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Irrigation allowed on Hermitage?

Irrigation on Hermitage?

by Edouard

6/14/23

June 15, 2023
Edouard Bourgeois

Hermitage: there is a bit of a mystical feel around “The Hill”. Hermitage distinguishes itself by many factors, starting with its location, along with Crozes-Hermitage, the only two appellations of the Northern Rhône on the left bank of the Rhône. All the other vineyards are on the other side of the river. Because the river turns a sharp ninety degrees there, the steep hill is perfectly nestled in the river’s elbow with ideal southern exposure providing plenty of sunlight.

It’s a small appellation, with just 137 hectares of vines, mostly planted with red grapes (exclusively Syrah), but there are some 30 hectares of white varieties (Marsanne, with a bit of Roussanne) that give ethereal and singular white wines. Although very discreet on wine lists and even among collectors due to its rarity, the white Hermitage is a wine of wonders. Once the most expensive white wine of France when Thomas Jefferson described it as the best white wine in the world in 1787, this blend of golden Roussanne and Marsanne is like nothing else and can age for decades.

There is a small group, about a dozen landowners, on the hill of Hermitage. Chapoutier owns the most with 34ha, followed by Jaboulet Ainé, with 25ha, including the vineyards of “Hermitage La Chapelle”, a wine on the list of “legends” with the 1961 vintage. The third place goes to one of the longest father-to-son-run wineries in the country, Domaine Chave, with its 25ha. A few others who grow grapes on Hermitage are Delas, Ferraton, Faurie and the Sorrels. 

On a recent visit to the Rhône, it was brought to my attention from some of these producers that after the punishing drought in the regions they have experienced for the past few years, the question of irrigation surfaced. Allowing this practice on the Hill of Hermitage, dry-farmed for many centuries, would be groundbreaking news in the world of wine. It also raises another question. If Hermitage allows it, what about Côte-Rôtie, or even further north, dare I say Burgundy?   

In Hermitage, the extreme 2020 vintage first raised the question of irrigation. Fortunately, rain eventually came that year. In 2022, a similar weather pattern brought a long period of drought and today, the conversation is no longer just gossip. Locals talk about using water pumped from the nearby Rhône River that would be stored in tanks at the top of the hill of Hermitage. It is also said that the vines would have to be watered manually (as if labor was not difficult enough on Hermitage!) so no drip system would be used.

And one important factor in the decision making of this proposition is that each landowner’s vote would weigh proportionally to the size of their land on the hill.

Although Michel Chapoutier was mentioned in a 2013 Decanter article as pretty confident in the future of winegrowing in the Rhône, I heard that he could accept the decision to irrigate on Hermitage and as the main owner of the appellation, that would make a substantial difference. Producer Guillaume Sorrel from Domaine Marc Sorrel is among those against irrigation. I haven’t heard about the others.

But after all, is irrigation even beneficial when rain fails? Grapevines originate from the Mediterranean basin where summers can make the thermometer rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And these grapes have been producing wine for over two thousand years. So is the plant really suffering that much from the drought? Or is it adapting to the new environment as some of the most established vignerons suggest? In fact, many think that irrigation may be detrimental to making high quality wine since it may promote superficial growth of the root system, since water becomes available on the surface, roots don’t need to dig deep to find it, resulting in wines with less character. Irrigation may also give wines with higher alcohol, making them unbalanced and heady.

 

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What’s Pressoir Drinking

What’s Pressoir Drinking

By Edouard

1/5/23

Birthday Wines

Edouard Bourgeois
January 5, 2023

The end of the year is synonymous with many celebrations for me because in addition to the holidays, I also celebrate a few of my close ones’ birthdays, including my own. Born on December 29 1983, I wanted to revisit the vintage. After tasting so many great wines at La Tablée, I felt particularly inspired by the wonderful Syrah variety which happened to produce structured Syrah in the Northern Rhone, especially for the duo Hermitage-Côte-Rôtie that performed really well. Considered to be the best vintage since 1978, 1983 has given me pleasurable experiences and the two bottles I opened for my birthday last month did not disappoint. That year, June was quite wet in the northern Rhône, but the months that followed were warm and dry, leading to ideal climatic conditions for the harvest.

