Guess the Label - La Fête du Champagne edition

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

Post your answers in the comments section below.

News from the Vineyard

by Edouard Bourgeois

September 29, 2020

Hand Destemming at Domaine Lafarge

Since 2016, a very unique and rarely seen device has reemerged at the famous Volnay domaine Lafarge. The “égrappoir a main” or hand destemmer (pictured below), used in the old days before mechanization took over, has been the tool of choice for some of the gorgeous Pinot Noir grapes of the domaine. Clothilde Lafarge, who came back to the domaine in 2018 and is now fully involved, explains how incredibly labor intensive the hand destemmer is. It takes no less than 35 hours per vat and up to seven people at once to do the job. But the juice is worth the squeeze.

The hand destemmer is made of woven wicker

The peaceful, serene atmosphere embraces the feeling of communion at the winery

No, this is not a close-up of a caviar tin, but the pristine berries of Pinot Noir after being delicately destemmed

News from the Vineyard

by Raj Vaidya

September 23, 2020

This week, the work our friends and colleagues in Burgundy are busy with is primarily inside the cellars. During the last two weeks of August, when New York felt a great deal warmer, the harvest in Burgundy was in full swing. I thought it would be fun to share a few fun facts illustrated by this video of a sorting table and destemming machine at the Domaine Marquis d’Angerville in Volnay. Guillaume d’Angerville has mentioned to me in the past that the identity of the wines at his family’s estate has long been defined by the purity of fruit that is associated with destemming the grapes. Though he has pointed out, in his father’s days the destemming was done by hand, and so was rougher and less efficient than today. The destemmer today works quickly and quite gently, and is more precise in removing all the stems.

The resultant wines are perfumed, supple and fairly deep in color thanks to the lack of stems. In this short video, you can observe the team at d’Angerville giving the grapes a last sorting on the conveyor table (unhealthy grapes have already been sorted out while harvesting in the vineyard, so this is a second run) as they make their way to the destemmer.

What's Pressoir Drinking? (Club Member BYO Edition...)

by Raj Vaidya

9/23/2020

We had another lovely Club Member BYO dinner this past Monday evening in the backyard of Popina in Brooklyn. A great way to celebrate the arrival of Autumn! Many great bottles were opened, some more messily than others (scroll down for a short video…) but my favorite of the evening was the Domaine Leflaive Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet. Tremendous depth and texture, but still ever so precise and focused! The wine seemed to last forever on the palate, truly a tremendous bottle.

Here is a recapped list of all the bottles we enjoyed:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs “Cuvée Louis Salmon” 2007

Domaine Louis Michel, Chablis Premier Cru Butteaux 2014

Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Saint Aubin Premier Cru En Rémilly 2016

Domaine Leflaive, Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2010

Domaine Nicolas Potel, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Gaudichots 1999

Domaine Sylvie Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2012

Domaine Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru En Orveaux 2001

Domaine de Montille, Volnay Premier Cru Champans 1995

Domaine de Montille, Volnay Premier Cru Les Mitans 2003

Domaine de l’Arlot, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Clos de Fôrets-Saint-Georges 2009

Domaine Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint Georges 1988

Domaine Gros Frères et Soeurs, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru 1995

Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2011

Domaine du Comtes Georges de Vogüé, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2001

Louis Jadot, Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 1999

Domaine Trapet, Chambertin Grand Cru 2003

Champagne Vilmart & Cie, Cuvée Création, Champagne 1997 (in magnum)

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

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!

What's Pressoir Drinking? Club Member BYO Edition

Club Member BYO on Zoom - Tuesday, September 1 - Chablis

At our last Virtual BYO of the summer we shared some lovely examples of Chablis. William Fevre had a big showing with a number of different lieux-dits and vintages. It was a great opportunity to come together and learn more about the northernmost region of Burgundy and the saline and mineral driven whites we all love.

Here is a recap of the wines that were shared and enjoyed:

Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2008

Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2012

Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2007

Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis 2018

Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2010

La Chablisienne Chablis Perrieres 2015

Domaine Roland Lavantureux Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2013

Rene & Vincent Dauvissat Petit Chablis 2017

Louis Michel & Fils Chablis Premier Cru Montee de Tonnerre 2010 (x2!!)

Christian Moreau & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008

Join us for our next Club Member BYO on Monday, September 21 at Popina.

Cheers!

