years, and was keen on trying a local offering.<br />
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We decided on a 2011 Pinot Noir blend of Russian River Valley vineyards by <a href="http://www.davisbynum.com/" target="_blank">Davis Bynum</a> that he hadn’t tried before. (Incidentally, Bynum is the first house in Russian River to have produced a single vineyard Pinot Noir, in the 1970s.)<br />
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After some pleasant conversation - after all, we hadn’t seen each other in two years - our genial waiter reappeared with an apologetic smile. He was so sorry, he said, they no longer had the Bynum Pinot in stock. Would we like to try another wine?<br />
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A taste of the 2011 Lyric by <a href="http://shop.etudewines.com/" target="_blank">Etude</a>, please, we answered. I’d had this Santa Barbara Pinot Noir before and found it very drinkable. However, I grimaced a bit upon lowering my nose to the glass - the first thing that assailed me was a freshly painted wood varnish scent I instinctively dislike.<br />
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Good acidity can balance a wine and give it complexity, but too much leads to this sharp, unpleasant aroma. (It’s ethyl acetate, for chemistry buffs. I’m not a pro but am learning in my attempt to understand wine and flavoring.) I seem to be particularly sensitive to ethyl acetate; I’ve shared different wines on multiple occasions with companions who don’t detect the varnish scent when it all but whacks me in the face. <br />
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Thankfully, the wine filled my mouth with mellowness: ripe red fruit and a smooth, elegant finish. I believe a Pinot should always end each sip with finesse, like the end of a flowing musical phrase that leaves you wanting more. <br />
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While pleasant, the Etude just wasn’t hitting it for us. We shifted over to the next page in the menu: Cabernet Sauvignon. 2010 <a href="http://stagsleap.com/" target="_blank">Stag’s Leap</a> “Artemis” was a step up, not only in the richness of the wine but in price. But we figured if the Pinots weren’t doing it, we’d go for bigger stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf4QR4lEbvEDkTrSnwOqbkks0Yt2PP4BC_2CYzvDQKdwAluiN7gHklWPkLknTyrCLhDgVcWbgTGkQUmGCQSRJ37GczDxIp-5uXHwNz9IQylpS0AtI0z-v69qfbeK0y_4ow49m_S4LmAts/s1600/StagsLeapArtemis2010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf4QR4lEbvEDkTrSnwOqbkks0Yt2PP4BC_2CYzvDQKdwAluiN7gHklWPkLknTyrCLhDgVcWbgTGkQUmGCQSRJ37GczDxIp-5uXHwNz9IQylpS0AtI0z-v69qfbeK0y_4ow49m_S4LmAts/s320/StagsLeapArtemis2010.png" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our final decision on wine for dinner - or so we thought.</td></tr>
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Now that this was taken care of, we began to peruse the dining menu. Just as we were debating whether we should have the scallops or the goat cheese mushroom tart as a starter, our waiter appeared with a bottle of wine. Ah, finally!<br />
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But the look on our waiter’s face was pinched. We are so very sorry, he began, but we don’t have the Artemis, either. Daniel and I flashed a “For real?!” glance at each other. <br />
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“However, we have the Stag’s Leap Cask 23,” the waiter continued, “If you accept this wine, we will give it to you for the price of the one you requested.” He looked at us expectantly, with a great deal of hope on his face. It was a “<i>Please don’t kill me and write a terrible review about our restaurant!</i>” look.<br />
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I looked incredulously at the bottle in his hands. Yes, <a href="http://www.cask23.com/wines/release/568/" target="_blank">Stag’s Leap Cask 23</a> Cabernet Sauvignon from 2009. It was at least $150 more expensive than the bottle we’d requested. Cask 23. A wine with legendary connotations.<br />
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Daniel and I looked at each other. “Well, you’ve made us an offer we can’t refuse. That’s very kind of you. We’ll have it.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0OshUP-N_ZmSn4S6stYu8hSbMvR9gakCnHzKe-Qek4ePRTZbuzb1VeqO7D5y2z8plLk1LdhzvlSWDz9rXp0cBvRtp57kLk91VjSCaM23yZnAJdCNnVc-IemvEMghsBA3PkwFlY1mvPwR/s1600/Cask23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0OshUP-N_ZmSn4S6stYu8hSbMvR9gakCnHzKe-Qek4ePRTZbuzb1VeqO7D5y2z8plLk1LdhzvlSWDz9rXp0cBvRtp57kLk91VjSCaM23yZnAJdCNnVc-IemvEMghsBA3PkwFlY1mvPwR/s320/Cask23.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stag's Leap Cask 23? No way! I mean, yes, absolutely!</td></tr>
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Cask 23 did not disappoint. In fact, it enchanted. Plush and full-bodied, the dark crimson liquid filled my mouth with the subtle flavor of blackberries accented by bits of toasty bread. Was that a bit of vanilla, too? With a strong structure of balancing acidity, I was free to enjoy these flavors without any of them being overpowering.<br />
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Vanilla + toast + undertone of dark berries = Mmm …<br />
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A gentle warmth blossomed within me as the wine slid down my throat. I was delighted that such a rich wine possessed an equal amount of restraint. No buzzing sensation in the mouth or lips, just a hushed, elegant close. It felt almost reassuring, as if the wine was saying, “<i>Yes, it’s alllll good</i>,” on the way out.<br />
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Cask 23 isn’t bottled every year; it happens only when the winemaker deems the crop to be good enough. This is the flagship wine of Stag’s Leap and is named after the cask in which the wine is aged. In 1974, winemaker André Tchelistcheff noticed its superior contents compared with those of its neighboring casks and thus was born Cask 23.<br />
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The wine is a blend of two vineyards, Stag’s Leap Vineyard (S.L.V.) and FAY Vineyard. Grapes are harvested from the volcanic soils of the eastern slopes, as well as from the alluvial soils (meaning they’re loose and gravelly, shaped by water in eons past) of the middle and lower sections from both vineyards. The former gives the wine its full structure and acidity, the latter the lush but restrained fruit and aromatic qualities.<br />
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The vanilla and toastiness likely come from the 20 month aging in French oak barrels - the wine of grapes from each section of each vineyard is aged separately, and then combined into one large cask - Cask 23 - for the final aging.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCVeozfhBAWteBZOC_qetTDVYpcBPts83qIVgQ2E9pFI9i94f9rtCMVL4d0UVFSwSO-btGPJvClbbFIGPPECKdwKHyx1eq073LyAAczoLzytsIkV5hVtpASxYNeP9P7yCdDXoJV7b-aJr/s1600/JudgmentofParis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCVeozfhBAWteBZOC_qetTDVYpcBPts83qIVgQ2E9pFI9i94f9rtCMVL4d0UVFSwSO-btGPJvClbbFIGPPECKdwKHyx1eq073LyAAczoLzytsIkV5hVtpASxYNeP9P7yCdDXoJV7b-aJr/s320/JudgmentofParis.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1973 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon meets 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild<br />at the Judgment of Paris in 1976. </td></tr>
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Stag’s Leap is more than iconic: Its 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon bested French counterparts (including a <a href="http://newyorkvintners.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/reflections-on-mouton-rothschild-bordeaux%E2%80%99s-gloriously-%E2%80%9Cunclassifiable%E2%80%9D-wine/" target="_blank">Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970</a> no less) in the pivotal <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/wines_world/2006/05/the_judgment_of_paris.html" target="_blank">Judgment of Paris</a>, the 1976 competition that put California on the map as a serious winemaking region and forever changed the world of wine.<br />
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So I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised at the quality of Cask 23. But in the end, it doesn’t matter what I should expect based on research. Why? Wine is to be enjoyed. I always desire to learn the history and provenance of a wine I find exceptional or intriguing. But while in the moment, I simply want to revel in the wine in my glass and lose myself in all its sensory pleasures.</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-23614693435523632162013-07-10T20:43:00.001-07:002013-07-10T20:43:41.051-07:00Bottling the Future at Champagne Philippe Gonet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philippe Gonet sits pretty at the top of a hill in Le Mesnil sur Oger.</td></tr>
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May 23rd found us excited to visit <a href="http://www.champagne-philippe-gonet.com/index.php">Champagne Philippe Gonet</a>. This was our <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2013/06/bubbly-before-noon-champagne-launois.html">second time</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mesnil-sur-Oger">Le Mesnil sur Oger</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_Champagne_vineyards">Grand Cru</a> village of the Côte des Blancs in the southerly reaches of Champagne. This means that the Chardonnay grapes here are truly outstanding (at least, according to a 1985 decree). Within the open courtyard beyond wrought iron gates I found Karine, the knowledgeable, down-to-earth manager of the house and receiver of visitors when Head of Sales <a href="http://www.champagne-philippe-gonet.com/family-portraits.php">Chantal Gonet</a> (half of a sister-brother business duo) is away.<br />
