Wine containers and how to close them

Edouard Bourgeois
April 7, 2023

We always talk about “what is in the bottle” but I think it is just as important to discuss the bottle itself (around 30 billion wine bottles are used each year) and how it is closed. Wine producers around the world work extremely hard all year long, dealing with the natural challenges posed by Mother Nature and hoping to produce the most sound and authentic wine. Once this complex process is achieved, it is time to bottle the wine, store it and ship it, sometimes to the other end of the globe. The question of finding the right container then becomes crucial.

If today the familiar glass bottle is the most used container, wine was first stored in animal leather gourd types. It is easy to realize how these containers were far from ideal because of their lack of hermeticity and a tendency to alter the flavors of the wine. A small revolution happened when terra cotta started to develop in the 3rd century. Still in use today and revived with the growing trend of the Georgian qveris, these amphorae presented a new problem - their size was often quite large, making them difficult to transport so consumption remained local. However, these clay vessels were an excellent way to avoid oxidation (if kept closed) and combined with the use of corks developed by the Romans, they played a very important role in showing that wine may age gracefully overtime. Of course, as mentioned above, once open, oxidation became inevitable and the wine had to be consumed quickly.

Georgian workers transport a qveri

Earlier during the 1st century, wood entered the scene as another alternative for wine containers. Apparently first used to store milk in the Alps, the Gauls borrowed that type of container for wine and it quickly became the preferred vessel in Europe. It offered many advantages compared to the amphorae. Lighter, cheaper, easier to stack and easier to transport, the barrel was born and produced in various sizes and shapes (although always rounded). But just like the amphorae, the problem of oxidation remained. Once wine is racked from a barrel, the rest quickly gets exposed to oxygen, resulting in vinegar.

A modern, state-of-the-art barrel cellar in Bordeaux

We had to wait for the Egyptians to come up with the idea of glass, at first created using silica. The development of better ovens and a more acute understanding of glass making took a long time. but fast forward to the 16th century and the glass bottle started to be mass produced, mostly used to store wine. In the 17th century, England took another step towards more sturdy bottles with the use of coal powered ovens (instead of the more scarce wood) while Portugal established itself as the leader in cork production with its strong supply from oak forests. Today, Portugal is still the main producer of natural corks in the world, by far.

The bottle has gone a long way and today is much more than just a recipient. Its shape and size are directly connected with local traditions. The unique vin jaune can only be bottled in a clavelin, this curious, bulky 62 cl bottle proudly encrusted at the neck. Bordeaux adopted its signature angular shoulder bottle to easily retain solidified tannins while Alsace or Germany favor the long “flutes” bottles for their crisp whites. The weight of the bottle then almost became a status. You can still find heavy and thick bottles of US Cabernet or even Bordeaux or Burgundy, that some producers may use to justify what they consider to be a higher quality of wine. However, It seems that these heavy bottles tend to become less and less used as their carbon footprint poses an environmental problem. This idea was reinforced with wine critic Jancis Robinson who started to indicate the bottle weight along with her wine scores.

The timeless “clavelin”, solely used for vin jaune in the Jura. Its content of 62 cl instead of the most common 75 cl reflects the loss of wine during winemaking.

As mentioned above, the cork is the most common choice of closure for wine bottles. Corks come in different sizes and shapes as well, the crème de la crème being the “fleur de liège”: the highest quality, harvested from the heart of the tree bark where it is the most dense, with fewer asperities. Usually these corks are also cut long at a 5 centimeter length and, understandably so, used for the more expensive wines. Each one of these “luxury” corks can cost up to a dollar. Alternatives that are using treated natural cork can also be found with the company DIAM as a leader in that field. These corks, treated against the most common flaw that results in “corked wine”, the molecule 2, 4, 6 -trichloro-anisole (TCA) are adopted by more and more producers. They include some of the finest winemakers such as Dominique Lafon who made the bold move to switch his entire closure program to Diam with the vintage 2013, bottling his prized Volnay and Meursault and even Montrachet Grand Cru under Diam corks.

A DIAM cork in the background versus the untreated cork from Relentless in the foreground

More could be said about bag in boxes, screwcaps, synthetic corks and even wine on tap.

I personally believe that it is important to identify what matters the most when choosing the container and closure options so the quality of the wine is not altered, while favoring less expensive options and environmental friendly alternatives.   

