What's Pressoir Drinking - Les Noëls de Montbenault

by Edouard Bourgeois
April 12, 2024

I tasted my first sip of Chenin from Les Noels de Montbenault during La Tablée 2022. Needless to say, I couldn’t have had a more surprising wine that night, a polar opposite to the heady Grenache and powerful Syrah poured across the room. Pascaline Lepeltier generously shared with me and some others a taste of this mind-blowing Chenin. Her profound love for the grape variety was palpable as her eyes grew wide open while pouring the 2016 elixir from Richard Leroy.

A Chenin among the beasts of the Rhône at La Tablée 2022

Back to my desk, I did some research and found out more about why this wine was so special.

Richard Leroy is one of these prodigy winemakers who follow a vision while understanding all the complications of the journey to get where they want. Initially an amateur of wine tasting, Richard belonged to a Parisian wine club where he was able to taste many wines from around the world. Refining his palate, he decided to make his own wine. He purchased Noels de Montbenault in 1996, a domaine that had been in existence for 25 years and always treated organically. This 3 hectare property, located in Faye d’Anjou, is known for its remarkable sweet Chenins, made from “grains nobles”, these intriguing rotten grapes where the sugar gets concentrated by dehydration of the fruit. So, Richard naturally started making these sweet wines, but in 1998 the rain devastated his production, making it impossible to develop the precious noble rot. Another issue he saw with the production of sweet wines was the inevitable use of sulfur. Inspired by Mike Angeli, a neighbor vigneron known for his superb dry Chenins, Richard decided to gradually produce more dry wines and less sweet wines to eventually focus solely on dry wines from his 2 parcels: Les Noels de Montbenault and Les Rouliers.

Montbenault is 2 hectares and planted with 40 year old vines at the top of the hill overlooking the Layon River. The soil is composed of schist on top of a volcanic bedrock. The vineyard is exposed to the south and benefits from useful windy conditions that help in drying out the vines, which limits the development of diseases.

Schist in Noels de Montbenault

Richard follows the biodynamic principles and his aversion for sulfur has grown to the point that he now only uses 20mg of SO2/liter compared to the conventional 150 to even 180 mg/liter commonly used by French winemakers on average. Even the barrels he purchases have never been treated with sulfur.

Of course, when a winemaker decides to forgo sulfur in winemaking, the risks of flaws in wine start to emerge. One of them, known as “mouse”, a descriptor for an undesirable dusty aroma, became a center of Richard’s attention and he was able to understand its phenomenon and of the two vintages I was lucky enough to taste, none were affected by mousy aromatics. Instead, the ethereal purity and freshness in both the 2016 and the 2017 were the signature of these magnificent Chenins, reminiscent of almonds and sharp citrus.

What's Pressoir Drinking? A vertical of Montrachet with Domaine des Comtes Lafon

Daniel Johnnes

March 6, 2024

The grand finale to La Paulée 2024 brought us back to New York after a week in Los Angeles celebrating all of Burgundy. It was a fitting finale as it proved to be one of the most historic dinners of La Paulée since the first one in 2000. The punctuation point on this Paulée featured one of my closest friends in Burgundy, Dominique Lafon, with wines from his best vineyard, Montrachet.

Dominique retired two years ago but will still make appearances for special occasions celebrating his family domaine and to support his successors: his daughter Léa Lafon and nephew Pierre Lafon. 

When we use the phrase, ‘once in a lifetime’ it would not be much of an exaggeration when talking about this dinner. Even Dominique says he drinks a bottle of the domaine’s Montrachet only once or twice a year at Christmas and Easter and the only other time he reached deep into his cellar like this for a public event was at La Paulée about 20 years ago.

Montrachet is considered by many to be the greatest dry white wine on the planet. The early 20th century gastronome Curnonsky identified the world's best white wines as Coulée de Serrant, Château Grillet, Château Chalon, Château d'Yquem and Montrachet.

Montrachet is 7.99 hectares, divided nearly equally between Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. The Lafon parcel of just about a third of an hectare (.76 acres) is the most southerly plot located on the Chassagne side. His parcel dates from 1918 when Dominique's great grandfather Jules Lafon purchased it for almost nothing. (Jules was also the mastermind behind La Paulée de Meursault which he created in 1923 when he was the mayor of Meursault).

Our dinner took place at Legacy Records in the Hudson Yards district, where Chef Ryan Hardy prepared an exquisite meal respecting and honoring the nuance of the wines, allowing them to take center stage.

The first flight of wines, 2015 and 2014, was a great start and a perfect display of time and patience while contrasting vintages and their effect on the wine. 

2015 was an example of why great terroirs and great vintages need time. Its stature was clear but it was shrouded in a nearly impenetrable coat of armor. It was only after several hours that it started to show its beauty. The 2014 on the other hand was a peacock, proudly displaying its glorious noble aromas and texture. We were off to a strong start with youth and vigor.

The second course of crab was accompanied by a trio of fascinating vintages:  2013, 2012, and 2011.

2013 was the last vintage to be late harvested in October and its cool profile showed. Not voluptuous, a bit steely and minty with a good deal of reduction due to a difficult growing season that required multiple sulfur treatments. Nonetheless, the terroir shined through.

The next two wines were among the most fascinating for me. 2012 is one of my favorite vintages chez Lafon. The wines have power and definition. This one surprised me by its lack of expression, AT FIRST. The 2011 was open, seamless, textured even if it was a bit “loose”. I loved it for its approachability. However, after revisiting the 2012 an hour or so later, it had shifted gears to become a wine that could compete in a formula one race and maybe even win it!

For the third course, Chef Hardy prepared an uni and truffle dish for the 2010, 2009, 2008.

2010 - Two bottles not showing well on this day.

2009 - This wine was nearly perfect in every sense. The only downside, if you can call it that, was its youth. When thinking about the different stages of maturity, this wine is an adolescent with many years ahead of it to develop nuance and complexity. It’s all there now but not on full display.