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Gonet owns 19 hectares of land comprising 45 plots, making it a small but slightly larger grower-producer than <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2013/06/not-at-all-boozy-in-bouzy-champagne.html">Pierre Paillard</a> in Bouzy with 11 hectares. Their vineyards are spread across the Champagne region, yielding wines from all three grapes grown: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Their rosé wines are made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.<br />
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Don't just take my word for it: Hear Chantal Gonet introduce the house's history and philosophy herself!<br />
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I soon discovered that Karine preferred to speak French, so I did my best. I was still unfamiliar with many French terms relating to wine so while I relished the opportunity to push the limits of my vocabulary, I inevitably fell on my face a few times. Hey, it’s all part of the learning process. <br />
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Karine gave us quite the comprehensive tour! The facilities were abuzz with workers, both permanent and seasonal; many of the latter come from Poland. This was the season for the <i>mise en bouteille</i>, the bottling of the wines from last year’s harvest. I was watching the future being bottled, right before my eyes!<br />
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In contrast to the sleek, industrial facilities at <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2013/06/champagne-thienot-reunion-with-garance.html">Champagne Thiénot</a>, operations at Champagne Philippe Gonet were decidedly more old world. Workers in coveralls thronged at their respective stations, keeping a manually supervised bottling machine humming.<br />
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I learned that limited production special cuvées require this human oversight; larger machines bottle “standard” larger production cuvées. Each man’s movements were nimble and precise; there was no yelling above the din of rumbling machine and clinking bottles. Incidentally, I never once saw a woman doing this kind of work on the floor during my entire trip.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Low and High Tech as Befits the Wine</b></h4>
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Philippe Gonet uses both old world and new world technology in the vinification (winemaking) process, each for specific purposes towards the creation of the house’s ideal Champagne.<br />
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I noticed in both Champagne and later in Burgundy that winemakers spare no expense in procuring the tools they know will help them produce wines they deem worthy. It’s never solely about cost control - it’s about what’s more efficient or cost-effective <i>after</i> having answered the crucial question of what methods and equipment will yield wines worthy of the house’s name.<br />
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Case in point: On a mezzanine level above the bottling floor - reached via a harrowing ascent up a steep, narrow steel step ladder - stood two wine presses. A traditional wooden "Coquard” basket press from 1970 (they really still make them!) lay like a split-open pumpkin. Pressed against the opposite wall was a pneumatic press that looked like a gigantic white sewing machine turned on its side.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Coquard basket press!</td></tr>
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Both presses are used depending on what wine is desired. The pneumatic press is generally used for <i>blanc de blancs</i>, 100% Chardonnay wines. It offers a very even pressure to the whole grape clusters and yields a greater quantity (800 kiloliters). The traditional press is more gentle, but it’s obviously labor intensive, yields lower quantities (400 kiloliters), and takes a longer time (4 hours). But sometimes, you can’t rush goodness for those special cuvées and Pinot Noir grapes.<br />
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There is no hard and fast rule to what grapes gets crushed where, though - it depends on the myriad factors that make the winemaker’s expertise and instincts paramount to the success of a wine. Karine qualified 90% of her statements with, “... <i>mais se dépende</i>,” (“it depends”) accompanied by a cryptic smile.<br />
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Sharing space with the presses were two rows of small stainless steel tanks and clusters of stacked oak barrels. The former aged standard cuvées, and the latter cradled special cuvées for 3 years to infuse them with the unique flavors that only toasted wood offers.<br />
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I marveled at how the hoses I’d tripped over downstairs were pumping the wine from the stainless steel tanks: they criss-crossed the floor like green serpents, flowing and alive, before diving out of a tiny window to bring their precious liquid to the workers waiting downstairs to relieve them of their burden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuvée "Le Mesnil" 2012 aging here!</td></tr>
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Gonet’s cellars are a joining of old and new. The portion that bore a date of 1741 on the wall was decidedly crypt-like and literally crumbling in some places. There were fallen rocks and smashed bottles. I was honestly a bit scared! Karine wasn’t.<br />
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We passed by <i>pupitres</i> - sandwich boards with holes, each holding the neck of a Champagne bottle. Humans rotate the bottles a quarter twist regularly for 8 weeks to make sure the lees collect in the neck for expulsion. This process is called riddling.<br />
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(Lees = yeast cells that have died after gorging on sugars during fermentation. Om nom nom.)<br />
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Only special cuvées are hand-riddled; larger production wines are rotated much more quickly by gigantic Rubik’s cube-like machines.<br />
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Before entering the chalet-style tasting room bearing portraits of “Grandpère” Charles Gonet (his son Philippe eventually took over the house), I passed by a machine with spools of labels sprawled around it. I was tempted to steal some of the gorgeous stickers; they were so attractive.<br />
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Interestingly, labels are called <i>etiquettes</i> in French. An easy way to remember the French word is to think “polite labels.”<br />
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Finally, to the tasting! Karine asked me where my taste preferences lay so she could decide what Champagnes she’d offer us. It was truly a personalized, intimate visit.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Champagnes Tasted</b></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signature Brut Blanc de Blancs</td></tr>
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<b>Signature Brut Blanc de Blancs</b> - This 100% Chardonnay is the specialty of the house: “La Cuvée signature de la Maison.” This Champagne is a blend of grapes from 30-40 year old vines in Le Mesnil sur Oger (40%) and Montgueux (60%), about 90km south near Troyes.<br />
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A very beautiful, drinkable Champagne this was, and with character in spades.<br />
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<li><u>Nose</u>: At first, a sharp, fresh wet slate scent … melting away into smoky citrus. Yes, really. </li>
<li><u>Palate</u>: Fresh and liltingly coy with a bit of orange here, a bit of lemon there, but reined in by a refreshing acidity. I was left with a slight smolder of smoke. </li>
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The exuberant bubbles exploded their little tiny selves against the roof of my mouth, and I almost giggled with the tickling sensation.<br />
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<b>EXTRA-BRUT 3210 Blanc de Blancs</b> - When I told Karine that I’m not a big fan of sweet wines, she chose this. Introduced in 2009, this full Chardonnay a relative newcomer to the family.<br />
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I loved the way Karine described it: “<i>sans maquillage</i>” - a Champagne without cosmetics. This means there is no <i>dosage</i> in the winemaking process: no addition of sugars to the wine after the dead yeast cells are expelled after bottle aging (the process is called <i>dégorgement</i>, or disgorgement).<br />
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The vast majority of Champagnes undergo <i>dosage</i>, so the winemaker can control the amount of sweetness. When done well with good wines, this practice maximizes the natural flavors of the wine and makes for a fine Champagne.<br />
