What's Pressoir Drinking - Jaboulet Ainé Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Cèdres" 1978

Edouard Bourgeois
December 5, 2023

I Iike to get in the mood before our wine festivals by opening a nice bottle of the appropriate wine. So, a week before we kicked off La Tablee, I decided to taste a bottle of 1978 Chateauneuf du Pape “Les Cedres” from Jaboulet Aine. I had bought it just last month as a full twelve pack in original carton at one of the rolling Global Acker web auctions. I usually find amazing deals on this rolling auction and boy that lot surely was a hit! I couldn’t believe the perfectly impeccable conditions of each of the twelve bottles. Individually wrapped in plastic film by their previous owner, the fills were right under the cork, the color super healthy and the foils all spinning (a sign to look for in old wines that most likely mean no wine has leaked through the cork). When I pulled the cork, it appeared as a brand new one, as if the wine had just been bottled last year. At this point I thought it was too good to be true but then, the wine spoke, and it delivered the most satisfying pleasure. The nose immediately gave these typical roasted fig jam and herb aromatics Chateauneuf lovers crave. This rich palette kept intensifying as the wine opened up. I decided to decant it after judging a little oxygen would help amplify the richness. I was expecting heady alcohol and weight on the palate but found the most refined elegance instead. I am a strong believer in letting high quality Chateauneuf du Pape age and this bottle just confirmed my sentiment.

Les Cedres 1978 is no ordinary Chateauneuf du Pape. First, this was arguably the best vintage of the decade and maybe even until the exceptional 1989.

Back then, a typical Les Cèdres blend was two-thirds old-vine Grenache, with the balance largely Syrah. The winemaking was classic: whole-cluster fermentation in concrete tank, a month-long maceration and 12-18 months aging in foudres.

Jaboulet was known as the leading negociant in terms of volume produced but also as the one with access to some of the best fruit available. It is believed that sources may have been from Henri Bonneau and Domaine de Pegau among other growers, today known as reference producers.

I also like how these wines are somewhat mysterious. It is quite difficult to know exactly where the grapes came from but it is almost better that way, as it leaves the taster wondering. This wine will only become more sought after as Jaboulet is progressively stopping their production of Southern Rhône wine altogether.

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

Irrigation allowed on Hermitage?

June 15, 2023
Edouard Bourgeois

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/23/2022

Part 3, Hermitage

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because I’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where I’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to four scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region: Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which I’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/30/2022

Part 4, Crozes-Hermitage & Cornas

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where i’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region, Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which i’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/15/2022

Part 2, Saint-Joseph

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where I’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region: Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which I’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgeable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/9/2022

Part 1, Côte-Rôtie

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where i’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region, Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which i’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

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.

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.  

Henri Bonneau Dinner at la Tablée

On Thursday, La Tablée continued with a dinner honoring the wines of the late Henri Bonneau. John Junguenet joined our team to attend the event and shared some anecdotes about his upbringing around his father Alain Junguenet, the wine importer of famous Rhone producers. John started the event by saying how important it is to understand the perception wine consumers get on Rhone valley wines. Châteauneuf du Pape produces an average of 15 million bottles of wine each year, and there is no classification among these wines. So, it is solely the reputation of each domaine that makes the difference. Henri Bonneau certainly achieved a unique status. Anyone who has had the chance to taste a bottle from Bonneau always remember his or her first time. If some wines can be described as “polished”, Bonneau’s Châteauneufs are quite the opposite, without, however lacking elegance. I have never been to the domaine but from what I have heard, it is one of the most compelling visits. It is sometimes compared to a time travelling experience, with John telling the story of the abundant mold that would change coloration according to the time of year. John essentially grew up in Henri’s cellar, a certain magical underground cavern Daniel Johnnes remembered for its steps going downstairs - slippery because of the high humidity. Some of the barrels were older than Henri himself while he was still making wine in his 70’s… The facetious winemaker was also known for his interactions with the few journalists who managed to pass the gate. When asked about technical details on his wine production, he would answer: “I have no technical information, and I’m not sorry”. While some vignerons follow a detailed winemaking procedure that includes a certain percentage of new oak, a precise length for aging or an exact proportion of whole cluster each year, Henri followed no recipe, relying solely on his senses. Daniel recalled tasting with him: after Henri took a sip of wine taken from the barrel, he declared: “Well, that was not so good a few moths ago, but it’s getting better…”. He would not release his wines if he thought they were not ready, so it would not be rare to see a younger vintage before an older one hit the market, sometimes waiting 6 years before releasing a cuvée.

Henri passed away in 2016. We were lucky to source excellent bottles directly from his cellar with the help of John Junguenet for the dinner. I don’t have a detailed list of my tasting notes, but I am keeping a very fond memory of the 1999 Cuvée des Celestins. The wine was very elegant and soulful, with rounded tannins, aromas of ripe prunes, even dark chocolate. The finish was very long and silky.

John Junguenet (right) was the special host of the dinner at La Mercerie.