Nuits St Georges and Chevillon

Edouard Bourgeois
March 16, 2023

If each wine producing commune of the Côte d’Or is known to give wine its distinctive signature style, I have always thought that Nuits-St-Georges truly has an expression of its own. After Beaune, the unanimous wine capital of Burgundy, Nuits-St-Georges plays an important role in the region and covers over three hundred hectares of vines, with the vast majority planted with Pinot Noir. Its pivotal location in the heart of the Côte d’Or also helps strengthen its impact. In popular culture, Nuits-St-Georges was mentioned in “Voyage around the Moon” by Jules Verne and the story gets better when, in 1971, the Apollo XV team decided to honor the village by bringing a bottle of Nuits-St-Georges and left it in one the moon’s craters famously named “Crater St-Georges”.

Vineyards are planted both to the north of the village where the proximity of Vosne-Romanee is often believed to confer elegance and charm to the wines, and to the south of the village, towards Premeaux. This portion is where the most famous climat, Les St-Georges, which gave its name to the commune, is found.

A myriad of producers may be listed such as Domaine de l’Arlot, Jean-Jacques Confuron, the large house Faiveley, the historic Henri Gouges and of course we can’t forget to mention the unofficial sister of the Hospices de Beaune, the Hospices de Nuits, holding its own wine auction in March rather than in November.

But of course, here we want to speak particularly about my favorite producer in Nuits-St-Georges, Domaine Robert Chevillon. I guess what I like most in Chevillon’s wines is their consistency, no matter how rainy or challenging a vintage can be, the wines are always great. Furthermore, they’re delicious young and old. The fruit is black and succulent during the first decade in bottle but the patient drinker gets rewarded with a festival for the senses when tasting a wine from the 1990’s or older. Last year, I had the pleasure of visiting the domaine with Daniel and our host, Bertrand who, after tasting the entire range out of barrels, poured us a blind wine from a dusty bottle. It was a gorgeous bottle of Bousselots 2001, a vintage that is not particularly praised for its quality but showed wonderfully. More recently, during La Paulée in New York, I shared a glass of Vaucrains 1983 with Bertrand. This was a wine I have had the chance to taste during my sommelier years at restaurant Daniel and always an amazing experience.

The eight Premiers Crus proudly vinified by Bertrand and his brother Denis are completely de-stemmed and going over the winemaking process would be useless as it follows the most traditional methods everyone is familiar with. The wines are just like Bertrand Chevillon. Honest, generous, and full of life, without compromise.

The Power of Blind Tasting

by Edouard Bourgeois
December 7, 2022

One of the reasons why I love working in the wine world is that it presents the opportunity to surprise myself and others. A great way to experience an eye opening moment is through blind tastings. I am not always good at it, yet I love the exercise and the discipline it requires. This is also the most humbling and honest approach one can have with wine. On the other hand, I do not dismiss the benefit of tasting a wine, knowing what it is. It is a bit like when a gorgeous looking dish with artful presentation hits the table. The eye tells the palate to get ready for a treat and we start salivating! With wine, opening that dusty bottle you have been saving for years triggers high expectations and you may start enjoying the wine even before your first sip. Performing blind tasting just requires a different mindset and approach to wine.

One of our most supportive Burgundy vignerons, the marquis Guillaume d’Angerville, tells a story that really resonates with me. Guillaume used to enjoy visiting one of his favorite fine dining restaurants in Paris and would always play a blind tasting game with the resident sommelier there. The one rule was simple. He would ask the sommelier to bring a bottle of wine he felt Guillaume would enjoy, from anywhere but Burgundy. As most of you know, Guillaume runs the well-established Domaine Marquis d’Angerville in Volnay. One day, the sommelier brought him a white wine, previously poured into a decanter, making it impossible to identify. Guillaume brought the glass to his nose, took a sip and immediately called the sommelier over. Guillaume told him he had evidently forgotten the rule about serving anything but a Burgundy! Although he was very pleased with this beautiful wine, he was convinced it had been from his beloved Cote d’Or… The sommelier replied to him with two things. First, he hadn’t forgotten the rule, as this was not Burgundy. Second, he did congratulate Guillaume for identifying Chardonnay correctly.

The wine poured that night was a bottle of Stéphane Tissot’s Chardonnay Arbois Les Bruyères 2005 and it left such an impression on Guillaume that it inspired him to begin a search for vineyards in the Jura. A few years later, Domaine du Pelican was born with the inaugural vintage 2012, a winery still making excellent wines in the Jura and run by Guillaume d’Angerville.