What's Pressoir Cooking? Bangladeshi Chicken Korma

September 15, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

Bangladeshi Chicken Korma

My girlfriend and I love Indian food, and this Bangladeshi variation of the takeout classic Chicken Korma caught our eye from the NY Times cooking recipe archive.

Much less saucy and more aromatically intense than the Mughlai version that is much more commonly seen, this chicken korma was extremely easy to make - purée the aromatics, combine with chicken thighs, yogurt, and spices (cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, peppercorns, chilies), and simmer for around 40 minutes. Stir in some butter-fried onions and it’s finished.

The resulting braised chicken is not the prettiest dish in the world but is intensely flavorful and delicious.

We served it on riced cauliflower which made for a delicious and low-carb (though certainly monochromatic!) weeknight meal.

While we might think of Indian food as being difficult for wine pairings, this rich and well-spiced dish would definitely pair well with an energetic and complex Red Burgundy like the Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1999 that Raj enjoyed this week - and it turns out that he paired it with grilled Tandoori spiced chicken!

Link to recipe (must be a NYT Cooking subscriber to view)

News from the Vineyard

Finally some Premiers Crus in Pouilly-Fuissé!

When I started learning about wine in my teenage years in France, it was my dad’s favorite quiz question to ask “what’s the difference between Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly-Fuissé?” If you don’t know the answer, the former is a wine produced from Sauvignon Blanc grapes and a neighbor to the famous Sancerre in the center Loire Valley of France, while the latter comes from the southernmost sub-region of Burgundy and is of course made from Chardonnay. Even if Pouilly-Fumé has been quite famous and present on many French restaurants’ tables in the US for the last decades, its reputation as the “Burgundy of the poor” still seems to be deeply rooted in consumers’ minds. But this may change. A couple weeks ago, 22 climats were finally identified as Premiers Crus. Pouilly-Fuissé, despite being among the first wines to gain an AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) in 1936, never had the permission to claim Premiers Cru status. The overlooked appellation of the prestigious Burgundy wine region has finally earned the official recognition it’s been fighting for since 2007.

This area, part of the Maconnais and famous for the towering Roche de Solutré, a pilgrimage destination of former French President Francois Mitterrand, offers similar soil and subsoil as the rest of Burgundy with the typical clay and limestone combination, with the addition of a solid granitic base, a wink to its southern neighbor Beaujolais.

The news of elevating some Pouilly-Fuissé terroirs to Premiers Crus arrived in the middle of the historic 2020 harvest and is bringing a smile to many producers’ faces as it could translate into a financial boost in the region.

The Roche de Solutré, in the heart of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOP, towers over the vineyards at 1,640 feet

CHARLES PHILIPPONNAT DISCUSSES AN ALREADY HISTORIC HARVEST 2020

September 16, 2020

by Edouard Bourgeois

Through these highly informative videos made by our friend Marie-Pascale, you will learn the ins and outs of the 2020 harvest for the Champenois, starting with the testimony of Charles Philipponnat from the eponymous Champagne house. Charles explains the contrasted nature of the year and goes over the different stages of the season, starting a with a wet winter that proved essential to replenish the water reserve for the months that followed. The historic drought that hit France led to early debudding and early flowering. The precociousness of the vintage is the signature of a year that recorded one of the driest months of July ever. The exceedingly small canopy (the amount of leaves that developed during the growing season) helped reduce the rot pressure but exposed the grapes to sun, resulting in a decrease of 30% of the production due to sun burnt berries. M. Philipponnat also explains how he adapted his viticulture methods through grass management in between the rows of vines. And finally, some exclusive news regarding the illustrious Clos des Goisses where the last rows were just purchased by Philipponnat, now sole owner. The increase is small but symbolic, as the house has been working on acquiring these last rows for 85 years.

Watch the videos here.

The Clos des Goisses, now entirely owned by the Champagne house Philipponnat, is a fully south exposed, unique vineyard.

News from the Vineyard

Aÿ Grand Cru "La Côte Linguard"

Aÿ is one of the 9 Grand Cru villages in the center of the Grande Vallée de la Marne. Considered like “the champagne of kings”, this region is known for producing very high quality and full-bodied champagnes. While Aÿ is most notable for its Pinot Noir (90% of the vines planted), you can also find some excellent Chardonnay. 

