Farmstead Cheeses and Wines: Jeff’s Blog

We left Beaune early in the morning, and it was the coldest it had been on the trip so far. The digital readout in the bus read minus 6 Celsius – about 25 Fahrenheit!

I had hoped to be able to see some of the great vineyards of the Cotes de Nuits, but it wasn’t to be – a thick fog had descended in Burgundy, and I could barely see 75 yards, let alone the hill of Corton!

We drove north a few miles to Gevrey Chambertin, to taste the wines of Claude Dugat. The Dugat family has been making wines in Gevrey for generations, and their biodynamically farmed wines have great acidity, concentration and purity of fruit. These are wines for Burghounds, for these are subtles wines of great finesse that will benefit from 3-15 years of aging. We tasted through most of the 2011s in their barrel room – the wines had just completed maloactic and weren’t yet showing the finesse that these wines are capable of, but the structure was there, what the French call tendue, a tension. We went downstairs to the aging cellars, and tasted through the 2010 wines. These wines were integrated, and although young, showed the promise of a very good if not great vintage.

We bid adieu to Dugat and Burgundy, and piled onto the bus for the last time – heading north to Alsace. It was a three hour drive, and I took advantage of the time to take a catnap.

As we arrived in Alsace, I saw many vineyards dotting the hills. Soon, we pulled off the autoroute in Roufflac, and towards Clos St Landelin, the Muré family’s fabulous single vineyard site.

We piled off the bus, and into the vineyards. There were current generation winemakers and operators Thomas and his sister Veronique, as well as Rene himself. We walked the steeply terraced vineyards, past old vine Riesling, Gewurz, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and Pinot Noir.

Like many people in the Alsace, the Muré’s converted to organic many years ago, and have been great practitioners of biodynamic viticulture for several years.

We left the hotel for the short drive south to Meursault to taste the wines of Xavier Monnot. Monnot’s family has been in the wine trade since the 1700s, and has been making wine at the estate for three generations.

Xavier owns 40 acres of vines mostly in Meursualt, with some property in Monthelie, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay and Maranges (which is located at the very southern tip of the Cotes de Beaune).

He farms organically, plowing 8-10 times per year, and tries to limit the copper and sulfur in his vineyards.

The winery itself is meticulous, with gleaming stainless tanks in the fermentation room at ground
level, and he utilizes gravity flow processes and gentle pumps to move wine into barrels. Unlike other wineries in the region whose cellars are a living Petri dish – full of many strains of mold on the walls, floor and barrels, Xavier’s cellar is clean – you could eat off the floor.

His wines reflect this meticulous nature – they are focused, well-integrated wines that are drinking well now, but which will bring great rewards with a few years of aging.

We tasted through the line; I was blown away by both of his lieu-dit Meursaults, Le Limozin and Les Chevalières, as well as his premier cru- Les Charmes, made from vines going back to 1963.

His reds are equally impressive – especially his Volnay premier cru, Clos des Chenes, made from vines dating back to 1036.

He believes in slow cool fermentation, gentle pressing, one racking, native yeasts, moderate to light extraction, and no fining or filtration. We have some of his wine in the shop at present, but will be making room for more soon!

After the tasting we had lunch, catered by a marvelous restaurant in the Village called Le Chevreuil, owned by a charming newlywed couple that specializes in fresh takes on traditional Meursault cuisine.

There were great terrines and pates, a mushroom soup that had incredible depth of flavor, and some nicely roasted chicken. The main course – the dish that the restaurant is justifiably famous for – was Terrine Chaude, a local dish that somewhat resembles meat loaf (but in the same way that Chopped Liver somewhat resembles Foie Gras!)

I was fortunate to have Xavier’s mother sitting next to me, a quite elegant Burgundian woman of charm, who patiently explained to me the history of the dish, it’s secret recipe, and its reputation throughout the region.

After lunch, we said our goodbyes and took the bus into downtown Beaune for some sightseeing. A few of us went straight to the Hotel-Dieu – a marvel of Medieval architecture that was quite fun to explore.

The Hotel was a charitable hospital for the poor, and was used as such until a modern facility was built out of town in the sixties.

The Hotel owns many vineyards throughout Beaune, and their annual auction, the ‘Hospices du Beaune,’ sets prices for red wines throughout Burgundy. One of the highlights of the building is the Salle St Louis, which houses Roger van der Weyden’s famed triptych, with his exquisite Last Judgement. If you’re ever in Beaune, it is a ‘must see.’ stop!