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However, when used for less scrupulous purposes <i>dosage</i> can be used to mask crappy wines, much like when a supermarket slathers BBQ sauce onto meat past its prime and puts it on sale (ugh).<br />
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A non-<i>dosage</i> Champagne is called <i>Brut nature</i>. It is said that you can really tell the true worth of a Champagne maker by an unadorned wine because you can taste its true essence. In outstanding houses, these can embody the most beautiful expression of Champagne. <br />
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The “3210” in the name is both descriptive and clever: 3 years aged, 2 terroirs (40% Montgueux and 60% Le Mesnil sur Oger), 1 grape varietal (Chardonnay), and 0 <i>dosage</i>.<br />
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This Champagne was bracing and fierce, yet soothing in its angular elegance. It didn’t have that strip-the-enamel-off-your-teeth acidity that an unsweetened Champagne might threaten.<br />
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<li><u>Nose</u>: Okay, I’m awake! Sharply burnt puff pastry gave way to a light perfume of yellow and white flowers. A bit of lime.</li>
<li><u>Palate</u>: Very fresh: Tart puckering limes and pink grapefruit were balanced by apricot compote-like flavors. How did they make this Champagne taste like so much fruit, without it actually tasting sweet? Amazing! </li>
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If a cold shower could be completely refreshing and pleasurable, this is it.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra-Brut 3210</td></tr>
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I marveled at the unique character of each of the Champagnes I’d tasted. Gonet was the third grower-producer in Champagne I’d visited thus far. I was rapidly becoming spoiled by the beautifully nuanced wines yielded through the combination of laser-sharp focus on cultivating the taste of the land, and the non-scalable winemaking techniques these small houses could afford to employ. I wouldn’t begin to fully understand what this translated to in taste until I visited the “big houses” later in my trip.<br />
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I bade a grateful farewell to Karine and tripped outside into the rare ray of sunshine that had decided to grace us for all of 10 minutes during the unexpected cold snap. I was exhausted from exerting myself solely in French for one and a half hours straight, but I was grinning triumphantly: thanks to Chantal's and Karine's generosity, I'd had another successful visit with so much learned, so much experienced.<br />
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And those tiny bubbles were still effervescent inside me, making me impervious to the wintry chill as I danced my way down the winding hill to the car. </div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France48.939441 4.021378899999945148.897722 3.9406978999999449 48.98116 4.1020598999999454tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-59472272879202925472013-07-05T16:25:00.000-07:002013-07-10T19:30:10.679-07:00All Pinot, All The Time: Pinot Days SF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">What better way to start a lovely summer morning?</td></tr>
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Last Sunday I attended my first large wine tasting event: <a href="http://www.pinotdays.com/festivals/san_francisco.asp">Pinot Days SF</a> at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. It was the 9th annual festival focusing on California houses producing wines from this finicky, thin-skinned grape. Thanks to Curt Polikoff, certified sommelier and all-around wine expert at <a href="http://www.artisanwinedepot.com/">Artisan Wine Depot</a>, I was able to score early entrance with a sit-down tasting before the general public was allowed entry. Much appreciated, Curt!</div>
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Thanks to a heat wave in the Bay Area, even this waterfront location in San Francisco was sunny and pleasant. (Some of you no doubt know that, as Mark Twain said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.”) At 10:45am I enjoyed a sit-down tasting, hearing 6 winemakers introduce their houses, philosophies, and trying two flights of three wines each. </div>
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For the first flight I listened dutifully and took notes, not tasting until the 3 winemakers had presented. Then I panicked, because we were then summarily instructed to dump or go bottoms-up for to make way for the pouring of the second flight! Needless to say, I smelled, tasted, and spat in quick succession (while scribbling furiously). </div>
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An hour later, I headed straight to the back of the festival pavilion, starting with the end of the alphabet. There was no way I could visit all 150-odd exhibitors, so my strategy was to focus on those I’d heard of but whose wines I’d never tried, then to try the wineries in the booth next door to each. This made for a good mix of “heard of” and “hitherto unknown to Susan” wineries visited! </div>
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What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to talk directly with the winemakers and owners (sometimes the same person). The other was the focus was on small grower-producers, although there were many producers without estates (meaning they have no vineyards of their own; they source grapes from various vineyards in California). </div>
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After an hour of roaming, I ran into friend and sommelier <a href="https://twitter.com/Terroirists">Steven Washuta</a> and the inimitable Greg Wayne, both outstanding folks at the wonderful new <a href="http://www.enowinerooms.com/hotspots/san-francisco">wine bar ENO SF</a> in Union Square, San Francisco. I’d met Steven when he was keeping the bar chic at <a href="http://www.savvycellar.com/">Savvy Cellar</a>. </div>
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Not only have I learned a great deal from Steven - he shares his impressive knowledge without any pretension - it suffices to say that he writes the most tongue-in-cheek, informative, and thoroughly entertaining prose I’ve ever read in the wine industry. It borders at times on insouciance, but he tells it like it is. Take, for example: “... Tastes like the color purple.” Amen. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Steven (R) and Greg (L) on the festival floor - note the red cups for spitting!</td></tr>
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<b>Wineries Visited</b></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.siduri.com/">Siduri Wines</a> - I tasted four wines from the 2011 harvest, mostly light and fruity with a pleasantly smooth finish. They were simple, easy to drink wines except the last one, Clos Pepe Single Vineyard from the Santa Rita Hills; I believe this one will actually open up given a few years. It was tight, cagey, and sharp, with much green fruit and tart apricot.</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.schugwinery.com/">Schug Winery</a> - The <a href="http://shop.schugwinery.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=PNR0975&DESC=Schug%20Winery%202009%20Pinot%20Noir,%20Carneros,%20Heritage%20Reserve">2009 Carneros Heritage Reserve</a> was my favorite in the lineup: It had that elusive, albeit faint, minerality from the start; it was round, generous, and smooth. I found it more complex than the others. Aged 16 months, 23% new oak. The 2010 Carneros Estate was fruitier on the nose but had a very fine finish - sharp but with finessed tannins, easy to drink. </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.vmlwine.com/">VML Wine</a> - I remembered why I bought the 2011 Floodgate (Russian River Valley) as a gift for a friend this past January. It’s a light Pinot for me, but it is a wonderful balance of fragrance and finesse with an unmistakable but graceful metallic backbone. Like a dancer’s spine, strong and gracefully curved.</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.waltwines.com/">WALT Wines</a> - <a href="http://www.waltwines.com/walt-blue-jay-anderson-valley-pinot-noir">Blue Jay</a> is a blend of grapes from three Anderson Valley vineyards, so they decided on an unrelated bird theme for the name. I tasted a couple of wines, but I confess I don’t remember much about them! Strawberry is all I’ve got, really. </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.kanzler.com/">Kanzler Vineyards</a> - It’s a family affair - husband, wife, and son Alex, who is also the assistant winemaker at VML (how do you think I discovered Kanzler?). I preferred the <a href="http://www.kanzler.com/product/Kanzler-Vineyards-2010-Sonoma-Coast--Pinot-Noir?pageID=01076ea4-2264-112b-b183-3ebc94cef2bc&sortBy=DisplayOrder&">2010 Sonoma Coast</a> (a little too much strawberry jam for me, but there was enough acidity and peppery tannins on the finish for balance) to the <a href="http://www.kanzler.com/product/Kanzler-Vineyards-2011-Sonoma-Coast--Pinot-Noir?pageID=01076ea4-2264-112b-b183-3ebc94cef2bc&sortBy=DisplayOrder&">2011 Sonoma Coast</a> (a lighter, easy to drink wine with a sweet, strawberry finish but good structure). </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.kendricvineyards.com/">Kendrick Vineyards</a> - This was the booth next to Kanzler - way too much fruit for me in the 2010; 2009 was much more restrained and moody, which I preferred. Vineyards: Northern Marin, near the Sonoma border. </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.jcbwines.com/">JCB</a> - “by Jean-Charles Boisset” - the man behind the wine - was plastered across all marketing collateral. This was definitely a flashier production, and everything proclaimed in a pointedly raised voice (because such polite company would never scream): “<b><i>In case you didn’t notice, we are French! From Burgundy!</i></b>” </li>