2008  - My notes on this wine might be different from others. When It was served, Dominique called out in the room, “Daniel hates this vintage!” “Not true”, I responded. But actually maybe I do. Hate is too strong; I just find it flawed. It was basically an underripe vintage that found its ripeness through concentration from north winds and low yield. Almost every time I taste an ‘08 I find off flavors, mushroom being the most prominent. Sometimes oxidation. This one had a wonderful truffle aroma that married nicely with the dish but isn’t it a bit young for truffle aromas??? My two cents

2007 - Notes by Edouard Bourgeois: The wine almost reminded me of an American Chardonnay, with explosive aromas, very rich and opulent. The palate was layered and incredibly deep, a reminder of true Grand Cru material.

2002 - Notes by Edouard Bourgeois: Amazing, powerful nose. Almost meaty. Gorgeous, sexy palate with seducing sweetness.

1993 - Notes by Edouard Bourgeois: it was a large and ripe harvest struck by rain that gave hints of roasted hazelnut and fresh butter. Impressive and balanced. Daniel told me he had the wine 25 years ago at a Montrachet dinner and it was the wine of the night. 25 years later, it may not be the wine of the lineup but he was amazed to see how gracefully it has evolved.

1988 Notes by Edouard Bourgeois: Although a difficult year, I loved the wine. The nose suggested delicate mushroom aromas while the palate showed incredible freshness. Perfectly matured, old school white Burgundy.

1986 - A 38 year old white wine reaching its adulthood and showing little signs of decline. Majestic expression of Chardonnay planted on the most magical slice of planet earth where all the stars align to create something much greater than the sum of its parts. Genius!

Next week, notes on a remarkable tasting of mature Domaine Leflaive wines. Stay tuned.

What's Pressoir Drinking? An Italian Interlude

Raj Vaidya

March 12, 2024

Over a lovely lunch filled with pasta and laughter, accompanied by dear friends and vignerons Luca and Elena Currado (formerly of Vietti Winery in Barolo), I made a cool discovery. Nebbiolo is well known to be a pretty tannic variety, indeed those wineries that hold to the rustic winemaking style of long macerations tend to be undrinkable when young, and always needed 10+ years of aging before becoming interesting. Because the grape itself has such a high level of tannin in the skins, it has been historically very rare to introduce whole cluster fermentation here in Piedmont. Not only does the additional tannin from the stems add to the rustic palate in the juice, the stems are also much higher in water content than the same vegetal matter in, say, Pinot Noir or Syrah where whole cluster is more common. Luca explained to me that the added tannin is exacerbated by this additional water content when whole cluster fermentation is used, because the water dilutes the acid levels which usually offer a balancing effect to the tannins.

That said, the appeal of the aromatic complexity of whole cluster fermentation, plus the added lift it can give to wines in warm vintages (which are, as everywhere else across Europe, more the norm than the exception these days) has led to more experimentation. In the region, there is one cru which is particularly well suited for such experiments, that of Monvigliero in Verduno; an excellent example would be the wines from this cru made by Burlotto with some whole cluster fermentation. Experiencing Burlotto’s Monvigliero for the first time inspired the young winemaker Alberto Crissante, of his family estate Crissante Alessandria, to begin experimenting with the technique. Today, he ferments all his Barolo with some percentage of whole clusters, and in the recent warm vintages has had some excellent success.

Alberto Crissante of Crissante Alessandria in Barolo.

We drank his 2018 Gallina (from the commune of La Morra), and I found it superbly balanced, without any overtly hard tannins. A very typical Nebbiolo nose of dried rose petals was enhanced by a peppery note and smokiness I attributed to the whole clusters. Indeed, for such a young wine it was super drinkable! The subsoil is calcareous and though the region is generally not thought to be suited for whole cluster, the balance was pretty wonderful.

A lovely discovery.

Luca Currado explaining the effects of whole cluster fermentation in Nebbiolo.

What's Pressoir drinking - Château la Gaffeliere 1983

Edouard Bourgeois
January 5, 2024

I always like to revisit the great classic region of Bordeaux with older wines like this 1983 Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé of Château La Gaffeliere. I was lucky to snap 24 bottles at auction for a very good price and just on time to celebrate my 40th birthday just a week ago!

These mature Bordeaux from lesser-known chateaux perfectly illustrate why Bordeaux has had such a global reputation for so long. The high proportion of Merlot (around 75%, the rest being Cabernet Franc) offers this caressing structure of refined tannins, especially after forty years. This aging ability is in fact a signature of La Gaffeliere.

Nested between the hills of Pavie and Ausone, Château La Gaffelière sits in a premium spot and the family de Malet Roquefort, who has run the estate with passion for more than 3 centuries, doesn’t fail to embrace it.

According to Bordeaux standards, the total estate is relatively small with about 22 hectares of vines reserved for the Grand Vin produced at la Gaffelière.

This is also a wine that carries a particularly high sentimental value for me since I shared a bottle of that same vintage with two of my friends with the same birth year as mine. This was a very long time ago when we were teenagers. The wine has aged gracefully. Hopefully I have too

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Edouard Bourgeois
November 3, 2023

I thought it would be timely with La Tablee approaching to share this old picture from my phone. It was taken in 2014 in NYC and this was my first time tasting a bottle from Domaine Pierre Gonon. I vividly remember being blown away by this “simple” vin de pays. Les Iles Feray is a gem, produced from flatter vineyards at the bottom of the slope (between the Route Nationale and the Rhône) and young-vine fruit from hillside vineyards. Although the domaine is known for using a generous amount of whole cluster for the Saint Joseph, Iles Feray is made with mostly destemmed Syrah (50-80%, depending on the vintage). I made it a mission to find wines from Gonon ever since that very first bottle and I was of course amazed when I first tasted the Saint Joseph.

We recently hosted a Pressoir dinner pouring wines exclusively from the domaine and every single vintage was better than the previous one. A rarely seen consistency. I was also fortunate to visit the small domaine in Mauves and Jean, who runs the estate with his brother Pierre, was an extremely gracious host.