The first bottle I opened, a Cornas from Jaboulet, took some time to blossom but it had the olive notes and the funky notes from the appellation I enjoy. Yes, it showed its age and I honestly think this bottle should have been drunk sooner, though a very interesting bottle indeed with cassis fruit. The wine remained expressive and alive with slightly fading vibrancy.

The second bottle showed best, unsurprisingly. This Hermitage from E. Guigal offered a deeper colour and more complexity. The intense smoky character laced with roasted plum and bacon demanded the right dish. The sumptuous rack of lamb with rosemary and mashed potatoes we cooked that night proved to be a match in heaven. Just like Jaboulet, Guigal is one of the major producers and negociants of the Rhone Valley. The two not only produce large volumes of wine from the best appellations, they also played a crucial role in improving the image and reputation of the wine region after the punishing Phylloxera crisis, followed by the lack of interest in winegrowing which resulted in abandoned vineyards. In the first half of the 20th century. Guigal’s Hermitage is a bend of four lieux dits, as it is common for the appellation: Beaumes, Méal, Bessards and Hermite. Although Guigal is renown internationally for their Côte-Rôtie trio, also known as the “Lala’s”, this respected producer makes excellent appellations in the Northern and Southern Rhône.

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Kicking Off La Tablée with an ode to 1990 in the Northern Rhône

La Tablée

By Edouard

1/27/22

January 27, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois

1990 was an important vintage in the Northern Rhône for two reasons. First, it offered ideal weather conditions that made for exceptionally great wines. Secondly, because this event happened in a much needed era during which these wines didn’t enjoy the great reputation they do today. In fact, besides a few producers like Guigal and its famous Côte-Rôtie trio, Robert Parker nicknamed “the Lala’s”, the terraced vineyards were largely abandoned. As a reference, only 100 acres of vineyards were planted in the Côte-Rôtie appellation in the 1950’s versus 500 acres today. And all the way through the 1980’s, the few vine growers who dared face the hard labor on these steep hillside vineyards would mostly sell their crop to the local négociants. Chapoutier and Jaboulet or even Vidal-Fleury were among them and still operate today. A fun fact, Marius Gentaz of the historic and now legendary domaine Gentaz-Dervieux was the first one to receive an offer to purchase a parcel of La Turque lieu-dit from Vidal-Fleury back in 1980. Because he already had enough work with his own vineyards, he declined the offer. The rest is history…

Going back to 1990, this ideal vintage was in fact part of a series of four great vintages from 1989 to 1992. Lush wines, evenly ripe and balanced that still evolve today after 30 years.

Last night’s wine lineup for the first event of La Tablée was impressive. Here is a quick recap on the wines and how they showed:

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Guests were welcomed with a glass of Condrieu from Chateau de Rozay. It is really interesting to see how an old Viognier can be so complex and highly mineral, especially when it seems that young Condrieu can develop a certain sweetness along with exotic aromas. This 1990 was dry and linear.

 FIRST COURSE

Oysters "Vanderbilt"

John's River Oysters Gratinées, Hazelnut, Parsley-Seaweed Crust

Domaine Marcel Juge, Saint-Peray Blanc 1990

I thought this wine showed a bit too much of the heat of the vintage and the fruit was overwhelmed by that characteristic. A bit of a downer but fortunately, nothing disappointed after that.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Blanc 1990

“The King of the Hill”, Chave may be famous for his brooding red Hermitages but he also produces a very large proportion of white wine from a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne. These whites are typically oily and very intense, built to age. The two bottles we opened were pitch perfect and fragrant with dry apricots and dried herbs.

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SECOND COURSE

Roasted Monkfish Tail

Carrot Mousseline, Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Pearl Onions

Sauce Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Jamet, Côte-Rôtie 1990

Domaine Jasmin, Côte-Rôtie 1990

Domaine Gentaz-Dervieux, Côte-Rôtie “Côte Brune” 1990

Stunning flight. Côte-Rôtie is often described as the Burgundy of the Rhône. I would agree on that for the Jamet. I have never been disappointed by a bottle from this producer. This 1990 was maybe the best bottle I’ve had. Everything was exactly in its place. A touch of smoked meat, black olives and tar, a real show-stopper. Gentaz-Dervieux’s Côte Brune took a little time to fully open but eventually displayed incredible depth and a lovely black fruit quality. Finding this wine today is nearly impossible. Finally, Jasmin delivered a great performance. Not quite as impressive as the other two but a great bottle and the only wine of the flight with a touch of Viognier co-fermented with the Syrah as well as a de-stemmed vatting fermentation.