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<li>The chic, gold on black branding was stunning; everything looked like it was designed to market a luxury perfume. In fact, each wine’s name was a number, printed just like Chanel No. 5. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why No. 3? They claim that 1 + 1 = 3. <br />
I give them points for creativity (or wishful thinking).</td></tr>
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<li>I tasted <a href="http://www.boissetfamilyestates.com/products/ProductDetails.aspx?PrdId=830">No. 3</a>, a very unusual blend of 60% grapes from Russian River Valley in California and 40% grapes from Cote de Nuits in Burgundy, France. When Steven quipped, “I’ve never heard of <i>that</i> before …” I surmised this was an unusual combination. </li>
<li>No. 3 struck me as more marketing hype for “Old World meets New World” but it was one of the more complex wines I tasted at the event. Like many California Pinots, it was already very drinkable at a young age. But for <b>$123 a bottle</b>? I don’t know! </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.zivowines.com/">Z’IVO</a> - This was of the few Oregonian wineries at the event! Z’IVO was the opposite of JCB: dirt-beneath-the-fingernails personality. </li>
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<li>Both Willamette Valley wines I tried (2007 and 2009 vintages) smelled like dark mushrooms bathed in soft contact lens saline solution. Salty mushrooms in mossy forest floor. Very different from the California Pinots, for certain. </li>
<li>The wines didn’t <i>taste</i> like forest floor or moss, though; 2009 was savory with massively mouth-drying tannins. 2007 was salty with (thank god) more supple tannins. I don’t remember much beyond that! </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.lafenetrewines.com/">La Fenêtre</a> - A small boutique grower-producer with several single vineyard wines in Santa Maria, this winery offered some interesting flavors. (Ironically, Pinot Days marked the first time I’d heard “single vineyard” as a term; I’d learned the French term <i>monocru</i> first, in the Champagne region in France.)</li>
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<li>My notes for <a href="http://www.lafenetrewines.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110:2010-la-fenetre-pinot-noir-le-bon-climat-vineyard-santa-maria-valley&catid=4:past-releases&Itemid=11">2010 Le Bon Climat Single Vineyard</a> read, “Nose: Barnyard; Palate: Salty, musky, a little bit of Pommard?” Indeed, it was pretty heavy and spicy, reminiscent of the wines of Pommard in Burgundy, but the wine possessed nothing near the power characteristic of Pommard. Not that it’s supposed to be, of course! Having been to Burgundy recently, I just couldn’t help the comparison. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.lafenetrewines.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:2010-la-fenetre-pinot-noir-presquile-vineyard-santa-maria-valley&catid=4:past-releases&Itemid=11">2010 Presqu’ile Single Vineyard</a> smelled like brined asparagus; tasted like cranberries and a bit of black pepper. </li>
<li>My scribblings for <a href="http://www.lafenetrewines.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=112:2010-la-fenetre-pinot-noir-bien-nacido-vineyard-santa-maria-valley&catid=4:past-releases&Itemid=11">2010 Bien Nacido Single Vineyard</a> bore the cryptic note “Metal Jams” - looking back, it took me a second to remember that this wine smelled overwhelmingly of sweet, sticky strawberry jam, with metallic flavors on the edges. But somehow at the time, this brought to mind the Adult Swim <a href="http://www.metallica.com/">Metallica</a> cartoon “<a href="http://video.adultswim.com/metalocalypse/">Metalocalypse</a>."In the end, the wine was too unbalanced for me. A great deal of metal and rust overwhelmed my palate on the finish, resulting in fatigue not unlike hearing too many high-pitched screams of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/artist/dethklok">Dethklock! Dethclock! Dethclock!</a>” by head-banging heavy metal musicians. </li>
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<b>The Verdict</b></div>
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I found the California Pinots I tried to be generally very … strawberry. </div>
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Sometimes the wines were on the weak side, and by this I mean that they tasted thin, a little watered down. They may be perfect for another palate, but for me these wines simply weren’t concentrated enough. I craved more body: I find I desire some voluptuousness in my reds, like a well-muscled yet lithe dancer with a strong, flexible spine. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a daintier, classical piece; other times I want edgy, muscular, contemporary ballet. (Those of you who know me understand that dance is part of my vocabulary.)</div>
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On the other end of spectrum, I was being clobbered over the head with wines featuring RIPE RED FRUIT! DID YOU GET THAT? <sip … spit> RED FRUIT! <dump rest of glass> Oy!</div>
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You get the idea. </div>
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<b>Dear California Pinot fans:</b> Before you throw me into a stainless steel vat for maceration, I am not disparaging California Pinots! The concept of taste preference is very subjective, and I confess I don’t yet know enough about the terroir and vinification practices of California for Pinot Noir to be a good judge of relative quality. </div>
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It’s important to distinguish between quality and personal taste. I believe both should be afforded equal status, but for different purposes. You have to be able to tell quality between related wines given certain parameters, but in the end, what’s the point in drinking what you don’t like?</div>
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<b>For Me: Musky in California, Fine-Boned in Burgundy</b></div>
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I discovered that with the California Pinots I tried, I preferred what was described as the “musky, masculine” wines. But for red Burgundies, which are also made from Pinot Noir but in the soils and climates of the Burgundy region in France, I tend to be seduced by fine-boned wines with delicacy and finesse but which possess an unmistakable backbone. </div>
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I must like the taste of vines struggling in lands with low water tables, roots thrusting deep into the clay and limestone to drink all the minerals and nutrients locked in the earth. Oh, the minerality! The <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terroir">terroir</a></i>!</div>
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The big, “masculine” reds in Burgundy can sometimes be too much for me - truly full of black pepper, deep earth, and mouth-drying tannins. They can be amazingly fine wines, but their character is just not for me, at least for what I like right now. </div>
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In contrast, their “masculine” counterparts in California offered - to the preference of this drinker - fruit as an undertone (as opposed to shiny overtones as they usually are) with ripples of leather, offering more complexity with a smooth or plush mouthfeel. And I do place a great deal of importance on the final sensation in the mouth, because hey, I want it to feel pleasant. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Schug winemaker Mike Cox </td></tr>
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An interesting cultural discovery was that it was considered gauche to spit directly into the plastic buckets available at every booth. In France, following the winemakers’ leads, I spit into buckets, between barrels into the gravel floor, anywhere, really. But here, I was expected to juggle a bright red, large plastic cup with my glass, notepad and pen. Not very convenient - I constantly feared I’d drop everything onto the person crowded next to me - but I certainly didn’t want to make others feel uncomfortable, so I gave in. </div>
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In the end, I didn’t get close to tasting and talking to folks from even half the wineries at the event, but I wasn’t disappointed in the least. Quality over quantity was my goal, and I was more than satisfied. </div>
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I was at first shocked, then admittedly thrilled, when I saw later that afternoon that my teeth were stained a lovely shade of purple. Pinot Purple. </div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373502 -123.06486250000002 38.176356999999996 -121.77396850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-28149002750623305042013-06-21T21:31:00.001-07:002013-07-10T19:27:57.022-07:00Not At All Boozy in Bouzy - Champagne Pierre Paillard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refreshing mid-afternoon tasting flight in a rustic setting.</td></tr>