But more on that Domaine Tissot. Meeting Stéphane Tissot is just as intense as it is to taste his wines. The joyful and dynamic gentleman is constantly thinking about something new. This level of talent is rarely seen and he is able to combine it with an amazing creativity. It is no surprise that such a character produces around 28 different cuvées, depending on the vintage, from bone dry whites to sweet “passerillé” wines with everything in between, a dozen red wines using traditional Jura grape varieties but also a fortified “Macvin”, sparkling Crémants and the most Jurassic of all, the mysterious Vin Jaune.

The vineyard of La Mailloche shares similarities with those found in Burgundy, being a complex geological mix where both clay and limestone play the most important roles. it is understandable why one could mistake this Arbois for a great Meursault perhaps. Although after deeper analysis, the unique terroir of the Jura shines through and leaves his signature.

The bottle pictured here is one that I ordered at one of my favorite places to eat and drink (and more!) in Beaune, La Maison du Colombier. I always feel like biting my tongue after telling someone they have the best wine list in Beaune but I think the cat has been out of the bag for a while anyway. That night, I was with some of my dear team members and a few clients who we had just spent the day with, drinking one gorgeous bottle of Burgundy after the other, from Montrachet to Chambertin. I decided to play the blind tasting game and ordered this “Mailloche”. Despite a much lower price point than the prestigious Burgundies, the Jurassic Chardonnay didn’t disappoint at all. Serving it blind was a good idea indeed.

A milestone celebration at Maison Clusel-Roch

by Daniel Johnnes

April 21, 2022

I was in Cote Rôtie this past Saturday attending the the retirement party of Brigitte and Gilbert Clusel-Roch, winemakers I met in 1992.

After reading about this producer in Clive Coates’ The Vine and having just started my import business, I was dreaming of adding a famous appellation such as Cote Rôtie to my blossoming portfolio.

Upon finding a fax number for them (no internet back then), I asked for a visit. Upon arrival, we spent about an hour talking about New York, wine, my background and my interest in their region and then several more hours tasting the current vintage, 1990, and older vintages of both the Cuvée Classique and Les Grandes Places, which were the only two wines they made at the time from about 2.5 hectares of vines in the Côte Brune district. Their other holdings are in Viallière, planted in 1984, Le Plomb, Champon and Fongeant which were all blended into the Classique. When Viallière reached 25 years of age in 2009, they started bottling it under that named “Lieu Dit”.

Gilbert’s first vintage was 1980 after taking over from his father, René Clusel, who officially retired in 1987. Like much of the Northern Rhone, the 70’s and 80’s were tough times, with most of the producers owning small plots of land and dependent on their vegetable and fruit production to subsist. The larger part of their grape production went to Guigal or other large negociants.

Gilbert, however, was committed to making “real” wine. He inherited from his father and grandfather old vines planted with Serine which is the legacy variety or true Syrah before the more productive clones became popular. He did all the work by hand, was one of the first to work organically and was the first in the appellation to be certified organic in 2002.

With the arrival of Guillaume who is now officially in charge, the domaine has grown substantially. Today their are about 11 hectares, 3 bottlings of Côte Rôtie, a delicous Condrieu, plus a more recent project in the Cote Roannaise.

The wines have never been better, and Brigitte and Gilbert can relax and enjoy the fruits of their hard work knowing the next generation is taking the domaine to the next level!

Welcome to our new team member Victoire Chabert!

February 24, 2022

Please give a warm welcome to our new team member Victoire Chabert!

Growing up between Meursault and the French Riviera, Victoire has close family ties on her mother’s side to Domaine Buisson-Charles. 

Once acquired by his winegrowing grandparents and now run by her cousin Louis, oenologist , her aunt and uncle, the familial Domaine Buisson-Charles has been cultivating parcels of land in the Meursault area for several generations, supplementing them with wines from Volnay, Pommard, Corton and Chambertin for its red wines as well as Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Chablis Premier Cru and Grand Cru, Pouilly-Fuissé and Corton-Charlemagne for its white wines.

Victoire decided to start her professional career in the wine industry and honor her family's work on the other side of the Atlantic after obtaining her Master's Degree in International Management. 

