Tasting Notes
Clos de Tart
Region : Côte de Nuits | Terroir: Clos de Tart
Clos de Tart 1949
Region : Côte de Nuits | Terroir: Clos de Tart
Clos de Tart 1949
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It is sometimes an unfortunate fact of going to wine dinners that the best wines are served at the end of the evening. This particular bottle of Clos de Tart, however, shone like a beacon in night. Enjoyed recently in Houston with several prominent collectors it was the star (along with the 1947) of a recent dinner hosted by Frédéric Engerer, the managing director of Artémis Domaines. François Pinault, the founder of Artémis, purchased the Clos de Tart in 2018. The 7.52-hectare property in Morey-St-Denis was originally founded in 1141 AD, and it has had since this time only four owners: the Cistercian Abbey of Tart, the Marey family (from 1791), the Mommessin family (from 1932), and now the Pinault family. The wines are famously long-lived and I have enjoyed a number of older vintages. The winemaker during the postwar years at the Clos de Tart was Paul-Joseph Cyrot who managed both the Château de Pommard and the Clos de Tart for the Marey-Monge family and was retained by Mommessin after their purchase.
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1949 was a ripe, hot year that produced a small but healthy crop. After rain in June disrupted flowering and reduced yield, the summer was warm and dry, although there was enough rain to ensure that the grapes ripened fully. This wine showed the ripe, sunny character of the year with notes of figs, plums and spice. The flavors are now mature, with notes of truffle and forest floor, but they were not tipping over into soy sauce or bitter flavors. ‘Serious wine, holding together well,’ I wrote on the evening. The wine was bottled by Belgian merchant J. Vandermeulen-Decannière. Wines bottled by Vandermeulen have a reputation as being sweeter; rumours abound that they added a touch of Port to the barrels before bottling. This type of manipulation was standard procedure for négociants at the time. What we tend to see today as adulteration was thought of as improvement seventy years ago. Alan Meadows relates a poor experience with a ’49 Vandermeulen Clos de Tart, saying ‘The word “syrup” comes to mind,’ but my impression of this bottle was a rich wine from a ripe vintage, but one that was balanced and elegant; mature, but holding well. A lovely way to finish the evening.
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Champagne Drappier
Region: Côte des Bar | Terroir: Bar-sur-Aubois Brut Vintage 2008 Grande Sendrée 
Rue des Vignes 10200 Urville | 03 25 27 40 15
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Drappier manages to produce a range equal in stature to the grande marque houses from their corner of the Aube. They value precision in both grape-growing and winemaking. All 57 ha of their vineyards are farmed using organic methods and have certification for 15 ha. The wines are produced with a minimum of sulfur and a judicious use of fermentation in cask – either small barriques or larger foudres. Base wines from some cuvées see a year in cask before bottling. Quality is good throughout the range, but the jewel of the house is the prestige cuvée Grand Sendrée. Forty percent of the base wines for this cuvée are fermented and aged in cask, and the liqueur d’expédition is aged in special wooden casks for 15 – 25 years. The 2008 was six years on the lees before being disgorged. This is a sumptuously good prestige cuvee that should not be overlooked. Aromas begin with prominent notes of ripe pear with a touch of something more exotic as well as a suggestion of freshly ground coffee and buttered toast. The texture is creamy and rich yet balanced with fresh acidity. The overall impression is one of finesse and elegance. There is enough substance here to carry it to a long finish, but there is no heaviness at all. 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay, dosed at 5 g/l, and bottled with <30mg SO2.”
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Bonneau du Martray
Region: Côte de Beaune | Terroir: Pernand-Vergelesses
Corton-Charlemagne 2005
Region: Côte de Beaune | Terroir: Pernand-Vergelesses
Corton-Charlemagne 2005
The Basilica in Saulieu dates originally to the second century AD, where it was founded on the site of martyrdoms during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. In the eighth century, the Basilica was destroyed by Saracens shortly after an abbey had been founded there. However, the monastery and its church were rebuilt by Charlemagne, who made it his “royal church” and donated vines located on the hill of Corton to the abbey. The abbey kept the vines for 1,000 years. Shortly after the Revolution, however, a vineyard of 24 ha was purchased by the Bonneau-Véry family. This purchase included most, or all, of the donation from Charlemagne. The Bonneau-Véry family were descendants of Nicolas Rolin, the 14th-century chancellor to Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy. The family's descendants retained ownership until American billionaire Stan Kroenke purchased Bonneau du Martray in 2017. Emmanuel Hautus now leads the current team in the winery and Fabien Esthor in the vineyard.
The domaine is the proprietor of just over 11 ha of vines, divided between the lieux-dits of En Charlemagne and Le Charlemagne. The west-facing lieu-dit of En Charlemagne (where Bonneau du Martray is the majority owner) is located in Pernand-Vergelesses, and is devoted almost exclusively to white wine. The lieu-dit of Le Charlemagne is located in the neighboring village of Aloxe-Corton. It is largely planted to Chardonnay, but there is more Pinot here, particularly in the part that wraps around the hill to face southwest. 9.5 ha of the Bonneau du Martray vineyards are planted to Chardonnay and 1.5 ha to Pinot Noir. The estate is certified biodynamic by Demeter. In parts of the vineyard, the vines run from the road leading from Pernand-Vergelesses to Aloxe-Corton to the top of the hill of Corton. There are also portions of the vineyard in Pernand at the top of the hill, and in Aloxe at the foot of the slope. To better understand their vineyard, they have divided the estate into nine sectors that are tended and then vinified separately. The final bottling of both the red and the white are blended from these distinct parcels.