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Antoine Paillard was our gracious host at <a href="http://www.champagne-pierre-paillard.com/">Champagne Pierre Paillard</a>, visit number 2 on day 2. To underscore the family element in Champagne, Pierre was Antoine’s grandfather. He started up his eponymous house in the 1950s, although the many of the plots have been worked on by the family for 8 generations spanning 250 years.</div>
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<a href="http://www.champagne-pierre-paillard.com/terroir.php#/LaFamille">Antoine, along with his father and brother</a>, keeps everything humming. Speaking of the brothers, as <a href="http://www.klwines.com/Bio.asp?PRID=113&Type=S">Gary Westby</a>, the generous and knowledgeable Champagne Buyer at <a href="http://www.klwines.com/">K&L Wine Merchants</a>, put it: “If their business ever goes bad, those two could totally have another career as models.” (One could arguably say the same about Gary.)</div>
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But what was most compelling about Pierre Paillard is that while it is quite small - it owns 11 hectares total (28 acres) comprising 30 plots - this land is entirely contiguous, and wholly located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzy">Bouzy</a>, a village in the Montagne de Reims region (northeast). With vineyard land prices reaching over 1M euros a hectare in Champagne, having a completely contiguous plot is rare and brings an amazing boon to a maker.</div>
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Moreover, Bouzy is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_Champagne_vineyards#Grand_crus">Grand Cru village</a> - the top of the top in quality designation for Champagnes. This means that the plots in Bouzy are deemed to be of excellent terroir, or land. Quality land in turn grows vines that yield high quality grapes, and eventually, Champagnes of great character.</div>
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Of course, the way in which humans make decisions in the viticulture (cultivation of vines) and viniculture (making of the wines) can mean the difference between a good and a mind-blowing wine. Notice I didn’t say “the difference between a <i>bad</i> and a mind-blowing wine” because Grand Cru land is supposedly of such high quality that a fairly good wine can still result from mediocre human handling!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Antoine Paillard, in the light-filled tasting room</td></tr>
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Antoine is deeply respectful of the legacy he is working with. The philosophy at Pierre Paillard is not only about sustainability, it’s about terroir: cultivating vines and shaping wines that bring out the best of the land’s character. In contrast, big house <a href="http://www.ghmumm.com/">Mumm</a> blends its Champagnes from 77 <i>crus</i> (vineyards) around the region. Whuff! With that kind of Champagne-making, “You don’t know what you’re drinking,” Antoine said with a matter-of-fact shake of his head. Clearly he sees this as a sad but all-too-common phenomenon.</div>
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At the same time, Antoine is aware of the differences between his house and the big houses. Big houses experience great commercial pressure to create Champagnes of huge volume to meet worldwide demand, with a consistent taste profile. That means formulas - more science than art, so to speak. But this is perhaps the most appropriate approach given their goals (... of world domination! Oh, sorry, did I say that?), and it seems to work for them.</div>
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At Champagne Pierre Paillard, Antoine and his family do not have this kind of pressure; they can afford to create their Champagnes carefully as local artisans. Antoine is very passionate about maintaining this philosophy; the house will remain small. Well, unless they buy out other houses’ plots, those 11 hectares are what they’ve got!</div>
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<b>Champagnes Tasted</b></div>
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<li><b>Brut Grand Cru</b> - This is the product of 22 plots(!) in their Bouzy vineyards, with an average vineyard age of 25 years. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay from 2008 harvest and 2007 reserve wine. Paillard ages its wines for no less than 3 years on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lees_(fermentation)">lees</a> (with yeasty yumminess) in order to achieve the kind of balance of flavor and finesse it aims for. <br /><br />I found its nose gently fruity and floral, up and excited. On the palate there was a bracing acidity. This was a Champagne that refreshes - and if you’re not quite awake, you will be after a sip!</li>
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<li><b>Bouzy Blanc de Noirs, “Les Maillerettes”</b> - This is the name of their “mother” vineyard, a monocru (single vineyard). Paillard replants their other vineyards from grafts of the vines in this plot, thus perpetuating the family legacy in more ways than one. This wine is 100% Pinot Noir (hence “Blanc de Noirs” or “White from Blacks” although Pinot Noir is arguably a grape of a red color) from the 2008 harvest, and only the juice from the first two pressings are used. <br /><br />Upon first sniff, I can only describe the nose as very pure, clear and straight yet subtle. Imagine a chic woman with good breeding stepping into a room; it’s not her intention to attract attention, yet everyone’s eyes are inevitably drawn to her. The Champagne’s smooth, less bracing structure made this a wonderfully classy delight. I'm sure it would pair marvelously with poultry, or roasted pigeon in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bresse">Bresse</a> style.</li>
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<li><b>Rosé Grand Cru</b> - A blend of their white and red (70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir) from 2009 and 2008 reserve. 6% of the Pinot Noir is from their “Bouzy Rouge” - the grapes are from the little plot “Clos Pierre Paillard” just out the back of the house! <br /><br />Like the Brut Grand Cru, this one was up and excited, but it was fragrant like tea rose with a whiff of hard candy. A hint of red fruit gently underscored the mouth, with the perfume of tea rose riding the overtones. A strong acidic backbone ensured the Champagne didn’t dissolve into too much fragrance.</li>
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<li><b>Millésime 2004 Grand Cru 2004</b> - Ding Ding Ding! This was the winner for Susan. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay, with 10 whopping years aging on the lees. If wine sitting with yeast slurry in a bottle for that long yields this kind of expansive toastiness, it’s worth the wait! <br /><br />Out of a lineup of wonderful, quality Champagnes, it was the flavor of this one that gobsmacked me. It was expansive yet structured with toasted almonds, brioche, and cheese! Like, parmesan. I was in heaven. </li>
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As I sucked thoughtfully - I was getting better at it on my second day - and spit precious liquid repeatedly into the metal <i>crachoir</i> (spittoon), I was amazed by the incredible finesse and delicacy of these Champagnes. Each one possessed a unique character. Whether it was round and nutty or tight like hard candy with a bracing acidity, that exceptionally fine quality underscored - and in a sense defined - each as a Champagne of Pierre Paillard.</div>
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So that’s why I say it’s “not at all boozy in Bouzy” - not with Champagne Pierre Paillard, anyway. These are Champagnes to be savored with good friends, perhaps over a meal or dessert depending on which cuvée is chosen. Granted, you might get boozy if you enjoyed a glass or two continuously over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With such wonderful selections, the concept may not seem completely crazy … but I’m not trying that anytime soon.</div>
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I must mention that after this visit, we began referring to our black VW Golf rental car affectionately as ‘<i>Le Petit Bouzy</i>’! It’s not just that I can’t resist a bad pun; it was a fitting way to commemorate a new and defining experience. </div>
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Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com051150 Bouzy, France49.079748 4.146402999999963949.0381505 4.0657219999999636 49.121345500000004 4.2270839999999641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-60057510014114714362013-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:002013-06-28T19:59:10.966-07:00Moi, Placomusophile?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champagne caps (and a cork) collected on my trip</td></tr>
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Yes, there is a term for people who collect Champagne caps, <i>les plaques de muselets de Champagne</i>. These are the attractive, shiny little things that top the corks; cap and cork are held together by a wire cage one sees on the bottles of most sparkling beverages once the (usually) gold-colored foil is removed. When you’ve got an average of 90 pounds of pressure per square inch (620 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_(unit)">kPa</a>) in a 75 cl (750 ml) bottle, that wire cage is a good thing.<br />