I have been wondering why their wines are so good. Is it the massale selection of his Syrah and Serine? The low yields? As often, I think the answer is in the acute feeling the producer gets when farming and making the wine. Jean was explaining for example that there are many manual tasks he and his brother do in the vineyard that are simply skipped over at other domaines. The échalas method is one of them, with a single stake per vine. Less and less people are capable of working that way as this practice requires much labor.

Don’t forget to watch Jean Gonon’s interview from our At Home Session we taped in May 2020. You can find the video on our website

La Paulée Recap: Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Dinner at 63 Clinton

3/8/2023
Raj Vaidya

Daniel has been dreaming of hosting a focused Clos Saint-Denis dinner with Jeremy Seysses for quite some time, as it has long been a favorite appellation of his (and mine also…) and is somewhat overshadowed in the eyes of many collectors and enthusiasts by the Clos de la Roche from Dujac. Indeed, Clos de la Roche tends to be a richer, more structured and generally larger wine than the Clos Saint-Denis, which perhaps is more akin in style to Grand Crus from the Chambolle side of Morey-Saint-Denis.

This fantastic retrospective ran us from the 2017 vintage back to 1990 and provided some really exceptional experiences and some surprises to boot. Jeremy was keen on having the restaurant be a bit more modern and inventive than a very classic French place so we tapped the skills and warm hospitality of 63 Clinton, a jewel box of a restaurant on the Lower East Side with Michelin pedigree (and a star of its own.)

Chef Samuel Clonts of 63 Clinton with Diana and Jeremy Seysses and the Paulée team: Raj Vaidya and Jaime Dutton

After starting with some 2014 whites (Puligny Folatières stole that show) we dove into Clos Saint-Denis fully, leading with younger vintages and moving chronologically back to 1990. The 2017 was the standout in the first flight, superbly open and singing, with great salinity already noticeable and yet a core of ripe and balanced fruit. I had fully expected the 2010 to be a stunner and indeed it was, though in the same flight the 2012 stood out as a surprise, much fuller than I’d experienced previously and with tremendous energy and length.

As we entered into some older wines, Jeremy spoke about ‘famous’ vintages in Burgundy and a belief he has that many heralded vintages create the scenario where a collector comments upon drinking 10 out of the 12 bottles in a case, “…this is going to be really great, someday!” The concern over so called ‘great’ vintages is that they’ll fail to offer actual pleasure during consumption…

2005 certainly could be accused of this, and even though we double decanted this vintage quite early, the wine still showed somewhat closed and burly, fine but without elegance or pleasure. The 1999 on the other hand proved to be a 'great’ vintage which is also a GREAT wine, and a delicious experience.

The last flight proved Jeremy’s point well also, with the 1990 showing very well (as expected) but the ‘98 and the ‘95 exceeding most guests’ expectations. 1998 had a lovely brooding savory quality to it, yet because of Jeremy’s dad Jacques’ light touch and inclusion of whole clusters, the wine had a balancing effect of very light body and tremendous aromatic complexity.

The 1995 was my wine of the night, classic Dujac spicy nose, salty mineral notes throughout, very light in color and body yet superbly long on the palate. Truly an expression of mastery.

The Menu and Wine Line Up

Razor clam tostada, white bean puree, calabrian chilies and lime zest

Domaine Dujac, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Monts Luisants 2014 en magnum

Domaine Dujac, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2014 en magnum

Domaine Dujac, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 2014

Grilled prawns, foie gras and house furikake

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2017

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2015

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2014

Wild caught turbot, nantua sauce and grilled spring onions

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2012

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2010

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2008

Roasted squab, braised and spiced red cabbage

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2005

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2002

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1999

Black truffle stuffed lamb chop with black pepper and comte cheese potato gratin, lamb jus

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1998

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1995

Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1990

Mignardise

Orange and raspberry mignardise

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Edouard Bourgeois
March 1, 2023

When I moved to the US in 2008, one of my motivations as a sommelier was to learn about American  wines. Soon I had my first sip of Cabernet Sauvignon from Ridge Vineyards and I was sold. But the most surprising discovery for me was Ridge’s Zinfandel. I have been a fan of Ridge wines ever since and I am always on a hunt for an old bottle of their Zinfandel. Although I am not typically a fan of big, bold flavor wines, I have always found a great energy in these wines and the powerful character of the grape variety never speaks too loudly, letting terroir express itself.

30 years ago, Ridge made its first Monte Bello, now a legendary US Meritage. Two years later, Ridge bottled their first Zinfandel. The winery has been on a constant hunt for California’s ideal vineyard so the climate, soil, and varietal are perfectly matched. To bring the distinctive character of each vineyard to the wine, they use minimal handling that is typical of traditional winemaking.

I recently acquired a bottle of a 1991 Beatty Vineyard Zinfandel from the online Acker auction and opened it last week. Ridge is known for their numerous experiments with different grape varieties and vineyards, and it is easy to get lost on their website trying to navigate the plethora of wines that have been made there. Because of that diverse portfolio, some cuvées were made only a few times before a vineyard got replanted or a lease ended. This Beatty vineyard is a good example of that, having been made only four times, in 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991.

Though Howell Mountain is on the dry side of Napa Valley, and the open, chaparral-covered slopes seem to bake in the August sun, this is a cool microclimate. With a late start and full crop in 1991, these grapes did not ripen completely until the first week of November. Anticipating firm tannins, the winery used small, five-ton fermentors; a third of the grapes in each tank were whole clusters. This approach adds a floral, bright fruit character, and Petite Sirah contributes spice and structure.

Paul Draper in 2014

Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. I was blessed to meet this true gentleman in 2013 at Cafe Boulud during a marvelous Ridge wine dinner and later during a visit at the Santa Cruz winery.

The Beatty 1991 was everything I love about Old Zinfandel. The nose at first was a touch dirty and not completely homogeneous with a touch of dusty old library. But the fruit started to blossom quickly with aeration and displayed stewed plum and roasted berries with the signature of herbs and spices that makes the greater Zinfandel very unique wines.

Ridge Winery

What's Pressoir Drinking? Some Rousseau bottles which taught me to reconsider decanting...

