The fabulous 2017 Chablis by Thomas Pico

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burgundy, chablis, Chardonnay, maison sota, paris, pattes loup, thomas pico

The face of a man who works tirelessly in the vineyard. Thomas also just returned from a market visit to Japan, and headed straight to the Les Penitentes tasting, an off-fair in Angers during the St Jean de Greniers and Salon de la Loire.

After the meager allocation of the 2015 and 2016 vintages, and supplemented by the delicious Vin de France from Limoux, which is now discontinued, we are now fully stocked with the superb 2017 vintage Chablis. This wine is a blend of sites all in Courgis, a small village in the Chablis appellation with 250 inhabitants. The other well known family and producer are Alice & Olivier de Moor, which whom Thomas share similar philosophies, and also learned from.

William Kelly describes it: “..wafts from the glass with aromas of fresh apple, white flowers and marzipan, followed by a medium to full-bodied, broad and satiny palate that’s racy but enveloping, with superb cut and definition despite its comparatively broad shoulders and textural profile.” RP 92 p

While this is not classic, the style is still very much Chablis, from hand harvest and natural ferment and low sulphur at bottling. It is the kind of wine that carries itself very well with modern haute cuisine found around the world, where chefs focus on the purity of ingredients, reducing butter, and giving each dish an acid lick.

Maison Sota appears to be Japanese Chalet that is set in a narrow side street of the 11th arrondissement. Currently, the lower floor is empty, leavings guests guessing what will happen in the future – a dance hall?

The produce is selected from a top supplier in one of France’s departements. Chef Atsumi’s classical training and Japanese perfectionism is seen and tasted across the small and large menu set at Euro 95 / 140. I have rarely tasted sweetbread and pigeon of this quality and cooking.

3 rue Saint-Hubert
75011 Paris

Tel: +33 (0)1 43 38 61 95 Email: contact@maison-sota.com

Cru Beaujolais, why Gamay needs to be your new Pinot Noir

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anne sophie dubois, Bangkok, beaujolais, beaujolais nouveau, burgundy, cru, la soeur cadette, richard rottiers, thyme eatery, tue boeuf

We think its time to share the excitement for wines coming from southern Burgundy, and make Gamay your next Pinot Noir! There is simply no better value in the market right now for fine wines. Join us and 3 other importers at this tasting, which also falls on the kick off date for Beaujolais Nouveau campaign 2019. That’s on Nov 21st! To book please call Thyme Eatery Tel 02 678 133

Come taste wines from young and dynamic growers, and also the older established families that are farming Gamay and Chardonnay organically and capturing a lot of space of wine lists around the world. These are delicious wines that will surely capture your heart.

We will be sampling the following 5 wines La Souer Cadette, a Bourgogne Blanc from Macon and their Julienas, then Richard Rottiers’ Moulin A Vent, Anne Sophie Dubois’ Fleurie plus from the Touraine also Clos du Tue Boeuf La Butte, a Gamay grown in the Loire.

Other names present this evening include Bret Brothers, Domaine Lafarge, Thibault Liger Belair, Deux Montille, La Soufrandiere, Terres Dorees, Domaine de Fa, and Jean Foillard.

Tickets are Thb 1,000 and include a food voucher for Thb 500 to be used the same evening. Taste 20 wines or order any at special thb 200 by the glass

 

Clos des Chezeaux, Gevrey Chambertin

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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

Coche Dury, perhaps the finest white wine in the world

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burgundy, Chardonnay, coche dury, meursault, off track france, raphael coche, reduction

There is a place, somewhere off the beaten path, which we are unable to divulge. This restaurant is owned by a chef and avid wine collector, who for many years traveled to Burgundy and Champagne to find vinous jewels. This is where I first came across a Coche Dury, and realized there is no other wine like it, and also conclude no other restaurant will offer at this price.

It is positive that long-time buyers are offered reasonable ex-cellar prices, which we newbies are not. Despite the difference, we remain upbeat for this brightly shining village Meursault, as the stellar 2015 is already trading at a higher prices in Hong Kong and New York.

Below is a good description of this fine Burgundy producer by Steen Öhman, the editor, writer and owner of Winehog.org, a blog which was launched in 2011 and is a site focused solely on the wines of Burgundy. Please allow me to quote him:

What is so special about Coche-Dury

Coche-Dury has almost legendary status among wine connoisseurs, and rightly so. His wines are something special, and he almost have the same status as Henri Jayer, who was quite unique in Vosne Romanee.

Coche-Dury – bouquet and taste

Coche-Dury are very expressive wines that really jumps from the glass. It is not subtle or for that matter aristocratic wines, no they are quite flamboyant wines of almost incredibly high quality.

The first thing you notice is the assertive bouquet of gun powder and hints of popcorn – which can be very distinctive when the wines are young. They also have quite a considerable note of new oak, which together with the various nuances of the Chardonnay grape gives a complex and challenging nose.

