This
month, we head to the Pinot Noir motherland - Burgundy - to taste a
fabulous wine from the Cote de Nuits - a single vineyard (premier cru)
Morey St Denis from Jouan: 2006 Olivier Jouan Morey Saint-Denis Premier Cru Les Ruchots.
Sixth-generation
Morey-Saint-Denis grower Olivier Jouan became the first in his family
to make wine commercially in 1999 after completing studies at the Lycée
Viticole (aka La Viti) in Beaune.
Even as a teenager, he knew
the family domaine was worthy of its own label, as he watched respected
négociants such as Bouchard and Drouhin line up each year to buy grapes
from his father.
Needing space for production, Olivier and his
wife Isabelle moved into a 17th century home with a perfect cellar
nestled back into the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. Olivier is a one-man
operation and if you need to find him, you know where to look, as his
labor-intensive natural vineyard regimen is year-round. Olivier works
his vines by hand organically, but has no interest in attaining any
bureaucratic validation.
He takes several measures to limit
yields and intensify the concentration and Pinot expression of each
individual terroir, including green harvesting in summer and a making a
strict selection at picking time.
Olivier has parcels in two Morey-Saint Denis 1er Crus, Ruchots and Riotte (next to Hubert Lignier's plot), and an acre of Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin.
Morey-Saint-Denis
is situated in the Northern section of the Côte d'Or called Côte de
Nuits. It is one of the principal wine producing villages of the
region. Within Morey-Saint-Denis there are five Grand Cru appellations
and 20 Premier Cru appellations.
Typical of the Côte de
Nuits, the map of Morey-Saint-Denis looks a bit like a rugby shirt,
with three broad, even stripes running north and south. The westernmost
stripe, highest on the slope, contains its Grand Cru vineyards, which
include such well-known names as Bonnes Marres, Clos de la Roche and Clos de Tart.
The eastern band, lowest on the slope and occupying flattish land along
the highway from Beaune to Dijon, contains the unclassified
vineyards.The middle ground, in elevation and in reputation, houses
most of Morey's Premier Cru vineyards.
Elegant aromas of
cranberries, ocean spray, and crushed minerals. Refined on the palate,
with tangy notes of cranberries, white cherries and pomegranate.
RECIPE: Planked Salmon Serves four
Planked
salmon is a method of cooking and smoking salmon that has been used for
many years. Make sure to use natural (no preservatives) red cedar or
alder wood. The salmon is slow cooked, which produces a rich, smoky
flavor.
* 24x8x1 inch untreated cedar or alder plank
* 6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1 large red onion, chopped
* 1 lemon, sliced
* 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
1. Submerge untreated cedar plank in water. Soak approximately 12 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Place prepared plank on the
grill, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover grill and heat plank 2 to 3
minutes, until dry. Adjust grill temperature for medium heat.
3. Rub salmon filets with olive oil. Arrange on the plank. Top salmon with red onion, lemon slices and black peppercorns.
4. Cook salmon, covered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until opaque and easily flaked with a fork.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