2/21/2023

Raj Vaidya

I recently had occasion to taste a couple of bottles for a friend and client who was entertaining at home. She loves Domaine Armand Rousseau so I took the opportunity to pick out a couple of bottles I wanted to check in on to see how they were developing. The perks of having friends with such a deep cellar!

1980 was a peculiar vintage for red Burgundy, sometimes having produced superlative wines though many of which are now sadly on their way downhill, somewhat over-mature. Rousseau’s Clos de la Roche was vastly replanted after the frosts of 1981, so I figured the vines were pretty old at the time of the ‘80 harvest, and decided to give it a go.

The bottle showed some moldy aromas at first, I even wondered if it was simply corked, but upon tasting I realized it just needed air. With decanting it opened up quite beautifully, with aromas of black truffle dominating the nose and woody, earthy notes on the palate. It was a delightful wine, light in body and not powerful but very compelling and long on the palate. I had been worried about decanting such a delicate, old wine, and so had decanted just before serving it, meaning that when the dinner guests tasted it at first, that moldy aroma lingered and distracted from the prettiness of the wine. As it turned out the wine was excellent, even 4 hours later in the decanter at the end of the meal. It would have been best handled with an earlier decant.

Just before opening the ‘80 CDLR I double decanted the 1996 Clos Saint Jacques. I know ‘96s need air to mellow the intense acidity of the vintage, indeed it is a vintage Daniel and I disagree on often, I am more of a fan of this bright style of wine while he finds them often to be too acidic. I served the wine blind after the 1980 and just told the rest of the party it was Rousseau, asking them to guess the vintage and appellation. Everyone believed it to be Grand Cru, unsurprisingly, as the Clos Saint Jacques from this domaine is Premier Cru only in name, not in stature. This cuvée often outperforms the rest of the domaine’s holdings, save for Chambertin and Clos de Beze. But nobody guessed the vintage, with several experienced tasters placing it in the early 2000s, vintages generally thought of as more rich and powerful. The high acidity stayed with the wine but the double decanting aggressively introduced a good bit of air to the liquid and brought out superb fruit and spice aromas which made this the wine of the night. I have been wary of double decanting in the past when it comes to maturing Burgundy, the worry being that too much air could make the fruit dissipate and leave only that acidic backbone with nothing to balance it. But my intuition on this bottle turned out to be correct, and the wine sang.
All around a lovely evening thanks to these two very special bottles!

PRESSOIR.WINE DIRECT ACCESS: DOMAINE CLOS DE LA CHAPELLE IN VOLNAY

2/14/2023

Raj Vaidya

The first trip I took to Burgundy with Daniel was, to say the least, a memorable one. We visited the great domaines I’d been following throughout my career; Rousseau, Roumier, Roulot, DRC, and indulged in tasting some of the greatest bottles we could find. It was around the middle of the trip where we found ourselves dining with a friend in the courtyard of the Hotel de Beaune and drinking a fancy bottle of Jayer Cros Parentoux 1990, a very generous gift from said friend. Given that we had such a fancy bottle on the table, it was no surprise that other diners at the restaurant stopped over to say hi (perhaps hoping against reason that our host would share a taste with them?) and amongst the visitors was an American gentleman who introduced himself as Mark O’Connell. Mark knew Daniel and our host well and after a little chit chat to catch up told us he had just signed a deal purchasing a Volnay domaine which he was renaming after the most famed climat amongst the holdings, Clos de la Chapelle. This was back in 2010 and so began Mark’s deep dive into Burgundian culture, along with his business partner and winemaker, Pierre Meurgey.

The wines have soared in quality, and many more appellations have since been acquired since 2010. Today marks the occasion of our fourth offering of the domaine’s wines via our Direct Access program, and I couldn’t be happier to present the stellar 2020 vintage to our club!

Dear friends,

We are pleased to share this exclusive offer of the great 2020 vintage from a superb estate in Volnay,  Domaine Clos de la Chapelle.

The domaine is named after its signature monopole vineyard which can trace its history back to 1789 when it was purchased by the négociant Patriarche et Fils. The Boillot family acquired it in the mid 19th century and were the first to ever use the name Clos de la Chapelle. In 2010, Mark O’Connell was approached by his friend Pierre Meurgey who asked him if he had ever considered the life of a vigneron. Mark has had a great love for Burgundy for decades, and had been buying barrels from the Hospice de Beaune auctions since 2005, and so had dipped his toe into the métier, but had never considered it possible to become an owner of a vineyard. With Pierre’s help and partnership, he found that opportunity and bought the domaine in 2010, with 2011 being their first commercial vintage. Since then Pierre and Mark have grown the domaine to 11 appellations and a total of 4 hectares.

Orders must be placed and paid by Monday, February 20. Check or ACH preferred. Credit card payments will add a 3% surcharge.

Thanks, and as always, feel free to reach out directly with any questions.

Raj Vaidya
raj@lapaulee.com

What's Pressoir Drinking?

January 27, 2023
by Justine Puaud

2013 in burgundy

This week was clearly epic. I had the chance to follow Daniel, Raj, Max and 4 sommeliers on our Sommelier Scholarship trip on fantastic visits in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We were really fortunate to taste the 2021 vintage. It was maybe the only time I would be able to taste 2021… but my article this week is focusing on a different vintage! I think if we have to sum up what we tasted over the last 4 days we would say that the 2021s are incredible, delicate and fine wines. We were also all shocked how the 2013 has evolved and in such a good way. Every time we talked about vintages during the tastings, the winemakers and our team agreed on how well the 2013 wines are drinking now.

2013 was not an easy vintage but it is one of the great ones now because it surprises everyone and the winemakers are really happy about it.

Here is a quick overview of the 2013 vintage in Côte d’Or - marked by a difficult spring, 2013 was characterized by a production volume well below the average (approximately 20% less). The flowering was affected by rains and cool weather. Despite a pretty hot summer which favored good ripeness, the harvest only started at the end of September and ended, in some vineyards, in mid-October. These are the latest harvests in a quarter of a century. Nevertheless, these remain historically traditional dates for Burgundy.