On the palate the wines has very fine textures and freshness that comes from both the soil and the fine acidity structure. The wines are never overripe, but retain their suppleness and finesse. There is a pronounced Coche style, but this does not prevent the individual vineyards terroir to shine through. They are terroir wines but have a quite distinctive style that characterizes all the wines from the domaine.

Why does Domaine J.-F. Coche-Dury make better wine?

A large part of the explanation for the high quality is most likely found in the vineyards, where a thorough work combined with very old vines in several vineyards yield some special wines. He manages to make wines that are both fresh and resilient although the concentration is quite high, something very few manufacturers are able to match.

Coche-Dury are, of course, also very skilled in the cellar, but I think it is in the vineyards he makes the big difference, which is probably one of the reasons that nobody has been able to copy his style and qualities.”

For the full article read here.

 

Domaine Robert Denogent, Maconnais

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burgundy, Chardonnay, domaine robert denogent, france, macon, old vines, pouilly fuisse, st veran

To quote from legendary U.S. wine importer Kermit Lynch “I consider the whites of the region, Macon, Saint Veran, and Pouilly Fuisse, to be proper white Burgundies. Here we have similar soils, the grape is Chardonnay, and the difference between the appellations are no more than passionately interesting questions of personality. Deciding whether to serve a Macon blanc or a Meursault is not a question of which is the best wine. It is an exercise in forming the most appropriate alliance between the wine and the plate it will accompany, or the environment in which it will be served.”

He continues “Macon blanc should be light-bodied, never above 12 percent alcohol, St Veran is rounder than Macon Blanc, but simpler than Pouilly Fuisse. It will tolerate a bit of new oak.” These paragraphs are from his book Adventures on the wine route, published in 1988. Of course the world today as well as the wine isn’t how it was back then. Kermit Lynch later became the importer of Robert Denogent, and the estate’s ambitions and hard work paid off,  so that the family’s reputation resonates more to  “These are wines of a much different class, whose reflection of terroir is one more likely found farther north in the prestigious Côte d’Or.” according to Kermit.

We suggest you try this old St Veran, which appears to be the most mineral, and decide later, if you are interested in the Macon Les Sardines, potentially sublime house Burgundy with texture, spice and honeysuckle, or in one of the two Pouilly Fuisse cuvees based on 60-80 year old vines from blue schist or clay limestone soils.

Neil Martin for Robert Parker writes “The wines from Domaine Robert Denogent are distinctive, beautifully crafted and manage to express their terroir with great clarity. You might assume that the extended time in barrel might dominate the style of the cuvées, perhaps erase some of the nuances of terroir, but they do not impede at all. The 2014 Saint Veran Les Pommards Vieilles Vignes offers fragrant scents of yellow flowers, mirabelle and cold granite on the nose: very well defined and gaining intensity all the time in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with a touch of apricot on the entry, extremely well judged acidity and a nonchalant, harmonious finish with hints of grapefruit and yellow plum. This is simply delicious. 91 points”

A gift of gold

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burgundy, cellar, Chardonnay, cote d'or, france, meursault, potinet ampeau

The village of Meursault ranks among the 3 most illustrious names for white Burgundy (Chardonnay) with Puligny Montrachet and neighboring Chassagne Montrachet.

While there aren’t any Grand Cru vineyards the very best 1er crus are distinctive with fatness, richness and nutty-butteriness. Surely on the top of every collector’s favorite will be Coche Dury or Comte Lafon, known for their amazing density and long life, plus also Roulot, Colin-Morey or Arnaud Ente. Each have resounding names and resonate prestige, however they are pricey and Coche Dury will sell at a multiple of 10 compared to the rest (Euro 2,000 per bottle in Europe).

Today’s offer is from the 1er Cru Perrières vineyard, in fact worthy of Grand Cru status, as it shows a mineral edge, earthy richness, and complex fruit profile.

So how did we come about offering the Potinet Ampeau at such a fair price and is it worth it? We say absolutely!

The relationship with Patricia and Alain Corcia allows us to tap into the cellars of this estate, which owns more than 20 acres, but remains under the radar. They already exported to the USA in 1920, but as one generation decided to work as professionals outside of the cellar, their wines remained unknown to the broad market until Vincent Durieux took over in 1993. His work is very traditional and these classic wines need time.

Please consider yourself lucky to try this late release from their cellar in Monthelie. Just in time to cater to your special evening.

Should you like this wine, we also recommend the rounder Potinet Ampeau’s Meursault Charmes 2004, or compact Puligny Montrachet Champs Gain 2010, with an even longer life ahead.

Domaine Henri Delagrange, Burgundy

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burgundy, french wine, hautes cotes de beaune, henri delagrange, Pinot Noir

“No view, no landscape, however varied, picturesque or grandiose can make me forget my little valley in Bourgogne”. So wrote Alexandre Dumas of a valley in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. The Hautes Côtes overlooks the Côte de Beaune from the west, lying between Maranges and Ladoix-Serrigny. The interior is a succession of hills and valleys. The vines cover the sunny slopes at the foot of a limestone cliff.