The domaine is the proprietor of just over 11 ha of vines, divided between the lieux-dits of En Charlemagne and Le Charlemagne. The west-facing lieu-dit of En Charlemagne (where Bonneau du Martray is the majority owner) is located in Pernand-Vergelesses, and is devoted almost exclusively to white wine. The lieu-dit of Le Charlemagne is located in the neighboring village of Aloxe-Corton. It is largely planted to Chardonnay, but there is more Pinot here, particularly in the part that wraps around the hill to face southwest. 9.5 ha of the Bonneau du Martray vineyards are planted to Chardonnay and 1.5 ha to Pinot Noir. The estate is certified biodynamic by Demeter. In parts of the vineyard, the vines run from the road leading from Pernand-Vergelesses to Aloxe-Corton to the top of the hill of Corton. There are also portions of the vineyard in Pernand at the top of the hill, and in Aloxe at the foot of the slope. To better understand their vineyard, they have divided the estate into nine sectors that are tended and then vinified separately. The final bottling of both the red and the white are blended from these distinct parcels.
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In the winery, the Chardonnay usually is lightly crushed before pressing. The juice is settled and fermented in a combination of new and used casks (normally about one-third new). The wines are left in barrel for about a year and then racked and blended before further aging in cask for a second winter before bottling. The 2005 vintage is a triumph. The wine is superbly elegant. Still very light in color at 15 years of age, the aromas of cask aging are now completely integrated, and the wine is completely seamless. There is still today a fair bit of primary fruit, with ripe, elegant apple and floral accents and a strong mineral underpinning. The texture of the wine is dense and substantial without being heavy. It is warm, lush, and inviting but not hot. The powerful extract is well-balanced by firm acidity and lemony notes that appear on the palate with time. It is still very youthful with almost no developed tertiary aromas and certainly no oxidation. This is a wine that can age for decades in a proper cellar.
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2 Rue de Frétille 21420 Pernand-Vergelesses | 03 80 21 50 64
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Champagne Jacques Lassaigne
Region: Côte des Blancs | Terroir: Montgueux Brut Vintage Acte IV Scène I « Soprano » 2012 Brut Vintage Acte IV Scène II « Alto » 2012 
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Montgueux is an exceptional terroir. Although it ranked a paltry 80 on the now-abandoned échelle des crus, it has long been recognized as a special place because of the Turonian chalk subsoil. It is so highly prized that the late Charles Heidsieck Chef de Caves, Daniel Thibault once said that, "…if there is a Montrachet in the Aube, it will be found in Montgueux,” and houses have long coveted contracts for Chardonnay grapes here. Oddly, however, there have been relatively few breakout growers from the commune. The great exception to this, however, is Emmanuel Laissaigne, current head of Champagne Jacques Laissaigne. He began to work with his father in 1999, and his first solo vintage was 2002. He continued to use the organic methods his father favored as well as the same traditional Coquard press. All of the alcoholic fermentations are done with ambient yeasts, and in recent years all the cuvées have been released without dosage. The range includes the well-known (and delicious) entry point Vignes de Montgueux and two other nonvintage champagnes, Le Cotet and La Colline Inspiré ; a vintage bottling, a vintage-dated parcellaire called the Clos Sainte-Sophie, and then are known without exaggeration as Cuvées Ephémères.
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Ephemeral indeed. These are difficult to procure, so I was particularly delighted to taste two recently in the same night. The Cuvées Ephémères are labelled as “scenes” belonging to different “acts.” My most recent experience has been with Acte IV, which are all from a single-vineyard site called La Grande Côte. Three wines were produced in the same way, except that the length of time the base wine spent on the lees was different. All three of these wines – called “Soprano”, “Alto”, and “Tenor” – were produced from the marvelous 2012 vintage, and each was a single pressing vinified in a 500-liter demi-muid, and aged five years on the lees of the second fermentation before being disgorged. Scène I, Soprano, spent eight months on the lees before tirage. Scène II, Alto, was left on the lees for 20 months before tirage. Scène III, Tenor, spent 32 months on the lees before tirage. It was meant to be released in the spring of 2020; I haven’t been back to Aux Crieurs de Vin in Troyes since January, so I don’t know if it has been. Google isn’t saying, either. However, I was lucky to taste Soprano and Alto side-by-side on this most recent trip: “Soprano was perhaps most marked by the cask, with notes of spice over fresh ripe apple and citrus peel on the nose. On the palate, the wine is high-toned and bright with markedly fresh acidity and a magically silky texture. The Alto is deeper and richer, with a creamy texture and much more density on the palate. There are more tropical nuances and floral notes to the fruit character here, and it seems that the additional elevage of the vins clairs has absorbed some of the cask character, which is still present but seems to be more in the background. Both are exquisite, compelling wines, and the entire experiment is fascinating to all who love Champagne.” I can only hope that “Tenor” will be released in time for my next visit.
7 chemin du Coteau 10300 Montgueux | 03 25 74 84 83
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This is crazy, delightful wine and an ephemeral pleasure, like so much of Ganevat. These wines can be difficult to procure, and as with pretty much everything I’ve had from him, it was consumed in a restaurant (in this instance, La Dilettante in Beaune). Jean-François Ganevat is one of the brightest stars in the “natural” wine movement. He is proprietor of 13 ha of biodynamically-farmed vines in the Jura. The domaine wines are both Côtes de Jura for the classic varieties and Vin de France for those grapes not authorized for this appellation. In addition to these domaine wines produced under his name, he produces wine from grapes purchased from ten local growers under the négociant label Anne et Jean-François Ganevat run with his sister. The cuvées multiply – their U.S. importer relates there are more than 100 of them – all produced in tiny quantities. This is where the Syrah in question came from. Vinified naturally in amphorae without sulfur, the wine showed a high-toned raspberry fruit with notes of violet and a distinctly funky savory note. On the palate, however, the fruit was pure and direct, effortlessly light but not inconsequential, with a subtle, elegant finish. A superb match for the Dilettante’s assiette de charcuterie on a rather chilly night in Beaune in the middle of a global pandemic. Cheers to that.