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

January 27, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois

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

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

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

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

 FIRST COURSE

Oysters "Vanderbilt"

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

Domaine Marcel Juge, Saint-Peray Blanc 1990

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

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Blanc 1990

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

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SECOND COURSE

Roasted Monkfish Tail

Carrot Mousseline, Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Pearl Onions

Sauce Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Jamet, Côte-Rôtie 1990

Domaine Jasmin, Côte-Rôtie 1990

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

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

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THIRD COURSE

Girelle Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Broccoli Rabe, Comté Emulsion, Black Truffles

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Bernard Faurie, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Hermitage “La Chapelle” 1990

Domaine Marc Sorrel, Hermitage “Le Greal” 1990

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

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MAIN COURSE

Whole Roasted Venison Loin

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

Sauce Grand Veneur

Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas 1990

Domaine Clape, Cornas 1990

Domaine Thierry Allemand, Cornas 1990 (tasting pour)

Domaine Courbis, Cornas “Sabarotte” 1990

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

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CHEESE

Black Truffle Moses Sleeper

Mâche Salad, Hazelnut Toast

Unforgettable night in NYC

What's Pressoir Drinking? Memorable Wines of 2021

December 24, 2021
by the Pressoir.wine team

Memorable Wines of 2021

Raj - 197? Coteaux Champenois from A. Margaine

I’ve apparently earned a reputation amongst my friends and mentors in Champagne as being a ‘Coteaux hater,’ not completely undeserved…

Generally, Coteaux Champenois (still wines made from the Champagne region) tend to be too austere for my liking, with soaring acids and not enough richness or phenolic material to balance them out.  On one lovely evening this past summer in Reims, the lovely Mathilde Margaine decided to pour this beauty (uncertain of the exact vintage but dating from the 1970’s) for me blind at the Epicerie Bon Manger.  It truly changed my perspective, the wine was perfectly balanced and nuanced and exceptional.  I learned that Coteaux can be fantastic, just needs 40-50 years to resolve itself :)… 

Cheers and happy holidays, and may 2022 hold more vinous surprises and discoveries for us all.

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Edouard - 1978 Montrachet Bouchard Père et Fils

After tasting a glorious magnum of Corton Charlemagne 1955 directly from the cellar of Bouchard Père et Fils in Beaune, I was particularly excited during La Fete du Champagne Gala Dinner to taste another white Burgundy with age from this producer. This time, it was a pristine bottle of Montrachet 1978. The wine was brilliant. Not a trace of fatigue or undesirable oxidation. It offered the perfect kiss of hazelnut and buttered brioche a mature Chardonnay of that pedigree can deliver. 1978 did well indeed for Chardonnay, prolonging the growing season until a late harvest mid-October

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Max - 1988 Cristal Rosé

It was an emotional return to France for me this past July after 18 long months of not having been able to travel there - the longest stretch of my professional career. It was exhilarating to be back capturing footage for the virtual seminars at La Fête du Champagne, and one of our first visits was with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon at Champagne Louis Roederer. Following an epic tour of their press house & vineyards in Aÿ and winery & cellars in Reims, as well as a tasting of Roederer’s current releases, we settled in for a fantastic dinner at the house which featured many memorable wines, including Cristal 1980 (only produced in magnum), but for me, the star of the show was the remarkably fresh 1988 Cristal Rosé, an extremely rare wine whose combination of delicate, lacy strawberry flavors and laser-like focus and cut made for quite an impressive experience in the glass that exhibited a trait that many of my favorite wines do, described aptly by Fréd Mugnier as “intensity without weight.” Cheers to more profound wine experiences in 2022!

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Sally - 2014 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
I can say honestly that I am spoiled with wonderful wine, having Daniel as my sommelier. This glass of wine, set at the table with a very tasty steak and roasted potatoes, just burst from the glass, it was so soooo delicious. Thank you to Pierre and Jean Gonon for such beautiful wine. And a very merry holiday to all, with best wishes for a healthy, lively, joyous new year.

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Jaime - 1969 De Vogue Bonnes Mares en magnum

As with every year, wine moments shared over great meals with friends, family and colleagues are always memorable. I always say to myself that I need to write them all down but always end up snapping pics of the bottles instead. This works and then I can take a visual trip to remember the great bottles of the year. Thinking back bottle that comes to mind without the picture is an amazing magnum of Domaine de Vogue, Bonnes Mares 1969 from magnum. It was perfect - I did not take a picture of this bottle, but I remember it - the bottle, the label, the excitement as I brought the glass to my mouth. Everything a great aged burgundy should be - perfumed, ephemeral, all at once light and elegant but with power and length, a core which came alive on the palate offering a silky feel, and persistence. The aromas stayed with me. 

I was offered a glass of this wine in Beaune at Le Bistro de l’Hotel by a generous collector who was dining with Daniel and a number of winemaker friends. Raj and I stopped by to say hello and wish everyone well and bon appetit. In the true spirit of Burgundy, we were handed a glass of something that was more than special, it was memorable.

Cheers and here is to 2022!

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Daniel
There were two wines that made the deepest impression on me this year. Both were red Burgundies (no surprise).

In no particular order they were Domaine G. Roumier, Bonnes-Mares 1934 and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Echézeaux 1953. 