Our first surprise was at Domaine Jacques Frédéric Mugnier when Fred Mugnier ended his 2021 tasting with a blind tasting… It is always difficult to say your thoughts to the winemakers. You don’t want to say Chambolle-Musigny Village if Fred just opened Les Amoureuses. For this one we all gave wrong answers, Echezeaux, Bonne-Mares … it was actually a Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées 2013. Great concentration and good structure with florals, spices and dark cherries. .

Still in Chambolle, we went to see Charles Van Canneyt of Domaine Hudelot-Noellat. We did a vertical Les Suchots from 2021 to 1996 and we ended with Richebourg Grand Cru 2013. Definitely a cooler, red fruited vintage. The Richebourg was lighter, silky with a lot of elegance.

I will finish with THE Meursault Les Perrières of Domaine Jean-Marc Roulot 2013. Unbelievably focused nose displaying concentrated ripe yellow fruit. On the palate, it was incredibly rich yet pure. A big scale wine with a very good balance.

What’s Pressoir Drinking

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.

What's Pressoir Drinking

Domaine Dujac Clos la Roche 1988

September 21, 2022
Edouard Bourgeois

Most of the Côte d’Or villages produce wines with a certain signature, or style. Chambolle-Musigny often produced wines described as elegant, lean and perfumed while Gevrey-Chambertin embodies the power and structure Pinot Noir may be capable to express. Between these two communes lies Morey-Saint-Denis, a somewhat misunderstood village, where the wines made are not easy to classify or describe in broad, general terms. I really agree with a common belief that Morey-Saint Denis vineyards will tend to borrow the characteristic of the appellation they’re close to, Gevrey to the north or Chambolle to the south. With seven Grands Crus climats, including a fascinating geological study of terres rouges and terres blanches in Bonnes Mares, wonderful wines are produced in the village each year. Among these Grands Crus is the Clos de la Roche, whose name can have an interesting story. As Laurent Ponsot, an important figure in the village explains, the name could derive from the flat rock in the vineyard that was once used for sacrifices during Druidical times…

Domaine Dujac was born in 1967 when Jacques Seysses bought Domaine Graillet in Morey-Saint-Denis. After an apprenticeship with legend Gérard Potel of Domaine de la Pousse d’Or and with inspiration from his idols Charles Rousseau, Henri Gouges and Aubert de Villaine, Jacques released his first vintage under the label Domaine Dujac with the glorious 1969 harvest. 1968 was technically the first year he vinified; unfortunately it happened to be a mediocre vintage, sold off in bulk. The domaine quickly gained the recognition it deserved and is today considered to be among the very finest in the world.

Organic farming has been intensely developed since 2001 with biodynamic experiments. The domaine has also historically been known for a generous inclusion of stems during the winemaking. Jacques explains that using whole bunches helps keep the fruit intact, without bruising the berries and obviously the style of wine it produces - typically lighter colored but fragrant and delicate is what he adores. Typically lighter in color, I’ve always found these wines to have a ballerina elegance. I had the chance to taste an incredible bottle of Dujac Clos la Roche 1988 (note a different spelling here as the domaine changed to Clos de la Roche with the 1991 vintage) and this wine had a feather touch while delivering impressive presence and so much life for a 34 year old wine.  

Domaine Dujac bought their parcel of Clos de La Roche mostly from the initial 1968 acquisition of Domaine Graillet, adding some parcels in 1977 and 1990.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Edouard Bourgeois
August 11, 2022

While getting my notes ready for the upcoming Pressoir.wine Session on the fabulous Jura wine region, I thought the timing was right to offer a brief portrait dedicated to one of the greatest Jura producers, Pierre Overnoy. I remember a recent conversation with my friend and sommelier superstar Pascaline Lepeltier where we discussed her numerous encounters with the greatest winemakers of the world. I asked her what her most memorable visit was and after a minute of reflection, she finally said: “Pierre Overnoy”. She told me about the man, the wonderful bread he had baked that and shared with her that day and how their conversation made her feel, transporting her into a delightful moment, a comfort that reminded her of childhood. Unfortunately for me, I never had a chance to meet the inspiring gentleman, but I was lucky to try his wines more than once.

Born in 1937, Pierre has been making wine his own way in the village of Pupillin for five decades. Early on, as a child, Pierre would skip school to help in his family’s vineyards or with the cows. The mischievous young boy developed an irresistible sense of humor and wit that still defines his unforgettable personality. His wisdom and perpetual desire to question everything quickly led him to reject the chemical herbicides most farmers would use in the early 1960’s. If being organic then was certainly not the norm, it was an obvious choice for Pierre. He didn’t receive formal winemaking training despite a brief attendance in the wine school of Beaune and relied more on his tastebuds than the test tubes, favoring the style of wines made by his family over the more standardized quality taught by oenologists. An important leap for him was to start making wine without the use of SO2, or any other intervention. This led him to meet the pioneers of the so-called natural wine world such as the influential Jules Chauvet and afficionado customers like the prestigious restaurateur Alain Chapel.

Pierre remains known for his kindness, generosity and open-mindedness, never short of helpful advice to younger winemakers who listen to him with the utmost respect. These disciples are now well-known and sommeliers develop great efforts to add their name onto their wine lists. Stephane Tissot, Philippe Bornard or Pascal Clairet are just a few of them.

Pierre is now retired but he has passed the baton to his longtime protégé “Manu” Houillon who became in charge of the domaine in 2001. He had started working for the domaine at age 14.

The wines with the characteristic pink label are extremely hard to find today, on occasion leading to stratospheric prices, although a few mindful restaurateurs still give the opportunity to taste these magical bottles without falling for the temptation of speculation. La Dilettante restaurant in Beaune was one of them, and Daniel and I had a fabulous bottle there a couple years back, pictured below.   

This bottle was enjoyed over the course of 2 days and after being opened for that long, the wine blossomed even more.

What's Pressoir Drinking - Domaine Dureuil-Janthial

July 6, 2022
Justine Puaud

The Côte Chalonnaise

I don’t think we disagree on this - Burgundy is getting expensive… It actually gives us the opportunity to travel a bit further and make great discoveries like delicious Epineuil from the Côte Chablisienne, juicy Gamay from Beaujolais and fantastic Chardonnay from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.