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Anne & Jean-François Ganevat
Region: Jura | Terroir: Blended Vin de France « T’chez qui ? » 
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Rue Pont-de-la-Combe 39190 Rotalier | 03 84 25 02 69
Paolo Scavino
Region: Barolo | Terroir: Blended
Barolo D.O.C.G. 2016
Region: Barolo | Terroir: Blended
Barolo D.O.C.G. 2016
Barolo is geographically fairly concise, but there is a lot to learn here and a lot to know: the character of the different soils and what each brings to a wine, all of the different subzones. What we think of as traditional Barolo, however, was often a wine produced from grapes blended from different sites. These can be an excellent introduction to the region and to a vintage. With 2016, we have a marvelous vintage to explore, and the entry-level Barolo from Paolo Scavino provides a superb introduction.
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Scavino was founded in 1921 in Castiglione Falletto. The vineyards today are overseen by Enrico Scavino with his daughters Enrica and Elisa. Scavino was known as one of the avant-garde in the early years of the modernist revolution. Fermentation is done in stainess, the length of macerations is moderate without being abbreviated, and the wines are aged in small neutral French casks. The wines are clean, precise, and very elegant, without losing the edge of power that Barolo is known for. Scavino owns 30 ha of vineyards spread over twenty sites. This includes vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, La Morra, Novello, Serralunga d’Alba, Verduno and Roddi, although the winery is based in Castiglione Falletto and it is closely associated with this village.
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The straight Barolo DOCG, however, is a blend of all these sites, in the true Barolo tradition. The result shows a classic, clear Nebbiolo color, just a bit darker than one might expect. Initially a bit closed on the nose, it opens with time to show black griotte cherries – nice fruit ripeness but a distinctly “sour cherry” freshness. There is also evidence of the classic Barolo “tarry” quality, with a pleasantly earthy edge that is not yet too pronounced. There is also a slight floral edge, and underlying all these aromas is a subtle hint of dark chocolate, marking this as a definite member of the “modernist” camp, but a very well-behaved one. On the palate the wine is firmly tannic but not forbiddingly so, and there is plenty of acidity as well. This is pleasant now, but has real potential to age. For a first look at the 2016s this is really a winning proposition.
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé
Region: Côte de Nuits | Terroir: Bonnes Mares
Bonnes Mares 1971
Region: Côte de Nuits | Terroir: Bonnes Mares
Bonnes Mares 1971
Buying a bottle of great wine is one of the great pleasures in the life of a wine lover. The pleasure is intensified when one pays less than the going rate. After the rush of the initial purchase come years of contemplation and anticipation: “Perhaps now is the time to drink this? But no, I’ll wait just a bit longer.” Finally, the stars align and the day arrives. A lovely meal with good friends presents itself. They are generous friends, and undoubtedly, they will bring great bottles as well. And thus it was with my ’71 Bonnes Mares from de Vogüé. I had sourced it from a private collection that had been purchased on release from the importer of record and professionally stored for long decades. Finally, the owner decided to lighten up his collection and brought some of it to market. However, some of the fill levels were a bit low, and this particular bottle (along with some others) were rejected by the auction house. I had visited the wines in situ, however, and opened about a dozen of those low fills and found them to be wonderful, so I bought it for myself and stored it carefully for a few more years.
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We drank it for Sunday brunch. We had given the chef the list of wines and he had created a special tasting menu for us. I was a bit disappointed to see my wine paired with the cheese. Of course, that would be a logical choice. For me, however, the ’71 was one of the highlights. I was secretly relieved when our host suggested with have it with the main course, grilled steak. The wine would go head-to-head with the 2007 Bonnes Mares from Roumier. If the bottle wasn’t in good shape, the youthful Roumier could have easily put it to shame. Anticipation. The cork took quite some time to extract. The sommelier left the room with the bottle. And then, completely brilliant. The color was still garnet, bricking slightly at the rim. The bouquet was marvelously complex, with notes of licorice, ripe black cherries, dried currants, and fresh and dried flowers, all underlaid with a whiff of black truffle and forest floor. Superb enjoyment, great relief. A contrast with the Roumier, but both showed well. A bottle I will long remember.
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Rue Sainte-Barbe, 21220 Chambolle-Musigny | 03 80 62 86 25
Website for U.S. Importer Site |
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Champagne Krug
Region: Côte des Blancs | Terroir: Le Mesnil Clos du Mesnil Brut Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2006 With my Sunday brunch this week I had a bottle of Champagne that changed my mind about the 2006 vintage. In truth, I had never been a hater. In my book “Vintage Champagne: 1899 – 2019” I rank it four stars out of five. But I confess that the wines from 2006 were never as thrilling as those of 2004 which is the vintage that for me it most resembles. I have had wonderful experience with the 2006 Salon and the 2006 Comtes de Champagne. But I was completely bewitched by the 2006 Clos du Mesnil.
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The Clos du Mesnil is famous. Nearly all wine collectors have heard of this wine. However, they might not be as familiar with it as they might think. For example, there is no lieu-dit called “Clos du Mesnil”. Technically, the Clos du Mesnil is parcel No. 520 of Feuille AD01, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the name of the lieu-dit is “Le Village”. This, in fact, is just where it is found. The vineyard is 1.84 hectares, all in one piece, in the center of the village. The first record of its planting was in 1698. Although it is tiny, the viticulture is very meticulous, and Krug speaks of as many as six different sub-plots within the site. The mystery of its supremacy is obscure, although supreme it is. It must be due in part to the walls of the Clos itself, and to the fact that the village surrounds it, providing perhaps just a bit more protection. The slope is very gentle, but it is perfectly oriented to the east-southeast. The chalk underlying the site is a deep layer of the best belemnita quadrata. The wine, however, transcends the details to provide a complete experience.