My colleagues and I walked back to the hotel in time to get ready for our evening tasting – a Maison Ambroise in Nuits St. Georges.

Night had fallen by the time we reached the the Cote de Nuits (pun intended), so I couldn’t really see the vineyards of Aloxe, Corton, and Nuits St George, so I took a power nap during the 40 minute ride from Beaune.

We arrived at the domaine, and descended a flight of damp, drippy stairs to the chais below.

This would be a walkaround tasting – four domaines, 35 wines. I especially loved Jean-Marc Joblot’s wines from Givry – deep, profound wines with pencil lead and a stupefying undercarriage of acidity and fruit, and the higher end wines from Ambroise, especially their Eschezaux, a wine that tasted lovely out of the gate, but that will aged and gain more complexity over time.

We’ll probably be working with Ambroises ‘Aries’ cuvee, an AOC Bourgogne level wine, but with a good percentage of declassed village and premier cru and village level fruit.

Several of the other producers wines were 2011 barrle samples and suffered a bit too much from lingering burnt match/sulfur flavors for me to be able to perceive what the wines will become.

Then, we walked a short distance in the very cold night air to Amroise’s house for a rustic meal of turkey, terrines, and a very good cheese plate. We tasted some older vintages of Ambroise, Joblot and other producers’ wines; a good time was had by all.

We got back to the hotel at nearly one o’clock. I went to bed, while my colleagues participated in a Calvados tasting.

Next up Domaine Dupont in Gevrey Chambertin!

It was a short drive from the hotel to Domaine Albert Morot, where we would spend much of the day tasting their red wines from Beaune and the whites of Domaine Marc Morot.

The domaine is a large Burgundian house with a large, damp, two level cellar that stretched for hundreds of feet. The walls are lined with bottles, waiting to be labled, some going back over 50 years!

The tasting began with the wines of Morot – the highlights of which were five premier crus from Chassagne Montrachet. White flowers, acacia, brilliant acidity and muted fruit in the ’10 vintage, while the ’09s were fuller, slightly rounder and more ready for immediate consumption.

Then came the wines of Morot -quality single vineyard wines – 90% red – that took a muted fruit core – rhubarb, slightly ripe Montmorency, a bit of smoke – quite lovely. We carry their premier cru Bressandes (2009), made from 55 year old vines in Magnum – tasting good now, it will show itself brilliantly in a few years’ time!

The it was upstairs from the humid and cold cellar to a dining room where we ate a quite remarkable Boeuf Bourgignon, accompanied by some soup, a very good cheese plate (the best Brillat Savarin and Epoisses I’ve had!), and some Fin de Bourgogne, an eau de Vie made from the lees (as opposed to the must). It had a brightness and a pleasant smokiness that you don’t find in most eaux de vies. Too bad I’ve never seen it in the States!

One of the highlights of the lunch was Mamou, the owner’s very cute and persistent Jack Russell. She figured me for an easy mark for scraps, and she was right..

Then, back to the Hotel for a quite extensive Loire Valley tasting (ten producers, fifty wines). It was nice to taste some Sancerre, Menetou Salon, Sancerre and great Chinons from the Anjou and Saumur, as well as some stunning lighter bodied reds.

I especially liked the Cabernet-based wines from Domaine des Rochelles, the Menetou Salon from Assadet, a single vineyard Quincy, and a Malbec from Cabotières.

After the tasting, several of us piled into cars and went to a wonderful meal at the small, charming Bistrot de l’Hotel in downtown Beaune. I had an amazing Lobster and Foie Gras salad with julienned green beans and Mache, and for the main course a Poulet de Bresse!

Dinner was accompanied by wines from lafon and deMontille. Doesn;t get much better than that, folks!!

We arrived in Beaune in the late afternoon. The sun was about to set and there was quite a chill in the air. Our hotel, the serviceable La Cloiserie, is located at the edge of town along the Route de Pommard.

On the way into town I could see vineyards everywhere, and names that I’d been reading about (and drinking) for years: from south to north…Chassagne, Puligny, Meursault, Volnay, Pommard…. Wow, this was going to be fun.

I checked in, washed my face, and went down to the lobby for a small, focused Champagne tasting. Kacher represents properties in many areas of France that we didn’t have the time to visit, so the two growers from Champagne that he sells came to see us.