Long in the shadow of the Côtes de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise has become a very beautiful ‘outsider’ which is worth the detour from all points of view.

I recently discovered the well-established Domaine Dureuil-Janthial with my husband. The first time it was at Eli Zabar on the Upper East Side during a blind tasting. It was a Rully village 2017. We then started to talk about that domaine with our wine friends and we quickly realized this is a domaine we shouldn’t talk about too much or soon we won’t be able to afford their wines.

At Domaine Dureuil-Janthial, all the wines are vinified with the same high standards and a meticulousness that not many domaines use. Céline and Vincent Dureuil are supporters of healthy viticulture and received organic certification from 2009 to 2016. From old vines and matured for a long time, the wines are homogeneous and maintain a very high level, with a real ability to age in the cellar.

The Rully is appreciated for its sharp, digestible and refined appearance. Maizières delivers a ripe and concentrated whole, all underlined with a very well-balanced woodiness. It paired perfect with the veal and the morels. It was a very nice birthday treat!

Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny 2011

by Edouard Bourgeois
July 1, 2022

A friend of mine once told me that the smell of Cabernet Franc sometimes reminded him of a pizza box, steaming with bell peppers. I always think of the analogy when I taste these delicious wines from the Loire. When kept in check, the vegetal aromas of Cabernet Franc can be really charming indeed.

I opened a memorable bottle of Saumur Champagny from one of the most respected producers in the region, Clos Rougeard. Of course, I nostalgically ordered a pizza from my favorite local joint to go with it.

A few words about Clos Rougeard are needed.

Charles Joguet, the great winemaker of Chinon, once said: “There are two suns. One shines outside for everybody. The second shines in the Foucaults’ cellar.”

Brothers Charlie et Nady Foucault took over the family domaine as the 8th generation. A mere 10 hectares of vineyards planted on soils composed of sand (silica) and the typical limestone locally called Tuffeau. If the wines today can easily fetch $500 per bottle, it is because of the incredible consistency of the quality, even in challenging vintages.

While the synthetic chemicals were the norm in the 60’s and 70’s, the Foucault family kept everything the same and they have been organic forever. Back then also, while their neighbors were buying modern stainless steel vats, the brothers kept buying oak barriques.

In a video I strongly recommend to watch here, Nady explains the anecdote of the 1970 vintage. That year, the summer promised a generous harvest, so Clos Rougeard decided to remove some grapes to control the yields. Back then, such practice was not exactly fashionable and producing more meant selling more, leading to better business, but inevitably less interesting wines. The Foucaults would then bury these cut off grapes so the locals wouldn’t gossip behind their back. It is rather amusing to see, as Nady points out in the video, that today, not only almost everyone limit the yields in July, but they also ostentatiously expose the cut off grapes in the vineyard for everyone to see…

The revolution at Clos Rougeard was to change nothing, always striving for concentration and finesse.

After the death of Charlie Foucault in 2015, the estate was briefly ran by Nady Foucault and his nephew Antoine (who also produces the excellent Domaine du Collier wines).

In 2017, Nady chose to sell the estate to Martin Bouyges, owner of many French wineries, most notably Château Montrose in Bordeaux. Under the direction of Jacques-Antoine Toublanc, the new ownership has vowed to keep things exactly the same in the vines and the cellar.

No bell pepper on that pizza but great pairing nonetheless.

What's Pressoir Drinking - Réné Engel, yes, again....

June 16, 2022

by Raj Vaidya

A proper Friday Apero ala Pressoir!

A couple of weeks ago we kicked off the summer season in our Pressoir office with a celebration, Daniel’s birthday! In celebration I thought a special bottle was in order….

Sourced recently yet from a great cellar in pristine condition, this bottle of Engel Vosne-Romanée Brûlées was all that one could hope for from a great mature Burgundy, all spice and jasmine flowers in the nose, a touch of beet sugary sweetness to the palate and lovely length and vivacity on the palate. A proper kickoff to that weekend, and to toast Daniel’s special day!

We started off with this beautiful Ledru Cuvée Goulté, making the theme of the evening ‘the defunct winery apero’, and it was no slouch!

What's Pressoir Drinking

May 4, 2022
by Justine Puaud

The Terroir of Seyssuel

Last weekend, I drove south to Ampuis for the weekend. I went for the first time to the Marché d’Ampuis. Over 65 wineries were there to represent the Northern Rhône appellations and opened 300 different wines from Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Hermitage, Saint-Péray and Crozes-Hermitage. It was nice to see some familiar faces of La Tablée like Alexis and Michael Gerin, Guillaume Clusel, Nicolas Champagneux and Yves Gangloff. I also tried some wines I have never heard of before like the wines from Seyssuel.

The history and more precisely the renaissance of the terroir of Seyssuel starts with a group of wine grower friends - Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron et François Villard - who, each time they went up from Ampuis to Lyon, were intrigued by these fallow hillsides along the highway. They had the intuition that the fields could be beautiful terroirs. They were right. If we go back to the colonization of La Gaule, the Romans identified some beautiful terroirs on which they had planted vines. This tradition continued for many centuries. But unfortunately, as in many other regions, in 1883, phylloxera got the better of the few hundred hectares of vines and the vineyards were completely forgotten.

Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron and François Villard, young producers in Saint-Joseph and Côte-Rôtie at that time, decided to push their investigations further. They found traces of the disappeared vineyard in old writings, carried out soil analyses and ended up realizing the facts: they had got their hands on a very beautiful schist terroir, identical to that of the Côte Brune d'Ampuis in Côte-Rôtie, on the other side of the Rhône, facing south. This time, they were sure of it: this vineyard had to be revived. They created Les Vins de Vienne and planted 11 hectares of vines: 9.5 in Syrah and 1.5 in Viognier. The first grapes were harvested in 1998.