We were dining at the Crabtree Kittle House in Chappaqua, New York, just north of the city. The cuisine was elegant, and the pace was relaxed. We brunched for about three hours, and the Clos du Mesnil continued to change and improve throughout the meal. As the wine was first poured, it was lemony, incisive, and very fresh. Citrus dominated the initial aromas, and the wine projected a saline minerality on the palate. With a bit of time in the glass tropical notes began to develop, but there was just a whisper of exotic, nothing heavy: notes of passionfruit just edging into guava, and with more time, a hint of coconut. The mousse began fairly vigorous at the outset and gradually settled into a silky, soft character that was still surprisingly persistent. The level of extract was just right – light yet enrobing the palate with a satin-like feel that lasted an incredible length of time. Truly a magnificent bottle.
5 rue Coquebert 51100 Reims | 03 26 84 44 20
Website
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Ravines
Region: Finger Lakes, NY | Terroir: Seneca Lake
Finger Lakes Brut 2012
Region: Finger Lakes, NY | Terroir: Seneca Lake
Finger Lakes Brut 2012
Site is one of the most critical factors in wine quality, and extreme growing conditions in a region make it even more vital. New York's Finger Lakes region's climate is a marginal one, with freezing winters and rain that can (and does often) fall year-round. There can easily be issues with ripeness and rot. Morten Hallgren at Ravines so prizes the grapes he sources from the Argetsinger Vineyard because the site helps him overcome these obstacles. Unusually for the region, the soil is gravel over a limestone base. The vineyard is located on the south-east side of Seneca Lake, and several factors work to ensure ripeness. The west-facing slopes catch the warm afternoon sun, and the deep waters of Seneca Lake (deepest of the Finger Lakes) have a moderating effect on the climate. Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir vines were planted here more than thirty years ago and are thus fully mature. Ravines has garnered enthusiastic praise for their Riesling. People should take a second look at the sparkling wines as well.
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New York's Finger Lakes provides some terroirs that are ideal for traditional-method sparkling wines. The climate is cool, ensuring fresh acidity and moderate alcohol. It is crucial to find a site that will help the vines ripen fruit fully while staying fresh and lively. Argetsinger Vineyard is one of those sites. Although Ravines produces a Blanc de Blancs from this site in some years, both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were used in 2012. The grapes were picked by hand, and slowly whole-cluster pressed before fermentation in stainless steel to produce this thrilling sparkling wine from the Argetsinger Vineyard's limestone soils. There are lovely ripe apple and toast aromas on the initial attack. Six years on the lees brings a round, lush texture and a hint of brioche, while and extra-brut dosage of less than 5 g/l ensures that the wine stays lively and fresh. There is an almost perfect balance on the gently persistent finish. This wine is a reference for the sparkling category in the U.S.
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G.H. Mumm
Region: Champagne | Terroir: Blended
Cuvée René Lalou 1969
Region: Champagne | Terroir: Blended
Cuvée René Lalou 1969
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René Lalou is a revered icon in the Champagne region. He was born into a wealthy landowning family in Lille in 1877, and moved to Paris to practice law. He married the daughter of the Dubonnet family and eventually became president of the firm. His involvement in Champagne began in 1920 when he was named to the board of G.H. Mumm. The house of Mumm dates to the late 18th century when Peter Arnold Mumm founded a wine-trading firm in Cologne. The sons of the founder moved to Champagne in 1827, but they never renounced their German citizenship. During the First World War, the French government confiscated the property, which was ultimately sold to a group of investors that included Dubonnet. Lalou was devoted to the new project and was named chairman in 1935. He continued in this role with only a brief interruption during the Second World War until his death in 1973.
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Although Lalou is said not to have been involved in the minutiae of the firms he ran, he paid close attention to the vineyards, for he believed the land was the essence of the quality of Champagne. When he arrived, he replanted the holdings which had been decimated by the war and by phylloxera. He built the vineyard holdings from 50 hectares to 96 by the time of the Second World War. The vineyards continued to grow after this, mainly by absorbing competitors, including Perrier-Jouët (in 1959) and Heidsieck Monopole (in 1972). One of his last projects was creating a prestige cuvée, which the house insisted on naming in his honor. The first vintage was 1966, and it was produced fourteen times. It has changed names over the years, and with the 2006 vintage it is now called Cuvée Lalou RSRV. It is made with grapes from specific grand cru villages identified by Lalou, and from these villages from specific parcels (lieux-dits), including Verzy (lieu-dit Les Houles) Verzenay (Les Rochelles and Les Perthois), Aÿ (Valnon), Mailly (Les Villiers), Bouzy (Les Hannepés), Ambonnay (Les Crupots), Cramant (Les Bionnes, La Croix de Valmont and Les Perthes), and Avize (Les Briquettes and Les Maladries du Midi). Although the exact blend changes with each vintage, it is often close to a 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The grapes fermented in stainless steel, and the base wines complete their malolactic conversion. Depending on vintage conditions, the wine aged seven to ten years before being disgorged, and dosage levels are consistently moderate.
I have had very pleasurable experiences with this cuvée, and was recently lucky enough to source a bottle of the 1979 vintage in good condition. From my notes: “A spectacular bottle. Medium lemon-yellow heading to gold but not too dark. The wine showed a profound bouquet with elements of fresh and dried flowers, baked apple, honey, and white truffle. There was still a very vigorous mousse, and on the palate, the wine was rich, dense, and creamy, yet there was plenty of acidity to balance the richness. The wine was perfectly mature but still had plenty to give. It is drinking well now but can certainly continue to hold without danger of ill consequences. One of the great bottles of the year so far.