Champagne Jean-Pierre Lamiable has been a family run marque since 1915, and they farm 15 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. I was quite impressed by their wines, especially their Extra Brut NV and Grand Cru Brut non-dosage. Fine fine bubbles, great mouth feel and nice creamed acidity.

But the Coup de Coeur came next when Pascal Doquet presented his wines. Pascal and his wife Laure are quiet, gentle people in their fifties. From what I was able to glean they were part of the ‘back to the land’ movement of the seventies and farm their 35 acres of grapes organically, utilizing many biodynamic techniques.

Unlike many grower producers, his wines are composed of at least 50% reserve wines, which delivers a very consistent ‘house style.’

His vines are planted very densely, at 7500 vines per hectare and the ages range from 7-75 years of age, with an average of 30 years old.

In the Cellar the wines ferment in both tank and cask before being bottled to under go secondary fermentation where they are allowed to rest on their lees for a minimum of 2 years but often up to 3 before disgorgement; much longer than the law requires. This technique and patience allows for the wines to develop richness and depth.

We tasted through the line: Premier Cru Rosé, Mont Aime 2000, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV, Le Mesnil NV, and each wine was stunning. Creamy leesy palate without being toasty, complex flavors from apple to pear to very muted cinnamon, cardamom and other baking spices, all supported by great acidity and fantastic length.

I was floored. This was some amazing stuff!

As I left to go to dinner I approached Pascal, shook his hand and told him that his wines were fantastic. I kept on shaking his hand – he must have thought I was a deranged fanboy!

I went to dinner with a few colleagues in Beaune – a fantastic places called Caves Madeleine. The wines were plentiful, a premier cru Beaune from Magnum, Champagne, a kicka*** Muscadet, a complex organic Moulin a Vent, etc. But what got my attention was an appetizer of a poached pastured egg on toast in a fantastic red wine reduction with lardons. Mmm, Bacon and eggs on toast with red wine!!! Perhaps the perfect food.

After dinner our group slit up – some going out to party at a local bar, while others scurried back to the hotel in the freezing Beaune night.

I went with the ‘go to bed’ group, and boy was I glad I did; for sitting in the lobby with an acoustic guitar was Pascal Doquet, his wife Laure, and a colleague.

I sidled next to them. Pascal was int the process of opening a 1996 Mesnil – his first vintage (recently disgorged). As good as the wines were earlier in the evening, this was a ‘once in a lifetime’ type of wine. The complexities of age had slightly softened the acids, but the fruit was still complex and laser-precise!

We chatted, Pascal playing his guitar softly – non-vocal versions of great songs from my youth – Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Van Morrison, etc. We talked for an hour or so…..this was the sort of experience that you hope to have in France.

Then it was off to bed – tomorrow was going to be a big day – a massive tasting at Morot….

We left Avignon fairly early in the morning and headed North. Our final destination was Beaune, where we would spend three nights; on the way we were to stop in Condrieu to taste some wines from Cote Rotie, Chablis and Macon.

As we approached the town of Condrieu, the famed impossibly steep terraced vineyards appeared. It seemed impossible that anyone could work these plots – one row of vines per terrace, let alone grow what is arguably the world’s greatest expression of Viognier. We drove through the quaint town,, crossed the river and arrived at the Bellevue restaurant, site of our afternoon tasting.

Like many walk around tastings, the room was set up with tables at the perimeter. At the very first one was one of my wine heroes – Jean-Paul Jamet, maker of incredible, stunning Cote Roties. Jamet has 15 acres of Syrah, and a little bit of Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne and Sauvignon Blanc planted, all of which he farms organically.

Côte-Rôtie is the area in the northern Rhône widely acknowledged to be the site where the vine was first cultivated by the Romans. Located high above the town of Ampuis and the Rhône River, Domaine Jamet produces tiny quantities of stunning Côte-Rôtie. Yields are kept very low (under 2 tons per acre), with most of fruit coming from the Côte Brune (schist soils) and 25% from the Côte Blonde (granite soils). This wine is 100 % Syrah and is partially destemmed, based on the vintage.

At the next table was Stephane Ogier, who, along with Yves Cuilleron, Francois Viullard, and Yves Gangloff, is possibly the hottest young winemaker in Cote Rotie. His Condrieus, Syrahs, and AOP Cote Roties were profound and well-balanced, full of finesse and flavor Both the Ogier and Jamet wines will be arriving at the shops before too long.