I heard about this great story while I was having a glass of the cuvée KĀMAKA from Domaine Graeme and Julie Bott at Les Epicurieux in Ampuis. We met Graeme at La Tablée in early January. He is a talented winemaker who moved from New Zealand to France to work for Stephane Ogier as his Chef de Cave. He then met Julie at Domaine Ogier and a few years later they started to make their own wines. KĀMAKA (meaning in Māori the rock) is produced on the exceptional terroir located in Seyssuel. A real wine made from rocks, all vines were planted by hand with the help of a metal bar in rough mica schist rocks. It is 100% Syrah.

This vineyard is in the process of obtaining a protected appellation of origin (AOP), it should integrate the family of Côtes du Rhône, then become a Cru. The application is being studied at the INAO…

What's Pressoir Drinking - Unicorns or Lunch Wines...?

by Raj Vaidya
April 27, 2022

On Easter weekend in the Rhône Valley, I had the pleasure of lunching on a simple casse-croûte with a friendly vigneron who invited us to taste some local products with him. The spread included several patés: chicken liver, pork and truffle, foie gras and chestnuts, all locally produced, as well as some phenomenal spiced saucisson sec and some crusty, delicious local hearth bread. Of course a giant wood block entirely covered in local cheeses was naturally also on the table…

The kind winemaker opened a number of delicious bottles as we passed the lazy weekend afternoon; an excellent 2013 Blanc de Blancs from Pascal Agrapart, a crisp white from the Jura made of Savignin, and finally, a fairly weathered bottle from Saint-Joseph from the famed producer Raymond Trollat.

Trolllat is an infamous character, jolly and utterly unconcerned with pomp and circumstance. I’ve never had the luck of meeting him, but have heard amazing tales of corks pulled and parties had. His wines have always been charming to me, but in recent years the wines have been fetching very high prices in the auction and rare wine marketplaces, often exceeding a thousand dollars a bottle. Certainly they are quire rare, as Trollat ceased producing after the 2005 vintage upon retiring. But purely judging on the quality of the wines, I struggle with accepting the prices of these. So this occasion to taste an aged bottle in good condition was a treat, especially as it was sourced directly from the Trollat estate.

The wine was delicious, not the most complex example of Syrah by any means but still had lots of character and intensity on the palate. Dried black olives, rosemary and bell pepper spice, lot’s of gamey notes. Not a ton of fruit but a hint of sweetness that may well have come from chaptalization. Medium length on the palate, but certainly not short on intensity in the length. Yet this had the distinct feeling of what I like to call a ‘country wine’ or vin de pays in French, which is to say it was charming and not simple, yet not overtly complex or serious.

In the wine trade bottles like these are often referred to as ‘unicorn wines’, to invoke how rare they are. But from my perspective, this was more of a lunch wine, and it served its purpose marvelously.

Apero au Beaujolais Recap

by Edouard Bourgeois
April 29, 2022

Those who know me also know my profound love for the wines and the region of Beaujolais, where I was lucky to spend three weeks in September 2017, helping the fabulous team of Domaine Lapierre in Villié-Morgon. The Pressoir team and I were particularly enthusiastic about last night’s “Apéro au Beaujolais”, a perfect way to embrace spring. I was stunned by the diversity of styles among the fifteen wines we presented. I also really wanted to include a few bottles with some age, such as an excellent Fleurie from 2010 and a couple 2016 from top producers such as Foillard and les famous yet excellent Thillardon. Lastly, it was incredible to taste these wines over the course of the event and even after a good three hours of opening. None of them faded over time. In fact, quite the opposite happened as Max, Victoire and I revisited these beautiful Gamay (and one Chardonnay).

Below are a few of our notes. The wines are geographically listed from north to south and it was a quite a treat (and some effort!) to be able to present all ten crus, in addition to a Lantignié bottling and even a more rare Beaujolais Blanc.

Armand Heitz, Juliénas 2019

While typically bolder, Julienas made by Armand Heitz (in the Burgundian way) remains refined without losing its depth. The cru of Juliénas was named after Julius Ceasar and vines are grown on volcanic soils.

Domaine des Billards, Saint Amour 2020

Two distinctive styles can be found in Saint-Amour, making it difficult to describe the appellation in general terms. Some wines can be quite bold while other producers make a much lighter style Gamay. Domaine des Billards, a small five hectare property that ages its wines in cement and work on sandy soils, showed finesse and a rather light structure.

Domaine Thillardon, Chénas “Les Carrières” 2016

I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm for this wine. I believe it became many attendees’ favorite. This "clean natural wine", unfiltered, was the most cloudy of all and the expression “bouquet of flowers in a velvet basket” could not be more appropriate to describe it. Chénas, being the smallest cru, is not easy to come by. The very old granite that defines the land there also contain some silex which gives great tension and minerality.

Thibault Liger Belair, Moulin à Vent “La Roche” 2016

After Armand Heitz, another Burgundian producer from Nuits-st-Georges was represented here. Thibault’s “La Roche” climat is located at the top of the hill where the windmill (Moulin a Vent) is. Here, very old vines are grown. Fruits are 40% destemmed. I really liked this very well made, precise, clean and polished wine.

Domaine Coudert, Fleurie “Cuvée Christal” 2010  

Alain Coudert makes a rather atypical wine for the appellation here. Fleurie is considered to be pretty light on its feet, but the cuvée “Christal” comes from a pretty clay rich vineyard that borders the Moulin a Vent cru. The twelve years of bottle age only added to the wine’s brooding character and a touch of smoke could be sensed.

Domaine de Fa, Fleurie “Roche Guillon” 2019

Domaine de Fa showed a more classic and expected Fleurie style here. Domaine de Fa’s plot is at the highest altitude in the appellation on the steep slopes at the foot of the chapel of la Madone.

Domaine Chapel, Chiroubles 2020

The young and dynamic couple Michele Smith and David Chapel went from successful sommeliers in fine dining restaurants to meticulous winemakers in Beaujolais. They released their first vintage with the 2016 harvest with the help from the Lapierre family. Their Chiroubles plot is 2 hectares and they started producing it since 2018. At 400 meters altitude and planted in high density, it is the epitome of the Chiroubles appellation, the highest altitude cru with a peak at 1,500 feet, offering a long growing season and usually the last to be harvested. This is also a very labor-intensive vineyard where work by hand is the only option.