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If I recall correctly from the many questions I asked my various hosts, caps were introduced ~1881 to enable the wire to hold the cork in more securely.<br />
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But I digress. Despite being merely tin metal, the <i>plaques</i> are decorated in a variety of ways that reflect the Champagne house. Upon seeing a cap removed for the first time during a bottle opening at <a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2013/06/bubbly-before-noon-champagne-launois.html">Champagne LAUNOIS</a>, I was immediately fascinated.<br />
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You see, anything like this is terribly alluring for me. I have been an avid postage stamp collector since I was a little kid. Stamps show what is important to a country, a culture, a society. Champagne caps show the philosophy of the house and what it prides itself in.<br />
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So of course I had to ask for the little purple cap in front of me (and the cork! Hey, it’s stamped with “Grand Vin de Champagne” at the bottom. How cool is that?). Even though the design initially struck me as a tad cheesy - an <a href="http://www.champagne-launois.fr/images/ch-launois/capsules/veuve-clemence-gf.png">old-school photo portrait of a female family member</a> (Clémence, for whom this Grand Cru cuvée is named) - I immediately understood that family is paramount to this Champagne house, and that family is commemorated proudly. Having this cap reminds me what Champagne LAUNOIS stands for.<br />
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By way of contrast, the two big houses I visited, Pommery and Mumm, use consistent branding by displaying their logo in varying color schemes to indicate the cuvée. I’m sure there’s a whole lot more in between with different houses that I’ve yet to discover: I recently came into possession of a Veuve Clicquot cap that sports a portrait of Madame Clicquot on a warm pink border - a big house with sustained reverence for its Grande Dame. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veuve Clicquot "Reserve Cuvée Rosé" cap, wire cage and cork still attached</td></tr>
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Having the caps reminds me of the Champagnes I’d tasted and of the experience each house imparted. I confess I also enjoy the satisfaction of thinking, “Yeah, I was there!” whenever I see them - at least for the ones I’d collected on my trip. You bet I’m keeping the caps with each bottle I open, and recent events have shown that I’m not above begging for them at tastings back home, either!<br />
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So yes, I’m in grave danger of becoming a <i>placomusophile</i>. And you know what, I’m okay with that.<br />
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More Champagne!</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-54581851805320834472013-06-15T10:52:00.001-07:002013-07-10T19:28:17.807-07:00Bubbly Before Noon: Champagne LAUNOIS Père et Fils<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">Cuv<span style="text-align: left;">ée Dorine: Look at those dainty bubbles!</span></span></h4>
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On my first full day in Champagne country, the first stop was to cult maker <a href="http://www.champagne-launois.fr/">Champagne LAUNOIS Père et Fils</a>. Despite it being a small house, LAUNOIS wines are much sought after and hard to get stateside. As <a href="http://www.klwines.com/Bio.asp?PRID=113&Type=S">Gary Westby</a>, Champagne buyer for <a href="http://www.klwines.com/">K&L Wine Merchants</a>, told me: "I had to work on these guys for over a year before I could get them to sell me anything!" So, of course I had to arrange a visit.<br />
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Champagne LAUNOIS Père et Fils is located south of Reims in the Grand Cru village of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mesnil-sur-Oger">Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger</a>, in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B4te_des_Blancs">Côte de Blancs</a> region of Champagne. Grand Cru is the highest designation granted to a village in Champagne by the Échelle des Crus, signifying top quality. So if you’re born into ownership or manage to get your hands on any Grand Cru plots, you’re in luck!<br />
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There are three major regions in Champagne:<br />
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<li><b>Montagne de Reims</b> - in the north known for Pinot Noir</li>
<li><b>Vallée de la Marne</b> - in the middle for Pinot Meunier</li>
<li><b>Côte des Blancs</b> - to the south for Chardonnay (easy to remember: Chardonnay is a white grape, hence Blancs!)</li>
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Many of the Champagnes made from 100% Chardonnay - called “<i>blanc de blancs</i>” or literally “white of whites” - are from the Côte des Blancs so it was thrilling to be there! On the hills of the little villages we drove through, Champagne houses crowded right up against each other, one after the other. It was definitely Champagne-land.<br />
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I noticed many of the houses sported the same surnames. It was confusing, but upon closer examination the given names or house names were slightly different. Take for instance:<br />
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<li>Champagne LAUNOIS Père et Fils</li>
<li>Champagne BONNET-LAUNOIS</li>
<li>Champagne Jean-Pierre LAUNOIS </li>
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… and they’re all in the same village of Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, which means you could basically throw a Champagne cork from one house and hit the other.<br />
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This underscores the familial nature of the Champagne - and indeed of the wine - industry: it is a family-oriented business, and members can and often do branch out to start their own houses.<br />
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(Oh, and if you hadn't noticed already, the French seem to prefer capitalizing all the letters in their surnames. I noticed this first in email correspondence when arranging my visits: “... Dans l’attente de votre confirmation, Mélanie BERROT” - I wondered if I should sign off with “Susan LIN” but that still seems odd to me!)<br />
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Champagne LAUNOIS Père et Fils is the “big daddy” of the village. It is a small producer, even compared to Champagne Thiénot, but is the largest in the area. Many smaller houses in the area pay to use their machines and facilities. Real estate is certainly limited!<br />
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The man behind the house, Pierre Launois (I considered all caps but resisted!), was quite the eccentric collector. The house has the oddest museum I’ve ever toured; it consists of old and new caves joined up with random displays of everything from freaky anthropomorphic figures carved into vine roots to old disgorgement machines, a giant <i>muselet</i> (the wire cage that covers the cork), a 16th century Burgundian wine press that weighs two tons and required Mr. Launois to build a structure around it to house it (thus incurring the displeasure of his parents) … and more randomness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out beneath the Giant Muselet in LAUNOIS' unique museum</td></tr>
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Aurore, a fresh-faced young lady who has worked for LAUNOIS for 3 years, gave the tour. When we’d arrived, nearly 20 minutes late for our appointment (the result of jet lag and being caught behind slow trucks and <i><a href="http://gourmand-a-partager.blogspot.com/2013/06/sharing-road-with-aliens.html">enjambeurs</a></i>) I introduced myself and asked to catch up to the tour since we were late. She’d responded that there was no rush; we (two people) *were* the tour! Ha!<br />
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It turned out that on the weekends, busloads of Belgians and sometimes Americans or Canadians come to visit, but on a drizzly, gray Wednesday? Just us chickens! It was a wonderful, personalized visit.<br />
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At the end of the tour, Aurore took us to a rustic little sitting room and prepared four Champagnes for us to taste. I admit to feeling a frisson, to be tasting Champagne before noon! <br />
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The first thing I noticed was that the bubbles were remarkably fine. They surged with vigor in the glass but were oh so dainty. For me, this became a visual characterization of Champagne; I’ve recalled seeing sparkling wines from other areas whoosh through the glass with big, robust bubbles. Apparently the longer the aging, the finer the bubbles.<br />