Then, going around the room, in no particular order were Domaine Cordier – great Macons of finesse and precision; Denis Pommier whose premier cru Chablis were an eye opening experience, and DOmaine Manciat-Poncey, whose Macon Charnay hits the shelves from time to time.

In the center of the room was a large table, piled high with great food – shrimp, fish, chutneys, cheeses, sausage, and other ‘starters,’ as well as a hot food station with a great potato gratin, and a braised veal dish.

After lunch, I took a walk down to the riverside to clear my head and reflect upon the wines I’d tasted. There were some beautiful old Plane trees, which provided a nice photographic diversion.

Avignon

We left Boudinaud for the quick drive to Avignon – known for the Palais de Papes, its famous bridge, and its proximity to the vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape. We arrived at the Grand Hotel, located just outside the walls of this quaint town. We had a few hours before our tasting/dinner with Andre Brunel, so I took a stroll through the old quarter.

I hadn’t been in Avignon for many years, but quickly oriented myself. I strolled through the windy streets, until I came to the Place de Horloge. Despite the cold, I sat at one of the outdoor cafes and had a Cafe au Lait. After, I walked the short way to the Palais des Papes, home of the Roman Catholic church from 1304-77. I snapped a few photos, and walked back to the hotel to meet with Brunel.

Andre Brunel is one of the giants of the wine trade – he’s 65 years old, and has been making wine for over 40 years. He makes a whole range of southern Rhone wines, none of which see oak (he eschews wood with the exception of the syrah component of his Chateauneuf du Pape. From his entry level Cotes du Rhone to his tête du cuvée, the Centenaire Chateuaneuf, his wines are brimming with mouth watering acidity, balanced fruit, and moderate alcohol levels.

He has lowered his sulfur regime, and has been practicing organic for many years. It was a pleasure to spend some time with him and learn more about his philosophy.

Following Andre’s presentation, Paul Giraud spoke about his Cognacs, and it was a treat to try his entire line, including the exquisite 40 year old Très Rare Cognac.

In the morning, we drove a short distance towards Mt. Ventoux to sample the wines of Domaine de Fondrèche, producer of wines of pristine provenance and quality, made by Sebastien Vincenti.

Sebastien’s domaine, farmed organically with many biodynamic principles, has a unique mix of limestone, clay and riverbed soils. The limestone adds acidity, the clay brings depth and while the river stones add a core of minerality to the wines. We tasted though the wines, each more interesting, profound and – well, yummy – than the previous. He uses a mixture of large Austrian 3600 liter barrels, large concrete “eggs”, demi muids, steel and concrete fermenters to vinify, bringing a nice mixture of flavors and concentrations without ever telegraphing an overrelieance on oak.

I wanted to linger awhile, to speak with Sebastien and find out more about his thought process about wine, nature and the Rhone, but we had other wineries to visit. So it was with reluctance that I climbed back on the bus with my colleagues.

Our next stop was Domaine Santa Duc in Gigondas, home to well made wine Grenache based wines of character, located in Gigondas. Wine maker owner Yves Gras has a very big personality, and the skill set to match. He makes great wines, and is quite a good cook, which we were about to discover.

His winery is a modern, very well designed building, set among old Grenache vines.
I could go on about his wines forever – fruit driven wines with nice acidity and length, but the lunch he presented will be forever etched in my memory.

Rustically served, but with amazing flavors – we started with a great Wild Hare, Black Truffle and Foie Gras, along side a Mesclun salad. I thought and would have been satisfied if that were to be the entire meal, but then a platter of well-roasted chicken appeared. The bird had the depth of flavor of a Poulet de Bresse, but when I asked if it was, he replied that they were just ‘regular’ chickens, but these had ten times more flavor than even the best pasture raised chickens we get at home! The chicken was accompanied by ‘mashed potatoes’ – a great slurry of cream, butter, potatoes and lots of black truffles. OMFG!

On the way back to Avignon, we stopped by some Chateauneuf vineyards so we could see the Galet stones that make these vineyards so rightfully famous. The Mistral wind was blowing full force – between 50 and 60 mph! Despite this, I was able to pose for a geeky photo with an old vine Grenache plant.

Then it was back to the hotel for an hour of rest – all of this eating and tasting is hard work!!

After a brief siesta, we clambered back a l’autobus for the short drive to Font de Michelle.

