Clos des Chezeaux, Gevrey Chambertin

Tags

amelie berthaut, burgundy, domaine des chezeaux, mercier family, metayage, Pinot Noir

Amelie Berthaut – a few years ago the up and coming young winemaker, who returned from abroad, is already today a highly respected vigneron in her home town of Fixin in Burgundy. Both her parents are from winemaking lineage, owning the Domaine Denis Berthaut as well as Domaine Gerbet, which she now merged into Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet. The holdings expand beyond Fixin down to Vosne Romanee.

Her grandfather leased some vineyards from the Mercier family in Gevrey Chambertin since the late 1940s, and is now part of Domaine des Chezeaux. And this particular Clos des Chezeaux lies within the closed walls of Domaine des Chezeaux but isn’t a monopole due to the wine being used in both des Chezeaux and Berthaut Gerbet bottlings.

The particulars are old vines planted in 1929, 1941, and 1985. Located at mid-slope at 290-meters elevation. The soils are deep, clay-rich, with some gravels and cobbles. For this wine Amelie fermented 50% whole cluster, used mostly pump-overs with some punch-downs, and of course indigenous yeast to ferment in concrete tanks. The old vine cuvee was aged for 12 months in barrel of which 25% is new.

We find the 2016 soft textured, velvety and already very enjoyable to drink. This textbook Gevrey has lovely floral aromatics, ripe red cherries, leather and meatiness to it. To order email order@winegarage.asia

The free spirited Raul Perez

Tags

Bangkok, bierzo, mencia, raul perez, spain, wine garage bangkok

We love to work with individuals, who are in tune with their respective terroir. But of course some of these creative spirits always evolve, step by step, or as with Raul in leaps and bounds – such is their nature.

Born and raised in Bierzo, an area known for hilly valleys, and nearby Santiago de Compostela; this secluded region is loaded with soil rife with granite and slate, and is influenced by the Atlantic ocean. Raul creates several red wines from Mencia grape, which can be fragrant, delicate and fruity but also structured and tannic depending how it has been raised; there are camps that call it the “Pinot Noir of Spain”, while others are reminded of Cabernet Franc.

This fine entry-level is named Ultreia Saint Jacques. An easy to understand style by the whole-cluster wizard and Mencia specialist. The Decanter explains it was “fermented with natural yeast in old oak tanks using 100% stems and no temperature control. It undergoes malo in tank and then spends one year in old barrels. There’s no remontage or pigeage, and he works without sulphites.”

For us this vintage is less acidic as normal, and could blindly be guessed a floral Cotes du Rhone. Raul will visit Bangkok around 3rd and 4th November. Please contact us for planned events with him and Eulogio Pomares of Zarate.

 

“This is one of the best values from Bierzo and Spain, and a great introduction to Bierzo. It’s a more serious wine than what the wine was when it was first produced, fresh and elegant. It’s very reliable and a great value.” 93 points by Luis Gutierrez writing for Robert Parker.