Aÿ is not a homogeneous terroir, which is also part of its magic. This large area is composed of various folds of the slope across the hillside which create sites of different exposition and elevation. The blend of cretaceous chalk and sedimentary slope wash create subtle and complex wines that exhibit power and finesse. Peter Liem says (and I’m sure Daniel will agree) “if Aÿ were in Burgundy, it would be in Vosne-Romanée”. 

Today, we highlight one lieux-dit in particular in Aÿ, "La Côte Linguard". In the northern part of Aÿ, in the extension of  La Côte Faron and La Côte Aux Enfers, you will find this tiny area of La Côte Linguard. It is a historic vineyard which is part of the UNESCO classification. 

Our dear friends and fervent supporters of La Fête du Champagne, Bérêche et Fils* recently acquired 1 ha (2.5 acres) which represents exactly 8,010 Pinot Noir Vines and 846 Chardonnay vines. They are extremely proud and excited to add this beautiful Grand Cru vineyard composed of massale selections vines, flush chalk and steep slopes to their impressive array of holdings. Those characteristics should create beautiful wines with a lot of tension and complexity. Cheers to Raphaël Bérêche and his family - we look forward to tasting the juice!!

Bérêche et Fils (NM)In the village of Ludes, in the northern portion of the Montagne de Reims, brothers Raphael and Vincent are quietly crafting sophisticated, terroir-expressive champagnes that are poised to rival the region’s best. Their 22 acres of vines are located in several sectors of Champagne with the three primary areas being the immediate vicinity around Ludes. A portion of the vines are farmed biodynamically, and about three quarters of the production is vinified in barrels with indigenous yeasts. Unusually, Bereche bottles a number of cuvées with cork rather than crown caps for the second fermentation, which Raphael thinks results in greater depth and complexity in their wines. NM stands for Negociant Manipulant.
Information courtesy of Peter Liem's Champagne book.

Credit photo @philippemartineau_foodart

Christophe Roumier Discusses an Already Historic Harvest 2020

The Pressoir team is proud to present a series of videos brought to us by Richard Betts, our correspondent in Burgundy, who was able to interview some of the most celebrated winemakers of the region. We are really grateful that these talented men and women took the time to share their views on the unprecedented 2020 vintage. Among them, Christophe Roumier, interviewed in his legendary vineyard of Les Amoureuses, a climat classified Premier Cru but believed to deserve Grand Cru status by many, shares some rare and precious news on the vintage. Christophe, with his expert knowledge of the land, explains his strategy on when to pick each parcel, according to the rain that was expected the day after that interview while also touching on the role played by old vines. The winemaker also gives his opinion on the polarizing subject of whole cluster fermentation.

We hope that you will enjoy this video as much as we did. Stay tuned for more of these with other luminaries such as Dominique Lafon, Veronique Drouhin, Jean-Marc Roulot and many more...

Christophe Roumier in his vineyard “Les Amoureuses”

What's Pressoir Drinking? Champagne Dhondt-Grellet, "Les Nogers" 2013

September 8, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

At what point does a pairing become a classic? Some foods and wines are just a perfect match, even if their cultural origins are very different.

Fried chicken and Champagne is one such pairing for me.

For my family's Labor Day fried chicken (Bon Appetit's recipe - boneless thighs dry-brined for a few hours, coated in spices, soaked in buttermilk, dredged, and shallow fried) I decided to open this bottle from one of my favorite producers, Champagne Dhondt-Grellet.

Located in the tiny village of Flavigny (population 165), just east of Avize in the Côte des Blancs, Dhondt-Grellet is a six hectare estate that follows the recent history of many of the small grower families in Champagne - in the mid 80's, couple Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet decided to stop selling grapes to the large houses and became récoltants-manipulants.

Today, their son Adrien runs the estate, and like so many winemakers of his generation, he is conscientious in his farming, working both organically and biodynamically (though uncertified). The estate's small size allows him to cut no corners.

This particular cuvée has undergone a few name changes over the years. It was originally Millésimé, then Vieilles Vignes Sélectionnées until 2011, and since 2012, Adrien has bottled it as Les Nogers to pay homage to the lieu-dit in Cuis (another example of the shift in focus towards terroir-centricity by this new generation).

As a Premier Cru village, Cuis is maybe one of the less heralded villages in the Côte des Blancs compared to some of its more famous neighbors but I find there is a lot of finesse in Cuis, which is often described as producing blanc de blancs Champagnes with a certain "lightness".