Domaine Foillard, Morgon “Eponym’ “ 2016

Jean and Agnes took over this domaine in 1980. Today, with 14 hectares, they belong to the top five producers of Beaujolais. The Eponym’ bottling comes from the Lieu Dit “Charmes” at the highest altitude in the appellation. 

Morgon is second largest appellation after Brouilly, and its six climats makes it one of the most famous crus. It is also known for its "rotten rocks" locally called gore (decomposed schist)

Domaine Lapierre, Morgon 2019

For the sake of comparison and to show the diversity Morgon has to offer, I wanted to show this excellent bottle from Lapierre. The late Marcel took over from his dad in 1973. He rapidly became a model in the region and was known for his generosity and commitment to working without synthetic chemicals, harvesting ripe so chaptalization could be avoided. His mentor was known to be scientist and winemaker Jules Chauvet. I am always impressed with the consistency and high quality of these Morgon, year after year. The wines are fleshy but not flashy and offer great aromatic complexity with multi layers and are simply delicious on any occasion.

Prunelle de Navacelle, Beaujolais Lantignié 2019

Lantignie is one of the 38 villages allowed in the Beaujolais Villages appellation. Neighbor of Villie-Morgon, Lanitgnie has been pushing to get its own appellation to become its own cru, the eleventh one. The land is quite pristine there and diverse too, with rolling hills, some flat lands and many underground streams.

Domaine Les Capréoles, Régnié “Diaclase” 2019

The Diaclase cuvée comes from the oldest vines of the domaine, grown on sandy soils. Regnié is the newest cru and home to many organic producers, such as Les Capréoles, who has been working in such a way since 2014. That particular wine showed some austerity at first and it took a couple hours to loosen up.

A. Pegaz, Brouilly 2019

Brouilly is the largest appellation and slightly warmer because of its southern location. Brouilly became very popular in the Parisian market in the 18th century and soon after, when the railway system developed. Brouilly offers a quite unique geological situation with blue volcanic rocks locally called “diorite”.

Domaine de la Voûte des Crozes, Côte de Brouilly 2019

Cote de Brouilly is for Brouilly what Hermitage is for Crozes Hermitage. Picture the hill with higher quality hillside vineyards surrounded by vines planted on the flat lands…

Cote de Brouilly typically boasts more mineral notes than Brouilly.

Winemaker Nicole Chanrion of Domaine de la Voûte des Crozes is nicknamed “the boss of the hill”.

Laura Lardy, Beaujolais Village Blanc Chardonnay 2019

There is no question Chardonnay performs better further north in the Cote d’Or, where limestone gives it its irresistible minerality. But if granite is Gamay’s best friend, Chardonnay can offer an interesting performance on that type of soil. Young Laura Lardy, who works organically since she took over in 2017, makes an excellent red wine but we wanted to present her Chardonnay, which she vinifies in neutral oak foudres of 600 liters.

Yvon Métras, Beaujolais “Deuxieme Mise” 2018  

We wanted to finish the lineup with the legendary Yvon Métras. Special thanks to Raj who shared this bottle from his own cellar. It is as difficult to visit Yvon as it is to find his wines. Now joined by his son Jules, Yvon started the domaine in 1988. Today, he still makes a very distinctive wine from the five hectares he tends like a garden. This Beaujolais showed the expected rusticity that characterized the producer. Not everyone loved this bottle, understandably so. I found it to be a quite intellectual experience that proved the wines of Beaujolais are not only the delicious thirst quenching juice we can think of.

What's Pressoir Drinking - Easter in Alsace

by Justine Puaud
Thursday, April 21, 2022

Easter in Alsace

Living in France, I have the opportunity to visit all the different wine regions I love through their wines but never visited before. The region of Alsace was on my top list to discover this year. It is only 2-3 hours from Burgundy and it is such a unique and beautiful region. We have a huge diversity of landscapes in France in such short distances. I really thought I was in a different country for the weekend even if I only drove 180 miles.

The Route des Vins (wine route) between Colmar and Strasbourg passes through a string of picturesque villages, exceptional landscapes and castles built in the 12th century.

Last Saturday, we visited Domaine Weinbach. This estate is located in Kaysersberg, in the Schlossberg’s hill, one of the oldest and very recognized Grand Crus in Alsace. Built by the Capucin monks in 1612, the vineyards are mentioned for the first time in the year 890!

After the death of Théo Faller in 1979, his wife Colette and her two daughters, Laurence and Catherine, built with passion - in the masculine world of wine - one of the most prestigious estates in Alsace. They formed one of the most famous female trios of the French vineyard.

Laurence had the power to breathe a new life into the estate in the 2000s. She was talented enough to refine and reveal an amazing style of their terroirs which places their wines at the top. She tragically passed away in 2014 followed by her mother Collette one year later. Catherine Faller is now managing the estate with her sons Eddy and Theo.

Domaine Weinbach owns an area of 30 ha, cultivates a majority of world-renowned Rieslings, as well as Sylvaner, Pinot and Gewurztraminer. Their Riesling "Schlossberg" had been the first Grand Cru classified in 1973, among the 51 Grands Crus of the region.

The Grand Cru Schlossberg benefits from exceptional natural conditions, granitic rock with shallow sandy soils, a southern orientation and a steep slope ensuring optimal sunshine. This granitic terroir gives Riesling finesse and elegance combined with a very pure fruitiness.

I was really impressed with the quality of the Pinot Noir. When you think about Alsace you always think about white wine, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, but they also make elegant Pinot Noir.

We tasted the Pinot Noir cuvées from the terroir of Schlossberg. In Alsace, wines made from the Pinot Noir grape variety are not authorized to be called Grand Cru - this designation being reserved only for white grape varieties called "noble" which are Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer and Muscat. An INAO commission is in the process of changing this. The Covid situation has slowed down the ongoing process, and this should be in place as early as next year.