I have had very pleasurable experiences with this cuvée, and was recently lucky enough to source a bottle of the 1979 vintage in good condition. From my notes: “A spectacular bottle. Medium lemon-yellow heading to gold but not too dark. The wine showed a profound bouquet with elements of fresh and dried flowers, baked apple, honey, and white truffle. There was still a very vigorous mousse, and on the palate, the wine was rich, dense, and creamy, yet there was plenty of acidity to balance the richness. The wine was perfectly mature but still had plenty to give. It is drinking well now but can certainly continue to hold without danger of ill consequences. One of the great bottles of the year so far.
34 rue du Champ de Mars 51053 Reims | 03 26 49 59 69
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Sabaté i Coca
Region: Penedès | Terroir: Bitlles Valley
Castellroig Corpinnat
Region: Penedès | Terroir: Bitlles Valley
Castellroig Corpinnat
From the middle of the 19th Century, the fashion for sparkling wine had spread throughout Europe. The prestige of Champagne was (and remains) unrivalled, but this did not stop wine producers in other regions from producing their own sparkling wines using the traditional method. The traditional method was first introduced in Spain in the 1850s through experimentation at the Instituto Agrícola Catalán de San Isidro. Commercial production of sparkling wine began in the 1860s, and was traditionally concentrated near the coast of Catalunya south of the city of Barcelona in the comarca or county known as Alt Penedès, particularly around the town of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Originally referred to as “champán” or “champaña,” the wine came to be called Cava in 1972 after the establishment of the Consejo Regulador de los Vinos Espumosos, who established the Denominación de Origen (DO). Although Cava DO defines the origin of the wine, the limitations are fairly loose: it may be produced in parts of the provinces of Aragon, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Extremadura, Girona, La Rioja, LLeida, Navarre, Tarragona, and Valencia in addition to its historic heart in the province of Barcelona.
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The Castellroig wines produced by Sabaté i Coca represent extraordinary value. They are produced from estate vineyards in the Bitlles Valley. The entre level wine is a blend of organically-grown grapes from 66 parcels spread over 18 different terroirs. Each is vinified separately in stainless using native yeasts. The base wines are aged 18 months on the lees before being disgorged. The result is pure and crisp, with ripe apricot, pear and citrus aromas lightly accented with a toasty note from the lees aging. On the palate the texture is creamy and rich but not at all heavy. Priced around $14.00 in New York, this is a delicious sparkling wine for everyday drinking.
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In part as a response to this vague geographic distinction, the Consejo Regulador in 2017 created a category for single vineyard Cava called Cava de Paraje Calificado. The stricter provisions of this category were seen as the peak of the Cava pyramid. However, there were producers that were not satisfied by this development, since it applied to specific wines and not to the entire output of a given producer. A small group of six producers splintered off to form Corpinnat, whose name refers to the “heart (Cor) of Penedès.” Among other restrictions, all of the grapes must come from organically-grown grapes from Penedès; 90% of the blend must be the traditional grape varieties of the region. Although was designed as a supplement to the Cava DO label, the Consejo Regulador forbid them from using DO Cava on their label along with “Corpinnat” in 2019, despite EU recognition for the name. In response, nine producers left DO Cava. Now their wines, labelled as Copinnat, fall under DO Penedès. The group includes the original six (Gramona, Llopart, Nadal, Recaredo, Sabaté i Coca, and Torelló) and Huguet-Can Freixes, Julia Bernet and Mas Candi who joined them in 2018.
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Château Pontet Canet
Region: Left Bank | Terroir: Pauillac Pauillac 1919 Pontet-Canet was founded more than 300 years ago by Jean-François de Pontet, Grand Ecuyer to Louis XV. Located just to the south of Mouton-Rothschild and north of the village of Pauillac, the property was classified as a fifth-growth in the 1855 classification. Since its inception, there have only been three owners. After the heirs of Jean-François de Pontet, it was sold in 1865 to Herman Cruse of the longstanding négociant family. The Château remained in the Cruse family until it was sold in 1975 to Guy Tesseron of the Cognac-producing family, who had already purchased Château Lafon-Rochet in 1960. His son Michel took over Lafon-Rochet, while his other son, Alfred, took up the direction of Château Pontet-Canet.
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Tesseron appointed Jean-Michel Comme régisseur in 1989, and he served until May of this year. The team first introduced organic and then biodynamic techniques in the vineyard and the winery under his direction. They are now certified both organic and biodynamic. The wines are fermented in concrete and wooden vats on native yeasts. The team has been concerned to reduce the influence of oak on the wines and accordingly began to experiment with aging in concrete amphorae. This move was somewhat controversial, and the right to the appellation was refused for the 2012 vintage of the second wine, Les Hauts de Pontet. An official reason was not given, but there was speculation at the time that it was due to an excess of volatile acidity.
In the vineyards, the grape blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Merlot 32%, and Petit Verdot 2%. In the modern era, the blend typically reflected this mix. Over one hundred years ago, however, who knows? In February, just before quarantine, I had the chance at Bern's steakhouse to taste the 1919 Pontet-Canet. The sommelier warned us that this might be over the hill, and we were accordingly delighted to find that he was utterly wrong! The color was lightening up, brick-colored at the rim, but the core was a remarkably youthful garnet. The aroma was reserved but still youthful, and the blackcurrant fruit was nicely accented with cedar notes, wood smoke, and leather. It also held up well on the palate. While it was silky and wispy and the tannins were completely resolved, it retained an elegant presence and was not out of balance in any way. This wine was definitely mature but was still providing a fascinating, compelling glimpse of wine more than 100 years ago.
In the vineyards, the grape blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Merlot 32%, and Petit Verdot 2%. In the modern era, the blend typically reflected this mix. Over one hundred years ago, however, who knows? In February, just before quarantine, I had the chance at Bern's steakhouse to taste the 1919 Pontet-Canet. The sommelier warned us that this might be over the hill, and we were accordingly delighted to find that he was utterly wrong! The color was lightening up, brick-colored at the rim, but the core was a remarkably youthful garnet. The aroma was reserved but still youthful, and the blackcurrant fruit was nicely accented with cedar notes, wood smoke, and leather. It also held up well on the palate. While it was silky and wispy and the tannins were completely resolved, it retained an elegant presence and was not out of balance in any way. This wine was definitely mature but was still providing a fascinating, compelling glimpse of wine more than 100 years ago.