The Echezeaux is the wine that the Domaine shows first in a tasting of its holdings in Flagey-Echézeaux/Vosne-Romanée. In so doing, they are suggesting it is the most approachable and perhaps the least complex. And of the 50’s I consider ‘52 and ‘59 to be the vintages of the decade followed by ‘53, 55 and ‘57. But this wine was near perfection in a true old-school Burgundy sense. All perfume and lace. What makes it one of the wines of the year for me is that I was not expecting the kind of depth, complexity and sheer beauty this wine delivered. It over performed which for me is the sign of a great wine.

Now for the Roumier Bonnes-Mares 1934. I have little experience with the vintage but a lot of experience with Roumier. The wine was deep in color with little signs of fading. Incredible for a nearly 90 year old Burgundy. The aromas was what all Burgundy lovers are looking for. A potpourri of dried rose, violet, plum, smoke, black cherry, earth and mushroom. As sexy a bouquet as one can hope for! But the truth was on the palate. Mouth coating texture, silky with plenty of vigour and Bonnes-Mares power.

Being friends with Christophe Roumier, the grandson of the winemaker, Georges Roumier added one more dimension to the experience.

I will never forget this wine!

Happy Holidays

What's Pressoir Drinking?

Edouard Bourgeois
May 19, 2021

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 1979

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

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

NEWS FROM THE VINEYARD - a devastating frost hammers much of France

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday April 14, 2021

It has been a rough couple of weeks for vignerons throughout France - not just in regions where frost is not uncommon like Champagne and Burgundy, but also in the Loire, Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône, and even parts of the Southern Rhône.

In Burgundy, the problem was exacerbated by the warm and sunny weather the previous week, which meant more advanced - and vulnerable - buds on the vines. Also, some growers even saw the more dangerous “gelée noir” or “Black Frost” that is different from the more common hoarfrost. Black frost is not technically frost at all, but rather a situation when it is so cold that the plant tissue itself freezes and dies (hence the black necrotic vegetation…). Indeed, it was so cold in many parts of Burgundy and elsewhere that the candles that growers had painstakingly stocked (there was a major shortage across the country) were sometimes completely ineffective in raising the temperatures in certain vineyards above freezing.

As the Côte de Beaune is usually a week or so more advanced than the Côte de Nuits, the damage seems to be greater there, but perhaps not by much.

It is still early to confirm the extent of the damage, and there is always hope that the vines will rebound with a secondary bud-break, although that will also mean a much more complicated growing season - frost-damaged vines often have a tough time with flowering and secondary buds are often more susceptible to funguses and other diseases.

Other winegrowing regions were not spared - Guillaume Clusel in Côte-Rôtie estimates 60% of his Côte-Rôtie vines’ buds are damaged, and 40% in the Coteaux du Lyonnais. In Sancerre, Franck Bailly of Domaine Bailly-Reverdy says that all the villages saw some frost and that he estimates that he lost at least 50% of his crop.

This is clearly the worst frost in recent memory - certainly worse than 2016, with many growers having to ask their parents to comb the distant past for a comparison. Apparently some older winemakers in Burgundy remember 1956 as one such year…

The situation in the Côte de Beaune and Chalonnaise is very grave. And I don’t know if it’s much better in the Côte de Nuits. In sum, it’s much worse than 2016.

- Jean Soubeyrand, Maison Olivier Leflaive

We have indeed been severely affected, particularly with the whites. We spent multiple nights in a row fighting with candles but they were only very slightly effective…

- Jacques Devauges, Domaine des Lambrays

Still, the vigneron spirit will triumph, and so many growers have responded with a positive attitude. They have gone through tough times before and emerged stronger.

This will be tough to get through, but rest assured that we will never give up and that we will do everything we can to make a GREAT but small 2021 vintage.

- Benjamin Leroux

Complicated years happen, but we will continue our work.

- Nathalie Tollot, Domaine Tollot-Beaut

These three freezing nights were indeed a violent ordeal. We fought, but the conditions were too extreme. Even if it is too early to make a realistic assessment, the losses can be quantified from 50 to 100% depending on the sector.

But the vine will endure… and life is beautiful!

- Aubert de Villaine, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

What's Pressoir Drinking?

by Edouard Bourgeois

September 22, 2020

Château des Tours, Côtes du Rhône 2015

Last week, during David Gordon’s THIRST class on Châteauneuf du Pape, I decided to open a bottle of Château des Tours, Côtes-du Rhône 2015. It did not disappoint! As soon as I sank my nose in the glass, I was reminded of the importance of the producer over the appellation or even the vintage. After all, this was only a simple Côtes-du-Rhône, an appellation that designates the entry level wines of the region. Frankly, many wines made under this lower designation can be very uninteresting. However, in the hands of Chateau Rayas’ superstar winemaker Emmanuel Reynaud, even this Côtes-du-Rhône had the panache of some of the best Chateauneuf du Pape. Light in color, the Grenache core was evident, offering a generous, heady bouquet of sweet figs, laced with Provençal herbs. The alcohol level was high (14.5%) but not overwhelming. Yet, I suggest to drink it at around 55 Fahrenheit as service temperature is key to kind of “tame” that power.

Emmanuel Reynaud