Gonon Dinner at Houseman

February 8, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois

Finding the wines of Jean Gonon can easily become a real mission, as sommeliers and a few savvy wine geeks hunt down anything Gonon. Although these bottles are typically not common, classic American wine collectors typically fill their cellar shelves with famous Bordeaux chateaux, well-known Burgundies along with cult Napa Cabs. Even within its own region of the Northern Rhône Valley, Domaine Pierre Gonon, located in Mauves, remains a hidden gem that produces the humble Saint-Joseph appellation. A growing number of Syrah lovers are falling in love with these intensely perfumed wines. The appellation has been subject to criticism since 1971, when the National Institute of Appellation d’Origine (INAO) decided to extend the appellation borders all the way north by Côte-Rôtie, resulting in a very uneven quality among the wines produced under the name Saint-Joseph. The heart of Saint-Joseph, which has been the historic area of the appellation, is where the Gonon family has been making wine since 1956. Their privileged location sits on top of a precious granitic bedrock and vineyards are planted on terraced hillsides, providing excellent exposure, airflow, and drainage. Chez Gonon, everything is done by hand and with extreme care. The domaine has been organic since 2004 and certified in 2013. One of the characteristics of the domaine is the generous inclusion of whole clusters during the fermentation process. I find that Northern Syrah can sometimes be too robust for my taste, with burnt aromas and a slight bitterness. I have never felt that way about any of the wines made by Jean Gonon. Their signature is a delicate but generous perfume of violets, barbeque smoke and olive tapenade with a discreet hint of black pepper. What also amazes me is how delicious the wines are whether young or old.

Speaking of age, on Tuesday at restaurant Houseman, we opened no less than 11 vintages of Saint-Joseph rouge and 2 white Saint Joseph from the lieux dit “Les Oliviers”.

Saint-Joseph makes a small proportion of white wine from Marsanne and Roussanne. Unsurprisingly, Gonon’s version is superb. Concentrated wines with typical herbaceous aromatics and a waxy texture, driven by rather low acidity and a mineral finish.

The youngest red wine, a 2018, was impressive, bright and juicy. As we tasted older wines, subtle nuances defined each vintage while keeping the unmistakable signature of Gonon. Surprisingly, the 2012 appeared to be clearly more advanced, entering another phase of its age with intriguing but superb tertiary aromas of tree moss and forest floor. 2009 and 2010, heralded for their greatness in the region, were more concentrated and powerful, promising the ability to age for another decade or two, if not more. The oldest wine, a 2007, was still graceful and suave. Not a single faux pas in the lineup made for a very memorable night among friends and Syrah enthusiasts.  

Closing Remarks on Opening the Clos

by Edouard Bourgeois
October 13, 2021

For those of you who were not able to join us at Benoit for this great wine dinner, here are some notes I wanted to share about the whole experience.

I thought the lineup was pretty impressive with, as always, a few bottles that stood out. Here are a few of my "favorites".

The wine dinner, as French as snails in garlic, (although we didn't get to enjoy this delicacy) started with a flight of the unique Champagne Philipponnat's Prestige Cuvée Clos des Goisses. It didn't come as a surprise that the 1996 affirmed its alluring personality and illustrated the powerful nature of the vintage eloquently and probably won wine of the flight (or wine of the night?). However, the other vintages certainly showed a promising future.

I loved the flight of 2017 red Burgundies that followed. I truly am a fan of the vintage and if typically in that wine region, I tend to think a vintage is more favorable to either the Chardonnay or the Pinot Noirs, I think 2017 touched both colors with grace. Although last night's 2017's were only red, I do encourage you to try some of the whites from the Cote de Beaune, they are very fine in my opinion. The winner on that flight? My vote goes to the Drouhin Clos Vougeot 2017. Once again, the respected négociant house confirmed its ability to offer elegance and delicate fruit even from a vineyard like Clos Vougeot, known for its robustness.

We then moved on to the "warm vintages flight" to accompany the mouth-watering, ultra classic "poulet-frites" as I like to call it. 2018 and 2015 certainly produced deep coloured Pinot Noir with broad shoulders. I thought that the Aloxe-Corton from Morey-Blanc was a hit. Ranked Premier Cru in the ocean of Grand Cru that surrounds it makes this plot "Clos du Chapitre" easy to overlook. However, I thought it was in a great spot, balanced and plump, without overwhelming heat.

We wrapped up with three opulent wines with the cheese course. Back to another Clos Vougeot, I was impressed with the volume and complexity of Hudelot-Noellat's 2015. We often talk about the location of one's vineyards within the vast Clos Vougeot appellation. Charles Van Canneyt of Hudelot-Noellat is lucky to own a parcel further up the hill, in arguably the best corner. As they say: "location, location, location"...

La Paulée Selections - Behind the scenes...