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Domaine de la Pépière
Region: Muscadet | Terroir: Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Les Gras Moutons 2018 The Massif Armoricain is an outcropping of ancient rock that stretches from western Normandy to Brittany and around to the westernmost Loire Valley, where Muscadet is produced. Formed deep within the earth, both granite and gneiss underlie the soils of Sèvre-et-Maine. Known as plutonic igneous rocks, these types of bedrock give rise to well-drained, low vigor top soils very well-suited to grape growing. Organic Muscadet producer Domaine de la Pépière has made a specialty of teasing out the particularities of the different terroirs in Muscadet.
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Marc Ollivier founded the domaine in 1984. Starting with 7 hectares, he grew the estate to the present 42 hectares. He was one of the pioneers of bottling Muscadet from specific terroirs. He began to bottle the Clos des Briords in 1988. Discussions about the delimitations of specific villages as Muscadet crus started in the 1990s. However, the first official recognition of the crus was in 2011, with the elevation of Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet. A further four were recognized in October of 2019: Château-Thébaud, Goulaine, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre, and Mouzillon-Tillières. There are a further three awaiting ratification: Champtoceaux, La Haye-Fouassière, and Vallet. These are subject to lower yields and a mandatory 17 month aging on the lees.
The Clos des Briords is produced from vines planted between 1950 – 1989 in granite soils. There is also a limited bottling labeled with the Château-Thebaud. There is a Clisson bottling from vines in Clisson, the oldest of which were planted in 1929. There is also a bottling bearing the village Gorges' name, produced from fruit from a métayage agreement. Finally, there is a bottling labeled with the cru Monnières-Saint-Fiacre and a parcellaire from within the same village called Les Gras Moutons. This lieu-dit lies on a crest that overlooks the Maine river just before it joins the Sèvre. It is a cool, windswept site that produces wines with lively freshness, but there is also surprising richness. 2018 was an exceptional year for Muscadet – as with many regions in France, it was a warm year with outstanding ripeness. It has been compared to the 1947 and the 1990 vintages. However, the best sites also retained admirable freshness. For me, the Gras Moutons was superb, with aromas that combine citrus and floral elements with hints of mineral and a rich, yeasty underpinning. There is uncommon richness on the palate yet still enough acidity to bring it into balance. A plump, round, silky texture with remarkable length.
The Clos des Briords is produced from vines planted between 1950 – 1989 in granite soils. There is also a limited bottling labeled with the Château-Thebaud. There is a Clisson bottling from vines in Clisson, the oldest of which were planted in 1929. There is also a bottling bearing the village Gorges' name, produced from fruit from a métayage agreement. Finally, there is a bottling labeled with the cru Monnières-Saint-Fiacre and a parcellaire from within the same village called Les Gras Moutons. This lieu-dit lies on a crest that overlooks the Maine river just before it joins the Sèvre. It is a cool, windswept site that produces wines with lively freshness, but there is also surprising richness. 2018 was an exceptional year for Muscadet – as with many regions in France, it was a warm year with outstanding ripeness. It has been compared to the 1947 and the 1990 vintages. However, the best sites also retained admirable freshness. For me, the Gras Moutons was superb, with aromas that combine citrus and floral elements with hints of mineral and a rich, yeasty underpinning. There is uncommon richness on the palate yet still enough acidity to bring it into balance. A plump, round, silky texture with remarkable length.
Champagne Jack Legras
Region: Côte des Blancs | Terroir: Côte des Blancs
Le Mont Aigu Brut NV
Region: Côte des Blancs | Terroir: Côte des Blancs
Le Mont Aigu Brut NV
John-Charles Ricciuti and his wife Nathalie are both from families of growers. John-Charles is the son of Albert Ricciuti and his wife, Paulette Révolte. Their small Champagne house, founded after the Second World War, was based in Avenay-Val-d’Or and called Ricciuti-Révolte. He married Nathalie Legras of Chouilly. Today the couple farms eight hectares in total. There are three hectares in Chouilly, and five in the Grande Vallée spread between Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d’Or, and Mutigny. The vines are sustainably farmed, and the family (now joined by their son Ugo) are working towards certification as Haute Valeur Environnementale. They produce a total of approximately 40,000 bottles yearly. The Chouilly production is bottled under the Jack Legras Label, and the wine from the Grande Vallée is bottled as John-Charles Ricciuti, although some of this fruit is sold off to négociants.
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At Jack Legras, the malolactic conversion is normally completed, and all the wines do a minimum of three years on the lees. The range from Chouilly includes the entry-level Cuvée Jack Legras, a wine called Cuvée La Pointue, which is produced from vines between 50 – 70 years of age, and a parcellaire from Mont Aigu. Le Mont Aigu shows well-balanced aromas of fresh lemon peel, cream, and brioche that are classic if somewhat restrained. The mousse is creamy, and the texture is fine. The wine was dosed at 6 g/l, which seems correct, but perhaps robs the wine of some of the liveliness that one might expect from Mont Aigu. However, the wine was very reasonably priced - $36 per bottle on sale at Astor Wines, and at that price, I'd drink this instead of many other Champagnes at this price point.
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Samtavisi Marani
Region: Kartli | Terroir: Sharamnebi
Goruli Mstvane 2018
Region: Kartli | Terroir: Sharamnebi
Goruli Mstvane 2018
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My friend Lisa Granik MW has just published a marvelous, inspiring book called The Wines of Georgia, a subject about which she is deeply knowledgeable. I love the wines of Georgia, but I am strictly a dilettante. Fortunately, I have Lisa's guidance. Of a recent evening, we repaired to Oda House, a Georgian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and she brought a range of wines. All the wines had been made in the traditional Georgian qvevri, the ovoid clay fermentation vessels set into the earth. Before fermentation, black and white grapes alike are crushed by treading. Fermentation is often, but not invariably, done with the skins and some of the stems. At the end of the fermentation, the qvevri is sealed until the spring.