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<b>Champagnes tasted</b> (I confess to not having very good notes on this one):<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Cuvée Reserve</b> - Blanc de blancs from 2008 harvest and 10% 2007 reserve wine aged three years on the lees (i.e. in the bottle without filtering out the yeast and other sediment), this is their all-purpose Brut that can be enjoyed at any time. A bit nutty and round, but still very delicate. Gary described it as: “... all Grand Cru from the villages of Mesnil, Oger, Cramant and Avize - a roll call of the finest crus for Chardonnay in all of Champagne...”</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Veuve Clémence</b> - Blanc de blancs, with four years aging on the lees. This one was more dry than the Reserve, with yellow fruit and some white pepper spiciness - this one will wake you up! Sushi or other fishy seafood, methinks. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Dorine</b> - Blanc de blancs, 1 year in oak. It was a beautiful amber color and lightly fruity but an unmistakable backbone. Seems like the little girl it was named for! I felt like cheese with this one. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Rose Valentine</b> - 100% Pinot Noir. Fruity with a long finish, lightly perfumed and delicate. Again, named for a cute little girl! </li>
</ul>
<br />
The Rose Valentine was Aurore’s favorite, but I liked Veuve Clémence even better. I usually prefer wines that are less sweet and have never been one for super fruity and delicate, but don’t get me wrong: none of these Champagnes were sickly sweet in any way. They were all nicely balanced but with different character.<br />
<br />
In the coming days, I would come to notice and appreciate this emphasis on character in each cuvée, at the small houses. There is a real respect for the land the grapes are grown in, and a desire to bring out the best of the flavors it has to offer.<br />
<br />
Even though Champagne LAUNOIS was started by a man and named ‘Father and Sons’, it's clear that the house is run by the women in the family. Just check out the names of the Champagnes above. You go, girls!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France48.939441 4.021378899999945148.897722 3.9406978999999449 48.98116 4.1020598999999454tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-27702300669827896822013-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:002013-07-10T19:28:58.491-07:00Sharing the Road with Aliens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WBlJ3b7McfKzgUDfXWsh6eDyrllAkx2mepmYplSNhRi-Jxpa3ZZ1NllHj8ND92t-oTB-nPgNBuIdI_fP-aLp57uDWHDhbyc4rqom2q04WmpqNKnHrbkGmmqiwLvsCso4FwmMy97N4rOr/s1600/enjambeur.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WBlJ3b7McfKzgUDfXWsh6eDyrllAkx2mepmYplSNhRi-Jxpa3ZZ1NllHj8ND92t-oTB-nPgNBuIdI_fP-aLp57uDWHDhbyc4rqom2q04WmpqNKnHrbkGmmqiwLvsCso4FwmMy97N4rOr/s320/enjambeur.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please don't hurt me! Oh wait, you're a tractor ...</td></tr>
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<br />
Driving around Champagne country, you inevitably bump up against slow-moving freaky creatures with gangling arms and tubes. I was seriously alarmed when I first caught sight of one: I thought an <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=half+life+alien&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LmaxUaHdC_Xi4AOeqoGwCg&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1446&bih=641">alien from the game Half Life</a> had come alive to wreak havoc on idyllic countryside autoroute D9, or Route du Champagne.<br />
<br />
What is this thing? It is called an <i>enjambeur</i>, a tractor that can work with 1 or 2 rows of vines. It’s used to do pruning, spraying, hoeing, etc.<br />
<br />
After my initial shock, I got used to seeing these funny looking tractors quickly. More often than not, they were a source of mild exasperation as they made us late to appointments. It’s tough to pass slow-moving vehicles on windy, narrow, one-lane-per-direction country roads.<br />
<br />
And trust me; these things move very, very slowly. Bumpity-bumpity-bumpity, tubes and arms twitching about such that a few times I was sure the machine would turn around to show itself for the monster it really was and start attacking us à la <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy">Final Fantasy</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHyFDe7V4SpCs9w1OFnTxmMp7MIjx0P2c3v_9xta2-TPfOiTv87yiW4iVjeN6tznqX9uD6RYEtsHChGwQFtrOt1xEEXH5NCqyRyDqTl58e4bL-QyIbkKRj9k-tDvNuM-D_lWOHThSBIu2/s1600/FFX_battle_boss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHyFDe7V4SpCs9w1OFnTxmMp7MIjx0P2c3v_9xta2-TPfOiTv87yiW4iVjeN6tznqX9uD6RYEtsHChGwQFtrOt1xEEXH5NCqyRyDqTl58e4bL-QyIbkKRj9k-tDvNuM-D_lWOHThSBIu2/s320/FFX_battle_boss.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle with Champagne Tractor, er, Boss Monster, in Final Fantasy X</td></tr>
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<br />
But as I observed the machines and operators at work throughout the next days, I came to appreciate how well designed they are for the closely-planted vineyards with extremely narrow rows. I began to wave to the drivers as they rumbled past, if I was on foot. And after joining a rush of coverall-clad vineyard workers who had descended onto a cozy bistro in the tiny village <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berg%C3%A8res-l%C3%A8s-Vertus">Bergères-lès-Vertus</a> to eat a hearty buffet lunch, the machines took on an even more human dimension and seemed downright friendly.<br />
<br />
It was but one element of many that makes Champagne what it is today - technology next to old-world practices. Most important are the people who make it all come together, who do their part to create something wonderful for the world to enjoy. </div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0Reims, France49.258329 4.031696000000010849.092501500000004 3.7089725000000109 49.4241565 4.3544195000000112tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-83768058151638298752013-06-06T21:46:00.000-07:002013-07-10T19:29:27.188-07:00Champagne Thiénot - Reunion with Garance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special gift from our visit with Garance - 2002 Grande Cuvee Alain Thi<span style="color: black;">é</span>not</td></tr>
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Reims was our first destination on this trip for a 3-day mad dash around the Champagne region. And first on the list of a packed itinerary was a visit with Garance Thiénot, the capable and lovely Director of PR at <a href="http://www.thienot.com/">Champagne Thiénot</a> and daughter of founder Alain.<br />
<br />
Our first meeting had been only a couple of weeks before at a special Champagne dinner at the <a href="http://www.plumedhorse.com/">Plumed Horse</a>, one of my favorite restaurants. The San Francisco Bay Area had been the last stop for Garance in a big cross-country US tour, and despite this she looked classy in French boho chic as she graciously introduced the house (established in 1985) and its Champagnes to the expectant crowd of diners. When told that we’d be visiting Reims very soon, she generously extended an offer of a personal tour of the Thiénot facilities.<br />
<br />
The appointment was the very same afternoon we arrived in France. We’d driven from the airport in Roissy to Reims - Champagne country! After crashing for half an hour on the wildly floral bedding in our suite at the gorgeous <a href="http://www.lescrayeres.com/">Domaine Les Crayères</a> - a château in the heart of Reims sitting on 7 hectares of lush vegetation - we dragged our jet-lagged bodies out into the grayness and rain to attempt driving to Thiénot in nearby Taissy.<br />
<br />
(Of course we got lost. Roundabouts take some getting used to. And nearly every place we would go to in Reims and Burgundy, including here, was on some really tiny street that did not show up on digital map data. Heck, some villages didn’t even show up on the maps. Getting to places = Looking at maps beforehand, making vague approximations, panic, pointing, and frantic exclamations of “Here! Turn <b>here</b>!!”)<br />
<br />
For a “small” Champagne house, Thiénot was very state of the art! It boasts a very modern facility in an nondescript industrial complex that, if I remember correctly, also had an airplane parts manufacturing company nearby. It was a relief to come in from the rain, although of course the facilities - once we left the cozy lobby - were a chilly 10 degrees Celsius as dictated for all Champagne working areas and storage.<br />
<br />
We just happened to visit during the week where most Champagne houses were <i>en tirage</i> - bottling for the 2012 harvest - and workers were busy with a noisy, conveyer-belt style bottling machine. Clink-clink-clink-clink! times hundreds of bottles, and you get the idea.<br />
<br />
This was after we’d walked through a narrow space containing many steel fermentation tanks with the openings for gas to escape at the top. (Explosions would be bad.) The tanks were inscribed with the house name, very classy. Thiénot prefers to control everything, including the induction of <a href="http://wine.about.com/od/vineyardvocab/g/Malolacticfermentation.htm">malolactic fermentation</a> - I later learned some some makers wait for nature to decide, but this is not scalable for a growing house with greater production volumes.<br />
<br />
Garance moved us into the next large space, where a hulking machine out of Star Wars was the centerpiece against a backdrop of crates upon crates of bottles in storage - all the way up to the high ceiling. She was very proud of this machine that stacks bottles into crates en masse - it was acquired last year and is affectionately called “Le Nain Jaune”, or “The Yellow Dwarf”!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqe6wFAjLhck6ZRJ4ubCM2YibNFE-mgYdajsDGuY3jH763ORrJUH408z2Ve1JgSZcdSaPxOft053BNUHwV-jUN7XANeI1Kb9zjOx7VcHCU_sR3PUk-mejdNUc6MdO6dOhjBkx_HN1-o9E/s1600/lenainjaune.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqe6wFAjLhck6ZRJ4ubCM2YibNFE-mgYdajsDGuY3jH763ORrJUH408z2Ve1JgSZcdSaPxOft053BNUHwV-jUN7XANeI1Kb9zjOx7VcHCU_sR3PUk-mejdNUc6MdO6dOhjBkx_HN1-o9E/s1600/lenainjaune.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottle-stacking machine did resemble Le Nain Jaune!</td></tr>
