News from the Vineyard

Aÿ Grand Cru "La Côte Linguard"

Aÿ is one of the 9 Grand Cru villages in the center of the Grande Vallée de la Marne. Considered like “the champagne of kings”, this region is known for producing very high quality and full-bodied champagnes. While Aÿ is most notable for its Pinot Noir (90% of the vines planted), you can also find some excellent Chardonnay. 

Aÿ is not a homogeneous terroir, which is also part of its magic. This large area is composed of various folds of the slope across the hillside which create sites of different exposition and elevation. The blend of cretaceous chalk and sedimentary slope wash create subtle and complex wines that exhibit power and finesse. Peter Liem says (and I’m sure Daniel will agree) “if Aÿ were in Burgundy, it would be in Vosne-Romanée”. 

Today, we highlight one lieux-dit in particular in Aÿ, "La Côte Linguard". In the northern part of Aÿ, in the extension of  La Côte Faron and La Côte Aux Enfers, you will find this tiny area of La Côte Linguard. It is a historic vineyard which is part of the UNESCO classification. 

Our dear friends and fervent supporters of La Fête du Champagne, Bérêche et Fils* recently acquired 1 ha (2.5 acres) which represents exactly 8,010 Pinot Noir Vines and 846 Chardonnay vines. They are extremely proud and excited to add this beautiful Grand Cru vineyard composed of massale selections vines, flush chalk and steep slopes to their impressive array of holdings. Those characteristics should create beautiful wines with a lot of tension and complexity. Cheers to Raphaël Bérêche and his family - we look forward to tasting the juice!!

Bérêche et Fils (NM)In the village of Ludes, in the northern portion of the Montagne de Reims, brothers Raphael and Vincent are quietly crafting sophisticated, terroir-expressive champagnes that are poised to rival the region’s best. Their 22 acres of vines are located in several sectors of Champagne with the three primary areas being the immediate vicinity around Ludes. A portion of the vines are farmed biodynamically, and about three quarters of the production is vinified in barrels with indigenous yeasts. Unusually, Bereche bottles a number of cuvées with cork rather than crown caps for the second fermentation, which Raphael thinks results in greater depth and complexity in their wines. NM stands for Negociant Manipulant.
Information courtesy of Peter Liem's Champagne book.

Credit photo @philippemartineau_foodart

Escapades in France

August 17, 2020
By Justine Puaud

The old saying that "a shoemaker’s children are the worst shod" comes to mind….I lived 23 years in one of the most beautiful countries in the world but never traveled all around it… Because of Covid-19, I had to spend almost 4 months in France from May to August. It was truly a chance to spend so much time there that I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to visit some beautiful regions.

BURGUNDY

I dropped off my suitcase in Brion, a tiny village next to Chablis. Our parents always say we don’t eat French food in New York so I had to eat all the traditional French dishes for the next few days: veal stew (blanquette de veau), cassoulet, boeuf bourguignon, beef on the string. And, because it was not enough and also because my sister in law is a pastry chef at Le Flocon de Sel, I ate all the different desserts you can imagine: Saint-Honoré, fraisier (strawberry cream cake), rice pudding, Paris-Brest. Then, I hit the road and went to Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune. I stayed in the beautiful Château de Comblanchien, on RN74, the road of the Grand Crus; the chateau dominates the village. It’s owned by the family of the winemaker Camille Thiriet, who has her garage and cellar next to it. The Burgundians know how to welcome people generously. The first day we went to see our dear friend Didier Fornerol in Corgoloin. We spent 3 hours in his cellar talking and tasting. He opened a 1999 Côte de Nuits Villages and a 2009 Rue des Foins, which were fabulous. If you haven’t met Didier or Camille at La Paulée, you should definitely make a stop at their tables at the Verticals Tasting or the Grand Tasting. The next day, I went to see Lola Taboury-Bize who just opened her restaurant Le Soleil in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Her Japanese chef Taka cooks delightful Japanese and French cuisine. We finished the day with a convivial dinner with some of the “NextGen” of Burgundy: Camille Thiriet and Etienne Julien.

VENDÉE

I grew up in Vendée. This region is located between Brittany (la Bretagne) and Gironde (Bordeaux). When I can, I always like to spend a weekend in Ile d’Yeu. Ile d’Yeu is the longest island on the Atlantic coast. It only takes 30 min to reach the island by boat. I rented a bike and enjoyed the charms of the wild coastline listed as a "natural site".

CHAMPAGNE

I discovered Champagne in New York with Daniel Johnnes and Peter Liem. I learned that the notion of terroir doesn’t only exist in Burgundy but also in this iconic region. I visited a friend who truly believes in the diversity of terroirs in Champagne - Alexandre Chartogne of Chartogne-Taillet. Before taking over the estate in 2007, he worked a few years with Anselme Selosse. This top winemaker is a mentor to Alex. He gave him the taste and curiosity to make single-vineyard wines. Since then, Alex has turned Chartogne-Taillet into one of the most exciting producers in Champagne today. We tasted two of his fantastic cuvées:
- Les Couarres is made of 100% Pinot Noir. This full bodied wine expresses Pinot Noir with subtlety and finesse.
- Les Heurtes Bises is made of 100% Chardonnay. This parcel expresses a Chardonnay with generous depth and racy structure.

Don’t forget that good wines always rhyme with delicious food! We went to two hotspots in Reims and had fabulous culinary experiences.

L’Assiette Champenoise
I had the chance to discover Chef Arnaud Lallement’s cuisine at La Fête du Champagne in NY. If you attended the Gala Dinner of La Fête 2019, you must remember his “Sole épaisse cuite au plat, Caviar Kaviari, Coteaux Champenois”. At L’Assiette Champenoise, there is always a story behind each dish. Chef designs his menu around Champagne and with people who share the same passion for outstanding cuisine.

Racine
Chef Kazuyuki Tanaka is from Japan and produces French cuisine strongly inflected with influences from his native country. It was a delicious explosions of flavors!

SWITZERLAND (LAKE GENEVA & LAUSANNE)

We spent all weekend with our dear friend and sommelier Edmond Gasser. Edmond is the head sommelier of the 2 Michelin star restaurant of Chef Anne-Sophie Pic and was recently elected “Sommelier of the Year” by Gault & Millau. Thanks to him we discovered hidden treasures of Swiss wines like Domaine Wannaz, Epesses Grand Cru, Tour de Chenaux, a terrific 100% Chasselas.
Check my article about Lavaux vineyard.

MEGEVE

I always went to the Alps during the winter season. It is also a fabulous place to go for some summer adventure. As I mentioned, my sister in law is one of the pastry chefs at Le Flocon de Sel. The Relais & Chateau hotel looks like a traditional Savoie mountain chalet and overlooks the valley. If you don’t stay for dinner, which you should, I would recommend you have a glass of wine and watch the sunset on the terrace. Chef Emmanuel Renaud also owns a bistro, The Flocons Village. We had dinner there one night and enjoyed a more simple and delicious cuisine with delightful wines from Domaine des Ardoisières. This well-known biodynamic domaine has 17 acres of vineyards which are planted on steep, rocky slopes. The entire production is sourced from two single vineyard sites and five different cuvées using the area’s unique varietals, including Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse, Gamay and Persan.