The cold Mistral was blowing full force when we got off the bus – 35 degrees and 50 MPH winds. I felt a brief pang of homesickness for our great, temperate Bay Area climate. We entered the Font de Michelle winery, greeted by young winemaker Guillaume, and his father Michel. The wines of Font de Michelle are made from certified organic grapes, using many biodynamic practices.

They are non-interventionist winemakers, eschewing small barrels, sulfur, non-native yeasts, and other gimracks of modern winemaking. Their vinification regime includes large stainless tanks, 40 year old foudres, new upright wooden fermenters and large demimuids – none of which bring very much “oak” to the flavors of these kick a** wines.

I especially liked their rosé, the well balanced regular Chateauneuf cuvée (made from mostly 65 year old head pruned Grenache vines. But the coup de couer was their Elégance de Jeanne cuvée, a single block selection of 100 year old Grenache. While I usually spit while tasting, I have to admit that I “spit on the inside” (or swallowed) quite a bit of this amazingly well balanced wine.

After the tasting, it was back to the hotel. Tomorrow – Condrieu and Beaune!

We checked out of the Imperator early, and drove for 30 miles or so to Mas Carlot/Mas de Bressades, two estates run by the husband wife team Natalie Blanc and Cyril mares. Cyril is responsible for his ancestral property – Mas de Bressades, while Natalie takes care of Carlot. They both employ Alain de Maizon, a consulting enologist who works with many of the Kacher properties in the south.

Mas de Carlot is a beautiful Provencal estate – Plane and Cypress trees, a well preserved house and winery building – parts of which date back to Roman times- the majority was built in the 18th century.
He’d barked at us menacingly, but with his tail wagging wildly. I approached this big baby with a bit of caution – he stopped barking and started licking my hand.

Carlot farms 75 hectares while Bessades farms 40. Both farm Grenache, Syrah, Roussane, Marsanne, and Viognier; Bressades adds Cab and Cinsault to the mix, while Carlot has a good deal of Mourvedre planted. Carlot is one of four growers that produce Clairette de Bellegarde – a small AOP that is gaining recognition worldwide.

Both house produce authentic wines of pristine clarity, nice length, and with a nice fruit/acid balance. The wines are all priced well, and will be in the shops soon.

After tasting through the wines, we piled back in the bus and drove to the east towards Avignon, stopping along the way to taste the wines of Fayel and Boudinaud, at Boudinaud’s charming and rustic facility. We tasted through a large range of wines in the chilly courtyard, tasted some local honeys, chatted with the two proprietor/winemakers, and then sat down to a lovely lunch of Boeuf a la Mariniere – a great Beef braise flavored with Anchovies and Capers.

Then it was back in the bus for the ride to Avignon.

Costieres de nimes
Our hotel in Nimes, the Hotel Imperador Concorde, is a grande dame – over 100 years old, located near the old quarter of the bustling market town. She’s seen better days to be sure, but in her glory days saw royalty and celebrities grace her halls. Hemmingway loved the place and stayed there quite a bit, as did Ava Gardner (in a room right next door to Hemmingway’s, hmm). The lobby of the hotel is grand, and the charming 19th century elevator built in the middle of the grand staircase is quite a charmer.

Today we were to discover the Costieres de Nimes, the region that arguably made Robert Kacher Selections’ reputation, or more accurately, the region that Bobby put on the map. Costieres de Nimes is a mostly flat place, part of the great Bouches du Rhone, the Rhone river delta which fans out for hundreds of miles.

To the south is the great Camargue, a large swampy estuareal area that had been mostly drained, but which still contains some brackish areas. It is where most of the salt in France comes from.

The soils are alluvial, sandy, decomposed river rock, high in acidity, rich in minerals with good drainage. It gets hot in this region – along with Perpignan, Nimes regularly reports the highest temperatures in France.

During the summer months, it’s not uncommon to see a forty degree diurnal shift (100 plus degrees in the day, dropping to the low sixties at night. This tends to give the wines a freshness not found in other hot areas, for the shift in temperatures stress the vines, and help to deliver some acidity to the wines.

Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cabernet all thrive here, and Mourvedre and Cinsault can be coaxed to greatness as well.

We started to day in the Cassagne, a hilly region in the southeast of the appelation, at Chateau d’Or et Gueules (heraldic speak for red and gold), where we would taste through the wines of
Or et Guele, Petit Cassagne and Grand Cassagne.