Dhondt leans into this style by making Les Nogers entirely in stainless steel. Combined with the concentration obtained from relatively old vines for Champagne (~50 years), this wine has a great amount of precision and cut, despite being from the rich and ripe 2013 vintage, giving aromas and flavors of lemon, white peach, and brioche, along with terrific minerality.

All this to say that it was a knockout pairing with the fried chicken. I particularly enjoyed how the chalkiness plays with the hot pepper in the spice mixture.

I know I am not nearly the first to enjoy this pairing, and with so many people enjoying fried chicken with their Champagne, it's probably safe to call it a "new classic!"

What's Pressoir Drinking? (Club Member BYO Edition...)

Our first in-person event since March needed to be rewarded with some special bottles. The limited number of people who attended rose to the occasion and brought a magnificent selection that expressed their joy of gathering again and the underlying generosity that goes to the core of La Paulée.

Of the many special bottles shared, one that resonated strongly with me (if I have to choose one) was a Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, Volnay Caillerets 1990.

Not only was the bottle in perfect condition but it was in a perfect place in its development. Still youthful but with a suggestion of the dark force of the ‘90 vintage, the earth and game that comes with age, intermingled with floral and dark fruit notes. Mouth filling on the palate yet not heavy. Classic Burgundy made by the man who was one of the true geniuses of Burgundy and who is no longer with us, Gerard Potel. Having known Gerard made this tasting experience even more special.

Edouard and Raj put together a list of all the wines we got to taste Monday, and also shared their favorites below, be sure to check them out.

I can't wait until we do it again!

-Daniel

Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2015

Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 2012

Gouges Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos des Porrets Blanc 2017

Roulot Meursault Tesson Clos de Mon Plaisir 2011

Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots 2015

Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Perrières 2014 en Magnum

Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchéres 2018

Sauzet Bienvenue-Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2012

D’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets 2012

D’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos de Ducs 1996

Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets 1990

De Montille Pommard 1er Cru Pezerolles 1999

Bize Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Serpentiers 1997

Chevillon Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Roncières 1996

Chevillon Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Perrières 1996

Gouges Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos des Porrets Rouges 2017

Michel Noëllat Echezeaux Grand Cru 2014

Mugneret Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Feusselottes 1997

Roumier Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Cras 1996

Pierre Amiot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2015

Magnien Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2009

Trapet Gevrey Chambertin 1961

Mugneret Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru 2007

Roumier Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru 1999

Such a great night at Popina! The wines were as good as the company.

I was particularly impressed with 2 bottles from the one and only Christophe Roumier. 

The first one, a grand Cru Ruchottes Chambertin 1999 was, not surprisingly, quite powerful, even though, in the hands of Christophe, even a concentrated vintage like 1999 expressed a great deal of elegant material. The second bottle was a 1996 Chambolle-Musigny from the beautiful climat "Les Cras". The vineyard is located high on the slope and planted on a very poor soil composed of somewhat unusual chalk that is screaming minerality. I was in fact even more impressed by this 1er cru than with the excellent grand Cru Ruchottes. 1996 is known for having produced red wines stamped with the signature high acidity of the vintage. Yet, in Roumier's 1996, the wines are instead lifted by this acidity, so elegantly laced with a solid core of minerals and pristine red currant. 

-Edouard

My personal pick was from our cellar at Pressoir, the Roulot Tesson 2011. I had planned (pre-covid) to work the harvest this year in Meursault with Jean-Marc, though of course because travel to Europe is not possible had to defer the opportunity to next year. This was a pretty good consolation prize! Super fresh, precise and lean with tremendous salinity, classic Roulot. I absolutely love his 2011’s, and this wine has always seemed to me to be superlative despite its village level status. No wonder Tessons tends to be priced at premier cru level.

-Raj

News from the Vineyard - La Paulée at Domaine Michel Lafarge

Domaine Lafarge, la Paulée wines

September 2, 2020
By Eléonore Lafarge

When the harvest is done, it’s time for La Paulée!

The 2020 harvest ended Friday August 28 at noon at Lafarge.

As soon as the last grape is cut, all the pickers start celebrating in the vineyard, making crowns out of vine leaves and returning to the domaine being hauled by a tractor. Everyone is singing and honking to let the village know that the harvest is done. The signing doesn’t stop for a few hours usually.

