La Paulée Des champs ~ Maison troisgros

June 6, 2024

Raj Vaidya

Our team is slowly getting back into the groove of ‘business as usual’ after a tremendous few days working alongside the team at Maison Troisgros outside of Roanne, France. We hosted three days of festivities during our second edition of La Paulée des Champs, a Burgundy extravaganza that spanned the course of two dinners and two lunches, including a La Paulée style BYO, and as I begin to come down from the high of the weekend I thought I should share some of the vinous highlights.

The first evening kicked off with a tasting of the 2022 vintage, a really stellar and delicious introduction to what will surely be an excellent range of wines for decades to come. We followed this up with a dinner focused on the 2017 vintage (a nice corollary to the ‘22’s, similar in many ways) at Le Central, the family’s casual bistro. The following day kicked off with a Delamotte lunch and several bits of fun entertainment, a classic French quartet, pétanque and lots of merry-making. Friday evening was the main dinner, featuring Cesar Troigros’ delicate and nuanced cuisine at its finest.

The six domaines in attendance (plus Champagnes Delamotte & Salon) put their very best foot forward with the wine selections. The absolute highlight for me were the flights of Roulot (Charmes 2011 and 2008 from magnum) and Roumier (Bonnes Mares and Amoureuses 2007 from magnum) but every wine showed incredibly well, and contributed beautifully to the ambience of a very fine evening.

Saturday was our La Paulée BYO lunch, and the attendees and vignerons (with many of the new generation) came strong, with some truly memorable bottles, some highlights of which are represented in photos below. Too much great wine!

A couple of fancy bottles shared on Friday evening.

A pristine bottle of ‘72 Clos des Chênes

Impromptu vertical tasting of Roumier Chambolle Villages

Another wonderful Lafarge, this time not direct from the domaine but in amazing shape!

It was truly a magical weekend. Thanks to all of you who joined us and can’t wait to do it again!

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Raj Vaidya

October 5, 2020

It is becoming a rarity to come across great bottles of humbler appellations in Burgundy these days in many of the great collector’s cellars. Many of our Cellar Advisory services clients have cases upon cases of mature Grand Cru, but to be able to enjoy a delicious and mature Villages level Burgundy is a little harder these days. So while rooting around a friend and client’s cellar on the Upper East Side last Saturday night, him and I were delighted to happen upon this bottle of 1999 René Engel Vosne-Romanée Villages. A bottle that no doubt was purchased on release by his father in the early 2000’s. It was late in the evening, post dinner, and there was a request for an earthy red. Boy, did this deliver! Great length on the palate, somewhat rustic, leathery even. Not one of those floral and light, airy Vosne’s. Much more power here, the richness and intensity of the vintage certainly shined here. Engel’s wines are an important piece of Burgundian history, but over the years since Philippe Engel passed away and the Domaine was sold, these bottles have become quite pricy and all the more rare. Truly a memorable bottle! The Dauvissat Séchet was the follow up, well after midnight, and also delicious, but i’ll save describing that one for another time :)…

What's Pressoir Drinking?

by Raj Vaidya

September 14, 2020

This past weekend as the cool evening air returned to the North East and NYC, I fired up my grill to try and take full advantage of the last wisps of summer. Grilled Tandoori spiced chicken was on the menu, so I figured an aged red with some ripeness would be appropriate. Digging around in my wine fridge, I turned up this delightful bottle of village level wine that proves Daniel’s oft repeated motto: read the label from the bottom up! Drouhin has long been a favorite producer of mine, and the pedigree of their excellence in wine making plus the superlative vintage 1999 promised that this wouldn’t be a simple village level experience. The wine did not disappoint. Layers of spice and small red berries on the nose, tremendous depth on the palate with earthiness just starting to develop but the primary fruit flavors still very much present. Still youthful, though it was delicious and long on the palate. Lesson to be gleaned; age your Villages!