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In her book, Lisa tells us that the name of the grape (Goruli Mstvane) means "the green from Gori," explaining that it is different from the grape called Mstvane on its own. This particular version is produced in the Kartli region north and west of the capital Tbilisi in a tiny subregion called Sharamnebi (“charming”). The estate is named for the village, Samtavisi, and the estate is run by the winemaker Mamuka Kikvadze and his wife Lako. They are proprietors of two hectares on the south-west facing slopes at about 700 meters above the Mtkvari River. The vineyards are farmed in biodynamic fashion. Kikvadze ferments the Goruli Mstvane without the skins, and the result is beguiling. The wine has subtle aromas of fresh and dried apricot with hints of beeswax, hay, and lanolin, along with an underlying savory mineral character. The wine is fresh but not tart, with a fairly dense texture but no hint of heaviness, just a creamy, silky texture that carries through the elegant finish. The wine is produced in tiny quantities and does not appear to be available presently, although the importer is listed as Chris Terrell of Terrell Wines.
Samtavisi, Kaspi, Kartli, Republic of Georgia | (+995) 568 500 500
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Champagne Etienne Sandrin
Region: Aube | Terroir: Barséquannais
A travers Celles Brut NV
Region: Aube | Terroir: Barséquannais
A travers Celles Brut NV
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Etienne Sandrin is making changes. This grower, based in Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, formerly sent his grapes to the co-op. Now they are certified organic and bottling their own production. He and his wife Anne farm just under ten hectares. Most of the vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir, but there is almost a hectare of Blanc Vrai. The cuvée called "A travers Celles” is a millésime non-revendiqué, with all of the fruit coming from the 2014 harvest. It is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Blanc Vrai from Celles. The former is from two lieux-dits, Mouille Brant and Vieux Moulin; the latter is from Grille Besace. The wine is fermented in stainless with malolactic fermentation completed. It aged three years on the lees before being disgorged with a dosage of 3 g/l. It was a bit restrained aromatically on the attack, but it opened up nicely on the palate with an aroma of buttered apple and brioche. The wine showed a broad, sensuous texture with a creamy mousse and balanced acidity that lead to a pleasantly persistent finish. Clean, fresh, and silky, with no oxidative character.
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Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Region: Côte de Nuits | Terroir: La Tâche La Tâche Grand Cru La Tâche is the well-known monopole of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, but the somewhat obscure origins if the vineyard are less well-known. There are several theories regarding the ownership of the vineyard before the Revolution. However, we know that it had been purchased after the Revolution by a local négociant, who sold it to Louis Liger-Belair. Liger-Belair was a general in Napoleon's army, and his family retained the vineyard until 1933, when it was sold along with much of the other property by the heirs of the Comtesse Liger-Belair.
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The vineyard until this point was not nearly as large as it is today. At the Revolution, it totaled 1.42 ha, yet today it is 6.06 ha, more than trebling its size when it was combined with a portion of Les Gaudichots owned by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Before the introduction of AOC law in 1936, several owners of Gaudichots had sold the produce of that vineyard under the name of La Tâche, much to the irritation of Liger-Belair, who unsuccessfully sued them. After the death of the Comtesse Liger-Belair, however, La Tâche was purchased by the Domaine, who combined the holdings. Today the entire site is known as La Tâche.
The vineyards are farmed according to biodynamic principles, and the yield is kept rigorously low. In the winery, the harvest is cooled to allow a cold soak. The grapes are normally fermented without destemming in open-top fermenters. After a long fermentation, the wine is pressed and run into new oak casks where it will stay, usually without racking, for sixteen to twenty months. It is commonly considered that La Tâche is second only to Romanée-Conti itself.
The last spectacular bottle of wine that I had before the COVID pandemic this year was a '91 La Tâche that I drank with friends at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa. It was, by far, the best wine of the evening. The color was holding well, and the nose blossomed out of the glass, almost pungently aromatic. The bouquet spoke of ripe plummy fruit overlaid with a firmly earthy mineral element and hints of new saddle leather, truffle, and game. The wine was holding well on the palate, with ripe, soft fruit, a round, mouth-filling texture, firm but not astringent tannins, balanced acidity, and depth that carried it through to an intensely satisfying finish. This bottle was drinking at the peak of perfection. Although entirely ready to drink, for those who love mature wine, it could also still be held and might well make it another 30 if not 40 years or longer.
The vineyards are farmed according to biodynamic principles, and the yield is kept rigorously low. In the winery, the harvest is cooled to allow a cold soak. The grapes are normally fermented without destemming in open-top fermenters. After a long fermentation, the wine is pressed and run into new oak casks where it will stay, usually without racking, for sixteen to twenty months. It is commonly considered that La Tâche is second only to Romanée-Conti itself.
The last spectacular bottle of wine that I had before the COVID pandemic this year was a '91 La Tâche that I drank with friends at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa. It was, by far, the best wine of the evening. The color was holding well, and the nose blossomed out of the glass, almost pungently aromatic. The bouquet spoke of ripe plummy fruit overlaid with a firmly earthy mineral element and hints of new saddle leather, truffle, and game. The wine was holding well on the palate, with ripe, soft fruit, a round, mouth-filling texture, firm but not astringent tannins, balanced acidity, and depth that carried it through to an intensely satisfying finish. This bottle was drinking at the peak of perfection. Although entirely ready to drink, for those who love mature wine, it could also still be held and might well make it another 30 if not 40 years or longer.