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I learned about the <i>remuage</i>, or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkling_wine_production#Riddling">riddling</a>, of the Champagne bottles - it can be done the old fashioned way, <i>fait à la main</i> (manually) in <i><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=remuage+pupitres&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ywyxUeqtEZLD4AO31IEI&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=911&bih=515">pupitres</a></i> or in giant, cubic machines. Obviously it’s faster with the machines - most Champagne houses, I learned, will do the careful bottle rotations manually for special cuvées and vintage bottlings, and the “regular” editions in the machines.<br />
<br />
Garance showed us some crates of unlabeled bottles, stored perfectly upside down - <i>sur point</i> - so that the sediment settles into the neck of the bottle. The necks are then frozen in a special liquid and the put into a machine where the seal/cap (no cork yet!) is removed - BAM! - the pressure (400 - 600 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_(unit)">kPa</a> per bottle) forcibly ejects the sediment and the “disgorgement” is done! Again, this can be done manually but obviously it’s not pleasant and a bit dangerous. Thanks, technology!<br />
<br />
Then comes the <i>dosage</i> - you lose some liquid with disgorgement, so you need to add some back in the bottle. Excitingly, this is where sugar levels are set to determine what kind of Champagne results - dry (brut), semi-sweet (demi-sec) or sweet (sec) - or whatever level in between suits the <i>chef du cave</i>’s fancy.<br />
<br />
After, there were the machines for the corks and wire cages … labeling … palettes of cases ready to ship. Garance makes sure that there are enough supplies to ship constantly throughout the year. The facility also handles Champagnes from two other labels, but they keep them separate from the house’s namesake products.<br />
<br />
Although Thiénot may be considered small compared to the massive houses like Mumm, it’s clear that they are gearing up for the big time. In fact, they’re already the <a href="http://champagnewinemaison.com/?p=549">Champagne of choice for the Academy Awards</a>!<br />
<br />
Before leaving - Garance was so sweet to spend time with us especially since she had to rush off to pick up her two children from school - she presented us with a bottle of 2002 <a href="http://www.thienot.com/#/fr/page/champagne/cuvee-alain-thienot">Thi<span style="color: black;">é</span>not 'Grande Cuvee Alain Thi<span style="color: black;">é</span>not'</a>! We were flabbergasted and delighted.<br />
<br />
After we made it back to Les Crayères, we relaxed at the beautiful lounge La Rotonde, with stunning views of the gardens. We were presented with “welcome Champagne” glasses - I didn’t even know what it is was we drank but who cares?! We’d made it! We were in Champagne country, and had already completed one appointment on my massive list. I was exhausted, but thrilled. The journey had begun.</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0Taissy, France49.21426 4.093792000000007649.172762000000006 4.0131110000000074 49.255758 4.1744730000000079tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-47508695029381999832013-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:002013-06-12T15:49:29.261-07:00The Tasting Notes Spreadsheet of Doom!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Booty yielded from my Master Spreadsheet!</td></tr>
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<br />
No, not of doom … but of absolute wonder! But it sure took some work to gather all my notes, written haphazardly onto hotel notepad papers and the backs of large receipts. You’d think I’d have been more prepared, but you know what? I’d already done hours upon hours of work researching, contacting all the winemakers (in French!), and putting together each day’s schedule that I hadn’t thought as far as preparing a small notebook to bring with me. (I had my journal, of course, but that was a little too unwieldy.) Organizing the trip activities was admittedly exhausting, but absolutely worth the effort.<br />
<br />
After coming home, I fired up a blank spreadsheet and got going. It has 12 tabs, one for each house or location visited (I consolidated the Champagne houses into one). I didn’t even include one house in Burgundy since every single wine I’d tasted there was a total disappointment! Each spreadsheet has 12 columns to cover everything from appellation to plot names, tasting notes, relevant info about the plot or the like, online resources for that wine, etc.<br />
<br />
I highlighted all the wines I’d noted as a favorite or standout, and then created a fresh spreadsheet called <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Arqkv8877vAedDRwN2dmcUlVQUtDUHllck9aQ05tc0E&usp=sharing">“Les Vins que J’aime” (“The Wines I Love”)</a>. I separated wines from different houses by a simple red line - it helps break it up visually.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snapshot of a section from the Master Spreadsheet</td></tr>
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Now I had my Master Wish List. I visited my awesome local store <a href="http://www.artisanwinedepot.com/">Artisan Wine Depot</a>, armed with a printed copy, to see what I could find! With the help of Curt Polikoff, Burgundy expert (he loves that <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-corton+grand+cru">Hill of Corton</a>!) and certified sommelier, I left with three wonderful bottles that I can’t wait to try.<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Bouchard Père et Fils Aloxe Corton 2010 (Pinot Noir)</li>
<li>Joseph Drouhin Beane Blanc “Clos des Mouches” Premier Cru 2010 (Chardonnay)</li>
<li>Domaine Thierry Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin "Vigne Belle" 2009 (Pinot Noir)</li>
</ul>
<br />
(It bears saying that this purchase set me back over $200 … but it’s Burgundy. Sigh.)<br />
<br />
My main worry is that I’m getting really spoiled by the amazing wines I tasted on my trip. But I’m not going to stop tasting and trying different wines from different places. I tried a $8 bottle of La Granja Tempranillo 2011 from Spain a month ago - an impulse purchase from Trader Joe’s - with a simple rice bowl dinner and it was fun!<br />
<br />
You don’t always need to have the most complex and beautiful wines all the time. Sometimes you want to stop analyzing and just drink! It *is* alcohol after all, people, so cheers! A la votre! </div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513104243917512552.post-51564729327495839172013-06-06T21:12:00.000-07:002013-06-06T21:27:46.871-07:00The Palette Expanded (and Mind Blown)!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mess of wine tasting notes, waiting to be organized.</td></tr>
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Reims, Burgundy, and just barely (one day), Paris: Ah, la France, <i>la patrie du vin</i>. After 12 days of tasting, spitting, eating, and getting lost on autoroutes and in tiny villages, I had countless hotel notepad papers full of tasting note scribbles jammed into a folio and a journal bursting with recountings of adventures.<br />
<br />
As I attempted to organize my notes, I found myself wanting a CTRL+F (find) function to look up certain things or events. Sadly, this doesn’t work for hand-written documents, much less the messy chicken scratch my penmanship degraded into when my wrist fatigued. (I write. A lot. I give every detail because otherwise I will forget!)<br />
<br />
So, I decided to document my experiences here in a somewhat cleaned-up fashion. That way I can share my experiences with curious minds, as well as look anything up easily. I’ll also add my notes about wines and foods I try as I go along, post-trip.<br />
<br />
Discovery Highlights:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I love me Chassagne-Montrachet and Chablis for Blancs.</li>
<li>I love me Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny for Rouges.</li>
<li>Crémant de Bourgogne is a great apéritif drink!</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goug%C3%A8re">Gougères</a> are a great way to start a meal. (I want my cheesy poofs!)</li>
</ul>
<br />
I’ll summarize my Voyage Découverte this way:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I’ve had a first chance to see and taste the land through wine, liqueurs, and food. </li>
<li>I’ve met colorful folks in the wine industry, from dirt-beneath-the-fingernails winemakers (e.g. Bernard Rion) to slick young tour guides in the Big Houses (e.g. Mumm Champagne).</li>
<li>I’ve been held hostage by an autoroute toll booth. (Never again!!)</li>
<li>My taste buds exploded slowly over the days, beautifully. I am full of wonder. I want to return. I want to learn more. </li>
</ul>
<br />
I think something is happening to me, and you bet I’m going to let it develop. I can’t wait to see what it will be.</div>
Susan R Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212125861847049699noreply@blogger.com0