Pinot Noir Wine Club
March Pinot Noir Club
This month's allocation is a superb example of the 2005 vintage in Burgundy: Domaine Camus-Bruchon Savigny-Les-Beaune Aux Grands Liards 2005 ($36)
Lucien Camus is one of the rising stars in the Côte de Beaune, making wine from vineyard holdings in Savigny-Les-Beaune, Pommard and Beaune. While many of the more famous names in the area have caused a stir by trying one experimental technique after another in the wine-making process, Camus has been concentrating on his vineyards.
He firmly believes that one can only make wine as good as the grapes that you grow, and that if you have to play around too much in the fermentation room trying to make a wine taste a certain way, then you have not done your job in the fields.
His vines are old - Grands Liards' vines are 95 years old - and he uses approximately 15% new oak following an extended maceration and fermentation time of at least 18 days. The wines are bottled unfiltered to preserve the natural balance of fruit and tannins.
The modest village of Savigny is six kilometers northwest of the city of Beaune and produces Pinot Noirs that are generally a bit more rustic and less refined than those of their more exalted neighbors. They are, however, less expensive, and the better vineyards and proprietors do make wines of distinct quality and character.
Enologist Patrick Lesec has consulted with Lucien Camus for the past several years, and the estate has adopted the philosophy of non-interventionist elevage to give the wines more elegance and roundness.
In the vineyards Lucien follows the principles of lutte raisonée, which means he attempts to farm as organically as possible, minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Yields are kept down to 30-40 hectoliters per hectare.The wines are not fined or filtered and are bottled by hand.
As a result of this gentle treatment, the wines of this estate are lusher, sweeter and rounder with more complex fruit and softer tannins. There is some variation from year to year, depending on the ripeness of the tannins, but the overall effect extremely beneficial. The wines are pure fruit driven, well balanced and are great values for Burgundy.
Quail with Onion Compote and Raspberry Vinegar (Adapted from Faye Levys Fresh From France)
Heat oil and 2 tbs of butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Pat the quail dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown birds on all sides for 6-7 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches if you can't fit all 8 quail into your sauté pan. Be careful with the heat so that the pan does not burn as the lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan will help build your sauce.
When the quail is browned, pour off all the fat and add the shallots on low heat. Return the quail to the pan with the juices from the plate and a ¼ cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook for five minutes until the quail legs are tender. ( To check make a small cut in the plump part of the leg, the meat should be pink not red.) Transfer the quail to a plate and keep warm.
Add the raspberry vinegar to the pan and ¾ cup of stock and bring to a boil, scraping and stirring to dissolve the caramelized pan juices. Reduce to about ¾ cup and add 4 tbs of cold butter one tablespoon at a time. Swirl the butter to incorporate. When the butter is all added, removed from heat and stir in raspberry preserves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, put a spoon full of onion compote on the center of the plate, lay two quail on the sides, sauce the quail and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Onion Compote
Lucien Camus is one of the rising stars in the Côte de Beaune, making wine from vineyard holdings in Savigny-Les-Beaune, Pommard and Beaune. While many of the more famous names in the area have caused a stir by trying one experimental technique after another in the wine-making process, Camus has been concentrating on his vineyards.
He firmly believes that one can only make wine as good as the grapes that you grow, and that if you have to play around too much in the fermentation room trying to make a wine taste a certain way, then you have not done your job in the fields.
His vines are old - Grands Liards' vines are 95 years old - and he uses approximately 15% new oak following an extended maceration and fermentation time of at least 18 days. The wines are bottled unfiltered to preserve the natural balance of fruit and tannins.
The modest village of Savigny is six kilometers northwest of the city of Beaune and produces Pinot Noirs that are generally a bit more rustic and less refined than those of their more exalted neighbors. They are, however, less expensive, and the better vineyards and proprietors do make wines of distinct quality and character.
Enologist Patrick Lesec has consulted with Lucien Camus for the past several years, and the estate has adopted the philosophy of non-interventionist elevage to give the wines more elegance and roundness.
In the vineyards Lucien follows the principles of lutte raisonée, which means he attempts to farm as organically as possible, minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Yields are kept down to 30-40 hectoliters per hectare.The wines are not fined or filtered and are bottled by hand.
As a result of this gentle treatment, the wines of this estate are lusher, sweeter and rounder with more complex fruit and softer tannins. There is some variation from year to year, depending on the ripeness of the tannins, but the overall effect extremely beneficial. The wines are pure fruit driven, well balanced and are great values for Burgundy.
Quail with Onion Compote and Raspberry Vinegar (Adapted from Faye Levys Fresh From France)
- 8 Quail
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 6 tbs butter
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp raspberry preserves
- 24 raspberries for garnish
Heat oil and 2 tbs of butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Pat the quail dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown birds on all sides for 6-7 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches if you can't fit all 8 quail into your sauté pan. Be careful with the heat so that the pan does not burn as the lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan will help build your sauce.
When the quail is browned, pour off all the fat and add the shallots on low heat. Return the quail to the pan with the juices from the plate and a ¼ cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook for five minutes until the quail legs are tender. ( To check make a small cut in the plump part of the leg, the meat should be pink not red.) Transfer the quail to a plate and keep warm.
Add the raspberry vinegar to the pan and ¾ cup of stock and bring to a boil, scraping and stirring to dissolve the caramelized pan juices. Reduce to about ¾ cup and add 4 tbs of cold butter one tablespoon at a time. Swirl the butter to incorporate. When the butter is all added, removed from heat and stir in raspberry preserves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, put a spoon full of onion compote on the center of the plate, lay two quail on the sides, sauce the quail and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Onion Compote
- 4-6 tbs butter
- 2 lbs yellow onions, sliced