LA PAULÉE SELECTIONS - BEHIND THE SCENES...

by Edouard Bourgeois

April 14, 2021

We are thrilled to announce the new edition of La Paulée Selections in partnership with our wine retailer Morrell and the participation of ”Food Siblings Kitchen”.

For this fourth offering of La Paulée Selections, we kept the idea that wine is meant to be enjoyed with great company but also with delicious food. As always, we started off by picking the wines. Here, we decided to highlight the beauty of terroirs, sometimes overlooked, but farmed and vinified by some of the most talented producers in Burgundy. This selection of three white Burgundies features a chiseled Chablis from Eleni et Edouard Vocoret to start, a more lush Chardonnay expression from Saint-Aubin made by Morey-Blanc and finally the “simple” Bourgogne appellation by Domaine Marquis d’Angerville. All these wines are a great showing and truly reflect their place of origin. Being all from the bountiful and expressive 2018 vintage, the tasting experience is defined by instant pleasure and drinkability.

What about the food? We thought it had to be focused on the freshness of these wines while embracing the enchanting spring season. We asked the young and dynamic siblings Candice Bourgeois (yes, my wife!) and her brother Paulie Valetutti to come up with the right dish. Chicken, creamy-crispy, finger-licking, delicious fingerling potatoes quickly turned out to be the dish, but the first element the paired chefs came up with was in fact the sauce, a recipe the siblings created while quarantined together last year. The green sauce is the perfect liaison between the chicken and all three wines.

Max Goldberg Liu was able to capture the footage that will accompany the La Paulée Selections offering.

Order your La Paulée Selections here. The number of packages is limited.

Grands Crus from Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, at Daniel

About last night… An overview of the Mugneret-Gibourg lineup from a memorable Pressoir.wine dinner at Restaurant Daniel

By Raj Vaidya and Edouard Bourgeois

December 8, 2020

Last night we were all thrilled to get the opportunity to taste five vintages side by side from 2 prestigious Grands Crus, Ruchottes-Chambertin and Echezeaux, all from the famed Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg. (By the way, I want to remind you that the recording of the interview with Lucie Teillaud Mugneret from Domaine Mugneret Gibourg is available for you Club Members with your login access on our website).

Starting with the difficult 2011 vintage, the two wines expressed the signature of that challenging harvest, showing notes of root vegetables, dirt and a hint of a vegetal character. In my opinion, the Echezeaux outperformed the Ruchottes-Chambertin. I really found the fruit of the former to be very pretty and airy, while the latter appeared sturdier and more serious. A nice pairing with the sunchoke velouté, and a nice way to ease into a terrific series of wine pairings with the elegant menu designed by Daniel Boulud.

What followed was probably my favorite flight. Paired with an incredibly tender wood fired octopus, the 2014’s shined as bright as you could have hoped! While 2015 may steal the show with higher scores and overall praise for its muscular energy, I often prefer the more delicate character of the pinot noirs from 2014. That year, Mother Nature did throw a few curve balls though, starting with hailstorms, mostly concentrated on the Cote de Beaune, and later on, the apparition of a damaging fruit fly, the Drosophila Suzukii, apparently only interested in red grapes, thus not affecting Chardonnay grapes… However, the quality of fruit was impressive and so pure.

As interesting as it gets, we also opened a Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2008 from the domaine. The wine was juicy and perfectly balanced. Lighter on its feet than the grands crus from the same vintage for sure, but with enough personality and depth.

~ Edouard

After our little speed bump of the 08 Gevrey 1er Cru (which was actually the young vines of Ruchottes, bottled thus labeled for a period in the mid aughts), we dove into one of my favorite vintages for the Domaine, the bright and ethereal 2008’s. The Ruchottes held a clear edge of quality between the two wines, more precise without a touch of austerity, while the Echezeaux exhibited a bit more of a meaty edge while still being a bit blockish. After an hour or so the Ech’ caught up in quality, but by then we’d moved onto my favorite vintage of the current century thus far…

We paired the 2010’s with a spectacular dish of Pintade, or guinea hen, roasted and served with mushrooms, truffles and spelt. The wines exhibited the signature density and finesse of the vintage, and were incredibly long on the palate, perfectly balanced between pleasurable dark red fruit and the beginnings of earthy, tertiary flavors and aromas which melded perfectly with the truffles.

We finished with a selection of perfectly ripe cheeses and a pair of 99’s. The prodigious 1999 vintage produced wines with incredible depth and complexity. These bottles did not disappoint, though they were not as fleshy and precise as the 2010’s they followed. More of an earthy style, even a tad bit more rustic than the polish of the more contemporary bottles preceding. But the length was tremendous!

