6 minute read
DC ENTHUSIASTS
Burgundy trip participants: Robert and Rebecca Beynon Frank and Mary Clements Steven and Beverly Elliott Ken and Pamela McCrory John and Mary McGonigle Lawrence and Ann Spieth Michael and Amy Urban Frank and Karen Yocca
ENTHUSIASTS days ofSPIRITED7 bliss
A fellow Duquesne Club member recounts the treasures and tastings of the Wine Society’s trip to Burgundy, France.
By Ken McCrory, President, Wine Society
The eagerly awaited Wine Society trip to Burgundy began at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris in late June. Located just off the Champs–Élysées, the George V is one of Paris’ “big five” hotels.
We gathered for a champagne reception that also included a tour of the hotel’s legendary wine cellar. There were bottles of ‘61 first growth Bordeaux, a three-liter 1982 Petrus or some very old Château d’Yquem, among many wine treasures. It was a fascinating place to visit, and any wine lover would surely like to live there!
Our dinner, which was prepared by the hotel’s Michelin two-star restaurant Le Cinq, was in the spectacular gilt and red Salon Louis XIII. The menu, accompanied by red and white burgundy, was a great start to the trip.
The next day we departed from the Gare de Lyon on a high-speed train to the city of Dijon. Our executive coach and driver met us at the train station for a quick trip to Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy. The delightful Hotel Le Cep made sure the reception was quick so we didn’t have to wait long to enjoy a lunch in the outdoor courtyard. The weather was warm and sunny, a precursor of the entire trip.
After lunch, we walked two blocks to the cellars of Joseph Drouhin. Drouhin owns vineyards in many parts of Burgundy, as well as Oregon, and is one of the largest negociants (one who makes wine from purchased grapes) in Burgundy. Unfortunately, Veronique Drouhin, who has visited Pittsburgh, was being interviewed by French TV and couldn’t join us. We enjoyed the cellars, which even extend under the local church.
Evening found us at Lameloise, a legendary hotel and Michelin threestar restaurant in Chagny. Founded in 1921, the restaurant is under the direction of Chef Eric Pras. The food, service and venue were a perfect end to our first day in Burgundy.
A morning visit to the nearby winery and caves of Louis Jadot introduced us to another of the large grower/negociants in Burgundy. Jadot’s sparkling new facility is located on the edge of Beaune and combines modern technology with the firm’s 156 year old traditions. Our group was met by the very knowledgeable Olivier Masmondet, master sommelier and export manager. Everyone was so taken with Mssr. Masmondet that we invited him to present a tasting at the Duquesne Club.
Lunch at Hostellerie de Levernois, another Michelin-starred country house and restaurant, was a beautiful experience. A bright and spacious room awaited us with large doors that accessed the lawn and gardens. After lunch we headed south to the famous white wine village of Meursault and a visit to Ropiteau Frères, owned by the Club’s good friend Jean–Charles Boisset. We met in the barrel room with winemaker Nicolas Burnez. Tasting wine that Nicolas extracted straight from the barrels with a “wine thief” was a great experience. That night we walked to 21 Boulevard, a very charming restaurant near the Hospices de Beaune. Again, the food and wine were top notch.
Photos: Top - Hotel Relais Bernard Loiseau 2nd - Group photo at Château de Chailly 3rd - A room inside Bouchard Aîné & Fils Bottom Left - Victor Petiot, sommelier, Four Seasons George V, and Lawrence Spieth Bottom Right - Tasting at Louis Jadot with Olivier Masmondet
The next morning we were off to the village of Aloxe–Corton, north of Beaune. We were met by the charming Fanny Loichet for a tour of the Corton Grancey vineyards and a visit to the tasting room. Owned by Louis Latour, the vineyards of Corton Grancey are perched on a hillside. From that vantage point, Fanny noted that we were able to see the four levels of vineyards in Burgundy — regional, village, premier cru and grand cru. A tasting featuring Louis Latour village, premier cru and grand cru wines was followed by a delightful catered lunch in a former barn with, what else — more wine.
We took a break to shop and walk around Beaune in the afternoon before dinner at Loiseau des Vigne, the Beaune outpost of Relais Bernard Loiseau which is adjacent to Hotel Le Cep. The manager introduced us to a group of New Zealand wine makers who were touring Burgundy. We would meet them again later at Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu.
Thursday was to be our Jean–Charles Boisset day as we visited his Bouchard Aîné & Fils. Our tasting and tour were followed by a buffet lunch in a beautifully decorated château in the heart of Beaune. We then went north to the famous village of Nuits–Saint–Georges and a visit to the very old and dusty cellars of Jean–Claude Boisset (named for Jean–Charles’ father). A late afternoon visit to the “Imaginarium,” an exhibit building showing the production of Burgundy wine, was followed by a multi-bottled tasting of Burgundy Cremant (the sparkling wine of Burgundy), which left us a bit, shall we say, “bubbly.” Dinner that evening was at Le Charlemagne outside the village of Pernand–Vergelesses. We were greeted by a very interesting fusion of Japanese and French cuisine created by Laurent Peugeot, who spent four years in Japan before returning to France with his wife Hiroko. The meal and the setting were delightfully different from many of the classic French meals we had during the trip.
On Friday, we departed Beaune for Saulieu. We had lunch along the way at the Château de Chailly, a 12th century fortified house that was expanded into a fortress in the 15th century and is currently a luxury resort and golf course. A gravel-floored room opening onto the lawn and pool was the location for a tasting of six different wines. Leftover bottles joined us for lunch, along with two additional wines. The 30-minute trip to Saulieu allowed a few people to cat nap. The rural Relais Bernard Loiseau is a beautiful Michelin three-star hotel. On arrival, we gathered in the central garden for champagne and snacks. Dinner was preceded by a visit and tasting with the New Zealand wine makers we had met earlier in Beaune. As usual the Kiwis were outgoing and ready to drink wine. Dinner was everything you would expect in a Michelin three-star restaurant. Dominique Loiseau visited with us, graciously chatting with everyone in the room and posing for pictures. After-dinner conversation over Armagnac and Calvados in the library included a discussion of the graciousness and highlevel tastings we experienced. Someone commented, “It helps that the Duquesne Club is one of the largest premium wine buyers in the country.”
On Saturday, our executive coach took us to Montbard station for the train to the Paris-Gare de Lyon, where— amid hugs and warm goodbyes— we ended a fabulous seven days.