In the evening, La Paulée starts with l’apéritif, then continues with a dinner and can go on until the morning. There are always a few brave ones who don’t go to sleep!

In the Burgundian spirit, to thank the team, some nice bottles are opened. This year, my father decided to share an Aligoté Raisins Dorés as an apéritif, a Meursault 2017, a Fleurie La Joie du Palais 2016, a Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2011 and a Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 1983. Once all of these bottles are empty, people continue partying for a few hours.

La Paulée in Volnay is a bit more modest than the one in New York but everyone is happy and celebrating.

What's Pressoir Cooking?

August 31, 2020
By Justine Puaud

TOMATO SEASON IS HERE
Let’s cook a traditional family recipe - the French tomato dish “Tomates Farçies.”

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

2 pounds ground pork
8 medium size vine-ripened or Heirloom tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
half bunch of thyme
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of piment d’Espelette
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup Basmati rice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup water or chicken broth

Choose tomatoes of the same size and give them a rinse. Cut the tomatoes a half inch from the stalk to make the cap. With a spoon, remove the seeds and the central pulp and reserve. Place the tomatoes upside down on a dish to drain excess.

Separately, in a bowl, prepare the tomato stuffing with ground pork, chopped onion and all the spices. Drain the tomato pulp and add it to the stuffing after chopping it. Finish with salt, pepper and bread crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. In your oven dish, add rice, salt, butter and a cup of water or chicken broth. Salt the inside of the tomatoes and stuff them. Add the thyme.

Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check every 20 minutes to make sure there is still enough liquid water so the rice will cook. If the rice is dry, please add more liquid.

For the vegetarians, you could substitute chunks of vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms instead of ground pork and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Bon appétit!

News from the Vineyard - Special Harvest Edition

August 25, 2020
by Justine Puaud & Max Goldberg Liu

NEWS FROM BURGUNDY

Côte de Beaune

This year is historically early for many growers in Burgundy.

Guillaume d’Angerville finished on August 25th which was the start date of his previous earliest harvest - 2003. This is a very different vintage than 2003, however - so far the grapes coming in have been very well balanced with good concentration due to the late summer drought, and are not at all overripe or dramatically low in acidity. Sanitary conditions are excellent as well - there is almost no need for a sorting table.

Thus far, weather conditions have been perfect - beautiful sunny days and cool nights, and growers are crossing their fingers that it continues.

Frédéric and Clothilde Lafarge finished the first day of harvest with a big smile, declaring the quality of the grapes to be amazing and forecasting 2020 as a great vintage. So far, the Lafarges are equally happy with the quality of both the whites and the reds. They should finish the harvest Friday evening and will be celebrating their Paulée with the vendangeurs.

Be sure to check out the video below with Fred Lafarge that our friends Richard and Carla Rza Betts captured the other day. Richard and Carla are in Burgundy this week capturing exclusive content for the Pressoir.wine Club, so be sure to look out for more footage from the harvest.

Beautiful cool harvest weather (Nicolas Rossignol, August 24, 2020)

Rapid fermentation of Clos du Château des Ducs (Clothilde Lafarge, Domaine Lafarge)

Early morning at Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault Charmes (August 23, 2020)

Côte de Nuits

As is usually the case, the Côte de Nuits was generally a little behind the Côte de Beaune in starting the harvest, and the quality is looking to be equally as high.

Véronique Drouhin remarked that her Griotte-Chambertin was quite small in quantity but that the small bunches look magnificent.

Bonnes Mares (Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, August 25, 2020)

La Romanée being picked on August 26, 2020 (Louis-Michel Liger-Belair)

Griotte-Chambertin (Véronique Drouhin, August 22, 2020)

NEWS FROM CHAMPAGNE

2020 is also a historic vintage in Champagne: the earliest harvest on record.

This is the third warm year in a row producing beautifully ripe grapes. Many Champenois are comparing the trio of 2018, 2019, 2020 to the heralded trilogy of 1988, 1989, 1990. There are many similarities in growing conditions, precocity of the harvest, good ripeness, and clean fruit.

Many of the winemakers are finishing picking and pressing Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Some of the Chardonnay is in but growers in the Côte des Blancs are waiting a bit longer to pick.