A glorious night of delicious Burgundy, what’s better than that?

~Raj

A tasting of the 2018 harvest from the Marquis d'Angerville in Volnay

by Daniel Johnnes, Max Goldberg Liu & Raj Vaidya
Tuesday, December 2, 2020

Tasting the D'Angerville 2018s was exciting and filled with anticipation as it was one of my first post bottling tasting of this vintage and I wasn't sure what to expect. Often a wine can shut down post bottling but these were true to my early impressions of the wines in barrel. It was a sunny vintage but these wines avoided the heavy, raisiny character that can show in a hot summer. They were rich and textured but had a lovely balanced freshness. Two wines stood out for me, punching above their weight class, starting with the Volnay 1er Cru. Although from several fine 1er Cru climats, this one had terrific breadth and class.

The other over-achiever was the Volnay 1er Cru Champans. This is always a charmer but in this vintage I found wonderful depth and complexity that I don't normally get. The Taillepieds, Caillerets and Clos des Ducs came in just where you would expect them to be - Superb! Bravo Guillaume…

~Daniel

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A takeaway for me from this tasting is that these wines really characterize how many growers in Burgundy (and especially the crème de la crème like d’Angerville) have mastered these warmer vintages in making wines with superb balance between richness and freshness. All of the wines were delicious and open for business but a standout was definitely the Volnay 1er Cru, which is around 2/3 Mitans and 1/3 Pitures. A clear step up in density and depth from the Volnay Village, the Premier Cru blend is only around 15% more expensive, making it a no-brainer value.

~Max

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I was also concerned about this vintage showing too much ripeness or a lack of precision but my fears were quickly put at ease. A few cuvées had some unusual weight to it but all in all the range was quite balanced. Guillaume told us that despite the slightly higher alcohol on some of the cuvées the wines of great pedigree found harmony easily, and I’d agree. As Daniel noted, the Champans stood out as superlative for its place in the line up, usually a wine which I think of as inferior (albeit slightly) to Caillerets, Taillepieds and Clos des Ducs. But the ‘18 seems on par with these in quality. I had a special affinity for the Caillerets, as I often do, being that it is the stoniest. Tremendous showing!

~Raj

Wines we tasted:

Volnay
Volnay 1er Cru
Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets
Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Angles
Volnay 1er Cru Champans
Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets
Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds
Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs

Celebrating La Paulée de Meursault "At Home"

November 11, 2020

Les Trois Glorieuses (Three Glorious Days) is the November trilogy of events in Burgundy beginning with the wine auction at the Hospices de Beaune followed by a dinner at the Clos Vougeot and culminating in La Paulée de Meursault, the famous BYOB lunch in the Château de Meursault that normally hosts around 750 guests but sadly had to be canceled this year.

In honor of the event that inspired our own Paulées de New York & San Francisco, we are drinking Meursault all week!

Follow us on Instagram to see what bottles we (and some special friends from Meursault) are opening.

La Paulée @lapaulee
Daniel @danieljohnnes
Jaime @jwestd
Max @maxgoldbergliu
Edouard @sommbody
Raj @rajvine
Justine @ju_puaud
Eléonore @eleonore_lafarge

Guess the Label - La Fête du Champagne edition

In honor of the upcoming Fête du Champagne, test your knowledge of Champagne and Guess the Label!

Post your answers in the comments section below.

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.

Guess the Label - Digital Edition

It’s been a while since we’ve played… below are 9 different wine labels which could be from anywhere in the world.

Test your knowledge and familiarity with these fine wines and “Guess The Label”.

Post your answers in the comments (be sure to sign your name) and we’ll reveal the answers next week. Good luck!

Impressions of my first Paulée de New York

July 21, 2020

By Eléonore Lafarge

Although I am from Burgundy and heard many stories about La Paulée de Meursault I have, unfortunately, never attended one. So, La Paulée de New York 2020 was my first official Paulée (the unofficial ones being Domaine Michel Lafarge Paulées!). I had an idea what to expect from La Paulée based on what my parents and grandfather shared after each Paulée de New York but I was still surprised when it started.

 I started working for Daniel Johnnes in February, one month before the event. Seeing all the Burgundy producers I usually see in Burgundy (and my family) made New York feel like home, even though I had only been living there for four weeks.