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If you are just starting to get into Burgundy this may be no better way to start than with Didier Delagrange’s Hautes Cotes de Beaune. Made from grapes sourced 150 meters above the Pommard valley, this charming Pinot Noir offers aromas and flavors of violet, cherry, raspberry and crushed strawberry. It’s difficult to find a tastier red Burgundy at this price.

The domaine itself is in Volnay, Côte d’Or, and the family own fourteen and a half hectares of vines in the best situations in Côte de Beaune.

The family Domaine has been in existence for more than six generations. From 1978, it included the vines of Gisèle Verdereau and Henri Delagrange who then worked 6 hectares, mainly in Volnay and Pommard. Didier joined the business in 1990, after completing his viticulture studies, and worked with his parents until 2003. Having the foresight in 1999 to purchase land and plant on the underused slopes of the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune has paid off in spades for Delagrange family. Didier Delagrange’s Bourgogne Rouge is hand-harvested, spends 15 days in open tanks and is aged for 10 months in both oak barrels and steel tanks.

 

 

 

Domaine de la Cadette, Vezelay, Burgundy

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burgundy, Chardonnay, la cadette, montanet thoden, vezelay

In 1989 I was lucky enough to have traveled to Marc Meneau’s Esperance in Vezelay – then one of France’s top dining destinations with 3 Michelin stars. I suppose everyone visiting this part of Burgundy will have remembered the restaurant, and quickly forget the name of the town. Not because it’s insignificant, but the restaurant was located several kilometers below the beautiful mountain top and likely wasn’t visited as often.

Fast forward to 2014. I was wondering around Millesime Bio, the largest organic wine fair in Montpellier, searching for Thomas Pico’s (Domaine Pattes Loup) father and sat down next to the charming and energetic Valentin Montanet. We did not really discuss his wines,  and focused on all sorts of things including his favorite honeymoon destination – Thailand. I parted, saying I would call him up when visiting Chablis few months later.

 

In April 2015 I arrived chez Domaine Montanet Thoden (the estate has to official names as one part of the vineyards is owned by his mother, the other his father) before flowering started in the vineyards. Only then did I realize I was in the same village as Marc Meneau’s restaurant. Now closed for business and as Valentin said “the days when Americans flew in by helicopter to lunch in one and go for dinner in another 3-star Michelin are over. This is now a sleepy village.”

No Michelin, who cares – Valentin offered the best beef tartar and a gorgeous plum in a small hidden bistro! And thank god the wines also improved! So good, they are now listed in many natural wine bars from Paris to Tokyo and Hong Kong. Made from beautiful old vine Chardonnay, organically grown on limestone soil, these are the prime ingredients for a mineralic Chardonnay comme un Chablis, but with subtle citrus, nutty essence with white flowers.

“It is easy to determine why many of the great restaurants of Europe including Le Chateaubriand and others stocks the wines of this domaine. They are pure, delicate and flavorsome.” Sue Dyson and Roger McShane, Living Wines

One of France’s affordable trophies, and perfect lucky find!

 

Interview Bruno Lorenzon, Domaine Lorenzon

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bruno lorenzon, burgundy, carline, domaine lorenzon, mercurey, Pinot Noir

Name: Bruno Lorenzon

Winery: Domaine Lorenzon

Town/Country: Mercurey, France

1. Which spot in your vineyard is the most special and why?

The slope on top of the Champs Martin vineyard.  It is very chalky, not much clay and lots of stones, which gives our wine its purity and elegance.

2. If you link the dots in your life, which experience was the most crucial relating to how you make your wine today?

To have worked all around the wine world, and come back to Mercurey, realizing how lucky we are to inherit such great terroir.

Carline comes from the top part of the slope

3. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to when making wine in your cellar?

It varies a lot between classical, reggae and at time pop music.

4. Name a regional dish from your area, which matches best with one of your wines.

Without a doubt Cote du Boeuf!

5. Name a restaurant from your recent travels around the world, which changed the way you thought about food and why?

Joel Robuchon in Tokyo for its finesse and beauty.

6. If your wine would die, who or what would it come back as (person/animal)?

A great cyclist with a lot of energy!

Jean Grivot Nuits St Georges Boudots 2002

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appia bangkok, burgundy, decant, grivot, wine garage, wine glass

should decant red Burgs

Burgundians say a Burgundy should never be decanted, as the commotion would change the structure of this delicate wine.

I listened when drinking this mature Nuits St Georges by high regarded Jean Grivot , and wished I would’nt have! By the time the bottle was almost finished the good old barnyard and earthy aromas plus sensitive texture appeared as expected.

3.5 out of 5 stars