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THIRD COURSE

Girelle Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Broccoli Rabe, Comté Emulsion, Black Truffles

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Bernard Faurie, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Hermitage “La Chapelle” 1990

Domaine Marc Sorrel, Hermitage “Le Greal” 1990

Chave was impressively vibrant and youthful, my second favorite wine of the night with a very long finish. Bernard Faurie may not be as famous on wine auctions or on wine lists but their wines are incredibly authentic. This bottle was exactly that, generous and with a touch of rustic earthiness. Parker’s 100 pointer La Chapelle clearly stood out in this flight, displaying a very modern style. It took a long time for the wine to unfold and its tight grain makes you believe it still has a few decades ahead. Overall exuberant and to me still too “one-dimensional”. Finally, the Marc Sorrel’s bottling had a dirty and animal edge not everyone loved. I would agree that the wine was probably a bit over the hill. Luckily that was the only cuvée that seemed past its prime that night.    

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MAIN COURSE

Whole Roasted Venison Loin

Blackberry and Red Wine Braised Cabbage, Confit Roots, Crosnes, Juniper Sauce

Sauce Grand Veneur

Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas 1990

Domaine Clape, Cornas 1990

Domaine Thierry Allemand, Cornas 1990 (tasting pour)

Domaine Courbis, Cornas “Sabarotte” 1990

The appellation of Cornas is the same size as Hermitage with roughly 320 acres each. But the former has been overlooked for a very long time until recently when both long established producers and newcomers changed the reputation of these wines and really put them on the map. This flight though was a perfect show of the old school artists. Noël Verset’s Cornas was probably my #3 wine of the night. At first reduced, it reminded me of roasted beets with a strong and in fact quite unappealing dirty nose. After much swirling and patience, I finally put it to my lips and the palate was much more profound and beautiful than expected. Long and brilliant finish, very elegant. Clape is still making very fine wines. It was amazing to taste such an old cuvée that also appeared a bit timid at first but eventually developed all the smoked meat and dried herbs one can expect from Cornas. I was also surprised by the high levels of acidity. The hyper rare bottle of Thierry Allemand’s 1990 did not disappoint. Multi layered and full of life. Finally, the Sabarotte expressed a soft texture and dark fruit aromas. A polished and delicious wine but unsurprisingly not playing in the same high league of the other three of this flight

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CHEESE

Black Truffle Moses Sleeper

Mâche Salad, Hazelnut Toast

Unforgettable night in NYC

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What's Pressoir Drinking?

What’s Pressoir Drinking

By Edouard

5/18/2021

Edouard Bourgeois
May 19, 2021

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 1979

1979: While Pink Floyd releases its now iconic album “The Wall”, the Sahara desert experiences an incredibly rare episode of 30 minutes of snow. That same year, some pristine clusters of Syrah are meticulously harvested on the daunting hill of l’Hermitage. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, founded in the XVth century and run by the same family ever since, without interruption, is often considered to be “the king of the hill”. There is Hermitage and there is Chave Hermitage, a step above. I have been lucky enough to taste older vintages like this 1979 over the course of my sommelier career. With bottle age, this brooding style of Syrah has the ability to keep an intense personality. For me, olives and black pepper are often the descriptors that come to mind, along with bacon fat. But what really amazes me is how “simply delicious” these powerful wines remain. Another feature that always stuns me is the incredible length on the palate.

The Chave family is a strong believer in blending. If not the grape, then the plots. The well-known Hermitage cru “Les Bessards”, often bottled separately by other producers, represents the base of the blend at Chave’s while other crus such as Péléat, le Méal, Rocoules or l’Hermite play a role in fine tuning the overall balance and nature of the vintage. The domaine also produces an authoritative white Hermitage, the result of a blend of century-old vines of Marsanne and Roussanne. Just like its red sibling, this cuvee is capable of very long aging.

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