 When I look back on La Paulée de New York, the only word that comes to my mind is stunning!

 The Gala Dinner was by far the most amazing dinner I have ever attended. There were more people in one room than in the entire village I grew up in. My first thought when I saw all the tables and attendees was to wonder how the chefs were able to cook for so many people. I was amazed by the service as well. Being able to cook and serve so many people on time is quite a feat.

One of the most important features of the Gala is the wines. Seeing so many sommeliers and so many wines from different producers was very impressive and intimidating. I do not think I ever saw so many bottles of wine from different producers. I don’t think I imagined the dinner to be this important with so many wines. Seeing so many people willing to share their delicious wines was heartwarming. I had the chance to taste a Richebourg 1994 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Not the best Burgundian vintage but it is my birth year. It was the first time I tasted a wine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from my birth year, it felt like a special treat. I am still grateful that someone was willing to share this wine with me.  

A very Burgundy spirit floats in the air during the dinner. All the elements that make up the reputation of Burgundy were there: excellent food, festivity, good atmosphere, sharing and of course legendary wines.

For one night, New York is no longer in the USA but is a part of Burgundy.

 Unfortunately, toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin (everything comes to an end)!

"Coup de Coeur" Wines from La Paulée

One of the great joys of Burgundy is finding a wine that over delivers. Sometimes, a lesser-known producer or humbler appellation gives that "WOW" factor that makes the drinking experience all the more exciting. Daniel dubbed this category "Coup de Coeur" (French for "heartthrob") when creating the first wine list at Bar Boulud. Here are some bottles that stood out to us at La Paulée even among all the DRC. Of course, the great producers and appellations provide this emotion as well, but usually expectations are already high. In Daniel’s case, he already had high expectations for the wine but even those were surpassed.

Max: Domaine Fornerol, Côte de Nuits Villages 2008 en magnum

“Remontage” (pumping over) at Fornerol in 2015 - notice the whole clusters of Pinot Noir!

I worked harvest at Fornerol in 2015 so I have a soft spot for the man and the wines, but anyone who loves old-school whole cluster Burgundy will fall in love with this domaine. Didier Fornerol worked for years as the vineyard manager at Domaine de l'Arlot where he became friends with Jean-Pierre de Smet. Didier left l'Arlot in the early 90's to run his family estate in Corgoloin, the southernmost village in the Côte de Nuits. Jean-Pierre retired in the mid 2000's but the winemaking bug never left him and he started to consult with Didier during the harvest and fermentations at Domaine Fornerol.

Fornerol's wines are bright and sappy with an amazing freshness and aromatic depth that comes from his generous use of stems (100% in most vintages). His terroirs around Corgoloin are classed as Côte de Nuits Villages but the quality of his farming and winemaking make a wine that oozes soulfulness and old-school Burgundian class. I only tasted a glass of this wine at the Gala but I could have easily finished off the magnum!

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Edouard: Pierre Morey, Pommard 1er Cru Grands Epenots 1992

I was incredibly lucky to attend the legendary and original La Paulée in Meursault with Daniel back in 2018. After being told by Dominique Lafon's father René (who we visited earlier that day) that I should be able to taste up to 60 wines during the lunch at the Chateau de Meursault, I made it a mission to achieve that number. I almost made it with 50 wines tasted and although it is difficult to pick one particular "coup de coeur" bottle, there was one that really left a mark in me. It was a Pommard from Pierre Morey, a Meursault specialist, and from the challenging 1992 harvest. It was the premier cru "Grands Epenots" and this bottle really surprised me by its incredible youth and vibrancy. I typically favor appellations like the neighbor Volnay or further up the Cote like Chambolle-Musigny or Gevrey-Chambertin but this Pommard had a sweet core and a real stature that made it very charming. Of course, there are many factors that influence the drinking experience and the fact that Pierre Morey himself was sitting in front of me during this 7-hour lunch surely played an important role!

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Raj: Remoissenet Père & Fils Bourogne Rouge “Renomée” 1978 en Jeroboam

This pristine bottle from a seemingly humble appellation had a few surprises held within the confines of its three liter packaging. I learned the sneaky truth some years prior to tasting this bottle when I asked Pierre-Antoine Rovani about the name, “Renomée” upon seeing it on a label.