1 Place de l'Église, 21700 Vosne-Romanée | 03 80 62 48 80
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Champagne A. Lamblot
Region: Montagne de Reims | Terroir: Petite Montagne Intuition Nature Brut NV 
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Alexandre Lamblot is a passionate young winegrower based the Petite Montagne. His cellar is in Janvry, thus technically in the Vesle Valley, but most of his vines are in Vrigny. He is dedicated to producing Champagne in the greenest way possible. The rest of his family is not as keen, however, so he has taken his share of the vines (3.80 ha, 60% Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay) and begun organic conversion and the use of biodynamic techniques. He is now farming 1.39 ha in Vrigny and 0.81 ha in Gueux in the Petite Montagne. There are a further 1.40 ha in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, and 0.20 ha in the Ardre Valley between Faverolles-et-Coëmy and Savigny-sur-Ardre. No synthetic chemicals are used in the vineyard, and the vines are either manually tilled or grassed over. Trees and other plants are grown in the vines to encourage biodiversity. In addition to essential oils and teas from vegetables such as dandelion, nettle, and yarrow, he is working to reduce the use of copper. He is also experimenting with spraying with cheese whey to substitute for the use of sulfur against powdery mildew. Yields are low, removing buds and dropping fruit as needed, and Lamblot practices braiding the vines instead of hedging them.
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In the winery, fermentation is done in a combination of cask, earthenware jars similar to amphorae, and stainless-steel, all using native yeasts. There is no chaptalization of the must, and malolactic conversion occurs naturally but is not forced. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration on fruit days using recycled bottles, labels, and cases, all locally produced. Little sulfur is used. All of the wines are Brut Nature. They are aged under cork and disgorged by hand. His first releases were this year, and I was able to taste the Intuition Nature. The wine is produced exclusively from grapes from the 2016 harvest, although it is not labeled as a vintage. The fruit comes solely from vines grown in Vrigny. The nose is marked by the Meunier, with floral notes, a gentle, well-integrated autolytic note, and a hint of marzipan. On the palate, the wine has a silky texture and balanced acidity, with none of the sharpness of some Brut Nature wines. The finish is elegant and harmonious.
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Forge Cellars
Region: Finger Lakes | Terroir: Seneca Lake Seneca Lake Riesling Leidenfrost Vineyard 2018 Forge Cellars is in the forefront of Riesling production in the Finger Lakes today. Everything is done by hand with great attention to detail, including the harvesting (not always the case in the Finger Lakes). The vineyards are farmed as sustainably as possible, a supreme challenge in the Finger Lakes. Louis Barruol of Château de St. Cosme in Gigondas makes the wine, and local Rick Rainey is on the ground in the Finger Lakes. Forge purchased the Bellows Vineyard in 2016 and sources fruit from fifteen other sites; all save one on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. The Leidenfrost Vineyard on Seneca Lake has west-facing slopes planted in thin loamy soils over shale bedrock.
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The grapes were picked in early October and carefully sorted. Whole clusters were firmly pressed in their Vaslin press, which is rolled by had to break up the grapes. The must is lightly protected with sulfur in the press, but there is a bit of oxidation because of the length of the press cycle. After settling in tank, the must is racked into casks of various sizes and fermented to dryness on native yeasts. 2018 was a challenging year with plenty of rain that brought some rot. After the sorting, however, the result had a bit of botrytis that enriched the wines. The finished wine had 3 g/l of residual sugar to balance its considerable acidity. The wine opens with a pronounced aroma of ripe peach and apricots marked by a touch of honey, a floral note, and exotic spice. At 12% ABV, it recalls Alsatian Riesling, dry and relatively full-bodied for the grape but not as rich as an Austrian Smaragd. The balance is exquisite, and the finish is persistent and very satisfying. Marvelous.
The name Lingua Franca represents the "common language" of wine, here a fluent conversation between Master Sommelier Larry Stone and legendary Burgundian winemaker Dominique Lafon. The two storied veterans of the wine trade had collaborated on Mark Tarlov’s Evening Land project from 2007 – 2012. After leaving Evening Land, Stone purchased the Janzen Ranch across the street from Evening Land, and in 2014 Lafon joined as consulting winemaker, with talented young winemaker Thomas Savre on the ground in Oregon. The estate vineyard is well exposed on rolling hillsides, and the terroir here is perfect for Chardonnay. The soils include the trademark volcanic clay soils of the Willamette Valley (called Jory soils) and a type of soil called Nekia, which is a silty loam soil with a base of marine sediment. The region is cooled by ocean breezes that come through the Van Duzer Corridor.
Dominique appreciates the climate because he likes to keep an eye on freshness. He champions picking early, although he says,
"I wouldn't say an early picking, but a "not-too-late picking" – for me Chardonnay and over-ripeness don't go together.” He notes that although they do not acidify, the pH is similar to what he gets in Burgundy. His results are compelling. On the nose, the wine is incredibly perfumed, opening with lemon peel on the attack and opening through passionfruit and tropical aromas. There is a hint of well-integrated spice from the cask aging and a slightly buttery note. The texture is silky and very fine, and although there is a substantial density here balanced by refreshing acidity. The elegant, balanced flavors linger impressively on the finish.
Dominique appreciates the climate because he likes to keep an eye on freshness. He champions picking early, although he says,
"I wouldn't say an early picking, but a "not-too-late picking" – for me Chardonnay and over-ripeness don't go together.” He notes that although they do not acidify, the pH is similar to what he gets in Burgundy. His results are compelling. On the nose, the wine is incredibly perfumed, opening with lemon peel on the attack and opening through passionfruit and tropical aromas. There is a hint of well-integrated spice from the cask aging and a slightly buttery note. The texture is silky and very fine, and although there is a substantial density here balanced by refreshing acidity. The elegant, balanced flavors linger impressively on the finish.