Or et la Gueule is run by Diane and Mathieu de Puymorin, a charming couple, who, along with their darling 7 yr old daughter Charlotte, dogs Ubus and Gasby, run an efficient domaine that makes exquisite reds, two bracing roses, and some lively white wines. The domaine is a typical French farmhouse – a central u shaped courtyard surrounded by what was a barn (now a winery), and a house, a large two story stone structure.

We drank through the lines of wines, based on Carignan, Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvedre – the whites – Vermentino, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, These were stunning wines, especially their tete du cuvee single parcel wines – an old vine Carignan and an old vine Mourvedre. Both will retail for around $45, a value when compared with wines of similar quality and provenance.

Their entry level line is the wonderfully well balanced Domaine de la Petite Cassagne line. Theoir rose reminds me of a prestige Cotes de Porvence at 50% of the price, Cinsault and Mourvedre brimming with mouth watering acidity and fresh flavors, the white has a fresh grapefruit peel nose, and lovely mid-palate that screams out for lighter fare, and the red – a five grape blend – may very well soon become my house wine.

We also had a chance to taste the very well made wines of Grande Cassagne, a neighbor property run by the Barde brothers, Benoit and Laurent, two somewhat shy farmers who make a great workhorse rose and red both based on 60% Syrah 40% Grenache blends.

After the tasting, we went into the chais where a large table had been set. We were treated to a local dish -Guardiane de Taureau – an amazing braised dish made from bull meat, carrots, onions and reduced wine sauce. It’s a dish I’ve tried to replicate at home, but beef chuck doesn’t quite bring the depth of flavor and texture that you get with bull’s meat.

After lunch, it was cigars and petanque (the local version of bocce) in the courtyard, playing with the dogs, and just hanging out. A wonderful, relaxing time.

Then it was back to the imperador for a few hours of rest. my roommate Bill Henry and I took a stroll through the old quarter, seeing the roman temple, roman Coliseum, and many quaint shops that line the bustling medeival streets.

Then it was back on the bus, for a short drive to the south, along the Route de Nimes, to Mas de Guiot to taste the wines of the domaine, along with those of Domaine de St Antoine.

Guiot is a large-180 hectare – property run by the third generation. They are located very close to the Camargue and feel that this proximity delivers freshness to their wines.

Domain de St Antoine is closer to Nimes,and a much smaller estate. They specialize in Merlot and Syrah – single varietal bottles. Both houses wines produce deep wines of character, that pair well with charred meats.

The Highight of the evening was a procession and invocation from the Chevaliers de Costieres de Nimes, basically a medieval drinking club dedicated to pleasure and promoting Costieres de Nimes wines. Several of our group were indoctrinated into the order and became Chevaliers.

We had a lovely meal of barbecued duck breast that went quite well with both houses’ wines

Then it was back to the bus and the Hotel Imperator

Corbières
We left the Rousillon in the morning, going north for a short drive into heart of Corbières to the town of Bizanet to taste the wines of St Eugènie, as well as to taste through the wines of Domaine Tariquet. We’ve carried wines from both wineries in the shops – the Tariquet Classic is an everpresent best seller, and we had good success with St Eugènie’s entry level red wine Le Clos, so I was excited to taste through the lines of both houses.

Domaine Eugenie is run by Hervé, a larger than life man who loves Harleys, good food, antique posters and Las Vegas. His wines, based on traditionally farmed grapes like Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, have great natural acidity and nice length. I quite liked his Corbières rouge, a 50/50 blend of syrah and carignan, but the standout to me was their rosè – a bracing blend of mostly
Cinsault. It had a lovely light salmon color, nice fruity/acid balance and bracing, mouth watering acidity that will be perfect for many outdoor activities this summer.

Tariquet’s philosophy is unique in France. They harvest at night, and place the fruit into tanks in the vineyard, cooled down by dry ice. The wines are fermented in an anaerobic environment, then scold stored until they are bottled – on demand, ensuring wines of extreme freshness.

The hit of the tasting for me was their “Côte Tariquet” a 50/50 Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend that has a bright finish and a nice, clean mid-weight finish.

After the tasting, which took place in the courtyard of the domaine, we walked a few blocks to Le Table de Chateau, a charming small restaurant that has gotten good notes in the Guide Michelin. We had a fabulous salad topped with river fish, an the cris de coeur – foieducken – an amazing blend of foie gras and ground duck in a red wine reduction sauce, baked en croute. omfg!!