Pierre, the President of the winery since the mid aughts when it was purchased by American investors and a former wine critic, is one of my favorite people in Burgundy (really the world) because he is the most honest, direct and no nonsense fellow and has an awesome palate. He is also a tremendous wealth of knowledge on the history and inner workings of Burgundy. He clued me in to a little known fact about this era and prior in Burgundy; that the restriction on yields, or the amount of fruit and therefore wine produced from a given vineyard had an odd loophole. Grand Cru, the top of the hierarchy of quality, has strictly controlled yields, but this is measured not in the number of grapes coming from the vineyard or juice in the vats, but rather by the number of bottles produced and declared. In plentiful harvests, like 1978, the top vineyards would often overproduce in quantity, while still maintaining top quality. In such cases wineries would bottle the maximum permitted yield of Grand Cru to sell at market, and any remaining wine (the very same wine that went into bottles with Grand Cru written on the label) were bottled as generic Bourgogne wine, and more often than not consumed by the family.

In Remoissenet’s case, such ‘overflow’ was bottled in large formats as Bourgogne “Renomée”, or “renamed.“ Such was the case of this Jero of ‘78, it had the breadth and expanse of a truly great wine without the appellation. Of course, there were no records at Remoissenet stating what was actually in the bottle, but the wine had a beautiful dark red cherry note on the palate, which evokes a memory for me of wines from the Grand Crus of Gevrey Chambertin. It wasn’t regal enough to be Chambertin or Clos de Beze, rather it had the softness and generosity reminiscent of Charmes-Chambertin. Purely a guess as to identity because i’ve not had occasion to taste the 78 Charmes from Remoissenet, and even if I had, it would have aged differently in 750 ml than in this 3L bottle. But the mystery did nothing to cloud the wine’s deliciousness and concentration. Best regional wine of the Paulée by far, and there was a lot of it so I was lucky to get a second glass!

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Daniel - Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 1999

This is a challenging task. How to choose one wine that knocked my socks off at La Paulée 2020.

With literally hundreds of wines seemingly floating around the room and nearly every person I pass offering me a taste in the true spirit of La Paulée. I have a terrible confession to make. It is an event I have been hosting for over 20 years and while the temptation is nearly unbearable to taste as many wines as I can, I am strictly disciplined about maintaining a sense of decorum and business-like posture during the event. With hundreds of people (guests, winemakers, chefs, sommeliers and staff) in the room, it is a work day, after all. But a work day like no other. That means I have to be sober. Well, pretty sober. There are some wines I cannot resist but mostly I am focused on the spirit in the room and the well being of as many people as possible.

At the end of the night this year around 5 am when the event was signed, sealed and delivered I, with a few colleagues, settled into a quiet spot and enjoyed a very special and rare treat. In fact, 3 treats. Coche-Dury, Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres 2009, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1971 and Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 1999. All 3 spectacular wines and as the saying goes, “There are no great wines, only great bottles”. On this night (morning) the stars were aligned and all 3 bottles were singing at full volume. For me, Henri Jayer has an extra special spot in my heart. I was fortunate to know the man and would even be granted time to just sit and talk with him after he retired from wine making. I gained access to his deep wisdom and thoughts on grape growing, wine making and Burgundy overall. Having known the man only deepened my appreciation for his wines.

Insider's Look - Wines at La Paulée de New York 2020 Gala Dinner

June 23, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

The Gala Dinner at La Paulée de New York’s 20th anniversary was our biggest yet, and winemakers and guests came thirsty! Check out these facts and figures from the full list of wines served that night by our crack team of sommeliers.

Total number of bottles
2 Methuselahs (6L)
41 Jeroboams (3L)
195 Magnums (1.5L)
514 Bottles
2 Half Bottles

813.75 liters of wine or 215 US gallons for 400 guests - an average of over 2 bottles per person. That’s the Paulée spirit of generosity!

Type breakdown
65% Red
31.5% White
3.5% Champagne

As we often see, guests enjoyed the whites but quickly moved into the reds.

Classification breakdown
58% Grand Cru
27.5% Premier Cru
6% Village
1% Regional
7.5% other region or class

Most popular villages
15% Gevrey-Chambertin
11% Vosne-Romanée
11% Puligny-Montrachet

Most popular vintages
2000
1999
1996

The first Paulée de New York took place in 2000, so many winemakers and guests leaned into the nostalgia by bringing wines from the 2000 vintage.

Oldest Wines
Violland, Romanée-Saint Vivant Grand Cru 1943
Drouhin, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 1943

Most popular appellations
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Chambertin Grand Cru

Most popular domaines
Domaine Armand Rousseau
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine Dujac

Approximately 1 in 15 bottles in the room was a Rousseau!