Rodolphe Péters of Pierre Péters is proud of how his Chardonnay vines have handled the changing climate: “This brings me to a thought about VERSATILITY, having a look back to the recent history of Champagne. What was the grape variety which used to be harvested the first when the climate was very challenging and cool and harvest was taken place in late September or October? And what is now the latest grape variety to be picked, while we face impacts of the global warming and must manage every year earlier and earlier harvests ? Only one answer in both cases: Chardonnay.”

Our friend Marie-Pascale Do-Dinh is in Champagne this week - we look forward to sharing the footage and photos of her visits with you in the coming weeks.

Pinot Noir from 1er Cru Les Noues in Ecueil at Champagne Frédéric Savart (August 26, 2020)

AR Lenoble is finishing pressing Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Harvest started simultaneously in Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay and Clos du Mesnil. (Olivier Krug, August 26, 2020)

Chardonnay from the top part of Les Hautes Chèvres (Vincent Laval, August 25, 2020)

Great Well-Aged White Burgundy

August 25, 2020

by Daniel Johnnes

These days white Burgundy lovers are often reluctant to open a bottle of well aged white for fear of finding it oxidized. In order to mitigate that risk, we open our whites young, too young and rarely get to see the full expression of its grape (chardonnay) and more importantly, its terroir.

This is not a story about ‘premox’. We will save that for another time. And a sad story it is. This story is a much happier one. It is about a recent experience I had drinking a mature (maybe not even fully mature) white Burgundy from one of the iconic domaines in all Burgundy, white or red.

It was a Domaine Ramonet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes 1978. That is a 42 year old white Burgundy in pristine condition and it provided a rare and emotional experience for me. It reminded me how glorious these wines can be when given the proper chance to develop all the complexity and nuance that they are famous for. It disappoints me as well knowing that because of our fear of premox, few people know what a great mature white Burgundy can become. It is truly one of the great white wines on the planet.

This Ramonet lived up to its reputation and reminded me of the benefits of being patient with these rare and expensive jewels.

It had a brilliant light straw color with a hint of deeper colors suggesting some age but it was radiating flashes of gold, indicating a lively, healthy wine. The moment I was anticipating more than anything was when I raised the glass to my nose to take in its just released aromas after so many years. Like a genie released from its flask, it delivered even more than I was hoping for. It had laser like penetrating aromas of citrus, honeysuckle, gun-flint, from a bit of reduction and smoke. Then, everything was confirmed by the first sip that this wine was leaping from the fountain of youth yet with the wisdom of a more mature wine. This was a treasure to savor and remember and a motivator to seek out the next perfectly well aged white Burgundy.

Escapades in France

August 17, 2020
By Justine Puaud

The old saying that "a shoemaker’s children are the worst shod" comes to mind….I lived 23 years in one of the most beautiful countries in the world but never traveled all around it… Because of Covid-19, I had to spend almost 4 months in France from May to August. It was truly a chance to spend so much time there that I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to visit some beautiful regions.

BURGUNDY

I dropped off my suitcase in Brion, a tiny village next to Chablis. Our parents always say we don’t eat French food in New York so I had to eat all the traditional French dishes for the next few days: veal stew (blanquette de veau), cassoulet, boeuf bourguignon, beef on the string. And, because it was not enough and also because my sister in law is a pastry chef at Le Flocon de Sel, I ate all the different desserts you can imagine: Saint-Honoré, fraisier (strawberry cream cake), rice pudding, Paris-Brest. Then, I hit the road and went to Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune. I stayed in the beautiful Château de Comblanchien, on RN74, the road of the Grand Crus; the chateau dominates the village. It’s owned by the family of the winemaker Camille Thiriet, who has her garage and cellar next to it. The Burgundians know how to welcome people generously. The first day we went to see our dear friend Didier Fornerol in Corgoloin. We spent 3 hours in his cellar talking and tasting. He opened a 1999 Côte de Nuits Villages and a 2009 Rue des Foins, which were fabulous. If you haven’t met Didier or Camille at La Paulée, you should definitely make a stop at their tables at the Verticals Tasting or the Grand Tasting. The next day, I went to see Lola Taboury-Bize who just opened her restaurant Le Soleil in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Her Japanese chef Taka cooks delightful Japanese and French cuisine. We finished the day with a convivial dinner with some of the “NextGen” of Burgundy: Camille Thiriet and Etienne Julien.

VENDÉE

I grew up in Vendée. This region is located between Brittany (la Bretagne) and Gironde (Bordeaux). When I can, I always like to spend a weekend in Ile d’Yeu. Ile d’Yeu is the longest island on the Atlantic coast. It only takes 30 min to reach the island by boat. I rented a bike and enjoyed the charms of the wild coastline listed as a "natural site".

CHAMPAGNE

I discovered Champagne in New York with Daniel Johnnes and Peter Liem. I learned that the notion of terroir doesn’t only exist in Burgundy but also in this iconic region. I visited a friend who truly believes in the diversity of terroirs in Champagne - Alexandre Chartogne of Chartogne-Taillet. Before taking over the estate in 2007, he worked a few years with Anselme Selosse. This top winemaker is a mentor to Alex. He gave him the taste and curiosity to make single-vineyard wines. Since then, Alex has turned Chartogne-Taillet into one of the most exciting producers in Champagne today. We tasted two of his fantastic cuvées:
- Les Couarres is made of 100% Pinot Noir. This full bodied wine expresses Pinot Noir with subtlety and finesse.
- Les Heurtes Bises is made of 100% Chardonnay. This parcel expresses a Chardonnay with generous depth and racy structure.

Don’t forget that good wines always rhyme with delicious food! We went to two hotspots in Reims and had fabulous culinary experiences.

L’Assiette Champenoise
I had the chance to discover Chef Arnaud Lallement’s cuisine at La Fête du Champagne in NY. If you attended the Gala Dinner of La Fête 2019, you must remember his “Sole épaisse cuite au plat, Caviar Kaviari, Coteaux Champenois”. At L’Assiette Champenoise, there is always a story behind each dish. Chef designs his menu around Champagne and with people who share the same passion for outstanding cuisine.

Racine
Chef Kazuyuki Tanaka is from Japan and produces French cuisine strongly inflected with influences from his native country. It was a delicious explosions of flavors!

SWITZERLAND (LAKE GENEVA & LAUSANNE)

We spent all weekend with our dear friend and sommelier Edmond Gasser. Edmond is the head sommelier of the 2 Michelin star restaurant of Chef Anne-Sophie Pic and was recently elected “Sommelier of the Year” by Gault & Millau. Thanks to him we discovered hidden treasures of Swiss wines like Domaine Wannaz, Epesses Grand Cru, Tour de Chenaux, a terrific 100% Chasselas.
Check my article about Lavaux vineyard.

MEGEVE

I always went to the Alps during the winter season. It is also a fabulous place to go for some summer adventure. As I mentioned, my sister in law is one of the pastry chefs at Le Flocon de Sel. The Relais & Chateau hotel looks like a traditional Savoie mountain chalet and overlooks the valley. If you don’t stay for dinner, which you should, I would recommend you have a glass of wine and watch the sunset on the terrace. Chef Emmanuel Renaud also owns a bistro, The Flocons Village. We had dinner there one night and enjoyed a more simple and delicious cuisine with delightful wines from Domaine des Ardoisières. This well-known biodynamic domaine has 17 acres of vineyards which are planted on steep, rocky slopes. The entire production is sourced from two single vineyard sites and five different cuvées using the area’s unique varietals, including Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse, Gamay and Persan.

News from the Vineyard - Harvest time in Burgundy!

August 18, 2020

By Eléonore Lafarge

The 2020 harvest is around the corner!

Domaine Michel Lafarge, Clos du Château des Ducs, August 17, 2020

The harvest is the most important time of the year for winemakers. It is the result of an entire year of work, taking care of the vineyard to give the best grapes possible. It is always a special time of the year where a lot of different people come together to work but mostly have fun. The key word of harvest in any domaine of Burgundy is conviviality.

However, this year the harvest will feel different for two reasons.

First, because of the COVID-19 crisis, winemakers had to adapt to make sure the pickers will remain safe. Making sure no one has any symptoms, washing every tool very carefully, not getting too close to each other are the new norms. Each person will have his own tools (scissors, buckets, reusable plastic cup…) and not share them with the other pickers. The feeling of sharing that usually glides over Burgundy during the harvest slightly fades away.

Second, 2020 has been a very hot year. The hotness and dryness in April and May made the vines grow very fast. Since the end of July, France has suffered from a heat wave. These very high temperatures result in a very early harvest. Most domaines will start picking between the 18th and 25th of August. An earlier start than 2003! Fortunately, a little rain fell in Burgundy on the weekend, which helped the vineyard.